Table of Contents

  • Read a sample story
  • A Note to Our Readers
  • Section One: The Jumping-Off Place
  • Section Two: Living History
  • Section Three: A Journey Not A Destination
  • Section Four: The Challenge Of Change
  • Section Five: Interviews
  • Section Six: Making It New
  • The Last Word: Words of Wisdom

A Note to Our Readers

This collection presents 42 stories from old-timers about how they hit bottom and got sober, as well as vivid descriptions of the early days of AA. But colorful histories are only part of the book. Old-timers have a wealth of lived experience to share with the rest of us. They've stayed sober through good times and bad by depending on the Steps and their Higher Power. They've learned how to avoid complacency and renew their committment to sobriety. They're here to tell us, "Life happens: don't drink, go to meetings, trust the principles of AA, and be willing to stay willing." They have the gift of perspective and know that sobriety is a journey, not a destination -- whether the traveler is a newcomer just heading out or a longtimer who has had his passport stamped many times.

A wry comment AA old-timers sometimes make, when they're asked how to accumulate sober years, is: Don't drink and don't die. But how to be an old-timer and remain engaged, contented and productive? That's another story -- or stories. Read on.

The Editors