From time to time I hear people in AA talk about things from AA past. For example, I heard a fellow say recently that Bill Wilson took many years to work the 12 steps. Where he got this crazy idea is beyond me but it gave him something to talk about.
In the early days of AA before the 12 steps were formalized they went through what we could call a quick but thorough housecleaning, a personal inventory after they admitted that they were licked and needed God's help to stay sober. Then they made a list of those they had harmed and started making amends. Then they tried to live lives of service to others and helping other alcoholics.
Nowadays most sponsors will tell their sponsees to take their time on the steps. "There is no hurry" they say " take time to let your head clear." Since when does it take months or years for someone's head to clear from drinking? This whole delay process is very dangerous. I do not recommend it.
In the early AA days they had a 75% success rate; today we are lucky if 8% stay sober, and most of those stay scared to death of drinking again. They do not recover, they just hang on by a thread and hope for the best. If we want to get back to the success rate of the old days then we need to do what they did, they took the steps and then lived by the principles in the steps. AA is supposed to be a way of life - not a meeting to go to. I wish more people could get that.
