[quote=”Alcoholics Anonymous, p89″]PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics.  It works when other activities fail.  This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry the message to other alcoholics!  You can help when no one else can.  You can secure their confidence when others fail.  Remember they are very ill.[/quote]
Being totally selfish, my primary reason for working Step 12 is contained in the quote above, but reading the Big Book there are so many instances that point out that it is abosolutely essential that I work with others.  Ebby pointed that out to Bill during his talk in Bill's kitchen.  Something that Bill worked hard for the rest of his life.
I've always believed in this and live my 12 Step work by the responsibility statement.  I've taken several sponsee's thorough the program and always work with them to ensure that they understand this point thouroughly.  When a sponsee or anyone calls or wants help I have always been there for them, going to the most sordid places at any time of the day or night.  I fully believe that this is my responsibility for what I was so freely given, plus it will ensure another day of sobriety for me.
Recently I've had a sponsee who has finished the 12 steps and “graduated“, at our home group he insisted that I take him on the very next 12 step call that I got.  So the very next time a call came in I called and to my dismay he thought it more important to hang out with his girlfriend than to help another alcoholic, like I helped him.  Since I'm moving to another province, I'm unable to help this poor newcommer as much as I would like so my sponsee is taking over the task.  Over the past few weeks I've watched him only take the newcommer to meetings that he wants (with his girlfirend in tow) rather than going to a meeting close to the newcommer (who doesn't have a car).  I've watched him tell the newcommer that he is unable to talk to him because he is going to go out with his girlfriend and finally I've listened to him tell other members of the home group that they shouldn't be too quick to do 12 step work and should take it easy.  I can feel the resentment towards him building and that will kill me.
Have I missed something in my readings???  Was there the word optional in front of the 12th Step?  Should I have told my sponsee that I was busy those nights he called needing my help?  Should I only do 12 Step work when it is convinient for me?
I will continue on my 12 Step work as best I can, with the hope that more people follow what is written in the Big Book and don't think that it should be optional
A very dissapointed Dogbert!