My Doctor’s Cure Was Self-Hypnosis with a Biscuit Pan and a Blank TV 😂 – Dupree W.

And we liked him and we'd run into him here and we'd run into him there. And we got to love them as we always do in AA. And it's been one of the fine things that's happened to us. When I asked him if he would come to Tennessee and talk to us on our Saturday night meeting at the convention, he accepted. And I am grateful for it and I'm sure that you will be grateful for it after you hear him. Dupree W. from St. George, South Carolina. Hi. Hi, Dupree. Can everybody hear me? All right. It says on page 164, mold will be revealed to us later. It's later, right now. I wouldn't want you to miss anything that I'm going to say. It's not that important, but I have a difficult time hearing sometimes in meetings and I know how bad it is. So if you can't hear, say something. I'm deeply... What did you say? . . . Well, you need not worry. All the sick people are really up front and... . . . . . . . but I'll try a little harder. I appreciate very much the opportunity to come up here and be with you. Ray and Mildred have been so exceedingly kind to us and looked after us. And Gears has helped a great deal, too. I was quite relieved this afternoon when I found out you had enough people in registration so that the convention was in the black. He's been following me around, you know, watching me to see if I signed any tickets for anything extra. And I'm... . . . . . . . but you know, he's real fortunate to be sober and doubly blessed to have Doris. You know, I think he is. And we really appreciate this opportunity and I'm most grateful to you. We have some people here that I met in Kentucky and Indiana who said they drove down expressly for this moment. And I do appreciate that so very much. I haven't met all of you, I realize that, but I hope to maybe before the evening is over and before tomorrow when we have to leave. . . . . . . . we've learned a great deal here already at this Tennessee convention. We learned Thursday night, if you don't know what to do, to purry and drink beer. . . . . . . . and then today we heard beautiful April and May. . . . . . . and then today we heard beautiful April and May. So I'm going to end this evening with a warm, fuzzy story. In Ferris this morning, whom I knew when Frank wasn't her friend. And Bill last night, I remember when Bill came in, you know. And he didn't tell you everything, either. . . . And of course, for the ones of you that I talked about Evelyn in Kentucky and Indiana, she's here. You got to see her a while ago. . . . wonderful person who is responsible for a great many of the opportunities that I have to go around. And for you, Doctor, who is a minister in the Methodist Church, you can be relieved. I talked in the Methodist Church one time, four people joined the next day. And his lovely wife had never heard any speech, so, you know, he's got something to look forward to, really. As help for the alcoholic, we might have some new people here and people who do not know this, and this is the primary purpose of AA, to stay sober and help the suffering alcoholic. There is help for the alcoholic, and through AA I have been helped, and by God's grace. And I'm Dupree Westbury, and I'm an alcoholic, and I'm a Christian, and I'm a Christian. And I'm a Christian, and I'm a Christian. And I am also a Class A narcotics addict. I'm a member of the Walter Bar St. George group of Alcoholics Anonymous, and I have been sober eight years. And everywhere I went, people told me I would never be sober. So that proves one thing, that people aren't in charge of sobriety. That God is, and I want to give God the credit. I'm still very egotistical and self-centered, and I might take the credit myself, you know. And we get along, and this thing's going to get pretty good after a while, and you might believe I had something to do with it. But it's by God's grace I know, and because you loved me, and because you were willing to help me, that I'm sober. I never dreamed of anything like this, really. I think everything has been so pretty this weekend, and so compatible. And, you know, Evelyn and I were in Gatlinburg just six short years ago on our honeymoon, and I didn't get to see too much of the town. We got in the motel, and then she turned the thermostat up to about 60, and it got cold, and I had a few splinters, and then we burned those. And she keeps telling me to come get in the bed so I could stay warm. So I know about the warm fuzzies and all the love and everything. I came in the A. I thought it was a tremendous program, you know, but I never had been to a close-up. A feelin' like I could sleep for a night I seein' in five years. He described it in little stone – the coldest night I've ever seen. You know, each of the the years, it might happen. You know, I don't know what it felt like to be in a so-called comfortable lullaby as you consider, I guess,waif you're always going to enable yourself a little bit old-fashioned descrição to say,λ瀨 sod it up, which mean you see your body, awful old frame, so you are recovered. And, you know, you get on. It's a bit like being and looked at the box, and there was a little wet spot there on the box, and she put her finger on it and did like that, and she said, it's pickles. And he said, no ma'am, it's a puppy. I mean, some people come to AA and AA meet, you know, and think it's one thing, and it really turns out to be something else. So for the benefit of the new people, AA is a fellowship. This is the first instruction we have when we come to AA. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship. A fellowship of people who share and care about each other. A fellowship of understanding and love. You know, when you come to AA, if people don't love you, they understand you. And if they love you, they'll wait around long enough to understand you. So it's really a wonderful thing, the fellowship of AA, the sharing and caring and loving. You needn't all, you know, just get, and you've got to give some too. AA is God's ministry for the suffering alcoholic. It's the reason we're here. It's the reason God graced us with sobriety one day at a time. Well, it's mighty nice to be gathered here and real pretty close. And all dressed up. Each and every one of us know that our basic need is beyond the door to help those who do not know. We should always remind ourselves of this. My mouth's getting dry. Oh, she's had a problem with drinking. But as I said, it's a fellowship. And if you come to the fellowship of AA, you'll enjoy it and you'll get attached to it and you'll want to come back. And to illustrate this, I tell this joke. One time there was a couple down home that retired and went out into the country to live. And they wanted to raise some hogs and they bought them a mama hog. And they built a pen and put the mama hog in the pen. And every morning the man would go out and see if he had any little hogs. And every morning he went out there, there wasn't no little hogs. And so one day he was talking to the veterinarian about this. And he said, you know what's wrong? That hog needs some fellowship. So he went back home and he got the old scion and put it in the wheelbarrow and rolled it down to the Jones for fellowship, you know, and brought it back home. And he went out there the next morning and looked and no little hogs. He put it back in the wheelbarrow and down to the Smiths for fellowship. Brought it back home, put her in the pen. Next morning he wasn't quite dressed. And he asked his wife, said, would you go out and check on the hogs, see if we've got any