A.A. is Not a Cure-All

 I’m an HGTV aficionado. I love to watch homes go from sad to spectacular. So much gets done so quickly! Transformations in one hour! It looks so easy, so straightforward. Watch a few videos, and try it out - what could go wrong? 

If I had a show, it would have to have a name along the lines of “What the Hell Was I Thinking?”. I can have some good ideas, but I’d need proper help to do the job safely and legally. It takes a collaboration of experts - engineers, plumbers, carpenters, tradesmen, inspectors, and frankly I don’t know what else, to build it well. So can I do it on my own? Absolutely, emphatically, no!

Many people, including me, have said or thought from time to time that the 12 Step programs should be employed by everybody for everything. Such a brilliant solution for the problems of life! If only everyone could follow these guidelines, live by the principles embodied by them, enjoy freedom from obsessions and addictions!

Life isn’t that easily dealt with, however. Sometimes, like my erstwhile homebuilder self, the experts are needed to help with specific issues. I have my sponsor, my friends, those who share their experience, strength, and hope. I read and listen to those who know more in order to build and strengthen my foundation of recovery. Sometimes, though, I need more specific assistance from an expert in their field. This serves to help me apply the principles in ways I hadn’t considered or couldn’t imagine. 

It doesn’t work that way for everyone. Some homes are built with bricks and mortar, and some are built with tires (Earthships) or straw and mud (Cob houses), or are built into the side of a hill (Earth-Sheltered). Some are pre-fab, some are on wheels - there is a huge variety, each possessing positives and not-so-positives, depending on the situation and homeowner. I choose what works for me, you choose what works for you, and together we will celebrate a new freedom, whatever the form.

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