Guy’s Amazing Big Book Story

April 5, 2017 - Uncategorized - 0 Comments

Hi, my name is Guy Simms and I work as a Program Manager at the His House/New Creation Outpatient Program in Rancho Cucamonga, California. This Program is a free standing, 12-step based, therapeutic setting where we cater to adults who suffer from substance abuse issues along with co-occurring mental health concerns. I am an avid member of several 12-step programs and feel strongly about the potential benefits of immersing one’s self in self help fellowships.

Coming up on a year ago, I went on a planned trip to a wooded community in Central-California. I loaded my stuff onto the Amrak train and headed for a small and intimate AA convention and a weekend of meetings and hiking through Yosemite Valley.

After a wonderful train ride and a beautiful weekend, upon arriving home, I realized that my Big Book from Alcoholics Anonymous was nowhere to be found!

Now, you can purchase a big book pretty much anywhere for around $10 and so this sounds like it would not be such a great loss, however this big book had accompanied me throughout my 30 plus years of recovery. It held things that I had carried or should I say had carried me through all the years of my recovery. Saying, quotes, and anecdotes that, in my eyes, had saved my life time and time again. I searched everywhere to no avail and after months of looking and not finding my book I came, ever so slowly to accept that I would never see it again.

l tried to make myself feel better about the loss by envisioning some lost soul finding the book and receiving the same gift of recovery I had been given. Still, it remained a great loss for me. The messages it contained could be found in any other big book, but somehow it didn’t feel the same. After a time I was able to regretfully, let go and trust that God had something better in mind for me and my book.

One day after a long day of work I came home and my wife uniform to me that I had received a note in the mail. I open the small envelope only to find a flowery little card that read, “Hi Guy, I have a beat up, old, and tattered Big Book, that I believe belongs to you.” It went on to say, “My husband and I are friends of Bill W, (a code name indicating that they are members of Alcoholics Anonymous) and we found this book on the train.”  “Please, if it is your book, let me know where to send it.”

What a blessing. Upon calling the number they supplied I was informed that the husband had 27 years sober and the wife had 17. They had found the book on the train and had been trying to locate me ever since. They live in Sacramento and are themselves, members of AA. Through an old business card of a restaurant that is no longer in business, stuffed behind the decapitated back cover and my first name printed inside the front cover, they searched throughout people in the program and eventually someone believed that I might be the one they were looking for. Eventually someone supplied them with an address. There is a responsibility decoration in AA which states; “I am responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there.  And for that I am responsible.” To me, the miracles that people find in the program are unique and priceless. I’ve been blessed many times over by my involvement in recovery. This is but only one of them. To me, the interaction, the instant connection with the two people who found my book is much more important to me now than the book itself. However, I do love my book!