Sober 23 years since 8/14/1982 "by the Grace of God", she has come to understand it is much more than just a phrase people say. Born in Abilene, TX and raised by two fighting alcoholics around the oil fields. Her dad has two more days than her in the Program though they did not know the other was getting sober. Her mom was a runner whom dad did not want back. Barbara always drank straight out of the bottle. She had her first drink, run away, jail sentence and probation at age 13. She abused the nice foster parents who occasionally took care of her. Defiance dogged her every step.
She was married and had kids several times before getting sober. She met her current husband, a member of AA, before she got in the Program because he owned a pawn shop where she had most of her stuff and some other folks stuff, too. She was 12 stepped by a man who invited her to an AA picnic - which is all she remembered about what he said.
(51 min) (17.5 MB) (id#675)