Sandy B. on Big Book Chapter 11 and the Path to Happy Destiny

About This Speaker Tape

East Coast Convention - 2019

Sandy B. reads through the final chapter of the Big Book mapping out the transition from the 'hideous four horsemen' of terror bewilderment frustration and despair to the 'road of happy destiny.' The narrative traces the early days of the fellowship in Akron and New York detailing the gritty reality of the first few members—a lawyer who beat up nurses and a 'devil-may-care' youth—who found a way out through spiritual surrender. Sandy B. emphasizes that the fellowship is the only viable substitute for the alcohol describing the early meetings as 'havens' where social distinctions and petty rivalries are laughed out of countenance. The arc moves from the isolation of the 'sinking ship' to a global network of support arguing that the only way to stay sober is to give away what was found to the next sick person.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Sandy B. begins reading Chapter 11, 'A Vision for You,' describing the loss of old pleasures.
• 2:15 Discussion of the 'hideous four horsemen' and the delusion of the dry drinker.
• 4:30 The fellowship as a substitute for alcohol and the 'sinking ship' metaphor.
• 7:10 The account of Bill W.'s journey to a western city and the temptation of the hotel lobby bar.
• 10:45 The meeting between Bill W. and Dr. Bob and the struggle with the 'alcoholic obsession' of secrecy.
• 14:20 The story of the lawyer who was 'strapped down tight' in the hospital; Laughter: the 'corker' description.
• 18:50 The lawyer's spiritual awakening and his subsequent run for political office.
• 22:10 The growth of the fellowship in Akron and the 'devil-may-care' young fellow.
• 26:30 Description of the early home meetings and the 'electric atmosphere' of the fellowship.
• 30:15 The expansion of the fellowship to eastern cities and the role of medical professionals.
• 34:40 The story of the psychiatrist and the 'stream of misery' in the public hospital.
• 38:00 Closing exhortation to clear away the wreckage of the past and trudge the road of happy destiny.