1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,280 Let's now introduce our main speaker, Cathy. I'm so tall up here. Hi, I'm Cathy. I'm an alcoholic. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,560 Thank you so much, Alex and Mariana, for inviting me to come out tonight. And I came a couple of 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,880 weeks ago so that I could, it wouldn't be the first time I was here because I get scaredy-cat 4 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:22,400 about that sort of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know. So I'm not brave. The business stuff, 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:32,440 my sobriety date, May 1st, 1988. And it wasn't me. We'll get to why it wasn't me. I really want 6 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:38,280 to thank everybody for being here tonight, especially my friends over there, my sponsors 7 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:45,800 here, my sponsees are here, my gal pals are here, and my other friend, Clint, who doesn't fit under 8 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:52,380 the girl's heading. But you know, that's just one of the multitude of gifts from being a part 9 00:00:52,380 --> 00:00:59,420 of this program. When I was a kid, a little kid, I grew up in Central California. And there wasn't 10 00:00:59,420 --> 00:01:06,020 much in Central California back then. There were cows, and more cows. And that was about it. But 11 00:01:06,020 --> 00:01:11,500 you know, when you're under the age of five, you don't really care. So you know, I thought we had 12 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:19,080 a perfect little life back then. And then we moved to Los Angeles when I was almost six. And we went 13 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,360 from this beautiful house. Well, I thought it was because I was only 14 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:28,000 this big. So this beautiful house to this terrible little apartment in a concrete jungle of Los 15 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:34,560 Angeles. And my life turned upside down. And what I thought was a perfect childhood 16 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:42,160 started to become a nightmare. Thankfully, I did not grow up in an alcoholic home. But I grew up 17 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:47,180 in a crazy house. You don't need alcohol to live in a crazy house. There's plenty of other ways. 18 00:01:47,540 --> 00:01:52,160 And when we moved there, you know, both of my parents took on new jobs. So 19 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:57,920 my brother and I became latchkey kids long before there were latchkey kids. And, you know, 20 00:01:57,980 --> 00:02:02,300 walking home from elementary school at five years old, and it was really, really far and crossing 21 00:02:02,300 --> 00:02:09,340 streets and things you'd never let your kids do now. And my mom had a breakdown. And she went 22 00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:15,400 literally nuts. And she was screaming all the time and crying all the time and didn't know how to 23 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:22,040 handle. My brother was very hyperactive. So that just put her over the edge. So I had to become 24 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,960 the perfect little child, because that was the role that was left. You could be the bratty kid, 25 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:32,860 or you could be the perfect kid when you got to those are the choices. And so my mother would, 26 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:38,540 when she would start screaming, I would run into the bedroom and run into the closet and pull all 27 00:02:38,540 --> 00:02:45,380 the clothes down over on top of me. So that a she wouldn't find me. And B, I could hear what was 28 00:02:45,380 --> 00:02:51,120 going on less. And because it frightened me and to this day, I don't like screaming people. I guess 29 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:52,040 that's where I learned it. 30 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:59,280 But, you know, I just that was when my life went crazy. And we lived there for a few years. And it 31 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:05,900 was ugly. And there's a lot of I really have no memory of that time. Other than photographs remind 32 00:03:05,900 --> 00:03:11,880 me of what things look like and the places of the surrounding area. I think I blocked out that whole 33 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:20,100 time in my life. Probably that was a better choice than actually remembering it all. And we moved to 34 00:03:20,100 --> 00:03:21,440 the San Fernando Valley from there. 35 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:29,360 I was almost nine. And life got a little better. San Fernando Valley was not as scary as the city 36 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:35,820 was for a little kid. We moved to Encino right behind Balboa Park. And those were the days when 37 00:03:35,820 --> 00:03:40,620 little kids could go spend the day at the park by themselves. You know, nobody, nobody was worried. 38 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:46,940 And you get a blanket and you get a radio when you get toys and magazines and whatever. And you go 39 00:03:46,940 --> 00:03:51,180 spend the day at the park. And that's what I did to get out of my house. And so it worked out. And I 40 00:03:51,180 --> 00:03:52,340 was a little bit more comfortable. And I was a little bit more comfortable. And I was a little bit more 41 00:03:52,360 --> 00:04:22,360 comfortable. And I was a little bit more comfortable. And I worked for me for a long time. I didn't, I was a slow learner when it came to drinking. I never even thought about anything like that until my grandfather passed away when I was 14. He was probably my closest person. I loved, he was a giant of a man. At least I thought so. I found out later that my ex would have been quite a bit taller than him. But, you know, at the time as a little girl, he was just giant. And so he, you know, and I would go to visit them. They stayed in Central California. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them. And I would go to visit them 42 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:52,340 But I developed what is now called being agoraphobic around that time. And on a daily basis, I was really okay. I didn't really notice it. But if I had somewhere to go that was out of the ordinary, it would hit with a panic attack that nobody could understand. Nobody could help me with other than the only thing that helped was going back home. Now, I don't know why that helped because that's not exactly where I ever wanted to be. But for whatever reason, that was the only thing that helped. 43 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,860 that would bring, that would stop the attack from happening. So I don't know how many times 44 00:04:56,860 --> 00:05:01,000 over the course of my young life, my parents had to drive up north and come and fetch me 45 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:07,380 from what was supposed to be a vacation. And so, you know, the years went on. I, when my 46 00:05:07,380 --> 00:05:13,180 grandfather passed away, we were already living in, in where my dad still lives in Tarzana. And 47 00:05:13,180 --> 00:05:20,820 we, life was okay. We moved to a street of brand new build houses. So all of us were in a new 48 00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:26,620 neighborhood, didn't know anyone. So we had each other and that worked. But when my grandfather 49 00:05:26,620 --> 00:05:31,860 passed away at 14, we spent a lot of time going back and forth while he was sick. And when I, 50 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,060 when the night that he passed away, we were staying with family friends. The kids were, 51 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:41,940 the parents, we weren't allowed in hospitals back then. So the parents were staying together 52 00:05:41,940 --> 00:05:46,120 at the hospitals and we were, the kids were all together at one of the family friends' houses. 53 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,200 And when my parents came to pick me up, because my mom had told me 54 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:50,800 that we were going to be in a new neighborhood, we were going to be in a new neighborhood. 55 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:56,980 So when they came to pick me up, of course, we knew that my grandfather had passed away by that 56 00:05:56,980 --> 00:06:02,000 time. We weren't allowed to be there. And I told my mother at that point in time that I would never 57 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,980 love anyone again. That was my mission in life. I was not going to do it because I didn't like the 58 00:06:06,980 --> 00:06:15,520 way it felt. And when we had the funeral at our house, we, I found out that lots and lots of 59 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,780 people don't finish their drinks. Who knew? So I was the good little girl that was there. And I 60 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:26,940 always was. So I was cleaning up after everybody. And I found that all those things go really well 61 00:06:26,940 --> 00:06:31,480 together. It didn't matter what they were drinking right up until you threw up. And then you started 62 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:37,760 again. And I learned that pretty much from day one. And I wasn't really much of a drinker. You 63 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:44,080 know what, when you grew up in, in the atmosphere that I did and things were expected of you and 64 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:50,780 things like drinking as a teenager were not one of those things. So I really didn't drink that much. 65 00:06:50,780 --> 00:06:57,440 Until I graduated high school, then all of that came together. At one time, I was introduced to some new 66 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:06,620 friends that I didn't know before. They introduced me to dry goods, for lack of a better term. And so, 67 00:07:06,620 --> 00:07:11,960 you know what, now I had all sorts of things to choose from, because I went to school with a bunch 68 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:18,080 of very straight laced, very sort of upper middle class Jewish kids who didn't drink. At least I 69 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:18,920 didn't see it. When when other people were talking about drinking, I didn't see it. I didn't see it. 70 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:19,200 I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. I didn't see it. 71 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:24,240 When when other people were talking about how everybody was doing it, it was like, I never saw 72 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,760 anyone do it ever. So for me, I was way behind the curve. But I decided to catch up really, really 73 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:37,200 fast. And so you know, I once I graduated high school, I moved to the North Valley and I went 74 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:42,420 to Cal State Northridge for two weeks. That was as long as I could last because classes got in the 75 00:07:42,420 --> 00:07:48,000 way of things that I'd much rather do. So that was the end of college. But I had this great apartment 76 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:55,140 right off campus. And I, so it was like I was going to college, I just didn't actually learn 77 00:07:55,140 --> 00:08:00,660 anything. But I did learn that you can go through a whole lot of drugs and alcohol in a very short 78 00:08:00,660 --> 00:08:07,500 period of time, which I wasn't really ready to afford. So that's when the really pitiful years 79 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:15,600 started. I went to mom for everything. I