4th & 5th steps

[oio]

I've been sober in AA for 19 years. Several years ago a man asked me to
sponsor him, which I agreed to do, and he proceeded to confide in me that he
murdered a boy.

What the fuck was I supposed to do with that information?? No, I wasn't
going to carry that burden. I turned him in to the Sheriff.

Nobody has asked me to sponsor them ever since then. AA isn't a safehouse
for criminals to commune and shoot pool, boasting of their exploits and how
they got away with it. That kind of comradery is for pigeon shit. I might
as be up front about it. I'm not a priest receiving confessions about
crimes. If anyone asks I'll let them know. If it involves crime, don't
tell me, see a priest, and I'll be happy to set them up with one.

Anyone with any better ideas?

[Mike T.]

Post by oio
I've been sober in AA for 19 years. Several years ago a man asked me
to sponsor him, which I agreed to do, and he proceeded to confide in
me that he murdered a boy.
What the fuck was I supposed to do with that information?? No, I
wasn't going to carry that burden. I turned him in to the Sheriff.
Nobody has asked me to sponsor them ever since then. AA isn't a
safehouse for criminals to commune and shoot pool, boasting of their
exploits and how they got away with it. That kind of comradery is
for pigeon shit. I might as be up front about it. I'm not a priest
receiving confessions about crimes. If anyone asks I'll let them
know. If it involves crime, don't tell me, see a priest, and I'll be
happy to set them up with one.
Anyone with any better ideas?

There's a local fellow who confided to his sponsor in a Fifth Step that
he had murdered someone. The sponsor encouraged him to turn himself in
or suffer more under the lash of alcoholism. That fellow turned
himself into the authorities and did his time. Today I know them both
as long time sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous. The man still
sponsors him and is also my sponsor.