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 Thatcher] 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 Thatcher] 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

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