AA HISTORICAL SITES / MEETINGS: February 2018

Wednesday 28 February 2018

FEB 28, 18 .. STEP TWO

Last month I shared about Step 1.

Now it is time for me to address Step 2.

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, Chapter 5, How It Works, page 59, states :

Step 2 .. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

As I have mentioned from time-to-time, my original sponsor, Bill B from Los Angeles, also addicted to drugs, had a sponsor. This would make Bill's sponsor my 'Grand Sponsor'.

Bill's sponsor was Clarence Henry Snyder from Cleveland, Ohio, who's story, the Home Brewmeister, was in the second and third additions of our AA Big Book.

Clarence got sober in March of 1938, upstairs in Doctor Bob's home, beside the bed, on his knees, asking God for help and praying.

I point this out for this simple reason : In March of 1938, the AA Big Book had not yet been written, let alone published and distributed to the early AA members.

So from Bill B and Clarence I received a somewhat different message about the steps and the recovery process.

I was taught to say Step 2 thusly : Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us from the insanity of the first drink.

To this day, to this moment, I prefer this version (being restored from the insanity of the first drink) of the second step than as published in the Big Book.

Last month, writing about Step 1, I talked about being in a High School Latin class and my not knowing that I could not read the words on the blackboard because of being near-sighted.

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2018/01/jan-30-18-january-step-one.html

Suddenly, realizing that I had a problem and could not read the writing on the blackboard, could I solve that issue myself? No I could not.

This is all that Step 2 is! Realizing (in Step 1) that I had a problem that I could NOT (Step 2) solve myself. I needed to see an optometrist and get fitted for eye glasses! In AA we need to find God and get some help with our alcoholism.

Simple huh? We are making far too much out of the steps.

I have a problem (Step 1) and I need help (Step 2) to solve my problem.