March 28
Permission to Learn
A newer member volunteers to chair, and the meeting is a little awkward. A reading is missed. There is a long pause while somebody finds the announcements. Those of us who know how everything usually goes may feel an immediate urge to take over. We remember the importance of carrying the message and forget how much help we needed when we first sat in that chair.
A group can care about its purpose while giving people room to learn ordinary tasks. Quiet assistance may serve better than a public correction, and some small imperfections need no intervention at all. Much depends on whether anyone is actually being harmed. Our impatience can turn a manageable stumble into a warning against volunteering. The same patience we need in our own growth has a place in the meeting room, where another alcoholic is trying something unfamiliar in front of everyone.
How much room do I give another person to be a beginner?
The chair need not be filled perfectly to be filled sincerely.
For the A.A. nerds: Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Six.