The 24-Hour Chip That Reminds Her She’s Only Got Today – Barbara C.

About This Speaker Tape

Unity Sunday Speaker Meeting - 2012

Barbara C. maps out a life of 'ordinary' alcoholism where the wreckage wasn't found in bars or jail cells but in the quiet mixing of prescription pills and wine. She traces the trajectory from the grief of losing her husband and parents in a four-year span to a spiritual awakening triggered by a phone call from a woman in Northern California. Barbara describes the 'program by-products' of her sobriety—the restoration of relationships with her children and the unexpected grace of a fellowship that rallies around her during a broken pelvis and knee surgery. She cuts through the idea of the 'glamorous' alcoholic instead focusing on the quiet daily decision to stay sober anchored by a 24-hour chip and the salt-of-the-earth friends who bring hot meals and rebuild her fences.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction and lighthearted ribbing of Forrest.
• 12:15 Barbara describes her 'ordinary' drinking and the transition from scotch to wine.
• 18:40 The impact of grief and the loss of her husband and parents.
• 25:10 First AA meeting and the shock of seeing people laughing in the rooms.
• 31:20 A spiritual experience involving a phone call and the sudden disappearance of migraine pain.
• 42:10 Laughter: Discussion of her 'fidgety' nature and her 16-pound cat.
• 48:50 The story of her broken pelvis and the fellowship's response.
• 55:10 The 'program by-products' of sobriety and the 24-hour chip.
• 59:30 Closing thoughts on the Yosemite Conference and the nature of fellowship.