The Scam Artist

In my third month of sobriety, I was finally ready to do my Fourth Step, but I did not have a sponsor. I had this stubborn idea that because I felt betrayed in a failed relationship when I was 19, I would never trust anyone else the rest of my life. At 36, I brought that idea with me to AA. Though I was ready to do a Fourth Step, I wasn’t confident I knew how. I asked a few AAs I met in meetings and I received a variety of responses. Needless to say I was confused. So an AA friend suggested I get a temporary sponsor. I liked the word temporary, so I agreed to give it a try. He suggested a man who I had seen in my evening meetings. He had more than 25 years of sobriety, he was well-spoken and funny, and he seemed to be knowledgeable about AA. In meetings, he often mentioned that he was a lawyer and a former Marine. I thought it curious that someone would share their profession in an AA meeting. I asked him if he would help me do my Fourth Step, and he agreed. He asked me to come over the following Saturday.