Things We Don't  Hear About


There's a AA book called Experience, Strength and Hope which is a compilation of the stories that were in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions, that no longer appear in the 4th edition.
While we chug along in the year 2006, fat, sober and happy, it may be well to recall how many of the "first 100 men and women" got drunk. The authors of the 1st four stories in the first edition of the Big Book all got drunk.

"The Unbeliever": Hank P. They say the Big Book would not have been written without Bill W., and it wouldn't have been published without Hank P. He was probably the man that Dr. Silkworth refers to in the "Doctor's Opinion" as having changed so much after a year of sobriety that he was unrecognizable. After 3 1/2 years, he got drunk and never got sober again; died in 1954.

"A Feminine Victory": Florence R. They might have called it "100 Men," except for Florence. She was the first woman to come into AA and put together continuous sobriety. She stayed sober one year, then married a drunk, got drunk, and committed suicide in 1941.

"A Business Man's Recovery": William R. He's got a terrific, inspirational story in the Big Book, with all kinds of colorful details like fleeing to South America to work in the oil fields so he could learn to drink responsibly like the oil well workers; he thought that would help him. He was the first alcoholic trustee on the board of the Alcoholic Foundation; unfortunately he got drunk as soon as he was elected.

"A Different Slant": Harry B. Harry is probably "Fred" from the chapter "More About Alcoholism," the competent accountant who thought he didn't need AA, he could stay sober on self-knowledge, but inexplicably kept winding up in the hospital. He says in his story that he wants to illustrate that even a successful businessman, like himself, can become an alcoholic. He was elected to the board of the Alcoholic Foundation to take over when William R. got drunk, and promptly got drunk himself.

Curiously enough, the author of the "The Backslider," the 5th story, is the first one who stayed sober. His name was Walter B., and he was the first one admitted by Dr. Bob and Sister Ignatia to the hospital after they formed their partnership to hospitalize drunks.

The author of the 6th story, "The Seven Month Slip," actually slipped for about 30 years. His name was Ernie G., and he has the distinction of marrying Dr. Bob's daughter, Sue, while drunk, in 1941. Dr. Bob was against the marriage; in fact he found out they had gotten married by reading the newspaper. Both Dr. Bob's children married drunks. Ernie stayed sober about a year, got drunk, and stayed drunk off and on until he died in 1971.

There's a strain of propaganda these days that says that AA was much more successful in the early days, but that doesn't seem to be borne out by the Big Book stories. Perhaps it is appropriate that on AA's anniversary, we take a moment to remember how many of the early members who created this fellowship that has saved so many lives didn't make it themselves.

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