Say Green – What?

Okay, I’ll admit it, I am totally, completely lost because this is Theme Day for the Science & Health Channel, the topic is “going green” and if you think this alky can relate anything, something, from alcoholism, addiction or whatever, to going green, well, there’s another think coming…

Now, I’ve seen my fellows praying to the porcelain god because they’ve had waaaay too much to drink and turned green from the inside out! I know so many of my fellows who’ve become green with envy because someone else got what they wanted. I’ve witnessed many glasses of green beer go “down the chute.”

But, relate “going green” to something about recovery? Hmmm.

There is only one reference that I could find (using the Big Book Concordance) in our Big Book and it is on page 102. It comes after;

“Your job today is to be at the place where you may be of maximum helpfulness to others, so never hesitate to go anywhere if you can be helpful. You should not hesitate to visit the most sordid spot on earth on such an errand. Keep on the firing line of life with these motives and God will keep you unharmed.”

The next paragraph says;

“Many of us keep liquor in our homes. We often need it to carry green recruits through a severe hangover. Some of us still serve it to friends provided they are not alcoholic. But some of us think we should not serve liquor to anyone. We never argue this question. We find that each family, in the light of their own circumstances, ought to decide for themselves.”

NO! Of course I won’t speak of “greenies!” Come on…

These pages contain one of my favorite sentences relating to intolerance;

“We are careful never to show intolerance or hatred of drinking as an institution. Experience shows that such an attitude is not helpful to anyone. Every new alcoholic (green recruit) looks for this spirit among us and is immensely relieved when he finds we are not witchburners. A spirit of intolerance might repel alcoholics whose lives could have been saved, had it not been for such stupidity.”

Perhaps we might give consideration to all the “green” we’ll have in our pockets because we’re no longer drinking, but that would be brief. My experience has taught me that “hound don’t hunt.” I’m just as certain that the environment isn’t becoming noticeably better because so many recovering folks aren’t drinking beer from green bottles any longer.

Anyone? Help