The Past

We convince ourselves that because of our past change will be of no substantive consequence and that whatever we do it will not amount to an anthill beneath our feet. It started for me by putting down the drink, which was one of the most difficult and complicated of any decisions I have made in my life, but this one was the most simple of them all.

It’s a simple program for complicated people. But let’s remember to be patient and tolerant A.A. is not for everyone and any powder that kills fleas is a good powder. Funny how we wouldn’t listen to anyone that was trying to tell us that putting down the drink would change things for us. And how intolerant we can be after we get sober and how we can get down right disgruntled when others don’t see the light.  We need to remember the past so as not to forget those that still live there. 

 A man was commenting to me on this blog that he wanted to be able to continue his normal drinking again but he was only putting the cart before the horse.  He was stuck because he was unwilling to take the simplest of A.A.’s principles and that was he was powerless over alcohol. Even though he was beaten he thought that his sense of entitlement preempted any notion that he simply had to realize it was the first drink that got him drunk not the third, fourth or the tenth.  Why contest A.A. at all just take the first step put down the drink. If you think there is a better way than Alcoholics Anonymous by all means take it.  Any protocol starts there it doesn’t necessarily have to end there.