AA Speaker Tape - John F. (Tri City Conference 2011) - Al-Anon Family Group

John · ~*Service Worker*~

AA Speaker Tape - John F. (Tri City Conference 2011)

Debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

thank you!!! Been waiting to hear this. I am glad you chose to share it.

Keeping you and your lady in my prayers.

love,debilyn

Debilyn · ~*Service Worker*~

I don't even know how to put my feelings so I can tell you how wonderful your share was. I could not stop listening.

You do serious to humor, talking to the listener and putting in conversations you had with others. It was amazing.

I wish you could just go all over giving talks. You showed me even more how the disease makes an active A think so insanely, so manipulatively so out of the box. I know you would never have thought up the ambulance story if you were a non A!

Was so impressed how you siad your injuries would not have stopped you from drinking. That yes you could do your share.

I wonder if in a strange way, you learned that if you put your mind to it, there are not too many limitations in your life now.

Well that was totally one of the best shares I have ever heart.

I humbly thank you for sharing it. debilyn

John · ~*Service Worker*~

Thank you Debilyn! Like I said in the share, its impossible to put 20 years of active drinking and twenty years of active recovery from it in a one hour share... but I do the best I can ...with my HP's help.

My greatest hope is that a newcomer can find that if I can recover, find freedom from active alcoholism, they might be able to find it to... if they will not be too smart for this simple program. I had to dumbie up alot in order to finally get it.

John

likemyheart · ~*Service Worker*~

John thank you! I was laughing pretty hard at the ambulance part because I'm an EMT - thank goodness we have machines to do the thinking for us now, if you ain't in trouble, the machine won't let us shock you (but we do still carry duct tape!) You speak well, convey a wonderful sense of humor about your funniest subject, you. It is nice to hear you speak, and the pronunciation of your last name. I was thinking how incomplete your recovery would have been if you'd been able to just slide in under the rope and not do the face to face with him - how lucky you are to no longer live under the weight of that burden. I heard a lot of my ex in you, I can very easily see him as the guy who was gonna do this, gonna do that until the moment of surrender when he is finally reachable. Sometimes that thought brings tears to my eyes, the thought of something finally reaching him. Thanks for sharing, and all you do for us. Cheers!

Very Very Tired · Senior Member

Thank you, John. I've never heard an AA share before. I've read shares, but there is something different and much more powerful with a voice to the story. Your story left me with chills and tears. The amends stories get me every time. Wow.

Thank you.

GailMichelle · ~*Service Worker*~

John,

Thank you for posting your conference share. It was well presented.

I'm almost certain that my husband when active had a lot of blackouts. I didn't realize what was happening then. But as I listened to your share, I figured it out. His blackouts & my lack of understanding generated a lot of tension between the two of us.

Your share also made me realize on a deeper level how illogical, but creative, a problem drinker can be.

I'm glad that you emphasized that you are not the same man as you were when drinking. I'm beyond happy to know that the man and his wife realize that, too.

Overall, your share impacted me very deeply. I'm thankful that you decided to share this gift.

Take good care & hope you are healing well.

-- Edited by GailMichelle on Tuesday 6th of December 2011 12:52:46 AM

bud · ~*Service Worker*~

Thank you, John, for such a wonderful share. It's so inspiring to hear your story, how you came to a new awareness and honesty to work a strong program. You are very effective in how you relate events and your thoughts and feelings. Hearing it gives me a deeper perspective, gratitude, and closeness with my HP (something I can always use more of).

Jen · ~*Service Worker*~

My husband and I thank you so much for sharing that with us. You have an inspiring story that gives hope and strength to those who hear it.

Temple · ~*Service Worker*~

John,
That is a great and inspiring story.
And you are an amazing speaker.
Thank you,
Blessings,
Temple

tommyecat · ~*Service Worker*~

John,

Thanks so much for posting your talk on the board. I downloaded the clip and am burning a CD to listen to it in my car. I do so look forward to hearing your story as it has already received such warm reviews!

Best,

Tommye

John · ~*Service Worker*~

Something I'd like to share about the result(s) of the amend I made to this wife and her husband, the police officer...

For the first few years after I made this amends, his wife would send me a Christmas Card... the first one said...

"We want you to know we are thinking of you, and I wanted to thank you for giving me my husband back".

It changed both of us. I get choked up simply telling this part of my history. In it is tragedy, but also the greatest spiritual experience a person could receive... self forgiveness, the melting of shame and guilt.

This program, trying to do the best I could, even inside its limitations, not only changed my life... it changed theirs as well. For that I am most grateful.

John

The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.