Literature Prices and Postage I’m a member of a virtual group, and neither my current hometown nor the place I’m planning to move to has an OA presence. My virtual meeting doesn’t have literature for sale. For every bit of literature I own, I have paid exorbitant prices and postage. I understand that service offices need to cover the cost of printing, but an OA pamphlet that has … Read More
Awesome Silver Linings I am grateful for the coronavirus. No, thank God, I have not had it, and I know it has caused a lot of suffering, but I’m still grateful. Why? There are silver linings for every cloud. One of them was a recovery event put on in April by the Los Angeles Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous that they called “Quarantine and … Read More
Love and Service Love and service. These are, I sense, one and the same. Love, without service, is illusory. Service, without love, is cold. True service always works both ways. I cannot give service without receiving it. I cannot receive service without giving it. Love and service are a circuit that connects two or more people. The love and service flow between and … Read More
Young People in OA I am a mother of a 14-year-old boy who I think may be a food addict. In going through the questions on your website, he answered yes to twelve of the Fifteen Questions. I would really appreciate if you could send me more information about the meetings you hold, and whether you think they will be suitable for us. Overeaters … Read More
Diversity and Disability Q: My sister tried to attend an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. She’s obese, with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. She’s also deaf. She was lucky enough to find a member of the group who knew American Sign Language and could sign for her. Unfortunately, one of the other group members complained that the signing was distracting. The translator felt … Read More
Fully Covered I was thinking about why we buy car insurance aside from the fact that it is required by law. Car insurance is basically protecting my asset in the event of an accident. The car I drive is valuable; therefore, I opt for full coverage. This means that no matter what happens, it can be restored (or replaced) if damaged. I … Read More
World Service, Worldwide Friends I’ve long been a self-proclaimed “service junkie.” I learned very early the benefits of attending more than just one group. I’ve also reaped the benefits of having a sponsor and being a sponsor. It didn’t take me long at all to get involved at the group, intergroup, region, and world service levels, and I’ve been blessed to attend some of … Read More
The Funnest Thing I’ve Ever Done In 1995, I’d been in OA for seven years, and I got a new car. An OA friend and I decided to drive to the World Service Convention in Minneapolis. Although the trip planner we used said it was twenty hours away, it took us thirty-three hours to drive there. We stayed for thirty-three hours, and we drove another thirty-three … Read More
Practice Space I’m not entirely sure what OA unity means to me, but a specific memory early in my program comes to mind. After a meeting, one member said to another, “I love you if you’re eating. I love you if you’re not eating. I love you because you are a compulsive overeater.” This was one of the kindest things I’d ever … Read More
The World’s Longest String In the summer of 1979, I, along with three other compulsive overeaters, none of whom weighed less than 225 pounds (102 kg), jumped into my subcompact car (talk about a low-riding chassis!) and drove twelve hours from Durham, North Carolina. Our destination? New York City, home of the 1979 World Service Convention. What do I remember? I remember the show … Read More
