One of the old jokes, which old timers would make, to illustrate a point, was the one about the stranger walking down 5th Ave. in New York City. The man they said was lost and needed directions. He was trying to find the concert place, Carnegie Hall. Finally he spotted a man, standing on a corner, playing a trumpet. He went up to the man and asked, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall.” The man smiled and started snapping his fingers and said, “Practice, man. Practice.”
They told that story for newcomers like myself to insert the idea in our heads that we have to practice this program. The 12 Steps.
I was thinking about this today, while meditating on the 11th Step. How does someone like me continue to grow along spiritual lines? Practice, man. Practice. That was the thought in my head. Only by willingness to practice this and the other Steps can I achieve that goal.
One of the reasons this came up was what was said in the meeting today. About the 5th Tradition. That the primary purpose of the group is to carry the AA message to the alcoholic, who still suffers. Who’s that?
Any one of us in the meetings, who has a problem. And, if we’re honest, we’d find that most of us have some sort of problem. But why discuss the problem? That won’t solve it. So, that 5th Tradition tells us what to do. Talk about the solutions to our problems. They’re spiritual. And the long form of the 5th says, the group ought to be a spiritual entity.
Most of the people I know will tell you how large a role prayer and meditation has had in dealing with their lives and their problems. I know that has been my experience over the years in here. But not just in the program. A friend of mine and I were discussing this after the meeting today. We talked about people we knew, who had spiritual awakenings. Awakenings and experiences similar to what we arrive at, as the result of these 12 Steps.
Anyway, I was thinking about what it is that keeps me going. What it is that has helped me to solve problems and to stay sober. It’s the same answer that I find in the chapter in the BB, There Is A Solution. Everytime I find myself getting stuck, the title to that chapter comes to mind. What Dr. Jung said to the young man, who could not get sober. Find a spiritual experience. The man did and he didn’t drink ever again. Exactly what we experience in here, if we will practice these 12 Steps.
That’s the kind of reminder I need, when I go to meetings.
Awesome, inspiring and humorous. Thank you.