Working With Others

“PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics!”  Alcoholics Anonymous page 89

It is said that nobody is too dumb for the AA program but there are some that are too smart for the program.  My being too clever by half misinterpreted the quote above to mean that if I did a bunch of AA service work (volunteering) at meetings and at my computer that I would stay sober while not having to actually interact closely with others.  I did not stay sober.

I have stayed away from service committee volunteering for the last 2+ years.  For 8 months, it was because I was in relapse mode. Then it was because I knew that I needed to not be isolating at home behind my keyboard while deluding myself that what I was doing constituted intensive work with other alcoholics.

I am a lot better at working with others than ever before.  There is still a huge need for me to improve my ability to do intensive work with other alcoholics.  Progress not perfection.

I am grateful for the progress I have made in more closely work with other alcoholics.  Sharing with them helps me stay sober.