little hogs? And she went out and she came back and she looked at him and she said, no. And he said, no, daddy, we don't have any little hogs, but the old scion's in the wheelbarrow ready to go. You know, if you can get somebody to get in the wheelbarrow and come to AA just a few times, you know, you don't have to worry about it no more. It ain't long before he'll get his own wheelbarrow and he'll start coming in there. When I came to AA, I didn't have a wheelbarrow to get in. You know, it's a wonderful fellowship, the contagious part of this thing that attracts us and keeps us together. And it's such a wonderful thing to hold on to. I see all of you dressed up. Some of you differ from others. And one time there was a couple going to a party and the man dressed up, you know, like a bull and the wife thought she would be compatible and she dressed up like a cow. And they were walking along the road because with this crude costume on, they couldn't get in the car. And when they were walking along this pasture, this bull over there spotted them. And he come charging over to them. And the husband said, good gracious, look at that bull coming our way. And the wife said, well, what are we going to do? And he says, honey, I'm going to stand overhead and make out like I'm eating grass, but you better hold on to something, you know. A lot of times we got something to hold on to when things are going wrong. And we're little blurry and being rubberd anxious, until things get tight and tough. You know, Ah, something to hold on to. On the preamble, it tells us about wisdom to know the difference. This is one of my greatest problems. I'm learning some wisdom through the AA program, Wisdom To Know The Difference. You know, that is not only a prayer, but it's the answer also. How many of you have repeated this prayer earnestly and not quietly? That's the answer. 113. Smith and Goyer came to the Haunted Light have been boycocks for eight years. And change has quietly푽been forgot and gone into breadcrumbs, butâ didn't realize that was so. It had been failed to Str abusiveети AUT<|eu|> a life in the rain in New Orleans. So I want you to had the answer almost at the same time. The wisdom to know the difference, courage to change the things we can. Do you know what wisdom is, really? One time there was a headhunter in there and his son and they were paddling down a river in a canoe and they rounded this corner and they saw this beautiful girl standing in the water taking a bath, kind of like Doris. And the boy was up in the front of the boat and he said, Gee, Daddy, look up there in the river. Let's catch her and take her home and cook her. And Daddy said, No, son, let's catch her and take her home and cook your mama. Now, that's the wisdom, you know. You got to know the difference. That's real wisdom. I got to hurry up and get started because I talk about an hour and a half and I talk about dope and liquor. And God, and since you got this equal time thing going, I'm going to talk a little bit about the devil because I was in hell. And it takes me a right good little while and I got to get started on this thing. It's a serious trip we're about to take. The trip of my life up to this moment. And I want to share it with you. I have the opportunity to speak to people, you know, in schools and churches and prisons and everywhere. And by by, I appreciate the results of your activity in prison groups. I've had the opportunity to sponsor prison groups. I know how gratifying it is to work inside these walls. But, you know, it wasn't always like this, dressed up pretty, you know, in these fancy clothes on. It was hell. It really was. And the first time I got drunk, I was 16 years old and thought I was a red-eyed, Eddie Still Indian. This is what I thought I was. And I have people, young people today. Thank God we got some in here. I wish we could reach out on the street and grab another 400 and cram them in. I get to talk to young people and this is such a privilege and such a wonderful opportunity. And young people say, well I don't have any trouble with it, you know, with alcohol. Don't have any trouble whatsoever. I've seen children start raking leaves in July and August and cutting grass and cutting me in the face. You know, nothing wrong with that. And you know, we've all got a feeling. and rake leaves in October and November and December and save all of their money until Christmas time. And take this money and go downtown and buy a pretty little girl a beautiful present like a bottle of perfume, you know, and come to a house where a fella's got some pretty girls like we've got and knock on the door. And one of them pretty girls will come to the door and he'll stand there and he'll offer her this gift, this perfume, and she'll take it and go back in the room and put it wherever girls put it and come back out and she's smelling so sweet and so nice, you know, and they walk down the walk arm in arm and he loves her and she's certainly attracted to him and go get in the car and go down to the Red Rooster and he'll drink four bottles of Budweiser and puke on the same gal before 10 o'clock that night. And they say they ain't got no trouble with it. I had trouble from the very beginning because the very first time I had trouble with it was when I was a little girl. I had trouble with it. I had trouble with it because the very first time I had trouble with it was when I was a little girl. I had trouble with it. I had the opportunity to drink. I went out with some girls. And back in those days, they were real warm fuzzies because they had these sweaters and stuff that was nice to hold on to and I appreciated that very much. But I was so doggone uncomfortable around them, you know. I liked them, boy. I'm telling you. I really did. But I was uncomfortable and we drank some and I got drunk and couldn't go to work for two or three days. But, you know, that didn't stop me. Later on, I had the opportunity to drink again, and a game, and a game. And the people that I went out with encouraged me to drink and suggested that I drink. And drinking subsequently became a part of my life. Going out with the girls and drinking and having a good time. And the girls found home were kind of like if you want what we have. And I wanted what they had. And I was willing to go to any lengths, you know. It would be get drunk and all these things, you know, and feel bad and, you know, be a little bit drunk. like the speakers have said before me. Have to find out from somebody else what happened. Did we have a good time last night? We had a good time last night. We're going to do it again. We're going to do it again. You know? I didn't take any courses to become an alcoholic. I didn't do anything extra. I realize now in this present state of mind and attitude that I've got that this was the course I had to bear to come to know God. And it was worth every suffering minute of it. It really was. But you know, when it's 90% fun and 10% hangover, you ain't going to quit. And I continued to drink. And I hear people say when they get married, I'm going to quit. And I didn't. And if I had a little son, I'd quit. And I did not. And if I had a little daughter, I'd quit. And all of these things happened to me. And yet I did not stop drinking. Yes. I didn't stop. And people would come by to see me from the Baptist church. Now, I was a member of the Baptist church. And the Baptists down home were kind of like, hey, they ain't for or against nothing. And I mean, if you went to the picture show, you'd go to hell. If you danced, you'd go to hell. If you went to the pool