Andrew from Australia tells Olis and Don how the Doctor's Opinion and Bill's Story in the Big Book opened his mind to being useful rather than correct. Andrew recalls asking his sponsor when he should start on the Steps, and the sponsor answered, "how long do you want the suffering to last?" Patrick sends in a question for A Newcomer Asks. You're I…

S10E12 Shank and Wayne review some of the requests from the fellowhsip that never made it to conference committees. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "nonalcoholic high", "easy does it", and "bitten off more than even a hippo could chew". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

S10 E11 Shank and Wayne discuss Items that were consider by Conference Committees but never make it to the 75th General Service Conference for Consideration. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "treated shabbily or unjustly", "boil inside fruitlessly", and "escape drinking". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at…

Jeffrey tells Don and Sam about his experience in prison and how he picked up a Grapevine magazine by mistake, and then later the Big Book found him and wouldn't let go. These publications opened his eyes, and he jumped at the first chance to attend an AA meeting. Jeffrey wrote a story that appears in the June 2025 prison issue of Grapevine. On thi…

S10E10 Shank and Wayne review the Advisory Actions from the 75th GSC. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "a program of dream interpretation", "jar us like a thunderbolt" and "make it a triple play: Don’t let yourself get too tired, too hungry, or too lonely". If you have a question, commment or suggestion you can email Alcoholics Alive at freedom@alch…

Kelsey and Julie both talk to Don and Sam about their recovery from alcoholism and then all four discuss the Hot Topic of Anonymity. You're Invited to the 2025 International Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous. Please visit aa.org/international-convention for information. While we provide the podcast at no charge, we do have expenses. Grapevine is t…

S10E9 Shank and Wayne take a look into AA's finances from the 2024 finanical statements and 2025 budget. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "AA Jargon", "Sex and Sponsorship", "Given a Bum Steer" and "Sponsors Can Goof". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Kevin tells Don and Sam about his home group called "One Paragraph at a Time." Kevin relates how his sponsor's loving acceptance gave him a feeling of spirit that he'd never had before. He also tells how his favorite recovery song made his first sober hockey game much easier. There's a report from Patrick on the upcoming 2025 AA International Conve…

S10E8 Shank and Wayne discuss if AA is really Self Supporting through its own voluntary contributions. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "Bootlegger", "Hot-Buttered-Rum-Guzzlers" and "Fat Driving". If you have a question, suggestion or comment you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Don and Sam start this episode with a conversation about sponsorship. Laura joins and tells them how she got sober at a special school for troubled kids, and discovered AA by going to meetings off campus. After graduating, she remembers going to a young people's meeting and finding friends that helped her find fun in sobriety. Laura also talks abou…

S10E7 Shank and Wayne discuss how literature price hikes and addtional pamphlets did not help AA's bottom line. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "fatigue, hunger, loneliness, anger and overelation", "round-the-clock-winesippers" and "off the sause". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Alcoholics Alive at freedom@alcoholicsali…

DeEtte, whose article "Nursery Rhymes" appears in the May 2025 issue of Grapevine, tells Olis and Sam that she felt different in her early days of AA. Over time she saw more and more similarities with other alcoholics and learned to feel a part of the fellowship. Sponsorship brought depth and weight to the spiritual aspect of the program. DeEtte sh…

S10E6 Shank and Wayne take a look at AA's pamphlet distribution and discuss if they are worth the effort, do they fulfill our primary purpose or destract? Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "restful convalescence", "bridge, macrame, the opera, tropical fish, cabinetmaking, needlework, baseball, writing, signing, crossword puzzles, cooking, bird-watchi…

James tells Olis and Don that while active he felt he didn't have a drinking problem, just occasional legal trouble. Now, sober many years, he's learned there's no situation so horrific that a drink can't make it worse. James also shares about his service to his group, district and area. In A Blast From the Past there's a talk from Bill W. in 1945 …

S10 E5 Shank and Wayne discuss agenda items from the 75th General Service Conference for the Treatment and Accessibilites, Trustees, Archives and International Coventions/Regional Forum Committees. Living Sober Shrapnel takes a look at "Sitting in a hen house makes you a hen", "at the KP" and "unbelievably fertile powers of imagination". If you hav…

S10 E4 Shank and Wayne discuss agenda items for the 75th General Service Conference from the Policy/Admissions, Public Information and Report and Charter Committees. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "Weddings and Barmitzvahs and Christenings, and Holidays, and Football Games and Cocktail Parties and Business Lunches", "Recovered Alcoholics" and "Hea…

