1000 Years of Sobriety: 20 People x 50 Years

by William G Borchert, Michael Fitzpatrick, Sandy B. (Foreword by)

Overview

Twenty people who have each been sober for more than fifty years tell their recovery stories—and offer actionable advice to others who are in recovery.

1000 Years of Sobriety features the moving personal accounts of twenty men and women who have each remained sober for more than fifty years. These are the real "old timers," keepers of the wisdom, men and women from around the world who are among the dwindling generations who joined Alcoholics Anonymous when Bill W. was still alive, and whose very commitment to sobriety is a testament to the enduring power of the program.The inspiring accounts collected here follow the time-tested formula used by millions of people who share their stories of hope in AA meetings every day: They tell us what they were like as active alcoholics, what triggered their decision to join AA, and the dramatic details of how they got sober—and how they've stayed sober for more than fifty years. Each story concludes with sage words of advice for others in recovery.Those who share their stories in 1000 Years of Sobriety are living proof that the human connection bonded by the Twelve Steps has unsurpassed powers, and that AA is a program for generations to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592858583
Publisher:	Hazelden Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Pages:	255
Sales rank:	737,326
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

William Borchert is the author of The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough and teamed with Geno W. to write Sought Through Prayer and Meditation: Wisdom from the Sunday 11th Step Meetings at Wolfe Street Center in Little Rock. Borchert was nominated for an Emmy in 1989 for writing the highly acclaimed Warner Brothers/Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, My Name is Bill W., based upon material gathered from personal interviews and in-depth research.A member of The Writers Guild of America and a director of The Stepping Stones Foundation, the author continues his active writing career. Borchert and his wife, Bernadette split their time between New York and Little River, South Carolina.Michael Fitzpatrick is coauthor with Borchert of 1000 Years of Sobriety and author of the first book under the Legacy 12 imprint, We Recovered Too. He is also co-author with Mel B. of Living the Twelve Traditions in Today's World. He is one of the leading historians and speakers in the field of alcoholism, specializing in the development of the Twelve Step movement. He owns what is possibly the largest audio archive related to the Twelve Step movement ever assembled: more than three thousand original reel-to-reel recordings of the voices of the men and women who pioneered the Twelve Step movement.Fitzpatrick lives in Chandler, Arizona.

Table of Contents

Authors'Note ix

Foreword Sandy B. xi

Foreword Howard P. xiii

?I wanted to kill myself, but I wasn't about to walk ten more miles to do it.?: The Story of Clancy I. 1

?Booze didn't bring me happiness, but it did kill the pain.?: The Story of Bill D. 17

?Sobriety as a Christmas Gift?: The Story of Anita R. 33

?An AA Love Story?: The Story of Bill R. 43

?You look real good on the outside, but how are you really on the inside??: The Story of Cecil C. 57

?From Hard Cider at Age Three to Hard Knocks at Age Thirty-Three?: The Story of Clara F. 75

?There was a time when I was willing to drive fifty miles to talk but unwilling to go one mile to listen. Thank God that ego trip is over.?: The Story of Dave C. 85

?From the Fantasy World of Motion Picture Theaters to the Real-Life Drama of Alcoholics Anonymous?: The Story of Don W. 99

?A seed was planted, and eleven years later it bloomed into a sober life.?: The Story of Frank C. 109

?Just Another Bozo on the Bus?: The Story of John H. 119

?My motto used to be, 'Take something, you'll feel better.' I felt so good sometimes that it almost killed me.?: The Story of John K. 133

?I wanted what they had even though I didn't know what it was. It's called serenity.?: The Story of Joy P. 145

?If we're willing to share all our garbage, we should be willing to share all the good stuff, too.?: The Story of Mel B. 159

?My mother never reported me missing. She knew I'd come home once I could no longer buy, beg, borrow, or steal liquor.?: The Story of Millie W. 173

?I've been making geographical changes since the day I was born-until I finally found a permanent home in Alcoholics Anonymous.?: The Story of Otto W. 183

?It started with altar wine and ended with altered states.?: The Story of Ron C. 195

?Meet me at my home group.?: The Story of Steve P. 207

?It hasn't always been smooth sailing.?: The Story of Mary B. 213

?When God has work for me to do, the walls come down.?: The Story of Tom I. 225

?So you ask me, 'Does AA work?'?: The Story of Tommy M. 241

About the Authors 253