Tag: alcoholism

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Dianne’s Missives February 06, 2026

Thought to Consider….

Trying to pray is praying
The solution is simple. The solution is spiritual.

The joy is in the journey.
Situations I fear are rarely as bad as the fear itself.

AACRONYMS

T H I N K =The Happiness I Never Knew

F E A R = Forget Everything and Run

Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
“Under the lash of alcoholism, we are driven to A.A., and there we discover the fatal nature of our situation. Then, and only then, do we become as open-minded to conviction and as willing to listen as the dying can be. We stand ready to do anything which will lift the merciless obsessions from us.”

Total Acceptance:

“The double standard that held me captive as an active alcoholic also filled me with terror and confusion: ‘If I don’t get a drink I’m going to die,’ competed with ‘If I continue drinking it’s going to kill me.’ Both compulsive thoughts pushed me ever closer to the bottom. That bottom produced a total acceptance of my alcoholism with no reservations whatsoever and one that was absolutely essential for my recovery. It was a dilemma unlike anything I had ever faced, but as I found out later on, a necessary one if I was to succeed in this program.”
The actual or potential alcoholic, with hardly an exception, will be absolutely unable to stop drinking on the basis of self-knowledge. This is a point we wish to emphasize and re-emphasize, to smash home upon our alcoholic readers as it has been revealed to us out of bitter experience.”

Humility

Every newcomer in A.A. is told, and soon realizes for himself, that his humble admission of powerlessness over alcohol is his first step toward liberation from its paralyzing grip. So it is that we first see humility as a necessity. But this is the barest beginning . . . A whole lifetime geared to self-centeredness cannot be set in reverse all at once. Rebellion dogs our every step at first.

Solution

If you are as seriously alcoholic as we were, we believe there is no middle-of-the-road solution. We were in a position where life was becoming impossible, and if we had passed into the region from which there is no return through human aid, we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help.

THE TREASURE OF THE PAST

“Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now. Cling to the thought that, in God’s hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have – the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.*
What a gift it is for me to realize that all those seemingly useless years were not wasted. The most degrading and humiliating experiences turn out to be the most powerful tools in helping others to recover. In knowing the depths of shame and despair, I can reach out with a loving and compassionate hand and know that the grace of God is available to me.
“We of A.A. obey spiritual principles, at first because we must, then because we ought to, and ultimately because we love the kind of life such obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are A.A.’s disciplinarians; we need no others.”
No satisfaction has been deeper and no joy greater than in a Twelfth Step job well done. To watch the eyes of men and women open with wonder as they move from darkness into light, to see their lives quickly fill with new purpose and meaning, and above all to watch them awaken to the presence of a loving God in their lives – these things are the substance of what we receive as we carry A.A.’s message.”
Dianne
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Episode 0055 Joel B’s Journey – ESH

Joel’s story is a blunt reminder that rock bottom doesn’t always involve handcuffs or headlines. In this episode, Joel opens up about childhood trauma, addiction, ego, control, relapse, and the moment his internal voice shifted from self hatred to hope. He shares how detox, honesty, service work, music, and community, especially Bridging the Gap, became the foundation of his recovery. This episode explores shame, guilt, faith without dogma, the danger of isolation, and why “the only thing waiting in the comfort zone is alcoholism.” If you’re new to recovery, stuck in the middle, or questioning whether change is possible, Joel’s experience offers a grounded, lived example of how growth happens one honest step at a time.

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Dianne’s Missives January 16, 2026

Thought to Consider…

Laughter is the sound of recovery
Once we clear a hurdle, it doesn’t seem so high.
The alcoholic is in no greater peril than when he takes sobriety for granted.

AACRONYMS

E G O = Easing God Out
F E A R = Fools Every Alcoholic Repeatedly

“We have seen the truth demonstrated again and again: ‘Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic.”

