I am a firm believer in multiple paths of recovery. There are many. I believe art and music to be a path. I believe writing to be a path. Community is absolutely imperative. And still, I return to the Big Book.
I was recently asked to reach out to someone who is struggling with his drinking. I am thrilled to have been asked, and I am even more thrilled to share what I now know about substance misuse disorder and the world of recovery. And, I have surprised myself in discovering that I have become somewhat of a zealot about recovery and in fact, I should tone it down a bit. This came to me as the words came off my keyboard and into emails that I wish I had never sent.
What follows is a book review of the AA Big Book. From a literary standpoint, it is a masterpiece. It is written in simple, understandable language with beautiful sentence structure, perfect grammar and no typos. As a writer, I have a huge appreciation for that. The Big Book is a product of the times, as is everying. It is a reflection of the way things were in the 30’s which doesn’t, by nature, make it exclusionary. In fact, AA doesn’t exclude ANYONE. This is the perhaps the MOST inclusive program that exists on the planet today. Think about it. No politics, no stance on the issues, no religion, no economic requirement, nothing. No human being is “better” or “worse” than another. Isn’t that what we all want?
We are comprised of people who may want to stop drinking. Period. It is not “sexist” by nature. The men who wrote this book were observing the world around them and, in the 1930’s, the majority of women WERE home taking care of their husbands. It’s just the way it was. None of the founders have expressed their opinions on whether this was right or wrong. Their opinions are not germane to helping people recover. For all we know, they were feminists fighting for a woman’s right to be in the workforce. We just don’t know. And, we shouldn’t care.
I did not broach the AA topic with this person because the unfortunate reality is that AA has a stodgy faith-based, cult-like reputation which takes months of research and experience going to meetings to see that it is unfounded. There are certainly meetings and people who we might want to avoid.
But a group founded by a certain segment of society can apply to all of us. Would you not look to a professional runner for advice when you want to start a running program, even if he comes in the form of an older white man? Don’t we take spiritual guidance from some old, white men? This is a concept that is getting lost in a society which is very quick to dismiss and cancel anything that does not jive with us immediately. Sometimes I think we are too quick to judge self-imposed intentions because we don’t mesh with the language being used. Should we dismiss every piece of classical literature whose content may be outdated? I was taught that literature sustains over time because human nature does not change. Society may change, yes, but human nature doesn’t.
If you are quick, in fact, to dismiss the masculine language of AA, I want to suggest that you read the Big Book more carefully. The words they use are far from exclusionary. From the forward to the first edition in 1939: We are not an organization in the conventional sense of the word. There are no fees or dues whatsoever. The only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking. We are not allied with any particular faith, sect or denomination. Nor do we oppose anyone. We simply wish to be helpful to those who are afflicted.
So there I go sounding all preachy and dogmatic. I’m simply sharing my own observations with you and suggesting you don’t dismiss AA too quickly. It is a robust and successful path to recovery and building a meaningful life. And if you never want to touch AA at all, contact me for the multitude of recovery resources that we offer in this beautiful state of Colorado that don’t involve reading a book or going to meetings.