The Twelve Steps of AA (4.5 Hrs) – Part 5 of 4 – 2019 – Local AA Speakers

About This Speaker Tape

The Twelve Steps of AA (4.5 hrs) - 2019

A former TV director and caterer reflects on the wreckage of his ego and the slow process of rebuilding a life with his children and wife. He describes the humiliation of serving food to the very actors he once directed the terror of his children flinching at his touch and the eventual peace found in cooking with his son Micah M. The narrative shifts from the 'soul sickness' of the fourth step to the practical application of the eleventh step emphasizing a daily non-mechanical prayer life. He candidly discusses the friction of early sobriety in marriage the danger of the 'self-righteous alcoholic,' and the profound impact of the fellowship's support during a family medical crisis involving a baby on an ECMO machine. He rejects the idea of a 'boutique sponsor' in favor of a gritty honest connection that allows him to be a human being rather than a spiritual monument.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening reflections on the 10 steps and the defects of greed and resentment.
• 3:15 Laughter: Story about catering for actors and the lack of a humility moment.
• 6:40 The 'gift' of being hired to cater for the same company that rejected him for a writing job.
• 9:10 Detailed breakdown of Step 11 and the influence of Emmett F.'s Sermon on the Mount.
• 13:45 Discussion on Step 12 and the dangers of the self-righteous alcoholic.
• 17:20 The emotional toll of a sponsee who killed a child in a DUI accident.
• 21:10 Applause: Celebrating Brent B.'s 10th anniversary of sobriety.
• 25:30 The struggle to rebuild intimacy with his wife, Nancy N., and the decision to pray together.
• 31:15 Story about his son Micah M.'s struggle with drugs and the application of AA Traditions to parenting.
• 38:40 The 'alien' story and the reality of the newcomer's ego.
• 43:10 The fellowship's response to a sick baby in the prenatal ICU.
• 48:20 Closing thoughts on service, love, and the testimony of his son Micah M.