Tradition 5 and the Primary Purpose of Staying Sober – Sheridan L.

About This Speaker Tape

Miserable, bloodied, and not knowing anything else to do—that is how Sheridan L. arrived in the rooms. For her, willingness was never a natural state; it was a gift born of desperation. She describes a sobriety defined by a cycle of getting "real cute," pushing her sponsor away, and eventually coming to her knees again to avoid the freight train bearing down on her.

A self-described "conning sort of person" and a manager who likes to fix people, Sheridan finds her humility in the grit of service: cleaning out coffee pots and scrubbing ashtrays to kill her own arrogance. She speaks of the physical repulsion she felt when asked to hug a "scrunchy" alcoholic, yet did it anyway, noting that these small, uncomfortable actions are where the real work happens. Through the fellowship and a Higher Power, she moved from botched suicide attempts to a life where she no longer has to manage the world, provided she stays one step away from a drink.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening readings of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions by Duane and Barbara P.
• 5:15 Sheridan L. begins speaking; discusses the necessity of being 'bloodied' before becoming willing.
• 8:30 Discusses the 'alcoholic brain' and the need for a sponsor to interpret the program.
• 11:20 Tribute to her sponsor, Peggy M., and the importance of seeing the program lived out in action.
• 15:40 The danger of 'getting cute' at 18 months sober and the near-relapse that brought her back to her knees.
• 19:10 Laughter: Story about hugging a 'scrunchy' man who needed a hug.
• 22:30 Discussion on the 'musts' of the Big Book and the freight train metaphor.
• 26:10 Humor: Sheridan L.'s tendency to manage her husband and her pigeons.
• 29:40 Reflections on past suicide attempts and the 'living hell' of the final drinking years.
• 32:10 Closing thoughts on the 'Bible Belt' and the gift of giving back.