had this wonderful mother, who thankfully never ever found 80 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,320 Al-Anon. 81 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:17,940 And she, 82 00:08:17,940 --> 00:08:24,180 whatever I needed, she was there for me. The more pitiful I got, the more she threw at me. 83 00:08:24,540 --> 00:08:29,940 And life was pretty darn easy, other than the fact that when you wake up four to five days later, 84 00:08:30,140 --> 00:08:35,420 you just don't really know what happened. But you know what, there was a lot of fun to be had 85 00:08:35,420 --> 00:08:42,500 during those years. And I enjoyed that pretend going to college time. But finally, I had to get 86 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:47,780 a job. And that was not pretty. By the time I was even really looking, I mean, I had my little 87 00:08:47,780 --> 00:08:47,920 job, but I had to get a job. And I had to get a job. And I had to get a job. And I had to get a job. 88 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:54,840 from the time I was 16 and 17. Back in those days, you had to dry clean everything. So my first job 89 00:08:54,840 --> 00:09:00,100 was at a dry cleaners. So I got everything done for free. That made sense to me. So that I could 90 00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:06,600 tell people that I was paying all this money, and just take the money and run. So I, you know, 91 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:11,200 finished all those years. Well, now it was time for a big job. My parents finally figured out I 92 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,420 wasn't going to college. They were a little slow on the pickup on that one. But they finally figured 93 00:09:15,420 --> 00:09:17,560 it out. So I, 94 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:25,840 you know, got it together enough to take on jobs. I had really interesting jobs. Not that the jobs 95 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:31,540 were that interesting. But the fact that they never fired me was interesting. I mean, I literally 96 00:09:31,540 --> 00:09:36,840 couldn't put two weeks together a full paycheck without missing a day. I don't know how anyone 97 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:42,680 did that. That was just like too many days in a row. And, you know, I convinced myself I could do 98 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:47,800 anything for one day in a row. But don't ask me to pull on that second day. It's really debatable. 99 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:54,700 So, you know, I had all these jobs that kept me for years, being probably the worst employee ever. 100 00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:00,520 And but yet they kept me and it worked out because occasionally I'd make a few bucks. 101 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:10,040 And finally got to the point in my 20s, where I was going downhill fast. I had roommates, 102 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:16,980 my poor roommates, I you know, I was not an easy person to live with. And because you never knew 103 00:10:16,980 --> 00:10:17,900 what I was going to be. And I was like, I'm going to go to college. I'm going to go to college. I'm 104 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:18,060 going to go to college. I'm going to go to college. I'm going to go to college. I'm going to go to college. 105 00:10:18,060 --> 00:10:24,120 I mean, if, if I had understood the concept of bipolar back then, I know that I didn't actually 106 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:32,140 have it. What I had was stoned and sober. And those for me were the up and the down. So for me, 107 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,240 you know, they never knew what they were going to get. And I wrote them into all kinds of mischief 108 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,760 that they never should have been a part of, especially my one roommate who was dating a cop 109 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:46,200 who showed up at the door. And, you know, everything was out in the open. And how do you 110 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:47,900 not let the cop in? And, you know, I was like, I'm going to go to college. I'm going to go to college. 111 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,820 And she was responsible for getting rid of him. You know, those kind of fun little things. 112 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:58,380 Thankfully, I avoided, I don't know how to this day, I'll never know how I avoided the DUI 113 00:10:58,380 --> 00:11:05,600 and all of those things. In fact, I got pulled over many times while drinking. Somehow the brain 114 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:12,180 just sobered up when the lights went on in the rear view mirror. And I had a friend one night I 115 00:11:12,180 --> 00:11:17,140 was taking home and, and the cop comes up, have you been drinking? I'm like, no, sir. And my friend 116 00:11:17,140 --> 00:11:22,660 next to me in the passenger seat is laughing hysterically, saying, yeah, we've been at the 117 00:11:22,660 --> 00:11:27,680 bar all day. It's great fun. And I all I wanted to do was put a gun to her head. It wasn't really 118 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:33,100 an option. But, you know, thankfully, I was able to avoid it. I really don't know to this day how. 119 00:11:33,540 --> 00:11:42,800 And then around the age of 27, I was well into my addiction. Parents hadn't seen me in ages. 120 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,020 I was still living in the valley. But, you know, my poor mom would come to the 121 00:11:47,140 --> 00:11:51,960 door and knock and cry. And, and I would never open the door. And I don't know why she didn't go 122 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:56,620 to the manager and just have them open it. I don't know, got lucky there too, I guess. But, you know, 123 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:02,420 