A Vision for You – Dave P. – Florida State Convention – 2004

About This Speaker Tape

Dave P. and Polly P. lead a workshop on “A Vision for You,” tracing the arc from a feverish, selfish clot of grievances to a life of happy, joyous, and free sobriety.

They mine the Big Book’s final chapter, wrestling with emotional sobriety, the death of dependency, and the surrender of the ego. Polly’s ice cream cravings and Dave’s imaginary committee member “Igor” keep the room grounded. They recount losing everything at sixteen years sober, only to find they were the richest people in the room because of AA and each other.

The talk closes with a dirt-shoveling donkey parable and a hard-nosed punchline about karmic payback, before a final serenity prayer.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Dave opens the workshop, welcomes the room, and shares the origin story of naming it 'Vision for You'.
• 1:45 Polly reads the Big Book’s Chapter 16, 'A Vision for You,' highlighting the promise of a happy, joyous, and free life.
• 4:20 Dave introduces 'Igor,' his internal committee member who weaponizes past mistakes the moment he judges someone else.
• 7:15 Polly discusses emotional sobriety, trading whiskey for ice cream dependency, and the exhaustion of seeking approval.
• 9:50 Laughter: The car mechanic story. Polly’s brutal honesty saves them money; Dave concedes, 'I really think your way works better.'
• 12:30 Polly recounts losing their home and savings at sixteen years sober, only to realize they were the richest people in the room because of AA and each other.
• 14:45 Dave defines freedom as 'benign anarchy,' dropping the need to be right, and letting go of the ego’s constant fluffing.
• 16:20 The donkey parable: shaking off the dirt of life’s shovels and stepping up, followed by a darkly funny karmic punchline.
• 18:00 Closing with a collective serenity prayer and a final bow.