“We AAs shall have to hang together -- or else hang separately!”
AA Co-Founder, Bill W., October 1947, “Why Can’t We Join AA, Too?”, The Language of the Heart
"We must all hang together, or else we shall all hang separately," is attributed to Benjamin Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, meaning the American colonies had to unite in their fight for independence or face individual defeat and execution by the British, using a pun on "hang" (stick together vs. execution) to stress vital solidarity.
We have been given a daily reprieve/stay of execution because AA choose Unity over Conformity, God over our many personalities on any given day, and humility over selfish
endeavors. You simply cannot do this having a leader or a spokesperson in charge of the collective. It can't work in a construct that's only primary purpose is to serve God, live a principled life and carry the message to the next alcoholic.
So as much as my ego wanted to stand out in AA, or in wherever, once right sized by living a purposed and principled life those sorts of ideas of grander fall by the wayside and you are fundamentally rerouted onto a different path. I can then put my energies that I used to stand out or get attention into actually becoming good and consistent with doing it- and only doing it because it's the right thing to do or I genuinely have an interest in it without a fear based or egoic motive attached to it.
If I still need accolades and acknowledgement for simply doing the next right thing, then I need way more God and way less self. Besides, who wants to stand out or be the most popular in AA or even at work?!? LOL! What if we do the best we can while are perfectly progressing in whatever our common purpose is today for no other reason than it just being the right thing to do?
I am so grateful that I get to be a part of-and not in charge of because if we were all doing this Hillarie's way we would be dead or drunk. We have God as our "leader" so we get to stay united in our unique individuality with our common purpose to serve and grow together.