We All Have Something To Say

Diverse: Different; dissimilar; varied.

One of the real strengths of The Fellowship is that a tremendously diverse group of people is thrown together to try to solve a common problem which is killing us dead -- sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but with a ruthless efficiency. we are people with every imaginable opinion and belief. We are people who would not ordinarily mix. Recovering alcoholics are like survivors of a shipwreck, drifting in a lifeboat in the Sargasso Sea -- no one is worried about making sure that the Democrats outnumber the Republicans. We're just trying to keep the sharks out of the boat.

As a Drunk, I used to sit in bars surrounded by people who thought and acted like I did, which was clearly not one of my better ideas, and this from someone with a long and storied history of making really lousy decisions. We solved the world's problems. We couldn't believe the stupidity of anyone who didn't share our views. We would occasionally break bones patting ourselves on the back for our brilliance and insight. Then I would go outside and fall asleep in my car, in January, with the windows open. That's the guy I want to have making decisions that affect all of the people in the free world -- the guy passed out in the back booth of a crummy bar.

The Program has taught me to listen.