From an A.A. pamphlet on the group as a functioning entity: "At the level of press, television, radio, film, and the Internet, anonymity stresses the equality in A.A. of all its members. Most importantly, the Anonymity Tradition reminds us that it is the A.A. message, not the messenger, that counts. At the personal level, Anonymity assures privacy for all members, a safeguard often of special significance to newcomers who may hesitate to seek help in A. A. if they have any reason to believe their alcoholism may be exposed publicly."
Most of us who have been around for a while have had someone talk about our alcoholism inappropriately. I've gotten too old and too retired and too I-don't-give-a-shit to hide my alcoholism on an individual basis anymore although I do insist before I'm interviewed for the Six O'clock News that my anonymity be honored publicly. At least I will if this ever happens which it never will so I don't lose too much sleep over it. I was on a bus at a company outing once when a co-worker - a drunk not in recovery who was, at the time, lit up - started asking me very loudly: "Seaweed! Are you an alcoholic?" before launching into a long explanation about his drinking and the drinking in his family and why he had to drink etc etc etc. no doubt boring everyone on the bus but me as I was pretty terrified at being outed.
The second prong of the anonymity equation is that we are all equal as members in recovery. No one gets to set the agenda or force someone to do something they don't want to do. We're all at the same level of importance.
Except for me. I'm special.
Katherine Mansfield was a poet who wrote in the early 20th Century: "Risk! Risk anything! Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth."
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