Today I Have a Much Better Childhood Than I Used to Have - AA Speaker - Sandy B. - Alexandria, VA

Sandy B. flew fighter jets in the Marine Corps with one hand on the ejection seat, built an entire world out of stories that weren't true, and spent 40-plus years in Alcoholics Anonymous learning that recovery isn't about adding anything — it's about dismantling everything you made up. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── We just launched our new Episodes page — search hundreds of AA speaker meetings by topic, speaker, or step ☀️ Sober-Sunrise.com ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── Sandy B. grew up terrified in a Connecticut Catholic church, convinced God was out to destroy him, and carried that fear straight through Yale, the Marine Corps, and a fighter pilot career that ended when withdrawal symptoms at 30,000 feet forced him to fake an oxygen emergency. Decades later, the radar operator from that final flight showed up at an AA meeting in Oxnard and told Sandy the real story — that his squadron loved him, fought to keep him flying, and never saw him the way he saw himself. That moment captures the whole point of Sandy's talk: we build an entire world out of stories we tell ourselves, live inside it like a bird in an egg, and then blame everyone else for how dark it is. Through the steps, that shell starts to crack and light gets in — but the real challenge is whether we're willing to come all the way out or just settle for a comfortable view. Sandy got sober in 1964 and spent over four decades proving that the program isn't about becoming a better version of yourself — it's about letting go of the version you made up in the first place. Sandy B. from Tampa, FL speaking at the 63rd anniversary of the Alexandria group in Alexandria, VA - November 28th 2007 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── Music: Deep by KaizanBlu