Charlie P. Discusses the Set-Aside Prayer and Staying Willing for a Higher Power

About This Speaker Tape

Cream gravy and a lifelong devotion to getting loaded were the only things Charlie P. could find to fill the 'hole in the middle' of his life. He recounts the wreckage of his drinking—pawning his father's belongings and the crushing shame of the long car rides to retrieve them—and a brief misguided attempt at treatment involving burgundy Christian Dior pajamas.

After a period of 'flat' sobriety where he operated on pure self-will a plane crash into the waters of Eastern Long Island served as a violent turning point. Charlie dismantles the illusion that alcohol was the problem arguing instead that his real battle is against selfishness. He emphasizes the necessity of a rigorous book-based approach to the Steps particularly the 'set-aside prayer,' to move beyond the superficial fellowship and into a genuine spiritual awakening.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction by Jim; mentions of motorcycle trips to Sturgis and the Big Book.
• 4:15 Charlie P. takes the podium; jokes about his appearance and the 'pink skirt' crying.
• 10:30 Discussion of the 'spiritual malady' and the 'hole in the middle'.
• 16:45 The 'pawn shop' cycle and the shame of stealing from his father.
• 22:10 The 'burgundy pajamas' story and the experience of 30-day treatment.
• 28:50 Laughter: The story of the man reading the World Atlas instead of the Big Book.
• 35:15 Analysis of the 'flat period' in sobriety and the danger of operating on self-will.
• 41:20 The plane crash into the water and the subsequent spiritual awakening.
• 48:00 Detailed breakdown of Step 1 and the 'hopeless condition of mind and body'.
• 54:30 Discussion of the 'set-aside prayer' and the battle against selfishness.