Chapter 11
A Vision For You
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1 Many a man, yet dazed from his hospital experience, has stepped over the threshold of that home into freedom. 2 Many an alcoholic who entered there came away with an answer. 3 He succumbed to that gay crowd inside, who laughed at their own misfortunes and understood his. 4 Impressed by those who visited him at the hospital, he capitulated entirely when, later, in an upper room of this house, he heard the story of some man whose experience closely tallied with his own. 5 The expression on the faces of the women, that indefinable something in the eyes of the men, the stimulating and electric atmosphere of the place, conspired to let him know that here was haven at last.
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1 The very practical approach to his problems, the absence of intolerance of any kind, the informality, the genuine democracy, the uncanny understanding which these people had were irresistible. 2 He and his wife would leave elated by the thought of what they could now do for some stricken acquaintance and his family. 3 They knew they had a host of new friends; it seemed they had known these strangers always. 4They had seen miracles, and one was to come to them. 5 They had visioned the Great Reality -- their loving and All Powerful Creator.
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1 Now, this house will hardly accommodate its weekly visitors, for they number sixty or eighty as a rule. 2Alcoholics are being attracted from far and near. 3 From surrounding towns, families drive long distances to be present. 4 A community thirty miles away has fifteen fellows of Alcoholics Anonymous. 5 Being a large place, we think that some day its Fellowship will number many hundreds. [NOTE: Written in 1939.]
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1 But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than attending gatherings and visiting hospitals. 2Cleaning up old scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and securing jobs for each other, when justified -- these are everyday occurrences. 3 No one is too discredited or has sunk too low to be welcomed cordially -- if he means business. Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies -- these are laughed out of countenance. 4 Being wrecked in the same vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things which matter so much to some people no longer signify much to them. 5 How could they?
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1 Under only slightly different conditions, the same thing is taking place in many eastern cities. 2 In one of these there is a well-know hospital for the treatment of alcoholic and drug addiction. 3 Six years ago one of our number was a patient there. 4 Many of us have felt, for the first time, the Presence and Power of God within its walls. 5 We are greatly indebted to the doctor in attendance there, for he, although it might prejudice his own work, has told us of his belief in ours.
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1 Every few days this doctor suggests our approach to one of his patients. 2 Understanding our work, he can do this with an eye to selecting those who are willing and able to recover on a spiritual basis. 3 Many of us, former patients, go there to help. 4 Then, in this eastern city, there are informal meetings such as we have described to you, where you may now see scores of members. 5 There are the same fast friendships, there is the same helpfulness to one another as you find among our western friends. 6 There is a good bit or travel between East and West and we foresee a great increase in this helpful interchange.
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1 Some day we hope that every alcoholic who journeys will find a Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous at his destination. 2 To some extent this is already true. 3 Some of us are salesmen and go about. Little clusters of twos and threes and fives of us have sprung up in other communities, through contact with our two larger centers. 4 Those of us who travel drop in as often as we can. 5 This practice enables us to lend a hand, at the same time avoiding certain alluring distractions of the road, about which any travelling man can inform you. [NOTE: Written in 1939. As of 1976, there are almost 28,000 groups in over 90 countries with an estimated membership of over 1,000,000.]
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1 Thus we grow. And so can you, though you be but one man with this book in your hand. 2 We believe and hope it contains all you will need to begin.
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1 We know what you are thinking. 2 You are saying to yourself: "I'm jittery and alone. I couldn't do that." 3 But you can. 4 You forget that you have just now tapped a source of power much greater than yourself. 5To duplicate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is only a matter of willingness, patience and labor.
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1 We know of an A.A. member who was living in a large community. 2 He had lived there but a few weeks when he found that the place probably contained more alcoholics per square mile than any city in the country. 3 This was only a few days ago at this writing. (1939) 4 The authorities were much concerned. 5He got in touch with a prominent psychiatrist who had undertaken certain responsibilities for the mental health of the community. 6 The doctor proved to be able and exceedingly anxious to adopt any workable method of handling the situation. 7 So he inquired, what did our friend have on the ball?