stevieg46

I have been looking into an article I found recently about a guy called Tom Powers Snr he was a very close friend of Bill W , he first came into AA in 1941 he was also a drug addict and he went on to be a co -founder of AAA (All Addictions Anonymous) some time after 1958 when he had a massive fall out with Bill W . Tom Powers eventually got sober in 1946 5 -6 years later he was asked by Bill W ( who at that time was suffering very badly from depression ) to help him out with writing the 12 x 12 or the basically re-writing the Steps , Tom P and I think a female magazine editor called Betty White ( i think ? not important ) assisted Bill W who rewrote his interpretations long style of the steps and Tom P and the lady magazine editor edited the 12 x 12 .

Tom Powers son > Tom Powers Jnr I believe wrote or brought to light an article called ''Gresham's Law '' and Alcoholics Anonymous it talks about bad money spoiling the good money .

Basically it has to do with ''recovery rates '' or percentages of recovery success /failure discussed on another thread at present.

He talks about Strong Coffee , Medium Coffee , and Weak Coffee , I read about this a long time ago but forgot all about it .

Strong Coffee is basically taking on board the entire AA program in its entirety , no ifs no buts no reservations and says it is the only way to be successful , stopping drinking and becoming totally dependent on God as you understand Him , not dependent on meetings , fellowship , sponsors , friends , social gatherings . Total effort in carrying the message and sponsoring newcomers as the 12 step says , and practicing seriously 10 11 12 , total honesty in all of our affairs , maintaining conscious contact etc .

Medium and Weak Coffee you can google yourself ,its very interesting , it also explains how Bill W and Dr Bob ''sugarcoated '' two things in the Big Book 1st one is a ''disclaimer '' after the 12 Steps in Chapter 5 , '' Many of us exclaimed what an order I cannot go through with it . Do not be discouraged WE ARE NOT SAINTS '' it says that was genius , and explains why . The other ''Sugar Coating '' was saying its ''Suggested '' which was also genius or words to that effect .
Reason being the severity or rigidity of the program which demands honesty and willingness and plenty of effort which brings success

Google ? > A D R Recovery and Fundamental . Look for Gresham's Law and Tom Powers Jnr it goes on about ''Real old Fashioned AA ''

Stevie recovered 12 03 2006

stevieg46

So no strong coffee then , easier softer way it seems .

Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .

Gottalife

Aw Stevie, I only drink tea! The Gresham's Law I read was all about tea. I went from medium tea to strong tea , then back to medium for a while, now it's strong tea again.

And strong tea is the easier softer way. Your passage about no dependence on people AA, meetings, circumstances, true freedom, that is what I experience daily. That is what freedom from alcohol has meant for me.

tomsteve

the suggested part was determined after a few manuscripts were sent out to leaders of different religions and some other people that i cant recall at this time.
if im not mistaken, the original manuscript used "need" in many places other than just where "suggest" was. apparently the original members were quite wise in seeing not too many alcoholics like being told what they "need" to do, so the words were switched to "suggested" and "must."
p.s.
ive only had 1 1/2 cups of coffee in my entire life!
the 1/2 was at a meeting.
the one was after a drunk. it didnt sober me up.

stevieg46

Hi Guys .
Just back after a wee break (enforced >misbehavior) .oops.

Anyhow its a funny thing about coffee it seems to be a common treatment for sobering up drunks ,even in the movies you see them trying to give drunks cup after cup . Wonder if it really does have some effect ? does the strong caffeine in coffee reduce the effect of alcohol?.

I know when I first went to AA in 1973 the members drank gallons of it , I can remember drinking maybe 20 mugs a day or thereabouts , same with smoking the air was thick at every meeting you went to it used to sting peoples eyes .

Funny enough I very rarely drink coffee nowadays maybe an occasional cup once a month , sometimes longer .

As Mike said the program is really the easier softer way when you get down to thinking about it . What I think I have learned the most is that we need to keep on continuing , try to keep on improving , keep on improving conscious contact .

Reverse is that if we stop practicing then we stop growing spiritually , if we are not growing ''we are dying ''we must also be aware of not settling for what we have being happy at where we are because eventually if there is no growth then that can become ''sort of stuck '' through complacency . We cannot afford that can we ? .

Stevie recovered 12 03 2006

Tommyh

for me,the program,as laid out in the big book, is the easier,softer way.It is the best "keep it simple" way I have found.I usually drink one pot of coffee a day.
I carry around a 24 oz mug a lot of the times,especially to meetings.
It is really hard to find good coffee now a days,that meeting coffee here is awful.I usually bring my own.
Now about the program,I used to want the weak stuff,now it is the strong stuff.