The Difference Between the Map and the Treasure – Jay S.

About This Speaker Tape

KTA Convention - 2016

Jay S. and Bill C. map out the gritty reality of early sobriety in the 70s and 80s, contrasting the 'secret society' era with today's professional referrals. Jay S. recounts his early days as a 'hipster' vibrating with nerves on a Naugahyde couch, his first surrender through the story of Fitz M., and a sponsor who pushed him through a 'greatest hits' inventory of the things that kept him awake at night. Bill C. dismantles the idea of intellectual recovery, sharing his own struggle with authority and the 'lameness' of AA. He describes the intimacy of sponsorship as a way to dissolve the walls of isolation, moving from the fear of being alone with another human to the freedom of having nothing left to hide. The conversation shifts from the mechanics of the steps to the 'art of living,' where helping others becomes the only way to truly resolve one's own character defects.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening meditation and the Serenity Prayer.
• 4:15 Jay S. describes the 'secret society' nature of AA in 1979.
• 8:30 Jay S. recounts his first prayer and the influence of Fitz M.'s story.
• 13:45 The 'greatest hits' inventory: using coffee and a mental parade of people to identify resentments.
• 18:20 Jay S. discusses the shift from working on oneself to the effectiveness of working with others.
• 23:10 Bill C. describes the 'steel wool' discomfort of early sobriety and the 'on-off' switch of emotions.
• 28:45 Bill C. and his sponsor's confrontation over the 'addict' label and the need to stop separating himself from the group.
• 34:10 The intimacy of sponsorship and the experience of doing a fifth step in public on a beach.
• 41:00 Laughter: Bill C. tells the story of being arrested and his sponsor's prank call.
• 48:30 Bill C. discusses the 'Seething Cauldron of Debates' group and the nature of guilt as a resentment against oneself.
• 55:15 Bill C. reflects on the 'art of living' and the interconnectedness of human relationships.
• 61:00 Closing reflections on Founders Day and the Lord's Prayer.