Reaction to the AA meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reaction to the AA meeting - Essay Example The people at the meeting belonged to a variety of ethnic groups. There were African Americans, whites, and a few were Hispanic. There were a number of different people that were at the meeting. Some of the people there looked intimidating. One man, in particular, really struck me. Just looking at him sent chills down my spine. He looked like one of those weirdoes that you see on TV waiting to abduct or hurt someone. Anyone who looked at him, even from a distance, could tell that he was not right. Without being too noticeable, I moved my seat. I played it off real well, as I told the group leader that I needed to sit closer to the front of the room in order to see better. She was more than accommodating, and I was elated, as I did not want to cause too much of a disruption to the meeting, nor did I want to offend the scary looking man to the point of having him retaliate on me at a later time. That was something I wanted to avoid. Aside from the scary looking man, there were others who looked rough and dirty. These ones looked as if hygiene was the furthest thing from their mind. I'm guessing that their addiction was so great that it took priority over bathing. I was so glad not to be sitting near any of them, as they did give off an unpleasant odor. I could smell a hint of the stench where I currently sat: but, I knew I'd not be able to bare it if I were sitting in close proximity of these individuals. One man looked like he had been sleeping in the garbage can or the ditch. His hair was so greasy and dirty that it was literally matted to his head. His close also had a lot to be desired, as they were stained and dirty that it was hard to tell what they looked like originally. I was guessing that, by the looks of this man, he was probably homeless. I felt so sorry for this man, as his addiction enslaved him to the point of being past decency. In my heart, I hoped that he would benefit from this program, so he will be able to be clean and presentable, have a roof over his head that wood provide him comfort and shelter from the harsh elements, and live a normal life. It is so horribly sad how an addiction can rob a person to the point of destruction. Other than the people there that made me feel uneasy, the environment was warm and friendly. This was partly due to the way that the leader of the group directed the meeting. The group was led by a woman who had overcome her own addiction. It was a struggle for her, but she wanted us to know that, through her testimony, it was definitely possible to do. She was a pleasant woman. She had a wonderful demeanor about her. Her personality was warm, and she was approachable. She carried herself in a confident fashion, and her confidence was contagious. She was so encouraging to everyone. She opened the meeting by first sharing all of her experiences. She talked bout her trials, and then she told us what she did to triumph. It was important to her that everyone knew that alcohol addiction did not have to rule one's life. After she finished speaking to the group, she then asked for everyone to share their experiences. One man talked about how his addiction first began when he was fourteen years of age. Because his father owned a liquor store, he had easy access to alcohol of all types. His alcohol addiction led to even greater addictions, as he then began to use hard drugs. To make for an interesting experience for himself, he combined the drugs and alcohol. What he'd do was that he'd first drink as much as he could handle. Then,

The Rise of the Papacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Rise of the Papacy - Research Paper Example e on earth will be  loosed in heaven†.1 After the ascension, Peter of course played an active and pivotal role in building the first Christian communities in Judea, Greece, and Rome. Although the earliest forms of Christianity were not â€Å"Catholic† per se, the subsequent movement of Catholicism traces its origins back to the very earliest Christians and leverage this understanding as a means of developing a type of ethos with respect to the church’s stature within Christendom. The purpose of this brief essay will focus upon the rise of the papacy and the manner through which the bishops of Rome came to define, and indeed be called, â€Å"pope† in the contemporary sense and meaning of the word. It is the hope of this author that such a level of discussion will be beneficial in helping the reader to come to a more profound understanding with respect to how this institution came into being and the causal factors that facilitated the rise of the papacy at the distinct moment in time that it took place. As has previously been referenced within the introduction, the foundations of the papacy can be traced back to the belief that Christ would found a church with Peter as its figurehead. As Christianity grew and Christian communities sprung up throughout the Mediterranean region, and elsewhere, the fundamental need for some type of control structure and/or figure of leadership was abundantly apparent. Peter, Paul, and the other apostles, noted in the New Testament, spent a great deal of time running between these early communities and seeking to avert major crises of faith/doctrine. As a matter of defining the way in which these groups of believers would engage with the gospel, interact with one another, and seek to integrate with the remainder of the Christian communities throughout the world, early forms of Christianity soon began to nominate and promote bishops within these communities as a means of providing a type of regional figurehead that could help to