resilience – Shoutout From The Pit

2026-04-102026-04-09

Episode 0064 Robin & Blake

Bob sits down with Blake and Robin, a couple whose journey through addiction, trauma, and recovery highlights the raw reality of rebuilding a life from the ground up. From Robin’s story of surviving a childhood injury and rediscovering purpose through forgiveness, to Blake’s path through addiction, military service, and eventual sobriety, the episode explores how service work, accountability, and connection to others create lasting change. Their dynamic as partners in recovery, their commitment to helping others, and their willingness to share both struggle and growth make this episode a grounded reminder that no matter how far someone has fallen, there is a path forward and it often starts by simply showing up.

April 16-19: is an Arkansas AA Convention. This one is the 49^th Annual Springtime in the Ozarks, in Eureka Springs. No flier for that one so check out springtimeintheozarks.com.

June 20th: Arkansas Soberfest Picnic at the VFW in Cabot, Arkansas

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

2026-04-03

Episode 0063 Brett’s Journey

Brett’s journey is shaped by relocation, isolation, and ultimately connection through recovery. Brett shares how moving to Arkansas for work led him from going through the motions of sobriety to truly engaging in it, thanks to a tight knit “tribe” built through service work, events, and shared experiences. Along the way, he reflects on his early years of binge drinking, the cultural normalization of alcohol, and how what started as weekend fun evolved into something deeper. With candid storytelling, raw honesty, and plenty of laughs, this episode highlights the power of fellowship, the importance of stepping out of isolation, and how meaningful relationships can transform sobriety from a routine into a fulfilling way of life.

April 4^th: Grand opening of Crystal Palace, a family friendly, alcohol-free, event center at 173 Hwy 11 in Searcy, AR. Please tell them you heard about it from the Old Rucker. More on this in a bit.

April 16-19: is an Arkansas AA Convention. This one is the 49^th Annual Springtime in the Ozarks, in Eureka Springs. No flier for that one so check out springtimeintheozarks.com.

June 20th: Arkansas Soberfest Picnic at the VFW in Cabot, Arkansas

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

2026-02-13

Episode 0056 Just Keep Swimming

On this episode of Shout Out From The Pit, the Old Rucker reflects on the cycle of struggle, relief, and complacency; how we can go from desperate prayers to comfortable ruts faster than we realize. Through stories of addiction, near tragedy, job rejection, and recovery, he explores why motivation fades, why inspiration comes and goes, and why gratitude must be actively maintained. His message is simple but not easy: good things don’t just happen, we participate in them. When life feels great, serve someone. When life feels awful, serve someone anyway. Action, faith, and helping others are the antidote to stagnation, and the road back to hope.

New Year One Honest Challenge – you can use the links below to submit.

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com

2026-02-062026-02-05

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.

New Year One Honest Challenge – you can use the links below to submit.

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com

2026-01-232026-01-22

Episode 0053 Shari – Cancer

When Shari received a breast cancer diagnosis, surrender wasn’t an option. In this episode, Shari and her husband Les share the full arc of their cancer journey from early detection through routine mammograms, to an aggressive treatment plan involving chemotherapy and immunotherapy, to the emotional, financial, and relational realities few people talk about out loud. With honesty, dark humor, and hard won insight, they explore what it means to fight without denial, support without fixing, and stay mentally and emotionally engaged when everything feels out of control. This episode is a candid conversation about resilience, partnership, early detection, and finding purpose on the other side of the fight.

This episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/B3krIDAvkNo

New Year One Honest Challenge – you can use the links below to submit.

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com

2026-01-162026-01-16

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.

New Year One Honest Challenge – you can use the links below to submit.

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com

2025-09-112025-10-30

Episode 0034 9/11 Tribute – Don Ellis

Interview with Don Ellis, a Pentagon staffer awarded the Medal of Valor, discusses the devastation witnessed at Ground Zero, honor the sacrifices of victims, survivors, and heroes.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com

2025-08-012025-10-30

Episode 0028 Ben Grimes – Finding Peace in the Pentameter

Ben Grimes is a former 82nd Airborne Ranger turned professional theatre artist and founder of Riverside Actors Theatre, shares how classical theatre—especially Shakespeare’s rhythm and language—became the unexpected framework that helped him and other veterans move out of trauma. In a wide-ranging, raw conversation with Bob (“the old rucker”), RedBeard, and Pat the Marine, Ben walks through his journey from stage to combat to healing, the development of his trauma-informed ensemble work (“The Breach”), and the daily practices that keep him grounded. He also reveals the “toolbox” he lives by, the empathic power of storytelling, and his new chapter as Managing Artistic Director in Paducah, Kentucky. This episode is about purpose, community, rhythm, breath, and the quiet power of letting words do the work.

https://www.riversideactorstheatre.org/

https://markethousetheatre.org/

Shakespeare, Rhythm, and the Vagus Nerve in PTSD Recovery

Disrupting dysfunctional nervous system patterns—even briefly—can create a window of opportunity to build tools for long-term PTSD recovery. Whether through rhythmic speech, breathwork, or clinical intervention, these resets offer a moment of clarity. Over time, repeated use of these methods helps develop a reliable toolkit for resilience—restoring rhythm, breath, narrative, and voice.

Text Us at 501-613-8915

Leave a voicemail 501-613-8915

Email us team@shoutoutfromthepit.com