SoberNotMature - Episode 215 (Mehmet The Rodeo Clown)SoberNotMature - Episode 215 (Mehmet The Rodeo Clown)
Sober Not Mature
Mike and Bill mix a spring‑themed recovery reading with swearing, dark humour and real AA talk about growth, gratitude and responsibility. They read listener messages, critique Dr. Oz’s drinking comments, and share stories that show how staying sober is as much about consistency as it is about big spiritual moments.
1:43:40•4 Apr 2026
Sharks, Snakes and Friday Pizza: Staying Sober Without Growing Up
Episode Overview
- Growth in sobriety is ongoing; like snakes and sharks, you have to keep shedding old skins and moving forward or you slide backwards.
- You often can't see your own progress until you look back, so pausing to reflect on change can strengthen gratitude.
- For alcoholics, messages that normalise "social" drinking are risky, especially when they come from high‑profile figures.
- Small daily rituals and simple pleasures, like a good Friday pizza, can become powerful anchors of gratitude in recovery.
- Showing up consistently – whether at meetings or with a weekly podcast – is part of practising recovery principles in everyday life.
“"We have to keep moving. You know, we're like sharks. We have to keep swimming. Otherwise, we die."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Episode 215 of *Sober Not Mature* answers that with swearing, sarcasm, and a surprising amount of heart. Mike kicks things off with his regular reading from *Touchstones*, this time on spring, new beginnings, and "shedding old skins". From there, he and Bill unpack how change often shows up quietly in long‑term recovery.
They joke that they’re like sharks and snakes – if they don’t keep growing, they’re done – yet admit they rarely grasp just how much chaos and pain they’ve dodged by staying sober. You’ll hear how tiny things, like finally getting a properly topped Friday-night pizza, can become genuine gratitude in sobriety. There’s also a sharp take on Dr. Oz’s new drinking guidelines, including his claim that alcohol is a “social lubricant” as long as you don’t drink at breakfast.
The guys are clear: for alcoholics, that message is dangerous, and using TV doctors as moral compasses is asking for trouble. Listener interaction gets real too. They read emails from long‑time sober listener Tim, who proudly funds their "clown show" with coffee money, and from past guest Andrew, who praises them as "just a couple of guys having an honest conversation". A message from Al highlights how their relaxed, AA‑based chat makes recovery feel more approachable.
A big chunk of the episode looks at responsibility: to their audience, to AA principles, and to showing up every Saturday. They talk about other recovery podcasts that vanish without warning and why they refuse to do that. Consistency, they argue, is part of staying in "the middle of the bed" of sobriety.
Mixed in are trademark side stories: 867-5309 becoming a cancer hotline, an airline passenger chugging her contraband booze, and a Florida man claiming he went to an AA meeting before ending up drunk on an airport runway. If you like recovery talk with dark humour, honesty, and zero preaching, this one’s worth your time. What “new beginnings” might you be overlooking in your own life?
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