GECK IRL: “I’M FINALLY AT PEACE”

Hello. We are here in Washington Square Park.

I have been I have traversed not a I mean I've traversed a fair amount of places, and one of my favorite places on the earth is Washington Square Park. It brings together a diverse range of people. There's old people, there's young people. There's all kinds of people. Those are the two kinds of people. But there's a lot of people here. There's a lot of activity, there's a lot of life, and I love it. I feel like I'm at the center of the universe right now here in Washington Square Park.

I don't know why I'm talking like I'm an announcer.

Let's talk to some people. That's why we're here. We're here to be a gecko and talk to people about life. Do you want to talk to a gecko about life? No, he doesn't. Do you want to talk to a gecko about life? Have a seat? Have a seat. What's your name?

My name is ChEls Parola.

How are you doing?

Charles's probably got a first end last Carls Parolas and last name Parlo Paralo. Up, Charles, how's life? Ah, I'm pretty good.

I'm sitting next to a guy with a face like like face panton and dress as a get go. This is exactly what my parents envision for my life. They want me to get an investment banking instead of doing this.

Okay, how's your relationship with your parents? They both passed away. I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah, that's kind of a that was kind of a rough segue there. I'm sorry I had how did you give you do that?

There?

Where did you have a good relationship with them?

Like growing up?

I go got good enough?

Yeah, I guess so.

I mean, you know, I had a like a kind of a rough relation with my dad until like a few like, like I said, the year before we passed away. Okay, so it's kind of nice. We actually got along for that final year.

So that's not when you guys were getting along. Like what kind of stuff would you like do together?

You know, I don't know if we would do.

I mean, we would just hang out, you know, just like eat dinner things like that. But I think it was just like, you know, I didn't have the best career for like years, and then it kind of picked up, you know, and then I was like there was some kind of pride there. We had some fun, but yeah, it was kind of cool.

Did you like, did you learn anything about like in that like little window of time, do you like, learn anything about him that you like didn't didn't know during your life that maybe like surprise you.

So I mean occasionally, like because you know, my mom passed away years earlier, and he had another girlfriend, and he'd occasionally get drunk and talk about sexual things. So I learned some weird fetish ship. I learned he liked feet. He had that Dan Schneider thing going on. Yeah, so I don't you know, I don't you know that's gonna be broadcast now. But hey, you know doctor Kid's doctor Parola like feet, you know what?

You know?

This actually brings up an interesting subject because it's like if your dad starts talking to you about sex in a weird way. It's like, you know, you only have one you know, your parents are your parents, and you know you want to know about them because they're your parents, but also because they're your parents, you don't want to know about their sex life. But there's also a weird thing where it's like, you know, I don't know, there's a there's a like your dad telling you that he's

That we never really talked about sex and he never gave me the talk. When I was a kid, I learned about sex from Jerry Seinfeld, I just watching Don Feldts. In fact, I remember the only time he tried talking about sex, I already had it.

I was sixteen. We were watching the movie.

The Ninth Gate and it was kind of crazy because there's a scene where Johnny Depp is having sex in front of a burning church and there's some woman who's who's actually the devil and her face is turning into a horse face for some weird reason. And that was the moment my dad's like, you know, you got to use protection and I'm like, wait, are we doing that?

Right now, he said, pregnancy that could be taken care of.

But we were, we were, you know, it was weird. I was going to Catholic school at the time, but we were. We were like a kind of a liberal household in that respect, you know, we were we were the family. We had that like herschel Walker thought like, hey, you get some pregnant, you put four ndred dollars and a get well card and takes care of itself. Might not be the best joke for everybody around, but okay, it's you know, worked for them.

I mean, you can abort chlamydia too, yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah you can.

You can get rid of chlamydia. Can't get rid of some of the other ones. I mean I kind of was wondering at age like fifteen sixteen, who my dad thought I was hanging out with, Like, I mean, I don't think like the clap was a thing that was spreading around like with sophomores in high school. I mean, but maybe it was. Maybe I just wasn't active enough.

Like no, so you said, okay, you said that, you're you're kind of when your career started picking up, your relationship with your dad started to give it what was your career?

Picking up looking looking like, what what is your career?

I'm a YouTuber, TikToker actually like yourself, and I would say, you know, like originally my dad kind of did it because I always tried working in startups and other projects. It didn't really go like the best, and there's a lot of failure, a lot of false hope like oh, hey, this is gonna work and it doesn't, and then the money really starts coming in, especially from the snapchat shows. Yeah, but I think like the best moment was, you know,

Uh.

The other one, and this is the coolest thing, is a mister Beast. Actually. Yeah, like you know, end of last year, he followed me on Instagram and messaged me and like, uh he really enough wanted a phone call. And I was like almost crying afterwards, Like I told people that, and you probably get a little yourself, like that's almost like being like an actor on like a regular TV show. And then DiCaprio, who shoots you a text, great job like that's that was like it was like

You know, it's fine.

I I actually I'm I met mister Beast once a while ago. I was at some I was at vid Coon too. I went in.

I was either twenty twenty two or twenty two three.

I said it was twenty two twenty two. I've been the last couple, but not twenty twenty two.

And I was there, and I was in this like room where like TikTok had a little like room where they.

It was like it was like Brent Television, the SpongeBob popsicle guy. There buy a chance there's.

A SpongeBob popsicle.

I was just watching a I was just watching an hour long YouTube video about the SpongeBob pobstacle. Yeah, I was. I was there and I mister Beast walks into the room and dude, like, snap about me, dude. Immediately, all these people just start like swarming him, like camera first, being like, hey, mister beast, let me like show you a magic trick. Hey mister Beast, let me be in my video because they want to like get his space.

And I felt like bad for him.

It's kind of like this when I was when I was a kid, Like, uh, Pope, the Pope before the current One visited New York and I was watching it just on TV and there were tons of nuns jumping like saying, oh, we got to get close to him, got close with They're almost like groupies, and it's the Beatles.

That's cool, you know. I always wonder about mister Beast because like, uh, he keeps going and he's really young. He's he's younger than me, you know, but he just he keeps going. And I always wonder with dudes like that. I'm like, how do you keep going? Because you get to a certain point where you're like, uh, you know, like like what like after you achieve like this like your massive sess you're number one, like you can't how do you be?

How do you keep being wanting to be more than number one.

For like infinity.

So I've had a few conversations with him about that actually, and I think at this point he has reached the number one status on YouTube, and I think now his big dream is to be someone like Walt Disney. Like I really think his vision is because he told me how many you know, I don't know if I can say the number on camera, but he told me how many candy bars they're selling. It's they're competitive with Hershey, now they are. This is a billion dollar company.

Oh, I'm a large portion of that pie buying those mister beets.

I think they're just okay. And I told him that. I told him that I respect Oh yeah, I told him. I said I'd give the chocolate. I gave him a bee. I gave him a bee. I gave him a bee for beast.

Yeah, they're okay. I mean, well they're they're specifically not meant to have as much like sugar and crap in them, right, I don't.

Know about that. It's like, I think they're fine. I just think there could be some better chocolates out there. But he's a really cool guy and I think he will build a company worth ten billion dollars or more like, I mean it's already I think valued at a billion dollars.

Wait a minute, So back to you.

Sure, back to me.

You say, oh yeah, okay, So you interviewed these celebrities and you're like, so, how I gots I'm curious about this, like how do you how do you feel about your career and life?

And I think we're at a little bit of a plateau right now. It's like there's nothing like, I mean, do you ever get that feeling yourself as a creator.

I've been getting. That's twenty twenty five has been for me about about like, oh I have that plateau.

Yeah, because it's like you could people don't realize it as a creator. It's like you get to that point, like the growth numbers aren't the same you get to because people always think, like, you know, you get a million subscribers, you're gonna have ten times as many views one hundred thousand. But you know, I don't know if you're more of a shorts or longer form or both. But I actually told people it's like, oh, my most viewed month ever on YouTube was eighty five million views,

That's all you're hundredercent correct.

The thing though, is that, like, you know, I've experienced posting a video on Instagram and TikTok or whatever and having it get a million views or whatever, and I, you know, I look at my YouTube or whatever and I'm like, I don't know if it's like views that I'm chasing more so than it is like, uh, I don't know a novelty in like like like I don't know if the plateau is necessarily about like a number more than it is about like, you know, what you're actually doing.

It gets the.

