More About Alcoholism as a Physiological Craving – Don G.

About This Speaker Tape

Serenity By The Sea - 1992

Don G. dismantles the notion that alcoholics are the only 'disturbed' ones arguing that the non-alcoholic world is stark raving mad. He traces his path from a youth of 'lung jerky' and reckless abandon to the appellate bench punctuating the narrative with the absurdity of his own wreckage. He recounts the surreal image of himself in a bathrobe driving a flaming couch down a California street and the irony of a former legal peer's collapse while he ascended. Don G. makes the case for a life lived 'full bore,' urging the newcomer to embrace the pain and the joy of sobriety without the need for chemical courage treating the recovery process as a mass-produced spiritual experience that allows one to finally live before the inevitable end.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Don G. opens with a reflection on the nature of tragedy and how it becomes funny in recovery.
• 4:15 Laughter: Discussion on the 'lunatic mad' nature of the non-alcoholic world.
• 8:30 Don G. references 'The Doctor's Opinion' and the phenomenon of craving.
• 12:45 A story about a five-dollar amend made after half a century.
• 16:20 The 'drunk-a-log' begins: the story of the flaming couch and the bathrobe.
• 22:10 Don G. discusses the 'obsession' and the 'How It Works' chapter of the Big Book.
• 26:40 Comparison of the 12 Steps to a Henry F. production line for spiritual experiences.
• 31:15 Don G. shares his experiences with marathon running and 'endogenous morphine'.
• 35:50 A raw moment discussing the violence and tragedy that hit his family recently.
• 40:10 The irony of his ascent to the appellate bench compared to the man who once rejected him.