AA Doesn't Work

Have you ever seen or heard in the media that someone who is unable to maintain sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous says the program doesn't work? Or been in an AA meeting when somebody complains that the program is just not working? Or states that AA doesn't work for them? It seems that I've been hearing that a lot lately and, when I do, I want to reply, "No kidding?! You figured that out all by yourself? You are amazing! Of course it doesn't work, you moron! See those 12 steps written on the wall (or in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous)? That is the program and it's an inanimate object."

My yard is filled with leaves that have fallen off the trees. There are several rakes in my garage. Following the logic in the above paragraph, if I place the rakes in the middle of the yard and the leaves remain, well then, the rakes don't work. There must be something wrong with them! I go to the store and buy more rakes to put in the yard and they don't work either. This must mean that rakes don't work for me. My neighbor's yards don't have leaves scattered all over so rakes must work for them, but no matter how many times I put rakes in my yard they just don't work. I guess I'm just supposed to have a messy yard.

And now that I think about it, my car doesn't work either. It is just sitting in the driveway. I need to go to the grocery because I have no food in the house. I've gone out and sat in my car 3 times now and the car still won't take me to the grocery. There must be something wrong with the car. No matter how much I want to eat, the car simply doesn't work. There is no hope for me - I'm going to starve to death.

People that think like this are exasperating. I want to smack them but my sponsor says that smacking people is NOT sober behavior. Dang. That's a real shame, too, because some people would benefit by a good smacking. Love and tolerance of others is our code. Sigh....

Information is fairly pointless by itself. Taking information and transforming it into hard work in order to achieve a certain result is called application. The key to sobriety is a lot of hard work. I can't stay sober by just hanging around people who don't drink. That is like putting the rakes in the yard. And simply sitting in an AA meeting will not get me sober, any more than sitting in my car will get me to the grocery. It takes action on my part.

When I was in active alcoholism, I had no idea how to not take a drink. Alcoholics Anonymous gave me directions on how to not drink for 24 hours. The 12 steps are like a map and a sponsor is the one riding shotgun. I am the one responsible for putting the information into practice through a lot of hard work. I work the program of Alcoholics Anonymous so that the program, my Higher Power, my sponsor and the fellowship can help me to become a sober, productive member of society. And I thank God I've practiced the AA principles long enough and often enough to be grateful for the opportunity.

Have a good and sober day.