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Big Book Study - Post #8

Good morning everyone!

We're at the top of page 13 -

Bill went again to Towns Hospital to be separated from alcohol for the last
time. This is at the beginning of December 1934; he had stayed drunk for a month
after Armistice Day.

Bill's sobriety dates from December 11, 1934.

Paragraph 2 describes Steps 3, 4, 6 & 7:

"There I humbly offered myself to God, as I then I understood Him, to do with me
as He would. I placed myself unreservedly under His care and direction (3). I
admitted for the first time that of myself I was nothing; that without Him I was
lost. I ruthlessly faced my sins (4) and became willing to have my new-found
Friend take them away, root and branch (6, 7). I have not had a drink since."

The first sentance of paragraph 3 describes Step 5, and the remainder of
paragraph 3 describes Steps 8 and 9, (also known as "restitution" by the Oxford
Groups):

"My schoolmate [Ebby Thacher] visited me, and I fully acquainted him with my
problems and deficiencies (5). We made a list of people I had hurt or toward
whom I felt resentment (8). I expressed my entire willingness to approach these
individuals, admitting my wrong. Never was I to be critical of them. I was to
right all such matters to the utmost of my ability (9)." [Remember this sentence
when we talk about amends in Chapter 6.]

Paragraph 4 - The first sentance describes Step 10 and the remainder of the
paragraph goes into Step 11. The last paragraph on this page discusses the first
part of Step 12:

"My friend promised that when these things were done, [not by osmosis I would
guess], I would enter upon a new relationship with my Creator; that I would have
the elements of a way of living which has answered all my problems." That sounds
like a Spiritual Awakening, doesn't it?

But don't we want all our problems solved first? It is through that spiritual
awakening that they are solved.

Page 14 - Bill's "White Light Experience" in found in paragraph 2. One of the
reasons that Appendix II -"Spiritual Experience" was added to the book was that
many people were confused; they thought that they had to have the same type of
sudden transformation that Bill had.

The concept of "carrying the message" was born with Bill while lying in that bed
in Towns Hospital (see paragraph 5). The last part of Step 12 is described in
the following paragraph continuing to the top of page 15:

"My friend [Ebby Thacher] had emphasized the absolute necessity of demonstrating
these principles in all my affairs." A bit of step 12 here! For us, that means
not just in the rooms of AA, but everywhere.

Going on to paragraph 1 on page 15, Bill describes the dangers
of "...self-pity and resentment. This sometimes nearly drove me back to drink,
but I soon found that when all other measures failed, work with another
alcoholic would save the day." Perhaps there is something to this "carrying the
message" stuff after all!

Bill went on to work with drunks and barely earning a living. Not only was he
not making any money, he also had no success in sobering up drunks. Lois was
working at Macy's. Ebby moved from Rev. Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Church mission
and in with Bill and Lois at 182 Clinton St. in Brooklyn at this time.

It wasn't until May, 1935 (six months later) that Bill had any success at all --
he carried the message to Doctor Bob Smith -- aside from staying sober himself.
More details are available in "AA Comes of Age," pages 52-77, which tells Bill's
story in greater detail; how he met Bob, how they helped Bill Dotson (AA number
3) get sober, and the early days of what was to become AA.

With our next post we will begin Chapter 2 on Page 17: "There is a Solution."

Have a great day!

Jim