Tradition Two: For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving GOD as HE may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

*****

• Do I criticize or do I trust and support my group officers, AA committees, and office workers? Newcomers? Old-timers?
• Am I absolutely trustworthy, even in secret, with AA Twelfth Step jobs or other AA responsibility?
• Do I look for credit in my AA jobs? Praise for my AA ideas?
• Do I have to save face in group discussion, or can I yield in good spirit to the group conscience and work cheerfully along with it?
• Although I have been sober a few years, am I willing to serve my turn at AA chores?
• In group discussions, do I sound off about matters on which I have no experience and little knowledge?

Wow – this is one topic I feel like I could write a book about How about you? Recognize any of this? I sure do…

Post from: Blisstree

Traditions Checklist – Tradition Two

“We have also seen men and women who go power-mad, who devote themselves to attempting to rule their fellows.”

For ex. – this comment.

Forward to pg. 44 – “Whenever a human being becomes a battleground for the instincts, there can be no peace.”

In response to a post where I’m disagreeing with the concept of “Meeting Makers Make It” someone takes the time, lacking any communication, to immediately make a defamatory remark about “not working the program of action” to another human being, knowing nothing at all about that person and going to length to belittle the word “recovering” which isn’t mentioned in the post at all. What does this tell me? I can’t say for certain, but the guess is that the commenter is reading the right blog.

“Every time a person imposes his instincts unreasonably upon others, unhappiness follows.”

Meetings have nothing to do with the program of Alcoholics Anonymous??? You have truly got to be kidding, or insane, still. Perhaps we should all go downtown and attempt to spew the Twelve Steps all over drunks in the alley ways. Maybe we ought to stand on barstools and preach recovery to drunks who’ve been sitting in their same stools for decades – they’re sure to listen. Where else do I get as many opportunities to practice the principles of recovery as I do in meetings?

“When an individual’s desire for prestige becomes uncontrollable, whether in the sewing circle or at the international conference table, other people suffer and often revolt. This collision of instincts can produce anything from a cold snub to a blazing revolution.”

And if you even approach the implication that somehow I am responsible for the death of anyone – you’re going to get a blazing revolution, from me.

I have the ability to place something out of context myself… here, follow this;

“We have drunk for vainglory – that we might the more enjoy foolish dreams of pomp and power. This perverse soul-sickness is not pleasant to look upon.”

I imagine if you’re recovered and I’m not a real alcoholic then I’m less than and you’re better than. A foolish dream and not pleasant to look upon!

Go write your own book.

Post from: Blisstree

Anger, Jealousy, Revenge Likely To Be Aroused

Daily Reflections

“They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group’s chores.”

First Things First – this comes directly after a question posed asking: “Do these oldtimers think they can run this group forever?”

From which we find that any authority perceived over time is really limited or non-existent. God has His way of fairly dispersing responsibility within A.A. so that all might eventually become involved in service work. I think that’s a grand plan!

On a personal note (I don’t know, probably self-centered – yeah – and?) I see a message to me that was totally on point and timely, yesterday and now.

The message is “I, my son, live as though I were never going to die.” Contrasted by “How strange – I live as though I were going to die tomorrow!”

I see my mindset. And I don’t like it. Without being wordy, my mother didn’t make it through the year of her life that I’m in now. It has played on me.

So I remind myself of Fr. Martin’s words and I say “Thanks.”

To paraphrase: “There is one undeniable fact about my future. I have one. I simply don’t know how long that future will be. There is only one thing I can do with my future. I must commend it to the Providence of God.”

Find the positives – see the projections. I can still be negative yet, today, I have tools and friends that help me see the Light and the Truth, live it and not have to drink! I am wonderfully grateful

[Though you don't know and may never know, I care about you]

Post from: Blisstree

Trusted Servants

Equality

To me, this could be one of the Top Ten ideals/principles we can strive for. Shamefully, there are folks who, imho, differ and differ out loud and irrationally. Consider;

“Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity.”

Conformity eh? What does that mean? To me that means that those who would judge me less than a real alcoholic because I say I’m recoverin(g) instead of recovere(d) – can go to he**! I have no requirement to conform to your controlling insanity of perfection!

Thank God the real oldtimers were experienced enough to tell us “We realize we know only a little” rather than your all knowing spewage…

“Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.”

And if they don’t do “it” my way, I have the choice to change the channel to another station.

“Prior to A.A., I often felt that I didn’t ‘fit in’ with the people around me. Usually ‘they’ had more/less money than I did, and my points of view didn’t jibe with ‘theirs.’ The amount of prejudice I had experienced in society only proved to me just how phony some self-righteous people were.”

That’s right – I just called you self-righteous. A self-righteous a** I might add. My POV doesn’t conform to yours and you’re willing to fight to the end to make us conform. My, how sober! Yeah – that was meant to be sarcastic.

“After joining A.A., I found the way of life I had been searching for. In A.A. no member is better than any other member; we’re just alcoholics trying to recover from alcoholism.”

You are dispensing all that death you accuse us of giving out to newcomers when you chase people away with your “Perfect Alcoholics Anonymous.” An AA they find impossible to live up to because they are required to live every single syllable of the Big Book every waking moment of every day. If you spot it, you got it.

End rant…

Post from: Blisstree

Equality

This comes from the Daily Reflection for today for Alcoholics Anonymous.

What? No President?

Derived from page 132 in the 12&12;

“When told that our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, no board of directors who can cast an erring member into outer darkness, when indeed no A.A. can give another a directive and enforce obedience, our friends gasp and exclaim, ‘This simply can’t be. There must be an angle somewhere.’ These practical folk then read Tradition Two, and learn that the sole authority in A.A. is a loving God as He may express Himself in the group conscience.”

Practical? I doubt it. Lemmings… (mpo – laff)

“They dubiously ask an experienced A.A. member if this really works. The member, sane to all appearances, immediately answers, ‘Yes! It definitely does,’ The friends mutter that this looks vague, nebulous, pretty naive to them. Then they commence to watch us with speculative eyes, pick up a fragment of A.A. history, and soon have the solid facts.”

Yeah – sounds like “our” friends, lmao… did we do that to them?

Now, imagine, what would it be like to be president of A.A.? In charge of a group of drunks! Leader of the masses of us who’s lives are unmanageable. The head of unmanageability! The most profound of the most profound!

Post from: Blisstree

What? No President?

“For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants.”

The Second Tradition (pg 132 in the 12 and 12)

“Our Society has no president having authority to govern it, no treasurer who can compel the payment of any dues, no board of directors who can cast an erring member into outer darkness, when indeed no AA can give another a directive and enforce obedience.”

From pg 133, an attitude I have to be careful of, “Look at all the good we’ve done these drunks. They should be grateful!”

Elder Statesmen: the one who sees the wisdom of the group’s decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgement, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaiting developments.

Bleeding Deacon: One who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity.

The deal is – if I have experience with something that has worked for me, I can suggest you try it also. It might work for you. However, it is no one’s place to tell any other AA “this you must do!”

If you’re a newcomer and you’ve heard “take what you need and leave the rest,” please don’t think you know what to take or leave. Please try to pay attention to who the oldtimers are and after the meeting talk to them. Find out what they think would be a good idea for you to take or leave. Please…

A Sober, Clean Evening To All,

Mark

Post from: Blisstree

Trusted Servants