Breaking Isolation Through Diversity
Characters: Nellie, Maria, Tom, Sally, Georgia, Sarah, Grace
Tom, Sally, Sarah, and Grace are preparing the meeting room; Georgia is at the door greeting
new arrivals.
Tom: What's the meeting topic this evening?
Sarah: I've got the meeting; we're on Tradition One.
Grace: Our common welfare should come first— progress for the greatest number depends
upon unity.
Sally: For all the years I've been in Al-Anon, this is the best group I've gone to, 'cause we all
seem to see things the same way. Like the First Tradition says, “unity!” I hope this meeting
never changes, because it probably wouldn't help me as much if it did.
(A newcomer approaches the meeting room, crying, and wearing a red clown nose.)
Nellie: Is this the "All for One" Al-Anon meeting?
Georgia: Uh, yeah, but (interrupted)
Nellie: Thank you! I think this is where I need to be. (Nellie sits down in the meeting room.)
Sally: Ma'am, um . . . are you sure you belong here? We've never had anyone with a red nose
before. I'm not sure you would fit in.
Nellie: You mean you can't attend this meeting if you've got a red nose? But I really need to talk
with someone, and I don't even know where there is another meeting tonight. My partner and I
have been fighting so much lately, and last week I found some empty vodka bottles in the
garbage. She said they aren't hers, but honestly, who else’s could they be, the cat’s? I haven't
been sleeping, or eating, and last night she didn't come home. I have tried everything, and I just
don't know what else to do!
Georgia: (taking a deep breath and smiling) Of course you can stay, come on in. I think you'll
find that we have something in common. Anyone affected by alcoholism is welcome in Al-Anon!
(exchanges a glance with Sally)
Nellie: Okay, if you're sure it's alright . . . . (sits down)
Tom: (looking out the window) Hey, look, there's someone in the parking lot, and it's a car I
haven't seen before! Oh, wait, they're leaving.
Sarah: (joining Tom at the window) Hmm, they have a handicapped license plate. I guess they
saw the stairs and realized they wouldn't be able to get in. That's too bad . . .
Maria: (entering the room) ¿Hola, es esta la reunión de Al-Anon?
Georgia: Excuse me?
Maria: ¿Es esta la reunión de Al-Anon? ¿Alguien habla español?
Georgia: I don't understand . . . I don't speak Spanish. Does anyone speak Spanish? (all say no,
shake heads)
Maria: Adiós . . . . (shrugs and leaves the meeting, crying)
Tom: Okay, time to get started! Serenity Prayer . . . God, grant me the serenity . . . (skip ahead to
the topic) Now it is time for a member of our group to offer a short presentation on tonight's
topic. Sarah?
Sarah: Hi, I'm Sarah.
All: Hi, Sarah!
Sarah: Well, tonight's topic is Tradition One. “Our common welfare should come first. Personal
progress for the greatest number depends upon unity.” So, when I was planning the topic
tonight, I was thinking about how much I like this meeting because we all seem to see things the
same way, and how I really hoped our meeting would always be the same as it is now. But, I was
noticing things tonight before the meeting, and when I think of the purpose of Al-Anon being
for all those affected by someone else's drinking, I wonder if we are defeating our purpose by
making it so hard to come to our meeting. I mean, you have to climb stairs, so anyone who can't
climb stairs can't attend. We don't have any literature or meeting information for people who
speak Spanish, and we have a large number of Spanish-speaking people in our neighborhood.
When people who look different from us come here, we seem to see the differences instead of
the similarities. But, when I was listening to Nellie share when she came in, it really hit me that
we have more in common than we think. So, I'm not sure what the answer is, but I wonder if we
couldn't live out this Tradition better if we started to see the similarities, rather than the
differences, and tried to make sure our meeting is welcoming to anyone affected by the family
disease. I wonder what makes it so hard to do that? I pass.
Sally: You make a good point, Sarah, but it's scary. I worry that people who are different from
me won't understand me the way you all do.
Georgia: I can relate to that, but I am even more worried that I might offend someone, by saying
or doing the wrong thing. I'm not really sure what to say sometimes when people are from a
different culture, or background. What if I say something stupid?
Grace: As Group Rep I go to Assemblies, and it is dawning on me that our Assembly looks a lot
like our meeting. Our Delegate even said the latest survey of Al-Anon members in the U.S.
shows that we are mostly white, females—sorry, Tom! (laughing with everyone, including
Tom)—middle class, and the average age is 57. So, we are certainly not alone in this! I agree, it is
scary to reach out, but I think we might have a lot to learn from people who are different from
us.
Tom: You know, this all brings me back to when I was new in Al-Anon. I didn't think ANYONE
could possibly understand me, even my own family. I always felt alone and isolated, and it was
really scary to be vulnerable, take a risk, and share with others. But I have discovered that when
I take the risk, most of the time people accept me as I am, and I feel less isolated. It helps me
get better!
Sally: So, maybe it's time for our MEETING to be less isolated! Maybe we can add this to our
next business meeting.
Tom: Good idea, Sally! And now, it's time to close…God, grant me the serenity…
All: The first meeting after our next business meeting…
Georgia: Time for Al-Anon announcements . . . Tom, as secretary, can you remind us all of the
decisions made at our business meeting?
Tom: Sure! First, we decided to purchase some pamphlets in Spanish, and provide a handout of
meetings in Spanish. These are on the literature table. Second, we decided to make sure we
have pamphlets that welcome people of many different backgrounds to Al-Anon. For example,
there is one for men, one for gays and lesbians, and one for African-Americans; they are also on
the literature table. Third, we established a committee to look into new locations that would be
handicapped accessible, preferably at a place other than a church, since many people don't feel
comfortable in churches. And lastly, we asked our Group Rep, Grace, to bring this up at the next
district meeting, to see if other groups have talked about this as well, and if there might be
outreach projects our group could work on with the district or Area to reach out to people who
aren't served well in Al-Anon. I think that covers it!
Georgia: Thank you, Tom! And now it's time for our topic for the evening. Nellie?
Nellie: (still wearing red clown nose) Hi, I'm Nellie.
All: Hi, Nellie!
Nellie: This is my first time presenting a topic, so I'm really nervous, but here goes! It's an open
topic tonight, and I picked breaking isolation. When I came to my first meeting, I had lived with
the secret of alcoholism in my home for so long that I didn't think anyone could get what I was
going through, but I learned that whatever the differences between us, people who have lived
with alcoholism really can understand . . . (fades out and all freeze)