LOL
Heard this one about AA the other day:

I guy woke up on a beach after a month long binge on the booze. He'd swore off alcohol, swearing never again to do it again time and time before, but he knew he could not stop by himself, the urge was just too great. Then he saw a huge luxury liner moored up with loads of drunks crawling on board the "SS Rehab" which was setting sail for utopia.

After making a few enquiries he found out that for $5,000 dollars he could get a ticket to sobriety, an island far over the horizon. Just before he boarded he spotted a couple of scruffy guys walking down to the shore carrying a drunk between them. He shouted down and asked where they were going. " We're in AA and we're taking this drunk off to the island in our boat", they said. "Wanna come?".

"Where's your boat" he asked. "it's an invisible boat", they shouted back, "but it'll get you to the island in no time". The guy figured they were either mad or drunk and hot footed it onto the luxury rehab liner

He paid for his ticket and the ship set off. He had a luxury cabin port out starboard home. They gave him three meals a day, clean clothes, tidyed him up, kept him busy and amused until one day they spotted land. Orders came to drop anchor about ten miles off the coast. The captain came down and told all on board that it was time to head back home.

"But we haven't got to the island yet" asked the man and the captain said that if he wanted to get there he'd have to swim.

Just then they spotted three figures in the water in an invisible boat rowing like hell to the island. The Captain turned and said "if you want to get to the island you'll have to dive in and get in their boat"
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:26, 3 replies)

i'm not sure i really understand this

( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:31, closed)

nobody does
the first time they read it. Some Alkies get it ;-)
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:36, closed)

I've read it twice
Can you explain pls..It's either very clever or very silly :)
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:38, closed)

the 12 step program
is a spiritual program, it requires faith in a higher power - bit like an invisible rowing boat. Rehabs usually (well the better ones anyway) insist that when you leave you go to AA - If you don't you'll never recover.
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:41, closed)

ah, now i understand!
being an atheist doesn't help with the spiritual side of things ;)
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:42, closed)

I'm an atheist too and it makes complete sense to me
- it all kind of rests on your interpretation of what a higher power is and what spirituality is.
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:47, closed)

Yup
That's the hardest part and what put me off for far too long.


edit: Well, not THE hardest part, obviously...
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:50, closed)

I don't see why
a higher power is simply anything and everything except the power of your own self will. Spirituality is just kindness of heart, I'm sure everyone knows a kind hearted person when they see one.

seemples.


Theism or religious deities don't even come into it. It's just convienient to call it God that's all. You could equally call it fuck. e.g. "thank fuck for that" or "for fuck's sake".

The hardest bit is understanding the doctors opinion (second letter*). Most people skip that bit because it's in the forward. The doctors opinion used to be on page one (in the first edition of the book).

*http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_doctoropinion.cfm


HTH
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 19:16, closed)

Oh I got there
I meant overcoming the idea that it involved God as generally perecieved was something that I had a long term problem with about the organisation as a whole long before I had even acknowledged that it may be relvant to me personally.

Or to put it another way, my atheism is so strong that I had a preformed opinion that I had to overcome before I even walked through the door.

Anyway, enough of this, We'll get accused of turning a comedy website into a therapy session if we discuss this here.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 19:54, closed)

i suppose so
but i'm northern, too
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:50, closed)

I believe its a parable of sorts.
I'm not quite sure if I am misunderstanding it or if it doesn't quite work, but I am reading it as rehab will only get you on the way to sobriety, but to get and stay there you have to make it with no visible support other than faith and people in the same boat as you.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:41, closed)

In a nut shell
that's it.
( buffet_the_appetite_slayer ٩(●̮̃•)۶ jacked in to the ICE on, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 17:44, closed)

Ahh cool
I get in now, thanks.
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Thu 3 Mar 2011, 9:22, closed)

Fucking hell.
So addiction is just a case of a weak will and a weaker mind after all.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 19:51, closed)

i hope so
or i'm out of excuses
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 19:54, closed)

Excuses are for cowards.
Cowards and the Welsh.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 22:32, closed)

i'm not welsh, but i've been accused of it

( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 2 Mar 2011, 23:07, closed)

Oof. Harsh.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 3 Mar 2011, 10:18, closed)

I'd expect they'd drop anchor 12 miles from land
so they could legally throw a load of garbage overboard.
( M3rx likes the Asian ladies, Thu 3 Mar 2011, 9:57, closed)