Making a Step 8 List of People He Actually Liked – Don C.

About This Speaker Tape

A case of beer in a Canadian reservation home—that was the measuring stick for a boy's growth. Don C. grew up in a family where jail was a badge of honor and violence was the baseline. He spent years chasing the image of the tough guy, a pursuit that led to county jails and a haunting void: waking up in a cell the day his mother died. He describes his battle with alcohol as a boxing match in a grand arena. He spent rounds taking lucky punches to the jaw and hits below the belt, convinced by his own willpower that he could eventually whip the opponent. He only crawled out of the ring when he finally conceded that alcohol had him on his knees, stomping on his head.

Recovery came through a "rough elder" of a sponsor who treated him like a puppy, rubbing his face to make him growl. Through the 12 Steps and a Higher Power, Don C. moved from the wreckage of collapsed lungs and broken promises to a life of compassion.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening reading from the Big Book story 'A Vision of Recovery'.
• 4:15 Recounting the shame of failing his mother on her deathbed.
• 10:30 The 'boxing match' with alcohol and the illusion of willpower.
• 16:45 First impressions of AA: confusion over the laughter and the admission of weakness.
• 20:10 Meeting his sponsor Frank and the 'puppy' treatment.
• 26:50 The 'orange frog' metaphor and the decision to turn it over (Step 3).
• 31:20 Step 5: Admitting sexual abuse and the 'truth about the lie'.
• 36:15 The eagle raised by chickens metaphor for reclaiming identity.
• 41:00 Integrating the 12 Steps into the Mi'kmaq sacred circle.
• 46:30 The 'window' of morning prayer and the birds singing.