Russell S. – Surrender – A Bottle of J&B With Legs – 2023

About This Speaker Tape

Russell, a lawyer and deacon with 43 years of sobriety, dismantles the illusion of the 'not drinking club.' He maps out the difference between physical sobriety and spiritual recovery, arguing that most people relapse because they cling to an arrogant, self-centered personality that they mistake for 'just the way I am.' Through a series of gritty anecdotes—from a disastrous step series in Homestead to the 'Alki dog' joke—he argues that the only way an alcoholic gains a new perspective is through a 'beatdown' of the ego. He traces his own wreckage, including a marriage ended by a single double scotch, and makes the case that true freedom comes from a total reliance on a Higher Power and the courage to stop caring what other people think. He frames the program not as a comfort, but as a process of repeated humiliations that eventually lead to a peace that transcends the fear of people.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Russell introduces himself and jokes about the travel limits of AA speakers.
• 5:15 Laughter: The 'Alki dog' joke about the lying dog.
• 12:30 Russell discusses the statistics of relapse and the lie that people drink because they stop going to meetings.
• 18:45 Discussion on the 'if-only-er' mentality and the 'alcohol with legs' metaphor for lust.
• 25:10 Russell describes the 'beatdown' required for a new perspective and the end of his first marriage.
• 32:00 The story of Tommy and the realization that one can be both an alcoholic and 'crazy'.
• 38:15 Russell contrasts the 'Doug Higher Power' (who makes you feel good) with a Higher Power that disciplines.
• 45:00 The story of the 'worst meeting in history' and the 'chicken on the roof' misunderstanding.
• 52:30 Russell discusses the promise of losing the fear of people and the necessity of faith.
• 58:00 The 'spiritual jujitsu' of making coffee to combat the fear of what others think.