Point I feel a little bit more almost about money, sadly, because it's like, because the thing is when I first when I first went viral on TikTok, and like, cause you said you did this for five years, right, so around the same for me as well. It was like I started, like I really started going viral on like twenty twenty one. And I remember the first time I did a video. I was living with my brother and like when they do the one viral, it was about Adam Sandler. I posted two videos that day I made

I remember there was a rumor that if you joined the Creator Fund, like they don't want to.

Pay out, yeah, which was false, and you know, so I didn't monetize, but it was more important to get the views. Now it's like, oh hey, whippy, do get get a million views. It's like I've done that hundreds of times. So now it's like, okay, the money but it got it's got to stop doing that. So it's like now about long form content. Now it's about new projects because.

Do you like well, do you like do you like covering celebrities?

You know?

So the thing is this, there's a line in Hollywood because they say with directing, one for me, one for you, And I think the biggest example of that is Tim Burdon. Tim burd And did the movie Als in Wonderland. He did not want to direct that movie. He didn't direct the sequel.

He didn't care.

He did it just so they would fund franken Weeni, which was one of his early projects. It was one for me, one for you moment. So with me, there's some videos I really love covering. When I get to do celebrity financials and movie financials and there's some cool stuff. But then there's other times where yeah, it's not it's

I think that I like the application of the one for me, one for you thing to you know, the Internet universe.

And I was all right, a little bit about like life.

You know, I mean in general, if you want to pursue some kind of creative thing, you know, everyone has to make money and feed themselves. And it's like, you know, look, you go to your job, you do one for yeah, yeah, you give one up for capitalism, and then you yeah, you do one for yourself. You know, it's it's you can do both.

I think it's a lot of careers. My dad was a doctor and one thing he told me was he loved doing surgery. Surgeries is fun. Pretty much every surgeon love surgery. They hate seeing eighty patients in one day having them complain getting the BS.

But it's like a one.

For me, one for you is you do those days so you can do the days you like.

Yep. Yeah, you know.

Maybe there's some interviews you don't love doing, but some videos do well.

I'm having fun doing that. I like being outside.

This is cool.

You know you.

Now, I gotta ask you a question, Okay, go ahead.

What's the craziest interview you've done so far?

Craziest well, craziest location, craziest.

Location I've done. I mean, I've done this in Thailand, I've done this in Japan. I've done this in Guatemala, Mexico. I want to do more of that stuff, but okay, you know, I don't know right now. Now, I'm enjoying being in in New York. That's pretty cool.

It's a cool world we live in.

What's your name again, brother, Charles, Charles part what's your YouTube channel? Gotta check it out.

My name Charles Parot Parol.

You have a card, I'll give you my card.

Car.

I gotta get a car. I gotta get a Gecko card. I can have my illustrator make you want to be Oh it's oh, it's oh crap shit, oh dar okay. Oh I love this. It's a Pokemon. I'm gonna show this to the camera. This is pretty cool.

It's a it's a Pokemon business card.

It's pretty sweet. Viral rush the ability to make any topic viral and turn it into a million views. This is cool, man.

Yeah, that's gotta go. Pole boy.

I'm known for like the YouTube polls too and now, and I'm wondering if people are gonna watch that and start calling me because my own numbers on it.

But it's pretty cool, Charles Man, thanks for sitting out. Anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go.

Uh, twenty twenty five. We're one third into the year. I enjoy the rest of the two thirds and have fun.

Charles speach Man, what's your name? My friend? Terrence, Terrence Pleasure. What's up with you? Man? Do you have people in your life for you alone?

Oh?

Yeah, I got people right here just as well. Yeah, told me from Italy?

Yeah? Nice?

And that's my girlfriend. These are friends from Italy.

My friends for are you from Italy? No?

No, just my girlfriend is okay, yeah, okay, I'm not that interesting. I'm from South Jersey, so nice. What's got what's what's got you here in New York City?

Work?

Wait? You for work?

Finance?

So okay? Yeah, so it brought me a lot of money. You don't have to say you don't want to Actually.

I make Yeah, it's not bad. It keeps keeps me in an apartment.

You know.

Nice.

Yeah.

What do you like about life?

Possibility, opportunity, basically.

Dune trying to you know, survive, get get them by nice?

Uh art, I guess yeah. Are and culture great thing about life?

I don't know if they can and uh hear it on the microphones. But where there's a guy over there playing the violin. Oh yes, and it's very beautiful.

Very talented. I wish I was half as talented.

You know.

I want to say I want to say something about because I actually I do this a lot, not to I don't know why I'm making what you said into a whole thing, but I'm projecting right now. I'm projecting right now. But I'll like, if I see somebody like doing something cool, I do. I do kind of have this like ego thing that I do. Why I bring everything back to me Like I'm like, oh, I wish I was that good or I wish I was I

Thing, that this is a part of life. Yeah, yeah, part of it. Yeah, I guess, yeah, maybe I am selfish.

Maybe I think that's I think I know I have to steal bros, you know, talent, Like I like, I don't know.

You ever, like you ever on Instagram or look at that dog you everyone like Instagram or like like I'll go to a comedy club or whatever, I'll see someone perform something and I'll be like, Oh, that person's so good. I wish I was like this talented as something. And sometimes I try to knock myself in the head and be like, just.

Appreciate that you live. You can't you can't be God, you can't.

Be the best thing at everything, in all things at all. There's a reason that there's more than one person creating the entire planet that we live in, you know.

And that's what sucks. Like Damn, I can't be a violin player. I can't be you know, a therapy keechout. Like I guess I'm just me just doing whatever I can do. That's pretty good.

What is it? What is what is being you?

Music? Producing?

Really?

Okay that's my passion.

But yeah, what who do you like in the music universe?

Music universe?

You gotta say, like paral m F Doom is kind of like everyone's like saying Tom F Doom, Trap call Quest was like my big ye, my biggest thing.

Great picks, Yeah, dayla soul.

I mean I love I grew up on like nineties rap, so like I love all those guys, Like do you know you know King Dora, King Dora, Yes, yes, yes, the Doom and uh Victor Vaughan.

And all of them.

I have I have. I have many memories of over ten years ago, uh smoking weed in a car parked on the side of the road in a random neighborhood, gating to listening to King gy Dora Take me to your Leader.

The best, great ship, the best times. Can't really beat that.

What's your what's your ultimate dream in life?

A music producer?

Yes, yeah, for sure, produced for some of my favorite artists.

Meet just really meet some of my idols.

Really, that's who would you want to meet? If you could meet anyone?

Well, I could check you off the list, Okay, hell yeah, like Dave Chappelle, Larry Bird, not Larry Bird, Larry David and then uh yeah.

Far our Q Tip did you did you?

Is you Tip alive?

Yeah? Fife Dog, Fife Fife Dog. Don't quote me. I think he's the one that passed away.

Yeah. Uh, what the hell was I gonna What was I gonna say? Oh, I forget I was just about it was about celebrities, Larry David or Dave Chappellerry David, Dave Chappelle, Dave meeting people, meeting people. My brain's not working right now. Why do I not know what I'm talking about?

Comedy shows?

Comedy show? Do you like comedy? Who do you like?

Love comedy?

Me?

And uh, me and my girlfriend actually have a kind of an addiction of going to the comedy seller.

So, oh yeah, who who do you see? It to that comedy seller.

One of the.

Biggest surprises Andrew Schultz like he just he just pulled up randomly hit us with a couple of jokes.

We saw at.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, when when see you there, he put up randomly.

Shoot, I'm asking like for validation.

I didn't know he still didn't stand up.

Yeah, he pulled up randomly, and I was kind of.

In the last five years.

Yes, this was within the last year.

I want to say, yeah, he's still doing stand up.

And I started freaking out. I tried to tap her, like, hey, that's that's Judd Apatow.

She was like, who's that?

And I was like that dude.

You get to a point where you're like, nobody knows who you know anymore, and the door keeps revolving. Yeah, you know, nobody knows who you know. You don't know anyone else knows.

I mean, you know, it's crazy. I mean I was freaking out when I saw you. So she was like, who's that?

High school Okay, yeah yeah yeah.

I'm uh pretty good high school life. Yeah. I had a crush on her. It took me a while to get there, but we made it happen.

Yeah, like you seem like you're living a nice life.

I'm doing all right. I appreciate or kunt of my blessings.

I guess yeah, yeah, I'm trying to do the same thing.

This is a good place to do that.

This park, New York. Yeah, this park. Yeah, a lot of stuff going on. This guy's killing it, like I wish.

I wish this camera was three sixty degrees. Yeah, show off.

But we can't do multitude. I can't wish for a unicycle right now, but.

You can wish for whatever you want.

