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Aside from jumping into a crocodile-infested harbor in Darwin, Australia and swimming naked in the sea amongst deadly sharks off the coast of Sydney, Kristen’s story is not unlike many that you hear in AA. Though she grew up in a home where her father was a practicing alcoholic, she didn’t start drinking until she was 18. But from that time until she quit more than 20 years ago, her personal and work lives were the stuff of alcoholic chaos, with intermittent periods of soft-willed attempts to stay dry. Though she functioned in her job and home duties, Kristen’s alcoholism got steadily worse. It reached a crescendo of despair when her marriage and parenting of two small children were hanging in the balance by a very thin thread. After one false start with AA, she got sober and came into the Program willing to do whatever was necessary to maintain sobriety.
Here’s something that intrigues me about Kristen’s story. Because AA didn’t truly evolve in Australia until the 1950s and 60s, the growth of the Program, especially in rural areas, was both slow and tedious. Perhaps it was the geography of the enormous, but sparsely populated, continent where drinking is sewn into the cultural fabric. Or maybe it was the pervasive anti-Yank sentiment that was common in the country. Whatever it was, Kristen found that her early days were spent in meetings with AA members who were staying sober, but largely not working the steps. Among the limited number of women in the Program at that time, she encountered difficulty finding a sober AA woman who would sponsor her through the steps. Finally, at 5 years sober, Kristen asked a senior male member who subsequently worked her through all 12 steps under the condition that she would pass it on to others by taking them through the steps. Learning how she has fulfilled that service promise over and over again is to both admire her commitment and marvel at the growth of the Program in a country where it is very much needed.
In many ways, Kristen’s story illuminates the joy she takes in helping others, while strengthening AA’s vital place in her country. So, while I ask you to ignore the technical glitches of my Zoom call to the other side of the planet, I invite you to relish the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews with my new friend and AA sister, Kristen C.
If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to 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 iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
Check out my Big Book Podcast, the complete unabridged audio version of the First and Second Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book Podcast is an engaging cover-to-cover, word-for-word reading of all 11 chapters and Personal Stories, many of which were left out of the Third and Fourth Editions. Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com
[Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs and no one receives financial gain from the show. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. -Howard L.]