One Day at a Time

Dr. Bob's House Cleaning

So here is Dr. Bob - drunken goat of a medicine man - colorectal surgeon actually - Yeah I've referred to him as an "ass doctor" too - but why not afford the man the respect he deserves for a change - a man with a terrible drinking problem and he is hanging out with this group of holy roller Jesus freaks who call themselves the Oxford Group. His poor wife Anne had dragged him there - hoping to find him help. Only it was not working.

We see this type of failure to solve the problem all the time today - when real alcoholics leave AA to "Go to church". They can go to church all they want but unless there is a personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism or a "spiritual awakening" as it is used in AA parlance - nothing happens except that we now have a drunken alcoholic churchman.

Maybe you know a few. Hell, maybe you know a few actual clergy who have not yet found the spiritual solution to their problems. I have met several. You would not want to live inside the head of an alcoholic cleric - trust me.

Bob does eventually 'get it' and recover from alcoholism but not doing only this. Something had to change and it was Bill W and what Bill brought with him to add to Bobs spiritual pursuits that kicked Bob over the fence to permanent sobriety

When we take a historical perspective of the events that came to pass back in the day - back in Akron - we tend to focus on Bill's actions with regard to Doctor Bob - what Bill did to carry the this message to him and that is well and good and of extreme import - but just for moment let’s see if we can also examine not Bills action but Bob's REaction to Bill's action. What were the results of Bills actions and how did it directly affect Dr. Bob?

If you will recall, Bob was going to give Bill only fifteen minutes of his precious time at Henrietta's place _{^{(See photo below)}} -- time he probably would have preferred to spend getting rid of his hangover gotten from his last drunken escapade when he somehow manages to sprawled himself under the Smith’s kitchen table - and after coming home from shopping for Mothers Day potted plant for Anne. Yeah right Bob. You’re e as potted as the plant pal.

Bob has planted himself into the midst of a serious group of spiritually minded folk who have a way of life that will later be the very base formation of the Twelve Steps - yet the solution still eludes him. What could be wrong? Why isn’t there a spiritual solution for ol’ Bob Smith?

_{Simple. He never cleaned house. He had not inventoried analyzed and come to grips with his resentments his fears and his harms to to others and he had not completed making his amends to all he those owed. He had not made it his life’s ambition to be of maximum service to God and his fellows.}