I would love a unicycle right now. One of those guys right now.

What's your name again, Terrence? Terrence? Is there anything else you gonna say? The people, the computer before we go?

Yeah, follow my music page, skateboard Tea, Yeah, skateboard Tea, yes, follow skateboard TA.

Producer, producer life.

Yeah, thank you very much, skateboard TA. See you around the universe.

How much this means?

Oh, thanks man, thanks man, good luck on your dreams. My friends. Well, Hi, what's your name?

Oh?

Can you hold your uh?

Oh?

There we go.

Yeah, like if Mike Tyson said, Gay's Gai.

Gaith Oh, Oh, okay, okay, got what's kay?

What's your actual name?

My name is Lyle, Lyle.

Nice to meet you.

Gae. You formally how's life? You look cool? I like this jewelry that you have.

You can look fish cooler than me, actually look but uh a little more confident.

Oh, look at this King Kong I'm looking look at the King Kong Ring.

Yeah, I actually just found it today. It's the first day of warn it, first couple of hours of worn it. So I'm glad you enjoy it.

So, Gaith, what's up? Tell me everything? Tell me nothing? What's what do? What do we? What do we do?

Just?

What do we do?

I'm looking, I'm at the park. I'm looking for answers. Man, do you have any answers? Answers or not, they don't have to be the answer. But what are your answers? Do you have answers?

Uh?

I'm basking the sun while we I guess we don't really gut as much as kind of cloudy out.

But it seems like a really beautiful day.

If one guy knows what they're doing, they're all finding their time to just enjoy themselves.

So I like walking through parts like this. It's just doesn't seem like anyone's.

In a rush.

You ever get freaked out how many people there are?

Sometimes?

Yeah, not like over but like the idea of how many variables of people.

There are so many variables, and it's weird because it's like you only get to be there's eight billion people, and you only get to be one person. You only get you get to be one of the eight billion people. The more the older I get, the more I'm like believing more, and you know, like you know, like somebody will like be on ayahuasca and start talking about shit

They're delving into.

Yeah, yeah, they're delving in areas that people aren't used to, so I think we usually tend to think they're crazy. Yeah, but uh yeah, it's just all about perspective, isn't it. Yeah, everybody's entire personality, where you're born, where you see things.

Do you know this word? I think I don't know if I'm pronouncing it right. It's sollipicism.

Yea.

It's like the the theory that, uh, it's kind of a it's a very ego full theory.

It's like the idea that your.

Consciousness like the whole world is just exists in your brain because your consciousness is the only verifiable one to you. So like the idea that the world is a simulation for you, and that's the other thing that you can verify, because again, you can only physically exist in your own consciousness. It's kind of a spooky thing to think if you really get wrapped up in it.

I don't know if it's the same thought but or a school thought, but someone's telling me about how they believe in the idea that the afterlife is what we deem it in a sense that if you live a life that was good or bad, you would know more than anyone.

You would be your own judge.

Yeah, and then your moments of death, no matter how long it would be, would be either heaven or.

Hell for you for what you deserve. You would know, but your brain would go, this is where I'm going. I have an idea. I know, I know I'm going here, But.

Is that true?

Like because it because like classically, like.

Villains in like you know, movies or whatever, they think they're a good guy, right, So like that you could do like a bunch of crazy stuff. And then when you're about to die, be like on our way to Heaven, Baby, It's gonna be awesome.

I guess that's the idea, the whole part of the brain being the simulation.

They I guess they really truly believe it was their way.

I mean, you could be a whole disgusting person, a vile person, and think you're the greatest person and wow, I guess you beat the system.

Yeah, kind of terrible to think in that way.

I don't know, I think about I think about evil.

I don't know.

I'm always getting fucking existential. But I've been thinking about good and evil differently, because good and evil, you think, are like kind of like there's good people and evil people.

But I do feel as though.

This sound this sounds like it's like ayahuasca hippie ship, but it feels very like real to me that we are in like a collective consciousness. So any evil committed is evil committed by the fucking collective consciousness of humanity, and same with any good. You know, we're all each other that kind of ship. I mean, that's how I think when I'm you know, in a in a heady mood. Normally, I'm actually lately, i've normally been in a heady mood.

So I was watching that human kid.

Yeah, human kid. I think he goes under the sea. But no, no, no, you got the right idea. You got the right idea. What's your life?

Like?

I just moved out here about a month back. I visited a lot in the past, like five years. Cooluh, I was raised in a restaurant, so I want to be a chef.

I am a chef.

You're raised in a restaurant, yeah, like like you grew up like yeahs.

Like you like you slept in the oven like you. I would sleep in.

The booths every really busy weekad my mom. I was a job before I worked.

They would be like, oh, put a PlayStation in a little chair upstairs for me, you'll pass out and cool things. So cool, but uh yeah, I love food. I love creative things.

What kind of restaurant was this?

It was an Indian restaurant run by a Middle Eastern family because there was already a Middle Eastern restaurant in the area and they weren't allowing a double down. So my mom was like, I need to pay rent and she picked up an Indian cookbook from the story were they uh like, it's a I'm from Kansas City and there's a uh like a river market city market and they don't want just like five of the same thing.

So their idea was the cater or like curate a dive.

Oh okay, So this was like you know, uh what a reading terminal market is.

It was like that kind of vibe.

Is this like like did you have was it like a booth or was it like a standalone restaurant?

You had a stand alone restaurant latched door that was always open within a hallway, and we had a produce spot next.

To us within a hallway.

So it's a restaurant as part of a complex of a bunch.

Of like a giant L shaped hallway with a big farmer's market. You got little lomash people and all the people selling stuff.

On the outside and that, and you're in this restaurant.

You're like whole life.

Yeah.

No, at least until since early elementary school, well past graduating high school. It's I just started like catering and doing my own thing outside of it. And it's always been a beautiful safety net of mine because it's a guaranteed job. But I felt like the safety net kind of became a hammock. I was just sitting.

Oh, I've never heard that before. I like film you come up with that. I guess, yeah, that's the safety net becomes a hammock.

Yeah, just like I feel you just lay there too long.

That's something that I would see on like a business success Instagram.

It's yours just say it again.

So I was I gonna say the so you cater stuff now?

Yeah, more like fusion dining quick events. When I would travel, I would sell T shirts and art prints and whatnot, and then I would also, like the last time I did Lamberia, like Palestinian focused with like our fusion of like middle like Mexican beeria.

It was delicious, it was great. I had a great time.

But lately, more for friends, I've been trying to find work out here, try to work somewhere that can learn, like I was looking at just different restaurants and spots whatever.

It's a bit different.

So why'd you come here from Kansas City.

I had a friend who was doing great for themselves that told me it was either this or Jordan. I was gonna go to Jordan and stay with family, or I was gonna come out here, which I did, and I stay with a friend. And I'm lucky. I don't pay rent, I don't play utilities. I just live here now and.

Try Oh cool, yeah cool. How is your friend cool with you just not paying rent and living with them? Yeah.

They missed me immensely.

They wanted me to come out like five years back, and they just simply wanted their They're like, they're not the most social person.

They're very friendly and an amazing person, but they're a bit of a hermit.

It what a homie, just being like, I'm lonely just living in my house.

I'm very fortunate for them.

That's awesome. Do you know this guy?

It's actually a friend. I knew her she.

I knew her from middle school and we have been friends since. We were close in all types of ways. And after they moved out here, we just missed each other and they gave me the option.

Yeah, this is like like a romantic thing.

It was briefly, but I'd say at least like seventy five percent of our relationship was bor platonic than it was romantic. It was one of those why would you date your friend because you're both attractive and you like each other, It's.

Not enough, you know? Is that not enough?

I don't think it's enough.

I feel like, wait, wait, by the way, not to comment in your life, but but what you just said was fascinating to me. You're one of my best friends, and we're both physically attracted to each other and we like each other a lot. Not enough.

We weren't compatible.

It wasn't a compatible emotionally, and it wasn't compatible uh where we were at the current moments in our lives.

And because of that, now where we're at we just it doesn't work like that.

Are you dating?

Are you dating around?

I do date around. Uh yeah, I'm definitely a bit of a.

Whore, but like it's okay, So being a bit of a whore is it? Do you bring girls back to your place? Because I bet I was about to say, is that that would be like, Hey, I live have a complicated situation. I live rent for you with quasi X.

Well, I don't remember.

Bring girls like I don't bring that many homies back because they don't.

Again, they're not social.

They don't want random people they don't know, and they don't like being introduced to new people.

Like they're very happy with their stuff.

