Grace on Second Road
This is my thirtieth visit to Pattaya — but the first time sober. My first walk into the afternoon AA meeting here was something I could never have imagined back on my first trip in May 2025. Back then, if my future self had appeared and said, “In 29 more visits you’ll be walking into a dedicated AA room on Second Road,” I would have laughed it off as impossible. Yet here I am.
The city itself has changed. More hotels, more apartment blocks, more shopping centres. The air is cleaner thanks to EVs. The sidewalks are still poured by men in flip‑flops, concrete uneven, pavers crooked. The alcohol supply is unchanged. The party void remains — sub‑40 Americans, Europeans, Australians, and Indians chasing the next drink, while the seasoned expats pace themselves painfully, waiting for “Drink‑Allowed‑Time‑O’Clock.”
I’ve seen this movie twenty‑nine times before. But this time, I was noticing.
The meeting room was dedicated, banners in English and Thai. Twelve of us gathered — a rag‑tag group of AA apostles: a Frenchman in the chair, a Scotsman, an Irishman, seven Americans, an Italian, and me.
Tony, an American, set the topic. He told how the Thai police had pulled him over the day before. No licence on him, just a stamped paper back in his apartment. The “fine” was 1,000 THB — really more of a “take,” since he had to drive straight to the ATM.
Tony laughed it off: “I just have to accept it and get on with it.”
His topic: accept the things you cannot change.
And a good topic it was.
The Trinity Stars Doctrine aligns perfectly. The first guiding star is surrender to God. At the heart of acceptance is recognising God’s will — why you cannot change something. It is not for you to understand the reason, but to ask for serenity to accept what you cannot change, and wisdom to discern the difference.
As the sharing went around the room, something clicked. From Tuscany to Tasmania, twelve men — mostly strangers — spoke openly about the same moments: when they just wanted to control it all. Different accents, different stories, but the same confession.
That was the penny‑drop. This wasn’t just Tony’s story, or mine, or Pattaya’s. It was the story of recovery itself: every alcoholic, in every city, wrestling with the same obsession to change what cannot be changed.
And in that shared recognition, grace appeared — not in victory, but in the humility of admitting sameness, and in the relief of letting go together.
About Jason Bresnehan
Jason is a writer and recovery advocate whose work explores the intersection of Catholic faith and the lived experience of addiction. His books and essays weave scripture with the rhythms of everyday life, showing how grace can surface in the most ordinary encounters.
Through A Catholic Gospel Journey – Through the Lens of Alcohol Recovery and related projects, Jason offers reflections that connect the Sunday readings to the struggles and victories of recovery. His approach is rooted in clarity, rhythm, and respect for tradition, while remaining accessible to those navigating the challenges of addiction and renewal.
Founder of the Hadspen Foundation, Jason is committed to building frameworks for spiritual recovery that are both repeatable and personal. His writing is guided by discernment, narrative cadence, and the belief that doctrine should support—not overshadow—the human story.