I Don't follow a man, I follow a miracle
By Snow P.
Movie
Review: The Anonymous People
This was a good film to help reduce the stigma of addiction,
much like an army training film. When I
saw it, most of the audience was in recovery so I am not sure who it was
addressed to. An alternative title could
have been “How Many Times Can You Use the Word Recovery in a Sentence”. In many respects, it was an exercise in
monotony. At some point I drifted off and started thinking about writing a Sci-Fi mystery
screenplay based on a DNA.
I never thought so much controversy existed about the word
“anonymous” to the extent that a movie had to be made about it. The concept
allows everyone into admission with the safety of not having their life blown
up before they are equipped to handle such an assault. And yes, people are, and
always will be judgmental no matter what slang term differentiates any group of
individuals.
When recovery began in 1935 there was an even greater stigma
about alcoholism and the black hoods were necessary for anyone who still had
any kind of life alcoholism didn’t yet erase. But then and now, anonymity avoids big
shotism, the enemy of humility which is the cornerstone of sobriety. It’s
not that I am in the closet; crusades go against what I have learned about
where I stand in relationship to God and people and the traditions of the
program that got me there. It doesn’t
much matter who is carrying the bright latern on the dark road, in fact, it is
beneficial to have a faceless nameless person because thie important thing is
the light for the next person to see. I don’t follow a man, I follow a miracle.
One person in the movie on a personal crusade makes public
announcements about her prescription drug usage. I’m not a doctor, but as a
person who has seen the sparkle go out of sober people’s eyes and hearts after
taking these types of “dual diagnosis” drugs, I can say that when that diagnosis
came in for me, I am grateful my sponsor promised me that in time the insanity
would pass. In time, it did. I have also seen someone not taking their
medication jump off a bridge into oncoming traffic. It’s a fine line only
highly educated professionals with the correct agenda can find. That’s why I love treatment centers like
Willingway who talk about “abstinence based recovery”. I didn’t think there was
any other kind until I heard that phrase.
I loved seeing the shot of “Operation Understanding” from
1975 a photo I have seen in person. I am
good friends with two people in the photo, Clancy Imislund & Bill Borchert.
It was a project where 51 successful people
in the public eye came forward to say they were recovered alcoholics to help
reduce the stigma. Since Bill was in my
home group, I guess that was how I wound up being the 2nd speaker of
a 2 speaker meeting with Marty Mann in 1975. I was so new and so terrified I
got 103 fever, stayed in bed that night and never even got to meet her. She was
definitely a crusader, Bill Wilson was her sponsor, and she started the National
Council on Alcoholism with his blessing. There was no anonymity there.
Bill Borchert is working on a 2nd “Operation
Understanding” for 2015. Too bad it took 40 years for this to come to light
again, but Bill has been busy with his very large family, writing and film
career. He will be speaking on our 13th
Halloween Gratitude Cruise this coming Oct.
As a public service announcement, “The Anonymous People” was
a good thing. As an inspiration for people to pick up the banner and March, I’m
too old school and confess to moving quietly into the parking lot before the
film’s end to go home to once again read the book on my night stand “Dr. Bob
and the Good Old-timers”. Will the kids
with pierced noses, tattooed foreheads and internet access change the way
anonymity functions? You betcha. But if there are still some old timers around
perhaps the changes will still have the right garments underneath instead of
slips waiting to happen. I hope so.
