Guest guest Posted September 22, 2000 Report Share Posted September 22, 2000 Today at work, (I work with the public) a woman came in wearing a gigantic gold AA symbol around her neck. At first, just seeing the necklace brought back some haunting memories. Then as our encounter took place, I began to see her as she really was. She was just a shell of a human being wearing a rather ugly necklace. I wondered why anyone would want to wear such a thing. Why would anyone want to announce to the world that they used to drink excessively, but no longer do? Is this something a person needs to advertise? And why? Why would someone want to announce to the world that they used to have difficulites with alcohol? And if they do believe they are diseased, why would they want to " wear " a symbol showing that they are? It just seemed so damn odd that someone would display a cult symbol that pretty much says " I used to exhibit some pretty crazy behavior, but then I joined this group, and now I don't exhibit crazy behavior. " And I want everybody to see that. Why? Very strange. Sue > >I'm finding that the extent of my 12 step brainwashing has really >hindered my growth and possibly has ruled out my developing a healthy >perspective toward alcohol. > >I find myself reacting emotionally and from fear when confronted with >the vagaries of everyday life (something I picked up in the program) >rather than rationally looking to effectively cope with those life- >things. > >I think 12 step dogma and its behavioral fortification in the >meetings gets so deeply embedded in a human mind that I often wonder >if I will ever be truly free from the nagging self-doubt, self- >questioning of motives, and self-debasement that I learned in the >program--this will evoke a quiet rage within me that collapses into >sadness: sadness that I gave so many sick people access to my self >and many of the quiet, silent, beautiful, and peaceful things about >my nature that I should have revealed to those that deserve that >closeness; sadness that I worried away so many years when I could >have been living; sadness when I think about all the people I >estranged through my 12 step absolutism (and the sealing off my real >and potential social circles because I rated people on the basis of >how " sick " they were, rather than look at them as human beings). > >I could go on and on. > > > > > _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2000 Report Share Posted September 22, 2000 when i was in AA, for some reason i bought a aa necklace in my first month of sobriety, i ddint wear outsidee my clothes however. i dont know why exactly i bought it, i dont wear necklaces, i just got wrapt up in the AA ra ra spirit, that and the apparent need to express my new found " spirituality " thru materialistic consuming. when i left AA, first thing i did was compost my big book. 2nd thing i did was thru away the AA pendant. i kept the chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 22, 2000 Report Share Posted September 22, 2000 > > Today at work, (I work with the public) a woman came in > wearing a gigantic gold AA symbol around her neck. > At first, just seeing the necklace brought back some haunting > memories. Then as our encounter took place, I began to see > her as she really was. She was just a shell of a human being > wearing a rather ugly necklace. > I wondered why anyone would want to wear such a thing. Why > would anyone want to announce to the world that they used > to drink excessively, but no longer do? Is this something > a person needs to advertise? And why? Why would someone want > to announce to the world that they used to have difficulites > with alcohol? And if they do believe they are diseased, > why would they want to " wear " a symbol showing that they are? > It just seemed so damn odd that someone would display a cult > symbol that pretty much says " I used to exhibit some pretty > crazy behavior, but then I joined this group, and now I > don't exhibit crazy behavior. " And I want everybody to see that. > Why? > > Very strange. > Strange, indeed. It really shoots the idea of " anonymity " all to hell, too. Kinda hard to be anonymous when you're wearing the AA symbol around your neck, or have " Easy Does It " stickers all over your car, or your coffee mug at work is emblazoned with the Serenity Prayer... It does seems weird that some people see their " recovering " status as a badge of honor. Then again, I don't think anyone wears a big AA symbol to impress " normies, " most of whom would not recognize the circle-and-triangle logo. It's meant to attract the attention of other members of AA. The bigger the pendant, the better your sobriety? Do people wearing gold AA symbols have more serenity than those wearing silver? It's like the gold-plated bronze chips--it serves no purpose other than to provide an instantly recognizable symbol that you are Somebody. Dang, I have no idea why anyone would want to wear a Nike swoosh, a Tommy Hilfiger jacket, or anything emblazoned with Coca-Cola, Gucci, 's Secret or sorts team logos, either. The only explanation seems to be, " I have paid good money to be visibly affiliated with (Commodity X), therefore some of the luster of (Commodity X) is rubbing off on me. Thus, I am not a loser or a nobody. " Cheers, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 23, 2000 Report Share Posted September 23, 2000 It's not at all difficult to understand the necklace..... The person wearing it believes that he/she is a walking, talking, miracle of " God's " power to use the useless to impress the self-deluded functional that their way of living is basically without the spiritual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 25, 2000 Report Share Posted September 25, 2000 > Do people wearing gold AA symbols have more serenity than > those wearing silver? It's like the gold-plated bronze chips--it > serves no purpose other than to provide an instantly recognizable > symbol that you are Somebody. It's kind of like the wino who's passed out with a death grip on a bottle with a couple of fingers of warm Thunderbird in the bottom. Nobody wants it, but it's all he's got, and he NEEDS it. --Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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