Mail Call for A.A.s at Home and Abroad

WE were slightly surprised recently when two rather new A.A.s wanted to know what the speakers meant at a recent group meeting in referring to "hitting bottom." I am writing the majority opinion of my unit. The A.A. speaking of hitting bottom generally means his or her life became so unmanageable from use of alcohol that life according to (at least) their standards was unlivable. No A.A. now living the Program has really hit bottom. Bottom is death or incurable insanity. In most large A.A. groups are men at one time denizens of Skid Row. Others have required confinement in mental institutions. Few of the older members in A.A. can boast of no jail sentences. A rather dark picture, one no doubt the sufferers deemed at the time absolute bottom. One thing all had in common--the humility to admit powerlessness over alcohol and a desire to have God as we understand him remove our shortcomings.