Recovery: Joyous, Proud and Noisy

Anybody besides me remember the “Silent Majority”?

That was Spiro Agnew’s description of the “average American”, toiling in anonymity, voiceless and culturally disfranchised by a changing society.

Well, there’s a new bunch in town, and while they are anonymous, and may not yet constitute a majority, I can tell you this: they are not silent.

They are the Recovery Community. They are individuals and their families who have learned to live clean and sober in an addicted society. They are the alcoholics who now think instead of drink, the addicts who help each other stay clean, instead of dragging each other down to oblivion; the gamblers who invest in recovery instead of playing the tables, the horses or the market. They are the kids who are getting an education instead of getting in trouble, running the streets to flee the addiction-fueled dysfunction at home.

They are the people who have learned that change brings healing and that an incurable disease, addiction, can be stopped in its tracks with the right kind of help. Many belong to programs based on anonymity, but that doesn’t make them invisible nonentities. They are the family next door, the co-worker, the cop and the cafeteria lady. They represent every race, creed and color in the county.

And man, do they like to have fun! Recovery is about the joy of living.

So, in that spirit, a group of recovering people decided to throw a party. It’s called Rock 4 Recovery, and it’s a straight-up, kick out the jams, pedal to the medal Rock Concert, with a twist: no drugs, no booze. The bands and the audience will all be clean and sober.

What kind of concert is that? If last year’s show is an indication, it will be eclectic, with 10 bands in 10 hours, ranging from Classic Rock to Metal, with a little of World, Country, Alternative, Hip-Hop—even some Spoken Word. It will also be safe: in addition to the strict no drugs and alcohol policy, that last year it was a concert with no fights, no breakage, no ugliness of any kind. The kind of concert where you don’t have to worry about your kids if you bring them.

Does that mean it was tame? No Way. It’s Rock N’Roll —loud, raucous and rowdy. Lights, smoke, dancin’ in the streets—well, not the streets, the aisles, but you get the picture.

And did I mention the price? $10.00. All of it going to sponsor recovery-oriented young people.

If you’re a recovering person or family member and want to experience something different in the world of recovery, come on out.

If you are curious about life after drugs and booze, and wondering if you can socialize stone cold sober, come on out.

And if you just like a good rock show with people who won’t throw up on your shoes, we’re your destination.

Come on out and join the not-so-Silent Majority!

Rock 4 Recovery:

Date:	Saturday, November 14, 2009
Time:	1:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:	The Garden Church, Lansdowne & Stratford Aves., Lansdowne PA 19050