One of the most striking stories in the BB is the story of Jim in the chapter More About Alcoholism. Jim was the man, who drank the whiskey in a glass of milk.
Just before Bill writes Jim’s story, he asks questions of what it is that causes the alcoholic to continuously “slip” and go back to drinking again. Then, as he is describing Jim getting sober, and getting his life back on track, he makes a statement. That all went well for a while, but Jim failed to enlarge his spiritual life.
I know, when I came in here, I was stunned to find out that, if I was going to stay sober, I was going to have to lead a spiritual life. I had come in to this program, because I was desperate to stop drinking, but the choice of either living a spiritual way of life or dying an alcoholic death was a little radical. Fred, the man whose story follows Jim’s in the same chapter spelled out my feelings, when he said that
though the program of action he was presented, was sensible, it was pretty drastic.
But then he said that once he accepted it and committed himself to it, he had the feeling his alcoholic problem was relieved. The same with me.
The Ninth Step, in the BB tells me that the spiritual life is not a theory. It has to be lived. And that apparently is the answer for all of us, who want to stay sober. It is for me anyway. I’m not talking about sainthood. Far from it. But just trying to practice these principles I have found in the Steps and Traditions in my daily affairs. Like Fred said, it’s a program of action. Though I work it imperfectly, somehow it works, if I will work it.
After yesterday, I was thinking about all those I have known through the years, who have gone back out repeatedly. I thought I’d go back and read what the BB said about this and Jim seemed to be the man to look at in what makes any of us pick up that drink again. The pure insanity, which seems so justifiable, when we lack a spiritual life. I can understand that, since my drinking life was totally lacking in anything spiritual. But since coming in and doing it the AA way, I have been freed of alcohol, or a desire to drink. The restoration to sanity.