By going back in our own drinking histories, we could show that years before we realized it, we were out of control, that our drinking even then was no mere habit, that it was indeed the beginning of a fatal progression

Reprieve

It is easy to let up on the spiritual program of action and rest on our laurels. We are headed for trouble if we do, for alcohol is a subtle foe. We are not cured of alcoholism. What we have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Every day is a day when we must carry the vision of God’s will into all our activities. “How can I best serve Thee – Thy will (not mine) be done.” These are thoughts which must go with us constantly. We can exercise our will power along this line all we wish. It is the proper use of the will.

Coping

God willing, we members of A.A. may never again have to deal with drinking, but we have to deal with sobriety every day. How do we do it? By learning – through practicing the Twelve Steps and through sharing at meetings – how to cope with the problems that we looked to booze to solve, back in our drinking days . . . We learn how to level out the emotional swings that got us into trouble both when we were up and when we were down.

Essentials

“After years of sobriety I occasionally ask myself: ‘Can it be this simple?’ Then, at meetings, I see former cynics and skeptics who have walked the A.A. path out of hell by packaging their lives, without alcohol, into twenty-four hour segments, during which they practice a few principles to the best of their individual abilities. And then I know again that, while it isn’t always easy, if I keep it simple, it works.”

THE VICTORY OF SURRENDER

We perceive that only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength. Our admissions of personal powerlessness finally turn out to be firm bedrock upon which happy and purposeful lives may be built.

“We decided that hereafter in this drama of life, God was going to be our Director. He is the Principal; we are His agents. He is the Father, and we are His children. Most good ideas are simple, and this concept was the keystone of the new and triumphant arch through which we passed to freedom.”

Sponsors

Every sponsor is necessarily a leader. The stakes are huge. A human life, and usually the happiness of a whole family, hangs in the balance. What the sponsor does and says, how well he estimates the reactions of his prospects, how well he times and makes his presentation, how well he handles criticisms, and how well he leads his prospect on by personal spiritual example . . . well, these attributes of leadership can make all the difference, often the difference between life and death. Thank God that Alcoholics Anonymous is blessed with so much leadership in each and all of its great affairs!

Dianne

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Episode 0052 Chris T: From Hellion to Helper – Sobriety, Service, and Second Chances

The tribe sits down with Chris T., a husband, father, tech wirehead, astronomer, and recovering alcoholic with just over 20 years of sobriety. Chris shares a raw, unpolished story of early rebellion, crime, addiction, repeated detox attempts, and the moment he finally asked for help; not because he had a plan, but because he wanted to live. The conversation dives deep into long-term recovery, sponsorship, service work, accountability, boundaries, amends, and spiritual growth without dogma. Chris also reflects on surviving catastrophic motorcycle accidents and multiple strokes, and how perspective, gratitude, and helping others keep him grounded today. This is a grounded, experience-driven discussion about what it actually takes to stay sober, grow up, and give back one day at a time.

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Episode 0051 JC Crumpton Therapeutic Writing in Recovery

In this episode the Old Rucker continues the Therapeutic Writing in Recovery series with guest and author JC Crumpton, a Navy veteran who shares how creative writing became a critical tool in his recovery after surviving a devastating automobile accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). JC reflects on growing up as a military brat, navigating family alcoholism, adapting to life after brain injury, and learning long term coping strategies for memory, emotional regulation, and identity shifts. Through candid conversation, he explains how journaling, poetry, and longhand writing help him process trauma, manage depression, and rebuild a coherent life narrative, while also offering insight and encouragement for TBI survivors and their families. The episode underscores writing not as performance or profit, but as a practical, evidence backed recovery practice that supports cognitive function, emotional processing, and meaning making over the long haul.

https://jc-crumpton.com/

 

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Dianne’s Missives January 2, 2026

Thought to Consider…
The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride!
We surrender to win
Gratitude, service, and then sacrifice are the steps that lead to good A.A. work. They open the door to a new life for us.
The best things in life aren’t things

AACRONYMS

S L I P = Sobriety Loses Its Priority

Motives

We were depressed and complained we felt bad, when in fact we were mainly asking for sympathy and attention. This odd trait of mind and emotion, this perverse wish to hide a bad motive underneath a good one, permeates human affairs from top to bottom. This subtle and elusive kind of self-righteousness can underlie the smallest act or thought. Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.

