Paul's New Book
Forgot to say, Paul's new book came out. There's an extract in The Guardian here. But you should buy it, 'cause I'm in it. I'm also in his first book. And while we're on this road (ie the subject of me) there's a whole book about me out there knocking around, and this book has me in the special thanks section.
I did have a bit of a barney with Paul when I read what he'd written. Without ruining the book, he recounts an incident when he'd called me from San Francisco to say he needed help stopping drinking. I remember this. It was October 2009. I told him to go to AA. He looked up the Twelve Steps online and balked. But instead of going 'Hmm, it doesn't sound like it's for me', he then proceeds to slag off AA as a quasi-religious cult - without ever going to a meeting.
Now, AA helped me get sober, then I stopped going about a year ago. I check in every so often, but what keeps me sober is simply enjoying life without needing to see it differently other than how it is. I don't - and never did - buy into the Higher Power / God bullshit. I did the Twelve Steps, it was kind of a fun task, bit time consuming, and by step twelve, it was fucking boring. But it didn't matter, because by then not drinking was normal to me. And even though there are a few nutters in AA who'll waffle on about God, you can just ignore them, and take from it what you want, as I did. And AA saves lives. All you need is an open mind. I went in with an open mind, decided the god shit and endless step 4 / 10's weren't for me, so I just quit doing the steps and started living my life instead, ignoring the blatantly wrong myth that members advocate - that "people who don't do the steps are going to relapse" (that's bullshit). So I was a little pissed with Paul's AA bashing. It was a bit immature and petulant and reductive. So I told him.
God, we are gonna have FUN living together!
I did have a bit of a barney with Paul when I read what he'd written. Without ruining the book, he recounts an incident when he'd called me from San Francisco to say he needed help stopping drinking. I remember this. It was October 2009. I told him to go to AA. He looked up the Twelve Steps online and balked. But instead of going 'Hmm, it doesn't sound like it's for me', he then proceeds to slag off AA as a quasi-religious cult - without ever going to a meeting.
Now, AA helped me get sober, then I stopped going about a year ago. I check in every so often, but what keeps me sober is simply enjoying life without needing to see it differently other than how it is. I don't - and never did - buy into the Higher Power / God bullshit. I did the Twelve Steps, it was kind of a fun task, bit time consuming, and by step twelve, it was fucking boring. But it didn't matter, because by then not drinking was normal to me. And even though there are a few nutters in AA who'll waffle on about God, you can just ignore them, and take from it what you want, as I did. And AA saves lives. All you need is an open mind. I went in with an open mind, decided the god shit and endless step 4 / 10's weren't for me, so I just quit doing the steps and started living my life instead, ignoring the blatantly wrong myth that members advocate - that "people who don't do the steps are going to relapse" (that's bullshit). So I was a little pissed with Paul's AA bashing. It was a bit immature and petulant and reductive. So I told him.
God, we are gonna have FUN living together!
MIMI IN NY | 5:22 AM |
