I'm Twelve Steps Away From a Drink - AA Speaker - Joe K.

Joe once wanted to find an AA meeting just to prove he didn't need meetings anymore. Eight months after his fifth sober birthday, he was drinking again. The lesson he brought back wasn't another reason to say no. It was a different way to live through the Twelve Steps. ☀️ Sober Sunrise App Listen to Sober Sunrise AA speaker talks anytime, track your sober time, take a daily pledge, and keep recovery support close throughout the day. 📱 https://sober-sunrise.com/app If you enjoy the app or find it useful in your recovery, a quick rating or review on the App Store would mean a lot and helps more people find Sober Sunrise. ☀️ Sober Sunrise Episode Archive Hundreds of AA speaker tapes and recovery stories: https://sober-sunrise.com/episodes 🧡 Sober Sunrise Merch https://sober-sunrise.com/merch 🌴 Sober Sunrise Newsletter https://sober-sunrise.com/newsletter Joe, 32 years sober, brings a dry old-timer's humor to his AA story of war, writing, radio work, relapse, and learning to stop running everything. He recalls coming home from World War II, becoming so ill from drinking that he couldn't complete a book tour, and entering Alcoholics Anonymous after his wife suggested they might help him live a little longer. A decorated fighter pilot he admired made the Twelve Step call, but Joe initially treated recovery as a matter of refusing the first drink and agreeing with the book. After five years and eight months sober, followed by a three-month relapse, he returned with a different understanding of powerlessness. He walks through the slow surrender that led to his simple Third Step phrase, "God, take charge," then gives a funny, pointed account of working all twelve Steps forward or backward. The message becomes especially clear when Joe speaks about devastating bereavements: serenity doesn't erase grief, but the program has helped him face it without wanting a drink. This is a practical talk about surrender, amends, daily inventory, carrying the message, and the distance the Steps can put between him and his next drink. Joe K. from Carmel, CA speaking in San Leandro, CA - February 11th 1995 Music: Deep by KaizanBlu 📖 Full transcript & show notes: https://sober-sunrise.com/aa-speaker-...