He Thought Al-Anon Was an Aluminum Kitchen Utensil – Jerry J.

About This Speaker Tape

Sponsorship Conference - 1998

Jerry J. maps out the wreckage of a high-functioning trial lawyer who operated as a recluse in his own home drinking a quart of whiskey a day while climbing the corporate ladder. He dismantles the illusion of willpower through a failed 'controlled drinking' test—two drinks a day for six months—which only served to demoralize him further. Jerry traces his path from the pride of a West Texas upbringing to the surrender of January 1 1973. He describes the shift from a life of anger and paranoia to one of reality where he could face the death of his mother and the collapse of his father's health without the need to escape. He makes his case for the necessity of a Higher Power and the courage to drop anonymity within his professional circle to help other alcoholic lawyers transforming his career from a game of winning and losing into a vehicle for service.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Jerry J. introduces himself and his sobriety date of January 1, 1973.
• 5:15 The metaphor of Patches the bulldog and the boar hog to explain the alcoholic obsession.
• 12:40 Jerry discusses the 'yellow stripe' of fear and the pressure to achieve importance in West Texas.
• 18:20 Description of his life as a trial lawyer in Dallas and the isolation of drinking a quart of whiskey a day.
• 22:10 Laughter: Jerry describes his 'cross-examination' of his wife, Billy B., regarding her Al-Anon meetings.
• 27:45 The 'controlled drinking' test and the internal whipping he took trying to pass it.
• 33:10 The morning of January 1, 1973, and the decision to stop drinking.
• 38:50 Jerry's first experiences with AA and his skepticism toward the 'Town and Country' group.
• 44:10 Discussion of the 4th and 5th Steps and the resulting change in his internal condition.
• 50:15 Jerry describes telling his law partners about his alcoholism to remove the fear.
• 56:30 Emotional moment: Jerry reflects on his mother's death and his ability to stay sober through the grief.
• 62:10 Closing thoughts on the grace of a Higher Power and the obligation to pass the message on.