One Day At A Time
May 20, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
There is at least one arrogant bonehead online who would love to convince you, for some selfish motive, that One Day At A Time is “middle-of-the-road” psycho-babble but – here it is! Right from our literature!
The Daily Reflection for May 20th and a direct quote from “As Bill Sees It” – One Day At A Time
“Above all, take it one day at a time.”
How about that? Amazing…
“Why do I kid myself that I must stay away from a drink for only one day, when I know perfectly well I must never drink again as long as I live?”
Phew! That’s a heck of a question, isn’t it?
“I am not kidding myself because one day at a time is probably the only way I can reach the long-range objective of staying sober.”
And that is a perfectly sensible and wise answer, certainly not middle-of-the-road psycho-babble… followed by;
“If I determine that I shall never drink again as long as I live, I set myself up. How can I be sure I won’t drink when I have no idea what the future may hold?”
One more sensible question.
“On a day-at-a-time basis, I am confident I can stay away from a drink for one day. So I set out with confidence. At the end of the day, I have the reward of achievement. Achievement feels good and that makes me want more!”
One more damn good answer – from our literature!
It is no less arrogant to pronounce someone arrogant. Bill Wilson is no diety, nor would he wish to be.
Bill Wilson – diety? Where in the world is that in this post? Please, please tell me…
Once again Joe, it feels as if you’re trying to pick me apart. Here – if anyone, imho, has to say that a basic tenet of something that is working for them to provide them a better, sober life, is middle-of-the-road psycho-babble, that is truly arrogant.
I’ll accept completely that for me to say they are arrogant is also arrogant if that would please you. But, that’s not what I’m here for – to please you.
The unnamed person I speak of is a sober member of AA for some time. I won’t take that away from him. Yet he is certainly placing himself in a “position of authority” he doesn’t belong in, calling one day at a time middle-of-the-road psycho-babble that ought not be paid attention to. He absolutely demands that all see things his way or they aren’t real alcoholics. That is preposterous!
This debate has been going on in AA since the founding of the Alcoholic Foundation. Your pronouncement of anothers arrogance is not helpful. It is you who sites two quotes, one from
Daily Reflection and another from Bill wilson, giving me the impression that they were somehow the same thought in your mind. That may not be so, but, that is how I inferred you were deifying Mr. Wilson. I do not much care whether you accept my observation or not and I do not know what purpose you purport to serve. I was simply sharing.
I have a right to be me and if you don’t like it that’s too bad, for you. There is no need for you to make pronouncements either such as those you’ve made here.
“Giving you the impression that they were somehow?” That’s a hell of a way to judge and then condemn.
Inferred? Deifying? Straight from your mind, not mine. I was doing absolutely no such thing.
Simply sharing? Do you think you’re attempting to win a useless battle or put me down? It is painfully obvious – to me – that you have a not very nice motive behind all this “chatter.” Simply sharing – please, stop the bs, ok? And you can stop the “observation” crap also. I don’t write this blog to engage your therapist observation techniques. I write it to motivate conversations and differing thoughts that evolve into the same end result – recovery from a hopeless state of mind.
You, on the other hand, are trying to be divisive. Apparently in defense of someone who attempts to deride proven recovery principles and tenets when they have worked for him! That goes further than arrogant – that borders on homicidal.
Ah, now you are an expert on other peoples thoughts. I suspected as much. Get over yourself Mark! You are not so intuitive as you believe nor are you as informed as one should be who pontificates on the web.
I have a thought for you Mr. “Above Us All” – read your comment as if it was written to you.
Thank God I don’t have to live in your brain…