The Little Big Book - AA - GSO Watch

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6 Chapter 1 1 BILL’S STORY W AR FEVER ran high in the New England town to which we new, young officers from Plattsburg were assigned, and we were flattered when the first citizens took us to their homes, making us feel heroic. Here was love, applause, war; moments sublime with intervals hilarious. I was part of life at last, and in the midst of the excitement I discovered liquor. I forgot the strong warnings and the prejudices of my people concerning drink. In time we sailed for ”Over There.“ I was very lonely and again turned to alcohol. We landed in England. I visited Winchester Cathedral. Much moved, I wandered outside. My attention was caught by a doggerel on an old tombstone: ”Here lies a Hampshire Grenadier Who caught his death Drinking cold small beer. A good soldier is ne’er forgot Whether he dieth by musket Or by pot.“ Ominous warning—which I failed to heed. Twenty-two, and a veteran of foreign wars, I went home at last. I fancied myself a leader, for had not the men of my battery given me a special token of appreciation? My talent for leadership, I imagined, would place me at the head of vast enterprises which I would manage with the utmost assurance. 2 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS I took a night law course, and obtained employment as investigator for a surety company. The drive for success was on. I’d prove to the world I was important. My work took me about Wall Street and little by little I became interested in the market. Many people
lost money—but some became very rich. Why not I? I studied economics and business as well as law. Potential alcoholic that I was, I nearly failed my law course. At one of the finals I was too drunk to think or write. Though my drinking was not yet continuous, it disturbed my wife. We had long talks when I would still her forebodings by telling her that men of genius conceived their best projects when drunk; that the most majestic constructions of philosophic thought were so derived. By the time I had completed the course, I knew the law was not for me. The inviting maelstrom of Wall Street had me in its grip. Business and financial leaders were my heroes. Out of this alloy of drink and speculation, I commenced to forge the weapon that one day would turn in its flight like a boomerang and all but cut me to ribbons. Living modestly, my wife and I saved $1,000. It went into certain securities, then cheap and rather unpopular. I rightly imagined that they would some day have a great rise. I failed to persuade my broker friends to send me out looking over factories and managements, but my wife and I decided to go anyway. I had developed a theory that most people lost money in stocks through ignorance of markets. I discovered many more reasons later on. We gave up our positions and off we roared on a motorcycle, the sidecar stuffed with tent, blankets, a change of clothes, and three huge volumes of a finan- BILL’S STORY 3 cial reference service. Our friends thought a lunacy commission should be appointed. Perhaps they were right. I had had some success at speculation, so we had a little money, but we once worked on a farm for a month to avoid drawing on our small capital. That was the last honest manual labor on my part for many 7
Page 1 and 2: THE DOCTOR’S OPINION We of Alcoho
Page 3 and 4: of alcohol on these chronic alcohol
Page 5: This immediately precipitates us in
Page 9 and 10: New York stock exchange. After one
Page 11 and 12: there was a terrible sense of impen
Page 13 and 14: Trembling, I stepped from the hospi
Page 15 and 16: I had always believed in a Power gr
Page 17 and 18: It was only a matter of being willi
Page 19 and 20: have such experiences. He knows tha
Page 21 and 22: just as hopeless as Bill. Nearly al
Page 23 and 24: the problem would hardly be scratch
Page 25 and 26: Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He is seldom m
Page 27 and 28: Once in a while he may tell the tru
Page 29 and 30: The central fact of our lives today
Page 31 and 32: you. With many individuals the meth
Page 33 and 34: that somehow, someday he will contr
Page 35 and 36: these bouts and quieted himself wit
Page 37 and 38: question is how to stop altogether.
Page 39 and 40: eing any too smart, but felt reassu
Page 41 and 42: Some of you are thinking: ”Yes, w
Page 43 and 44: „In this frame of mind, I went ab
Page 45 and 46: ”Quite as important was the disco
Page 47 and 48: needed power wasn’t there. Our hu
Page 49 and 50: first conscious relation with God a
Page 51 and 52: in windy arguments, thinking we bel
Page 53 and 54: Students of ancient history tell us
Page 55 and 56: When we became alcoholics, crushed
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We finally saw that faith in some k
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Chapter 5 58 HOW IT WORKS R ARELY H
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The point is, that we are willing t
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have made decisions based on self w
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goods, to get rid of them promptly
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finitely grave. We found that it is
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our Creator. We can laugh at those
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selves. It quiets the imperious urg
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one might have observed him. As fas
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quiet for an hour, carefully review
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than to a friend, but we find it mu
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ing for either family. We suggested
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justifiable exceptions, and though
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way through. We are going to know a
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shouldn’t be shy on this matter o
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88 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS running the
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If he does not want to see you, nev
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alcoholism because you offer a solu
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taken action. On your first visit t
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WORKING WITH OTHERS 97 You may be a
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most incompatible people discover t
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Our experience shows that this is n
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urners. A spirit of intolerance mig
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We seldom had friends at our homes,
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were so inaccessible that it seemed
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alcoholic. Perhaps he can still ten
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yourself in his place. Let him see
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114 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS There are
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Ask him what you should do if he pl
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of either to smile and say, ”This
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fied he really wants to get over dr
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family of an alcoholic longs for th
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We families of Alcoholics Anonymous
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will disappear when there is tolera
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include his family obligations may
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The family may feel they hold a mor
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we have seen remarkable transformat
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fences. Though he is now a most eff
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employer has sometimes kept such a
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he not work hard and have a knack o
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lecture, moralize, or condemn; that
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all, are you not looking for result
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ment to a life which knows no alcoh
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It boils right down to this: No man
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drinking. The old pleasures were go
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Our hope is that when this chip of
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how he lived in constant worry abou
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once, but I’m a nobody now. From
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ceeded with seven more. Seeing much
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Under only slightly different condi
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to face life again, there will be n
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Salisbury (410) 543-2266 Massa-chus
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FOREWORD We, of Alcoholics Anonymou
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The Little Big Book - AA - GSO Watch

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