He Pulled the Distributor Wire to Stop His Wife from Going to Meetings – Art L.

About This Speaker Tape

Ann Arbor , June 1982 - 1982

A retired Detroit News editor Art L. lived a double life of high-stakes deadlines and total blackouts once discovering his car in a neighbor's driveway with no memory of how it got there. He describes a home life defined by a 'wing-ding' of tipped-over lamps and a basement bar where he charged his drinking buddies 25 cents a drink to fund his own habit. His relationship with his wife Alice A. was a war of attrition involving sabotaged distributor wires and a cat he tried to toss out the door. The turning point came in 1969 driven by the fear of a legal onslaught from Alice's lawyers. Through the guidance of his sponsor Homer D. Art moved from a dishonest attempt to save his house to a genuine spiritual awakening. He recounts the slow grueling process of regaining his children's trust culminating in a daughter's embrace and her final words of love after a battle with cancer.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Art L. introduces his relationship with Alice A. and his son's medical career.
• 4:15 Description of the 'morning altar' (the toilet) and the physical wreckage of his drinking.
• 7:30 Story about the blackouts at the Detroit News and finding his car in a neighbor's drive.
• 12:10 Laughter: The story of the man who won $200k and the priest's intervention.
• 16:45 The 'bar business' in the basement and charging buddies for drinks.
• 21:20 The emotional wreckage of Christmas and his children's desire to leave 'death' at home.
• 27:10 The 'distributor wire' war and his attempts to stop Alice A. from attending Al-Anon.
• 33:40 Mention of 12 Steps: His arrival at AA on March 16, 1969, and meeting sponsor Homer D.
• 38:15 Discussion of a Higher Power (referred to as 'Dad') and the process of becoming 'whole'.
• 44:20 The 'fifth year' milestone and the reconciliation with his daughter.
• 51:10 Discussion of the 12 Traditions and the sacrifices of Bill W. and Lois W.