Ricky R. AA MaleRicky R. AA Male
Recovery Radio Network
Ricky R. shares his journey from chaotic drinking, jail and failed attempts to quit, to long-term sobriety built on sponsorship, service and spiritual principles. He reflects on marriage, family recovery and health scares with humour and gratitude for the AA programme that changed his life.
1:08:07•14 May 2026
From Jail Cells to Joy: Ricky R.’s 35 Years in AA
Episode Overview
- Simply attending AA meetings is not enough; applying the twelve steps and spiritual principles is what changes a sober but miserable life.
- Spiritual growth, described as "work and self‑sacrifice for others", is presented as essential for surviving future trials and low spots.
- True change in relationships comes from taking action at home – giving 100% without expecting anything in return – rather than just "turning it over".
- Service to other alcoholics, including going into prisons, can lift depression and provide a sense of purpose that alcohol used to mimic.
- Living in a home grounded in recovery can profoundly benefit children, even if they don’t share the same level of internal chaos as the alcoholic parent.
“"This is a programme of you finding out what God would have you do, and you take the action and you turn the outcome over to God."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? In this AA talk from the Recovery Radio Network, Ricky R. shares how a terrified, blackout-prone drinker became a man with 35 years of sobriety, a repaired heart, and a very lively sense of humour. Ricky sets the tone straight away: "I'm Ricky. I'm an alcoholic.
By God's grace and you people, I haven't had a drink since August 20th, 1990." He jokes about his "humility jacket", his goofy sober mishaps, and the East Texas friends who "talk to me like a dog" yet love him fiercely. Behind the laughs sits a serious message: alcohol once gave him a fake version of the promises in the AA Big Book, but it nearly killed him, just as it killed his father and stepfather.
He talks candidly about wrecked cars, jail time in Memphis (including the infamous cigarette resentment in the Shelby County jail), and the fear that hit when he tried to quit on willpower and religion alone. AA meetings alone didn't fix things either; what changed everything was a sponsor who pushed him into the actual twelve-step work and service. A single line grabbed him: "spiritual principles would solve all my problems".
From there, Ricky describes how sponsoring, taking meetings into prison, and learning to "forget about Ricky" became his lifeline out of depression. His sponsor challenged him on everything from the idea of "turning it over" to what real spiritual growth looks like: "This is a programme of you finding out what God would have you do, and you take the action and you turn the outcome over to God." Family recovery shines through too.
He’s clear that without AA and Al‑Anon there’d be no 40‑year marriage to Tracy, no calm home for their kids, and no son who chose sobriety early. If you’re wondering whether long-term recovery can include laughter, service, faith, and proper honesty about pain, you’ll find plenty to think about here. What kind of life might be possible if you stopped just going to meetings and really leaned into the work?
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