Step One – (pp. 21-24) – Alcoholics Anonymous

Me and many ‘others’ who arrived at the doors of AA Rooms found recovery as drunks, when we admitted we were alcoholics and our lives had become unmanageable, when we became Alcoholics, our miracles began. The difference between an alcoholic and a drunk are these damn meetings.

Once I got honest with myself, admitting I was an alcoholic, my defeat turned into my surrender. I became powerless over people, places and things. At last, I found my kind of people, I’d been searching for them all my life. For the first time, I felt a sense of belonging – in these rooms.

When I got home, I walked in the house like I went on a vacation to Hawaii. I walked into the house and my Dad told me to call Shirley, my boss, immediately. She told me to come back to work now, I told her next week. I was hallucinating, hearing songs in my head and I felt like shit in capital letters. I was a mess. Shirley advised me to come in today. I made an appointment for you to see Dr. Brown, the company’s physician. Sitting in his office across from his desk, the good doctor said I was “lucky”. He continued, there is a Detox Hospital in Freeport where you lived, would I go? I had no idea what a Detox Hospital was. I asked, was there a surgeon there? Doctor Brown asked, why would I need a Surgeon? I

April 4th, 1979, I arrived at Freeport, NY Detox Hospital, hung over from, hopefully, my last fling with booze at the YMCA Hotel. Down the street from 34th St Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Madison Square Garden. I had just got hired, full time, at a large Insurance Company at one of New York City’s most prestigious addresses… Rockefeller Plaza in Mid Manhattan. I had arrived. I went to a party to celebrate, to have just a few. To this day, I have no idea how long my run lasted. ATM machines had just come out, heaven for this high functioning drunk with a little bank account. I put in my card, entered

replied to remove this radio in my head playing this same song over and over again, it was driving me nuts. The doctor assured me a surgeon would be on standby. This black station wagon arrived at my building and drove around Manhattan, picking up a few more passengers. We were all strangers to each other, we rode in silence. Eventually we arrive at Freeport Detox Hospital looking like zombies – death warmed over. We were a glum lot! Thus my miracle of going to a local detox on my Doctor’s suggestion, having a radio removed from my head, then entering a rehab program up in Rheinbeck, NY. After 30 days, I was discharged and attended my 1St AA meeting in Freeport which was an Anniversary meeting. The speaker, LaVern W., 8 years sober, reached out to this newcomer, me. He drove me home and for the next two days he picked me up for evening meetings. That Friday night, he suggested that I go to Roosevelt WE CARE at 10:30 am on Saturday morning and I listened. Roosevelt became my 1st Home Group and I still attend this same meeting via Zoom. LaVern became my 1st AA Sponsor who celebrated 50 years of continued Sobriety in September 2021. I was honored to be one of his Speakers. The miracle of AA happens in our lives when you work the program as it is written and take those suggestions. 1st Step – I can’t. 2nd Step – He can. Our 3rd Step – let Him. ~ TonyT/San Francisco, CA Last drink – April 4th, 1979

The selflessness and humility of the fellows from this very first AA meeting, they listened to my story, helped wipe away my tears, offered me their phone numbers and took me to coffee was all so extraordinary, like no other kindness or compassion I had ever experienced from complete strangers before.