Sober 31 years since 3/6/1986 fully qualified at age 23, Tom has been very active getting great speakers to come to this clubhouse and now we get a chance to hear his story.
Tom has not drank or used mind altering outside issues since his first AA meeting that was brought to the treatment center his parents sent him to.
He did not get instant sanity to go along with his early sobriety.
At two years sober, he came to a turning point. He did his fourth step alone in one night.
He could not wait for his sponsor to hear his fifth step so he took his 4th step to the Triangle Club in Atlanta and picked an AA member there to hear it.
But the hand of AA was there when he needed it most.
"And I wouldn't know that guy if he was sittin' in the room today but I'd like to think he is still sober today."
He wholeheartedly disagrees that this is a selfish program though it is a program for selfish people.
"Now I've gone through some things alone in Alcoholics Anonymous but only when I chose to."
Tom loves the Big Book and shares a neat observation about it:
"The Big Book does not go through dozens of ideas a few times.
It goes through a few ideas dozens of times."
Great job Tom. Thanks.
(39 min) (17.9 MB) (id#2049)