But no, the idea of like fucking someone like in their spot is a little nutty to me. I would I always tend to just like either go to someone else's place, or I'll get a room, or I'll do you know, okay, but more often not My dating situation is more back home out here, it's been more just meeting people, hasn't been as flirty.

So you're telling me so you were slutting it up around Kansas Yeah.

Well, Kansas City, it's a bit of a smaller pool.

Let's go. I'm very curious, what the uh what's the Kansas City dating scene?

Like, how's it compared to New York?

Because people, because you know, the whole New York dating scene thing is like this infinite people here, and so some people feel like that makes it a bad place today. Some people makes it feel like it's a good place today. How's that compared to Kansas City?

Casey has like five good spots once every other week that are like popping off that people can meet and hang out and do things.

Oh so you're not an app guy?

I am?

Oh no, and I actually know act things don't work for me. I always I'm so much better in person. I sound like a loser. I feel it doesn't really like feel natural texting and messaging, but when I'm in front of somebody, it feels.

So much more genuine.

But uh no, compared to case everybody knows everybody literally, It's just it's like small town stuff.

It's the biggest small town ever. And uh it's a very small.

Pool compared to out here. I think, oh, here, you're actually gonna meet someone unique. You're actually gonna meet someone The variables are all over and it being a walking city, you never know when the next corner might have someone you know, it might be a next conversation.

Interested, so are you do you? Have you ever like seen someone that you thought was attractive on the street or at the park and just struck up a conversation with them.

I tend to respond more than initiate because I feel like, I don't know, I feel weird approaching people too much of the city or in general.

I don't want to bother.

The most I'll do is say, hey, you're beautiful, just wanted you to know that, and I'll leave it alone at that, and if it was meant to be, they might hit me up again.

I don't ask for information.

I remember when I was a kid. There's an episode of Drake and Josh. Do you know the one I'm about to talk about. No episode of Drake and Josh where like they're at the movie theater and Josh goes up to this Josh goes up to this girl and he's like, I like your shoes.

Oh is this the deep voice?

I think so, because I'm sorry, And he says I like your shoes and then she says thanks, and then he walks away, and then she I mean, obviously this is all a sitcom, so I don't know if this is actually this would not happen in real life, I don't think. But he walks away and the girl goes up to hit This is like someone's fantasy. They walk the girl walks up to them and goes, you're not hitting on me, You're just gonna compliment my shoes and walk away.

That's so cool. Let me get your number.

Yeah, I don't think that's gonna find I don't. That's not what I'm expecting at all.

I think it's more one of those things where I'm like, I feel like such a lame for not saying something too, because I'm like, Wow, that person, they elicited something that made my heart flutter just briefly. I want them to know that, even slightly. And yeah, I think that's the satisfaction, just knowing that I made them smile, you know.

Yeah nice.

But yeah, I more often than not, someone is my most flirtationous thing is a woman will go up to me and tell me they like me, and I will on the street, well, in general, like wherever in the world, Like it could be in the streets, it could be what it could be like more meeting friends and whatnot or random events. But yeah, they showed me they have something of interest in me, and I feel it back.

Then, I will like all initiate that tell me about a Jordan, Like what's what's the city that you do?

You have?

You hung out there a lot in you're life.

I got to go there when in uh middle school and in high school. Okay, when I went the first time, it was meeting a bunch of people that I've never met before that looked just like me, and seeing the whole side of my father's family and completely being shell shocked.

But it was beautiful.

I missed my Uh the cities would be like it a bit Zeega a man was the capital.

Agaba is beautiful. It's on the ocean.

You see it is a phenomenal thing to see. I think you think see Petro watty Rum. But my favorite things about Jordan were my grandma's courtyard. She had a lementary and it was serene and I miss it immenseally. She passed, and that's not really suthing I experienced anymore. I think it's more family than is Jordan, but it's it's.

I mean, you've traveled so much I've meant to. I've traveled a bait like I've been at the Pan and whatnot. And no, it's really interesting.

To be into a whole, complete, different culture. It makes me feel like a space.

Traveling makes me feel like I'm on a different planet.

But I love it. What fuck I think I hold of this yet? A sign is for those listening on audio, the sign just got fucked up. But that's fine. I might just get rid of this way. Hold on, I need to get a new one of these. Sorry, it's that's that's good enough. So would you are you planning? Are you planning on making any trips back to Jordan anytime soon? Because it was between here and there.

I'm I'm fortunate enough.

My family has uh earned enough money and security in their lives that they're able to be like, hey, if you want to go Jordan, we will buy your ticket.

We want you to experience your culture and your family. Again. Cool, that's great, But yeah, I just this New York things seemed a little more. The timing was a little more.

Uh now, I mean you got a good setup.

Yeah, I'm like, how often I want to get a chance like that?

A little summer in a little five months in New York and experience as much as I can't compare to my family, saying my mother, being the sweetheart she is saying, whenever you want to go, I will let you go see my sisters.

So you've okay. But you moved here, you said a month ago.

I moved here.

I was born in America, and I moved here a month back. I to travel all the times because I enjoy the city. But uh, yeah, I was just at a point in my life where I got it, said the whole handmaking sitting. I wanted to just change an environment entirely to see how I could do.

So, Gief, Gay, Gaith, Gaith, what's your Uh? What's what's the dream?

I kind of want to have like a Bob's Burgers set up and no family, Like you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, well, I guess that's that's because you grew up in the restaurant.

Yeah.

I want to be able to live above a restaurant, feed people and play the music I like and do the things I want to do well, all the while having my own space to curate. And then you know, if a family happens, that happens. But the idea of closing up the shop and going upstairs and knocking out just sounds like a dream.

It does sound like a dream, you know, Gaith, it's doing nice talking to you, man. Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

Uh, piece for my people, freedom for those who are oppressed, and uh, Honestly, I'm very happy to have a conversation with you. You're in detained me on occasion, so.

It's great to talk to you too. This is a great interview. Thank you, have a good One's get go. Hey, what's up?

Hi?

What's your name?

Julia?

Julia?

Nice to meet you? Or am I Gecko? That's a loaded questions? I am I guess I am Gecko.

Congratulations. I'm really proud of you.

Thank thank you. It didn't it didn't take that much work. Anyone could buy this costume on Amazon.

No, this is you? This is the real you?

Is this is this the real me?

What's up? How's life? Tell me everything? Tell me nothing?

Life is insane? Bro figured my ship out. I was homeless for like eight months. I'm not anymore. Beautiful City of New York. Now I'm a hardcore activist trying to.

Help the people out here homeless for eight months?

Do you want to talk about that?

No?

Okay?

Things get better though?

Can I ask how things got better?

Determination?

You have to get your You have to get in your mind state that like anything is better than where you before.

Got to keep moving forward.

If you keep the aspects in your head that's like I deserve better, I want better, things will get better for me.

Then you keep pushing yourself to until you reach like.

A state in your mind where you're like this, this can, this can get better, and this will get better, and then things end up doing get better.

Were you were you homeless here in New York?

I was in New Jersey.

Oh okay, let to figure stuff out.

Got an apartment lined up for May first, Very nice, feeling good, very nice?

What was so like? If I guess, I guess like like, let's.

Say somebody's listening to this that maybe is like in a similar struggle or something like that, Like what what is it that that got that got you out that you know you feel like other people could learn from.

If you can't do it day by day, just take it minute by minute, hour by hour, minute by minute.

Just keep breathing.

You got to keep moving.

That's all you need in.

Times like these.

Yeah.

I like that.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, but determination does.

Well. I like that.

Do you have a I give a gig, give a job you do.

I'm a full time nanny right now, but I also do live music, photography, stuff like that.

Cool? Cool?

Who is crashing with?

Oh? Grab ship? Someone's talking about career, believe in Jesus.

Good Friday, fella.

That's cool.

Oh today's good for stay good Friday?

I think so he is.

When's Easter Sunday?

This Sunday?

Right?

I don't know Christians? Are you Christians? Jewish?

No?

I'm just me.

I like that. It's good. It's good to be you. Let's see. Julie, Julia, Yeah, what's uh? What's what's what's your dream in life? Julie? Uh?

My goal, my dream in life is to just spread the energy, spread the positivity.

We need it.

Yeah, we need it so much, so much, especially the way our world's going. Got these pins on my bag, Keep loving, keep fighting. None of us are free until all of us are free, and our struggles are connected because they are, they really are.

Struggles are connected in how to tell? How do you how do you how do you mean.

