Hearing A Fifth Step
July 26, 2006 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
I have a wonderful opportunity today to hear a friend’s Fifth Step. We’re going to make it an “AA” day 
So… if you’ve heard someone else’s Fifth Step, how about leaving your experience, strength and hope in the comments. How did you do it?
When I did mine with Father Tom, I read aloud the 27 pages of my Fourth Step while that “miserable character” (said sarcastically, with love) just sat there nodding his head up and down, rarely saying a word over a couple of weeks (Catholic priests only have so much time each day – we took about an hour or so/day over six/seven weeks), once he said “that’s not so bad, I did it too,” grunted occasionally, and when we were done he asked “is that it?”
Put an end to my terminal uniqueness real quickly! Then I “had” to go to confession…
I’ve had the opportunity to hear a few 5th steps to completion, and I’ve heard a lot of things that other people had “left off”, but needed to share them with “someone”.
I listen to 5th steps in much the same way my sponser listened to mine. The 5th step usually goes one of two ways for the guy giving it and one of two ways for the guy receiving it. I was the type that felt totally deflated when I left there. I realized I had a long way to go to get where I thought I had been all along.
I usually start out the 5th step by telling that one worst thing I held on to right off the bat. I can only offer my own experience. By the time it’s over, we know each others story. I always get as much out of the experience as they are and so far, they’ve all been really great.
The outcome for ME was that fear drove me to do just about everything I’ve ever done. Either fear of losing something or fear of not getting something I wanted. Life would appear to rear it’s head, I would react in fear and it was always an ugly site.
If the guy I’m listening to smokes, I usually make a point to go buy a pack to have handy. I have stuff to eat and plenty of coffee. Some people are a lot more comfortable outside.
I mostly have just listened. One person did not understand what her “affects my” column was so I asked her the questions to help her along with each resentment. I hope it goes/or went well.
G~