A Visit to the Home of Dr. Bob - in Akron, Ohio PART 2 of 3

A Visit to the Home of Dr. Bob - in Akron, Ohio PART 2 of 3

Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of recovery rooted right where Alcoholics Anonymous began. This time, the conversation takes place around the very table in Dr. Bob Smith’s Akron home, with host Neil Scott chatting to Bob C., a long-time volunteer and non-managing trustee of the house. Bob C.

brings a mix of humour and honesty as he talks about having his first drink at a Polish wedding at just six or seven, being found “passed out underneath the serving table”, and later reaching a point where alcohol “was my higher power. It told me when to get up, when to go to bed.” A family intervention in 1989 pushed him into treatment, where, as he says, “the miracle of Alcoholics Anonymous happened for me”.

The episode is especially suited to people in recovery, their families, and anyone curious about AA’s roots. You’ll hear how Bob’s early visit to Dr. Bob’s home, only three months sober, became a turning point: he describes doing a surrender upstairs and coming down “a different person”. Years later, he now “welcomes people home” as a volunteer, guiding visitors through the history and watching their own transformations unfold.

One of the most moving moments is Bob’s story of a young boy praying at the rock outside the house for his friend “who needs a new life”, a reminder of how deeply this place still touches people. Bob sums up his own path simply: “I have a programme of action that saves my life, and it saves the lives of thousands and millions of people.” The episode closes with a rare archive of Dr.

Bob himself, stressing “the simplicity of our programme” and the importance of kindness and persistence. If you’re looking for a mix of history, humour, and heartfelt recovery stories, this one might be the coffee-and-conversation you need today. So, whose ‘home’ in recovery helps you remember why you started this journey?