For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. Tradition 2.
This post is not going to be about all the people I’ve known over the years who have assumed the iron fist of control over meetings, and managed to alienate countless meetingoers(and me)me in the process. Nor am I going to pompously preach AA dogma or regurgitate all of the dry data compiled about it.
There have been volumes and volumes of stuff written on the Second Tradition, and I’m certainly not going to tread down that well-worn path.
That’s already been done by a lot of people way smarter than I.
However, I will relate my personal experience…that’s about all I’m good for. It is my belief that the steps keep us from killing ourselves, while the traditions keep us from killing each other.
The only reason I’m alive today is because of the good people who came before me. Conscientious and encouraging, they made sure there was a meeting when I showed up.
I freely admit to doing a lot of stuff wrong in recovery. However, I’ve managed to a few things right, and that has made all the difference.
You can have a few bad shots, but score a couple birdies and still make par.
It’s also my belief that God doesn’t expect me to be perfect.This is a huge relief, because I’ve already spent too much time time as a scholastic disappointment to my parents.
Nevertheless, he does expect me to show up, serve others, and give my best effort. To that end: I believe running an AA meeting is a sacred duty.
If I don’t like the way someone else is doing it, I need to remind myself that I’m not the AA Police. It’s not my job to place the offender in a Hulk Hogan Choke Hold (with a couple firmly applied noogies for good measure).
That’s way beyond my pay grade. I’m a servant, not an AA Sandinista.
It’s funny how I embrace the belief that God doesn’t expect perfection from me, while I arrogantly expect it from others (actually, it’s not funny per se. It’s unfair and kind of diseased).
I don’t know about you, but I’m always at my best when I keep my mouth shut.
Unfortunately, I lack the self-control to do just that.It’s my big mouth, and tendency to speak before thinking that consistently gets me into trouble. If a meeting(or whomever is firmly entrenched as its “leader”) is messing with my serenity and living rent-free in my head, it’s time to move on…and give some other meeting a chance to piss me off.
HERE’S THE TAKEAWAY:
The Second Tradition is all about staying Right Sized.
After listening to me rail on about the perceived offense du jour, I had a friend who was fond of saying, “Relax, Jimmy. You’re not that important.”
I never had a snappy rejoinder to that, but I’d indignantly think, “Of course I am!”
Years later, I can see he was right: Everything isn’t always about me.
The world doesn’t hinge on my precious and omniscient opinions.
I’m just a link in the chain.
– We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea. ~ WH Auden