“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” – a promise many of us have learned to live by… thankfully.

There were posts in 2006 that I’d consider favorites and then there were entries that generated a bit of controversy (or were generated by controversy that I created).

Here are a few beginning with my beginning in April;

Change – Where I introduce myself to you…

Are You Co-Signing BS? – Keeping meeting topics on task

Meeting Makers Make It? – Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes

Happy Anniversary! – We celebrate the sober anniversaries of my good friend Larry W. here in Savannah and my new friend JJ “up there” in Boston.

The First Deadly Sin – Proud folks in AA willing to deny or re-write the program of recovery. Amazing…

Computer Eyes – Children deserve at least one sober parent, or two – please…

Self-Supporting, Self Sacrifice, Unselfish Constructive Action – Given bad information which led to an informative and worthwhile discussion.

Utilize Don’t Analyze – Clearing up a possible mis-perception, hopefully.

Anger – That “old suit of clothes” I wear so poorly today.

AA Is Not Big Business – Even our trusted servants are held accountable.

How Do You Feel About This? – Contradiction or contentiousness?

No Monopoly – AA has its critics yet never says it is the end all/be all of recovery.

Twelve Qualities of Sponsorship – Help to be a sponsor – proper helpful sponsorship attitudes and principles.

Sometimes I Just Wanna… – Comment spammers need to die!!!

A New Day – Taking an offline job to make ends meet (or to make someone else happy)

An Application Of Recovery Principles – b5media gets venture capital and the ill folks of the blogosphere show up

Let’s Have A Meeting! – Is someone breaking traditions at your home group?

The Eleventh Step Prayer – Once again, the tool needed at a time of emotional disturbance

Established For Future Generations – Leave your personal, non-recovery agendas at home when you come to a meeting.

The Fundamental Spiritual Awakening – Practicing The Presence of God.

A Disease Of Perceptions? Personal troubles and possible solutions as a result of the Twelve Steps.

Enjoy and follow along with the rest of our Science and Health folks at Breastfeeding123.com where Angela will be compiling a summary of the day’s writings.

Post from: Blisstree

Nor Wish To Shut The Door On It

Like the sponge I am I’m looking all over the site and I see this;

“A.A. does not promise to solve your life’s problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking “one day at a time.”

And, since Gary and I have been discussing the improprieties of First Step meetings I felt like mentioning this once again. Folks – in our Preamble, it does not say problems! It says “that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.”

Not: “help others recover from bankruptcy,” “help others recover from depression,” “help others recover from divorce,” or a myriad of other difficulties we attempt to solve in meetings or privately.

First Tradition – Unity! Singleness of Purpose. Helloooooooo… Personal recovery depends upon AA unity.

“He learns that the clamor of desires and ambitions within him must be silenced whenever these could damage the group. It becomes plain that the group must survive or the individual will not.”

Which is to tell all you hot shots out there that want to be president of AA that it isn’t about to happen. BTW – why would anyone want to be president of a group of drunks lol? Plus, those of you who aren’t lawyers, doctors and mental health professionals ought to put your fake credentials back in your closets okay? Thank you…

Post from: Blisstree

Their Common Problem!

Sound funny? Not really… It’s Theme Day at The Science and Health Channel. The Theme is Food.

Through the years I’ve heard various theories and stories about using alcohol in foods and having the alcohol burn off, therefore I need not worry. Well, as usual, I still need to maintain constant vigilance and look at this theory one more time with the help of the AA History Lovers Group and The Grapevine Volume 47 Issue 3 August 1990.

Apparently alcohol has more staying power than some have thought or believed.

“Many of these items are contrary to AA philosophy. Their publication here does not mean that the Grapevine endorses or approves them; they are offered solely for your information.”

“Don’t blame Julia Child for leading you astray: We all were convinced that the alcohol in the sherry she so liberally added to dishes would cook away, with only the wine’s flavor left behind. But now, it turns out, we can’t have our brandy and eat it too, because alcohol, as recent research reveals, has tremendous staying power.

