The more I familiarize myself with the traditions, the more I learn about the group and what its purposes are. Which is to say, what all of us are supposed to be doing. The traditions not only apply to AA as a whole, or a group in particular, but, also, they’re personal to me. I remember an old timer, who once got up and told his story, relating it through the traditions. I’ve heard others, who say that there are not only 12 things we must adhere to, but 24. In other words, the program is the whole package.
The other night I was priviledged to lead a meeting on the seventh and eighth traditons. When I was told what the subject matter would be, I had an immediate reaction. Here are two of the most seemingly dry and uninteresting traditions I could imagine. Finances and professionalism. So, I went back over these two traditions, and braced myself to do what I was asked. I knew I could talk about responsibility and not being paid for the twelfth step, but something else was there that I had missed in my reading of these and all the rest of the traditions. Environment.
I went back and thought about what Bill and Dr. Bob were trying to do, when they proposed the traditions to AA. It certainly had nothing to do with control, because our founders were really letting go of heading up AA and turning it over to the members. And it’s true that one of the purposes was to help insure that AA could last as long as alcoholics would come knocking at its doors. And there was the point. Each tradition and the traditions as a whole were designed to make sure that there was an environment in which all could recover.
And that’s it isn’t it. We are being instructed to form an atmosphere in which to surround the new person (and sometimes the old timer), wherein recovery is possible. My sponsor called AA an emergency room. The sick and suffering can enter this emergency room and get the treatment they need for what ails them; alcoholism.
And the thing about that is that it’s always the emergency room, no matter how long we’ve been here. We can always enter it, on a daily basis, and be treated for what ails us.
More than that, the traditions keep us focused on our primary purpose. This is the strength of this program and what sustains it no matter what assails us.
I pray that I may be part of building and maintaining this environment and encouraging an atmosphere in which recovery is possible. The 11th and 12th steps.