room, you'd go to hell. And Lord, you know, everything you've done, you'd go to hell. And I'd go to church in the morning, and I'd feel bad, you know. And the preacher said, now, if you do, these things are going to hell. And I had just quit doing them. Just a couple hours ago, you know. So we didn't have a very compatible situation there in the church. Always talk about God burning me up, man. I loved me, and I flat didn't want to burn up. So I had to cut out. I couldn't go back there no more. And I just left the church. And if you ain't going to have nothing in the church, but how God's going to burn you up, you better leave yourself. I'm telling you. Isn't it wonderful to be with people that talk about how much God loves you? And what he's willing to do for you. But anyway, that was that. I don't know what year I became an alcoholic. When I first came to AA, I thought maybe it was 1959. But as I've stayed in AA and became more sober, and probably more sane, and I have had people to refresh my memory about some of the things I did, I was an alcoholic way back, you know. I was an alcoholic. People come and greet me on the street today and say, Hi, Debris. How you doing? Now. How you doing? Now. You know, and this really shakes you up. Makes you think about 10th Step, you know. And so there I was. No real need to change, but drinking a great deal. I don't know why, but in the afternoon, I had a tremendous hurting in my gut. And if I could just get a drink, it would go away and quit. And I wondered about this thing, this need in the afternoon. And I said, well, if I do take a drink, I feel normal, you know, and I go in and everything's better, really. But golly, I drink so much sometimes, I get so normal, I couldn't even get in the house. If I got in the house, I couldn't even get into bed. And, you know, this was a mess, really. And I don't know. They say that the chains of alcoholism are never felt until they're too strong to be broken. I've been in 42 institutions in the United States for drug addiction and alcoholism. I've been in the county jail when we had court going on and all my cousins that lived out in the country came to town to be on the jury. And there I was in the big old jail room, you know, and it had big old windows in it. And I was hiding behind the kerosene heater and it was leaking and the fumes was coming up in my face, you know, and I was sick as a dog and shamed to death. And shame won't get you sober. I was ashamed. I've been in John Hopkins. Yes, sir. And I've been in the insane asylum twice. That's what Daddy called it. I had to take my son to the insane asylum. Twice I had to go. I was temporarily insane from the use of drugs and alcohol. I've been in the federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky. They call it a public health hospital. My number there is 66777. Full house. I've always thought I was just a cut above other people. Not have a common number. You know, have a distinguished number. Alcoholism and drug addiction has carried me through a hell that I cannot describe to you properly. And there wasn't anything that I could do about it, seemingly, before I got to AA. And it seems like to me I went through an incubation process where things just got worse and got worse and got worse and it wasn't no way for me to get off. Wasn't no way to stop. And I lost everything I had. In the year of 1960, I remember as a boy how poor we were. Used to get a nickel a week once a month to go to the picture show. In 1960, when my drinking became so very bad, I had a weekly income of $3,000 a week. So money don't help. I think it prolongs and makes the thing worse. The drinking. I went to this doctor and told him who I was. And I pulled out a big old roll of money, you know, and told him that I could afford treatment. And he said, Mr. Westbury, we'll give you some treatment. We'll give you some treatment. We'll give you some treatment. We'll give you some treatment. And it was one of these fancy doctors that charged you $50 to get examined. And you can't find out what's wrong with you to say they have a $50 doctor to examine you. I mean, if you go to a $10 doctor, you can get some medicine and go on home. But a $50 doctor, you've got to come back next week and get the diagnosis, see? And I came back and he said, Mr. Westbury, I find that you are an extremely nervous person. You ever see an alcoholic who's nervous, you know? And so he said, but I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to teach you self-hypnosis. You're going into a mental trance that's a mere suggestion mentally of the two numerical numbers 66. And when you get into this trance, Mr. Westbury, you stay in it eight minutes. It's the equivalent of eight hours rest. You just casually suggest to yourself that you won't drink anymore. And this will remain in the subconscious mind sufficiently so that you won't. Now, you know, I have good news to the alcoholic. Now, you see, it says in chapter five, no human power can relieve our alcoholism. See, but I don't know that. I'm going to get mine relieved. See? And this doctor is going to teach me hypnosis. But he says, I'm so nervous. Lay down, Mr. Westbury, and let me give you something. Now, be careful. If you ever go to a doctor and he tells you to lay down, he's going to give you something. And he tied that arm off there with a rubber band. And he put a needle in that band there. And he shot me with seven grains of sodium amytal. And I got just as relaxed and happy as Willie. Y'all know Willie. I mean, I was flat ready to go. And I felt good all over. And he said, Mr. Westbury, when it gets you relaxed now, pull up your finger and I'll stop the injection and won't give you any more beyond that point. And he started giving me that stuff and I could see snow falling and all, everything, just changed. And I itched all over. And I felt so good. I felt like Moses must have felt up on the mountain. And I just couldn't raise that finger. And there I was. And that was my first shot of dope. And nothing in the world is anything like taking dope. It's so possessive. It carries you into heaven through the back door. And there I am now where I always wanted to be. And it didn't cost a great deal. And I was like, I want to stay there now. And what happens to a person like Dupree Westbury who has the personality that is attracted to character change and drugs? And what happens to a person like me who has been eased now by the drug, the character change and drug of alcohol and drugs? He got me off liquor. And he got me off women too. Because when you're taking dope, you don't want nothing to do with no women. I'm telling you that. And he got, and that messed me up home too, you know. Where have you been, Dupree? I mean, and all like that. But here I am in this dark room staring at this blue light. And I'm breathing in when the metronome ticks and out when the metronome ticks and in when the metronome ticks. And we've heard it said here this week that it's a family illness. And the family is home waiting. The children with great deals of anxiety and frustration, you know, waiting at a distance when you come back home. And the afternoon, wondering what condition that he's going to be in. Judging to see if it's all right to go talk to him. And the wife full of fear and anxiety and frustration trying to live with a person like that. And me drunk as a lord. Yes, sir. And go home and they say, what happened today? How are you making any progress in your medication? Yeah, I'm making progress. Let me tell you about it. Okay. I'm going to listen. Turn the TV on