Step 5 Allowed Him to Tear Away the Veneer – John

About This Speaker Tape

A high-flying union executive with an 'insane power drive' describes a descent that wasn't a slow slide but a head-first plunge from the top of the mountain to the gutter. He recalls the arrogance of his drinking days—riding a horse into a bar and driving his car into the Grand Central loading platform—and a marriage to a 'bounty hunter' who refused to cut his meat. After a total collapse involving straight-jackets and mental wards he encountered 'Threefold,' a blunt sponsor who treated him like a 'dirty low-life bum' to break his denial.

He maps out his journey through the steps not as an intellectual exercise but as major surgery moving from the 'black midnight of the soul' to a place where he can finally take his children to Disney on parade without the baggage of a 'sexist pig.'

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening: John J. shares his sobriety date of October 10, 1964.
• 2:15 Laughter: The 'Big Windbag' story about a newcomer in a meeting.
• 6:40 Discussion of Austin M. and the divine force present during the writing of the Concepts.
• 12:10 The 'Threefold' disease: mental, physical, and spiritual.
• 18:30 Recounting the 'black midnight of the soul' and the collapse of his career and marriage.
• 24:15 Step 1: The realization of powerlessness and the 'terminal illness' of addiction.
• 31:00 Step 2: The shift from being a 'bad person trying to be good' to a 'sick person trying to get well'.
• 36:20 Step 4: The 'beast nose tackle' sponsor pushing him to find a real defect to help others.
• 42:10 Step 5: Sharing his fifth step with Peggy to show her she wasn't alone.
• 50:00 Step 9: The process of repairing the family unit and the 'potatoes on the head' advice.
• 55:30 Step 11: The art of listening and the daily reprieve.
• 59:00 Closing: A reflection on the 'magical world' of AA and a quote from Bill W.