Kitchen and The Coffee Pot

              

I was very happy to see a coffee pot in the kitchen, and full too! There is something special about AA coffee. To me it is the best coffee around, although it is usually inexpensive. Upon walking into the kitchen, it smelled like an AA  meeting.  Obviously some of the first conversations in AA took place in this kitchen. At their first meeting, Dr. Bob had only intended to spend minutes with Bill Wilson. Dr. Bob indicated that he subsequently listened to Bill for hours, because he knew that Bill really had something to say. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous clearly states that alcoholics require a message that has depth and weight, and that frothy emotional appeal will seldom suffice. Although Dr. Bob, and Bill did not actually meet for the first time at this house, I imagine the conversations that took place in this room, and throughout this house had an incredible depth and weight.

The thing that is very interesting to me is that both Dr. Bob, and Bill Wilson had experience with the Oxford Groups, and that Dr. Bob had actually been involved with them longer than Bill. Dr. Bob did indicate, however, that the Oxford Groups in New York focused more on service, than did their Midwestern counterparts. Having similar involvement, yet different experiences, undoubtedly provided for very interesting discussiuons. Perhaps an understanding of the difference between theory and practice, as brought by Bill, was one of the reasons that Dr. Bob focused heavily on the Book of James, in the Bible, and the idea that "faith without works is dead."  

 

The back door, coming into the kitchen.