There Is a Solution – Part 3 – Bob – 2004

About This Speaker Tape

Bob describes the spiritual life as a channel; if the pipe is clogged with self-centeredness, the power can't flow. He recounts a harrowing mid-sobriety plateau where, despite years of sobriety, he spiraled into gambling, anger, and suicidal ideation, realizing he had lost his connection to Step Two. He describes a 'second surrender' at eight years sober, stripping away the 'layers of crud' and the illusion of the 'Chevrolet' (the external image) to find the driver.

The tape shifts to Sandy, who discusses the danger of 'Higher Power's time' as a mental trap and uses the metaphor of a patient in an oxygen tent to illustrate how we misdiagnose our spiritual problems. The narrative is punctuated by stories of improbable connections—a kidney transplant arranged via AA medallions on a plane and a son's unlikely journey from a 'catastrophe' to Oxford B. School.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Bob discusses the flow of energy and the danger of self-centeredness blocking the channel.
• 2:15 Bob discusses the results of working the 12-steps and the necessity of a spiritual awakening.
• 3:20 Story about the minister and the algebra test.
• 5:10 Bob shares the story of his son Peter's recovery and journey to Oxford.
• 7:20 Story of Creighton and the kidney transplant facilitated by AA medallions.
• 10:40 Bob's discussion on the 'junkyard of life' and prying off pieces of junk through the steps.
• 13:15 Laughter: Story about Hal Marley and the 'Internet in one guy.'
• 16:30 Anecdote about the misprinted 12 and 12 book and the sequence of the steps.
• 18:45 Bob discusses the mid-sobriety plateau and the 'elite of the mentally ill.'
• 21:10 Bob describes his struggle with gambling, anger, and suicidal ideation in later sobriety.
• 24:30 Bob's 'second surrender' and the process of taking Step 6 and Step 7.
• 28:15 Sandy discusses the fallacy of 'Higher Power's time' and the importance of spiritual solutions over intellectual ones.
• 31:20 The oxygen tent metaphor and the discussion of Carl Jung's influence on AA history.