Stories of Bill's House
My recovery journey began years ago. I had six years of sobriety—three years actively involved in AA and another three without attending meetings, yet still not drinking. Then, true to my alcoholic thinking, I convinced myself I could drink again. What followed was four years of chaos.
A couple of months before I finally hit bottom, I came to believe I could drink like a "normal" person having a couple of drinks every other day.
On a cold Friday evening in January, I was driving home from work and planned my "normal" drinking for the weekend. I stopped at my usual convenience store on the corner of Route 7 and East Dorset Drive to pick up my weekend supply of White Claws. From the parking lot, you can see the Wilson House.
I took my weekend supply home, but by Friday night I had finished it all. I woke up on Saturday feeling sicker than I could remember. That was the moment when enough was enough. I told myself, "No. I can't do this anymore." After having a hard conversation with myself, I knew I was done. And I knew where to go.
The place I had passed every time I stopped to buy White Claws suddenly became a place of hope. I looked up the Wilson House website, signed up for the newsletter, and found an AA meeting there. On Sunday, January 28, 2024, at 8:00 a.m., I walked into the AA meeting room. In that moment, I knew I had found Step One. It was at that meeting some of the regulars took notice of that awkward space I was taking up and became first of many of my true friends, and I continue those friendships today.
After isolating myself and moving to a remote area, I had felt so alone. Then I noticed a sign at the front of the Meeting House room on the desk that read, "You are not alone." I knew that was a defining moment—a moment of grace.
From that point on, I started by attending that Sunday meeting. Then I began going to the sober suppers. Soon after, I started volunteering. Along the way, I watched people come and go from The Wilson House, laughing, connecting, and building community. I saw people making meaningful relationships and living lives of service. For the first time in a long time, I realized I was no longer alone.
I became part of something larger than myself, a fellowship that gave me life, purpose, and belonging during one of the darkest and most vulnerable times of my life. Service became the cornerstone of my recovery.
I am grateful for those early years, regardless of the original outcome, because I knew where to go when I needed help. AA will always be there for me and for others who have a desire to stop drinking.
The Wilson House is where I learned the importance of having a home group and being of service in AA. My recovery journey continued to grow as I became a GSR, and more recently, I became one of the committee chairs for the upcoming 2028 International Women's Conference.
The Wilson House is my source of light. Today, I spend much of my time in the kitchen, which truly is the heart of the house.
That day, when I turned right off Route 7 toward The Wilson House instead of left into the convenience store, marked the end of my isolation and the beginning of a true sense of belonging.