When I when it comes to the end of the day, everything dials down to the same thing. So the fact of the matter is is that the patriarchy, the one percent, they're gonna keep getting richer, and we have to and we have to understand that it's all of us against against the one percent, and all of us together when you stop fighting each other.

Well, okay, So I'm curious with you because here's the thing is like there's nothing because like all right, Like I'll be on Reddit or whatever and and read it. It's like like right, It's like here's this new thing Elon Musk is doing. All right, Elon, And I'm just like, well, yeah, but I'm just like at a certain point, I'm just like, yeah, but what you know, what can I I'm not what can I?

What can you do?

Yeah?

Keep talking.

I've been I don't have any on me right now, but the past few days I've been passing around I Know your Rights cards so people can know their rights if.

Ice were to try and come down to them.

Thought a warrant, Elon, he's a money hungry there's a child he's among you hungry pig Ah.

That guy's got a Nintendo bag. See, that's what I do when the world gets when I get to when I get too freaked out about the world is I play video games.

That's the way I go out and talk to people and also.

Go out and talk to people. Going out and talk to people is fun. Do you have a lot of friends around the city?

Not yet?

Okay?

Did you?

Just like, I've been here a month?

Okay, how's your month here?

But oh amazing, I've never I came here for the first time yesterday, I'm like, fuck it, I'm coming back. The inspiration is incredible. I've never felt so much creativity in my life to just.

Me me, it's great.

Yeah.

Well, have you been meeting a lot of people?

Oh yeah, that's some that's some guy that uh works for like Vice magazine yesterday just like on a whim who smoked a jag with him.

Was pretty cool.

Smoking a j with the guy who works at Vice magazine is a very New York, young New York thing to do.

Yeah, I think so so New York.

Uh, well, Julie, is there anything else? Donna say that? People the computer before we go, People on the computer. I care about you. I love you. You'll be okay and you matter. Don't give up later, dude, God bless. What's I'm Sam? Sam? That's good, nice to meet you.

Like your like your outfits.

Thanks, I like yours?

Man.

What's up has life?

It's been okay? You know, like a cowboy had shirt? It's not cowboy?

Was was that this? Oh no, I'm sorry, not the shirt the O I was gonna be on a birth the key Chaine.

Oh yeah, yeah, my dad got this from Hon Dura's nice. But how's life been treating you?

Man?

How's life been treating me? A big fan of yours, by the way, what thanks man?

Yeah, you've been gett You've showed up occasionally on the internet, you know, while on my phone.

Thanks man. Life life right now is good. I like being outside. It's nice.

Actually, yeah, I need to get out more like I feel like I cooped myself up in like my house or in like a room.

Bro.

You can really lose today.

I was like, I might have spent like two hours or is just like re checking the social media refrigerator and ship you got on Twitter and then you go, yeah.

You go on the I'm only on like Instagram? Maybe read it, you know, Yeah, it's like it's like an endless cycle.

It's an endless like dopamine cycle, killing your fu my dreams that I'm like, am.

I Yeah, I got some I get some real dopamine for once, and I'm like, wow, I forget how good this feels. Yeah, it's not so fake?

Ship?

Yeah? Yeah, what's.

What do you believe in?

What do you think happens after we die? Yeah?

I don't think anything happens. We just kind of fizzle out.

You know.

Are you excited about that or you?

Yeah? Yeah, I am.

Hopefully I got to keep a couple of like fragments of like my life on earth. But like even if I don't, I mean, I'm not going to exist. So what am I really gonna be thinking about?

Nothing?

I was hanged.

I was talking to my best friend on the phone a few months ago because I was fucked the sign the signs, the signs.

Fucked I can hold oh yeah, we'll just hold it all uh.

And I was talking. I was talking to him and I was like, yeah, I'm fucking depressed, and he was like, you know, well, because I was depressed about I was thinking of like death a lot. And he was like, well, the thing is like death is a zero, but depression is negative. He was. I thought that was fascination, Like death is like a zero, like you're not anything, You're not, like depression is worse than being dead.

It's like the opposite of love is indifference.

You know.

Yeah, well that's probably a bad thing to say. Actually, why that depression is worse than being dead? Oh?

Actually, I mean if to the right people, it will be to certain people, will be a bad idea to suggest.

But but I got but it makes sense. Well okay, no, hold on.

I was for those of us who are alive, I think it's a good point. It's an optimistic, good way.

But when he said that, I was like, yeah, you're right, Why don't I Why am I so afraid of death? Why? Like, I'm afraid of death to But here's why I was, I'm afraid of death to the bar was making me depressed. But then it's like the depression is making is worse than the fear. So just stop.

Do you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

You know, I guess you don't want to get a point where you're just so sad you don't feel anything. Yeah, because then I would be like, what's the difference between that and death? Like I don't know.

What makes you? What makes you?

I mean not like achieved my dreams, you know dreams. One of my dreams. I want to be a jazz musician. Okay, cool, Yeah, I play the bass, a little big guitar, played the drums. You know, I kind of maybe I'm spreading myself a little too thin, but I'm hoping maybe one day I'll be there. I'll be somewhere, you know, performing some cool jazz music or just music. Would you ever busk? Like I was gonna mention that, Actually, I've seen plenty of people.

I don't know.

Maybe if I maybe, if I like try like shoot for the stars and don't make it, maybe I'll just end up a busker. But I think i'd be content for that. You know, it looks fun.

I mean, look this guy, like we're well I'm looking at We're looking at a guy right now.

He's just playing people like playing drums, you know, they like they have Some people don't even have instruments to just bring like like egg shakers and stuff.

Look, here's whether you're this guy or you're playing in like the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra. You're doing the same thing. You're playing the fucking violine in.

Front of people. That's that's the whole point of music, the whole point of music. Yeah, even if I like play is shown there's like three people, I don't give a fuck. Yeah, I'm as long as hey if they dig it. If they don't, then I'm doing it for myself at that point.

You know, did you play any video games?

Yeah, occasionally, I used to play. I used to be a big gamer when I was a young boy. You know, probably should have been focusing on the books. But you know, out of PS three.

And what else?

Said?

I have at a GameCube? Actually, when I was a little kid. I think it was a little I don't think that was the right console for me at that time.

But what did you play on the game cube?

I had a Superman game that was really sick. Oh yeah, there's just one level where you had to beat like you were on a timer. You have to save a damn from getting blown up, and that shit gave me really mad anxiety. I would always freak out on that level and I never beat the game. Unfortunately. I think i'd be able to do it now now that I'm older, But you know, a lot of things were scary when I was a little kid, you know, like Damn's explode and uh.

And then you realize that a damn exploding is if well, depending on who he's.

Also the responsibility that I was supposed to be Superman. So like, yeah, like the damn exploding. If Superman let a damn blow up, that's kind of disappointing. You know, you expect him to be able to do it.

Depending on who you are, the fear of a damn exploding is not going to be quite relevant to your life. That's true, but it was to me because I was Superman. Being Superman probably sucks probably too. It's I mean, I'm sure it's probably ful failing that he.

Has a capacity to handle it, But if I was Superman, I would be freaking out every day.

But that that makes sense because if you were Superman, you would have the capacity to handle it.

Okay, Yeah, maybe maybe I just don't have the mindset to be Superman. Maybe that's why I'm not Superman.

Well, I don't think anyone could be Superman because he's a fictional Yeah, he's a fictional character.

He's also an alien. If he was really wouldn't be human. So do you like superheroes?

Do I like superheroes?

Yeah?

What's your favorite superhero?

Or probably Spider Man because he's relatable. He's just a kid, right. So it's like you can see yourself beating.

I've been by bugs before, you know, and you didn't turn it out.

No, it just makes your skin red.

Yeah, it just makes it really itchy.

You know.

It's unfortunate. We were you bit by a get go or something? Are you just a get go?

No?

I spout this on Amazon. He's about this Amazon. What's your name again? I'm Sam? Sam? Is there anything else you want to say? That the people a computer? Before we go, Sam, learn an instrument. It will make your life better. But that's about it, like very much talking to talk to me, of course. I hope you uh achieve all your dreams.

You achieve all your dreams.

I've already done it. I've achieved all my.

Dream achieved more than your dreams.

Thank you, all right, thank you? How going man? What is your name Isabel? My name is Lyle. Nice to meet you. How's life what's going on?

Life is going great?

Just got off of work, okay, what do you do for work?

Well, I'm a student at a university and I also am a waitress a host.

Okay, where do you Where do you wait or I mean, not where do your waitress?

But what kind of well what kind of food?

