That's Me! That's Me! episode 15 with Don P.That's Me! That's Me! episode 15 with Don P.
Recovery Radio Network
Hosts Monica and Julia chat with Don P about his journey from homelessness and repeated relapses to long-term sobriety grounded in AA fellowship. The conversation mixes humour with honest reflection on delusion, sponsorship, service and finding connection in recovery.
47:11•15 May 2026
From Park Bench to First Class: Don P’s Long Road Back to AA
Episode Overview
- Small acts of welcome – remembering a name, inviting someone in – can make the difference between standing at the door and coming back to a second meeting.
- Daily study of the AA big book and strong home-group routines can build a solid foundation, even if someone struggles to stay sober at first.
- Seeing the difference between denial and delusion helps people recognise that their “truth” may be completely distorted by addiction.
- Writing inventory and sharing it with another person can release long-held shame and guilt, ending the feeling of being held hostage by secrets.
- Talking honestly with newcomers and sharing imperfect, messy experiences can be more helpful than presenting a polished version of long-term sobriety.
“And aa gave me more than I ever thought I'd have.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Don P offers a raw, honest look at just how long that journey can be. The show’s hosts, Monica Kay and Julia Jay, kick things off with their usual mix of banter and real life – shared microphones, hospital visits, errands and furnace filters – setting a relaxed, chatty tone that’ll feel familiar to anyone juggling recovery with everyday life.
Their guest, Don P, brings a story that stretches from homelessness in Washington Park to a life rooted in Alcoholics Anonymous. He talks about sleeping on benches, coming out of blackouts in strangers’ houses, and being so cut off from people that a simple hug after saying “I’m an alcoholic” changed everything.
His first AA experiences at Oak Street’s daily big book meeting laid a foundation he’d keep coming back to, even while drifting in and out of the rooms for 17 years. Don reflects on the difference between denial and delusion, the fear that finally pushed him into real sobriety in 2004, and the sponsor who answered calls at 2am and gently steered him toward service, honesty and connection.
“I was mentally, I think mentally, physically, and spiritually dead,” he says, “and aa gave me more than I ever thought I'd have.” There’s plenty of humour too: dancing in sobriety (or avoiding it), AA nicknames, and the shock of going from a park bench to a first-class plane seat and an Audi.
The hosts wrap things up with their “wheel of questions”, drawing out how Don now finds fun in talking with newcomers on the smoking bench and sharing his “crazy” to make them feel less alone. If you’re somewhere between your first and second meeting, or wondering whether you belong in AA at all, this story might leave you asking: whose “that’s me” moment are you still waiting for?
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