Why Service Gets Her Out of Her Own Head – Sandra W.

About This Speaker Tape

Illinois AA State Conference - 2017

Sandra W. traces her path from a teenage debutante shooting dope and washing her face at fire hydrants in abandoned buildings to her current role as a staff member at the General Service Office. She dismantles the lie that a drink or drug can make anything better reflecting on the guilt she carried as a mother and the hard lesson that recovery begins and ends with her. Much of the talk is a deep dive into the machinery of the GSO mapping out the specific roles of the twelve staff members—from corrections and international liaisons to literature—and the rotation of assignments designed to keep the staff humble and prevent them from becoming too entrenched in their positions.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Sandra W. mentions the Eighth Tradition regarding special workers.
• 4:10 Laughter: Sandra describes the 'Electric Circus' discotheque and the chaos of her home group.
• 7:30 Sandra describes the wreckage of homelessness and washing her face at a fire hydrant.
• 11:15 Discussion on the importance of service commitments to get a member to a meeting.
• 14:40 Sandra shares a raw moment about her mother's death and how service helped her through the grief.
• 17:20 A conversation about the nature of guilt and the realization that it is a self-centered emotion.
• 22:10 Sandra describes the 'divine order' of being surrounded by 'Wilson and Smith' in the GSO office.
• 28:30 Detailed explanation of the GSO staff rotation and the need to stay humble.
• 34:15 Sandra discusses the importance of conference-approved literature and avoiding newcomer confusion.
• 38:00 Sandra highlights the need for literature regarding alcoholics with mental health issues.