Mexican restaurant? Okay, so I work around this area. Okay, it's a beautiful day outside. You know, I don't really have any problems.

You don't need to have problem. Who told you need to have problems?

No one needs You don't need to have problem.

You don't have Oh, actually this is kind of you don't have wait hold on, you don't have any problems. I don't think anyone. I'm getting hol on la, I'm getting rid of this sign. The signs fucked. Any Way, you were talking about how you have no problems.

That's not exactly what I said. I was like, I don't have that many. I mean finals are coming up. I just solved my biggest problem, which was unemployment. Well, my the old restaurant used to work at. They've decided to sell and gave us four day notice. Yeah, they told us on April ninth that we had four days to go find a new job because they were closing the store April thirteenth. So but that's all figured it out. We got a new job, we have money coming in the bank.

I'm trying to keep my blessings and be grateful. What about you?

What about me? I am uh, I'm enjoying life in this very moment. You come out, Yeah, you come out to the park and you're like, oh, everyone's here.

I feel like it's over stimulation Central right now because there's just so much going on. We got skaters over there, we got like people selling shit, like there's just everything. Everyone's here today because it's a nice day out. Also, whenever the weather hits above seventy degrees, nobody knows how to act.

So nobody knows how to act.

Yeah wait, like wait when the when the weather hits above seventy degrees? Like, and what what makes you feel that way?

Hmmm, I don't know. Maybe just be I don't know.

People just tend to be a little bit louder. I'm not trying to say that as a bad thing. I'm trying to say that as like, you know, everyone wants to enjoy the nice day out, and they aren't very They are less considerate than they were when it's colder out because everyone's trying to get home, you.

Know what I mean, Well, this is like, okay, like it.

Is a very public park. I'm not saying nobody knows how to act. Everyone's very respectful here.

But I guess the thing about like New York City is that like there almost is like there's very little x spectation. Like if some guy was just like on a on a nice quiet like this isn't like a quiet park. For fact, like if some guy came through with like a giant fucking like boombox and was just blasting music.

That's pretty typical.

Actually, yeah, that's.

Like, well, you wouldn't bad an eye. It's you're not gonna be like, oh, how rude. It's like we're it's fucking you know in New York City.

It's New York.

Yeah yeah, but but did you did you see someone where you were like that little that's a little out of line.

No, Honestly, today everyone's being chill today. I honestly appreciate it.

Thank you.

We should keep it up just the you know, being with your friends and keeping at a normal level. However, I did see some people pie each other in the face, and that was kind of funny, but they were a little scary.

Uh where they scared?

Where they clown people?

No, they were just like pie each other in their faces and like running around.

But that was really it. That's none of my business though.

What's your name again, Isabelle? What's your dream Isabelle? What do you wanna do with with your fleeting existence in this universe?

My sweet existence in this universe?

Oh? Sure?

Well if I said fleeting existence, but are you sweet?

Is better?

Oh?

Okay?

Well I want to be a lawyer one day, specifically with intellectual property AI and cybersecurity law.

Whoa Okay, do you know a lot about AI?

I'm a computer science major, so yes?

Oh no, shit, Okay, are you scared or are you optimistic?

Quite?

Terrified with the way that job prospects are going right now and like the job market, but other than that, trying to stay positive because I do graduate next year.

Oh I guess I meant like it, like, are you optimistic about the future? Because because we are on I've talked about this before, like we're on like the chat, we're on the iPhone one of chat GPT right now, correct, and so it's only gonna get crazier.

I mean people are right now writing like breakup letters through chat GPT.

So I mean I don't something that happened to you, it happened to me.

No, at least I don't think so okay.

I mean I happened to feel like acquaintances, I guess. But like you were, what were you saying, like the.

Last thing you just said, like are you okay? Because you study this stuff, yes, and you study AI? Are do you are you afraid of what's happening?

I am.

I do think that a lot of people are using artificial intelligence in a way to benefit them and profit off of it rather than use it as a tool.

Isn't that basically that what we've been doing with technology for instead.

Of using those tools. I mean yeah, but you know there's.

A difference between profit and then capitalistic reed at the point like you're using AI to replace like let's just like, what's one example, I'm being put on a spot right now.

Let's say you're.

Using AI to.

Cut this part out because I'm thinking so hard right now.

I'm better, Okay, we're leaving it in shut No. Look look, look you got look that's life all right?

Sometimes Okay, you know what life cake go my way. It's fine artificial intelligence when it comes down to, like.

You used to Well, if you're using it for homework, it's one thing.

But if you're using it for like to write off I guess Tara, for tax plans, it's something completely different. But I really can't think of a single like right now. My brain is so farted out. I'm so sorry. I'm promise I'm better at talking to you.

Well, all right, do you think we'll eventually get to the point where like because here's because here's the thing is, uh, I don't like the new seasons of Family Guy. I think Family Guy used to be better, and I want and when when is chat? When is chat gpt gonna be able to write Family Guy like they used to in the in the in the you know, two thousand.

Family Guy can be recreated.

I think those minds are brilliant and they cannot be recreated by aim.

Unfortunately, what my AI is gonna get to a point where it can write better Family Guy than the Family Guy writers? Right, Because if it's not that.

I guess, I mean to each their own.

Everyone has a different opinion about like how about like Family Guy? So if they think the most recent seasons are better than the old seasons. There's always gonna be someone who thinks that. There's also someone's gonna think that the old seasons are better than you. But I personally think that AI cannot. I'll do the old ones.

Do you use chatchept for stuff?

I do use it to explain my calculus homework because my teachers aren't that great at explaining stuff. So yes, I do support using chatchept when you need stuff explain. However, maybe you shouldn't be writing your entire essays with a literacy skills are important.

Oh my god, if I had, dude, if I had chat cheapt in high school and college, I would use it for fucking everything. I would never ever write an essay in my entire life.

That is so fair.

That is so fair.

I don't know if you have used it.

To write essays and shit, no, I've used it to write out my outlines though, Okay, so I'll use I'll take an outline that the chrat GPT has made and then base my essay off of that.

The funny thing is is that they say that there's like software that you can run the ship through to like tell you if it's been AI generated, but there's no way that it can do.

It's all boof, it's all like stupid as well. There it's like this AI generator that you put the Declaration of Independence in it.

And it is said that.

There's yeah right right, So I don't think it's like yeah, no, it is completely fun because there's some people who genuinely write their papers and then they get flag for plagiarism with AI and they have to go, you know, talk to the deans about it, and then it revokes their students, that is, if they found if they found like guilty or whatever. It's kind of crazy because AI checkers aren't even that great in first place. Because I can sound

Well, but why not let AI do stuff that we don't want to do.

I feel like then we'll just start getting lazier and lazier and lazier.

You know we are we not already pretty fucking lazy? Who I mean, we order thirty dollars burritos to our house?

You ordered thirty dollars burritos to my house.

I do not you've never you've never ordered a thirty dollar burrito.

A thirty dollar burrito's kind of insane.

You've never you've Okay, look, we all know you've never. You've never uber eat food before in your life.

I've never said that. I said I'd never uber eats the thirty dollars burrito.

If you've uber eased anything, it's been thirty dollars. I used door dash, What did you door dish?

I haven't used that app in like, honestly two years because I needed to cut it out.

Yeah, okay, but so if you use DoorDash at all for anything, like like if you door dashed anything, it was probably thirty dollars.

I mean the most expensive thing that I DoorDash was a space heater to my apartment because I didn't want to go to Low's and the Lows was too far from me, and that was more than thirty dollars.

But I think it's kind of crazy to.

Spend I let me just.

I live next to good restaurant, so like there's like so many like little mom and pop shops that are like up and down the streets that I live from.

It's I can just walk.

If you're door dashing a space heater to your house. I don't think you can claim to be above door dashing a thirty dollars burrita to your house. I am not.

I am above that.

Why are you spending thirty dollars on a burrito?

Why? Why?

Why not just go buy the space heater?

The space heater was like you see, a Brooklyn trains suck.

I would have to take the queue to downtown Brooklyn and then I would have to take the R down to Sunset.

Or what about someone who asked have a car? Nobody here has a car. I mean they do, That's why they have streets. What's your name? What's your name again, Isabelle? How many times did I ask you that? I'm not good with names? Isabelle? Is there anything else you want to say to the people of.

The computer Kelly, guys, I hope we all find it's rough out here, Isabelle. Nice to meet you.

Good God, bless blessed, see you around the universe. Apologize for nothing, see you around the universe as all. Hi, what's your name?

I'm Lily, I'm Scarlet.

And what's what are you guys doing out in the town today?