Caitlin had false starts, but was told by a woman n AA "I'm here when you're ready." Those words stuck and when desperation hit Caitlin jumped into AA. Now she says she's seen too many miracles to have doubt. Stay tuned after Wit's End to hear Caitlin's "Friend of Bill" story. Patrick gives an update on the 2025 International AA Convention in Vanco…

S10 E3 Shank and Wayne discuss agenda items for the 75th General Service Conference from the Grapevine, La Vina and Literature Committees. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "Distilled Spirits" "A Pickle Can Change Itself Back Into a Cucumber" and "Free Trial Period". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at freed…

S10 E2 Shank and Wayne discuss some of the agenda items for the 75th General Service Conference from the CPC, Corrections and Finance Committees. Living Sober Shrapnel discusses "Cafeteria Style", "Balanced Diet of Ideas" and "Just Don't Pick Up That First Drink". If you have a suggestion, comment or question you can email Shank and Wayne at freedo…

Mark tells Olis and Sam that finding a home group really made the difference for him in making sobriety enjoyable. The three also discuss working the Steps with a sponsor and Mark tells how his sponsor had him talk to three other people about each Step as he worked his way through. This week's special features include #heardinameeting with one from…

S10E1 Shank and Wayne review the 75th General Service Conference items for the Agenda Committee. In Living Sober Shrapnel they discuss "Thick Tongues", "Grim, Wet Blanket Experience" and "The Twelve Steps Offered as a Program of Recovery in the Book Alcoholics Anonymous". You can email Alcoholics Alive at [email protected]…

Polly, whose article appears in the April 2025 issue of Grapevine, talks with Olis and Don about getting sober just before the pandemic hit and meetings went online. She tells the story about being scooped up from a bar room floor, waking from a blackout and knowing that something had to change. Today she stands on her own two feet. Polly was pleas…

S9E13 Shank and Wayne do a wrap up of the 12 Steps and discuss upcoming Season 10. If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Alcoholics Alive at [email protected] Shank and Wayne

Susie talks to Don and Sam about coming into AA while in high school, and some of the attitudes she learned to change. Only in AA, she says, did she find others who admitted that they too loved alcohol—until it turned on them. The three discuss using AA tools to get through challenging times sober. In a History Snippet, Mily reports on the early da…

S9E12 Karen shares her experience with step 12 and Carrying the Message. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "BOSTON - Be of service to others now", "Service is gratitude in action", and "The only thing worse than my problems are my solutions". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Mack recalls being told early on that "you will never have to sober up again," and those words stuck with him and helped him commit to AA. Mack, Don and Olis discuss Ask it Basket questions from Madeline and Michael. Stay tuned after the closing music for Listener Feedback from Nadja and Gary. You're Invited to the 2025 International Convention of …

S9E11 Clay F. shares his experience with Prayer and Meditation. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Meditation is an opportunity to witness what's around me", "We get down on our knees to get back on our feet", "If you pray without action you are just begging" and "We get in a circle because we no longer do lines". If you have a comment, suggestion or ques…

Stephanie tells Olis and Sam about going to an AA website after a particularly bad binge and taking "The Quiz." Qualifying, she took it again just to be sure, then found her way into AA through a virtual meeting. Don and Olis share anecdotes about co-founder Dr. Bob. There's an update on the 2025 International AA Convention in Vancouver, BC July 3—…

S9E10 Melissa shares her experience with continuing to take inventory and Step 10. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "FEAR - Frustration, Ego, Anxiety and Resentment", "You received without cost, now give without charge" and "If your not working on your recovery, you're working on your relapse." If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can reach …

Chris joins Olis and Sam and says that when he accepted help, little by little his life got better. Chris carries the message by going with other members to detox and treatment centers, and enjoys not only the work but also the meetings in the car before and after. In special features the three discuss a Daily Quote on sanity, and there's an Ask it…

S9E9 Matt shares his experience with Making Amends and taking Step 9. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Alcoholism is the only disease that treats loneliness with isolation", "Easy does it - but do it", and "If I'm not the problem, then there is no solution". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Alcoholics Alive at freedom@alcoholi…

Mary, whose story appears in the March issue of Grapevine Magazine, shares that she got serious about AA when alcohol stopped working for her. She tells Don and Sam that once she surrendered her Higher Power gave her a fish-eye lens view of what she needed to do. Our roving reporter Olis visits the AA International Women's Conference in San Diego a…

S9E8 Ricky shares his experience with working Step 8 in Alcoholics Anonymous. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Willing doesn't mean wanting", "SLIP - Sober Living isn't a Priority", and "You're only late for your first meeting". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Cindy spent a long time dry in AA meetings while not working the Steps, and it wasn't always pleasant. She wonders now how she did not go out. Eventually, she tells Don and Sam, she had enough and reached out for help with working the AA program of recovery. In the Ask it Basket Madeline wonders if it's OK for a newcomer to bring a friend for suppo…

