License to not drink

My first memory of Clem is from 1982, when our young people’s bid committee had just been chosen to host the following year’s round-up. Clem sidled up to me and offered the very sensible suggestion that we not over-commit for the banquet. He had chaired that young people’s round-up in 1980, and I was to chair it in 1983. As we talked, Clem gestured toward his truck. My eyebrows went up as I asked him why my sobriety date was on his license plate. Clem informed me that was his sobriety date. In all the years I’ve been in AA, Clem’s the only other person I’ve met who has the exact same sobriety date as me—month, day and year.