I’m letting you in on a little secret. It shouldn’t be a secret – but it is. To let this out of the bag means that we have expose ourselves and reveal whether or not we are dead weights in this Fellowship or not. You will soon see what I mean by that.
Yeah, I’m an alcoholic. A real one – but a recovered one. One of the main problems that folks involved with Alcoholics Anonymous have, is how to rid themselves of what they have come to know as “Character Defects”. One can attend meetings and hear much gnashing of teeth over the human imperfections of the alcoholic – imperfections which seem magnified to the typically self-centered, selfish un-recovered alkie. (Or Recover”ing”. Take your pick of words – same thing)
If you are in the Fellowship and still wondering what is to become of you and your shortcomings, then how would you like to have those haunting character defects removed? You know you would! Well, I have an answer to that and it is straight out of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program.
The straight answer is “Go work with another alcoholic” – not just ANY work – but THE work.
I am not taking about buying a newcomer a chicken sandwich and a cup of coffee – or driving him to a meeting – or picking him up from the courthouse. That’s not what the co-founders tell alcoholics who would recover to do. Don’t even think about it unless you aspire to become a AA dead-weight! I mean, perform your work well – the REAL work – the work described in the Chapter “Working With Others” in the book “Alcoholics Anonymous” – and do what the co-authors did and what AA members are supposed to be trained for and have experience in – as passed on. What did you think they were passing one? – “Keep Coming Back”? “One Day A Time”? “Meeting Makers Make It”? None of these slogans are part of the AA Program delineated in the Big Book, “Alcoholics Anonymous”. So why would anyone think they held any efficacy whatever in restoring the alcoholic to mental and physical health? They do not.
Instead, why not take another Alcoholic through the Twelve Steps?
Look, I have my share of defects – that much I guarantee – but I know serenity. I know courage. I know what it is to have that elusive h joyousness and freedom. But I have never had to tell a protge, “Excuse me for a moment – we will get back to this step after I call my sponsor before I drink.” It just never happens. Do you know why? Because character defects have NEVER cropped up when I was taking another man through