At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food scientist Evelyn A. Augustin of Washington State University in Pullman, along with her husband, Jorg A. Augustin of the Food Research Center at the University of Idaho in Moscow, recently tested six recipes to determine the fate of the alcohol called for. Their results, reported at the latest annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association, were a big surprise to everyone. They found that the burgundy in pot roast Milano, for example, doesn’t completely disappear even after two and a half hours of simmering on the stove; that a dish of scalloped oysters, baked at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, retains 45 percent of the alcohol in the dry sherry used; that Grand Marnier sauce, which is removed from the heat when the called-for liqueur is added, gets hot enough to lose only 15 percent of its alcohol.

Especially surprising, though, was what happened–or didn’t happen–to the brandy in the cherries jubilee. The recipe calls for dark sweet cherries to be mixed with corn-starch and heated in a chafing dish to thicken. One quarter of a cup of brandy is then ignited in a separate pan and poured over the cherries. But even this intense flaming process, the Augustins discovered, burned off no more than 25 percent of the alcohol. They tested the recipe several times, and on each try the flame died, while 75 percent of the alcohol survived.”

Post from: Blisstree

Staying Power – Constant Vigilance

Inconsiderate, disrespectful, uncaring through self-centeredness, no sense of spirituality, lack of conscience etc. etc. Where do you believe folks like that are headed?

On one aspect of our Traditions – anonymity – here are some thoughts and experience from page 185;

“As the A.A. groups multiplied, so did anonymity problems. Enthusiastic over the spectacular recovery of a brother alcoholic, we’d sometimes discuss those intimate and harrowing aspects of his case meant for his sponsor’s ears alone. The aggrieved victim would then rightly declare that his trust had been broken. When such stories got into circulation outside of A.A., the loss of confidence in our anonymity promise was severe. It frequently turned people from us. Clearly, every A.A. member’s name – and story too – had to be confidential, if he wished. This was our first lesson in the practical application of anonymity.”

Here’s only one of many thoughts of mine – do you people not understand the ramifications of “turning people from us?” Without newcomers, because they’ve lost confidence in AA working because their stories are being told in the outside world in violation of personal trust, we have no lifeblood. No one new to practice these principles with. No one to help.

What insures our sobriety more than any one other thing? Working with others. Newcomers!!!

One more personal thought – those who believe the Traditions aren’t pertinent to their own sobriety need a good swift kick in the ass! ought to find a newcomer and work with them on the Traditions. And give the Traditions Checklist a good read…

Post from: Blisstree

The Practical Application Of Anonymity

The Eleventh Tradition: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and film.”

From page 183 in the 12 and 12, the last paragraph;

“This Tradition is a constant reminder that personal ambition has no place in A.A. In it, each member becomes an active guardian of our Fellowship.”

We have the responsibility to do what it takes to make sure this is here for the next generation and all generations after that, of newcomers and sufferers. Let’s do it the way it was mapped out for us by those that came before us. And, keep constant vigilance for those who are here for their own personal agendas other than sobriety.

I know you know what I mean…

Post from: Blisstree

Established For Future Generations

“When we habitually try to manipulate others to our own willful desires, they revolt, and resist us heavily. Then we develop hurt feelings, a sense of persecution, and a desire to retaliate. As we redouble our efforts at control, and continue to fail, our suffering becomes acute and constant.”

I often still, make efforts to control others. It is in my nature. I have made enormous progress with it through the years and have even asked God to remove it. It still is…

This specific passage is of very large importance – for me. It distinctly rings out when it says “our suffering becomes acute and constant.” One of the definitions of acute is: intense. Intense suffering? Yep!

