The Gift of Grace for a Low-Bottom Drunk – Mary S.

About This Speaker Tape

East Coast Convention - 1998

A childhood spent in a violent Des Moines household where Mary S. learned fear and discipline from a sadistic father eventually led her to a life of biker bars and Mad Dog wine in Los Angeles. The wreckage reached a peak when she was charged with manslaughter after accidentally dragging her boyfriend Richard to his death with her car—a crime she didn't even remember. From the depths of a murder charge and a stint in maximum security at Sybil Brand Institute she clawed her way back through 90 meetings in 30 days and a rigorous commitment to service. Her path to stability involved paying back $30,000 in attorney fees over eight years and navigating the terror of her daughter's cervical cancer. Today she is a business owner and a wife having traded the 'vampire' nightlife for a life of tranquility and frequent flyer miles to Europe.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Mary S. opens by identifying as a 'low-bottom drunk' and discussing her early hopelessness.
• 4:15 Recounts the violence of her childhood in Des Moines and her father's 'discipline and fear'.
• 12:30 Describes her 'vampire' persona in the LA biker bars and her relationship with Richard.
• 22:10 The arrest: Mary S. is informed she is being charged with manslaughter for Richard's death.
• 28:45 Early sobriety: The '90 meetings in 30 days' push and the 'drunk mobile' service work.
• 35:20 The legal blow: Being charged with second-degree murder four months into sobriety.
• 42:10 Laughter: Mary S. describes her time in maximum security at Sybil Brand Institute and cleaning the 'freeway'.
• 51:15 Discusses the financial amends of paying back $30,000 in attorney fees over eight years.
• 58:40 The emotional toll of her daughter's cervical cancer diagnosis and the subsequent wedding.
• 65:10 Closing thoughts on finding a tranquil life and her upcoming trip to Europe.