If a mere code of morals or a better philosophy of life were sufficient to overcome alcoholism, many of us would have recovered long ago. But we found that such codes and philosophies did not save us, no matter how much we tried. We could wish to be moral, we could wish to be philosophically comforted, in fact, we could will these things with all our might, but the needed power wasn’t there. Our human resources, as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient; they failed utterly. Lack of power, that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves.

It helped me a great deal to become convinced that alcoholism was a disease, not a moral issue; that I had been drinking as a result of a compulsion, even though I had not been aware of the compulsion at the time; and that sobriety was not a matter of willpower. The people of A.A. had something that looked much better than what I had.

Certainly

The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows, and toward God’s universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.

Step Twelve: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
“There are as many definitions of spiritual awakening as there are people who have had them. But certainly each genuine one has something in common with all the others. And these things which they have in common are not too hard to understand. When a man or a woman has a spiritual awakening, the most important meaning of it is that he has now become able to do, feel, and believe that which he could not do before on his unaided strength and resources alone.”

Broad Highway

We can only clear the ground a bit. If our testimony helps sweep away prejudice, enables you to think honestly, encourages you to search diligently within yourself, then, if you wish, you can join us on the Broad Highway. With this attitude you cannot fail. The consciousness of your belief is sure to come to you.

Surrender

Such is the paradox of A.A. regeneration: strength arising out of complete defeat and weakness, the loss of one’s old life as a condition for finding a new one. But we of A.A. do not have to understand that paradox; we have only to be grateful for it.

Dianne

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Episode 0050 Team Cheremy: The Alcoholic Family

This episode Team Cheremy opens the new year with a raw, deeply personal conversation about the family disease of alcoholism, focusing on how addiction and recovery ripple across generations. They explore lived experience rather than theory, as Linda and her niece Lauren both sober members of Alcoholics Anonymous share candid stories of growing up around alcoholism, navigating abandonment, secrecy, relapse, and ultimately finding recovery, boundaries, and spiritual grounding. Through honest dialogue, reflections, and practical insight, the episode examines detachment with love, family roles, myths around “rock bottom,” and how trust in recovery communities can heal fractured relationships. The result is an educational, unscripted discussion offering hope, clarity, and tools for families and individuals walking the long road of recovery together.

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Episode 0049 Edye and Paul: Couples in Recovery

In this episode of the Old Rucker sits down with Edye and Paul and joined by Mandy, Sherry, Jeremy, Dwight, Joel & Linda for a blunt, experience driven conversation about what it actually means to be a couple in recovery. Drawing from deeply personal histories of addiction, grief, loss, and long term sobriety, Edye and Paul break down how independent recovery programs, clear boundaries, service work, and honest communication make a healthy relationship possible not easy, but real. This episode cuts through recovery cliches and relationship myths, focusing instead on actions over words, accountability over comfort, and why love in sobriety only works when neither person tries to be the other’s higher power. If you’re navigating relationships in recovery or questioning whether you’re ready, this is a grounded, no nonsense look at what sustainable sobriety together actually requires.

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Episode 0047 Ladies Round Table with Cherie & Mandy

In this Ladies Round Table, Cherie and Mandy gather an incredible circle of women to dive into the messy, beautiful realities of Attitude, Acceptance, and Action three deceptively simple words that turn into raw, life altering conversations. From childhood anxiety to lifelong people pleasing, from loss that shatters faith to grief that rewires identity, the group shares honest tools, morning rituals, spiritual practices, and the hard won wisdom that keeps them sober, centered, and moving forward. What unfolds is a vulnerable, uplifting look at how women endure, rebuild, and show up for life on life’s terms together, unfiltered, and anchored in hope.

Attitude.

  • What do you do first thing to get your attitude right to face the day?
  • When your attitude stinks and you are just trying to get to the end of the day what things have you tried and have worked to turn your bad attitude (frown upside down)?
  • What about dealing with others attitudes?
  • What is the most helpful tool you are using today?

