The Joy of Living and the Pain That Came Before It – Leo G.

About This Speaker Tape

Leo G. traces a life defined by volatility and a short fuse from a childhood in Brooklyn marked by family alcoholism and a penchant for hitting people to a career that took him from a messenger boy to negotiating contracts in Moscow and Africa. He describes a chaotic marriage and a series of violent outbursts—including nearly throwing his boss into the East River—before hitting a wall of absolute despair and horror.

After a desperate call to AA Leo navigates the friction of early sobriety fighting through a 'three-step' plateau and the pain of a moral inventory. He eventually finds a stability that allows him to handle his wife's sudden heart failure with a calm he never possessed in his drinking days moving from a man who 'gave ulcers' to one who understands the joy of living.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Leo G. discusses his childhood in Brooklyn and the epidemic of alcoholism in his family.
• 4:12 Laughter: Story about nearly throwing his boss into the East River after a ship's party.
• 6:30 Leo describes the 'instant sobriety' of facing a policeman's gun.
• 10:15 Leo reflects on the violence and intimidation he used to exert over his brothers.
• 14:20 The moment of 'horror' and the decision to call AA for the first time.
• 17:45 Leo's first meeting and the realization that 'if the first drink gets you drunk,' there is a solution.
• 21:10 Discussion of the Third Step and the struggle to turn over his will to a Higher Power.
• 24:30 Leo's experience with the Fourth Step and the difference between a one-sentence inventory and a 32-page one.
• 28:15 Leo describes his professional success in Moscow and Africa during sobriety.
• 32:40 Leo discusses his wife's health crisis and applying recovery principles under pressure.
• 35:10 Leo's reflections on 'sober people who haven't had a lot of birthdays yet' and the joy of living.