One Day at a Time

Helter Skelter

Link: http://www.dannyschwarzhoff.net/screens/faq.htm

_{When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I stop and I turn and then I go for a ride
'Til I get to the bottom and I see you again, yeh, yeh yeh
Lennon-Mccartney}


Have you ever heard of an escalator made of wood? There is one still in Macy's on 34th Street in New York that dates back to Lois Wilson's days when she worked there. I used to try to walk up the down side of it when I was a little kid. I would get up a few feet off the main floor and it seemed that I might successfully getting somewhere.

It felt good to make some initial progress but when I stopped the effort I descended and ended up back where I started – at the bottom.

Doing the same with a spiritual awakening brings a similar result.

The effort cannot cease or else we cease growing and end up at the bottom again. The problem is that once we get a few feet off the ground then the ego kicks in and starts telling us that we are surely spiritually advanced - perhaps even beyond our fellows once any spiritual progress has been made -- yet all we have done is barely scratched the surface.

This is what happens when sobriety becomes about “Not drinking” instead of awakening spiritually as is said in the Twelfth Step.

The maintenance portion of the Program does not call for 'getting' spiritual, 'being' spiritual, 'reading' spiritual or even 'feeling' spiritual.

It DOES call for GROWING spiritual.

That means spiritual progression - not spiritual perfection - but progress - doing things like working with other alcoholics to take them through the Twelve Steps to ensure continued growth. Many of us get the promises of sobriety - of establishing a relationship with God - a taste of spirituality and it is so darned good we stick with that. It is so much better than what we used to have, a spiritual void, that it is tempting to stay with it right in that place - where we hit it. But it is only the tip of the iceberg.

We simply do not remain recovered from alcoholism when we found recovery upon a spiritual awakening event in the past - whether that be twenty years ago or last Thursday. The AA Program is a design for current living - not a spiritual 'certification course' like CPR, a CDL to drive a truck or even a shingle to hang outside an office in the hallway of a rehab for "Addictions Counseling".

AA is a spiritual Kindergarten - not a spiritual paradise.

There is a lot of heaven to be found when we begin to live in the Fourth Dimension - but there is so much more that that crossing over the threshold. The co-authors of the Big Book, "Alcoholics Anonymous" knew a hell of a lot about alcoholism and how to recover from it but even they were aware that they knew only a little about the spiritual life - especially when compared to what is out there and yet to be reached by them at the phase of growth they were at when they scribed their book. Middle-of-the-road solutionists LOVE to toss out that line, "we know only a little" - out of context, in hopes of proving that what we do know is probably wrong - especially when they disagree with what is in the Big Book. Honestly - do they know how asinine that sounds?

We have to head toward paradise once we get our sea legs and it is a long and sometimes arduous but adventurous journey. If I awaken in the morning and don’t go anywhere or do anything then I may as well just climb back into bed and go back to sleep. I am not very useful to anyone. I am not being MAXIMUM. Not meditating is not being MAXIMUM and if I am not maximizing then I am NOT fitting myself to be of service to God as prescribed. I am doing my OWN program - not the Twelve Steps I can look at meditation as a good example.

I wish folks who do not meditate would NOT go around the AA fellowship telling everyone that they have done the steps and practice these principles in all their affairs. It’s a LIE! Ditto unfinished amends. Adding “To the best of my ability” as a qualifier, because they know in their heart-of-hearts that they are lying is the ultimate cop-out.

Why would I even think of this? Do I think that I am better than they are because I do meditate and I do in good conscience tell newcomers that I practice these principles in all of my affairs? Not at all. I wish they would not do it because it kills real alcoholic newcomers by presenting them with a false impression of AA's Program - The Twelve Steps Ask yourself this question: If Bill W's contention, that the Twelve Steps are simply a way to enter the "Spiritual Kindergarten" is correct then is kindergarten where we should be spending the rest of our lives? Or do we want to continue to grow toward something spiritually more? We do graduate. But to higher levels of spirituality not to a finish.

^{_{Look out! Helter Skelter ... she's coming down fast
yes she is
yes she is
coming down fast
Lennon-Mccartney}}

Peace,
Danny S

PS: I got blisters on my fingers!