In AA I’ve rubbed elbows with some of the world’s movers and shakers. Back in the late 90s I was living in Canberra and a member of the State Circuit Recovery group, which met at the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Hall. It was a popular meeting and close to Parliament House and was frequented by politicians from both sides of the political divide. I was often moved by the unanimity of purpose that was achieved in our group consciences.
Many of our members were in the public eye and especially sensitive about their Anonymity. To address this concern someone came up with the bright idea that all members should attend the meeting in disguise. For most of us this involved a simple pillowslip over the head with eye holes cut out, although one chap, from the conservative side of politics took this to mean changing his name to “Divine Intervention”, donning fish net stockings, suspenders and a deep rouge lippy.
It all went off the rails when someone from the media was tipped off that a local chapter of the Ku Klux Clan was meeting in Forrest and their latest recruit appeared to be a trashy looking stripper, with a striking resemblance to a well known politician.
Fortunately we all managed to make good our get away thanks to the quick action of a Divine Intervention, who led the escape out the back door of the church like she’d done it many times before.
We all learned a salutary lesson about the principle of anonymity. AA is not a secret society. Often you draw less attention to yourself by staying hidden in plain sight.