Sitting in the meeting on Tradition Nine, I reread some of the notes I made in other Tradition Nine meetings. I’ve gotten some good recovery advice while reading why AA, as such, ought never to be organized.
So, why shouldn’t AA as such ever be organized – with a bunch of rules and guidelines? One pithy comment I heard in a Tradition Nine meeting says:
We don’t give orders ‘cuz we can’t take orders!
I didn’t get sober because I was told to.
Maybe you didn’t either. We got sober because we wanted to.
I am just glad that seventy plus years ago, AA came to believe a top-down organization wouldn’t help drunks get sober or stay sober. It’s the old attraction principle, not promotion that seems best to appeal to the egomaniacs that alcoholics are. (The Twelve and Twelve, page 53)
That, and I wanted what other people had – peace.
So, it’s good for the reminder that the day-to-day suggestions for recovery filtered up through the chains of commands.
Of course other terse comments I’ve heard in meetings on Tradition Nine underscore why AA, prefers not to be “organized”:
We keep best what we give away –
Another one – reworded slightly — made me laugh; like:
Laughter is a great tonic – so, is good advice, like staying right-sized, on my side of the street. So glad AA, as such, follows it.
Love in Christ,
Sober and Grateful
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