For our 5th anniversary episode, we brought back our very first guest—Matt R. It felt only right to come full circle with the person who helped launch Crosstalk. In this conversation, we dive deep into what it means to work Step 1 after 35 years of sobriety, why “the spiritual life is not a theory—we have to live it,” and the many pitfalls in sobriety that show up in ways beyond alcohol. This is an honest, powerful reflection on how recovery evolves over decades and why happiness rooted in circumstance will never be enough.