2nd March Through the Steps Workshop – Part 8 of 5 – 2022 – Scott S.

About This Speaker Tape

2nd March Through the Steps Workshop - 2022

A former street criminal and armed robber Scott S. dissects the grit of Steps 8 and 9 arguing that unfinished amends are like crabs in a baby pool eating away at a person's peace. He moves from the wreckage of robbing jewelry stores and smashing cars to the realization that his 'superman cape'—the urge to fly in and fix everything with righteous indignation—is just another form of self-will. Scott S. describes the slow painful process of returning dignity to those he preyed upon including a jeweler who responded to a robbery restitution with a gift of Tibetan meditation CDs. He balances the heavy weight of criminal restitution with the smaller daily frictions of recovery like the tendency to scream at his son while docking a boat in high winds framing the entire process as a shift from being a 'spiritual thug' to a student of a disciplined life.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction: Lauren reads the text for Steps 8 and 9.
• 4:15 Scott S. discusses the 'spiritual practice' of the steps and the danger of not being current on amends.
• 10:20 The 'crabs in a baby pool' metaphor for how unfinished business eats at the subconscious.
• 16:40 Scott S. describes his history of armed robberies and kicking in doors to stash houses.
• 22:10 The 'superman cape' story: trying to force a relationship with his son through the court system.
• 31:15 Laughter: The 'spiritual thug' realization after clobbering people in Living Sober meetings with the Big Book.
• 38:40 The story of the jeweler: returning stolen money and receiving Tibetan meditation CDs.
• 46:10 The 'docking the boat' incident: an amends to his son for screaming during a windstorm.
• 54:20 The loading dock amends: paying back bail money while dressed like a 'felony' on a Harley.