Being honest, the biggest problem I ever had with BB "thumpers" was when I didn't really know the book or the steps all that well. Now that I know it a LOT better, it's probably never that a BB quoter bothers me. Heck, at least they're trying to share THE program, ya know? I'd prefer even a poor attempt to share the program of AA over yet another 15 minute story about how someone's girlfriend or boyfriend or landlord isn't respecting them enough, or loving them enough, or whatever.
That said, one of the purposes of the AA program as a whole is to fit you and I to be of maximum service to those around us. By watching those around me, I can see which techniques work best and maybe incorporate some of each person's style into how I share or help others in general. At a lot of meetings, I learn what NOT to do, how NOT to share.
How someone else shares though, isn't really any of my business. When I allow my happiness and my peacefulness to rest upon the willingness of someone else to act in specific ways that will make me happy..........well........ I'm headed for trouble. Once again, I've become that damn actor on page 61 - demanding those around me behave in ways that will satisfy me.
Most of the time now, about halfway through noticing I'm thinking "oh God, here we go with THIS guy/girl again........" The very next thought is usually one or all of the following:.
is it possible they're doing the best they can?
is it possible if they just lack some understanding what they've read and are trying to share something in the best way they can?
is it possible if they knew better, they'd share differently?
have you Mike (my name), ever shared something as if you KNEW wtf you were talking about?
have you ever discovered down the road that those ^^^^ thoughts were mistaken and you changed your mind and went on to practice under a different set of directions and with a new understanding? (in other words, have I made mistakes, discovered them, and eventually changed?)
since when is it up to me to determine how quickly someone else should learn?
why shouldn't they other person be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them?
is it possible that no matter how this person shares or what they say to me, if I'm grounded spiritually their "negative" words (fancied or real, I might add) won't have any effect upon me?
and then one of the toughest questions of all...............
Is it possible that ALL my troubles of of MY OWN MAKING, that they arise out of ME because I'm, once again, being driven by selfishness?