Tom O. at the 40th Anniversary – 1989

About This Speaker Tape

40th Anniversary - 1989

A childhood spent skipping adolescence leads Tom O. into a life of high-functioning wreckage. A dentist and Army captain with two college degrees he describes the 'time bomb' of remembering how alcohol made him feel—the warmth in the fingertips and the sudden artificial charm that masked a lifelong nerd. The descent is marked by a total abandonment of hygiene a desperate scramble for britches during a bath and a professional life where he had to get drunk just to sew up a patient's gums. After a five-year hiatus from the rooms he returns with $1.35 in his pocket and a realization that he'd rather be a drunk than a homeless drunk. He moves from the arrogance of an 'educated drunk' to the humility of the Fifth Step finally finding a place where he is accepted not for his degrees but as a human being in trouble.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Tom O. opens with a critique of 'chicken shit' recovery and the idea of living through adolescence and menopause simultaneously.
• 4:30 Laughter: Tom O. describes his 'skill' for puking and the story of his son's flu bug.
• 8:15 The 'drunk rabbits' joke and the irony of alcoholics believing they are above average intelligence.
• 13:40 Tom O. discusses the 'kid punk drinking' phase and the necessity of actually drinking to be an alcoholic.
• 18:20 The 'Sully baby' mirror talks and the beauty of being sad while drinking in New Orleans.
• 23:10 The 'britches' incident: a desperate scramble for clothes to reach the liquor store before 10 PM.
• 28:45 Professional wreckage: Tom O. describes being a dentist in the Army who needed a drink to stop his hands from shaking while sewing patients.
• 34:10 The 'solution' vs. the 'answer': Tom O.'s perspective on the Big Book's approach to recovery.
• 38:50 The return to AA with $1.35 in his pocket after a five-year relapse.
• 43:20 Step 5: The relief of finally telling someone about stealing a dollar from a collection plate as a child.
• 48:10 The story of the bald man in the 'drinking uniform' and the nature of unconditional acceptance.
• 53:00 Closing thoughts on the 'unsuspected inner resource' and gratitude for the fellowship.