A recovery thought
archie
We may have very few material things, but we can be rich in terms of spiritual values, enjoying life.
We may know who needs the message but we’ll probably never be sure who’s ready to hear it or who the one who can best carry it is.
WHAT A MEETING SHOULD NOT DO
An A.A. group, as such, cannot take on all the personal problems of its members, let alone those of nonalcoholic’s in the world around us. The A.A. group is not, for example, a mediator of domestic relations, nor does it furnish personal financial aid to anyone. Though a member may sometimes be helped in such matters by his friends in A.A., the primary responsibility for the solution of all his problems of living and growing rests squarely upon the individual himself. Should an A.A. group attempt this sort of help, its effectiveness and energies would be hopelessly dissipated. This is why sobriety--freedom from alcohol--through the teaching and practice of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, is the sole purpose of the group. If we don’t stick to this cardinal principle, we shall almost certainly collapse. And if we collapse we cannot help anyone.
As Bill Sees it, page 79
An alky pushed his way into a crowed elevator. As the car started up, the drunk tried to turn around to face the door but the car was so crowded he couldn’t. The other passengers stared into the bleary, blood-shot eyes with obviously increasing embarrassment. Finally the drunk cleared his throat loudly. "Ladies an’ gen’le-men," he said, "I guess you’re all wonderin’ jus’ why I called this meeting."
Always Say A Prayer
archie
We may not be what we want to be, and we’re not what we ought to be, but thank God we’re not what we used to be.
We may not need a meeting but meetings need us.
WHAT ARE THE TWELVE STEPS?
The "Twelve Steps" are the core of the A.A. Program of personal recovery from alcoholism. They are not abstract theories; they are based on the trail-and-error experience of early members of A.A. They describe the attitude and activities that these early members believe were important in helping them to achieve sobriety.
44 Questions, page 27, paragraph 4
An alcoholic went to a police station and told an officer, "I’ve been hitting the bottle too hard, and I think I want to quit. Would you give me a lie detector test to see if I really do, or whether I’m just lying to myself again?"
archie
Some CO/Intergroups have guidelines We may still be crazy even though we are not drinking, but if we pick up a drink, more people will notice it.
We may want to trust the Big Book for factual information rather than bet our lives and freedom on what sponsors say and what we hear in meetings.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GROUP AND A MEETING?
The pamphlet, “The A.A. Group, “states, “...Some A.A. members hold meetings that differ from the common understanding of a group. These members simply gather at a set time and place for a meeting, perhaps for convenience or other special situations. The main difference between meetings and groups is that A.A. groups generally continue to exist outside the prescribed meeting hours, ready to provide Twelve Step help when needed.
“A.A. groups are encouraged to register with GSO as well as with their local offices: area, district, intergroup, or central office. A.A. meetings can be listed in local meeting lists.”
SOME EXAMPLES OF AN A.A. MEETING AS OPPOSED TO AN A.A. GROUP
One example would be a one time or short series of special-purpose meetings for a member who might be hospitalized or cannot get to his regular A.A. group for some other reason. In this case, A.A. members might bring a meeting to that member. Another example would be a meeting that A.A. members hold for a transient population-—say, a meeting for travelers coming through the local airport. Here in Nashville, where the music community includes well-known people who may feel singled out in a regular A.A. group, there are informal A.A. meetings among entertainers in recovery. There are also A.A. meetings held for a single purpose-—perhaps an interview, yet one time, book study. In these examples, those who attend these meetings do not plan to function as a permanent group that participates in the larger A.A. program. Thus, they would not register themselves as a group with G.S.O., and they would not participate as a group in their district or area. There meetings, if it goes on long enough, can be listed in the local meeting directory, and all those who attend a meeting rather than a group are encouraged to belong to a regular A.A. group as well.
The Messenger, MTC, Nov 2007, page 4
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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GROUP AND A MEETING?
A.A. was born one night in May first 1935 when Bill W., sober for six months, and Dr. Bob, not sober at all, met and talked for the first time; that meeting could be said to be the first A.A. meeting. In those early days, there was a fine line between simply being together and talking, and holding a definite meeting. It’s still true that an A.A. meeting can be held anywhere, any time that alcoholics get together with the purpose of staying sober using the A.A. Program. Thus an A.A. meeting can be spontaneously created on shipboard, on a mountaintop, or across a kitchen table; the basic elements of a meeting often include the Preamble and prayer--through these are matters of custom rather than a rule.
