Programs, Roadmaps and Recipes

All 12-step programs are "programs" in that they fit the definition of a program: "a planned, coordinated group of activities, procedures, etc., often for a specific purpose." The group of activities are always the same and come in four parts: (1) don't do the thing you are recovering from (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.); (2) go to meetings; (3) get a sponsor; and (4) work the 12 steps.

I've heard other people at meetings describe the program as a roadmap or recipe for life. In fact, just this morning one of my AA friends shared a short story during the meeting. A brother was staying with him, and this person was having problems in his relationship with someone else. My friend took out the "Big Book" (Alcoholics Anonymous), gave it to his brother, and said "read pages x through y of this book. It might help." The next morning my friend asked his brother if he had read it. His brother said that he read a lot more of the book than just the suggested pages, and said "This is really a roadmap for life -- anyone's life."

After we heard that story, someone else at the meeting suggested that there are a lot of people in the world who don't have alcohol, drug or other similar problems, but who would seriously benefit from the teachings in the Big Book. I've often thought that same thing.

Anyway, how is a 12-step program like a roadmap? It shows you where you are, at the beginning of your journey. It shows you where you want to go. It shows you the most direct route to take in order to arrive at your destination (I think of that as the 12-step route). You can look at the roadmap to determine whether it's going to be a short trip or a long one. You probably need to make stops along the way -- those are the steps. And there might be alternate routes that will get you there, but they will probably take longer.

How is a 12-step program like a recipe? I like this one the best. You want a loaf of bread. You start out with nothing but a set of instructions. The instructions tell you what ingredients you have to purchase. Then the recipe tells you what to do with the ingredients, how to combine them or treat them, in a particular order of activities. These are the steps. If you decide to skip a step -- let's say you add the yeast but don't give the dough time to rise -- you end up with a brick instead of a loaf of bread. If you decide to add the sugar after the dough has risen, the yeast will have nothing to feed on and again, you'll have a brick. But if you follow the directions in the correct order, you end up with a loaf of bread. Just the same, if you follow the 12 steps in the correct order, you achieve recovery, sanity and serenity.

I wish you a successful journey as you follow the 12-step roadmap to your destination. If you do, you'll get to eat a loaf of bread, instead of figuring out how to dispose of a brick.