Springtime in the Ozarks Big Book Study – Part 4 – Chris S. and Charlie P. – Eureka Springs, AR – 2010 — Chris A.

About This Speaker Tape

Chris A. breaks down the gritty mechanics of the 12-step process, focusing on the difference between 'practicing principles' and actually making amends. He describes the wreckage of untreated alcoholism—the 'packages of crap' and the 'tax' paid for suppressing guilt—using concrete examples like stealing a Volkswagen and doing donuts on a golf course green in 1972.

He argues that 'living amends' is often a convenient lie used to avoid direct restitution, citing a woman who thought not stealing from a new company was an amend to the one she embezzled from. The narrative shifts from the wreckage of the past to the daily maintenance of the spirit, emphasizing the 'spot check' inventory of Step 10 and the morning/evening disciplines of Step 11 to avoid the 'Bush L. pinch hitter' approach to a Higher Power.

He concludes with a warning against the 'taxi ride' version of sponsorship, advocating for the rigorous work outlined in the 'Working W. Others' chapter.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Discussion on the illness of minimization and the delusion of the past.
• 2:15 Story about borrowing money from Charlie and the resulting resentment.
• 4:30 The difference in spiritual condition between finished and unfinished amends.
• 6:15 Encounter with a counselor at Rutgers who questioned the need to deal with shame.
• 8:45 Detailed method for Step 8: Using 3x5 index cards to track harms and readiness (plus/minus system).
• 11:00 The three questions for direct amends: clarifying harm, allowing the other person to speak, and asking how to set it right.
• 14:30 Critique of 'living amends' and the story of the embezzler.
• 17:00 The 'amends list' exercise with a group of sponsees to trigger buried memories.
• 19:15 Stories of the stolen Volkswagen and the Mesquite Golf Course donuts.
• timecode Discussion on the danger of only doing one inventory in a lifetime.
• 22:30 Laughter: The 'gorilla' incident at the Sprint store.
• 25:00 Detailed breakdown of Step 10 'spot check' inventory and the four things to watch for.
• 27:15 Step 11: The morning and evening review disciplines.
• 31:00 The 'riot' at the 1998 New Jersey State Convention regarding the 12th Step.