I registered for this year’s convention having had wonderful, memorable experiences at past MAI conventions.  There had been so many rewards to attending. The sense of belonging to something much larger than my circle of local members was one of the very obvious exhilarating benefits. Hearing the experience and strength of the keynote speakers was always moving and inspiring.  I would feel awash with the positive vibrations from the speakers and from every individual – those I was first meeting and those I already knew well and those in the crowd that I saw only from across a room.  I would come away with memories and messages that I would use far into the future — to further build upon my own personal recovery in OA.

It was always a very heady experience for me and, though I never felt hesitant about attending the Virtual Convention, I had reservations about what the experience might be. In fact, I was skeptical that it could hold my attention, much less captivate me as the in-person conventions of past years had done.  I am joyous to say I was proven wrong!

When I sat in my own home, watching the very first keynote speaker, I was glued to the image of a woman I’d never met as she poured out her story of recovery, spiritual growth, weight loss and life improvement. It was magnetic in a way I hadn’t anticipated.  I’d watched so many entertainers, politicians, etc, doing video interviews during the months of the pandemic, and yet, I’d not seen one that was able to reach across the internet to grab and hold my attention like that. 

This palpable experience held true for each of the speakers that April weekend of 2021. It reminded me of times I’d had deep one-on-one conversations within the OA universe.  Maybe I was the experienced person sharing my life and soul with a newcomer or a struggling member. Or maybe I was the newcomer hoping for a miracle — or I was the struggling member looking for strength I could somehow absorb into my mind and body.  My experience with the virtual speakers reminded me of the well-known conversation of AA’s founder when he’d given up hope for a normal life. It felt to me like the “bleak November day” when he sat at his kitchen table across from a friend who had come to share the life-changing story of his new sobriety. This conversation was revolutionary for him and the 2021 Virtual Convention was a revelation and an inspiration for me! I’m so grateful to the many within MAI who made this possible.

Written by Joy M.