channel 10. There ain't no program on there. I'm going to look at the TV, honey. Ain't no program on. I'm going to stare at it. That's going to be my blue light. We don't have a metronome. Go in the kitchen and get a biscuit pan and bring it here and turn it upside down and beat on this biscuit pan with a rhythm. And I'm going to stare at the TV now as you beat on the biscuit pan. And you watch me as I breathe in and out three dozen times. And I'll go in there. I'll go into a trance and you could stick me right through that wrist with a pen and I won't even know it. And while I'm in this trance, suggest to me that I don't drink anymore. Now, man, ain't that strange, though? So I'm beating on the biscuit pan and I'm looking at the TV set and I'm relaxed. Oh, yeah, I'm relaxed. I'm taking my dope now. I've got a pill to get up behind one for the middle of the day and one in the evening. And just any time, you know, I want one, I've got one. All kinds of pills. You know. These stupid pills, you know. Do you know the difference between being drunk on alcohol and drugs? If you, if Giz was drunk right now and laying down there and you walk by there and say, Giz, what's wrong with you? Giz would say, I'm drunk. See? But you can fill old Giz up on pills and lay him down there and walk by there and say, Giz, what's wrong? He'd say, nothing. Total insanity. That's what it is. Nothing's wrong. And this was the attitude I had. That nothing was wrong. And I really believed this. I had stopped drinking. Almost quit committing adultery. Coming home at night. My eyes were clear. I was wearing pretty clothes. I had the Pepsi-Cola look. I was real thin. Alan Shepard went up one morning and I passed him. I was coming down. He was going up. Drunk addiction. I worked all day long. I was working in the morning. I was doing things. The next morning, the guy comes up to me and says, it's going to be okay. I'm going to tell him this no matter how high you think you are. I'm going to tell him that we've got good people of a hundred, two out of a hundred. Of all the friends I've got in there, hundreds of them just like you are. I can count the ones of us who had a dual narcotic and alcohol problem who have recovered on these two hands. And if you had the problem and still got it, there's room on these two hands for your recovery. Think about that. Just ten little fingers can count the people. This got sober and I'm one of them. I should be grateful. I should come to Tennessee. I should go anywhere I could go. And I'm taking my dope man and people don't know what's wrong with me and I'm doing all kind of fool things and I don't want to get sober. I ain't drinking no liquor, but I'm showing a myth. And my wife says she's gonna leave me and she finally does. And I'm gonna take the kids with me when I go and she finally does. And I've heard people say that alcoholics don't love their family. This is the reason they do these things, but that's a damn lie. They do love their families and we try as hard as we possibly can, but for some reason we've still got a mile or two to walk. Another day to go. Suffer some more, ready to die and can't die, and wake up in the morning still sick and shaking and wondering if the doctor's dead and you can't get no more dope. And half earthquake comes and kills him, go another side of town and get you another doctor. And half the earthquake would kill him. And go yet to another town and get you another doctor. In 1960 I had my dope brought to my house and put in a federal mailbox, 144 pills at the time with no prescription number. And they tell me it's a great deal more permissive now than it was then. And I have no idea what's going on. And now I talk to them about this. And they say, well, I've been over three years now and I haven't been taking any more pills since I was a kid. then. And I tell you tonight that the illness of alcoholism compounded with drug addiction is going to take young people and literally drive them out of their minds. And if we aren't ready with the door open and the light burning to take them when they come in to hell, they'll stay. Nothing progressive the illness has passed is a combination of the two. And I got to where I didn't have fancy clothes. And I got to where I couldn't even go to work. In the year of 1963, after going through the prison. I want to tell you just a little bit about prison in Lexington. The hopelessness that I saw registered on faces there. The hopelessness that exists in the institutions, right Bob? Oh, you've got a world of work out there for you. It's said in the last five days of our 24-hour book that if we are going to serve AA and we're going to help the suffering alcoholic, we first got to convince him that there's hope. Go and tell him there's hope. And no one ever told me there that there was hope. They said this blue book with your number on it is going to always be your book. Every time you come back, Westbury, we're going to add yet still another chapter in this book. You ain't going to never get sober. Man, you from the south, you burning on the front burner and you're taking that real dope. Now you ain't like them cats from New York taking that milk sugar and puking on people. You got it and you ain't going to get over it. And you know I came to believe that. That I would never be sober. That I would stay like I was and would never be sober. Oh, isn't that terrible to think that? So don't you know that how much help and how much happiness can be brought just going in and say, buddy, there's help for you. Oh, we go in sometime, we see somebody in trouble and lay in there and we look at them and we, in our haughty way, I do, I'm guilty of this, don't worry, I'm from AA. You go to see somebody and walk in the house and lay your hand on them and tell them that you understand and you've been like that too. And you came to help them. You can tell them you come from BB. It won't make no difference. The fact that you come is the thing that you understand and that you'd know. And I came out and I had lost everything. And let me tell you just a little bit right now before I go any farther. The way I end my story I can't tell you. But I'm married now to this beautiful Evelyn. We've got a lovely home. In fact, we got two houses. I got one the lake and she got a townhouse. And I had me an airplane that I bought in case I was ever invited to speak at conventions. And I never did get to go, and so I sold it, and then I got to go, and, you know. And my brothers and I are in business together, and we have a very large company. And the other day I was in Philadelphia, and it's hard for me to control my ego, and I was at the Autocop factory. They build these pretty big trucks, you know. And when I got to the factory, I looked and there was a great big old sign, welcome Dupree-Westbury. Westbury Trucking Company, St. George, South Carolina. And the president told some of the lower people down the line, he said, you know he's buying the entire production of this plant for two days. Bought everything he could make in that factory for two days. And eight years ago I was drinking Vitalis Heft Honey. And my children that were taking me to the factory, they had a little bit of a hard time. They had a little bit of a hard time. And one of them from me lived in Tennessee, in Kingsport. And after I had been sober a while, I got a call one Sunday afternoon, and they said, your first wife died just a few minutes ago. And just like that, God gave me my two kids back. Blessings that have come to me since I've been in AA. You wouldn't believe them, man. I'm telling