Chad P. AA Male

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
But I'm really interested, I'm excited to hear his story. And I give you Texan from New Jersey, Chad P.

**Chad P.** (0:14)
I'm so conscious about our chairs back here in the back of this stage. I'm like trying to scoot up as far as I can when people are walking by. It's just not that I'm worried about somebody's falling, it's worried about somebody falling, I'm worried about somebody falling and me being responsible.
My name's Chad P. I'm an alcoholic. I'm sober since April the 2nd of 2003, and my home group's the Rule 62 group in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Born and raised in New Jersey, I'm sure that's obvious to everybody. I actually had a sponsor, he asked me when I was moving from Texas to New Jersey, he said, so are you from New Jersey? I was like, yeah, you idiot. I'm from New Jersey. And I do want to apologize that you have to listen to this accent for the next hour. I'll try not to go too much longer than that. I don't want to put that towards. I really, the truth is, I really, the accent really just comes up on tape. I don't really have it in person, but my God, when I listen to Chad on tape, that's rough.
Julie and I got to do a workshop just outside of Akron a few years ago. We got the tour, you know, we got to see some of the history. And, you know, I got to pretend like I was on the phone in the Mayflower, somebody stole the receiver off the pay phone in the Mayflower Hotel, but I got to stand there like this and take the picture, you know.
I'm upstairs at Dr. Bob's house, and I'm sure some of you guys have that picture, too. But what's even better is our tour guide, our host, was showing us the hidden bottles around Dr. Bob's house. And the coolest picture is Julie turning back on Dr. Bob's bottles in his basement. But it's really cool to be here in Ohio, the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous. What an honor, you know. And there's such long time sobriety here. You know, I noticed that everybody that you've heard from on the microphone this morning has more time than I do. That doesn't bother me a bit. I'm not nervous at all. And there's always a voice in me that says that I don't belong. You know, it's funny, Katie was talking about this and talking about Ralph. And, you know, most speakers don't like themselves. Well, I despise myself. That's my, that's somehow, that's what I came up with in childhood. I don't know where that came from. But at the same time, I'm better than all of you. So if that doesn't create separation, I don't know what does. But that's what I'm bringing to you. And, you know, it's interesting. That's not what makes me alcoholic, but it certainly is what drives the old ideas and the character defects that I deal with on a daily basis. That's a big part of it, you know. And that's where a lot of the work is. But I want to, before I get started here, I want to thank all you guys. Thank the committee. Jeff, thank you, Jim.
Jim's real big on directions, and it's funny because I'm like, brother, I stopped following directions years ago. It's one for Google Maps. If Google Maps didn't exist, I would just sit somewhere and starve to death.
Be like, I know there's a restaurant around here somewhere, but my phone's not working. Well, you got a big problem. But he's like, are you coming from 70 or 80? I'm like, buddy, I don't know yet. I haven't punched it in.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:30)
Yeah. Thank you.

**Chad P.** (3:32)
I really appreciate it. But he's been a great host. Everybody here has been great. I've had a good time, and it's a big honor for me to get to be here with Katie and the other speakers. So, my childhood, I grew up in an alcoholic home, but it wasn't that bad. It was really fun. It was fun in the beginning. It was chaotic somewhere along the way.
And the best way that I think I can describe it, first off, I say I grew up in a household of six. I had three brothers and sisters. But that's not completely... Like there's a lot of divorce in my family. Like, for instance, if you ask me, so Chad, how many brothers and sisters do you have? That's not an easy question to answer. I mean, are we counting adopted? Are we counting step? Are we counting half? You know, because they're all in there. But if you look at the majority of my childhood, I grew up in a household of six. With stepdad, stepbrother, stepsister. Real brother, I think, is what you call one with the same mom and same dad. I just got one of those and my mom. But so there's six of us.