Not too long ago, I felt like I was falling in love again. Knowing my history during my drinking years, this was easily identifiable as my finding the next guy in a long line of relationships that seemed to never work out and would appear to have been a mistake from the very beginning.
So this was a new feeling in my world. I was excited about what was going on in my group and it had nothing to do with a new man in my life. It had all to do with our Big Book.
My home group is Winter Park and the group decided to begin a study of the Big Book on Wednesday of each week. I was and am a regular attendee at the 5:30 meeting and was a long-time reader of the book “As Bill Sees It”. That was part of my morning time with my higher power.
I thought that was enough Big Book and 12 and 12 for me. That along with the writings in the Twenty Four Hour little black book and a daily reflection on a spiritual reading from my particular religious world.
I was doing fine approaching 35 years in recovery. Never did I think this Big Book study would have such an effect on my life. Someone in a meeting reported that you could listen to Joe and Charley on PodCast in their Big Book seminar study from years past.
When I finally learned what PodCast was all about, I listened and it reminded me so much of what I learned early on when I was getting sober.
Then I found in some of my ancient books a transcript of the Joe and Charley study and began reading it again. Before long, I had a Big Book that I use during the Wednesday meetings – a book that I could write and make notes in – laid out on my kitchen table as I read the Joe and Charley transcription while tracking the language in my written-up copy of the Big Book.
And then I discovered this huge book “The Book That Started It All” published by a company and not an approved publication. My table was spread with all sorts of documents that related to our beloved Big Book.
Week after Week, I attended the meeting and continued the study at home about the development and publishing of the Book. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. And the more amazed I became at how our Book came about.
Bill Wilson and the 100 members that read the rough copy of the Book had to have been led by some power greater than they were in the end result of this great document. I am no Big Book expert nor do I wish to be.
I am a grateful member of this fellowship who stands in awe of this book that has saved me and thousands of others from this deadly disease. For that, I am grateful.
~ Ann C., Winter Park