Disclaimer: This blog is for me – I write it for MY sanity. Take what you like and leave the rest.
Alcoholics Anonymous is an ALTRUISTIC Movement – that’s what Dr. Silkworth calls it in the Dr.’s Opinion –
“We feel, after many years of experience, that we have found nothing which has contributed more to the rehabilitation of these men than the altruistic movement now growing up among them…”
Is it still like this? Altruism – The UNSELFISH concern for the welfare of others vs. Materialism -Society’s influence toward “The selfish concern for my own welfare”
The unselfishness of these men as we have come to know them, the entire absence of profit motive, and their community spirit, is indeed inspiring to one who has labored long and wearily in this alcoholic field. They believe in themselves, and still more in the Power which pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of death.”
This would require some scrutiny – ask yourself if, subtly, you are trying to get financial reward from your AA connections…
I have this one “friend” who I simply cannot connect with – she is like my “best” friend in a way – she is my only friend – in AA – but I feel that we are at cross-purposes with each other… i just realized the reason I cannot connect with her is because she is a Materialist.
Today, she just gave me a “talking to” about how I won’t “let go of the past” – of “how AA used to be..” – of course, she has 7 MORE YEARS THAN ME so you know how that is in MATERIALISTIC AA – she is OVER me – she knows MORE than me – she is MY SUPERIOR – (what a bunch of bullshit – when I was desperate – at 9 years dry – I asked a woman with 5 years who had recovered – to help me – what did I care??? She was recovered), but there are a lot more materialists in AA than there are a smaller number of ALTRUISTS, these days, I guess.
We used to feel assured that “AA” would die if we didn’t use the Traditions. I think we thought the clubs, meetings, and etc would close their doors. We were so wrong. What really happened is that the Spirit of AA died, and the label on the door stayed the same and what is being called AA today, has no Spirit in it. AA died and we are just pretending it didn’t.
After my friend alluded to me “living in the past” – I just asked her flat out – “what are you actually saying?” and she said – You are living in the past – you need to let go of how AA used to be… and I said – “but how am I supposed to sponsor? – I have this new gal and I want to tell her to get a service position but there are none to be found at the club – I don’t want to recommend that she go to the District because they don’t use the Traditions – I was taught to sponsor by bringing the person through all 3 sides of the triangle – how can I guarantee that she can stay sober like I do – when she is not going to have the time necessary to recover the way I did – watching old timers in AA – when there are none doing anything anymore – how am I to sponsor her without sounding negative when I read her the Preface and the Forwards and the Big Book for Dummies is about to come out and divide AA the way the 12×12 did back in 1950?
By letting go of “AA of the past” I would be letting go of AA. AA is an altruistic movement. AA is not materialistic. AA is the living Spirit of God embodied in us – and I will not let go of that – and I will just tell it like I see it to the new gal and at least she will know what to pray for when I am gone and she needs more help…
Bill W did not know that by getting in bed with the Rockefellers, he was basically signing AA’s death warrant – but that Living Spirit is inherent to Earth and it will just pop up somewhere else in some other way – and it lives on in those of us who are still committed to it.
Read Bernard Smith’s talk in the back of AA Comes of Age. Bernard Smith was a Materialist who became an Altruist and recovered from his Workaholism while he was the CEO of the Alcoholic Foundation.
Anonymous Alcoholics 