Our regular weekly noon discussion meeting of “St X. Noon” occurred this year on Memorial Day. We had finished the usual readings of the Steps and so forth and then the search for a topic raised its head. Identification of a topic is usually not a problem. Recovering alcoholics, it seems, don’t have any hesitation speaking out in an AA Discussion Meeting but for some reason the request for a topic this time fell on deaf ears. I’ve always thought that “Gratitude” was the final safety net for identification of a topic for discussion. So, I suggested it and we were “good to go.”

I had a couple recent occurrences for which I was very grateful: my brother-in-law reporting that just before Memorial Day he had been declared clean, if that is the right term, from the usually deadly onslaught of brain cancer. It has been several years since he started treatment which proved successful.

Another thing for which I was grateful was remembering on Memorial Day those in the Program who were the “old-timers”, those who were there when we finally showed up, usually last resort for us. They were there to provide aid, comfort, to keep us on the straight and narrow path — in some ways these folks were as important to us as the troops who paid the full price of a defense of our country. The old-timers assisted the resurrection of our being from that death spiral we were or would have been riding had we not walked in those church basement doors.

Bill and Dr. Bob told us that the Program was merely one drunk talking to another. That’s what we did at meetings. And so we moved from a selfish attitude toward life in general to one of empathy, a realization that the universe didn’t need us that much, that we weren’t the most important people in the scheme of things. We learned to appreciate our differences and to build strength on those differences. We learned others had trod the same path as ourselves. We also learned to emphasize with and remember those who didn’t make it. We ourselves had probably failed before so it’s no great surprise that others have stumbled. We don’t defile them, we comforted them — perhaps with some tough love, but at least with empathy and a hearty reminder that all of us had already played games with the Program at various levels of intensity.

We have to remember that the Program tells us that the Steps describe us to take positive action on a variety of human levels — from our souls to our relations with others — and with ourselves.

So, next year, when Memorial Day rolls around, I’ll recall Bob, the Plasted Plasterer, Dr. Father Scanlon, Ladder Bob, and all the gang that was present when I finally decided to walk down those steps into the basement of the First National Bank for the regular Tuesday East One gathering of those seeking life’s comforts through the Program and sharing with newcomers what we had learned.

Jim A/ St. X Noon