Things That Go Boing-g-g

IN Southern California where each meeting opens with the reading of Chapter Five and the Twelve Steps, there's an occasional slip of the tongue. Some have become classic gags, like "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and our lies had become unmanageable," and "sought through prayer and medication to improve our conscious contact. . . ." But a couple of them have been bright candles for me; their funny flickers slanting new light into corners that needed cleaning.