I just, I just couldn't see anyone because I was not fit to be employed. I was not fit to be a 124 00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:11,220 family member. I wasn't fit to be anything at that point. And so I was home all the time. I was in 125 00:12:11,220 --> 00:12:16,720 the back of a very large walk-in closet. And I had one friend who would deliver my drugs and alcohol 126 00:12:17,140 --> 00:12:21,860 to me because I couldn't leave the house. I couldn't function. Didn't shower for days and 127 00:12:21,860 --> 00:12:29,460 days on end. Didn't, you know, I was not living. And I didn't allow myself really to sober up 128 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:35,040 enough to even feel the pain of what I was going through. If it started to feel bad, 129 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:40,640 I just drank some more. And I didn't have to face it or look at it. My parents were, 130 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:46,640 I guess I was 27-ish, were going on a three-week vacation. And they decided to ask me, 131 00:12:47,140 --> 00:12:54,300 to watch the house while they were gone. Worst choice they ever made. So while they were gone, 132 00:12:54,720 --> 00:13:02,040 I sort of borrowed money that didn't belong to me and wasn't mine to borrow. I guess some people 133 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:06,580 would call it stealing. I chose to call it borrowed because they were family and didn't 134 00:13:06,580 --> 00:13:11,160 even give it a thought. It didn't occur to me how wrong that was because I needed what I needed. 135 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:17,120 And when they got back, they've kind of figured out that there was a big loss while they were 136 00:13:17,140 --> 00:13:22,680 gone that they knew they weren't a part of. And I was basically busted by my folks for drinking and 137 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:30,200 using and taking all that money. I had two choices at that time, depending on which parent you go 138 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:35,780 with. My dad said, send her to jail. My mom said, send her to rehab. Now, none of us knew much about 139 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:42,880 things like rehab back then. So the only one I knew of was fancy girl rehab in the desert. So if 140 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,720 I was going to go to rehab, I was going to go to the Betty Ford Center. I don't know if anybody else 141 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,820 in here is an alumni of the Betty Ford Center, but I took my very first four step with very famous 142 00:13:51,820 --> 00:13:58,420 band brothers. So I thought rehab was fun. You know, I hear a lot of people don't feel that way 143 00:13:58,420 --> 00:14:02,940 about it. But for me, it was really fun. I walked in that first day. Sorry, my voice is leaving. 144 00:14:03,340 --> 00:14:08,720 I walked in that first day and there was a gal that was leaving. And I heard the counselor say 145 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:13,780 to her, I have great concerns for you. So I knew what the game was. You know, it's get an A 146 00:14:13,780 --> 00:14:16,700 from the people in charge. So I was like, I'm going to go to rehab. And I was like, I'm going to go to 147 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:21,820 rehab. And she was a perfect little rehab girl, followed all the directions, did all the stuff. 148 00:14:22,580 --> 00:14:26,400 And when that when I left there 30 days later, that very same woman said to me, 149 00:14:26,460 --> 00:14:32,580 you are the picture of sobriety. I won that game. I was drunk in 48 hours. So I didn't really win 150 00:14:32,580 --> 00:14:37,580 anything. But for me, I wasn't ready to do anything about my problem yet. Anyway, 151 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:44,880 it took me another year, another year of drinking, using really hard. And I was just so broken. 152 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:46,680 And so beyond my ability to do anything about my problem. And I was like, I'm going to go to rehab. 153 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:51,900 And really, I felt like I was beyond any sort of help from anyone. I really didn't think there 154 00:14:51,900 --> 00:14:55,540 was anything out there that could help me. I thought I was just going to die in the back 155 00:14:55,540 --> 00:15:01,480 of that closet all by myself. And nobody would notice for a while. I told that took out a piece 156 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:06,600 of paper. Why I did this, I still don't really know. But it had the name of a sobriety house 157 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:11,020 in Arizona, in Prescott, Arizona. If anybody's been to Prescott, Arizona, 158 00:15:11,180 --> 00:15:16,220 cutest little town on the planet. So I went to Prescott, Arizona to this sober living house. 159 00:15:16,220 --> 00:15:21,740 And I was there for a year. I was too afraid to come home. I was too afraid to have to get any part 160 00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:26,900 of my world back in my world. And not that my world had much in it to begin with, but I still 161 00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:34,520 knew where the people lived. So that was as much as I needed to be away from. And I got sober in 162 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:39,220 this little town of Prescott, which is an entirely sober town, by the way. I don't think there's 163 00:15:39,220 --> 00:15:44,200 anyone there that isn't sober. And these cute little white haired ladies sitting in the meeting 164 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:45,580 rooms every day. 165 00:15:46,220 --> 00:15:51,860 I've become the little white haired lady. But back then, as a 29 year old, what I thought was a kid, 166 00:15:52,660 --> 00:16:00,440 these women took you under their wing. They went through steps with us. They were there. We went 167 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:06,680 to meetings two or three times a day. This place was was no joke. And the women that ran it were 168 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:12,040 just, you know, miracles in my mind that they could spend so much of their time sober and could 169 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,040 handle a bunch of brats, Southern California brats, which were all that were living in this 170 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:16,200 house. 