Burns B. AA Male

**Burns Brady** (0:01)
My name is Burns Brady, and I'm an alcoholic. This thing goes off while I'm talking, and you can't hear me, let me know, or whatever needs to be done. You may not want to hear me, but if you do, you just raise your hand. I don't know if it's going to feed back or not, and I may have to figure out how to play with this thing for a while. Just don't touch it at all, huh?
I've done it already. Story of my life, I've been here 30 seconds and screwed it up.
You people really do know how to throw a party. You really do know how to throw a party.
I'm not afraid of you. Obviously it's not afraid of me either. You people really do know how to throw a party. It's interesting, this sign behind me. Not as interesting as the speaker, but it's interesting as the sign behind me. It says sobriety, S-O-B-I-E-T-Y, sobriety. The attitude of this conference is wonderful. And I think between, can you not hear me? They're waving over here. Now can you hear me? Okay. This sign says sobriety. The attitude of this conference is wonderful. And what it really tells me is what is almost a composite of AA. We don't have to get it perfect or to be just right.
You know, I can't, I don't think it's any simpler than that. We don't have to get it perfect for it to be just right. Maliki called me and asked me to come to speak. I really am appreciative to the committee that selected me to come. This is a conference that the attitude and the love has been so strong that I'm just grateful to be here.
I've been fortunate to travel around the country quite a bit and speak. I've been at conferences where many of the other speakers had great stories to tell, and between the time they were talking and the time they left, I wouldn't have given two cents to spend the rest of the any more time with them. Fortunately, there are not many of those, but there are some. The speakers at this conference thus far have really rung my bell, both from up here and from the time I spent with them personally.
To listen to Scott and Kelly and to watch. See, I'm gray haired and 56 years old. I came in this program when I was 42 I was 41, actually. I have two children who are their age who have been in AA. My daughter's been in AA for 11 years and she's 31 My son's been in AA for seven, he's 25 And they basically are that age. My daughter's story is much similar to Scott's story. And I'm so, I'm just... Can I tell you the joy that I feel at these young people with this kind of sobriety? And the joy I felt listening to them talk, it's like watching a flower open. It's like watching, especially Kelly, last night was just struck with what is going on in her life. And I sat there saying, AdaGal, AdaGal, as the flower opened. And the awesomeness of spirituality as he's starting to surge through her body and listening to Scott working through some of the problems he's working through today. This man is 30 years old. When I was 30 years old, I was trying to find the bathroom.
And at that time, I had a college degree and a medical degree, and I was still trying to find the bathroom. And when I found it, I needed help to figure out what to do when I got there.
David and his talk, the simplicity of it. See, I used to consider that almost a naiveté, and that was something I didn't really want to have. I wanted to swagger, and if you didn't swagger, then you didn't have it. A knowing look on my face that I wanted to have, so you'd think I really knew what the heck was happening when I didn't have any clue what was happening. And to listen to that naiveté and that beauty and that simplicity. My son went through treatment at the treatment center that Melinda was talking about, and I know what this lady is. She is an absolute bundle of love, and that whole treatment program that he went through was just a bundle of love. And you just saw the tip of the love bird today. Because how much can you really show in that period of time? She showed a lot, but I really knew this lady to be exactly what she told you. Just pure love.
Mary Kay, I have not met, but her countenance tells me we're in for a treat tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to it. I am grateful to be here, and I thank those people who asked me to come. Maliki, what a treat. This afternoon, the Dues and Berries, you know, it's interesting, as I unfold this talk, Neil Diamond was very instrumental at the time I was drinking. And Sweet Caroline was something I used to cry about when I was drinking, and now I cry about it sober, and they hadn't done it, and I don't know how long when they started doing it today, my wife looked at me, and she said, welcome home. Sweet Caroline, you know? And to see that family unity. What a treat. What a treat.