you, it's just like a fairy tale if you're only new. And I could talk all night about it. And why I should grateful. People like him, military come by and break bread with them, and love them. Tremendous, they believe that. But here I am in this institution, and I'm a dope addict. And they tell me I ain't gonna never be sober. ain't gonna never make it, ain't gonna never make it . There were dogs howling in that institution. I heard them. One And I heard a dog howling 6'!b choosing hope for that damn institution.me information and the lies behind it The only thing that was necessary until he got back home from dinner seemed to be theASSUS. вас offers him $10,000. nyc,mj,mj N mine hashtag just got back home from dinner was plus its 5000. And not for even dealing. there were dogs howling in that institution I heard them one night and I said what is that and they said Mr. Westbury Dr. Isbell is conducting some research in this hospital and downstairs he's got patients people like you who give themselves to a morphine program take massive doses of dope and they lock them up in these cages and they just drunk his lords for a while and then they just cut the dope off and let them suffer and they watch them through these cages to see the adversity on the body and those dogs you hear are part of that program would you like to see it and I said yes and went down there and I saw beautiful people literally give themselves to the dope locked in cells and a little further down the line dogs that would protect your life and your child's life come up to the cage and stick his paw out want to shot a dope in that joint and the little rats like to put them girls up on the stool right there in the cage and you throw a nickel pencil in there boom he got it done eat it up eraser brass and all now rats ain't supposed to eat up pencils like that and dogs ain't supposed to be for dope so this is why I say leave them pills alone and that dope alone cause ain't many of us that make it and I feel sure that God wanted me to share this with you because it's so terrible to live because it's so terrible to live because it's so terrible to live because it's so terrible to live because it's so terrible to live and it's such a great problem today with this but I'm drinking air tonic and I'm back home to Mama's now y'all it's gonna get better right now and I ain't got nowhere else to go cause that's the only place I got and daddy will give me a dollar and I go downtown and get me some Camel cigarettes for 30 cents and a bottle of 69 cents Vitalis and come home and it's in the plastic bottle now and I can squeeze it out real quick in the bathroom and put some water with it and drink a bottle of Vitalis and put a little bit on top of it and put a little bit on top of it and put a little bit on top of it and come out if alcoholism and drug addiction is an illness then we've got to have some medication for this illness and the next time you see somebody stumbling along drunk he ain't just a drunk SOB he's an alcoholic what's taking his medicine he's an alcoholic what's taking his medicine he's an alcoholic what's taking his medicine why any of you will agree to that if it's an illness you ought to have some medication so when you see somebody like this know then full well know then full well that he's taking the only medication that he knows about this increases your responsibility it doesn't make it diminish whatsoever cause you can remember when you took the same medicine and didn't know what to do and I'm home with mama and drinking Vitalis and just a year before that I had tremendous amounts of money and I was spending five and six hundred dollars a day for dope taking a hundred quarters of morphine a day in the van yes and one day I was sitting on the porch and looking out into the darkness of the night and thinking nothing and wishing nothing and knowing nothing and believing nothing and hoping nothing and mama comes out on the porch and she said son I talked to Mary today in the beauty parlor and she said to tell you that she would like for you to go to the AA meeting with them now what was my remark to this what was my reaction the same as yours probably why do they give a damn about me nobody else cared about Dupree now Dupree is going to the AA it looks like my wife but get a new station wagon put your guns in it pack a lunch and come over there to mama's and get me cause this indicated we were separated you know me being with mama and her with her mama then get me and take me to a meeting But it don't work like that. It don't work like that. God don't do things logically, fellas and girls. He does things unlogically. So this people I don't even know invites me to go to AA. And for you people that are right stuck up on AA, I want you to know this right now. The girl that invited me to go was an Al-Anon. By God, AA didn't invite me to go to AA. It was Al-Anon. You know, some people in AA think that these girls are just some kind of little old auxiliary or something. Man, they ain't got their own program. And these Alenteans, they know about it. I'm deeply indebted to Al-Anon. And I realized I had made a mistake, and I called her and told her I'd go, and I went to AA. Our very first meeting, April 22, 1964. What impressed me was the fact that these people told me I was sick. This was the reason I had behaved like I had behaved, and there was hope for me one day at a time. And me, a student of Aristotle and Plato and Socrates, was given this classical advice. Don't take a drink and you won't get drunk. I still think it's classical advice to people who come into AA. Don't take a drink and you won't get drunk and live one day at a time. Still, I'm not giving you any real good advice. I'll tell you another thing I had to do at my first meeting. I had to quit what I was doing and go. And I've been in ATS. And every meeting I've ever go to, I had to quit what I was doing to go. Quit what I was doing to go. Say, and the first thing I learned there was hope, just like the book says. And secondly, that you were concerned about me. And thirdly, that you loved me. Oh, I was grateful. I was grateful for this. The greatest need in the world today is to be loved and to be understood. And what a tragic thing it is throughout our life and our alcoholism that we try to do this and we can't do it. And it hurts so very badly in there. And we finally get to AA and we tell somebody, we fix to tell him about how mean the wife is, and he says, I know. God, you ain't even got to tell him. He's got a mean wife too, you know. It just saves you all that time. And, you know, and boy, it just works out real good. You learn these things, like don't even take a drink, you know. So I was quite impressed with my first meeting. Now, you know, this is where we need unity in AA. Because, you know, when we come into the first meeting, we don't know who the granddaddies are and who the giz's are and the whatnots are. I mean, everybody ought to be looking happy and everybody, one common purpose, you know, we going to help him. You know, if we've got a problem today, it's this. We ain't got enough people to work with. We go to help any time. We don't have enough people to work with. We go to help any time. We don't have enough people to help each other too much sometimes. You ever see somebody in the group have a slip and come back, and they look at him and say, well you know what the S.O.B. was doing last Wednesday night, don't you? And they jump on him and pick him in the head like a cook full of chickens until they literally kill him. Won't let him recover. Isn't