The Black and White of the Big Book
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Southern Colorado
Posts: 1,167
In my group, which comes from the Denver group, we do steps yearly. That's regardless of whether you have a year sober, less, 5 years, 10 years, 20, 30, etc. It works for us.
We do not get into a big contest about what the book says. We rarely cite it. What we do is read a passage of our choosing and discuss our current experience in it. It works for us.
We don't sit and contemplate the meaning of each and every passage. We sort of let it hit our body... let it absorb and get on with it. It works for us.
We do 3 column inventories. It works for us.
Jaitch, Chuck C said that Bill used "Rarely" instead of "Never" because if it said "Never" then some smartassed alcoholic would take that and say, "Oh yeah? Well I'll show you!" That works for me.
We do not get into a big contest about what the book says. We rarely cite it. What we do is read a passage of our choosing and discuss our current experience in it. It works for us.
We don't sit and contemplate the meaning of each and every passage. We sort of let it hit our body... let it absorb and get on with it. It works for us.
We do 3 column inventories. It works for us.
Jaitch, Chuck C said that Bill used "Rarely" instead of "Never" because if it said "Never" then some smartassed alcoholic would take that and say, "Oh yeah? Well I'll show you!" That works for me.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: far left of center
Posts: 237
Originally Posted by McGowdog 
Jaitch, Chuck C said that Bill used "Rarely" instead of "Never" because if it said "Never" then some smartassed alcoholic would take that and say, "Oh yeah? Well I'll show you!" That works for me.
Forward we go...side by side-Rest In Peace
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Serene In Dixie
Posts: 36,740
When I spent 3 years in Hospice ...it was my experience
not one of my dying patients was coherent
Speech and brain functions are affected by pain med's.
That was also true of my Mother.
Outside of fiction....I seriously doubt this happens.
JMO
not one of my dying patients was coherent
Speech and brain functions are affected by pain med's.
That was also true of my Mother.
Outside of fiction....I seriously doubt this happens.
JMO
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 127
Originally Posted by McGowdog
Jaitch, Chuck C said that Bill used "Rarely" instead of "Never" because if it said "Never" then some smartassed alcoholic would take that and say, "Oh yeah? Well I'll show you!" That works for me.
That'll do for me.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 127
Hi Bas good answer
Originally Posted by basIam
Ahh. . well Bill was a bit of an ego-maniac, so I wouldn't put it past him 
I guess he could have also said he has never seen a person thouroughly follow the path 100% ???
I can't find any documentation in Pass It On or elsewhere. Then again, I'm not an AA archivist.
On the other hand, does it really matter???
At the end of Dr. Silkworths first letter in the "Doctor's Opinion" he says of the recovered alcoholics, "You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves." I believe there is a corrollary, often unsaid, "Don't rely absolutely on anything they say about anyone other than themselves!"
I guess he could have also said he has never seen a person thouroughly follow the path 100% ???
I can't find any documentation in Pass It On or elsewhere. Then again, I'm not an AA archivist.
On the other hand, does it really matter???
At the end of Dr. Silkworths first letter in the "Doctor's Opinion" he says of the recovered alcoholics, "You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves." I believe there is a corrollary, often unsaid, "Don't rely absolutely on anything they say about anyone other than themselves!"
Laozi Old Man
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 6,665
Originally Posted by Stereosteveo
Lots of new real alcoholics came to the meetings for a short while and left because they didn't hear anything about the real problem or a solution.
In AA it applies to the majority seeking an easier-softer-way trying to hold back those needing the strongest possible solution.
They say there are no teachers in AA but I have met hundreds of them. Their mantra is "Don't drink, don't think, go to meetings".
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 1,861
Lots of new real alcoholics came to the meetings for a short while and left because they didn't hear anything about the real problem or a solution.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Omak WA
Posts: 1,049
The Big Book....only way to get sober & stay sober???
Hi Page Keeper & Everyone Else, 
AA was not the only way I got sober and was able to stay sober. It gave me a lot of information and sober friends to help me stay sober. I still had to use the steps in my daily life to keep the insanity of it all away so I could do what I could to help myself.
My Depression (since a teenager) was treated at the same time with another counselor that helped me find my way out of the darkness & insanity of my life.
