06.01.05

Today I woke up grateful. I am grateful for the mind given me, for my own version of intelligence. I am grateful, too, that you have your mind with its inherent qualities.

Yesterday at the noon meeting someone shared that they tried to watch an episode of Penn & Teller's "Bullshit" debunking 12 Step programs, and that they had to turn it off. I knew Ran would have TiVOed it and I was anxious to see it. Personally I find Penn & Teller obnoxious, but I wasn't going to let this affect me watching this episode. They presented, in my opinion, a very lame presentation that Alcoholics Anonymous and all other 12 Step programs are a religion, a cult. They proposed that there is no hard evidence that alcoholism is a disease and that by simply changing your behavior one can get and stay sober. Well, gee, if that's all it took then there would be millions of recovered persons in this world.

They presented a quasi-debate and several 'experts' (all of whom seemed to have some personal vendetta against AA). There are many people that have come into the rooms of AA not wanting the program to work for them. For whatever reasons these people do not want it to work is irrelevant, if they don't want something to work for them then they will probably find a way to make it not work. Then they have the excuse as to why the program failed them, they are no longer responsible. AA is about accepting responsibility for your own actions.

There were many other points presented, too many to comment on without you, gentle reader, getting bored. But here is the interesting thing. As we watched, Jim said to me to feel free to make comments and it seemed the program was making him more uncomfortable than it was making me. Really, it made me laugh. Not an uproarious laugh, but the chuckle at someone basing an argument on a weak foundation. Remember, I was only seeing the picture from my unique perspective and based on my experiences. Jim was really surprised that I did not get upset at a presentation that tried to shoot down something in which I place my total trust and growth.

So today it's all about being grateful for the mind I was given and the improvements in my belfry as the result of working the steps, attending meetings, prayer and meditation.

As a side note: Last week someone led a meeting where he announced his opinions regarding not wanting to hear the shares of straight people at Lambda, that since he was gay he wanted to hear gay people's shares. I go to Lambda because it is a gay recovery center. But I am genuinely interested in hearing the shares of all alcoholics, no matter their persuasion relating to sexuality, religion or politics. Some people were offended by this chairperson's presentation, and there will be many times where not everyone will be happy with a meeting. But to discount anyone's life because it doesn't fit into your little box is a sad thing. AA is a program of attraction.