that awful? We ought to be unified in our efforts, and we ought to stand together and say, yes, here we are. we're ready to help you thank God my group was like that didn't show any decision but of course I hadn't got any chance see I was I'm gonna change that in a minute they all love it and I began to change attitudes change attitude changes when you realize you're an alcoholic and you admit it and you attitude changes when you come to sanity naturally it would and then when you get to know about God it changes even more dramatically see and I began to change in a these things that I learned in a from people that's in this room this very room helped me so very much you know changes I went in one night and he said you pray you shall make it progress Dolly I look down I thought I was growing a peel or something I didn't know you know like the old boy was going through a town kind of like Gatlinburg and he saw this pretty girl standing on the corner and he stopped me and said honey you want to ride with me she said yes if she got in by him Jim and they were riding along and he looked at him he said golly you're pretty kind of like Caroline and said I think I'll stop this car and kiss you and she said don't do that I'm a witch he says oh boy I don't believe these witch stories turning rats into horses and pumpkins into chariot she says but I am he said which you know which I'm gonna stop this car and kiss you and he stopped that car and kissed her and she turned him into a motel you know when we don't want to even be turned into something we get turned into something when we come to a I have it wanted to be I wanted to be good the whole time I've been in a really I have not I have not wanted to be good but yet God continues to grace me with sobriety and that wonderful how many of you want to be good every day nobody raised their hand all kind of things happen when you come in today you know like after about 90 days you know I was in the states bar one night having dinner with dr. John and his wife and one of my sponsors corneal and I was telling corneal about the way I lived and I thought I'd go down on the lake and put me a little trailer down there on the lake in case I ever had any friends that wanted to stop by he said they're free huh you can't do that you got to practice these principles every night of the week not just Monday night and Thursday night when you have meetings he said boy what's wrong with you you in heat in this place why did care my friends and he said you can't do it you get drunk and I didn't do it either people like that that had enough courage and tough love tough love for me you know tough love is what we find in a people who are willing to stand on the tips of your shoes and say boo I love you but if you don't quit that so-and-so is gonna happen it takes courage and guts to do it and I surrounded myself with these type of people when I came in because I knew I've needed and thank God I've stayed I've been happy since I've been in a almost happy as Willie I've been real happy with it it's been so good and so wonderful and meeting people and new experiences like today tonight is a program of experience you know where things happen to us and we know then that God's there and that God loves us it's a real experience to be in there I come home one afternoon I've been working the steps I know what the tenth step says it says take your inventory and promptly admit when you're wrong Evelyn's waiting at the back door ready to kiss me and I walked by so what you some damn sex maniac or something and I just go on back to the room and I realize now my AA training comes in stupor you did wrong you know you ought to go back there and apologize Lord it's hard for me to say I'm sorry I go out in the yard and cut the prettiest rose we have and my prettiest antique bottle and put it in that bottle and write a note to Evelyn. Dear Evelyn, I love you. I'm sorry I said what I said. Go back in the kitchen and sit it down. And she picks it up and reads it. I love you too. Done made amends and ain't even had to say nothing. You see what I mean? To say excuse me, this is all we need to do when we are wrong. We don't have to be perfect, but when we are wrong, say excuse me. I get two girls down the hall walking down the street. One of them looked at the other and said, you look like you in a motherly fashion. She said, yes, I am. She said, well, who done it? She said, John. She said, well, does John know about it? She said, yes. Well, what did John see when you told him? He said, excuse me. Excuse me. It's hard for me to say. You know, as much as I know about AA, I'm one of them trusted servants in my group. You know, I ain't never been called a trusted servant yet, but I got elected to that position. I've been called some other things. AA expert, SOB and all that stuff. But a trusted servant. You know, I've been called a trusted servant for a long time. I know these things. And yet in my very home where it says on page 19 that the elimination of drink is but the beginning, certain principles must be practiced in the home first, in the office second. I have such a difficult time doing this. I'm real kind of nasty at times with the people I love the most. People that are alcoholics have a tremendous capacity for feeling. Those of us who can feel deeply can hate just as deeply. Same little old deal, you just change it around and start it going the other way. My little girl sometimes asks Evelyn, Miss Evelyn, when's a good time to talk to Daddy? And I've been in AA eight years. I sure got a lot to learn yet. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. I'm going to be a good husband for you. But when I've had the courage and the gut to do the things that you've suggested to me, it's been a real rewarding thing. That good feeling that you have inside. We were sitting down at the table that day, I never didn't know I was in the big war you know, World War II. And we had medals and all for being in that war. And I went to my sponsor's house one night and he had his medals up on the wall you know. And God I said I didn't even get any. He said well you're supposed to write somebody and tell them. Well I was drunk from the day I got the dedicated medals and stuff. So he said, Mom, I think that you have too much to do. I'm going to get it all out. I'm going to get it all out and go with from the time the war ended up until just a few years ago, so I didn't like nobody. And I wrote, and they finally came, and they're beautiful things, like you see in the movie, picture show, you know, on them fellas. They've got a big old thing up there, and they hang down in yellow and blue, all kind of colors. And Darlene said, Daddy, what was that one over there for? I said, that's World War II victory medal. World War II, the big war. She said, Daddy, I know that. You wouldn't even been in it if it wasn't the big one, you know. I thought you knew a whole lot more about us than we give them credit for, you know. Yeah, you wouldn't even been in it if it wasn't the biggest one. It is a spiritual program given to us by God, and eventually we have to come to this point where we've got to realize and accept the fact that there's a God. And what a beautiful opportunity to accept him as you understand him. See, because you ain't limited. Isaiah, on down the line, it's going to tell you to seek through prayer and meditation to improve your conscious contact with God, praying only for the knowledge of his work for you and the power to carry that out, the will to do God's work. And I accepted God as he was demonstrated