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| 1. | Alcoholism Is a Disease (by E. S.) New York -- GOOD EVENING--I thought this evening we might talk a bit about a fact which at one time was a revelation to me, something so new that it had never previously occurred to me. This discovery was that alcoholism is a disease. | August 1958 | |
| 2. | Taking Inventory LAST week someone asked the question, "Why an inventory? Why is Step Four suggested?" That's a good question and I wish I had a fast answer for it. Certainly I couldn't even try in the short time of this meeting. I'd have to attempt a story centuries old--of philosophies and religions ancient, medieval and modern; of the present day views in psychoanalysis and psychiatry. That's a history of aid to mankind which is a bit beyond my scope. | September 1958 | |
| 3. | Using the Slogans I WAS wondering what you thought when you came to your first AA meeting and saw the slogans displayed, as we have them here and at other AA meeting places in the area. Our little signs are--Easy Does It, First Things First, Live and Let Live, and But For The Grace Of God. I know groups elsewhere have other thought provoking slogans and I'm sure they all are helpful. I don't recall my original impression, but I'm quite sure I could not figure what these sayings could possibly have to do with me or my newfound desire to stay sober. | November 1958 | |
| 4. | 90-day Trial MUCH of what you will hear in AA is quite different from what most of us expected. Some of the suggestions given are directly opposed to your habits of the past. Even our AA language is strange; it may often seem to be contradictory yet some of our phrases, while unique, have a meaning useful to us which perhaps only we as alcoholics can understand and appreciate. | January 1959 | |
| 5. | Day-tight Compartments IT'S good to see that all of you seem comfortable and feel at home in AA. It is not only that you know you are welcome and we need you, but I'm sure many of our faces are familiar. Maybe we haven't met before but you have begun to recognize us as the same kind of people you went into a bar to meet. Our stories and our histories will have a familiar ring and even our comments and suggestions are not entirely new. Some AA suggestions recall thoughts long forgotten; others may still be in mind but you may not have put them to work. | March 1959 | |
| 6. | For Beginners (by Anon.) Ohio -- You will see and hear a few things upon your entree into AA. Try to like some of them. No member of AA condemns you because of what your reputation might be. By the same token a right thinking member will not be very impressed with your reputation or standing in the past or the present. Remember they have sobriety and their interest in you is to help you get what they have. We will always respect the dignity of every man no matter how low he may have sunk. | May 1959 | |
| 7. | What Is an Open Mind? At our next beginners' meeting a few members who have been sober in AA for awhile are going to tell us which suggestions in the AA program have helped them maintain sobriety. It should make an interesting meeting and could be very helpful. | July 1959 | |
| 8. | Hints On Avoiding the First Drink AT a recent closed meeting I took some notes which might be worth sharing with you. The general theme of that meeting concerned a wide variety of helpful suggestions for maintaining sobriety, particularly on how to avoid that first drink when the thought of it comes to mind or when it is offered by friend or foe. | November 1959 | |
| 9. | Resolutions AT one time it was quite popular to talk about resolutions at New Year's time. Somehow that practice seems to have gone out of style and maybe it is just as well. In my case at least such resolutions were not very effective for any recognizable period of time. I recall too that always it was Resolutions in the plural, covering so many things and people and never any one big worthwhile important resolve that was truly vital or that could change the pattern of life I was determining entirely by myself. | January 1960 | |
| 10. | Sobriety 1-2-3 I Now believe that sobriety comes to us one-two-three. Perhaps not quite as fast as we can count it but very likely through the process described in Steps One, Two, and Three of our Suggested Twelve Steps. | April 1960 | |
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