Sarah A. at the 2025 Wilson House Big Book Workshop Retreat – with Sarah M. and Finn A – 2025

About This Speaker Tape

2025 Wilson House Big Book Workshop Retreat - with Sarah M. and Finn A. - 2025

A snowstorm looms outside but inside the conversation turns to the wreckage of the ego. The speaker admits to a period of 'lunatic' sobriety where they played the CEO of the program forcing the Big Book down sponsees' throats while ignoring the maintenance of Steps 10 and 11. This arrogance peaked when a sponsee attempted suicide a wake-up call that revealed the danger of 'dumping' people after Step 9. The narrative shifts from the rigidity of a 'manager' mindset to a looser more human approach to recovery touching on the grief of losing a wife to brain damage and the relief that followed. Through stories of voice-memo fights with a friend named Finn F. and the fear of a son joining the military the speaker argues that recovery isn't about a polished persona but the messy daily repair of relationships and the courage to be a 'lunatic' who is finally honest about their own flaws.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening with the Serenity Prayer and a reading from Step 12.
• 4:15 Laughter: Discussion on the 'CEO' mindset and the arrogance of early sponsorship.
• 8:30 The speaker discusses the tragedy of a sponsee's suicide attempt and the critical importance of Steps 10 and 11.
• 14:20 Reflections on the 'loony noony' and the shift toward a more flexible sponsorship style.
• 21:10 Sarah A. discusses the difference between a spiritual awakening and merely venting to a sponsor.
• 28:45 Discussion on the 'co-crazy' nature of codependency and the trap of controlling sponsees.
• 35:10 A raw account of the speaker's wife's final days in the hospital and the complex feeling of relief after her death.
• 41:00 The 'activation' story: A heated voice-memo exchange with Finn F. and the process of owning the part.
• 46:30 A story about a son's interest in the military and the power of pausing before reacting.
• Closing thoughts on the 'messy work' of transformation and the final Lord's Prayer.