Mickey B. – Step One – The Mating Call of Arseholes – 1996

About This Speaker Tape

Mickey B. dismantles the common misconception that simply admitting one is an alcoholic constitutes the First Step. He argues that admitting is a surface-level act—often used as a tool for manipulation or a 'bumming' tactic—whereas fully conceding to the innermost self requires a rock-solid foundation of self-discovery.

Mickey maps out the mechanics of the disease as a two-fold affliction: the mental obsession and the physical allergy (the phenomenon of craving). He shares the wreckage of his own 'insanity,' including blackouts that left him 'pitiful and incomprehensibly demoralized,' a murder trial at the Old B. in London where he faced the gallows, and a penchant for robbery immediately after leaving maximum security.

He makes the case that recovery is found not in the fellowship alone—which he likens to an aspirin for a headache—but in the rigorous application of the 12 Steps to treat the underlying disease.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Mickey opens with a warning about 'numb bums' and the need for smoke breaks.
• 5:15 Laughter: Mickey tears into a 'spy in the camp' who claimed the First Step is done the moment a newcomer walks in the door.
• 12:40 Mickey explains the 'invisible line' and the 'nerd remover' effect of alcohol.
• 22:10 Detailed account of blacking out and the 'pitiful and incomprehensibly demoralized' aftermath.
• 31:20 Discussion of the 'two-fold disease': Obsession of the Mind and Allergy of the Body.
• 42:15 Mickey uses the defeat of the German army in WWI and WWII to illustrate the difference between admitting defeat and fully conceding.
• 55:30 Mickey describes his 'Higher Power of my understanding' as a mix of Native American Great Spirit and a 'group of drunks'.
• 1:05:10 The 'Old Bailey' story: facing the gallows in London and the absurdity of celebrating a 'not guilty' verdict with a drink.
• 1:12:00 Closing thoughts on the 'third factor' of recovery and the danger of just 'cruising meetings'.