Of Myth and Martyrs

There is a myth circulating among some AA long-timers. The short form goes like this: Years ago, back when I was a newcomer, AA was solidly unified behind the message carried in the Big Book. Old-timers welcomed me to meetings where the only thing spoken was the wisdom of the Big Book and the Twelve Steps. Nobody talked about their struggles with drugs, sex, money, religion, food, smoking, emotions. None of that muddied the pure waters of good old-time AA. And God forbid anybody might think they'd learned something about alcoholism anywhere else--like from a therapist or rehab or another outside source. Never happened back in those days. No sir, not when we had only real alcoholics at meetings.