The One Day at a Time Approach to a Tomorrow He Might Not Have – 1951 – Bill T.

About This Speaker Tape

1921, a hotel downtown. Bill T. is high, kicking in doors and trying to fight the biggest cop on the force. He spent years as a "smart cookie," a conniver who would spend ten dollars on a stranger from Chicago but wouldn't give his wife a dollar for the printing bills. He describes the false courage of the drink—driving a 1931 Chevrolet at 70 miles an hour and nearly killing a man on a hospital trip while nodding off at the wheel.

The wreckage peaked when he woke up unable to move, feeling a "slow creeping deadness" and the dimming of the lights. He recalls the silence of his children staring at him as the ambulance arrived, and the shame of being a man who "died more times than any individual." After a mirror told him he'd bought his last hat and lost his last job, he found a Higher Power through a program of one day at a time. Now, he visits the hospital to tell other broken men that the only way to stay sober is to carry the message.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Laughter: Story about the liquor store clerk's advice on drinking like a gentleman.
• 2:15 Recounts the 'false courage' of drinking and fighting Big M. the traffic cop.
• 5:30 Describes the 'conniver' mentality and stealing money from his wife.
• 8:10 The physical collapse and the feeling of the lights growing dim; first plea to a Higher Power.
• 11:45 The heartbreaking moment of being carried into the house by ambulance and the silence of his children.
• 15:20 Describes the 'mirror talking back' to him, warning him he'd bought his last Lee hat.
• 17:40 Meeting his sponsor and the introduction to the concept of 'one day at a time'.
• 20:10 Discussion on the importance of carrying the message to others to stay sober.
• 23:50 Reflecting on the stroke he suffered and how faith saved him from financial ruin.
• 27:15 The story of the man from Pennsylvania and the power of faith in recovery.
• Closing thoughts on the value of the program and the importance of the newcomer.