to me through you. And I don't believe that anybody could ever have a better God or a better bunch of demons, or a better demonstrators than people like you who demonstrated God to me. You made me know this beyond any question. So comfortably. Nothing to be afraid of. Yes, I came to know God. And it was a very pleasing and rewarding thing. To know that I didn't have to be responsible in the morning that I could say, God help me, and he would. To realize that every day that I enjoyed sobriety, as it says on page 85, a daily reprieve of sobriety contingent on the maintenance of a spiritual program in my life. And to look back on days when I really didn't ask and to have received yet still another day of being sober. Our primary purpose says though, to stay sober and to help other suffering alcoholics. This is the ministry to God. This is the ministry to God. This is the ministry to God. This is the ministry that we must fulfill. The unhappiest people in AA are the ones that come to get and never want to give. Never want to give. The book says this. You will not want to miss the opportunity to work with other people. And you won't. After I had taken the leavener. I had the opportunity to do the right step. I knew what God wanted me to do. And I set about to do it. I'm going to tell you in the next few minutes a true experience in my life. Trying to help another alcoholic and trying to sponsor another person. Which is our primary purpose and when we leave here we should go with this in mind. I'm sober now and God loves me and I love God and I know who he is. And I'm happy. But I'm not truly happy because I've got a buddy that's still drinking. And we grew up together. I used to see his house when the leaves were off the trees and see the lamp light shining and he could see mine. And we used to walk to the mud holes and fish together anticipating catching a big old fish you know. And we went on our first date together when we were 16 years old and he furnished his daddy's car and I furnished the chewing gum. And I loved him and he was like a brother. And one day I started out to see John and John told me to tell you it was alright for me to tell this. Because I told it one night in front of him at a meeting. And he told me after the meeting he said, Uncle Duke, that's what he calls me. He said, Uncle Duke if you ever want to tell that, try to help somebody, you do it. So I'm going to do it now. And old John was still drinking and I was going out to see him and I stopped at a little old filling station. And they said, Dupree where are you going? And I said, I'm going out to help somebody. And I said, I'm going out to help John and try to get him to come to AA. They said, don't go out there. He ain't worth a damn. You know how miserable he is and how vulgar. Don't go, he's not worth the effort. Oh my, I was so happy with my AA and so dedicated to what God wanted me to do. I dismissed that and continued to go. And I told John when I got there, I said, now John, if you want to get sober, you got to stop drinking. Because see, that's what you told me to tell him. And you got to go to AA and you got to quit that old nasty talk. And you got to quit living with that woman because she ain't your wife. Yes sir. And John came to AA. We was having an eating meeting next week and John came. And John became an associate member of AA. We got some people like that now in AA. Come to the birthday parties. And the eating meeting and the state convention. And John became an associate member. And I asked him how he was getting along and he'd tell you right quick. I go with Uncle Duke. He got enough for me and him. Holding on to the hem of my garment, that was sufficient. In AA, you've got to weave your own garment. And John couldn't stay sober like that. And John got drunk again. I love this fella. I wish I could impress you with how much I loved him. And finally after weeks of waiting, I set out for AA one more time. And I wrote John a letter. And he was on the chain gang. And he was down in the ditch, digging ditches, you know, them striped britches on. And the same man had been in the missile sites in Cheyenne. Missile sites in Cheyenne, Wyoming in charge of the defense of this country two years before that. And he was kicked out of the military. In nineteen and a half years. And he was real bitter. And I said, John, if you want to get sober. And I listed them same four things again. This is what you've got to do. And this proud man digging in this ditch. Confused and singing man. And this man waited two weeks to write me. And finally one day he wrote me and said, Uncle Duke, come get me. I'm ready to do what you say. And golly, you know what we do in AA. We called some other people. Let's go get old John. And a bunch of us got in the car and went and got him and took them old boots off him and them striped britches. And stopped for the first place we could and got some coffee and drank and began a beautiful fellowship. And John went to AA. And our group, we used the chip system. And I said, John, they let me give out the chip, you know, because I brought him back. And he wouldn't take one after the meeting. I said, how come you didn't take a white chip? Don't you, ain't you willing to get sober? He said, yeah. I said, but if I'm ever sober, yeah, I want me one of them blue ones. You know. So I didn't say too much to him, you know, because after all he was there and I wanted him there, you know. And keep going to them meetings, I told him. And John's attitude changed though. He would come and spend the night with us and go to the meeting. He didn't have any place to live really. He had burned his home down. He had a beautiful farm. And John had moved in the tenant house that was out there on the farm, just a little tiny thing like you all got up in Kids' Cove. And it had a chimney. And, you know, and we'd give John a blanket and a kerosene lamp and a cot. And he slept on his cot. He cooked in the open fireplace. And every morning and every afternoon I'd go to see about John. Sponsorship, bringing people into AA is a serious responsibility. And get him and take him home. And Evelyn would cook for him, you know. And after a while John started accumulating some material things, you know. Got a table off the trash pile. My brother gave him an old refrigerator that would run sometimes. And a stove, what, one-eye when it would work. He went to accumulating stuff. And John said one day, he said, you all come out and have dinner with me. And Evelyn started to cook. And oh boy, this is where... It's so wonderful to have the family. And the recovery together, Doris, you know. And she cooked for about two or three days. And put it all in a wicker basket. And covered it up with a pretty table cloth. And we went to John's house. And knocked on the door. And John came to the door. And Evelyn gave him the basket. And he shut the door in my face, man. Went inside and put all that food on the table. And lit a candle. And came back. And asked us to come have dinner with him. The fellowship of AA. And after the meeting was over, we thanked God for it. And got up and went to an AA meeting. I loved that fellow. And he was sober about six months then, you know. And I was proud of him, boy. Everybody said he wasn't worth a damn and he hadn't been in jail in six months. Look what I was doing for him. So I'm laying in the bed one night. And it's three o'clock in the morning. And I can't sleep. And I ought to tell you why I can't sleep. Because I went to the meeting one night. And one of the finest people there, that I hope a lot of