Today I was reminded of the value of humility in the lives of sober alcoholics. It’s what these AA Traditions helped alcoholics like me to be able to continue to stay sober, from the day we come in right up to the end of our lives.
I have memories from back a ways, that helped to keep my name and my presence out of the public, but which helped me to speak to a group without any kind of public revelation of who or what I am. It was not my choice, because I really didn’t want to do these. It was what the central association of our city asked me to do. I was told not to use my name or who or what I was. I never did.
All of this reminded me of the Second Step to begin with, and also the Serenity Prayer. In other words the spiritual way of life we all have been given in here. It’s what I learned a long time ago. I can well understand that I am not in charge of this sober life I have been given. I can look back and see that I had never earned any one thing in here, except my willingness to surrender. Yet, even that came as a result of my desperation to stop drinking, because of all the trouble it was causing me.
And then in time in here I started to learn the Traditions, as well as the Steps. And especially after I learned the meaning of the First Tradition. The unity we need to hold this program together and help each one of us to stay sober with the help of others just like us. And when we reach the Eleventh and Twelfth, we begin to know what unity and humility means to us. Especially to be able to step back and really be quiet.
I’m not here to become well known. I’m here to help this program to keep on keeping on. One way is to not be anything, but the way of sobriety for all of us. And that comes about by everyone being able to have the humility, the spiritual way of life all of us need. Not the attention of anyone of us. We’re all here to support each and everyone of us within the group and to be quiet, when it comes to the public.
Anyway, once again, I would suggest that we’d be willing to go to the book, The 12&12, and go to the last page in that book, and look down at the last two paragraphs on that page of the Eleventh Step and the Twelfth. It’s very clear. And to me, very spiritual. I have to be grateful.