Linda G. – Sober 42 Years

Newcomers often find it amazing that someone with so much time would still attend AA meetings on a regular basis. Linda G got sober at age 22 and has more than 4 decades of sobriety as an active and engaged member of Alcoholics Anonymous. I greatly admire Linda because when I was new in AA, I found it hard to believe that people with 5 or 10 or 20 years were still going to meetings. In fact, I thought that those who were picking up birthday chips came once a year. Or, at most, maybe every quarter. I figured that people with a few weeks or months or maybe a couple of years had to go all the time. But why keep going to meetings if you’ve shown you can stay sober for a long period of time? Of course, I eventually found the answer by regularly attending meetings where I met lots of sober alcoholics who not only came all the time, but actually seemed to enjoy it. As my own years in the Program continued to add up, I was still going to six or seven meetings a week. Not just to fortify and protect my sobriety, but to actually enrich and enjoy my life through the close interpersonal relationships with other alcoholics. Of course, this didn’t just happen.  It took time and work. And it came as the result of watching and getting to know people like my guest on today’s show, Linda G.  I first met Linda many years ago at an AA club that we still attend. I got to know her the way we do in the program, by hearing her speak in meetings and watching her interact with others. Her sharp, no-nonsense shares always seemed to be on the mark and her references to the Big Book demonstrated a thorough knowledge of how AA works. What’s more, by coming early and sticking around after meetings, I had the opportunity to see her commitment, compassion, and understanding in action. Whether it was one-on-one or in a small group, Linda’s thoughtful and provocative comments seemed to attract people to her. I certainly wanted to get to know her better. And I did. Even with a very full schedule in the medical profession, in which she’s helping many people every day, Linda still makes the time to go to meetings and work with other women as a caring and dedicated sponsor. The effectiveness of her sponsorship is readily seen in the way her sponsees sponsor other women. If you ever want to know why someone with 40-plus years in the program is still goes to meetings and stays actively engaged in every facet of Alcoholics Anonymous, you’ll enjoy this show with Linda G. She's one of the finest people I’ve ever known. Visit the AA Recovery Interviews website for more information and to contact me, Howard L. To contact Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, visit aa.org. [Disclaimer: In accordance with 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.]