AA is for Life, not just for Xmas

AA is for Life, not just for Xmas

I took Step 5 with my sponsor on 23 December 2010. There was quite a lot to read out, so much in fact that we had to meet up again the following day – Christmas Eve – so I could finish it. Well, he did tell me to be fearless AND thorough!

After years of misery, that first sober Christmas and New Year were simply amazing. After so many failures and vain attempts to sort my life out, it was the first time ever that I felt and knew deep down inside that I had – finally, this time – made a brand new start. Now I associate this time of year with that sense of a new beginning.

I’ve already seen a lot of people come and go in AA. Some come back after a few weeks or months, and without exception their lives got worse in that time. Others do this program for a bit, and you see them begin to look happier, and then their head tricks them into thinking they’re alright now and that they no longer need to do the actions, the meetings, their service, the rest of the steps etc. Others just won’t take any actions at all to combat their problem.

For me, drinking was a terribly lonely business, but I’ve learned you never have to drink again if you adopt the AA way of life. Luckily I realised early on that AA is just that – a way of life. It’s definitely not a quick-fix – hell even I could see that 25 years of drinking wasn’t going to be fixed overnight – but the obsession to drink was removed pretty quickly when I started taking the actions. I believe people when they say that the best days-weeks-months-years lie ahead so long as I continue to practice the principles I have learned from my sponsor.

Back in the 80’s George Michael (and the other far-less-handsome one nobody remembers) used to prance about in T-shirts with ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ printed on them. That’s what I did the day I picked up the ‘phone to Alcoholics Anonymous. Then I chose a home group – this home group. Why? Because there were a lot of happy people who’d already been there, done it AND bought the T-shirt to a better life. I knew I could have one too if I just followed them!

Thing is, I know I wouldn’t last 5 minutes without this program, sponsorship and my home group. So yeah, AA is for life, not just for Xmas.