sugarbear1

Bill W. once said, "AA can and will change." He understood about how the world, in general, does change. He even mentioned "lunar flight" in the big book, which hadn't happened, yet. He read a lot and was inspired by most of what he had read. Some of his writing just happened (there’s a lot that happens when we put pen to paper, haven’t you been inspired during your writings?). We can attribute that “divine inspiration” to a lot of things, but for those who believe, that is all that matters.

Bill's spiritual awakening occurred when he was in detox. Was he in the midst of DT’s? I wasn’t there. I know my personal story started at the end of my drinking and I wasn’t seriously sober that moment in time.

WNPR just had a radio bit about “Is this your brain on God,” which has been referred to as where people get that "spiritual" sense when they are in the midst of a seizure. “Some scientists say the temporal lobe, which is associated with emotion and memory, is the seat of spirituality. It's also where epileptic activity takes place.” It's online. Bill's use of LSD was because he was attempting to help find out if a spiritual awakening could be chemically obtained so he could possibly help more suffering alcoholics.

Although Bill wrote most of the big book, it was discussed and edited by the (or most of the) first 100 people; it wasn't only his work, which is why it doesn't flow from steps 1-12, it goes back and forth throughout the book overlapping and repeating the steps. This is why steps 10 & 11 often get confused. Remember, the original AAers didn’t learn from a book, they learned from word of mouth. A lot had been taken out of the big book, even before the first printing. It was jokingly referred to as “the big book” because of the wealth of information in it and the paper that they obtained cheaply for the first publication (it was pretty big).

Many ideas and inspirations came from a ton of sources other than Bill's mind. Remember, The Washingtonians (some guys in Baltimore, sitting at a pub, decided to help each other stay stopped from drinking) were able to get more people sober in a shorter period of time 100 years before AA even began, but they didn't have any Traditions, so there were several things that tore them apart (some wanted to get paid to speak, they had no primary purpose, they had no Group Conscience, etc).

“The Washingtonian (temperance) movement had its origin in a tippling house, in the city of Baltimore, in the year 1840, with a company of half a dozen hard drinkers who had formed themselves into a club, and who used to meet for drinking bouts at Chase's tavern.”

Today, AA has Traditions to keep the fellowship from tearing itself apart.
Are we putting the Traditions into our own lives today or are we focusing only on the steps? The steps keep me sober. The Traditions keep the fellowship together and the Concepts keep AA as a whole together, but when I put the Traditions and Concepts into my own life, things are really calm and serene!

Keeping true to the Traditions is what we Strive to do, but if our story includes outside substances, it may save another soul today. Many of the first 100 had used other substances, too. What they realized is that their alcoholism was still the root of their problem, that sometimes another substance used was just helping the alcoholism…I don’t know how to explain this, but I used speedy things to drink more and relaxing things so I could eat. A serious self-medicator, but I can’t relate to NA. I wasn’t addicted to those substances; alcoholism was my real problem.

Bill W., Dr. Bob, Paul O. and others also used drugs and not just alcohol. They weren’t really hooked on other substances, they used other substances to deal with their alcoholism. Sedatives to sleep, uppers to stay awake, alcohol always in the mix. Sounds like my story. Their primary condition was alcoholism.

I attend some NA meetings, but I have a hard time relating to some of what is said. I listen for the solution and substitute my alcoholism (in my mind) when I hear those things. I still feel “at home” in an AA meeting, wherever I am. Most of the AA meetings near me do have stories which involve other substances, again, “AA can and will change.”

Thanks goodness for those 12 steps! AA has been able to evolve into other 12 step groups, which is where MA for pot heads and Na for druggies and OA for the sugar obsessed and GA for the gamblers and SAA the sex-aholics and others can go to relate directly with others who can relate, and they can meet and be more comfortable.

“At open AA meetings non-alcoholics are welcome. As early as 1944 AA's co-founder Bill Wilson discussed a separate fellowship for drug addicts. In 1953 Narcotics Anonymous, originally called AA/NA, was founded in California by Jimmy K and others. On September 14, 1953, AA authorized NA to use of AA's steps and traditions on the condition that they stopped using the AA name, resulting in the organization simply being called Narcotics Anonymous.”

Awesome! Remember it’s about the message, not the messenger!

When early AA meetings began to sprout across the USA concurrently, and it was mostly by word of mouth that others were beginning to stay stopped, the meetings had slight differences in interpretations of what the meetings were to be. This is most likely why meetings across the USA have their own particular way of working. This is cool. Each group is autonomous and self-supporting, might have group inventories and should be run through their own group conscience, which includes a higher power.

In regard to outbursts at a meeting, if it bothers you, then you have the resentment and need to discuss it with your sponsor to find out what is going on with you, not the person who had the outburst, which is for him and his sponsor to discuss, if they/he choose to grow.

I believe long timers can get upset, no one likes change(s) and because if AA does dissolve, where would we go for help? It’s a great time to practice Tolerance, Acceptance, and Love.

Remember, Bill W. once said, "AA can and will change."

GrowingDaily

That was an excellent, well-thought-out post, Sugar. Thank you for that. Plenty of food for thought.

I'm not going to involve myself in this debate all over again, though! My blood pressure is just starting to normalize after the original (haha)

You covered all the bases anyway. Not much else to say. Just a great post, period.

Sally1009

Good post. I personally agree that AA needs to remain relatively flexible, and that trying to be too fundamentalist risks fanaticism and ultimately the message getting lost.