Acceptance

  • What do you find the hardest to accept? How did you get to the place you are today with it?
  • Acceptance towards yourself- how do you feel about your shortcoming? How do you find yourself acceptable?
  • In the moment when you find yourself not able to accept the situation what are things you have done to save your butt? Or if you didn’t have anything things you can share for others to avoid?
  • What about long term acceptance, when things you thought you have accepted come back into play?

Action

  • What is something you took action on and it came out totally not like you thought it would. Good or bad?
  • What does taking action look like for you?
  • How do you know the action you are taking is the correct one?
  • When you realize it might have been the correct one what do you do?
  • What are some small action you took that lead to a big learning lesson for you?

 

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Episode 0045 Samantha

Samantha first had to struggle with the ism in alcoholism, a monumental battle on its own. Then came facing the ugliness behind the mask, beginning a long journey of self realization and recovery. No one could have told her that the tools she gained in sobriety would become the only anchor strong enough to prepare her for the most devastating challenge still ahead.

Bob sits down with Samantha as she traces her path from chaotic childhood dynamics and an alcohol soaked early adulthood into a grinding fight for sobriety and purpose. She walks through the masks she wore, the relationships she jumped into for validation, the escalating drinking that finally ended with her being hauled to rehab, and the unexpected spiritual crack that opened the door to true recovery. But the real gut punch comes when she recounts her daughter Brittani’s decade long battle with addiction, her fleeting stretch of hope, and the overdose that forced Samantha to make the unthinkable decision no parent should face. What follows is a brutally honest look at grief, faith, survival, and the fragile, daily work of staying sober when the one thing you thought would destroy you actually happens yet somehow, you keep going.

HopeMovementCoalition.com

Supporting Grieving Families & Fighting the Opioid Epidemic

Hope Movement Coalition was born out of the devastating loss of loved ones to fentanyl poisoning and opioid-related deaths. Our mission is to provide unwavering support to those navigating the complicated grieving process, help them find strength in their darkest moments, and be a voice for the voiceless in communities across the nation.

AR HHS Act 811 Opioid Overdose Reversal Kits Naloxone ACT 811: Arkansas’s 2023 law requiring opioid overdose reversal kits in public high schools and state-supported universities.

While We’re Waiting (WWW) on FB

WWW is a nonprofit ministry which offers free faith-based retreats and support for bereaved parents

 

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Episode 0042 Sloan ESH

Bob “the Old Rucker” sits down with longtime friend Sloan and Dwight to explore Sloan’s powerful story of recovery from alcoholism and meth addiction. From a chaotic childhood marked by family alcoholism to years lost in a cycle of drug use, self destruction, and near death experiences, Sloan shares how he found hope after hitting rock bottom thanks to a life threatening medical crisis, a timely invitation to an AA meeting, and a newfound willingness to change. Now sober for over four years, he reflects on rebuilding his life with gratitude, spiritual growth, and the support of the tribe proving that even the darkest histories can become sources of strength and service to others.

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Dianne’s Missives October 10

Thought to Consider…

It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.
When we are honest with another person, it confirms that we have been honest with ourselves and with God.
A.A. Is like an adjustable wrench, it fits almost any nut.
I have learned what the Grace of God feels like.
. we know that the pains of drinking had to come before sobriety, and emotional turmoil before serenity.
Life didn’t end when I got sober – it started.

AACRONYMS

H O W = Honest, Open-minded and Willing
Part of the effectiveness of any A.A. group is the development of new members to carry on, to take over, from the older members

“THE ACID TEST”

As we work the first nine Steps, we prepare ourselves for the adventure of a new life. But when we approach Step Ten we commence to put our A.A. way of living to practical use, day by day, in fair weather or foul. Then comes the acid test: can we stay sober, keep in emotional balance, and live to good purpose under all conditions?
What makes an effective talk at an A.A. meeting? It is not a fine speech with fine choices of words and an impressive delivery. Often a few simple words direct from the heart are more effective than the most polished speech. There is always a temptation to speak beyond your experience, in order to make a good impression. This is never effective. What does not come from the heart does not reach the heart? What comes from personal experience and a sincere desire to help the other person, reaches the heart.

