ESH: Lew F (45 Years)

ESH: Lew F (45 Years)

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? Lew F from Chilliwack, British Columbia shares 45 years of sobriety with a mix of hard truth, sharp humour, and deep gratitude that might catch you off guard. Recorded at the 52nd Florida State Convention in 2008, his talk feels like sitting in a big AA meeting where one old-timer keeps you laughing, then suddenly hits you with something that lands straight in your gut.

Lew looks back on a life that began in poverty and chaos, took him through skid row missions and Salvation Army beds, and eventually into decades of sobriety, work in the alcohol field, and a rich family and service life. He jokes that alcohol was "just the transportation system" that got him into AA, but he’s crystal clear about alcoholism being “a real thing… It’s not a mystery.

Just sit down on a park bench and watch it go by.” You’ll hear how two very green AA members turned up for his first 12-step call, how he arrived at his first meeting with a black shoe and a brown shoe, and why being told “welcome, you’re in the right place” at 28 years old changed everything.

Lew spends a lot of time breaking down the steps in plain language, stressing that serenity isn’t the absence of conflict but “the ability to cope with it,” and that “spiritual principles will solve all my problems” if he actually applies them at home, at work, and in his relationships. This talk suits anyone who likes straight-talking AA, step-based recovery, and old-school experience.

If you’re wondering whether long-term sobriety can still be full of growth, service, and laughter, Lew’s story might give you something real to think about. What part of your life could change if you took these steps as seriously as he does?