The Tip of the Iceberg and the 4 C's

Well, yesterday I went to meetings in AA and Alanon, briefly met with a couple of sponsees, did my recovery dance...whoopee.  What is absolutely fascinating is the mix of people showing up!  Wow.  It does take all kinds.  And yet, underneath all the differences are the exact same underlying issues.  Over and over.  Looks different...but are the same and no one is excluded.

I remember hearing how the tip of the iceberg is used to describe this is what we see, the very top of it but underneath the waterline is a huge massive mountain.  The tip is what equates with clearly observable behavior, not with what we think or feel or believe, etc.  A friend who worked at the Austin State Hospital said she remembered during her orientation training she was paired with an experienced mental health worker.  Together they walked their rounds into different parts of the hospital then at the end of the excursions they compared notes on behaviors they observed to see if the trainee was relying on her eyes to gather information.  She listened with her eyes.  Excellent skills building.

The tip can represent the behaviors of addictions.  Alcoholism, Al-anonism, compulsive food eating or not eating, sex, gambling, emotion-ism, etc.  Clearly observable behaviors.  The lying, manipulating, using people, places, and things with impunity, self-effacing, selfishness, negativity, stealing, people-pleasing, risk-taking, self-centeredness, etc.  Not only me doing this to others and myself, but also allowing others to do the same to me.  Such are the effects of this spiritual malady.  It spreads like peanut butter.  And it hurts.  Someone said, "Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional".  A new one I heard is the 4 C's..."I didn't cause it, I can't control it, and  I can't cure it but I sure as heck can contribute to it!"

With the help of the 12 Steps and other like-minded folk who have worked this program it is possible to stay honest, open-minded and willing to accept life on life's terms, just for today...and stop contributing to the disease.