Demonstration

“Men and women who use alcohol as an escape are not the only ones who are afraid of life, hostile to the world, fleeing from it into loneliness. Millions who are not alcoholics are living today in illusory worlds, nurturing the basic anxieties and insecurities of human existence rather than face themselves with courage and humility. To these people, A.A. can offer as a cure no magic potion, no chemical formula, no powerful drug. But it can demonstrate to them how to use the tools of humility, honesty, devotion, and love, which indeed are the heart of the Twelve Steps of our recovery.”
“We know that while the alcoholic keeps away from drink, as he may do for months or years, he reacts much like other men. We are equally positive that once he takes any alcohol whatever into his system, something happens, both in the bodily and mental sense, which makes it virtually impossible for him to stop. The experience of any alcoholic will abundantly confirm this.”
Dianne
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Episode 0036 Ted SLIP Sobriety Lost It’s Priority

This episode of Shout Out From the Pit spotlights Ted—a veteran, businessman, and long-time member of the recovery community—whose journey from functional alcoholism to lasting sobriety is as candid as it is inspiring. With humor, humility, and raw honesty, Ted shares stories of his upbringing, struggles with alcohol and drugs, brushes with failure, and the moment of clarity that led him to embrace recovery. Along the way, he opens up about faith, family, loss, and the practical tools that keep him grounded today, offering listeners both encouragement and hard-earned wisdom on building a life of purpose and resilience.

SLIP: Sobriety Lost It’s Priority

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Dianne’s Missives August 29

Thought to Consider…

Newcomers are the lifeblood of the program. But our oldtimers are the arteries.
It’s not making a mistake that will kill me. It’s defending it that does the damage.

There is no progress without change.

The road to recovery is always under construction.

AACRONYMS

O D A A T = One Day At A Time

P A C E = Positive Attitudes Change Everything

F E A R = Fools Every Alcoholic Repeatedly
“When many thousands of people are able to say that the consciousness of the presence of God is today the most important fact of their lives, they present a powerful reason why one should have faith. When we see others solve their problems by simple reliance upon some Spirit of the universe, we have to stop doubting the power of God. Our ideas did not work, but the God-idea does. Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of God. Faith in a Power greater than ourselves and miraculous demonstrations of that power in our lives are facts as old as the human race.”
A sponsor is simply a sober alcoholic who can help solve only one problem: how to stay sober. And the sponsor has only one tool to use – personal experience, not scientific wisdom.
Sponsors have been there, and often have more concern, hope, compassion, and confidence for us than we have for ourselves. They certainly have had more experience. Remembering their own condition, they reach out to help, not down.
“Those who do not recover are people who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault. They seem to be born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living that demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover, if they have the capacity to be honest.”

Solution

“There is a solution. Almost none of us liked the self-searching, the leveling of our pride, the confessions of shortcomings which the process requires for its successful consummation. But we saw that it really worked in others, and we had come to believe in the hopelessness and futility of life as we had been living it. When, therefore, we were approached by those in whom the problem had been solved, there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. We have found much of heaven and we have been rocketed into a fourth dimension of existence of which we had not even dreamed.”

Step 5

“Unless we discuss our defects with another person, we do not acquire enough humility, fearlessness, and honesty to really get the program. We must be entirely honest with somebody, if we expect to live happily in this world. We must be hard on ourselves, but always considerate of others. We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character and every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we can look the world in the eyes.”

Steps 6 & 7

“If we are still clinging to something that we will not let go, we must sincerely ask God to help us to be willing to let even that go, too. We cannot divide our lives into compartments and keep some for ourselves. We must give all the compartments to God. We must say: ‘My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows.”
Dianne
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Episode 0032 Open Mic Trivia

The Tribe meets up for an open mic trivia session. Bob (“the old rucker”) is joined by Sloan, Josh, Pat, and Dwight. After opening thanks, reminders, and shoutouts, the hosts and guests dive into trivia about the history of Alcoholics Anonymous, testing each other on facts about the Big Book, its founders, and traditions, while joking about “man cards.” The conversation shifts into open-mic reflections on unspoken “rules” and suggestions of recovery, including not drinking, going to meetings, getting a sponsor, embracing service work, finding a higher power, and working the steps. Participants share personal insights on why sponsorship, fellowship, and service are essential, and how slogans like “one day at a time,” “progress not perfection,” “think, think, think,” and “let go and let God” guide their daily sobriety. The episode closes with heartfelt personal messages stressing that recovery is possible, no one is alone, and sobriety offers a better life with genuine connection, community, and hope.

