A.A. History: Bill W. and LSD
By Dan M. To those who don’t know the history, it may be a surprise that Bill W. experimented with LSD in the 50s. It is worth recounting how that came about and what the repercussions were. Since the mid-forties Bill had been friends with Gerald Heard, the Anglo-Irish philosopher. They had a long correspondence […]
Heard in a Meeting: I was at the bar 365 days a year. Except for…
I was at the bar 365 days a year. Except for Leap Year. Sign in fellowship: We’ll laugh at you until you can laugh at yourself. Alcoholics don’t get better so they can carry the message, they carry the message so they can get better. I quit my job in a blackout and couldn’t figure […]
Sponsorship Cafe: When Do You Let Go?
by Bill M. As sponsors, we all want to work with sponsees who are willing and committed, however, that’s often not the case. We alcoholics are rebellious, ego-driven and fearful people who may or may not have received the “gift of desperation” that opens the door to willingness. As a chronic early relapser, my heart […]
East Bay Trudgers Hiking Group 2024 Schedule!
First Saturday of every month, 9AM, dog friendly, see flyer for all details!
June 10 – AA’s 89th Anniversary
On June 10, 1935, the dried-out but still jittery doctor was due in surgery. That morning, Bill W. gave Dr. Bob a bottle of beer—to steady his scalpel hand. The operation was a success. The beer was Dr. Bob’s last. And the two men pledged that day to work to bring Bill W.’s principles to […]
A.A. History: Dr. Silkworth
by Dan M. Dr. Silkworth was the writer of the letters included in the chapter, “The Doctor’s Opinion,” in the front of the Big Book. He was instrumental in viewing alcoholism as an illness, rather than a moral failing, and became one of AA’s greatest supporters. Silkworth treated Bill W. for alcoholism at Towns Hospital, […]
Heard in a Meeting: People usually get to AA for one of the 4 “L”s: Law, Livelihood…
People usually get to AA for one of the 4 “L”s: Law, Livelihood, Love, Liver. The longer I’ve been sober, the better my childhood has become. If I don’t like a meeting, I don’t have to quit AA. I didn’t stop drinking just because I didn’t like a bar. My standard was: As long as […]
Sponsorship in Two Dimensions
by Bill M. It had never really pierced my consciousness that legions of suffering alcoholics had found safety and comfort and sobriety in the virtual rooms of AA. … Exploring the whole AA-through-Zoom concept led me to a person who told me he had never met his sponsor face-to-face. Say what? I had just gotten […]
A.A. History: Sister Ignatia
by Dan M. This is the first of what we intend to be a regular column on A.A. history. We hope it will appeal to both those who have read deeply in A.A. history and those who are new to it. “She also insisted that there be a coffee bar, not something typical in a […]
Heard in a Meeting: People usually get to AA for one of the 4 “L”s: Law, Livelihood…
People usually get to AA for one of the 4 “L”s: Law, Livelihood, Love, Liver. The longer I’ve been sober, the better my childhood has become. If I don’t like a meeting, I don’t have to quit AA. I didn’t stop drinking just because I didn’t like a bar. My standard was: As long as […]
