That's Me That's Me episode #10 with Bill F.
That's Me That's Me episode #10 with Bill F.

Recovery Radio Network

Long-time member Bill F. shares how court-ordered meetings, repeated relapses, and a chance encounter with a cat eventually led to decades of continuous AA sobriety. The conversation focuses on daily meetings, service, home groups, and how fellowship replaced deep loneliness.

InspiringHonestSupportiveInformativeHopeful

39:17•10 Apr 2026

RSS Feed

From Loneliness to Fellowship: Bill F.’s 43 Years in AA

Episode Overview

Daily AA meetings and a clear agreement with a sponsor can provide structure that supports early and long-term sobriety.
Service work – even cleaning toilets or picking up cigarette butts – helps build connection and a sense of belonging.
Loneliness is described as a major danger, while fellowship and friendship in AA are framed as a “sufficient substitute” for alcohol.
Home groups benefit from clear guidelines and ways for newcomers to contribute, balancing experience with inclusion.
Many people try numerous alternatives before AA; what often sticks is the safety and honesty found in regular meetings.

“There’s no place safer than an AA meeting.”

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This episode of Recovery Radio Network’s “That’s Me, That’s Me” zooms in on long-term sobriety with guest Bill F., whose sobriety date goes back to May 1982. Hosted by Monica K and Julia J, the chat blends humour, warmth, and solid AA experience.

They start with the “gifts of sobriety” in everyday life – hosting family, financial fear easing through “just doing the next right thing”, and juggling meetings with busy work and teen parenting – all very relatable if you’re trying to keep recovery first in a full life.

The turning point comes through a tiny twist of fate: a cat under his car, a trip to a vet where an AA friend worked, and being connected to the sponsor who said he was “the kind of alcoholic that needs to go every day.” From cleaning toilets and picking up cigarette butts at the Southside Club to finding that “loneliness is the killer” and that meetings are “where all my friends are”, Bill shows how regular attendance and service gradually changed everything.

Bill brings over four decades of experience, talking about early court-ordered AA in 1979, turning up in a Brooks Brothers suit and thinking, “I do not belong here.” He shares years of in‑and‑out attempts, 11‑month and 8‑month stretches, and the belief that he could still “figure it out” because he was “really smart” – a mindset many people in early sobriety will recognise.

Themes of home groups, service positions, involving newcomers, and choosing a sponsor who feels safe and honest run throughout. If you’ve ever wondered why people keep going to meetings decades in, Bill’s answer is simple: “There’s no place safer than an AA meeting.” Could this be the kind of honest AA conversation you need to hear today?

PreviousJeff H. AA Male