Preface (Part II): Our Basic Text?

I have just one other thing I’d like to make a (slightly lengthy) comment on in the Preface.  The second paragraph mentions that this book is “the basic text for our Society”. 

textbook (v) [t'ekstbʊk]:  A textbook is a book containing facts about a particular subject that is used by people studying that subject.

study (v) [stuhd-ee]:  acquisition of knowledge, as by reading, investigation, or reflection

If this book is the “basic text” for the first 100 that recovered from alcoholism, then I better study and learn the program the way they did if I would like to recover from alcoholism.

Let’s say I’m taking a driver’s education class.  I know how to operate a car, but I’ve never driven anywhere but the dirt roads on my grandpa’s farm.  And, because selfishness and self-centeredness are the root of my troubles, I’m going to make a completely incompetent decision that I’m only going to learn a few key pieces of information from the course, despite the warning of the instructor.  After all, I’ve seen people drive my whole life.  I’ll just take what I want and leave the rest.  I’m going to learn what to do at stoplights and stop signs because I kind of like the pretty red, yellow, and green lights, and octagons are pretty cool too.  I like to go fast, so I’m going to learn about speed limits.  Parallel parking makes me look good, so I’m going to learn how to do that.  Other than that, I think I’ll just sort of pick up the rest later.

30 days go by, I’m obeying the speed limit, I’m stopping at stop lights, I’m parallel parking in front of a group of cute girls.  I look like a vehicle-driving badass.  My outward appearance tells folks that I’ve got it together.  I’ve even been kind enough to pass on the information that I’ve learned to some of my friends.  Now they’re all out there cruising the streets.  Then one day I see a yellow sign with a couple silhouettes of children playing.  I have a faint recollection of seeing this sign in my driver’s education course, but I don’t know exactly what it means.  As my mind traces back, I see out of the corner of my eye, a little boy chasing a baseball into the street about 30 feet ahead of me.  I swerve sharply to avoid him, my car spins out of control and hits a curb, where it flies into the air and lands upside-down.

I awake 4 days later surrounded by friends, family, and a priest.  They tell me I almost didn’t make it.  I’ve got some pretty serious injuries.  Looks like I’ll be in physical therapy for months.  But believe me, I’ll be back in the driver’s seat in no time.

To quote the Big Book, “You may think our illustration is too ridiculous.  But is it?”

This is really simple folks.  Studying the Big Book is what helps me establish, maintain, and grow in a relationship with God.  Studying the Big Book helps bring me to a position of neutrality in my attitude towards liquor.  Studying the Big Book puts me in a place where I can be of maximum service to the people about me.  The Big Book IS the program!  And I cannot “take what I want and leave the rest.”  There are no shortcuts.  There are no Cliff’s Notes.  You either learn it all, or you suffer the consequences.

I MUST have a FULL understanding of the material contained in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous if I am to help give a newcomer an accurate presentation of the program.  This means, I MUST study the book.  So, why is it that we feel the need to spend so much time bitch, bitch, bitching endlessly in ad nauseam disgusting (errr... discussion) meetings?  YES, it is too bad your dog has cancer.  YES, it sounds like your coworker is irritating.  YES, it is unfortunate your wife is leaving you.  YES, I AM sorry that your car wouldn’t start this morning and you were late getting your kids to school  But NONE of these things has a damn thing to do with getting sober folks.  NONE of them.  Study the book.  Talk about the book.  Present the promises that have come true in your life.  Pull the newcomer with a vision people!  Please!  I beg you.  This disease IS life or death.  If you don’t talk about the girl in the cubicle next to you that pops her gum and listens to European techno all day, I think you’ll survive.  If you’re drinking over that sort of stuff anyway, then I suggest working the damn steps.  If the newcomer in the back of the room doesn’t hear a solution to the bedevilments that have him coming unglued, HE’S GOING TO DIE.  You have a RESPONSIBILITY to carry a message of hope to the new person.  There are no free rides in AA.  Do this on a regular basis, and your life will flourish.  Suddenly the gum-popping coworker won’t be so irritating.  Suddenly, you’ll be able to work things out with your spouse.  Suddenly, you’ll get a raise that enables you to purchase a new car so you’re not late dropping your kids off again.  Life will take on new meaning.  Do not miss this opportunity.  Please.

The book tells us that God will show us how to create the Fellowship we crave.  If studying the Big Book, following the direction of the steps, and working with others saved your butt… It’s going to be able to save someone else’s butt too.  Go to group conscience meetings.  Change formats.  Start new groups.  This program is about action.  There’s no chapter called Into Thinking or Into Wishing or Into Theorizing.  Strive to create a Fellowship where new people can truly recover from alcoholism using the guaranteed method that is so perfectly described in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

(Coming Soon:  Foreword to the First Edition)