Sponsorship for the Smart Aleck – Karen G.

About This Speaker Tape

Sponsorship Conference - 2000

Karen G. maps out a life of extreme volatility from the high-stakes environment of the operating room to the depths of skid row in Nebraska. She recounts the wreckage of her past with a gritty honesty—losing her nursing license stealing drugs to stave off tremors and a chaotic marriage marked by domestic violence and a bizarre act of revenge involving super glue. The turning point arrives through the rigorous no-nonsense sponsorship of Clancy who forces her to confront her wreckage through a brutal inventory and a long list of amends. Karen traces her path from a disgraced nurse to a recovered professional highlighting the serendipitous moment she encountered a former Mountie she had assaulted decades prior on a flight to Canada. She frames her sobriety not as a miracle of her own making but as a result of disciplined action and the relentless support of the fellowship.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Karen G. opens by welcoming newcomers and emphasizing the need for a sponsor and the Big Book.
• 4:15 Laughter: Story about her sponsor Clancy falling off a platform in Nebraska.
• 7:30 Karen discusses the 'pot' debate with her sponsor and the necessity of changing her sobriety date.
• 12:45 Detailed account of her struggle with the Fourth Step inventory and Clancy's ultimatum to write it or find a new sponsor.
• 18:20 Karen describes the emotional weight of making a $40 amend to a former best friend.
• 24:10 The story of her blackout in Canada and the assault on a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer.
• 32:15 The 'super glue' story: a detailed account of her assault on her ex-husband and the subsequent legal fallout.
• 41:00 Karen reflects on her time on the streets of Nebraska and her near-fatal withdrawal in the ICU.
• 52:10 The story of how she met her current sponsor, Clancy, and the 'yes sir' turning point in her recovery.
• 58:45 Karen describes the process of fighting to get her nursing license reinstated.
• 1:05:20 A narrative about a liver transplant patient and the intersection of service and sobriety.
• 1:15:00 Closing thoughts on the importance of sponsorship and the 12 Traditions.