The Only Way to Remain Happy with Sobriety – 1952 – Searcy W.

About This Speaker Tape

Mexicantown, a Sunday morning, and a man crawling under a house to snatch collie puppies while shaking from the lack of whiskey. Searcy W. recalls the grit of his bottom—the dog fleas, the half-pints bought from a man tough as a boot, and a decade of existing as a ghost on the streets of Big Spring.

He speaks of the wreckage of a life that was unmanageable from the start, admitting he once tied a knot in the end of his rope. For Searcy, sobriety isn't a quiet retreat; it is a divorce from ethyl alcohol. He warns against the "mental laziness" of the rocking chair, arguing that the only way to stay happy is through the footwork of helping others.

He views his Higher Power as the driver of the car, admitting he still tries to grab the wheel at the sharp curves. He finds peace in the simplicity of a kitchen table and a percolator of coffee, knowing he had to get doggone sick before he could get well.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Searcy W. discusses the importance of recognition and the danger of newcomers vanishing from the group.
• 2:15 Laughter: Story about Alfred and the difficulty of cashing checks from him.
• 3:30 The 'collie puppies' story: hunting for bootleg whiskey in Mexicantown.
• 5:10 Discussion on the flexibility of the 12 Steps: 'as you understand them'.
• 7:20 The story of Andrew H. and the necessity of keeping the program simple.
• 8:45 Mention of a wire from Ann and Dr. Bob's kitchen table origins of AA.
• 10:30 Admission of 'mental laziness' and the danger of the 'rocking chair'.
• 12:15 Reflection on the 'end of the rope' and the knot tied in it.
• 14:20 Discussion on Step 1: powerlessness and the unmanageability of life.
• 15:50 The metaphor of the driver's seat and turning the wheel over to a Higher Power.
• 17:10 The 'divorce proceedings' from ethyl alcohol.