I couldn't get the Spiritual Awakening until one day I was looking out my livingroom window at a Thunder Storm with wind, rain, & sunshine. The sun seemed to melt into me and brought me a calming and peaceful emotional feeling within my Heart & whole soul.
When I went to Treatment our group was listening to a tape...I could not understand a word it was saying...but the day before I left they played the tape again & I could understand everything that was said. That was just a very little part of how sick I was with my alcoholism.
The Big Book and the AA Meetings gave me the tools to be able to help myself walk the road to recovery. No "one" way or thing or person helped me stay sober...I had to do that with a lot of input from others plus a lot of reading on my part to help me understand it all.
kelsh
AA was not the only way I got sober and was able to stay sober. It gave me a lot of information and sober friends to help me stay sober. I still had to use the steps in my daily life to keep the insanity of it all away so I could do what I could to help myself.
My Depression (since a teenager) was treated at the same time with another counselor that helped me find my way out of the darkness & insanity of my life.
I couldn't get the Spiritual Awakening until one day I was looking out my livingroom window at a Thunder Storm with wind, rain, & sunshine. The sun seemed to melt into me and brought me a calming and peaceful emotional feeling within my Heart & whole soul.
When I went to Treatment our group was listening to a tape...I could not understand a word it was saying...but the day before I left they played the tape again & I could understand everything that was said. That was just a very little part of how sick I was with my alcoholism.
The Big Book and the AA Meetings gave me the tools to be able to help myself walk the road to recovery. No "one" way or thing or person helped me stay sober...I had to do that with a lot of input from others plus a lot of reading on my part to help me understand it all.
kelsh
Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Pugetopolis
Posts: 2,384
"The old-timers in AA said "I don't even know what these people are talking about, or what this meeting has turned into?"
The old-timers stayed home or started their own closed meetings."
There is some to truth to the above statement. In fact, I had started a thread about the subject not long ago. I have came real close to walking away myself. Periodically I will do that. Earlier this year, some of us changed the format to an already existing group. We did away with all the trappings of contemporary AA meetings. We withdrew from the service structure and we are about as close as you can get to being underground without being underground. We chose to remain visible so that people could find us. And what we are finding out is that some of these old-timers are looking fora group like ours and coming to the meeting and staying. We do meet in our homes a few times week outside of the regular meeting as well.
"AA was left to the sickest of the sick. In the open-discussion format, no one talked about the book, the steps, or the solution.
Lots of new real alcoholics came to the meetings for a short while and left because they didn't hear anything about the real problem or a solution."
There is some truth to these statements as well. Which I why I sometimes stay away. But we have found that, rather than fighting anything, all we needed to do was start a group based on Big Book sponsorship. At our meeting we can guarantee that if you bring a newcomer there, they will see hear sn AA group doing what an AA group is supposed to do. Might not get them sober, but at least they will have seen it and heard it.
We've also found that our meeting doesn't appeal to the MOTR crowd. That's fine we don't want it too. Some have came and not stayed. If they stay that's fine too, but we are not interested in appealing to the masses.
The old-timers stayed home or started their own closed meetings."
There is some to truth to the above statement. In fact, I had started a thread about the subject not long ago. I have came real close to walking away myself. Periodically I will do that. Earlier this year, some of us changed the format to an already existing group. We did away with all the trappings of contemporary AA meetings. We withdrew from the service structure and we are about as close as you can get to being underground without being underground. We chose to remain visible so that people could find us. And what we are finding out is that some of these old-timers are looking fora group like ours and coming to the meeting and staying. We do meet in our homes a few times week outside of the regular meeting as well.
"AA was left to the sickest of the sick. In the open-discussion format, no one talked about the book, the steps, or the solution.
Lots of new real alcoholics came to the meetings for a short while and left because they didn't hear anything about the real problem or a solution."
There is some truth to these statements as well. Which I why I sometimes stay away. But we have found that, rather than fighting anything, all we needed to do was start a group based on Big Book sponsorship. At our meeting we can guarantee that if you bring a newcomer there, they will see hear sn AA group doing what an AA group is supposed to do. Might not get them sober, but at least they will have seen it and heard it.
We've also found that our meeting doesn't appeal to the MOTR crowd. That's fine we don't want it too. Some have came and not stayed. If they stay that's fine too, but we are not interested in appealing to the masses.
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