After a difficult adolescence, prison sentence, and series of dead-end jobs, Jimmy finally hit the jackpot. He was hired by a California winery, where he worked for over 20 years. This dream job not only allowed him to drink while at work, but actually required it. His job as a wine salesman necessitated intimate knowledge of every bottle he sold and daily drinking with customers. Thus, Jimmy’s long-time alcoholism and drug abuse was fueled by the demands of his job. Then came his downward spiral replete with divorces, physical decline, drunk driving, and mental issues. Fortunately, as the bottom approached, he had a moment of clarity. After 30 days inpatient treatment, he found AA and has stayed sober ever since. Ironically, when he got sober and informed his employer, he was fired for not agreeing to drink on the job. For a functional alcoholic, this was another gift he could not ignore. Over his more than 21 years of sobriety, Jimmy has parlayed that experience into a strong program focused on constant service to the fellowship and helping people in his community.

Though I only met Jimmy about a year ago on Zoom, we formed an instant bond based on a shared love for Alcoholics Anonymous and our mutual willingness to help others. I’ve been fascinated by his story and feels like I’ve known him for years. I think you’ll feel that way, too, over the next hour as you listen to this AA Recovery Interview with my AA brother, Jimmy S.

Visit the AA Recovery Interviews website for more information and to contact me, Howard L.

Join our Facebook Group and share your own experience, strength, and hope with other AAs.

Visit the AA Recovery Interviews website for more information and to contact me, Howard L.

Join our Facebook Group and share your own experience, strength, and hope with other AAs.

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. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com

To contact Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, visit aa.org.

[Disclaimer: In strict adherence to A.A.’s traditions, my anonymous guests and I speak for ourselves only, not for Alcoholics Anonymous at large. We share only our personal experiences with A.A. recovery. We acknowledge that AA’s sole concern is the recovery and continued sobriety of those alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. As members of AA, our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. – Howard L.]