January 2021 - Editorial

We are continuing our themed editions for 2021 and what better way to start the New Year than with Step One. I have really enjoyed going through articles and literature for this theme, remembering my own Step One work and my journey in AA so far. For me, Step One started whether I knew it or not, when I walked into my first meeting and one of the things I considered as we created this months issue was, “What was important for me to hear at my first meeting?” Identification. Time and time again I need to hear identification – it tells me why I am in the right place and makes me feel safe with the people there.

The articles on page four from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous talk about acceptance and reaching a ‘rock bottom’ and I hope you can find identification within them as I did. Thinking back, that night at my first meeting, I remember hearing the Preamble being read and the man chairing the meeting said “I cannot guarantee what will happen if I take a drink and I cannot drink alcohol in safety,” that was the start of me being able to identify with other recovering alcoholics and it made me come back the next week – I had no idea then how important that was.

Another memory that came back to me as I thought about the Steps and a local ‘Steps and Traditions’ meeting I attend, was that I remember my own sobriety shifted when I realised I was powerless over alcohol and then actually accepted this and got honest – it didn’t come easily or quickly! In addition to this, I felt another shift, when I read the next bit of Step One (and chose to hear it) that my life was unmanageable – even without alcohol life can seem unmanageable, but AA gives me a Programme and suggestions of how to deal with it – and it works!

Your articles are so important to ensure we continue to be able to provide our readers with identification, thank you to everyone who has submitted one – and if you have not, maybe now is a good time and our themes for 2021 can be found on page 11.

Assitant Editor Roundabout

Contents

2 Sub-Committee Notice Board
3 Editorial
4 Extract From AA Literature
5 A Continuous State Of Letting Go
6 There But For The Grace Of God
8 Higher Power
9 Making More Of Effort
11 2021 Issue Themes
12 Gratitude
i-iv AA Conference Approved Books
13 The Roundabout Interview
16 Gratitude By Attitude
17 Article From The Grapevine Archives
19 Traditions
21 That Was The Week That Was
22 An Invitation to Young Members
23 Subscribe To Roundabout
24 The Twelve Concepts
 

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