The Longest Pink Cloud of Anybody I Know – Marilyn S.

About This Speaker Tape

A dysfunctional childhood in Seattle led Marilyn H. to a life of dares and chemical escapes starting with a half-bottle of Old Crow at fifteen. She spent years skating under the radar as a flight attendant fueling a jet-set lifestyle of acid pot and late-night parties that blurred the lines of reality.

After two marriages—one a 'practice' run and another built on shared substance use—she hit a wall at forty-nine. The catalyst was her thirteen-year-old daughter asking her to stop drinking on Christmas Eve. Following a stint at Residence 12 and a devastating divorce Marilyn H. found her footing by leaning into the program eventually trading the chaos of the skies for the joy of traveling sober with her daughters and her sponsor.

Topics

Timestamps

• 2:15 Marilyn H. describes her childhood in Seattle and the domestic violence in her family.
• 5:40 Laughter: Story about chugging Old Crow and her parents thinking she had the flu.
• 10:15 Marilyn H. discusses her 'drug era' in the 60s and dropping acid before her SATs.
• 15:30 Description of the 'perfect job' as a flight attendant and partying in different cities.
• 22:10 Marilyn H. talks about her first 'practice marriage' and growing pot under the porch.
• 30:45 Marilyn H. describes the danger of driving home on country roads while blacked out.
• 38:20 The turning point: her daughter's plea on Christmas Eve and the decision to enter treatment.
• 43:10 Marilyn H. discusses her time at Residence 12 and the support of other women in recovery.
• 51:15 Marilyn H. describes the 'On the Rocks' home group in Australia.
• 56:40 Marilyn H. reflects on the joy of recovery and traveling to Peru with her sponsor.