I’d like to introduce to you now, Ed from Glendale. You all right? Love you. My name is Ed, and I am an alcoholic. You probably remember me better as Joey Dolan, the boxer. In ten days, we can get back in full control. Before I get started, I was– I got a couple little things. It’s kind of become a tradition at this particular convention, and one of them is that I’d, uh, like to introduce somebody. And, uh, I have a friend who is one of my favorite friends in the entire world, a super member of AA, somebody that I love very, very much, my girlfriend and also my wife, Jenny with the eight pins. If you’re new here tonight, keep coming back. And something else that, uh, kind of blows me away because this is a, uh, program where time plays great significance. Even if you’re incapable, eventually you learn to love with all your heart, even though you didn’t know you were capable.

And twenty-one years ago tonight, a man walked out of a Safeway Center, and, uh, he’s here tonight, and that’s Johnny with the eight pins. And I understand they’re coming back for him tomorrow. There’s a lot of new people here tonight, and, uh, and it, it’s very difficult. Time is a, is a thing. Someone once said, uh, “How does it feel to be sober thirty and a half years?” That’s really no problem. It’s the days that get you down. Nothing to it. And thirty years ago and six months ago tonight, I staggered, all hundred and eighteen pounds of me, with my VA hairdo- -my pants up to here- -my rusty zipper- -my eyes in backwards, accidentally into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Burbank. And a man who used to live in Beverly Hills happened to be the speaker that night. Thirty years ago and six months tonight, would you believe that, uh, we’re both here tonight? And that’s my main man Chuck sitting in the front row. And if he hadn’t showed up that night, God only knows where I’d have been.

I’ve been here ever since. I know it doesn’t sound, you know, too cool, but above my television set and above my little lamp above my television set, I have a picture he doesn’t even know I have. Every once in a while, I look up at it. I get teary-eyed, and I still say thank you. I don’t know if that means anything to you, but it just blows me away. I didn’t have another drink, and here I am thirty years and six months later. How many people do you know in Alcoholics Anonymous that have been sober over half of their entire lives in Alcoholics Anonymous? I am one. Is there any others in here that have been sober over half their lives in Alcoholics Anonymous? You, you don’t think we’re blown out of our minds. You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy. You know? And it isn’t what’s happened up till now that’s exciting. It’s that if I keep coming back, man, it’s gonna even get better. I know that’s hard to believe.