Charles B. – The Insanity of Fixing Others – 1997

About This Speaker Tape

Charles and Michelle map out the grueling transition from the wreckage of addiction to the structure of the first five steps. Charles describes the 'waxed butt' of his arrival in NA, moving from sleeping in abandoned buildings and dodging secret indictments to finding a Higher Power that doesn't strike you down. He dismantles the illusion of control, using the image of a 'four-block radius' prison of his own making.

Michelle cuts through the noise of her own 'fix-it' personality, digging into the childhood trauma of being separated from her mother. She shares the raw reality of caring for a mother with stage four lung cancer who remains mean and hurtful, framing her sobriety not as a cure for pain, but as the ability to show up for the wreckage without lashing out. Both speakers emphasize that recovery isn't about perfection, but about the willingness to get out of the driver's seat and let a Higher Power take the wheel.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Charles opens with a prayer and a reading on the purpose of NA service.
• 12:15 Charles discusses Step 1 and the physical evidence of his unmanageability: sleeping in abandoned buildings.
• 15:40 Charles shares the 'surrender to win' concept and the street code of Fountain Avenue.
• 22:10 Charles describes the 'insanity' of his coffee habits as a metaphor for needing daily restoration.
• 28:30 Charles recounts his encounter with the U.S. Marshals and his sentencing hearing.
• 34:10 Charles shares a story about a workplace conflict and the rage he felt before turning it over in a meeting.
• 41:20 Michelle begins her share, discussing the 'searching and fearless moral inventory' of Step 4.
• 46:15 Michelle discusses the pain of her mother's stage four lung cancer and the struggle to remain respectful.
• 52:40 Michelle reflects on the cultural burdens of African American women and the role of the husband.
• 57:10 Laughter: Michelle's sponsor calling her out on her 'perfection' and 'fix-it' personality.
• 62:00 Michelle discusses the 'inner voice' and the temptation to steal batteries from CVS.