Blayne's path to alcoholism began at age 10 with loneliness, isolation, and, ultimately, bitterness towards God after his beloved grandfather died. Living near his grandfather’s ranch in a small east Texas town, Blayne learned about hunting, fishing, and how to act like a man. When his grandfather, whom he idolized, passed away, Blayne was left with few coping skills beyond the kind a “real man”, like John Wayne, would use. So, by the time he started drinking, Blayne had a lot to drink away. But booze always did the trick. Drinking with increasing volume and frequency, he barely made it through high school and college, where he also smoked pot on a regular basis. By his early 20s, Blayne’s life was rudderless as his alcoholism progressed. He eventually went through a treatment program, followed by nearly two years as a resident of a sober living facilities. It was there that he was exposed to Alcoholics Anonymous. But it wasn’t until he was 27, when, at the additional urging of a therapist, that he surrendered.  Blayne finally decided to claim sobriety with a solid commitment to do the work the Program demanded.

Since that day nearly 19 years ago, Blayne has become somewhat of a model AA member. He attends meetings regularly and it’s not uncommon for me to see him two or three times a week. He’s done intensive step work with his sponsors throughout the years, passing the practical wisdom he has learned onto the men that he sponsors. Study of the Big Book, daily prayer, and residing in the middle of the program have helped him get through difficult times, including a severe illness of his son. He also survived maintaining a relationship with an active alcoholic whose brutal disease was arrested on the day she herself survived a deadly DWI. Her subsequent sobriety, thanks to AA in prison, made it possible for Blayne to allow her back into his life.

Like many, Blayne’s tale has much to offer to those whose experience with alcoholism has been wrought with seemingly impossible challenges. As the 99th episode in my AA Recovery Interviews podcast series, it contains many similarities with other stories I’ve heard over the past two years. But there’s also a lot of new insights to learn from Blayne’s story and my hope is that you’ll benefit from them all.

So please enjoy the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews as you listen to the captivating words of my friend and AA brother, Blayne H.

Check out Howard’s 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

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 testamonials 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 if you’d like to read along with the audio.

[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 free...