Sober 28 years since 3/18/1988, Pat lived near the birthplace of AA, a fifteen minute ride from Dr. Bob's home in Akron, OH.
Pat was one of two girls of six children in an Irish Catholic home. Her father tried AA but ended his life on a "dry bender" when Pat was 21 years old. Even with that, Pat was unaware of AA until the day she quit drinking.
She grew up outside Akron, OH. She got a job in Washington, DC where she met her husband of 47 years, Ken. A pilot with a Mercedes, he had all the things a budding alcoholic woman would want (although Pat said Ken married a little girl).
They had five children together, the youngest was 10 years old when Pat sobered up.
Pat may have poured out on those endless next mornings more than she drank the night before always promising to quit. But by 5 pm she had restocked her supply.
On St. Patrick's Day 1988, she had her own party in the closet of her bedroom but she could not get drunk.
She asked God to help her that night.
She went to a church retreat the next day prepared to drink there in secret. Before going in, she poured her supply on the ground in the parking lot.
One of the first presenters was a male AA member and Pat began to cry. On the last day of the retreat he gave her a meeting schedule.
She stayed dry a week on her own before finding a women's meeting.
She has not looked back since.
(43 min) (10 MB) (id#1620)
