Though these principles were advocated according to the whim or liking of each of us, and though in Akron and Cleveland they still stuck by the O.G. absolutes of honesty, purity, unselfishness and love, this was the gist of our message to incoming alcoholics up to 1939, when our present Twelve Steps were put to paper.
I well remember the evening on which the Twelve Steps was written. I was lying in bed quite dejected and suffering from one of my imaginary ulcer attacks. Four chapters of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, had been roughed out and read in meetings at Akron and New York. We quickly found that everybody wanted to be an author. The hassles as to what should go into our new book were terrific. For example, some wanted a purely psychological book which would draw in alcoholics without scaring them. We could tell them about the "God business" afterwards. A few, led by our wonderful southern friend, Fitz M., wanted a fairly religious book infused with some of the dogma we had picked up from the churches and missions which had tried to help us. The louder the arguments, the more I felt in the middle. It appeared that I wasn't going to be the author at all. I was only going to be an umpire who would decide the contents of the book. This didn't mean, though, that there wasn't terrific enthusiasm for the undertaking. Every one of us was wildly excited at the possibility of getting our message before all those countless alcoholics who still didn't know.
Having arrived at Chapter Five, it seemed high time to state what our program really was. I remember running over in my mind the word-of-mouth phrases then in current use. Jotting these down, they added up to the six named above. Then came the idea that our program ought to be more accurately and clearly stated. Distant readers would have to have precise set of principles. Knowing the alcoholic's ability to rationalize, something airtight would have to be written. We couldn't let the reader wiggle out anywhere. Besides, a more complete statement would help in the chapters to come where we would need to show exactly how the recovery program ought to be worked.
12 Steps in 30 Minutes
At length I began to write on a cheap yellow tablet. I split the word-of-mouth program up into smaller pieces, meanwhile enlarging its scope considerably. Uninspired as I felt, I was surprised that in a short time, perhaps half an hour, I had set down certain principles which, on being counted, turned out to be twelve in number. And for some unaccountable reason, I had moved the idea of God into the Second Step, right up front. Besides, I had named God very liberally throughout the other steps. In one of the steps I had even suggested that the newcomer get down on his knees.
When this document was shown to our New York meeting the protests were many and loud. Our agnostic friends didn't go at all for the idea of kneeling. Others said we were talking altogether too much about God. And anyhow, why should there be twelve steps when we had done fine on six? Let's keep it simple, they said.
This sort of heated discussion went on for days and nights. But out of it all there came a ten-strike for Alcoholics Anonymous. Our agnostic contingent, speared by Hank P. and Jim B., finally convinced us that we must make it easier for people like themselves by using such terms as "a Higher Power" or "God as we understand Him!" Those expressions, as we so well know today, have proved lifesavers for many an alcoholic. They have enabled thousands of us to make a beginning where none could have been made had we left the steps just as I originally wrote them. Happily for us there were no other changes in the original draft and the number of steps stood at twelve. Little did we then guess that our Twelve Steps would soon be widely approved by clergymen of all denominations and even by our latter-day friends, the psychiatrists.
This little fragment of history ought to convince the most skeptical that nobody invented Alcoholics Anonymous.
Though these principles were advocated according to the whim or liking of each
of us, and though in Akron and Cleveland they still stuck by the O.G.
absolutes of honesty, purity, unselfishness and love, this was the gist of our
message to incoming alcoholics up to 1939, when our present Twelve Steps were put to paper.
I well remember the evening on which the Twelve Steps was written. I was lying
in bed quite dejected and suffering from one of my imaginary ulcer attacks.
Four chapters of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, had been roughed out and
read in meetings at Akron and New York. We quickly found that everybody wanted to be an author. The hassles as to what should go into our new book were terrific. For example, some wanted a purely psychological book which would draw in alcoholics without scaring them. We could tell them about the "God business" afterwards. A few, led by our wonderful southern friend, Fitz M.,
wanted a fairly religious book infused with some of the dogma we had picked up
from the churches and missions which had tried to help us. The louder the
arguments, the more I felt in the middle. It appeared that I wasn't going to
be the author at all. I was only going to be an umpire who would decide the
contents of the book. This didn't mean, though, that there wasn't terrific
enthusiasm for the undertaking. Every one of us was wildly excited at the
possibility of getting our message before all those countless alcoholics who
still didn't know.
Having arrived at Chapter Five, it seemed high time to state what our program
really was. I remember running over in my mind the word-of-mouth phrases then
in current use. Jotting these down, they added up to the six named above. Then
came the idea that our program ought to be more accurately and clearly stated.
Distant readers would have to have precise set of principles. Knowing the
alcoholic's ability to rationalize, something airtight would have to be
written. We couldn't let the reader wiggle out anywhere. Besides, a more
complete statement would help in the chapters to come where we would need to
show exactly how the recovery program ought to be worked.
12 Steps in 30 Minutes
At length I began to write on a cheap yellow tablet. I split the word-of-mouth
program up into smaller pieces, meanwhile enlarging its scope considerably.
Uninspired as I felt, I was surprised that in a short time, perhaps half an
hour, I had set down certain principles which, on being counted, turned out to
be twelve in number. And for some unaccountable reason, I had moved the idea
of God into the Second Step, right up front. Besides, I had named God very
liberally throughout the other steps. In one of the steps I had even suggested
that the newcomer get down on his knees.
When this document was shown to our New York meeting the protests were many and loud. Our agnostic friends didn't go at all for the idea of kneeling.
Others said we were talking altogether too much about God. And anyhow, why
should there be twelve steps when we had done fine on six? Let's keep it
simple, they said.
This sort of heated discussion went on for days and nights. But out of it all
there came a ten-strike for Alcoholics Anonymous. Our agnostic contingent,
speared by Hank P. and Jim B., finally convinced us that we must make it
easier for people like themselves by using such terms as "a Higher Power" or
"God as we understand Him!" Those expressions, as we so well know today,
have proved lifesavers for many an alcoholic. They have enabled thousands of us
to make a beginning where none could have been made had we left the steps just
as I originally wrote them. Happily for us there were no other changes in the
original draft and the number of steps stood at twelve. Little did we then
guess that our Twelve Steps would soon be widely approved by clergymen of
all denominations and even by our latter-day friends, the psychiatrists.
This little fragment of history ought to convince the most skeptical that
nobody invented Alcoholics Anonymous.
It just grew...by the grace of God.
© Copyright, AA Grapevine, July 1953