Defects

I’m letting you in on a little secret. It shouldn’t be a secret - but it is. To let this out of the bag means that we would have expose ourselves and whether or not we are dead weights in this Fellowship or not.

How would you like to have those haunting character defects removed? You know you would! Well, I have an answer to that. Go work with another alcoholic - not just ANY work - but THE work.

I am not taking about buying a newcomer a chicken sandwich and a cup of coffee - or driving him to a meeting - or picking him up from the courthouse. That's not what the co-founder tell us to do - you lazy AA dead-weight! I mean perform your work well - the REAL work - the work described in the Chapter “Working With Others” - and do what we are supposed to be trained and have experienced ourselves in order to do - as passed on to us.

Take him through the Twelve Steps!

Look, I have my share of defects - that much I guarantee - but I know serenity. I know courage. I know what it is to have that elusive happiness, joyousness and freedom. But I have never had to tell a protogee, "Excuse me for a moment - we will get back to this step after I call my sponsor before I drink." It just never happens.

Do you know why? Because character defects have NEVER cropped up when I was taking another man through the steps. NEVER EVER! The more I am working with others in this way - the further I get away from these. It is the ONLY way I know of to be free. And it also happens to be the only real purpose of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

I know - you thought it was to stop drinking. Well, "Sooprize Sooprize Sooprize Sargent Carter!"

Being a good Samaritan never has never removed my defects - only to the extent that I can be useful - never to the extent that I can claim any virtue for myself - have they ever gone away.

We even have the seventh Step Prayer that qualifies WHICH defects of character I can expect to be removed: "defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows." Get it?

The rest I can sit an suffer with - until the next sick, puking alcoholic is in front of me and we go to work. You I and both know people who can't understand why it is that they STILL have all these character defects haunting them around the clock.

The answer to them is simple: They haven't got a sick and suffering alcoholic to take through the twelve steps. Some folks NEVER do that!

They want to "do service" - they want to "not hurt anybody" - they want to "be a powerful example" - they want to “just show up” and fantasize that THAT’S how they help others - and whatever else they can do EXCEPT take another alkie through the steps. They are missing a great deal.

They still suffer with their defects too. No one told them.

Our character defects aren’t removed so we can feel good - so we can get spiritual - so we can “not drink”. PUHLEEZE! Our defects are removed to the extent that we use our new selves and free states of being for the benefit of God’s work and helping others. Get anything else out of your self-centered greedy little mind.

It’s very simple - the more we work with others - the less our character defects “Crop up” If I want less “Cropping” - then I do more working.

Are you already doing this? Beautiful! You know what it’s like to have your character defects removed - how to remain humble enough to live with the ones that crop up and you are NOT a dead weight in a Fellowship of dead-weights.

You are my AA Hero and I thank you for being on the Broad Highway with us.

Peace,

Danny S