The meeting and the group both have, as the Fifth Tradition says, "one primary purpose--to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers," but an A.A. group is generally held to be an entity that has continuity of membership, collects contributions to meet the requirement of self-support, selects trusted servants such as secretaries and coffee makers, and establishes consistent meeting times and places so that newcomers and others who need a meeting can find one. Every A.A. group, in other words, is a home group where members can make an ongoing commitment to A.A.
AAGrapevine, January first 1998
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An elderly drunk was sitting on a park bench in tears. A police officer came up and asked him what was wrong. “I’m 75 years old,” sobbed the man, “man I’ve got a 25 year-old wife at home. She’s beautiful, charming and madly in love with me.” “So why are you crying?” “I can’t remember where I live.”
archie
We miss so much in meetings when we listen with our opinions.
We must acquire honesty, humility, appreciation, and kill self-centeredness to keep sober.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GROUP AND A MEETING?
The pamphlet, “The A.A. Group, “states, “...Some A.A. members hold meetings that differ from the common understanding of a group. These members simply gather at a set time and place for a meeting, perhaps for convenience or other special situations. The main difference between meetings and groups is that A.A. groups generally continue to exist outside the prescribed meeting hours, ready to provide Twelve Step help when needed.
“A.A. groups are encouraged to register with GSO as well as with their local offices: area, district, intergroup, or central office. A.A. meetings can be listed in local meeting lists.”
SOME EXAMPLES OF AN A.A. MEETING AS OPPOSED TO AN A.A. GROUP
One example would be a one time or short series of special-purpose meetings for a member who might be hospitalized or cannot get to his regular A.A. group for some other reason. In this case, A.A. members might bring a meeting to that member. Another example would be a meeting that A.A. members hold for a transient population-—say, a meeting for travelers coming through the local airport. Here in Nashville, where the music community includes well-known people who may feel singled out in a regular A.A. group, there are informal A.A. meetings among entertainers in recovery. There are also A.A. meetings held for a single purpose-—perhaps an interview, yet one time, book study. In these examples, those who attend these meetings do not plan to function as a permanent group that participates in the larger A.A. program. Thus, they would not register themselves as a group with G.S.O., and they would not participate as a group in their district or area. There meetings, if it goes on long enough, can be listed in the local meeting directory, and all those who attend a meeting rather than a group are encouraged to belong to a regular A.A. group as well.
The Messenger, MTC, Nov 2007, page 4
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WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GROUP AND A MEETING?
A.A. was born one night in May first 1935 when Bill W., sober for six months, and Dr. Bob, not sober at all, met and talked for the first time; that meeting could be said to be the first A.A. meeting. In those early days, there was a fine line between simply being together and talking, and holding a definite meeting. It’s still true that an A.A. meeting can be held anywhere, any time that alcoholics get together with the purpose of staying sober using the A.A. Program. Thus an A.A. meeting can be spontaneously created on shipboard, on a mountaintop, or across a kitchen table; the basic elements of a meeting often include the Preamble and prayer--through these are matters of custom rather than a rule.
The meeting and the group both have, as the Fifth Tradition says, "one primary purpose--to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers," but an A.A. group is generally held to be an entity that has continuity of membership, collects contributions to meet the requirement of self-support, selects trusted servants such as secretaries and coffee makers, and establishes consistent meeting times and places so that newcomers and others who need a meeting can find one. Every A.A. group, in other words, is a home group where members can make an ongoing commitment to A.A.
AAGrapevine, January first 1998
An inebriated lady got on the double-decker bus in England and sat in the bottom deck close to the driver. She started rambling on and on, so the driver suggested she sit upstairs. "The air is cleaner up there and you’ll get a better view.” The lady agreed, but returned a few minutes later. "What’s wrong?" the driver asked. "Don’t you like it better up there?” "It’s fine," the drunk woman said. "But it’s too dangerous, there’s no driver!"
archie
We must be able to contact each other to get help and give help; maybe we need to use our last names more.
We must be diligent in preserving the A.A. way of life through our actions and our participation at meetings.
WHAT IS A.A.?
Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.
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WHAT IS A.A.?
"Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women"--A.A. members need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, film, TV, etc. In all other cases, I can say I’m a member but I should never break another member’s anonymity. A.A. is not a religious group, cult, business, etc. Nor is it a social club or dating service. A.A. membership is open to men and woman of all ages, races, creeds and colors assuming they meet our one requirement: "who share their experience, strength and hope with each other"--A.A. members don’t give each other advice nor require any type of conformance. A.A. provides no professional or social services. We simply share what we’ve done and the results we have gotten "that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism." Alcoholism is our focus. Helping others helps us. We recover. However, we are never cured.
