Thank You for Calling

One June day in 1990, I was short-staffed at work due to vacations. Our receptionist was away and I was filling in for her. The phones were extremely busy that day, and after answering four callers, I answered the next one with "Alcoholics Anonymous, may I help you?" There was a hesitation and the caller replied, "Pardon me, did you say Alcoholics Anonymous?" I said yes and apologized for the error. The caller asked me what I thought of AA and what I knew about it. I told him that I had heard of AA and from what I understood, it worked for people who really wanted it. He then told me he was a member of AA and had been for quite some time. At this point, I think my heart rate dropped back to almost normal.