171 00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:22,680 And handle all of us. But you know what they did. And I learned something. Well, I learned a lot of 172 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:28,460 things. But something that I learned and took away from that house was that the gift of this 173 00:16:28,460 --> 00:16:35,460 program is not a one minute thing. Getting sober, I think is the first miracle that happens to any 174 00:16:35,460 --> 00:16:41,020 of us. The fact that we could put it down and leave it down is in my mind a miracle. And I know 175 00:16:41,020 --> 00:16:46,200 that that's way beyond anything I could do for myself. So I think it's a miracle. And I think it's 176 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:51,120 in a lot. I don't know how the sober living is now. But I think back then God lived in those 177 00:16:51,120 --> 00:17:00,460 houses and was speaking through the women who were teaching us. And we all were able to get 178 00:17:00,460 --> 00:17:04,900 sober. I spoke to one of them actually a couple of months ago that was in that sober house with 179 00:17:04,900 --> 00:17:12,900 me. And she's still sober today as well. And, you know, it's it's crazy because all I wanted was to 180 00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:16,180 get my parents off my back. That was all I really wanted. And I think that's what I wanted. And I 181 00:17:16,180 --> 00:17:23,560 that was the biggest wish I had when I got there. And when I left there, I felt like anything is 182 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:29,420 possible. And I don't know that I had ever felt that ever in my whole life. I didn't come from a 183 00:17:29,420 --> 00:17:34,120 positive space of you can be anything you want. You know, I came from stressed out, crazy people. 184 00:17:34,460 --> 00:17:40,560 So I didn't learn that. And I didn't learn that that was a really even an option. And so I moved 185 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:46,140 on and I came back home. I found a little apartment. I started working my 186 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:52,040 program. I got a sponsor right away. I went back to college. That had been a huge dream for me. 187 00:17:52,420 --> 00:17:58,660 And something that I had felt badly about all the years was that I never had done it. Two weeks 188 00:17:58,660 --> 00:18:04,640 didn't really count. But what I was smart enough to realize at that point, that we didn't go to 189 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:10,800 Cal State Northridge for our records. I just started somewhere else. Because two weeks with 190 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,820 a bunch of fails probably would not have been a great way to start my college career. So I, 191 00:18:16,180 --> 00:18:20,640 you know what, I went back to college and my sponsor went through it with me. And, you know, 192 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:27,520 I had a great little house and I had a wonderful dog and I had a hobby competing with my dogs and 193 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:34,840 and I worked and I went to school. And for the first time in my life, I was a productive member 194 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:40,040 of society. I, you know, people used to joke about that, you know, go become productive member of 195 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,860 society. I didn't even know what that was. Because I could only do one little piece of all of those 196 00:18:44,860 --> 00:18:46,160 pieces at a time. And I didn't know what that was. And I didn't know what that was. And I didn't know 197 00:18:46,180 --> 00:18:49,040 what that was. And I didn't know what that was. And I didn't know what that was. So for me, it was huge 198 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:55,480 to be able to feel that way. And to be able to get some of the gifts that this program talks about. 199 00:18:56,100 --> 00:19:01,260 And, you know, and here comes the cautionary part of the tale. If you're brand new, close your ears. 200 00:19:02,140 --> 00:19:07,480 When I was about 10 years sober, I decided I had it. I knew it all. I wasn't going to get anything 201 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:14,560 else. I was full. And, you know, the promises had all come true. I bought the house, I bought the car, 202 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:16,100 I had a great job. 203 00:19:16,180 --> 00:19:21,500 You know, I'd finished school, obviously, long before that. And life was perfect. What else could 204 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:27,260 I possibly need? And I stopped going to meetings. And I didn't have a sponsor. We just drifted 205 00:19:27,260 --> 00:19:34,800 apart. And I didn't even realize it until the time was going on that I hadn't been to meetings 206 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:43,460 for years. When I finally came back to meetings, which was just over three years ago now, 207 00:19:44,060 --> 00:19:46,100 um, I had been dry. 208 00:19:46,180 --> 00:19:52,460 For 17 years. Now I didn't drink, because there's a whole lot of other ways to get in trouble 209 00:19:52,460 --> 00:19:59,060 without drinking, when you have an addictive personality. So I just exercise some of those 210 00:19:59,060 --> 00:20:04,460 for a while. And you know what, and I got in plenty of trouble. And I treated people badly. 211 00:20:04,580 --> 00:20:10,440 And all of those things that I had been working on for years to get better, were gone in a minute. 