I was listening to a cd of an AA speaker this morning and was struck by a number of things. He reminded me of things which are essential for us to stay sober. The one Big one was the importance for us to keep carrying the message to the alcoholic, who still suffers.
I have talked to a number of alcoholics, who occasionally tell me that they are turned off at meetings by what one of them terms “bs AA”. They told me that there is a trend to soft pedal the message and assimilate all kinds of individuals into the program and meetings. I was told by them that they are more and more pulling away from meetings and attending less frequently.
I thought about what they said, because this kind of thinking they were conveying was not what I learned from my sponsor and the old timers I was privileged to know. All I came up with was told to me about untreated alcoholism.
What I mean by that is that the corrosive effects of a dry drunk and perhaps a wet one is on the horizon, if what they were saying should become a habit. I’ve seen this kind of thing before and am aware of its consequences.
But, suppose they’re right; that this is a trend. How do we, responsible AA members, respond to this?
To me the answer is in what the speaker said. My thoughts run this way: the First Tradition and the Fifth. They speak directly to this. If I have a problem with this kind of thing, then, like the Tenth Step tells me, there’s really something wrong with me. I have been taught what to do by all those who preceded me. I have only to look to the BB and the 12&12 for the answer. I have only to recall the message given to me and to face the obligation I have to pass this along to others. It’s essential for me to do this. That’s what sobriety gave me. It gave me life and I don’t want to go back on that. I owe this to the God of my understanding and all those who helped me along the way.
My sponsor told me a long time ago, that, if I was in what he termed a negative meeting, then it was up to me to add something positive to that meeting. He encouraged me to speak up and pass the AA message along, no matter what the response was. I try to do that in every meeting I attend. I may not do it well, but I keep trying, because I sure do want to stay sober.
Anyway, I was thinking about this.
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