Summer 2001 Page 3

I have been in recovery for a little over 7 years and my ABSOLUTE favorite part of this process (besides staying clean) is having my main support group be the Wharf Rats. Ever since I got clean I have been involved with the Rats! Of course, I was a deadhead for most of my 18 using years, but never really paid much attention to the Wharf Rats when I saw them popping up at shows in the 80's. When I DID see them, I just stole their candy and ran away! I certainly couldn't fathom going to a show without using -What fun would THAT be?? Well -let me tell you what fun that is!!!! In 1993 I met my sponsor, Kay -she's an old school Wharf Rat who used to work the tables with "Mom". I got involved a little with her, helping out with the newsletter mailing list and hanging around the tables at shows. In 1995 Jerry died. The scene was over (or so I thought). A few months later, her and I met another fellow Rat at a recovery convention who happened to see my car in the parking lot (with Dead stickers all over it)-since I was the only one at the convention wearing a Tye Dye, he figured it was my car -HE WAS RIGHT. He approached my sponsor and I about starting a Wharf Rat meeting in the Long Island area. He had been living in Seattle and had some involvement with the Mr. Bubbles Group out there. I thought it was a great idea! The 3 of us started the Save Your Face Group in Long Island. We struggled a bit the first few years -we'd go from having 2 of us show up to 15! Back and forth. We kept it together tho and have had many folks come and go. The core group has flourished and we now regularly have 10-15 show up every week! We know each other so well now -the bond we share is unexplainable. One of the coolest parts about our group is that we go to shows together. Most Dead-related shows in our area are taken over by 20 or so of us Long Island area WR's, who dance and laugh and move like no one else. Always seems to me that us clean folk are having more fun than anyone else around!!! We are very devoted lovers of the live scene and dancing. Having that in common with our desire to stay clean is one of the greatest connections I have ever experienced in my life! I met Don (Wharfdaddy)in 1997 and he showed up at a couple of our Long Island meetings (he even spoke at a few of our anniversaries). We started getting involved with tabling with Don and our bond got even stronger. When Don decided to hit Bangkok for awhile, he asked Warren and I to take on some of the responsibility that he could no longer commit to. Along with Lynn, Pattye, Lisa, Ken, Therese, Daniel, Robert and Carol -we are now part of the committed table coordinators who ensure that the Dead-related shows have a WR presence. Recently I was cont act ed by the Phil Lesh promoters. They wanted to send out letters to all the venues for us, so the venues were aware that we belonged and were welcome to set up! Typically sending out letters to venues was our responsibility! Now we have Phil's folks helping us out with that! Do you know what that says about the Wharf Rats?? We are only getting stronger - and our devotion grows with each passing year. It's too bad that Jerry couldn't find his way in time to stay alive. He could have joined us at our intermission meetings during Dead shows. There but for the Grace of God go I, Jer. We are the blessed and lucky ones to still be alive, clean and enjoying beautiful music with each other.