He Told the Member He Was an Alcoholic for the Past Two Weeks – Sandy B.

About This Speaker Tape

East Coast Convention - 2018

A seventh-floor hotel ledge in downtown Los Angeles becomes the breaking point for Jim S. after a felony grand theft charge and a stint in county jail. He describes a life of 'maintenance drinking' during the day and serious drinking at night fueled by the crushing guilt of abandoning his children in Oklahoma. After a desperate 2:30 AM phone call to AA Jim is met with a rigid no-nonsense sponsor named Clancy who treats him like a two-year-old and forces him into a strict regimen of daily meetings and service. The narrative shifts from the wreckage of his early sobriety—including a messy divorce and the struggle to raise teenage children—to the redemption of seeing his 79-year-old father get sober and the moment his daughter Sheila M. stood up as a newcomer in a meeting. Jim emphasizes the singular power of the AA message and the necessity of a sponsor to break through arrogance and ego.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening banter about a chair and a ballgame.
• 5:15 Jim describes his time in county jail for grand theft and the 'two sets of books' he kept.
• 12:40 The suicide attempt on the seventh-floor hotel ledge and the intervention of his Higher Power.
• 16:50 Laughter: Jim's habit of calling world leaders at 3:00 AM while drunk.
• 22:10 Jim's first interaction with Tom and the struggle to stay sober for a single day.
• 28:30 The first meeting in a smoky Hollywood church basement and Jim's outbursts at the speakers.
• 35:10 The 'trick' to keep Jim from the liquor store and the decision to pour out his reserve bottle.
• 42:15 Sponsorship: The introduction of Clancy and the strict rules for attendance and service.
• 48:20 Step 3: Jim and Clancy taking the Third Step together on their knees in a den on Lake Street.
• 53:10 Amends: The emotional phone call and meeting with his mother-in-law.
• 58:40 Jim's father getting sober at age 79 and the power of example.
• 1:05:10 The moment Jim's daughter, Sheila M., identifies as a newcomer in a meeting.