Sober 18 years since 11/4/1974, one of three kids raised in the small town of Parisburg, VA, several of Bernard's family members died from alcoholism but it was not talked about. His mother detested booze. He was a sickly kid and full of fear.
Bernard was a mortician by trade. He got started in that field because he liked the car a man was driving and asked him what he did for a living.
Once, he hid his bottle in a coffin he was preparing. He was called away and when he came back the coffin was surround by mourners.
The man was buried with that bottle in spite of Bernard's desperate need and best efforts to retrieve it.
After many jobs, firings, jails, three DUIs in a single month - he finally married a women in Al-Anon. He got his first Big Book in jail in March 1973. He drank when he got out but it was the beginning of the end.
He finished life working in a treatment center where he helped many people delay through recovery their date with the mortician.
(1 hr 4 min) (14.7 MB) (id#1925)