anonymity 2

[vinnietoo]

But what happens if we remain secret, or as secret as possible, in our communities? In these circumstances we live in a state of perpetual anxiety. After all, who can be really comfortable hiding his identity as an alcoholic knowing that at any minute someone may walk up to him and confront him with the fact that he has been "found out." Of course this rarely happens but we always fear that "someone will learn the truth about us and that the truth will be bad."

Before going further it might bode well for us to examine an authority on anonymity. Let us look at what Dr. Bob Smith, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, had to say about anonymity. In doing so we need to bear in mind that it was Dr. Bob who maintained his anonymity while Bill was recklessly breaking his anonymity in a quest for stardom. Much was written by Bill on this subject after Dr. Bob died but no one disputed who the authority was on anonymity while Dr. Bob was still alive.

It was Dr. Bob Smith who, on his death bed counseled Bill, "let's you and me get buried just like everyone else." Dr. Bob also counseled others about anonymity. He is quoted in Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers as saying: "Since our tradition on anonymity designates the exact level where the line should be held, it must be obvious to everyone who can read and understand the English language that to maintain anonymity at any other level is definitely a violation of this Tradition.

"The AA who hides his identity from his fellow AA by using only a given name violates the Tradition just as much as the AA who permits his name to appear in the press in connection with matters pertaining to AA."

"The former is maintaining his anonymity below the level of press, radio, and films, and the latter is maintaining his anonymity above the level of press, radio, and films--whereas the Tradition states that we should maintain our anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films."

Page 264, 265 of Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers

These two pages give a perfect example of why we cannot be anonymous in our own groups and meetings. If we are anonymous at this level, (below the level of press, radio, and film) we are not making ourselves spiritually available to our fellowman. If we understand that the measure of our spirituality is exactly parallel to our availability to our fellowman. If we believe our book is correct when it says the only purpose of the program is to "make us of maximum service to God and our Fellow Man, then we must come to a new and more enlightened understanding about anonymity.

Again, we can hardly be of help if our own fellowship doesn't know how to get in touch with us. By extension we cannot reach other suffering alcoholics by referral if our nonalcoholic friends and neighbors do not know that we are alcoholic and have "recovered from a seemingly helpless state of mind and body." They simply would not know where to send loved ones for help if we remain anonymous at this level. At the person to person and the neighborhood level being anonymous is the same as being secret and this is the exact opposite of carrying the message.

It is often said that we must always act as a good example of Alcoholics Anonymous because we may be the only copy of the big book that someone may ever see. But how will they know that we are an example of the big book if they do not know we are alcoholic? It should be obvious that we must be identified with both Alcoholics Anonymous as well as with Spiritual Living in order to attract others to AA and recovery. Again; how can we be a program of attraction to AA if the people in our communities do not know we belong to AA?

Why then the big deal about anonymity? Our 12th tradition explains what is meant. It reads: "Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities." In the long form it goes on to say that "we are to practice a genuine humility Just how do we do this?

First, we do not go public at the level of press, radio and film to prevent our galloping ego's from getting out of control, but there is something far more important than that. That thing is keeping our good deeds and our good works anonymous.

Human nature is sometimes a strange thing. It seems almost natural for alcoholic and nonalcoholic alike to want to be loved and admired. One of the ways we attempt to get this love and admiration is in letting our good deeds be known to our fellows so that we are elevated in their appraisal of us. At times we very cunningly "admit" that so-and-so was in trouble and it fell on us to rescue him from one peril or another. Very quietly we go about the process of elevating ourselves, rarely realizing that we are doing so at the expense of the fellow we are professing to have helped.

The flip side of the coin is that we have gossiped about a frailty or shortcoming of one of our fellow man. Thus we have defamed or ridiculed him. At the very least we have lowered his character and prestige compared to our own. This insidious, gossiping behavior can be prevented if only we only keep our good deeds anonymous. This is the main feature of anonymity. Now a couple of questions seem to present themselves.

How may times do your hear your fellow alcoholics talk of Jim A. etc in meetings? The measure here is a direct measure of our adherence to the Tradition of anonymity.

How many times to you hear your fellow alcoholics talk of the good deeds they have done? Again we can measure our progress in practicing anonymity simply by listening and taking stock of how well we keep our good deeds to ourselves as a society.

It might bode well for AA for us to go back to the drawing board and study the real meaning of anonymity and its implications for us as a fellowship. But first we must ask ourselves: Just what kind of anonymity is being practiced here?

Found this by clarance snyder, I like this explanation.
Blessings,
Vinnie

[Ann]

Thanks Vinnie for taking the time to post this. A great reminder for all of us. Happy Thanksgiving!!!