And I got up there, and it was a wonderful convention, but she wasn’t speaking until Sunday at noon. And the people I went– or the person I went with had to be back. Their Al-Anon needed him back in Portland. And, uh, I was real disappointed, and I was kind of pouting on the way back, and he looked at me and he said, “Goddamn it, Louis, you stay sober long enough, I’m sure you’ll run into her.” And, uh, two days ago, I did. I was fortunate enough to be one of the people to pick her up at the Portland International Airport here, and, uh, she’s given a lot to me already. Uh, and I’m, I’m sure I’m gonna get more, and so are you. I’d like at this time to introduce Dottie S. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I’m an alcoholic, and my name is Dottie Shore. Hi. Hi, Dottie. This is really a wonderful occasion for me. You know, the only reason I don’t like to be called an old-timer is ’cause it sounds like Alzheimer’s. And I’m a, not an old-timer, I’m a long-timer. And I’m a miracle.

And you’re a miracle. And let’s thank God. I think Max is a special miracle. I have known Max and Paul a long time, and I’ve watched Paul star all the time, and he is a star, and I love him dearly. And I’ve seen Max sit there and squirm whenever you talk- -because he blames everything on Max. And Max gets sober in Al-Anon, and wasn’t that one hell of a talk she gave tonight. Thank you. Kind of scares me, those Al-Anons. I think they’re creeping up on us kids. We’re gonna have to watch. Anybody here from Texas? No. One. Got one. You know, I had the privilege of speaking in Texas at their fortieth anniversary. And do you know Texans speak funny? They say I listen funny. But they do. They’re always fixing to do something, but they never get it done. And then they all say, “I reckon.” And they’re always wrecking something, but I don’t know what that is either.

But the reason I’m telling you this is that when I got ready to leave that Sunday morning to go to the airport, a good-looking dude walked through the door, and I mean, he was a Texan. He had a silver buckle that big, you know, right here, and a cowboy hat and boots, and I said to my hostess, “My God, introduce me to him.” So she said, “Have you met Dottie?” And he looked me up and down, and he said, “Well, we’ve howdy’d, but we ain’t shook yet.” So I howdy’d, and we shook from then on. It was wonderful. You know, I’ve been privileged to be sober quite a while, one day at a time. And when you hear the twelve steps read over and over and over, and the traditions read over and over, and chapter three, if you’re not careful, you’ll go some place in your mind while they’re doing that.