The Functioning Alcoholic’s Law Degree and the Gutter – Ray O.

About This Speaker Tape

Crossroads Dinner - 1994

Ray O. traces his path from a dysfunctional Irish neighborhood in the Bronx to the heights of a law professorship and eventually to the gutter. He maps out the contradictions of a high-functioning alcoholic—the dry martinis of Wall Street and the tenure at Fordham University—contrasted with the three quarts of vodka a day and the eventual collapse. After a stint in a mental institution where he played Monopoly to stay sane Ray describes the brutal 'extinguishment of spirit' that preceded his surrender. He cuts through the illusion of intellectualism admitting that his law degree was useless against the disease. He credits his sobriety to a blunt sponsor John who forced him to mop floors and make coffee teaching him that material progress follows spiritual progress.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Ray O. opens with a self-deprecating joke about his age and appearance.
• 4:15 Laughter: Ray describes growing up in a drinking neighborhood in the Bronx.
• 8:30 Ray recounts his 'distinguished' naval career and the bunkmate incident.
• 15:45 Ray discusses the transition from the Bronx to a Wall Street law firm and the 'civilized' drinking of the dry martini.
• 22:10 Ray describes the 'relativity of drinking' and the argument with his wife, Ms. O.
• 28:00 Ray's first admission of powerlessness and his subsequent stay in a mental institution.
• 34:20 Laughter: The 'Monopoly method' and the first encounter with an AA member.
• 42:15 Ray describes the 'extinguishment of spirit' and the loss of his tenured professorship.
• 50:00 Ray discusses the concept of powerlessness and the gap between knowledge and capacity.
• 56:30 Ray describes his relationship with his sponsor, John, and the importance of service work like mopping floors.
• 62:00 Ray reads from the final page of the Big Book, emphasizing reliance on a Higher Power.
• 65:15 Ray closes with a biblical reference to the 'poor in spirit' and the good news of recovery.