212 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:15,380 And, you know, that's why they talk about how much we need to be here, you know, that there's 213 00:20:16,180 --> 00:20:22,680 to this puzzle than just meetings, or just a sponsor, or just anything. All of the pieces 214 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:28,360 of this puzzle are needed to work together to keep us somewhat sane, because that's about as 215 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:34,500 far as I can get. And a whole lot happier in general. But three years ago, I moved back to 216 00:20:34,500 --> 00:20:41,420 this valley. My father is old. And he needed someone to live in his house. So I came back 217 00:20:41,420 --> 00:20:46,160 to this valley, I had been living away. And I decided the only way I was going to get a break 218 00:20:46,180 --> 00:20:53,280 from him, maybe was to go back to meetings. There's an idea. And so I did. And basically, 219 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:59,520 the people in this program, and especially the women were unbelievable. When I came back 220 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:06,160 to these meetings, I was welcomed in with open arms. And everybody, I just connected with everyone. 221 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:12,820 And I have friends and I have a life because of coming back to this. But you know what, 222 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,040 there's still more work to do, especially when you've been away, 223 00:21:16,180 --> 00:21:22,620 for a long time. And you've relearned and regenerated every bad behavior you ever knew, 224 00:21:22,860 --> 00:21:28,380 except possibly picking up that first drink. But everything else was there. And it was just bright 225 00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:35,020 and shiny. And I just thought it was so swell, until it wasn't. And it wasn't for a long time, 226 00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:42,660 just like drinking wasn't fun. For those last years, this type of, I can't even call it sobriety, 227 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,160 because it really wasn't. But being dry, was just a 228 00:21:46,180 --> 00:21:52,900 miserable. And so I got myself a sponsor took me a little while, because well, you know, I've been 229 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:59,240 sober a long time, haven't worked program in 17 years, but I've been sober a long time. So I thought 230 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:06,960 it was all that. And I found a true gift from God, my sponsor, who's in this room, who I'm going to 231 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:15,960 talk about now. She was able to get through to someone like me, who even though I was a little bit 232 00:22:16,180 --> 00:22:23,700 drunk, even though I hadn't been drinking, I was so closed off. And even all of these women who 233 00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:29,720 welcomed me so wonderfully, I couldn't, I couldn't let it in. It couldn't come in, it bounced off, 234 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:35,880 it flew away, it did whatever it did. And she's, you know, we went through my steps, which of 235 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:40,820 course, I hadn't done in a long time. And it was hard work. You know, I think that you're that 236 00:22:40,820 --> 00:22:45,260 you're all good on your steps, if anybody's got a few years of sobriety, and they, you know, have 237 00:22:45,260 --> 00:22:46,160 already worked their steps. 238 00:22:46,180 --> 00:22:52,380 And they think I'm good, I'm stepped. No, because we don't become perfect. We just become a little 239 00:22:52,380 --> 00:22:58,100 better than we were. But there's always more work to be done. And having put all of that aside for 240 00:22:58,100 --> 00:23:03,840 so long, I had a lot of hard work to do. You know, I thought when I sat down to do that four step boy, 241 00:23:04,180 --> 00:23:08,660 I was just gonna, you know, I'd have two things to put on there, two, maybe three pages and pages 242 00:23:08,660 --> 00:23:14,900 and pages later, I found out that wasn't the case. Because being as crazy as I had become, 243 00:23:14,900 --> 00:23:15,940 even in sobriety, 244 00:23:16,180 --> 00:23:21,700 I didn't even I couldn't look at it. I didn't know. And it took somebody and she worked really 245 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:29,500 hard with me. I got to tell you, it was I was not an easy step taker person. I wasn't. Dig in my 246 00:23:29,500 --> 00:23:35,900 little feet, pout my little face, say, Oh, I just need another month. That didn't work out for me 247 00:23:35,900 --> 00:23:41,840 very well. And so you know what, she was exactly what I needed. And she still is. And we've been 248 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:46,140 through the steps. And now I have the gift of taking my sponsees. 249 00:23:46,180 --> 00:23:53,240 Through them. And it's been such a gift for me. I forgot, you know, it had been such a long time 250 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:59,500 since I'd had any of that part of this program. That's so important. Working with others taking 251 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:04,600 your steps doing the work. You know, when I got here, like the gentleman who shared earlier, 252 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:10,280 talking about it wanting the easier, softer way. Oh, yeah, that was so my way. And you know, 253 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:14,780 if something needed a paragraph, if I could get it through in one line, I'm all over that. 254 00:24:16,180 --> 00:24:23,000 Be taught that there's more to do than that. That there's more to to dig for and look for and, 255 00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:29,180 and to be found. Working a half ass program is I guess that's what I wanted to do. And I found out 256 00:24:29,180 --> 00:24:34,320 it wasn't an option. And I had to do it all. And she walked through it with me every step of the 257 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:41,220 way. And you know, for people that are new, you can see 12 steps. Oh my god, 12. That's like way 258 00:24:41,220 --> 00:24:46,160 too many. It's going to take way too long because I want this thing in the next 42 minutes. 