Page: 59
Step we are on: Three
Chapter: 5 - "How It Works"
Subject: Half Measures, Suggestions, Proposals
Read time: 1.5 mins
Read time: 1.5 mins
- If we are halfhearted applying this program, how successful will we be?
Half measures availed us nothing.
Half measures do not avail us half results. They avail us NO progress at all.
- If we understand that lack of power is our Problem and that a Power greater than ourselves is the Solution, where are we?
We stood at the turning point.
- What do we ask?
We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
Comment: This is the first of several prayers we will find as we progress in recovery. Remember, this is a Spiritual Program. Therefore, we will find one or more prayers for each and every Step. We learn how to more and more involve God in our lives. We find this way of living to be extremely practical.- Here are the Steps we what?
Here are the steps we took,
Comment: The authors of this Book recovered by taking the Steps, not by just going to meetings. The material they give us is in the past tense. They report what they did, how they did it and what the results were. If we do what they did, we will get what they got.
- What are these Steps?
which are suggested as a program of recovery:
“Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:”
"Suggestion" is sometimes taken by middle-of-the-roaders to mean “option”. In 1938 the word “suggestion” was synonymous with, “proposal”.
We all know why SUGGESTED was inserted into the text of Alcoholics Anonymous, but do we know HOW it was inserted?
Consider this: Throughout this text, in One through Eleven, all references to the Steps use both the word PROPOSAL and SUGGESTION.
Not only are these two words synonyms, carrying the exact same meaning, but they are interchanged back and forth, throughout the Big Book, alternating perfectly with each other. Interesting phenomenon, no? This reeks of Bill Wilson's re-writing style.
It makes sense that the first choice in describing the Steps was the word PROPOSAL since it is the first to appear. It appears that someone (Bill?) went back and alternated the words so as not to have them appear twice consecutively. It likely was Bill who would have done this as it is very common rewrite practice. He does it ALL THROUGHOUT the Big Book.
Furthermore, in referring to the Steps, the word PROPOSAL appears FIRST, 5 pages before the word SUGGESTION is used in reference to the 12 Steps. From then on, clear through Step Eleven, these two synonyms alternate back and forth flawlessly.
The word SUGGESTION has been seized upon for its malleability. However, within context throughout our book, PROPOSAL makes much more sense. Don't be Big Book weasel! Take the time to discover and stick with the intent of the co-authors, please.
We all know why SUGGESTED was inserted into the text of Alcoholics Anonymous, but do we know HOW it was inserted?
Consider this: Throughout this text, in One through Eleven, all references to the Steps use both the word PROPOSAL and SUGGESTION.
Not only are these two words synonyms, carrying the exact same meaning, but they are interchanged back and forth, throughout the Big Book, alternating perfectly with each other. Interesting phenomenon, no? This reeks of Bill Wilson's re-writing style.
It makes sense that the first choice in describing the Steps was the word PROPOSAL since it is the first to appear. It appears that someone (Bill?) went back and alternated the words so as not to have them appear twice consecutively. It likely was Bill who would have done this as it is very common rewrite practice. He does it ALL THROUGHOUT the Big Book.
Furthermore, in referring to the Steps, the word PROPOSAL appears FIRST, 5 pages before the word SUGGESTION is used in reference to the 12 Steps. From then on, clear through Step Eleven, these two synonyms alternate back and forth flawlessly.
The word SUGGESTION has been seized upon for its malleability. However, within context throughout our book, PROPOSAL makes much more sense. Don't be Big Book weasel! Take the time to discover and stick with the intent of the co-authors, please.
Peace and Love,
Danny S – RLRA
Real Live Recovered Alcoholic
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