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rounding towns, families drive long distances to be present.
A community thirty miles away has fifteen fellows of
Alcoholics Anonymous. Being a large place, we think
that some day its Fellowship will number many hun-
dreds.*
But life among Alcoholics Anonymous is more than at-
tending gatherings and visiting hospitals. Cleaning up old
scrapes, helping to settle family differences, explaining the
disinherited son to his irate parents, lending money and
securing jobs for each other, when justified these are ev-
eryday occurrences. No one is too discredited or has sunk
too low to be welcomed cordially if he means business.
Social distinctions, petty rivalries and jealousies these
are laughed out of countenance. Being wrecked in the same
vessel, being restored and united under one God, with hearts
and minds attuned to the welfare of others, the things
which matter so much to some people no longer signify
much to them. How could they?
Under only slightly different conditions, the same
thing is taking place in many eastern cities. In one of
*Written in 1939.
162 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
these there is a well-known hospital for the treatment of
alcoholic and drug addiction. Six years ago one of our
number was a patient there. Many of us have felt, for the
first time, the Presence and Power of God within its
walls. We are greatly indebted to the doctor in atten-
dance there, for he, although it might prejudice his own
work, has told us of his belief in ours.
Every few days this doctor suggests our approach to
one of his patients. Understanding our work, he can do
this with an eye to selecting those who are willing and
able to recover on a spiritual basis. Many of us, former
patients, go there to help. Then, in this eastern city,
there are informal meetings such as we have described to
you, where you may now see scores of members. There
are the same fast friendships, there is the same helpful-
ness to one another as you find among our western friends.
There is a good bit of travel between East and West and
we foresee a great increase in this helpful interchange.
Some day we hope that every alcoholic who journeys
will find a Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous at his
destination. To some extent this is already true. Some of
us are salesmen and go about. Little clusters of twos and
threes and fives of us have sprung up in other communi-
ties, through contact with our two larger centers. Those
of us who travel drop in as often as we can. This practice
enables us to lend a hand, at the same time avoiding cer-
tain alluring distractions of the road, about which any
traveling man can inform you.*
Thus we grow. And so can you, though you be but
*Written in 1939. In 1993 there are over 89,000 groups. There is
A.A. activity in 141 countries, with an estimated membership of
two million.
A VISION FOR YOU 163
one man with this book in your hand. We believe and
hope it contains all you will need to begin.
We know what you are thinking. You are saying to
yourself:  I m jittery and alone. I couldn t do that. But
you can. You forget that you have just now tapped a
source of power much greater than yourself. To dupli-
cate, with such backing, what we have accomplished is
only a matter of willingness, patience and labor.
We know of an A.A. member who was living in a large
community. He had lived there but a few weeks when he
found that the place probably contained more alcoholics
per square mile than any city in the country. This was
only a few days ago at this writing. (1939) The authori-
ties were much concerned. He got in touch with a promi-
nent psychiatrist who had undertaken certain responsi-
bilities for the mental health of the community. The
doctor proved to be able and exceedingly anxious to adopt
any workable method of handling the situation. So he
inquired, what did our friend have on the ball?
Our friend proceeded to tell him. And with such good
effect that the doctor agreed to a test among his patients
and certain other alcoholics from a clinic which he at-
tends. Arrangements were also made with the chief psy-
chiatrist of a large public hospital to select still others
from the stream of misery which flows through that in-
stitution.
So our fellow worker will soon have friends galore.
Some of them may sink and perhaps never get up, but if
our experience is a criterion, more than half of those
approached will become fellows of Alcoholics Anony-
mous. When a few men in this city have found them-
164 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
selves, and have discovered the joy of helping others to
face life again, there will be no stopping until everyone in
that town has had his opportunity to recover if he can
and will.
Still you may say:  But I will not have the benefit of
contact with you who write this book. We cannot be
sure. God will determine that, so you must remember
that your real reliance is always upon Him. He will show
you how to create the fellowship you crave.*
Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we
know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to
you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation
what you can do each day for the man who is still sick.
The answers will come, if your own house is in order.
But obviously you cannot transmit something you
haven t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is
right, and great events will come to pass for you and
countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.
Abandon yourself to God as you understand God.
Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear
away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what
you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellow-
ship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as
you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.
May God bless you and keep you until then.
*Alcoholics Anonymous will be glad to hear from you.
Address: PO Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163.
DOCTOR BOB S NIGHTMARE
A co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. The birth of
our Society dates from his first day of permanent sobri-
ety, June 10, 1935. To 1950, the year of his death, he
carried the A.A. message to more than 5,000 alcoholic
men and women, and to all these he gave his medical
services without thought of charge. In this prodigy of
service, he was well assisted by Sister Ignatia at St. Tho-
mas Hospital in Akron, Ohio, one of the greatest friends
our Fellowship will ever know.
WAS BORN in a small New England village of about
I
seven thousand souls. The general moral standard was,
as I recall it, far above the average. No beer or liquor was
sold in the neighborhood, except at the State liquor agency
where perhaps one might procure a pint if he could con-
vince the agent that he really needed it. Without this
proof the expectant purchaser would be forced to depart
empty handed with none of what I later came to believe
was the great panacea for all human ills. Men who had
liquor shipped in from Boston or New York by express
were looked upon with great distrust and disfavor by
most of the good townspeople. The town was well sup-
plied with churches and schools in which I pursued my
early educational activities.
My father was a professional man of recognized
ability and both my father and mother were most
171
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