Michael Quigley my Mom & Son say hello, NYC AA trip to GSO and Towns Hospital, My friend died.Michael Quigley my Mom & Son say hello, NYC AA trip to GSO and Towns Hospital, My friend died.
Sober Shares - Alcoholics Anonymous Interviews & Speakers.
Michael Quigley appears to share a New York AA history trip, an emotional meeting at GSO, planned changes for his podcast, and memories of long-sober friend Bob Katie, rounded off with relaxed conversations with his mum and son. The episode seems to blend recovery travel, service, grief and everyday family life into one reflective story.
41:14•17 Sept 2026
AA Pilgrimage, GSO Meeting Magic & Remembering 60 Years Sober
Episode Overview
- AA-related outings, such as visiting historical sites or local meetings, can add depth and meaning to travel.
- The General Service Office offers tours that show how AA’s literature, outreach and international work support members worldwide.
- Unexpected service opportunities, like being asked to lead a meeting, can become powerful spiritual experiences.
- Tools such as the Meeting Guide app may play a significant role in sustaining long-term sobriety while travelling.
- Remembering long-sober members like Bob Katie can highlight how decades of recovery and service impact families and communities.
“This book represents the foundation of my life… I live in a beautiful place supported by the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
What drives someone to seek a life shaped so completely by Alcoholics Anonymous? This solo instalment of *Sober Shares* follows host Michael Quigley as he blends AA history, spiritual experience, grief, and family life into one wide-ranging story. You’ll hear how a five-day family holiday to New York City quietly turns into a pilgrimage.
Michael takes his wife and son to the former Towns Hospital, now an apartment building facing Central Park, and sits on a park bench reflecting on his 26 years of sobriety and the “white light” experience of Bill Wilson that sits at the roots of AA. It’s part sight-seeing, part spiritual checkpoint. The episode then shifts to his visit to AA’s General Service Office.
From tight security to panoramic city views, Michael walks through departments handling literature, inmate communications, international work and more.
A highlight comes when he’s unexpectedly asked to lead the Friday AA meeting and feels his higher power “take over”, sharing, “AA is the foundation of my life… I live in a beautiful place supported by the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous.” The emotional impact is clear as he notices people in tears, and later discovers that the very team behind the Meeting Guide app he praised were sitting in the back of the room.
Michael also talks about upcoming changes to the *Sober Shares* interview format, aiming for more texture, vulnerability and real-life detail about what recovery looks like in 2026. He remembers past guest and grand sponsor Bob Katie, who had more than 60 years sober, describing his colourful dress sense, spiritual focus and the powerful tributes at his celebration of life.
The episode closes on a warm note with a drop-in chat from his 83-year-old mum and a quick call from his son, grounding all the AA history and spiritual talk in an ordinary family afternoon. Could this mix of recovery travel, service, remembrance and home life be just the perspective you need right now?
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