Mysusnshine1

Hey Ya'll...I've been doing some reading in The Big Book and this little passage jumped out at me and I thought I would share and see if anyone else wanted to give their input.
He had much knowledge about himself as an alcoholic. Yet all reasons for not drinking were easily pushed aside in favor of the foolish idea that he could take whiskey if only he mixed it with milk!"

It goes on to say "Our sound reasoning failed to hold us in check. The insane idea won out. Next day we would ask ourselves, in all earnestness and sincerity, how it could have happen. "

This struck a cord as I have lost a battle with sound reasoning recently. I wounder why we do this to ourselves, over and over again. Are we so desperate to not be alcoholics that we try to convince ourselves that THIS TIME will be different than before? That a large meal and glass of milk will keep us from crossing that imaginary line? How on earth can we let a beverage have so much pull in our daily lives?
The other thing that stood out to me was taking a personal inventory of ourselves. Stepping back and giving ourselves a good look in the mirror. We all have our own reasons why we drink, but I like the idea of laying them out on a piece of paper and making them really known to myself. For some reason having them out in the open makes them a little less powerful.

Anyways just thought I would share with ya'll. Hope your having a good Thursday.

site1Q84

I was reading this same part yesterday. I even had to giggle a little bit at how absolutely ridiculous we all are! Even as I was reading that story I was like "yep! That's sounds about right to me!"

I'm not sure why we think this way, but I'm sure glad I'm not the only one!

Amajorityofone

There is no "we."

There is only you and your own decision to remain clean and sober. Own it. Own it like you own the air in your lungs and you'll see that everything else is nothing more than commentary.

Higher than the love of your fellow man is the love you should have for your future, higher, self. Propagate yourself upward and you'll only grow stronger.

Promise :-)

Fly N Buy

I sat next to a gent on a plane 15 years ago who ordered a scotch and milk. Never heard of it.......Then I read it in the BB

Yes, insanity takes many forms. Lot's of it running around in the "committee" in my heard, in the rooms and on SR for sure.......

Thanks for the post

Mysusnshine1

Amajorityofone,
You don't feel there is a "we" as in "we" alcoholics. Reading The Big Book, there is example after example of people who have been in the same place as I have. There is a comfort in reading the stories in this book and the lessons that others have learned, knowing that they too come from the same place I have.
I know that I alone own my mistakes, I do not blame others for the things I have done in that past. I find comfort in knowing that others before me, from a completely different generation and background have had the same crazy thoughts. I open this book and know that people and examples laid out in front of me have already made mistakes that if I keep my mind and heart open too, can avoid myself.
I think that is why SR and AA is so powerful and popular. You are responsible for your own recovery but knowing that others have been where you are and have risen above it helps us see the light. It keeps us focused on the future knowing that one day we will no longer be slaves to this sickness.

SoberCAH

Thanks a lot, Sunshine.

This is a great passage - it reveals the cunning, baffling and powerful nature of alcoholism.

Mountainmanbob

On the pages of the AA Big Book I find many quotes that remind me of me. All drunks that say they are wanting to sober up should read it. Yet many will say, "AA is not for me. " As they continue to suffer and wrestle with the liquid devil.

Mountainman

Amajorityofone

I "believe" every man sees himself in one, of three ways. He knows that he is superior. He knows that he is inferior. Or, he is in doubt.

If he sees himself in the first class, than the thing for him to do is to yield to his "future, higher, self" and to make the gap between himself and those who are inferior to him wider and wider.

In the second case, the thing for him to do is to make the gap between himself and the superior man smaller and smaller. To " lift himself up" until the disproportion is reversed.

If he is in doubt, than he is to plunge into a contest of wills and risk all. Yielding not to a life of peace, but to one of strife. Not to rest, but to fight and if he is to go down, than he is to go down not on his back, but on his feet, fighting.

Just as the weak should emulate the strong, so should the strong yield to their future, higher, self. Otherwise, without this constant strife, there will be no progress in mankind.

Put simply, the answer to your question is an unequivocal no.. I have not, nor will I ever read "the big book." I prefer the works of Shakespeare, the memoirs of Theodore Roosevelt jr, or the teachings of Plato.

Good day. :-)

Mysusnshine1

I am glad that we live in a time that we all have access to the many different resources out there to help us in our recoveries.

Thank you all for your in put and keep strong in your recoveries.

OCDDan

nice

Sisterbobby

when i come home from work and find that my hubby drank without eating...i panic and for some unknown reason that makes his disease worse.

buk1000

Interesting. Your idea reminded me a little of Nietzsche or Shaw.

MelindaFlowers

I can definitely relate to the hopes that "this time would be different..." I think I honestly believed it.

Once I had the master plan to switch to only beer and I did for the last year. I think the beer almost made me sicker than the vodka. What a genius plan.

MIRecovery

We have a thinking disease not a drinking disease

Dee74

Folks - just a reminder that this is the Newcomers forum.

I have removed posts that run contrary to this forum rule and rule 4, and posts that responded.

Dee
Moderator
SR

fini

yes, my sound reasoning failed to hold me in check.
in total agreement with the BB there.
but as far as self-knowledge...it was the moment i knew myself to be a drunk that was my turning point. THAT self-knowledge made all the difference, then and now.