Alcoholics Anonymous (1939)

Enjoyed having it read to me for a change of pace ( )

Enjoyed having it read to me for a change of pace ( )

As flawed as it is to compare people, since it doesn’t *really* matter, I think that the common alcoholic actually lives a worse life that you learn less from than those involved with the “epic” sort of sins of history. I know that might come off as just sounding like I’m trying to trash people, but as part of my holistic studies, I just think that acquiring a few lesser virtues and abusing and misusing them is actually better than acquiring fewer or no virtues and just falling apart because you have no idea how to live. There are certainly gradations of the disease, but at its worst it brings you to a total loss of virtue and even in more moderate gradations tends to be more perverse than simply being legalistically pure but lacking charity. You can be “as pure as angels but as proud as devils”, and down that road lies “epic” sin, but you cannot really be as impure as devils but as humble as angels, although you can be in denial about that. To the alcoholic, it’s all about me— this “I” that cannot pull itself together enough to live.

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt”, it’s widespread, and it’s the greatest barrier. Once you can remind yourself what addiction is, whether it’s alcohol, the great classic addiction, or something more obscure, you can remind yourself that it’s not actually worth the price it imposes. Constantly you will forget; repeatedly you must be reminded.

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Food service is often a great way to see people at their worst. I’m a dishwasher at an assisted living home, where a man died recently. In his obituary, there are examples of the various ways that his long life was good and productive, but all I knew about him was that he liked to drink after everybody else was done drinking. (No way to tell if it was only after his wife died, etc.)

I say this by way of qualification, since obviously the above is a hard saying.

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It’s immensely satisfying to read; screw up; make it right; repeat.

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Perhaps the greatest problem with my life has been my conviction that sin is stronger than grace.

A must read for anyone ever touched by addiction. This "inspired" book is the foundation of a movement toward improving the lives of millions of people plagued by many and various obsessions. Anyone in the social services, religion or public service should count, at least the first 164 pages, as a MUST READ! ( )

Addiction