Funny, or not, I was made to think of the AA Traditions today. It’s amazing how we rarely ever talk about them, or when we do we hear those who have an entirely different take on them.
I know that, when I do think about them, I usually start with the First. AA Unity. And that always brings the “AA of the 1800s” back to mind. I know it has been said before, that if the Washingtonians had the Traditions they might still be here. Unfortunately they didn’t. I think they had one hundred fifty thousand members at their peak. What happened was that they ended up divided by all kinds of outside issues and collapsed.
I know from my sponsor and those old timers in here that I needed to have enough humility to put my agendas aside for the good of the whole. This program is about alcohol and the disease of alcoholism and nothing else. How to stay sober one day at a time.
That’s exactly why the Third Tradition is so important for the whole. To achieve a membership in here it is only a desire to stop drinking. Nothing else. And that always takes this alcoholic to the Fifth Tradition. I always love the long form of this Tradition. It’s really the shortest of all of them. Only about eight words. 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.
An entity is something special which exists by itself. And, in this instance it is spiritual in nature. Wonder when I will actually be able to see that once again. When the group takes the suffering of an individual seriously and tries to present the program’s message to the new person or perhaps even an old member, who is suffering and needs to be reminded of why we are here.
Anyway, like I said, I heard a lot of things at the meeting today, which called these Traditions to mind.
And, of course, I was once again reminded of why I am here. I’m here to stay sober a day at a time. I always need to stop each day and go back and think about this. What a gift I have been given. I not only found a new freedom and a new happiness, I was actually given my life back. I should have been dead. But here I am. Talk about a miracle. Amazing.
Once again I’m reminded of the need for gratitude for all that has been given to me by my Higher Power and my old sponsor and those old timers. Additionally I have gratitude for all those who have helped me along the way. Thanks.