Oh?

My god everything. I just saw you and I had to come over. I was like, I know that guy, Hell yeah, hell yeah John to me?

Really yes, I hold I hold you all like the.

Same regard as like Jack Black Tanner from Love on the Spectrum I like have like y'all are like my favorite.

Who's Who's Tanner from Love on the Spectrum. He's just a Tanner I've never seen.

He's from Georgia.

He's a wonderful man.

He He's like, do.

You want to know everything?

I like?

I like donkeys, I love chickens.

I don't like pigs.

You or him?

What do you like?

Kind of Tanner? A little bit?

Okay?

I like to listwigs, legs. New York. I love New York. I love this city.

Did you guys just move here?

Uh? Three years? Yeah? So pretty new?

But what do you guys do here? Are your students?

Yeah?

What do we?

What do we study?

I study journalism. I'm child psych so hopefully that's lucrative. I don't think it will be.

Okay, what what do you What do you guys hope to do with your future?

I would like to talk about culture because my entire the reason I hesitate so much on my major is. My major is communications and Media studies and journalism and digital storytelling.

Okay, but I say.

Journalism, but I have to talk about culture, Okay if I'm being completely honest, Like I totally don't want to go into psychology.

If I could be anything, I would just like this is so stupid, but I would love to be rich, like no talent, no job. I just want like money to like travel and like I want to be fashioning stuff like that would be great or like a socialite but kind of baby yeah exactly, baby, Like.

Really you would get bored. I grew up poor.

Girl, so I feel like I would never get bored.

Like they've experienced things I've never experienced, probably won't ever.

So the idea, who's who's the rich?

Like traveling bro, I can't just fucking drop money and go to England like I would like the like.

Fake jobs they have.

We're influencer, well influencer, and they're like my job is to like try the air wan Strawberry.

I want that job, yeah.

Or like take photos for like clothes yeah, like but like on your Instagram, so it's not even like good.

Yeah, I mean I have a fake, funny job yeah.

But yours is like, yeah, yeah, you're out here with You've got a gimmick. You've got a gimmick, you got a thing, like it makes sense. Like I'm just so tired of seeing like a blonde white girl be like.

Com with me to pilates in New York City. I'm like, that's actually not what we have about. The thing is that's what I want. That's true.

Well why do you do it? Why don't you do why don't you come with me to plates in New York whatever your version of that.

That's also like an issue.

I'm just like so incredibly lazy that I'm like I have to work for things, and it's just like I want to have fun.

Like life is always work, work, work all the time. I want to go out.

I want to see things and see people and like do shit, Like I don't.

Know, Yeah, I wan to be rich. That would be great, like to not have financial burdens.

Yeah, Like Pooky and Jet a little bit like I don't.

Agree you are Pooky and Jet.

I'm just dropping all the people.

Pooky and Jet are this southern couple and then Jet is kind of like a little bit of a bad guy unfortunately, like he works in dental insurance and like actively takes away people's dental insurance. But they're so happy and they're like, we're going to asking.

For fact, Well, how do we know these people? Who are these people? How do we know them? Okay?

Yeah?

Are they rich? Very very Why don't you guys do a Pooky and Jet thing?

Actually? Yeah, I'm actually we're actually gonna steal their content.

God, do your version of Bookie and Jet?

You know, why don't you? Because like what, I don't know you could? You guys could be influencers. Why not?

Oh honestly, I was thinking about it, But I think I'm like too dislike to like, I don't know, I feel like my my you disliked. Yeah, Like my personality is abrasive I've heard or like polarizing is a good word. And I feel like you either really like me or really not like me on the internet.

But that I mean that.

But isn't the internet full of like abrasive personalities? Aren't the most famous people on the internet people who like everyone hates.

Yeah, what type of reputation is that?

Though?

I don't want to be like that for.

Who they're like a podcast that's always been kind of controversial.

I dub just did like a content cop.

Oh no, sure, I know. I was on the Age three podcast a couple of times.

Yeah yeah nice in person.

Uh yeah yeah yeah, I'm f a shout out my boy cam.

Oh my god. I used to like I used to like watch the podcast and stuff.

So yeah, I always was.

Like, they should call me on, let me on.

What would you talk about if you're if you're on there.

I love the way he argues, Like, I love the way he argues, and like, I just want to see if, like I could outsmart him because sometimes, like I watched this just Pearly Things debate and that one got me, like, I hate her with every fiber of my being.

I hate that woman.

So seeing him absolutely destroy her like intellectually made me really happy.

You guys used the internet a lot.

Media studies, Yeah, media, I'm bored.

I love the Internet and it's great, Like what a fantastic thing that has been created.

I don't know sometimes I don't know, man, sometimes. But you know, also that was out of pot because I also use the Internet a lot. I just don't know.

I mean right now, like we're on the internet.

Yeah, yeah, I guess that's true, But.

How joyous is I think all we were born in two thousands.

For like you like being born.

I think we were right before, like not either of us. I believe we're given. I had as babies, I had my DS.

And I was in it.

Or would you play on the DS?

I played Mario.

I played a lot of Pokemon, Pokemon Sapphire.

And oh what was it cooking Mama? I played Monster High? That was great. Yeah, we did a different very different people.

Are you guys gonna get the switch to?

Absolutely not?

Thank you?

What a money grab? I can't believe that, Like and it is.

Like ninety dollars to buy like the game to teach you how to use, like the switch.

I heard it is kind of funny. It's ninety dollars to get the game.

That incredibly insane.

But they look cool, like the new Marri Kart does look sick where you can like drive, I do point like.

I had wow and multiple friendships start through playing Mario Kart.

But like the Little app, the Little app uh huh. I was always bad at Mario Kart. So I literally don't play any Mario games. I'm a saunic girl.

Well, what's your guys' names again.

I'm Lily, I'm Scarlet.

Is there anything else you guys want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

Stay good and distrust the government? Play Mario Kart.

Hello, sir, what's your name?

My name is Adam. What's your name?

Adam? My name is Lyle.

Hi.

How's it going? Adam has life?

Life is excellent, really excellent.

I'm so uh oh, Adam, give me if favorite hold the mic like a little I thank you, Adam, got your life is excellent. I want you to know. And I'm not saying I'm not blowing smoke up your ass, but looking at your face and the way that you say that life is excellent, I can tell that you're telling the truth. And that excites me because you know,

So I'm ko, why is life excellent? Tell me more?

That's that's a longer answer, but life is life is excellent.

Life is fun. I'm having a great time.

What's what's having what's causing you to have that's a great time. I mean, I see you have your family here. I'm sure that that's a big part of its huge, huge.

I love my work, I love my family. I have a wonderful wife. I have a fun life.

Tell me what's your what you do for work?

I own a guitar company?

Cool?

How long are you doing that?

About thirty years?

And it's been exciting for all thirty years?

That exactly excited?

Wow? What is it that makes it so exciting?

That's an interesting question? Why is it exciting? I get to do what I love. First, I work with a lot of exciting people, a lot of guitar players that are fun to be around and exciting to work with. So I enjoy what I do every day. I've never once scotten up and said, oh I got to go to work today.

Wow, I love it.

Has that been your whole life?

No?

Okay, tell me about before?

Well, that wasn't as much fun, and that wasn't as much is excellent? I did you have to go through that till you figure out where you want to be.

But that's what I want to hear is I want to hear about when it wasn't so excellent, and then how it became excellent.

That's not a good story.

What do you mean that's not because that's a great story. What do you mean that's not that it's a wonderful story. That's the story I want to hear everything is great all the time. That's not a good story. Everything wasn't so great, and then it becomes because no one else says that, no one else will say that.

You were amazed that.

So stay with the good part, okay, because.

The boring prequel to the amazing was the same as everyone else's story was terrible?

And then how did it become not terrible?

I decided it was time for it not to be terrible?

Was there something? Was there something that happened or did you wake up one day or how what made you decide for it? I don't want this to be terrible anymore.

I decided that I wanted to do something I love every day, and then I decided who I wanted to be with. That's when I met my wife, and you put those two together, and that's when it became amazing.

When did you meet your wife.

Five years ago? Four or five years ago?

How'd you guys meet.

She's a photographer shooting pictures for me. Love guitars?

Cool?

Yeah, that's how we met.

And how old is your son?

That's the grandson.

Oh, that's your grandson.

You believe that? Can you believe?

That's my Wow?

That's the grandson.

Wow, that's awesome. How how old? Five? Wow? So how many kids do you have?

She has two girls and I have two girls. Those are her two girls?

