Richard's life-long battle with alcoholism was abated for nearly two decades in AA. But he let up on his Program and ultimately relapsed on "thimbles" of moonshine in a Mississippi bar. His drinking resumed and he quickly found himself back in the same alcoholic quagmire that AA had extricated him from years earlier. Depleted physically, mentally, and emotionally, Richard found himself at the jumping off point. He was finally ready to accept help from two sober sisters and his mother, all of whom encouraged him to go s to AA. As the inevitability of an alcoholic death loomed large, Richard dragged himself back into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous a little over two years ago. But getting sober this time was further complicated by serious pulmonary disease for which he uses an oxygen concentrator to breathe. As he awaits the possibility of a lung transplant, Richard has become the very model of courage in the face of adversity. His reliable service work for the AA club we both attend has endeared him to all of its attendees and has made him a ready resource of information about the club and AA in general.
Richard’s willingness to share his remarkable story of battling pulmonary attacks and alcoholism simultaneously shines a bright light on the importance of meetings to support each other in sickness and in health. I feel you will find much to be inspired about in Richard’s story. I invite you to sit back and enjoy another awesome episode of AA Recovery Interviews with my AA friend and brother, Richard B.
If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon.
I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.