Things I learned (or was reminded of) this week. An ongoing series.

 

 

Sometimes it seems like those AA members who complain that it's the same people sharing in a particular meeting week after week rarely actually raise their own hands to share.

 

People make assumptions and proclamations regarding "what AA says" about something all the time, without looking in the AA literature to see what AA actually says.  This kind of foolish grandstanding is human nature -- it's certainly not the sole provenance of AA -- but dear God we're good at it sometimes.

 

As foolish or rigid or prideful or silly or odd or challenging as the people in an AA meeting may be on occasion, it is a place where everyone is welcome, and, when someone shares real pain, the compassion in the room is palpable.  And healing.

 

If you often find the people in an AA meeting foolish or rigid or prideful or silly or odd or challenging -- it might be you, not them, who is the foolishrigidpridefullsillychallenging part of the equation.

 

 

Comments

[Dave]

I vote for the last entry.
Have a lovely weekend.

[Jayne Dough]

I take a similar but slightly different approach.

I always baseline with what the official, literature stance is and then, after that, I credit what the fellowship/ members/ people/ culture says or does re: the topic.

I will then specify if what "the man on the street" does is typical of the AA culture as a whole or if different camps/ locals/ notable certain % minority of individuals do otherwise.

I might then compare/ contrast that with other 12 Step programs I'm familiar with (a large list).

And I mention that these observations apply only to what I've experienced, although circuit speakers do tend to cross-pollinate local AA cultural influences.

I think it's important to credit both because in the situations where the "average member" (or a few popular but minority vocal share-ers) disagree with the literature, it still impacts their EXPERIENCE mightily.

[Bobby D.]

Reminds me of something my grandsponsor told me, right after I told him I'd asked his sponsee to be my sponsor.

Putting an arm wound my shoulder, and his other arm around my new sponsor's shoulder, he said, "Bobby, you can believe anything this man tells you, but make him show you where it is in the book!"

Works for me!