Step 12 — Carrying the Message – Free D. – FOTS – 2016

About This Speaker Tape

Bubba B., Jack S., Brian P., and Jerry E. map out the gritty reality of the 12-step call and the necessity of sponsorship. Bubba describes himself as a 'trench guy' who uses his own wreckage—including walking into the rooms black-eyed—as a tool to reach the hopeless.

Jack, an Al-Anon member, dismantles the 'I got this' mentality, framing the sponsor as a tour guide in a recovery theme park. Brian P. recounts his time in the Maine state prison, where he led group step studies and faced the shame of nearly turning away a wounded soul.

Jerry E. reflects on the 'pearls of wisdom' he gathered from a sponsor who taught him loyalty by shampooing his wife's carpets. The session closes with a raw reminder from Jolene about the bloated livers and four-point restraints she sees in the hospital, urging the room to move beyond the podium and back into the trenches.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Bubba Boyd introduces himself and his home group, the Round Rock Big Book Step Study.
• 3:15 Bubba discusses the '12-step call' and the value of using one's own wreckage to reach others.
• 7:40 Bubba describes his experience sponsoring a newcomer in a low-bottom treatment center.
• 12:10 Jack S. (Al-Anon) discusses the danger of the 'I got this' mentality.
• 16:45 Jack S. uses the metaphor of the sponsor as a tour guide in a recovery theme park.
• 21:10 Brian P. talks about his sobriety date and his passion for carrying the message into prisons.
• 28:30 Brian P. describes the 'Ledge Group' in the Maine state prison and leading group steps.
• 33:15 Brian P. shares a raw moment of shame after almost refusing to sponsor a prisoner.
• 38:20 Jerry E. reflects on his 'AA friend' and the lesson of practicing principles in all affairs via cleaning carpets.
• 45:10 Matthew shares a story about making amends to store owners he robbed in New Jersey.
• 52:15 Jolene describes the grim reality of bloated livers and four-point restraints in the hospital.
• 55:00 Closing moment of silence and prayer.