Ok I'll bite Jim. Actually what I should do is respond properly
to the question I asked previously, in the "hypothetical
question"thread. There were several very thoughtful responses and
I never followed up with my own reply. My original question was in
message 342 concerning Step 1.

Let me give a little background on why I asked the question. It
stems from Chapter 3, More About Alcoholism: "We learned that we
had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were
alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery. The delusion that we
are like other people, or presently may be, has to be smashed."

I've heard it said that the line "This is the first step in
recovery" indicates that conceding to our innermost selves that
were alcoholics is all we have to do in order to take Step one.
It seems to me that is insufficient; that the "learning" to
concede is the operative idea, and that although it is the first
step in recovery, this NOT the first step out of the 12.

The way I have always understood the statement is that when we join
AA, we are students, we must be taught just what it means to be an
alcoholic so that we can either qualify or disqualify ourselves as
alcoholics. But until we LEARN what it is to BE an alcoholic (Our
description of the alcoholic-The Doctors Opinion) we haven't
taken the first step toward recovering. Once having absorbed and
understood the definitions of the alcoholic vs. the nonalcoholic and
qualified ourselves as one, we can THEN proceed to Step One and all
of the Steps.

Hardass BB thumper that I am, I do still learn much from you all
through our interactions. I do believe that my perception is
incorrect however it is important that I be precice in such matters
and I welcome the "CROSSTALK" to assist.

Thanks.

Peace,


Danny S
...