MY
THOUGHTS ON TRADITION TWELVE
Tradition
Twelve
"Anonymity
is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding
us to place principles before personalities."
Traditionally
AA members have taken care to preserve their anonymity at the
public level press radio television and films in the early days
more stigmas was attached to the term alcoholic than this
reluctance to be identified and publicized was easy to understand
As the
Fellowship grew the positive values of anonymity soon became
apparent we know from experience that many problem drinkers might
hesitate to turn to us for help if they thought their problem
might be discussed publicly
Newcomers
should be able to seek help with complete assurance that their
identities will not be disclosed to anyone outside the Fellowship
another reason for anonymity even if your willing to break your
own we all must have respect for the anonymity of others
The concept
of personal anonymity has a spiritual significance for me today
it deflates my ego for finance romance or self importance that
have caused many difficulties in my past where I had to be the
most important person in the room
While each
member of is free to make his or her own interpretations of A.A.
tradition, no individual is ever recognized as a spokesperson for
the Fellowship locally, nationally, or internationally. Each
member speaks only for himself or herself.
A.A. is
indebted to all media for their assistance in strengthening the
Tradition of anonymity over the years. From time to time, the
General Service Office contacts all major media in the United
States and Canada, describing the Tradition and asking for
cooperation in its observance.
Some members
break anonymity deliberately at the public level this is a matter
of individual choice and conscience the Fellowship has no control
over such deviations from the traditions such individuals do not
have the approval of the overwhelming majority of members.
For the
newcomer who is scared to death and reluctant to disclose himself
the anonymity tradition can be easily confused as a veil of
secrecy to hide behind to the old-timer anonymity all to often
just means not using your last name public levels
No one says
the newcomer has to tell all about them-self most understand the
need to take time to identify and to begin to feel secure members
should practice patience tolerance and understanding with
newcomers.
They are
sometimes on very thin emotional ice and we do not want to
destroy what little faith they have in AA by making demands on
them the fear of exposure is a very real fear most newcomers
believe that if their community knew they would be ruined or
mocked publicly
People who
have had a chance to get their spiritual feet on the ground and
who now have a support system behind them It is in these people
that a lack of understanding of anonymity becomes an obstruction
to living a more spiritual life and of helping newcomers do the
same.
Today I am
grateful for my sobriety and I am willing to help others by
letting them know I am a recovering alcoholic
Incorrectly
applying the principle of anonymity in my life I do cut myself
off from Spirituality I need to tell others seeking help that I
am an alcoholic and have a program that teaches me the way to a
new life free from the clutches of alcohol
At the level
of service work I do not share secrets but do share the fact that
I am alcoholic and I am in recovery in AA. Being exposed as what
we are, instead of what we want others to think we are, gives our
friends and neighbors an opportunity to see and judge us in a new
light.
It is in this
manner that we demonstrate the principles of AA in our daily
lives for others to see and judge. If they like what they see,
and if they or one of their friends needs help, they can come to
us or go directly to AA. It sounds so simple to be saying this
but this is the primary way we carry the message.
We can hardly
be of help if our own fellowship doesn't know how to get in touch
with us by extension we cannot reach other suffering alcoholics
by referral if our nonalcoholic friends and neighbors do not know
that we are alcoholic They simply would not know where to send
loved ones for help
If we remain
anonymous level at the person-to-person level and the fellowship
level we would not be able to help anyone being anonymous at this
level is the same as being secret and this is the exact opposite
of carrying the message
