Probably one of the “ignored” topics I have noticed are the Traditions. Probably because they are often mistaken as the “business” part of the program. I can remember, when I was fairly new in the program a long time ago, that Tues. night meeting at my home group was always about the Traditions. All of us, who were fairly new to the program, used to tell ourselves we were in for a boring evening. And to us they were until we came to learn what they were all about. Talk about spirituality.
Often, when someone thinks to bring one of them up for a subject, I get to hear opinions and not anything of substance. What they are about or why we have them in the first place. But they are about sobriety and the support this program needs to keep it going and on track. Those old timers knew that way back then, when they created them and had them voted into the foundation of this program.
Anonymity, especially when those old timers wrote them, had lost the fear factor most alcoholics had in the beginning. Fear of loss of reputation, families, jobs, etc. What their authors found was that the word anonymity became a basis for spiritual life in this program. Especially when we look at the Twelfth Tradition. It is proposing to us that we learn to put our egos, our self centered natures aside, and become humble enough to be just one of the members among others. What that Fifth Tradition expects of us and especially the First.
The First asks us to put aside our self centered plans and agendas and become one with the program. That the program is about one thing and only one thing. Staying sober from alcohol and nothing else. That it contains the solution to our disease and that our unity is what is going to keep this program alive for now and in the future for those who are going to need it to stay sober and alive. They definitely knew about what had happened in the past to a group called the Washingtonians back in the 1860s, which had over 150 thousand members. It got off the agenda of staying sober and into other things and fell apart, costing the sobriety and lives of so many.
And that Fifth Tradition in its long form tells us that Each AA group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose…that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. That could be a new person or an old timer, who needs the message that there is a spiritual solution to their problem with alcohol.
One thing is apparent, when I look those Traditions over. It shows us how to keep ourselves on track and away from things, which could endanger the program and pull it apart. From time to time I go back and study the history and the program itself. It saved my life. Got me sober and free of what was killing me. Alcohol. I never want to forget that and want to do my part to keep this program whole and available to alcoholics like myself.
A friend of mine wrote and told me that they had to lead a meeting on the Traditions and was thinking about them. Made me stop and think about what’s so important to me. My sobriety. Just thought I’d think about all of this. Makes me grateful to my Higher Power and those old timers for all they did to help those of us, who needed this program.