No Leaders

I recently wrote a short piece for someone’s blog and they asked if I was talking about Alcoholics Anonymous when I referred to my Recovery program.  The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that I do not speak for AA; I speak only of my experiences and my interpretations of this wonderful program.  

In most recovery programs, many of which are based on the 12 Step model, we learn to "share our experience, strength, and hope with each other that we might solve our common problem."  What is so wonderful about the program that I participate in is that we do not have leaders.  We are spiritually anonymous, placing "principals before personalities" as our 12th Tradition states. That is why I would like to encourage dialogue on the blog - there are many ways to interpret the program and a myriad of different stories and experiences that can benefit us all.

We learn early that the ideas outlined in our literature on the 1st 164 pages of "The Big Book" are but suggestions.  This blog or any blog I have done only offers advice.  It is not intended to represent the literal truth about sobriety or how it works, that should be left up to the individual and his/her sponsor.  The blog is simply a forum to share ideas about how we are trying to live a good and sober life.

This writer knows that nothing can replace a meeting and face-to-face work with another alcoholic~recovery begins with one alcoholic talking to another.  But this writer also knows that what we talk about can become a part of who we are and who we want to become. Why not talk about recovery as we would shopping?  Good habits must be reinforced which is why I write and share my thoughts with others.  The writer of the email reminded of Margaret Mead who said that the program of Alcoholics Anonymous would be remembered as one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.  She said this not because it helped so many people, but because it welcomed so many different groups and was run by the people not a dictatorial leader.  As it says, over and over, "no human power could."

Personal Journals | Published June 29, 2012