HEATTER:
The man beside me now has had one of the most gripping and dramatic experiences I've ever heard. I'm not going to tell
you his name. And when you hear what he has to say I think
you'll understand why. But after checking the facts the
Listeners Committee of We The People decided to grant him
time because they feel that if one person is helped by
hearing his story, then WE THE PEOPLE will have done a real
service. All right, sir.
ANONYMOUS:
Six months ago I got out of an insane asylum. I'd been sent
there because I was drinking myself to death. But the doctors
said they could do nothing for me. And only four years ago I
was making 20,000 dollars a year. I was married to a swell
girl and had a young son. But I worked hard and like lots of
my friends - I used to drink to relax. Only they knew when to
stop. I didn't. And pretty soon - I drank myself out of my
job. I promised my wife I'd straighten out. But I couldn't.
Finally she took the baby and left me.
The next year was like a nightmare. I was penniless. I went
out on the streets - panhandled money for liquor. Every time
I sobered up - I swore not to touch another drop. But if I
went a few hours without a drink - I'd begin to cry like a
baby, and tremble all over. One day after I left the asylum I
met a friend of mine. He took me to the home of one of his
friends. A bunch of men were sitting around, smoking cigars,
telling jokes - having a great time. But I noticed they
weren't drinking. When Tom told me they'd all been in the
same boat as I was - I couldn't believe him. But he said,
"See that fellow? He's a doctor. Drank himself out of his
practice. Then he straightened out. Now he's head of a big
hospital." Another big strapping fellow was a grocery clerk.
Another the vice president of a big corporation. They got
together five years ago. Called themselves Alcoholics
Anonymous. And they'd worked out a method of recovery. One of
their most important secrets was - helping the other fellow.
Once they began to follow it the method proved successful and
helped others get on their feet - they found they could stay
away from liquor.
Gradually - those men helped me back to life. I stopped
drinking. Found courage to face life once again. Today I've
got a job - and I'm going to climb back to success. Recently
we wrote a book called "Alcoholics Anonymous". It tells
precisely how we all came back from a living death. Working
on that book made me realize how much other people had
suffered - how they'd gone through the same thing I did.
That's why I wanted to come on this program. I wanted to tell
people who are going through that torment - if they sincerely
want to they can come back. Take their place in society once
again!
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(MUSIC)