"The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking." Anyone who thinks they have a drinking problem and has a desire to stop may become an A.A. member. A.A. members do not diagnose each other. Each member must declare himself an alcoholic. Individuals who have no history of problem drinking are not eligible for A.A. membership.
"There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership;"--It costs nothing to join A.A. or to remain a member of A.A.
"We are self-supporting through our own contributions."--A.A. accepts money from no one but its members. Two thousand dollar limit per member per year.
"A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution;"--A.A. has no religious, political or business affiliations. We are not linked to any other Twelve Step Programs. A.A. has no connection with any medical or treatment centers.
"Does not wish to engage in any controversy;"--A.A. does not support one medical or psychological viewpoint over another as it relates to alcoholism.
"Neither endorses nor opposes any causes."--A.A. is not a temperance movement. A.A. is not opposed to or in favor of drinking alcohol.
"Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety." A.A. members have no other agendas or objectives but to maintain their sobriety and pass along what was freely given to them. Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. It works if you work it.
Area 44 CPC Committee
An Irishman walks into a bar in Dublin, orders 3 pints of Guinness and sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each 1 in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders 3 more. The bartender tells him, "You know, a pint goes flat after I draw it; it would taste better if you bought 1 at a time. The Irishman replies, "Well, you see, I have 2 brothers. 1 is in America, the other in Australia, and I’m here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.” The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way: He orders 3 pints and drinks them in turn. 1 day, he comes in and orders only 2 pints. All the other regulars notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the 2nd round, the bartender says, "I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss.” The Irishman looks confused for a moment, then a light dawns in his eye and he laughs, "Oh, no," he says, "everyone’s fine. I’ve just quit drinking."
archie
We must be fully willing to work the Program, nothing good in life comes without work.
We must be honest with our inventory, why waste time fooling ourselves with a phony list, we have fooled ourselves for years, we tried to fool others, and now is a good time to look ourselves squarely in the eye.
WHEN TO TAKE THE TWELVE STEPS, HOW MUCH TIME BETWEEN EACH STEP
Step One: This takes whatever it takes, from relapsing--"step over to the nearest barroom..." to having some awful personal consequence occur. That leads to Step Two.
Reading the Big Book helps because it carefully explains (it is a textbook) what the problem is, what the solution is, and then goes on to explain the practical Program of Recovery.
When we read "How It Works" it says, "Being convinced, we were at Step Three.” By Chapter Five we were able to conclude, convinced, that we were going to have to hand this mess of our lives over to someone else. Our will is our thoughts and our life is our actions.
"Next we launched out on a course of vigorous action...it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of...” Step 4 (ps. 63-64)
"When we decide who is to hear our story, we waste no time." Step Five (p. 75)
"Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done.” This is meditation, not rest. Step Five (p. 75)
"When ready (to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable) we can say something like this: "My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” The 7th Step prayer. Steps Six and Seven (p. 76)
"Now we need more action, without which we find that `faith without works is dead’. We have a list of all persons we have harmed, we made it when we took our inventory...now we go out to our fellows and repair the damage done in the past.” Steps Eight and Nine (p. 76)
"Vigorously commence...when these crop up...quickly...at once ...immediately... "Step Ten (p. 84)
"When we retire at night...on awakening...in thinking about our day...as we go through our day...” Step Eleven (ps. 86-87)
That leaves us with Step Twelve, which is: 1) Do the Steps. 2) Had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps. 3) Share this information with another alcoholic. 4) Practice these principles in all areas of our lives.
The only length of time is really getting to Step One!
Source unknown
An habitual drunk gets hauled up once again before the bench. The presiding judge bemoans, "Look at you, a man of good education, yet here you are broke, in jail, cut off from friends and family, jobless and hopeless of ever finding or holding 1. It’s alcohol that’s responsible for your situation!” To which the drunk grins, "Thank you for saying so, your honor. Everybody else thinks it’s my fault!"
archie
We must be on solid spiritual ground to keep from picking up a drink.
We must carry the A.A. message of recovery, else we ourselves will wither and those who haven’t been given the truth will die.
NEWCOMER'S PRAYER
God, Here I am in Alcoholic Anonymous. I'm scared and a little curious, is this the answer? Are they going to help me? Help me make me stop drinking? Well, I have tried everything; I'm desperate--this thing won't hurt.
