I do not intend to become one of those bitter old-timers sitting at home in isolation wishing for the good old days. At the same time, I don't intend to turn a blind eye and pretend everything is all right when it isn't.
Notice I said "I don't intend to become one of those bitter old-timers." That means I'm not an old-timer yet. I think I am still an adolescent. But I have been around long enough to watch the changes Steve spoke of and Jon spoke of. I have walked out of meetings in disgust. I've written tons on inventory about AA, the people in it, and AA meetings.
I do believe that there are some of us, that as we progress along the path, do need more spiritually than others. It is kind of like at almost nineteen years sober I need AA more than some people in AA need AA. Some of us do need to go deeper while others are satisfied with the "keep it simple stupid" and I" know it works but I don't know how it works" approach. That's fine, but that kindergarten stuff doesn't get it for many. Maybe a lot more than I suspect. Saint Paul sad that when we are spiritual infants we need milk but as we grow spiritually we need solid food. And many old-timers, and even myself, although I don't consider myself an old-timer aren't finding that solid food. Sure I work with newcomers and take them through the steps and that keeps me growing, but it doesn't always fill this need for a deeper fellowship.
That's why we have the group we have. Like I said, we challenge each other. And because we are not afraid to go some places other groups won't, we are getting a different type of AA member showing up. In the last two months we've had one guy thirty-five years sober show up oout of the blue. He was dying and ours was the first meeting that he came to in 21 years! Thank God he came to us. He would have fell through the cracks at the other more touchy-feely meetings that meet that night. Just a few weeks ago a guy with five years showed up. He said that he was spiritually confused and didn't know where to turn. And recently a woman seventeen years sober joined the group and got another woman from the group who is two years sober to be her sponsor. Now don't get me wrong, if a newcomer walks through the door, we'll 12th-Step him or her. Right now the group is growing because I think it fills a need for both newcomers and old-timers alike. The newcomer needs to find recovered alcoholics who are growing on the spiritual path and the old-timer needs to be with a community of people that challenge and encourage one another to grow.