Peanut butter and jelly, turkey and dressing, beans and rice, bacon and eggs. Somethings are just better served together. The same is accurate with recovery and 12 steps, willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness. We have a purpose to leave a legacy. We can leave one based on fact or based on fiction. Why do we as a society enjoy having things together? Have you ever had bacon without eggs, beans without rice, turkey without dressing, peanut butter without jelly? The answer is probably yes, but I think we can all agree that these combinations go together better than if eaten separately. The opiate epidemic has made me think about what have we been falling short around as a society. Why do we have so many men and women addicted to drugs and alcohol? A better question is how do we educate ourselves so that we can pass on the same beliefs about food. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t wake up one day on Thanksgiving and say to myself I bet if I made the turkey with dressing this meal would taste a lot better. No, I didn’t. It was passed down to me, a family tradition. This tradition was created over time and each year has more meaning than the last. It brings our family closer and is passed on from generation to generation. Recovery and the 12 steps passed on from generation to generation in the same fashion. Men and women had experience and passed it onto others so that they could share that knowledge with others. What a beautiful concept. We are defined as a society not on what we say but what we do. Our actions define us. We can either have healthy habits or unhealthy habits. I believe in creating healthy habits. Through the research I have done on addiction it is undeniable that the 12 steps have created healthy habits for millions of men and women in recovery. I find it amazing that in the 1930s a man by the name of Bill Wilson had experience getting free from alcoholism and instead of selfishly keeping the newfound treasure of recovery to himself decided to share this gift with others. The gift that he shared with others is still around today and because of this many men and women continue to recover from alcoholism and addiction. I believe that if we as a society pass on education and experience around recovery just as we do around family traditions, we can positively impact the next generations to come. I believe that we can help those who suffer from addiction in the same way that Bill Wilson did over 70 years ago. Recently I talked with a young man, and he inspired me. Robert White spoke about revolutionizing the recovery industry and how his company, Any Length grew just like other family traditions that we get to participate in our lives. Robert E. White Jr. is the founder and CEO of Any Length in Austin, Texas. Robert White created an environment where men can begin to build a foundation for the rest of their lives in recovery. He believes in tradition. He believes that it takes a village to change the stigma of addiction and that if we work together, we can help others see why recovery and the 12 steps go along like so many other favorite combinations that we love in America.
