Ebby’s Neat Little Formula

A few days after Bill Wilson entered Towns Hospital (December 11, 1934) he was visited by his sponsor-to-be, Ebby Thacher. Ebby reiterated his “neat little formula,” which was initially discussed at the “kitchen table“ meeting several weeks previous at 182 Clinton Street. Though agnostic, Bill was completely deflated and willing to try anything that would release him from the powerful grip of alcoholism—his physician, Dr. Silkworth, had diagnosed him to die or become insane within a year.

The Ebby’s neat little formula is ingrained in our Twelve Step program of action today. It was: Admit you are licked (Step One); Get honest with yourself (Step Four), Talk it out with somebody else (Step Five); Make restitution to the people you have harmed (Steps Eight and Nine); Try to give of yourself without stint, with no demand for reward (Step Twelve); Pray to whatever God you think there is, even as an experiment (Step Eleven).* Bill actually put these ideas into action on page 13 of the Big Book, and, of course, there accordingly followed his well-known spiritual experience revealed on the next page.

But Bill, the ardent agnostic, still had doubts whether this amazing event was truly a spiritual experience—perhaps it was only an illusionary hallucination or perhaps the effect of medication. But as fate would have it, he was brought—just at that time—a book titled, “Varieties of Religious Experience,  by William James, who was the father of modern psychology, no less. His immediate identification with the persons in this writing gave him confidence that Ebby’s neat little formula was indeed in manifest! He came to believe that his experience was indeed spiritual!

Bill believed! But why should we believe? Bill had an overwhelming desire regain his once highly respected status on Wall Street, but upon release from Town’s Hospital, December 18th, 1934, he headed for the Calvary Mission instead. His new modus operandi  was of a single purpose: to help other alcoholics recover—Wall Street was placed on the back burner!  He brought a derelict from Calvary Mission to his elegant home, fed him, prayed with him, explained Ebby’s neat little formula to him, but the poor sot got drunk, as did the next and the next and many to follow through the next four months, but Bill never gave up! He was an unstoppable steam roller!

Whatever his motive, it cannot be argued but what he had experienced a personality change. What does that prove? Please read the first paragraph of Appendix II, which speaks of: ”. . . a personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism.” Bill Wilson never drank again! Ebby’s neat little formula worked!

* AA Comes of Age (p 62-63).

By Bob S., Richmond, IN