ContentsAugust Articles Online
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Vol. 65 No. 16
Editor's NoteDear Readers, In the early days of my recovery, I thought that if I said the Third Step Prayer earnestly and often enough, the bonds of self would snap and the self-absorption that threatened to kill me would vanish. It has taken me years to understand that my ego is as obdurate as the ego pictured on this cover and that I cannot remove a chip of it myself. Like Norm, the author of "My Iced Tea Fit" in this month's special section, I've come to see that "Two steps forward and one back seems to be my operating method" as well. Recalling how quickly his indignation flares when his wife doesn't put enough ice in his drink, he admits that, "I'm still quite demanding, and often childish and ego-driven." He and the authors of other stories in this issue also demonstrate what an effective solution they have found in AA. Describing the surprising pay-off of visiting a homebound AA friend even when he has better things to do, the author of "An Inconvenient Meeting" reports: "My life is no more manageable by me today than it was when I first got sober in AA. Yet if I can remember to ask for God's grace to help me get out of my own way ... I'll have a shot at experiencing the joy of good living that our literature talks about." Looking at what she gained from a meeting she didn't want to go to, the author of "Laundry vs. Meeting" says, "I have learned more about living life in AA meetings than I have ever learned anywhere else. ... I have learned that you can't enjoy the blessings in life if you aren't grateful for what you already have." Stories like these give me the heart to keep chipping away at my stony ego, and the faith that a power far greater than I will help. — In fellowship, |