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This style of show was originally refereed to as a Man Jam, a hated title among some, so enjoy some AI created art.

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Episode 0031 David AA History in Arkansas

Bob and Jeremy sit down with David, a living archive of AA history in Arkansas. From his own recovery journey to the overlooked weight of steps 6 and 7, David unpacks the origins of AA, the Oxford Group roots, and how Sterling, Harlan, and Bud kicked things off in Little Rock with the “Approach Program.” We hit the weird rules (no women, Joe McQ outside on the steps), Bill W.’s 1944 visit, and why archives matter for keeping the story straight. A mix of recovery grit, AA nerd history, and plenty of laughs about ego, humility, and the “AA police.”

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Episode 0030 Jeremy S

Listen in as Bob the Old Rucker, Brett, and Pat grow a closer bond with Jeremy. Jeremy is husband, father, grandfather, former marine, and a very active member in recovery. He’s respected in many circles for his recovery insight and dedication to service. 

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Episode 0025 Not a Glum Lot

Members of the tribe chat about having a good life in recovery:

In this roundtable episode titled “We Are Not a Glum Lot,” Bob “the Old Rucker” gathers with fellow recovery brothers Sloan, Tony, and Pat for a candid, unscripted conversation about the joy, connection, and growth found in sobriety. They reflect on the struggles of early recovery, the transformative power of showing up and embracing the program, and the deep bonds they’ve built through shared service, road trips, laughter, and vulnerability. From moving into new homes and picking up sponsees, to hilarious misadventures at Broadway plays and weed shops in NYC, the guys illustrate how sobriety isn’t just about abstaining from alcohol—it’s about reclaiming life with gratitude, humor, and purpose. The group emphasizes the importance of fellowship, leaning into discomfort, and keeping service at the core. The episode ends with each member sharing tools for staying sober and joyful, especially while on the road, and a reminder that no one walks this path alone.

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Episode 0024 Couples in Recovery

Couples in Recovery: Stephanie and Preston—Team G—sit down with Mandy and the Old Rucker to talk about the real, messy journey of getting sober and staying that way as a couple. Bob “the Old Rucker” and Mandy crack open an old recording and reintroduce Stephanie, who’s now eight years sober after losing custody of her son and bottoming out, and Preston, who spiraled hard into drinking during his military years and barely made it through withdrawal.

They each had their own wake-up call—Stephanie realizing her drinking was behind every problem in her life, Preston learning the hard truth about post-acute withdrawal. They share how they each found their footing with AA and intensive outpatient programs. It’s raw and honest—from the complications of dating in recovery to the baggage of childhood trauma and family friction. But what stands out is how they both did the hard work first—on themselves—before figuring out how to show up for each other. It’s a reminder that recovery isn’t just about quitting alcohol. It’s about rebuilding your life—and doing it with honesty, grit, and a little help from your people.

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Episode 0023 Sponsorship Relations

Republishing to correct the feed, the wrong episode got attached to the original

Charlie and Nathan sit down to share what it’s really like between a sponsor and a sponsee—pulling from their raw, personal journeys through addiction and recovery. Charlie, who’s been in this game a long time and is as real as they come, lays out why walking someone through the 12 steps matters: it’s about building a relationship with your higher power through honesty, surrender, and actually living the work. Nathan, still early in the process, opens up about the hard hits—alcohol, denial, loss—and how connecting with someone like Charlie, who’s walked the walk, gave him real hope. Their bond is rooted in mutual respect, shared purpose, and spiritual growth. This conversation isn’t polished or sugarcoated—it’s honest, human, and filled with the kind of hope that only comes from people helping each other find their footing in recovery.

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