259 00:24:46,180 --> 00:24:56,060 And, you know, that's who we are. And, you know, and I was one of those. I admit it. And I had to 260 00:24:56,060 --> 00:25:02,740 settle down and listen and be taught. I don't know how many times my sponsors put me on silence 261 00:25:02,740 --> 00:25:09,680 at meetings. Because I tend to open my mouth before I actually think. And so because of that, 262 00:25:10,020 --> 00:25:15,940 I need to listen more. And that's what I do when when I am told to. Otherwise, 263 00:25:16,060 --> 00:25:16,160 I don't. 264 00:25:16,180 --> 00:25:22,760 But no, I'm just kidding. But you know, this life in sobriety, you know, when when they when they 265 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:29,080 talk about the promises, and they talk about the gifts of this program, and and I absolutely was 266 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:34,840 100% sure that that would apply to everyone but me, because my head was in such a bad place when 267 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:41,060 I came back here. And I knew that there was just nothing nowhere for me to go. You know, 268 00:25:41,060 --> 00:25:46,060 I was going to be stuck in this sad, pitiful, depressed space, just like I felt I was, 269 00:25:46,060 --> 00:25:52,880 when I was a kid, stuck in the sad, scary place. And all of these women, each of them have played 270 00:25:52,880 --> 00:26:00,260 a part in, you know, the gifts that that I get to see today, that actually make it through into my 271 00:26:00,260 --> 00:26:05,700 heart. And I know that, you know, my life isn't easy today. Now, I've thought for sure, when I 272 00:26:05,700 --> 00:26:11,040 came back to these meetings, just like I thought the very first time I got sober, everything was 273 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:15,940 going to be piece of cake, no issues, no troubles, I wouldn't trip over anything for the rest of my life. 274 00:26:15,940 --> 00:26:22,560 And unfortunately, that is not the case. And when I came back here to live, I thought it was going 275 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,560 to be the worst penance that anyone ever had to pay in their whole life, because I was going to 276 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:32,600 be taking care of my elderly dad. And I looked at meetings as a way to get out of the house. 277 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:38,560 What I didn't know going in was how truly remarkable it was going to be. In some ways, 278 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:43,740 I felt like a brand newcomer. And my sponsor reminded me in some ways I was. But you know 279 00:26:43,740 --> 00:26:45,860 what, I still had so much information, I still had so much information, I still had so much information, 280 00:26:45,860 --> 00:26:45,920 I still had so much information, I still had so much information, I still had so much information, 281 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:51,780 inside, if these little things light up, I don't think I'll be able to see them. You know, inside, 282 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:58,560 I still, I had a lot of information that I had taken in, in the years that I was going to meetings 283 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:05,340 and was being a part of things. But this was so much different. I had grown up a lot in those 284 00:27:05,340 --> 00:27:13,500 years, I had changed. And the people that I met now were so remarkable to me. And, you know, yeah, 285 00:27:13,500 --> 00:27:15,840 I've been sober a long time, or like, 286 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:21,820 let's just say not drinking a long time, excuse me, but seeing these women that didn't miss the 287 00:27:21,820 --> 00:27:28,680 information over the 17 years that I missed, they were galaxies ahead of me in their knowledge, 288 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,820 and in their peace and serenity that they'd learned. And in all of those things that I 289 00:27:34,820 --> 00:27:39,680 thought I should have and didn't. So of course, again, I thought I was broken. And what I was, 290 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:45,220 thankfully, you catch up a whole lot more quickly than you learned it the first time. And when you're 291 00:27:45,220 --> 00:27:52,660 new, really new, new, new, everything that people, a lot of things people talk about or say, or you 292 00:27:52,660 --> 00:27:58,020 hear them that they're feeling, you think maybe you can't have that, that, you know, maybe they 293 00:27:58,020 --> 00:28:04,140 got lucky and read the right page out of something or did something. And they get to be those lucky 294 00:28:04,140 --> 00:28:11,860 ones. But the truth of the matter is, as I have found in my own life, nothing is out of reach 295 00:28:11,860 --> 00:28:15,060 when you're sober. Everything is out of reach when you're drunk. 296 00:28:15,220 --> 00:28:22,200 And so when I look at my life today, it's not all perfect. I still have that dad. He's keeping on 297 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:28,160 keeping on. But you know what, I have been constantly learning more about patience and 298 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:35,100 tolerance, learning more to work my steps in every area of my life, not just the ones I feel like it. 299 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:41,820 And it's, if you do the work, it's, you know, it's a very simple program for very complicated 300 00:28:41,820 --> 00:28:44,520 people. And we've all heard that at some point or another. 