To mark the 150th interview in this podcast series, Dwight’s story is both riveting and ominous. It began with alcohol being added to his milk to keep him quiet as a toddler. Raised as an only child by a single mother in the ghettos of Harlem, he was a thief by age six and had witnessed the stabbing death of school mate at 11. A gang member by middle school, Dwight was drinking, smoking marijuana, and breaking the law daily. When he was 12, his mother moved him to Texas to escape the violent streets of New York only to land him in the notorious inner city gangs of Houston. He somehow survived that deadly environment and made it to college only to be drafted and sent to Viet Nam during the worst years of that war. Taught to kill and then dropped behind enemy lines for reconnaissance, Dwight suffered terrifying trauma that booze and drugs could hardly blunt. Returning to the tumultuous U.S. in 1969, and unable to find meaningful work, he returned to criminal behavior as a drug runner and dealer. As years passed and his and his alcoholism became more severe, Dwight somehow managed to extricate himself from his treacherous lifestyle and land a normal job. It was in that position that his alcoholism and PTSD snapped his psyche and he was hospitalized for 45 days. That forced period of sobriety created a sliver of clarity which culminated in a 12th step call by veterans of A.A. When he got out of the hospital, Dwight was mercifully enveloped by the fellowship never to drink again.

Dwight’s early years in AA were difficult at best as trust in the people and the Program came slowly. But with the help and love he experienced in daily meetings, working the Steps, and helping others, he dutifully built the arch through which he now accompanies others to redemption from the disease. To be sure, his decades in AA have not been without their difficulties and challenges, some of which rival those in his pre-sobriety life. However, by staying continuously steeped in the Program and spiritually connected, Dwight’s life has been richly adorned by the many gifts of sobriety, gifts that he shares most freely with others.

So fasten your seatbelts for this epic adventure through one alcoholic’s life and enjoy listening to the next 90 minutes of AA Recovery Interviews with one of my closest friends and AA brother, Dwight M.

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 testimonials 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 and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.

I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon.

[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. 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 freely given to me. – Howard L.]