5th Step

SOME AA members, in particular those of us with only a few months of sobriety, who may be seriously investigating the Twelve Steps for the first time, are especially reluctant or fearful to take the Fifth Step--to admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. I sympathize fully. But the year 1968, my first full calendar year of sober living in AA, can well be characterized as "My Year of Taking Step Five"; and I would like to pass along the fears and reservations, then actions and experiences, and subsequently freedom, self-knowledge, and joy that have accompanied my own efforts. As we continually try to practice in the program, I am not telling anyone else what to do; I am describing what I did.