Just came across this. My first Substack comment. Moving to read. We usually don't hear about AA from the 'sober' perspective. As somebody who's very much on the other side of it that's appreciated. There's a lot to be said for the moral sensibility of AA, the sense of personal discipline. It has nothing to do with booze really and has nothing to do with religion in the usual sense. There's a lot in there that people not in the alcohol 'matrix' can take to heart.
Thank you Ron! Really appreciate the comment. Yeah, I feel a little apprehensive writing about AA without having gone through the program - but I've felt that there's a significant, stark divide between how outsiders perceive AA and how those in the program experience it (and part of the reason for the divide is that AA members are, for very understandable reasons, reluctant to discuss too openly what the program means to them). So I was hoping, in a small way, to help rectify that - since I've truly been enthralled by the AA vision and mission even though I've felt that I didn't exactly 'qualify' for the program.
Just came across this. My first Substack comment. Moving to read. We usually don't hear about AA from the 'sober' perspective. As somebody who's very much on the other side of it that's appreciated. There's a lot to be said for the moral sensibility of AA, the sense of personal discipline. It has nothing to do with booze really and has nothing to do with religion in the usual sense. There's a lot in there that people not in the alcohol 'matrix' can take to heart.
Thank you Ron! Really appreciate the comment. Yeah, I feel a little apprehensive writing about AA without having gone through the program - but I've felt that there's a significant, stark divide between how outsiders perceive AA and how those in the program experience it (and part of the reason for the divide is that AA members are, for very understandable reasons, reluctant to discuss too openly what the program means to them). So I was hoping, in a small way, to help rectify that - since I've truly been enthralled by the AA vision and mission even though I've felt that I didn't exactly 'qualify' for the program.
Well done! “Having no opinion on outside issues” is a key tenet in my sober writing life.
Thank you Amie! Lovely to connect.