Mmmmm. Coffee.

Anyway, yeah. In the fall, mw and an old pal organized a huge reunion of all the Punk Rockers in from out old scene. We combine our Punk Rock networking skills from back in the day before the in ternet with our recovery networking skills from NA and utilizing the net and got about 300 people to come here from all over the country for a nice dinner and 3 bands- an evening of dining and dancing and reconnection.

Through out the months-long organization process, I was grateful for the people skills I aquired doing NA service. I was able to stop fights, coax cooperation, enlist help and delegate responsibility.

It contrasted with how I used to use my people skills as a teenaged Punk. Back then, I just bullied or charmed and manipulated everybody into obedience. This time was different. I did a lot less freaking out and stressing- almost none.

It also felt good to keep directing the thanks back to the other people who helped instead of basking in the glow and playing Queen of the Scene.

None of us had ever heard of other Punk Scenes doing anything like this class reunion. It reminded me again and again of how HP has always been looking out for me- before AND after my clean date. The guy who took me to my first meeting ever was a bouncer at a bar where I saw many Hardcore shows (which I was finally able to thank him for). The people who drove me to meetings when I first got clean were other Punk Rockers until I began making recovery friends I could catch rides with. And through out my early recovery, when I went to shows, my old friends looked out for me and kept dealers away from me.

One person who was a huge influence on me was my friend Sheena. She taught me that it was okay to be a girl back when I was still just a little dummy going to shows and getting wasted. She was a real role model whose inspiration had an influence on my self-acceptance and my chracter both before and after cleaning up.

Sadly, she was older than me, so her disease of addiction was more advanced than mine. Because of this, around the time I got clean, she disappeared to persue her addiction full-time.

For years after I got clean, I would do people searches, Google her, ask around when I saw old mutual friends, but you know how this disease is great at erasing human beings. I never stopped searching, though. Especially once I did my 8th step and 9th. Her name remained on my list a lot of years- 18 or so. 

We found her as we were organizing the invite list for the reunion. She had just celebrated 13 years clean.

Today, she is again a model of womanhood and faith, strength and wit. She is a drummer, a mom, a home-owner, a college graduate, a widow, a leader, a spiritual force for change and good in my life.

It was the best Punk Rock reunion I could have asked for thanks to many things, but especially for this miracle. I love you, Sheena. And I love Narcotics Anonymous for putting these kinds of cool miracles into my story.