Service as the Only Antidote to Self-Absorption – Dave P.

About This Speaker Tape

Service - 2004

Dave P. maps out the vital role of service as the only antidote to the self-absorption of the alcoholic. He dismantles the idea that service is a chore framing it instead as a survival mechanism to avoid the 'high and low spots' of life. From the grit of cleaning bathrooms at his Monday night home group in Seal Beach to the humility of working a computer help desk for nurses after losing his career as a middle manager Dave P. argues that being useful to others is the only way to stop the internal noise of self-pity. He emphasizes the necessity of a home group commitment and the ripple effect of sobriety—how a stable parent or a working man creates a safer world for children and spouses. He makes the case that while AA doesn't need the individual the individual desperately needs AA to remain sane and connected.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Dave P. discusses the volunteer nature of convention service and the 'tireless work' of the organizers.
• 2:10 The importance of the home group and Dave P.'s commitment to the Monday Night Seal Beach meeting.
• 3:15 Laughter: Dave P. describes his job cleaning the men's and women's bathrooms as a form of service.
• 5:20 Advice on reaching out to newcomers who are often 'scared of us'.
• 7:40 The spiritual illness of the alcoholic: why doing things for others works when being served never feels like enough.
• 9:15 The danger of falling into self-pity in a 'nanosecond' if not focused on others.
• 11:30 The 'bell of doom' joke regarding the self-centeredness of the alcoholic.
• 13:10 The tangible results of sobriety: children being kissed goodnight and the absence of domestic violence.
• 15:45 Dave P. recounts his career loss and the humility of working a computer help desk for nurses.
• 18:20 The logic of picking up cigarette butts to keep the meeting in good standing with the church.