S9E7 Lyn S. shares her experience with Step 7. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Bless Them, Change Me", "When you get run over by a train, it's not the caboose that kills you", and "Not every share at a meeting is meant for me to hear". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Alcoholics Alive at [email protected]…

Don and Sam start us off with a conversation about the difference between "rigorous honesty" and "brutal honesty." Jeff joins the discussion saying that his first exposure to AA was through his father and his AA friends. Jeff tried AA for a couple years but struggled with the ideas of a higher power and with sponsorship. With the help of a past tea…

S9E6 Earl R. shares his experience with Step 6. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Listen like you have no opinion", "I'm allergic to alcohol - everytime I drink I break out in handcuffs", and "It is what it is". If you have a question, comment or suggestion you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Theresa began AA with gratitude for the Traditions, finding she could be herself in the fellowship without concern. An early AA friend helped her see that she belonged. Theresa does service in hospitals, women's treatment centers and in half-way houses. She says her recovery is a repeating process of discovering, uncovering and discarding, and that…

S9E5 Juli shares her experience with Step 5. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "ISM - I Seek Misery", "Fear is a mile high and a mile wide - but paper thin", "There are no victims, only volunteers". If you have suggestion, question or comment you can reach Shank and Wayne at [email protected] Shank and Wayne

Michelle, whose article appears in the February 2025 issue of Grapevine, talks to Olis and Don about her awakening of not wanting to drink anymore. Among other things, Michelle talks about the successful logistics of her hybrid home group, about healing her relationship with her daughter, and about writing for the Grapevine. While we provide the po…

S9E4 Bentley shares his experience with Step 4. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Expectations are premeditated resentments", "You will never get ahead as long as you keep trying to get even" and "Emotions are not instructions!" If you have a comment, suggestion or question you can email Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Our roving reporter Don visits the Southeast Regional Forum and interviews several trusted servants at the event, including past delegate Kenneth, the Regional Forum Coordinator at the General Service Office, Eileen, Regional Trustee Tom, and the General Manager at the GSO, Bob. There's also Listener Feedback from Paul, Bill, Alex and Roman. While …

S9E3 Hugh shares his experience with Step 3. In Meeting Shrapnel we discuss "God - Grace Over Drama', "Don't tease the disease:, and "If you don't do the work the only thing that will change is your sobriety date". Send comments, suggestions and questions to [email protected] Shank and Wayne

Wilson talks to Sam and Olis about a financial windfall that did not fill the hole in his soul. It wasn't until he found AA that he found himself through the Steps. Wilson tells a touching story of hardcore AA guys helping him prepare for his little girl's birthday party. Olis and Sam talk about the Bridging the Gap program, and there's an update f…

S9E2 Stephanie shares her experience with Step 2 and Coming to Believe. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Listen to learn and learn to listen", "Play the tape all the way through", and "I'm not responsible for the first thought that pops into my head but I am responsible for what I do with it". Contact Shank and Wayne at [email protected]…

Donna talks to Olis and Don about getting sober in a therapeutic community, and doing service now bringing Big Book workshops to AA members. In a Blast From the Past, Bill W. talks about the Three Legacies of AA in a talk from 1954 in Fort Worth, TX. Misha from the Public Information Desk at the General Service Office talks to Don about the new AAW…

S9E1 Eileen shares her experience with Step 1 and being Powerless and Unmanageable. Meeting Shrapnel discusses "Don't count the days, make the days count", "In times of trouble don't take a nip, take a nap", and "If I don't have a problem, I don't need a solution". Contact Alcoholics Alive at [email protected]…

Happy New Year and welcome to Season 8 of the AA Grapevine Half Hour Variety Hour. Shirley, whose article appears in the January issue of Grapevine magazine, shares with Don and Sam about being in a place where either suicide, murder or a mental institution were coming soon. Instead, she found an AA meeting and a new life. In the News we learn abou…

S8E13 Shank and Wayne read some excerpts from Into Action from the Plain Language Big Book and give their final analysis of the much debated book. If you have a question, comment or suggetion you can email Alcoholics Alive at [email protected] Shank and Wayne

Kelley tells Olis and Sam that she first came to AA when the alcohol no longer made her feel better. She struggled at first and had to admit that she'd not been completely sober. When Kelley got honest with her sponsor and group, she was welcomed with open arms. There's an Ask it Basket question from Joe, and Listener Feedback from Brian, Jack, Jer…