The Promises of Step 9 and the Unvarnished Truth – Alice

About This Speaker Tape

A Methodist farm girl who grew up being told to be quiet, Alice A. spent years dancing around the truth before landing in the 12 steps. She describes the "honest unvarnished truth" of being a drunk mother of six, leaving behind a trail of wreckage and less-than-happy memories for her children. For Alice, Step 9 isn't just a checklist; it is the act of sweeping away the debris of self-will to make room for a Higher Power.

She blends the Big Book with Buddhist mindfulness, viewing the promises of recovery through the lens of "right speech." She speaks of the "living amend"—the gritty, daily work of altering behavior for the remainder of a marriage. Through a story of a forgotten phone call and the instinctive urge to lie, she illustrates the shift from corrosive reactions to a balanced life. No longer needing to escape, she describes the slow process of learning to walk without falling, finally finding the stillness she once fought against.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Alice A. introduces herself and mentions her 17 years of sobriety.
• 2:15 Laughter: Alice discusses her transition from Methodism to Lutheranism for the 'fun' of it.
• 5:30 Alice reads directly from the Big Book regarding Step 8 and 9.
• 8:10 Alice speaks candidly about being a 'drunk mother of six' and the shame associated with the past.
• 10:45 Discussion of Step 10 and the 'daily reprieve' contingent on spiritual condition.
• 13:20 Alice connects the 12 Steps to the Buddhist Eightfold Path and 'Right Speech'.
• 16:50 Alice shares a detailed anecdote about a forgotten phone call to her husband, Craig C., and the impulse to lie.
• 19:30 Alice describes the resolution of the conflict with Craig C. through vulnerability and morning meditation.
• 21:00 Alice closes with a poem by Mary A. about attention and serenity.