But what are they saying? A disease? An illness? Me alcoholic? Sick? No. And yet, they know, they know what it is like, what I have been through.
What? Me? Sick? Never. And yet, I am confused, hurt, lonely, unhappy, resentful. They are saying it is not my fault; that is a relief. But then, why are there so many questions and guilt feelings in my heart?
This is too much. They are saying so much I do not understand. Ordinary people and yet their faces, their eyes. Peace, serenity, I can see it!
God, I want it too. Yes this is the answer. I feel love, sympathy. Here I can begin to hope again, to be happy again, to live again.
Thank you, God, for A.A.; but more than this, thank you, God, that You will be there for me; You have been, for so many before me.
Source unknown
An old alcoholic and his Al-Anon wife no sooner hit the pillows when the old man passes gas and says, "7 points." His wife rolls over and says, "What in the world was that?" The old alcoholic replied, "It’s fart football." A few minutes later the Al-non wife lets one go and says "Touchdown, tie score." After about 5 minutes the old alcoholic lets another one go and says, "Aha. I’m ahead 14 to 7." Not to be outdone the Al-Anon rips out another one and says, "Touchdown, tie score." 5 seconds go by and she lets out a little squeaker and says, "Field goal, I lead 17 to 14." Now the pressure is on the old fellow. Just like a alcoholic he refuses to admit defeat by a Al-Anon, strains real hard. Since defeat is totally unacceptable, he gives it everything he’s got, and poops in the bed. The wife says, "What the hell was that?" The old Alike says, "Half time, switch sides."
archie
We must change our way of thinking, or else.
We must do something about what we have learned if it is to have real significance in our lives.
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A PRAYER FOR EVERY A.A. MEMBER
God, keep me from the habit of thinking that I must volunteer in every meeting no matter what the topic. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details and give me wings to get to the point. Remind me to guard confidences and to keep still when I feel that it is necessary to share information just for some one’s own good. Release me from the need to straighten out everybody else’s thinking and program.
God, I ask for the grace to listen to newcomers. Please help me to remember the patience with which others listened to me when I was new. Please seal my lips to giving advice, and help me to remember to share my experience, strength, and hope. Remind me that my purpose is to fit myself to be of maximum service to You and the people around me.
Help me to remain teachable, God. Teach me (again!) the lesson that, occasionally, it is possible that I may be wrong and remind me of the freedom that I gain when I am able to promptly admit it and make amends where necessary. Help me to remember the difference between making amends and saying I’m sorry.
Help me to be a worker among workers, a friend among friends, and a drunk among drunks. Keep me from being a bleeding deacon, God, and help me to walk the path towards being an elder statesman. Keep me ever mindful that I cannot manage my own life. I don’t want to be a saint, God, show me the way to seek you so that I may continue to grow along spiritual lines.
Remind me to put Rule 62 into practice in my life. It is so easy to take myself too seriously.
Keep me free of gossip, character assassination, and judgment. Remind me that although I have humbly asked, my character defects and shortcomings arise when I least expect them. Help me to walk with serendipity, to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people and give me the grace to tell them so. Help me to see that You love each of Your children, and that You do not need my opinion of them or suggestions on what they might deserve.
Help me to be willing to accept Your answer to my prayers, whether or not it is the answer that I thought I wanted. You know that I have trouble with acceptance sometimes, God, so there are times when You will need to help me to be willing to be willing. Show me how to walk through life with grace, dignity, and my head held high, carrying Your message and practicing these principles in all my affairs.
And God, thank You for the people that You have put in my life. My family, of origin, and of A.A. My sponsor, my sponsees, the people of my home group, the people who 1st reached out their hands to welcome me to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. I know today, God, that I could not have walked these Steps to get from where I was when I walked in the door to the person that I am today, if it were not for the blessings You have given me through Your precious children.
Thanks, God!
Author unknown
An intoxicated and rather battered man was found lying alongside a highway and was taken to the police station in a squad car. When asked by the desk sergeant why he’d been reclining by the thoroughfare, the lush stated that he’d been run over by a great big dog. The policemen smirked, and winked at each other. "What kind of a dog was it?" the sergeant asked facetiously. "A Great Dane? Newfoundland? Wolfhound?” "I dunno," muttered the tipsy pedestrian. "All I can tell you is, it seemed to be running alongside a great big bus."
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