I wrote this song three years-ago.
You’ve probably not heard it yet!
It was inspired by my being disheartened about AA, after a dear friend of mine struggled, but no-one could seem to help her.
I have been sober for 26-years, and while I advocate AA, I no longer attend. I said goodbye, and never went back. In my book, “A Candle Lit,” you can read more about my opinions of AA, a program that’s dramatically successful at saving alcoholics, but only because there are no better statistics. Honestly, the rate of success is poor, and I re-think the whole thing.
I love my alcoholics, and I love AA. But it’s a program that hasn’t undergone a single substantial change in fifty-years.
Read my book! There is MUCH to be learned today and in the future about alcoholism. We CAN save souls better. We haven’t tried because people are scared to bring up the subject. Once you’re in AA, and you’re quiet and not starting fires around the neighborhood any longer … no-one wants to bring it back up.
If it works, even a little, it’s better than anything else out there, but there are many people “out there” starving for sobriety, balance and health, who reject AA before entering. I believe AA’s “reputation” is its biggest problem.
The meek, curious suffering I call “leavers-before-they-enter.”
They can die.
“The rooms” of AA are a safe place, but not a dynamic one. Those AA’s who have ten- or twenty-years of sobriety sit and listen to another, then another horror story, which they can’t perfectly identify with, but try to.
People change over time, but the loudest voices in AA are the ones suffering, not those who’ve found balance and peace and, while still eager to share, mostly come out of pure devotion.
The point being, we CAN get better. Those who do for many years are different people. There’s no meeting for them. The principles that help the newcomer are ingrained into the “old-timer’s” head. There’s a “format.” There’s also not a lot of “talk out loud,” the backbone of AA, that reinforces “you CAN get better.”
Potential new members are always on the fence. AA intends, and by official slogan, to grow by “attraction not promotion.” But the organization, with the best of intentions, fails miserably.
When a new kid shows up, he takes one look and heads for the hills. Even though it’s encouraged, there’s not enough real, stubbornly-real, say-it-out-loud brag about it real, sobriety. The ONLY message the “hasn’t joined yet” individual WANTS to hear is “you CAN get sober here.” What they hear is “You will never drink again, and the world will be a better place for it. You will never feel comfortable, like all these people, around alcohol, and you’ll probably, although we don’t really know, hand this dreaded disease down to your children.”
One day at a time is wonderful once you’ve joined, and Hallelujah if you have, but I have always been concerned about those who secretly assess and then either never go back and never tell anyone they know anything about AA, or lie to get people off their backs, but don’t want to go. Why not? There’s a reason.
I’m not kidding about reading the book, but I know most of you won’t. I’m prepared for such a reality. The number one reason I write songs is to try and fool you into listening to me!
The chord changes in this are really pretty. I like it, and will keep it for the band … in the future …
It was great to find this and revisit it today!
Please comment!