There are a lot of “things” about AA that I would love to “fix” or change. That is also in my nature. Why would I want to “fix” or change anything? Fear. It is very simple. Fear. Firstly, I don’t want to lose what I have (self-centered) and I don’t want others to die. Both thoughts scare me. And – thankfully, they scare me. When I was drinking, I cared very little about life – yours or mine. Today, that is no longer true.

I don’t want to go any further before I tell you why I’m writing about this today. I spend time visiting and reading through many other recovery related Blogs and web sites. It is also in my nature to seek knowledge and to play detective to discover wrongs. Another shortcoming…

I see the “debate” over whether or not I am, you are, they are, we are, recovered or in recovery. Of course I’d love to express my very passionate feelings about the topic for me!!! My personal feelings and beliefs cause me to say I’m in recovery and I’d rather not come to a state of mind where I believe I’m recovered. That feeling and belief is not shared by all. Others feel and believe that they are recovered.

The question then becomes – which is right? Nope! Wrong! The question ought to be, can I live and let live? Can I accept that if you believe you’re in recovery and you’re not drinking and haven’t had a drink for a long time (relative term) that is okay? Can I accept that if you believe you’re recovered and you’re not drinking and haven’t had a drink for a long time (relative term) that is okay?

I have no need to belittle or demean your sobriety by calling you names or telling you you’re not what you believe you are because you don’t believe the same way I do. To act that way is old, drinking behavior i.e. – once again, I’m imposing my will on you, I am saying I know better than God. And there’s a place in the Big Book that explains that too.

I’ll continue to subscribe to my sponsors’ principle – that each day any one of us who admits to the disease of alcoholism – doesn’t take a drink, it is a victory over death! I’d really, really rather look at it in that light than find myself suffering acutely because I have some perverse need to impose my will on you and demand that you see it my way and believe you’re “in recovery” and not recovered – or vice versa.

Post from: Blisstree

Live And Let Live – Please…

For me, this is thought provoking;

Tradition Twelve: Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

3. In my opinions of and remarks about other AAs, am I implying membership requirements other than a desire to stay sober?

Hmmmmm…

Post from: Blisstree

Tradition Checklist – Tradition Twelve

“they were written first in our hearts. For each of us knows, instinctively I think, that AA is not ours to do with as we please. We are but caretakers to preserve the spiritual quality of our fellowship; keep it whole for those who will come after us and have the need of what has so generously been given to us.”

Considering the dilemma I face currently, I especially see this quote;

“But we’ve resolved never to allow either money or the management of our necessary affairs to obscure our spiritual aims. The same loving God whose divine wisdom has shown us that one desperate and shaky drunk, fumbling for a nickel to call for help, looms larger than any ‘organization’ we shall ever have, or need!”

It was within this particular writing that Bill informed the membership in general that “Alcoholics Anonymous is now grown,” meaning that it was no longer within the abilities of the founders and their friends to maintain AA’s valuable assets in trust. He and Dr. Bob were turning over the reins. Bill said;

“So the hour has come when you must take these things into your own keeping. We ask that you guard them well, for the future of Alcoholics Anonymous may depend on how you maintain and support these life-giving arms of service.”

The establishment of the General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous was about to begin. They passed the legacy on to those who’ve eventually passed it on to us!

In keeping with [my perception of the tone] of Bill’s writing and as a result of talking to one of our 32+ yr. oldtimers after our home group last night, what stands out extremely loud from Bill’s thoughts in Nov. 1950 is this;

“The Traditions also say that our trusted servants shall never govern; that they shall always be directly accountable to those they serve.”

Without making an assumption, hopefully, since it is more than 24 hours since I contacted the “trusted servant” who may have offered me wrong information that I used for a possible article in the Grapevine and I may be ready to “assume” an answer is not forthcoming, I will prepare to rescind the article from consideration for publishing.

Yes, there most definitely is a reason for me to put that in writing here, now.

How is your sober day going? I think I’ll start mine all over the moment I publish this entry

Post from: Blisstree

AA Is Not Big Business