301 00:28:45,220 --> 00:28:50,460 And so we have a tendency to make things way bigger and way harder than they may or may not 302 00:28:50,460 --> 00:28:55,620 have to be. So, you know, this dealing with my dad thing, yeah, it gets on my last nerve every 303 00:28:55,620 --> 00:29:01,580 now and then, but I'm lucky to have any left. You know, I still have some left at the end of 304 00:29:01,580 --> 00:29:06,920 dealing with him. And when I come to meetings, I go to meetings almost every day. When I come 305 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:11,480 to a meeting, it fills me right back up so that I can go back out there and do it again tomorrow. 306 00:29:11,740 --> 00:29:15,160 And I never thought that was even possible. And there are so many gifts, 307 00:29:15,220 --> 00:29:21,960 dear, and the people and the, you know, I thought that you, A, you didn't get gratitude until you 308 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:27,220 like won the lottery or had a boat or something like that. Okay. I'll feel grateful then. But 309 00:29:27,220 --> 00:29:33,320 I have been learning and I continue to learn. It's the tiniest things that if you can take a 310 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:38,620 second to really look at it, at what a gift it is. And the fact that we all got up this morning 311 00:29:38,620 --> 00:29:44,340 and we weren't hung over and we're sitting here tonight and we're not, hopefully not praying to 312 00:29:44,340 --> 00:29:45,080 get out of here. 313 00:29:45,220 --> 00:29:50,100 And I hurry because we have to go somewhere and drink. What a gift. How can we not all be 314 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:55,720 full of gratitude for that? You know, I haven't had a craving for a drink in a very long time, 315 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:02,160 but I also am not craving self-destructive behavior as much as I did before, because that 316 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:07,600 for me is my fallback. If things start to look too good, I'm more fearful of success than failure 317 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:14,500 any day of the week. And so if I start to think things are going too good, okay, what can I do to 318 00:30:14,500 --> 00:30:24,120 make it a mess on some level? And I'm not doing that on a daily basis anymore. So whatever your 319 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,680 things are, you know, we all have different stuff. We all came in from different places, 320 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:33,780 but what we all do have today is the gift of sobriety. If you're new, if anybody, can I see 321 00:30:33,780 --> 00:30:37,920 the hands of people under a year of sobriety? That's awesome, everyone. You know what? That 322 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:43,160 first year is no piece of cake. I'm not going to stand up here and tell you. It was just a 323 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:44,460 rose petals and unicorn. 324 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:50,320 But you know what? Hopefully all of you have a sponsor and all of you are working a program 325 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:56,280 and all of you are taking advice from people who have come before. We all only have today, 326 00:30:56,380 --> 00:31:01,360 but what people who have been around a little longer have, it's been a little longer since 327 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:07,720 that last drink. And we've allowed information to come in, in between that last drink and now. 328 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:14,140 And because of that, maybe it makes sense to listen just a little bit to somebody who's been 329 00:31:14,140 --> 00:31:14,480 here longer. 330 00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:23,020 And, you know, there's nothing you can't do. You know, when I got sober at 29, I was a kid and those 331 00:31:23,020 --> 00:31:27,860 rooms were full of little white haired ladies and little white haired guys. And there weren't a lot 332 00:31:27,860 --> 00:31:34,160 of younger people in sobriety back then. And now they're coming in at 17, which didn't really exist 333 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:42,160 back in the 80s. So, you know, I'm so thrilled for all of you that can be here so young and have 334 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,000 a whole sober life. 335 00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:50,900 And, you know, what a gift for all of you, if you can keep that. And, you know, some people go in and 336 00:31:50,900 --> 00:31:56,260 out. If that's your path, we just all pray that you may get back because none of us can get you 337 00:31:56,260 --> 00:32:02,360 drunk and none of us can keep you sober. But what we can do is still be sitting right here when you 338 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:07,900 decide to come back. And I, oh, I see a light. I don't know what it means because I don't have my 339 00:32:07,900 --> 00:32:14,460 glasses on. But what I just want to finish with is, you know, I haven't done a long speak for, 340 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:19,080 for a long time. And I was really nervous coming here tonight. And I, I hope I didn't bore 341 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:25,680 everybody silly. But you know what I, this program never ceases to amaze me, especially when you're 342 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:31,280 working with newer people, and what they can do and what they can accomplish if they put their 343 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:36,880 minds to it. And it's not a matter of willpower around here. Thank God, or I wouldn't have lasted 344 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:43,500 five minutes. It's a matter of belief that a power greater than you can walk you through from today 345 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:44,480 till tomorrow. 346 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:48,000 And then we'll start over again tomorrow. Thank you for letting me share.