The Tablemate was an early A.A. set of beginners lessons entitled ‘Alcoholics Anonymous: An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps,’ put out in the form of a little pamphlet. It was (and still is) the most successful set of A.A. beginners lessons ever devised.

And I’m drawing content from the Hindsfoot site, laboriously prepared by Glenn C. and others… We moved into Discussion No. 3: Inventory and Restitution Part I then Inventory and Restitution Part II, Inventory and Restitution Part III, and now, Discussion No. 4 – Active Work.

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Step No. 12.  Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

This step logically separates into three parts:

1. The Spiritual Experience

The terms “spiritual experience” and “spiritual awakening” used here and in the book Alcoholics Anonymous mean (upon careful reading)

that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many forms.

Do NOT get the impression that these personality changes or spiritual experiences must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals. Happily for everyone, this conclusion is erroneous. Among our rapidly growing membership of thousands of alcoholics such transformations, though frequent, are by no means the rule.

Most of our experiences are what psychologist William James calls “the educational variety” because they develop slowly over a period of time.

Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. The new man gradually realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life – - that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self-discipline. With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves.

Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problem in the light of our experience can recover provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spiritual side of the program. Willingness, Honesty, and Open-Mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.

2. Carry the Message to Others

This means exactly what it says. Carry the message actively. Bring it to the man who needs it. We do it in many ways:

1. By attending every meeting of our own group.
2. By making calls when asked.
3. By speaking at group meetings when asked.
4. By supporting our group financially to make group meetings possible.
5. By assisting at meetings when asked.
6. By setting a good example of complete sobriety.
7. By owning, and loaning to new men, our own copy of the Big A.A. Book.
8. By encouraging those who find the way difficult.
9. By serving as an officer or on group committees or special assignments when asked.
10. By doing all of the foregoing cheerfully and willingly.
11. We do any or all of the foregoing at some sacrifice to ourselves with definite thought of developing unselfishness in our own character.

3. We Practice These Principles in All Our Affairs

This last part of the Twelfth Step is the real purpose that all of the twelve steps lead to – - a new way of life, a design for living. It shows how to live rightly, think rightly and to achieve happiness. How do we go about it?

1. We resolve to live our life one day at a time – - just twenty-four hours.
2. We pray each day for guidance that day.
3. We pray each night – - thanks for that day.
4. We resolve to keep our heads and to forego any anger, no matter what situation arises.
5. We are patient.
6. We keep calm, relaxed.
7. Now and most important: whatever little ordinary situations as well as big situations arise, we look at them calmly and fairly, with an open mind, then act on them in exact accordance with the simple true principles that A.A. has taught and will teach us.

In other words, our sobriety is only a correction of our worst and most evident faults. Our living each day according to the principles of A.A. will also correct all of our other lesser faults and will gradually eliminate, one by one, all of the defects in our character that cause frictions, discontents, and unhappy rebellious moods that lead right back to our very chief fault of drinking.

Post from: Blisstree

The Tablemate – Discussion No. 4 Active Work

Well, I suppose I could talk about powerlessness – the sun’s gonna rise and set today and there isn’t a darn thing I can do about it

Or, perhaps I could address those who would attempt to help a drunk this summer – a drunk who hasn’t considered or paid attention to the fact that consuming alcohol in the sun can kill you faster.

Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and hypertension are all worsened by the effects of alcohol. Now, I’d love to get through to you, the alcoholic, but I know hundreds or thousands of you will do it anyway, drink in the sun at the beach, at barbeques, at sporting events this summer. Some of you will even be taking medications. (I drank around my blood pressure meds.)

Rather, for those who are there when you perpetrate these actions upon yourselves, please be aware that alcohol will raise your blood pressure to extreme heights when you drink in the hot sun. Notice any swelling in the face or fingertips. Get this person help, please. If you can, remove the alcohol from the scene because as it’s consumed it will get worse!

Drinking alcohol while in the hot sun greatly speeds up the effects of alcohol, especially dehydration. Dehydration can cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke, leading to a coma or hallucinations or death.

Hmmm – I remember when we were teens. It was cool to go to the beach, get ocified, pass out for hours and come home with a third degree sunburn. I’m here to tell you, NO, it wasn’t cool! It darn well hurt and some people I knew wound up with scars or worse, skin cancer.

Please, do yourselves a favor, don’t mix alcohol and the hot sun this summer… better yet, find a beach meeting like the one at Jones Beach, LI, NY at West End 2 on Sun mornings. Get there early before you have to pay for parking, watch the sunrise, it’s wonderful! And Liz B. will be celebrating her 53rd on the second weekend of July (if I’m wrong please correct me) and that’s a great meeting! Wait ’til you have that early moment of silence with a couple of thousand sober folks and all you hear are the seagulls and the waves. Incredible!

A Sober, Clean Day To All,

Mark

Post from: Blisstree

The Hot Sun And Alcohol

From a thread titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” , a cool statement for anyone who may be concerned whether or not they have a drinking problem from member wareagle10.

You’ve Got Two Choices

“As far as you drinking is concerned, you are either an alcoholic or you are not an alcoholic.

If you are not an alcoholic, then you don’t have anything to worry about. But if you are an alcoholic, then you have two things to worry about; you will either have to do something about your drinking or do nothing about your drinking.

If you do something about your drinking like joining AA and becoming active, then you won’t have anything to worry about. But if you don’t do something about your drinking, then you will have two things to worry about; you will either go insane or you will die.

If you go insane, you won’t have anything to worry about. But if you die, then you will have two things to worry about; you will either go to Heaven or Hell.

If you go to Heaven, then you won’t have anything to worry about. If you go to hell, then you will only have ONE BIG THING to worry about; where in Hell can I get a DRINK…”

A Sober, Clean Evening To All,

Mark

Post from: Blisstree

Two Choices…