God, the "Great Iconoclast."
  • Alma Turner
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    • Step 1: Humility >
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      • Amend White to Black
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      • Fear Watch
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STEP 9: Made direct amends to those we had harmed,
except when to do so would injure them or others.
 

 PRINCIPLE: JUSTICE

After reading in the Big Book, these were some helpful details from my sponsors for Step 9.

From my inventory, I learned out to uncover who and what I had harmed from 2 main sources: 
  1. the people, places, and institutions from my resentment, fear, and sex inventories
  2. the list of my defects of character: Let me clarify; looking over my defect's list from Steps 7 and 8,  I asked myself if there were other people who were harmed that did not show up in my inventory. For example, I had no resentment at the stores I had stolen from but the defect of stealing caused harm to the owners and workers at those businesses.
I was asked to get 3 by 5 cards and use one card per amend.

On the front I was directed to put the name and contact information and what thought came as to whether each amend was better to do directly, in a letter, by phone, at graveside, using a "surrogate" (e.g. one of the stores I stole from was closed so I made the amend to a small store in my neighborhood, explaining the situation to the owner who understood immediately).

On the back, I was directed to explain the harm I caused as precisely as possible, e.g. instead of "I was uncommunicative" to say, "When I was about 10, you came to my room and said that you did not want me to smoke pot. Instead of opening up and communicating, I kept quiet. This started a pattern. Other examples are...."

After making my cards, the next thing was to meet and discuss each one with my sponsor. She helped me to sort out if I really had caused harm, what false motives I might have for making amends, and get as clear as possible. 

I then put them in order from easiest for me to do to the most challenging and started with the easy ones. Note: Below the Sankofa Bird is an amend that is part of a living amend I have been making to African-Americans. ​

Poem: Amend White to Black


Step 10: Perseverance
  • Alma Turner
    • Alma Turner
    • Site Overview
    • Alma's Blessings
  • 12 Steps
    • Step 1: Humility >
      • Step One Questions
    • Step 2: Hope
    • Step 3: Faith
    • Step 4: Honesty
    • Step 5: Trust
    • Step 6: Willingness
    • Step 7: Surrender
    • Step 8: Forgiveness
    • Step 9: Justice >
      • Amend White to Black
    • Step 10: Perseverance >
      • Fear Watch
    • Step 11: Contact
    • Step 12: Service
  • Poems, Prayers, Music
    • Beloved Poems by Others >
      • I Stand at the Door by Sam Shoemaker
      • The Guest House by Rumi
      • The Invitation by Oriah
    • Poems
    • Poems Early 2021
    • Poems September 2021
    • Poems October 2021
    • Scratch Paper Poems etc
    • Parables and Songs
    • clay haiku
    • Big Book Prayers
    • Prayers by Me
    • Music >
      • Roberta Flack
      • Marvin Gaye
  • more
    • Rowdy Beauties >
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study N'awlins
      • Rowdy Beauties Bible Study Zoom
      • Rowdy Beauties Resouces >
        • Resources for Chapters 1-4
    • The Gospel of Thomas
    • Genesis >
      • High Priest
      • Jacob is Israel.
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 23, 46, 91, 139
      • Psalms 121, 1, and 32
    • Isaiah >
      • Isaiah 30
      • Isaiah 54
    • Jeremiah 31:31-35
    • Jesus >
      • Brown or Black
      • Teacher
      • Son of Man
      • Activist
      • High Priest
      • Innocent
      • Lynched
      • Alive
      • Sayings >
        • Sayings 1-3
        • Sayings 4-6
        • Sayings 7-9
        • Sayings 10-12
        • Sayings 13-15
        • Sayings 16-18
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        • Sayings 25-27
        • Sayings 28-30
        • Sayings 31-33
        • Sayings 34-36
        • Sayings 37, 38, 39
        • Sayings 40, 41, 42
        • Sayings 43, 44, 45
        • Sayings 46, 47, 48
        • Sayings 49, 50, 51
        • Sayings 52, 53, 54
        • Sayings 55, 56, 57
        • Sayings 58, 59, 60
        • Sayings 61, 62, 63
        • Sayings 64, 65, 66
        • Sayings 73, 74, 75
        • Sayings 76, 77, 78
        • Sayings 100, 101, 102
        • Sayings 103, 104, 105
        • Sayings 106, 107, 108
        • Sayings 109, 110, 111
        • Sayings 112, 113, 114
    • Lectio Divina
    • Fasting
    • Reading
    • 12 White Steps
    • The Circle and Triangle
    • The Symbol
    • Blog
    • God is Love.
    • Frederick Douglas
    • Preparations