Drinking is hard work, especially at our level. Alcoholics of our type understand how much work and discipline is required to drink as much as we did, for as long as we did.
For us, drinking is a serious business; it involves thought and planning. Thought to anticipate alcohol inventory shortages and planning to make sure we never ran out once we had started.
Working with a fellow recently, we talked about managing alcoholic drinking; he shared that he kept booze in his golf bag. He had a special water bottle in which he kept his drink of choice.
All in all, it was a good story that confirmed that he was “one of us.” He took his drinking seriously.
Later in the conversation, he asked, “how many meetings should I go to?”
“Well,” I replied, “my sponsor taught me to spend as much time on my program as I did on my drinking; for me, I drank three or four days a week; three or four meetings a week worked pretty well.”
“But, meetings aside,” I continued, “we can apply this principle in all our affairs; I learned to take all aspects of my program as seriously as I took my drinking.”
He was puzzled, “What do you mean? Other than the number of meetings per week, how do you take the program as seriously as drinking?”
Reaching for an immediate example, I said, “well, let’s look at your drinking habits. Do you have a Big Book in your golf bag?”
“Jesus, no,” he exclaimed. “The guys would think that was weird.”
“Well,” I concluded, “that would be one demonstration of taking your sobriety as seriously as your drinking, and it might be a good idea to have a Big Book handy as you approach the 19th hole.”
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From Frank Amos and his report to John Rockefeller in 1938
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