alcoholics, told me one night, said, Dupree, you ought not have bought that Maxwell House coffee for a dollar and fifteen cents. You could have went to the A&P and got some eight o'clock coffee for seventy-nine cents. Well, hell, we don't even have an A&P where I live. And I couldn't get it. And I resented her. So I said, well, I've been sober. Now about a year or two years. It's about time for me to make my move. And we'll start a group in St. George. And we'll call it the Saint Group. And I went around among the people that was in this group that literally saved my life. And I picked them out. And I said, now, honey, you can belong to my group. But not you. And you can belong to it. And I picked out the ones that I liked and told them. And they agreed. And they said, yeah, we'll help you start another group. And I was laying in that bed, hitting them people that lived there. And they literally saved my life. They taught me about God. And who had embraced me with tears in their eyes. Yes, sir. We got people in the A.A. who do that right now, you know. I should have been so ashamed. But I did this. Not being grateful enough. You can't sleep when you're like that. Lord, you're hitting and resenting and planning and all, you know. And about that time, the telephone rang. And they said, this is Mr. Westbury? And that's what they call me now. And I said, yeah. And they said, well, your buddy John had a heart attack a while ago. And he's almost dead. And he's in the hospital. And he's going to be dead by the time you get here. But he calls your name on his every breath. Think about that. He wouldn't even speak to his one sister and one brother. And he didn't have anybody else. And he's dying. And he's in the hospital. And he's calling my name on his every breath. And you know what? I ain't even told him about God yet. And he's making him die. And we had shared this minute that's necessary between sponsor and the newcomer. And sit down, boy. Let me tell you about God. You know, I didn't want to upset him. And I said, I hope he don't die. And I got to the hospital. And there he lay under that oxygen tent and that old monitor going everywhere, you know. And I looked at my buddy. And I said, pardon me if you don't die. When you ever get able to, I'm going to talk to you about God. And he finally got where he was able to talk. And one night I went to see him and carried him some fried squash. Heart patients, they're supposed to have fried squash. But I went to the nurse's desk and I said, my name's Jeffrey Westbrook. My wife's a nurse. And she knows what heart patients ought to have. And she fixed something for John. She did fix it. Hell, I made her fix it. If I love you, I'll do anything for you. And John would steal some squashes out and eat them. And then he said, Uncle Dupe, I want to smoke some. I said, sure you do. And I got him out from under that tent and carried him in the bathroom. And all them wires was hanging on him. And let him smoke some. And put him back up under there. Well, we hadn't talked about God yet. And this little short Methodist minister, no reflection on you, named Frank Myers, came walking in the room. And he walked up and said, Mr. Hussey. And he said, yes. He said, I came by to speak to you. Are you feeling comfortable, sir? And he said, yes, pretty comfortable. He said, good. Then I'll visit you tomorrow. And he turned around to walk out. And when he did, old John's arm come out from under that tent and grabbed him by the arm. He said, wait a minute before you go. Please pray for me. I ain't never heard these words from this fellow. And the preacher looked at him and said, why don't you pray for yourself? And he said, I've never prayed to God in my life. I witnessed this. And he said, well, start now. And John prayed a prayer. I could recite it to you word for word. One of them warm, fuzzy prayers. And then the... He couldn't say no more. And the preacher said something. And he took his book out and he got to Romans 10, 9. Whosoever believeth on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And he said, John, it's just that simple. And walked out of the room. And I was so happy I couldn't contain myself. I went home and got over to bed where Evelyn was. Woke her up and I said, get up, honey. John knows about God. I'm sober and know about God. And my buddy's sober. And he knows about God. Now that's what he's all about. Getting sober and trying to help do God's work. And that booger finally had him a birthday. Got him one of them blue chips. We got a fella in the audience tonight from Paducah, Huey, who's celebrating his 13th birthday today. And he hadn't even told anybody about it. Boy, what a wonderful day. Boy, what a wonderful occasion it was for John celebrating his birthday. And I gave him his blue chip. And everybody told me how good I had done to help save him and everything. And one night, 17 months after coming in there, he come walking into the group and brought this ugly woman, crippled old woman. And John used to not would speak to these kind of people, you know. And here he brought somebody that needed help. And when they give out the chips, she got up and took one. Because she was sitting by Evelyn, I was sitting by John. And Evelyn didn't pinch her or nothing. And he went to leave that meeting that night. And he looked at me and said, Uncle Duper, I'm coming home Monday. I'm coming home Monday. What did he mean by that? He meant, come on by the house now. And let's put this together. And let's enjoy this beautiful land full of sobriety together. And I said, okay, I'll see you. And that was October the 5th. And October the 7th of 1921, I was in the house. And I said, okay, I'll see you. And that was October the 5th. And that was October the 5th, 1967. I was sitting down at my TV set watching my football game. And the telephone rang. And it said, Duper, I said, yes. Since you were the one that saved him and helped him, we wanted you to know. John came home a while ago and brought some clothes. And as he unloaded the car and backed out of the yard, he died. And he's dead now sitting in the car. And the car is running and it's out in the field. Oh, it stopped. And we wanted you to be the first one to know. And I went out there and my buddy was dead. And we carried him to town. And we're going through this routine, you know, getting ready to bury him. And his family came up to me the next day and said, Duper, we found something in John's pocket. It was that thing you gave him on his birthday. And we know you gave it to him because we saw you. And you probably want it back. And I looked at it and it said John C. One year. July 16, 1965. And I walked over to John's pocket and stuck it right down there. And we buried John. People said he wasn't worth a damn with 17 months of sobriety. He is God's ministry and help and hope for the suffering alcoholics. This is what we are supposed to do. I thank God for this experience in my life. I have treasured it. I pray to God that I can do this or help do this again. And you should think about it as you enjoy this beautiful fellowship and as you take the 11th step and remember who we are and what we are supposed to do. And go back home. Go back home. And find you somebody like John. And give him some of that warm fuzziness. Thank you, Dupree. Thank you. I know you want to talk to Dupree, but we want to get the stage cleared off so we can have a dance. So if you'll just meet him over here, we can get things underway. Will you stand and those who will join me in praying, the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.