The Rottweilers That Kept Me in AA - AA Speaker - Don L.

I, I think it's an honor and a privilege just to be a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, just to be able to come to meetings with people like you on a, on a daily basis or a weekly basis, whatever your schedule is, you know? Be able to enjoy the gift of sobriety one more day, a gift that for a long time I didn't think I wanted, and then once I wanted it, I knew I'd never have it.

I knew I'd never make it in Alcoholics Anonymous, because the previous six years before I got to AA, I tried everything I could think of to stop drinking, and there was always one more attempt and one more failure.

So when I came to Alcoholics Anonymous, I didn't even come here to get sober.

Uh, I was in trouble.

Fancy that.

And, uh, [laughs] I came here to get the heat off, you know? Figure out my next move and buy some time.

And the fact that I've been able to stay here and that I haven't had to take a drink in over 15 years, and more importantly, I'm not fighting the drink.

I'm comfortable in my own skin.

I'm comfortable with my own thoughts.

The best people I've ever had in my life are in place in my life today.

Uh, I'm not just, uh, grateful, I'm amazed.

And I'll tell you, it didn't look like it was gonna start out that way.

Before I get, uh, any more self-involved [laughs] I wanna take a minute to thank everybody that's associated with this meeting for taking the time.

I know it takes a lot of energy and a lot of effort, uh, by AA members to put something like this together.

And I know the thought that you give it, and you want it to do good, and you're trying to create an environment where recovery can happen, and that takes an essential ingredient, and it takes love.

And you can call it a lot of other things, but you know you gotta love your fellow alcoholic to be willing to be inconvenienced for him, be willing to put something together so people can come and partake of the, the fruits of recovery.

And I wanna thank everyone that's associated with this meeting, and I wanna thank my friend John who picked me up at, you know, 10:30 at night last night.

Had a big smile on his face and took me to the, uh, motel and made sure I got fed tonight and got here on time.

And, uh, he's a good AA member, and I met some of his cronies, and we got to talk a little bit.

And, uh, I've been fortunate enough in Alcoholics Anonymous every now and then I get to travel a little bit, and we're all the same, you know? Uh, you meet those AA guys, and you can see it in their eye, they're just glad they got a second chance at the game of life.

They're just so grateful.

They just...

You know, and you tell those war stories and you go, "Did you ever think it was gonna turn out like this? Did you ever think it was gonna be okay?" And the answer is no.

Had no reason to suspect it.

Had no reason.