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Thanks very much, JW. Well, my name is Bill, and I am an alcoholic, and I know it's routine

to begin by thanking everybody who is responsible for my being here. And I wish there was some

way of expressing my thanks without it sounding routine. I have done this kind of thing a

couple of times before, but I have never, never, never, never been more thankful than I am

to be with you this weekend, with you here in Hilton Head. I was never more thankful

to be with any other people. I arrived here from the far side of the country, and I was

entirely that shape. I guess I don't know whether you're the same as me or I'm the same

as you, but even within this program times come when I go temporarily insane. Literally,

literally, literally. And I was right in the middle of one of my insanity bouts when I

arrived here. You see, about two days before, oh dear, I have been asked to talk about us,

to talk about A, A, to talk about us, alcoholics. To an audience of non-alcoholics, as a matter

of fact, to an audience consisting of my own bishop and a whole crowd of clergy. I don't know if

you've ever read the chapter. We were reminded of a lot of the things in the big book last night by

Doug, but his one sentence in there is the chapter that's headed into action. He talks about taking

a fifth step, talks about taking it sometimes with those kinds. And when you read that, read the

sentence it says immediately after suggesting you might want to take it with those kinds, because

it says, however, we sometimes encounter people who do not understand alcoholics.

...