Elanso

Is where “it” all began…

Considering Bill Wilson was in an alcoholic stupor, I doubt he really perceived it this way until much later.

From page 196 of “The Language of the Heart” Bill tells us;

“In the late summer of 1934, my well-loved alcoholic friend and schoolmate, Ebbie, had fallen in with these good folks (the Oxford Group) and had promptly sobered up. Being an alcoholic, and rather on the obstinate side, he hadn’t been able to ‘buy’ all the Oxford group ideas and attitudes. Nevertheless, he was moved by their deep sincerity and felt mighty grateful for the fact that their ministrations had, for the time being, lifted his obsession to drink.”

First Things First. We all know that Ebbie’s obsession returned. That is a fact to be paid attention to. Secondly, Ebbie didn’t buy into all the group ideas. I think that is probably understandable. I’ve been around long enough to know that there are ideas that creep in (yep, the disease is alive) and influence some while others don’t buy in. For ex., last night I heard someone say that they heard in a meeting that no one has the “right” to pray for others. That is pure insanity and whoever (if it is factual) is spreading that crap, needs a reality check. I don’t have the right to pray for my family? I don’t think so and don’t ever attempt to force that on me.

So - Bill Wilson identifies unknowingly;

When he arrived in New York in the late fall of 1934, Ebbie thought at once of me. On a bleak November day he rang me up. Soon he was looking at me across our kitchen table at 182 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, New York. As I remember that conversation, he constantly used phrases like these:

“I found I couldn’t run my own life,”
“I had to get honest with myself and somebody else,”
“I had to make restitution for the damage I had done,”
“I had to pray to God for guidance and strength, even though I wasn’t sure there was any God,”
“And after I’d tried hard to do these things I found that my craving for alcohol left.”

Then over and over, Ebbie would say something like this: “Bill, it isn’t a bit like being on the water-wagon. You don’t fight the desire to drink - you get released from it. I never had such a feeling before.”

As Bill says later those words “hit me like tons of bricks.”

(You can see the original kitchen table here at the Stepping Stones web site. About halfway down the page.)

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