Cool cool man?

Yeah?

Wow, twenty three and twenty wow, twenty three today?

And those are those twenty four today?

Twenty three?

You're twenty four today? Oh, happy birthday? And so the are these your wife?

Kids?

Are your kids?

Those were her kids?

Cool man? What are your kids up to?

My kids?

I have two girls too. One's a psychologist, one is a flight attendant.

Wow, everyone's happy.

All good kids. It's good fun. We do what we love and we're here.

Can I so if I can? I can I ask you some questions? I'm I'm curious if you're willing to answer. So you said things before like you seem correct me if I'm wrong, But as I'm interviewing you, it seems as though one could separate your life into distinctly like when things you say we're terrible when things you say were great terrible, but that's good. Can I ask how old you were when you felt like things started to become good?

There was always pieces of good things, but I never had the whole package until recently.

Until recently. What was it about recently where you like, I have the whole package?

I don't.

When I got remarried and and the business was already going, so that was good.

That was only half of the package. Only you know it's not enough.

Well.

I like hearing these is because a lot of people think that, like, oh, if you know, I don't have this by a certain age, or this isn't or you know, you know, you break up with your first significant other and you're like, oh, I'll never find love again, this will never happen again. This will never happen again. I'm dying, you know whatever, And then yeah, so it's cool to hear stories of that not being true.

How did you end.

Up in Washington Square Park as a get go asking questions?

Well?

Today, how I ended up as a get go in Washington Square Park asking questions? Is I wanted to get out of the house, But I mean, I've been doing this for like five years just being a lizard and talking to folks.

Why a lizard?

What was it about a lizard that made you go in that direction?

I just had the costume, so it could have been anything like a giraffe.

Yeah.

I kind of fell into this weirdly enough.

And how is it the lizard business? Asking questions?

It's cool? Ycause this is enjoyable. It's not I'm out, I'm in. I'm in real life. I meet people I wouldn't have never met before.

And what do you do with the content? YouTube?

I put it on YouTube, I put it on a TikTok.

How is the YouTube and TikTok business for you?

Uh?

It's good, it's nice. It's fun. It's good to be I mean I do.

I do this version of it, and then I do a version of it where I talk to people on the phone. You know, this version is fun because I get to be face to face with people.

It's interesting.

So how many followers do you have on the on your platforms?

Several several more than more than one hundred, more than a less than less than less than a billion, more than one hundred. What's your guitar company? F you Tone, f U Tone, do you play?

Yeah, you have to.

Are you in a band?

No?

Okay, but I have to play.

You even't stop smiling since you sat down.

I'm a happy guy.

You wake up like this?

Yeah, go through your lasts?

Really? Wow? This is this is cool man, It's cool to see. It's cool seeing someone enjoy their life so much.

Are most people miserable?

Do you think most people are miserable?

Are most people not? Maybe not miserable? Unhappy?

Why do you think most people are unhappy?

Just my experience in dealing with people, Most people are unhappy that I come across.

What about Okay, so you're in the let me ask you this. You're in the music industry. I bet you meet a lot of hot shots. You meet a lot of I'm sure, like rich artists, people or whatever. Do they seem happy or do you think like what do you think the correlation is?

Believe it or not, it doesn't equate to happiness? Okay, super famous, super rich? Do you think you want some pretty unhappy?

Why do you think that is?

Because the truth.

Is that money doesn't buy happiness, which is what we were just talking about, but it does give you freedom to pursue your happy. Of course, of course, big difference.

I agree it gives you the freedom to pursue things, but it completely in and of itself pursue your happiness.

Though.

Sure, all if all things were said, if you had whatever amount of money it is that you think would make you happy, that you didn't have to do anything, what would you do with the money?

I think I think it. I think it can free you from a lot of if you had it, so.

That everyone has a number. I have the numbers. You have a number.

If if you had that number, would you be out here interviewing me?

I think I would.

It's a great answer because I always tell my wife if I hit the mega millions, and if I if I hit the one hundred million dollars, all I would do is build a bigger.

Guitar company, because yeah.

And just do it bigger. And that's it. So I do what I love because I love it. But I would still do it if I didn't have to do it. Most people have to go where they go every day, and if they had a.

Choice, they wouldn't. One day, I made a choice.

Instead, we're going to pursue what makes me happy instead of what makes me the most money.

And was when I made that move.

I was making a lot more money to risk it all for next to no money.

And those first few years when you were building the guitar company and making much less money than you were making, what was that like?

And sometimes no money?

What was that like?

Scary at times? But I was happy every day?

Really?

Yep?

Where was that? Is this all in New York City?

Right outside of Philadelphia?

Oh? Cool? Cool? How long did it take you before you started like making money and feeling like, Okay, this is a stable thing.

That's a good question too. I don't know.

It wasn't It wasn't horribly long, but it wasn't an overnight thing either. It's it's a long road and it wasn't a straight line. I was all over the place.

Do you feel like, what's your sense of peace been like throughout your life? But do you feel like you've been peaceful for most of your life? Or is your piece a recent thing? You seem you seem extremely at peace and that's recent.

Five years? Wow, out out of my entire life, that's not a lot of time. No, Now, I have to live a very long time to.

Get even can I can I ask you how old you are fifty eight, fifty eight.

I'll be fifty eight this year, fifty seven.

And in the past five years is when you've felt the most peace five six years. That's really cool, that's right. I'm very I like, on a personal level, I'm very inspired by that.

That's great. Yeah, this was worthwhile. If you're inspired and feel good, Yeah, be happy every day.

But like, have you found pockets of peace throughout your life?

What gave you those pockets of peace?

I would say small pieces of the puzzle that I have now, just in smaller doses and as not is not a concentrated level. So the moments of happiness, moments of good things, you know, not constant now, it's.

Just now it's concentrated because of your family.

Because of everything. But it's everything my wife, my family, my business, and my friends. I have a nice little balance circle.

And it took you a lot till it took you a lifetime to.

Get to figured out, to figure it out. And I didn't figure it out before. And there was time when I was very young where I actually made a lot of money at.

A very young age and was miserable.

Because why why were you so miserable? During that time?

I was young and maybe not clear on what happiness was. I thought money was happiness, and it's like a band aid. It's almost like a drug fix. It's just short term happiness. So you finally get it, or you buy something you want or do something you want, then it's over. It wasn't true happiness, it was just stuff.

Let's say, if somebody is looking for peace out there, what would you tell them?

I don't know if I'm the best person to give advice.

But well, look, you're peaceful in this very moment, and so I declare that to mean that you would be good at giving me.

My advice would be do something you love every day to start. And if you're not doing something that you love or you're passionate about, you're you're on the wrong path if you want to be happy.

I got I got this question for you. How'd you know you were ready to become a father?

How well I know it is?

That's it's also an interesting question. My I was twenty six when my first daughter was born, and I knew that.

I wanted to be a young father really and I was so it was great.

How do you know you wanted to be a young father?

It's a deep question because I had such a shitty father, so I thought I could do a better job and I wanted to prove it and I did.

That's awesome. Man, was it hard being a young father because I'm I'm I'm twenty seven now and I.

Have little get gos.

No, No, I don't have kids, but I want I don't have I don't have kids. But like when I imagine I don't have kids, but when I imagine, like you know, my the the latter half of my life, I imagine wanting to have a family. But I'm like, I don't know if but like if I if I had a kid right now, I think that kid would be fucked.

You know why.

I don't know, just because it's like I don't feel I don't feel ready right now, but.

I'm like responsible, get go.

I think like right now, like my right now, I'm like wrapped up in like my own life and figuring out myself that like if you handed me a baby, I'd be like, oh shit, you know, but I don't know.

You don't want to be too old, you don't want to be there.

Did you have any friends when you were younger that had the old dad like he was like an old guy, like an old man.

I mean my parents are in their like late sixties, their sixties, my dad, yeah, my dad, my parents, everyone in there, like mid late thirties.

Yeah, that's on that.

That's on the back end of I think of having kids interesting. You know, you want to be able to be the dad down on your hands and knees and.

Yeah, playing with the kids.

Yeah.

I was just playing on the monkey bars with their grandson. I still love it.

Yeah, that's awesome, man, But it was it must have been hard at twenty six.

No, I don't know it was. It was.

I considered it an accomplishment and I enjoyed it.

That's awesome.

And when I look back on it, I don't regret that at all. I set out for that, I got that, and I think it was good.

Do you do you regret anything?

I regret lots of things, tons of things I regret, but I wouldn't give that up. I can't give it up. I'm just happy now. It's great. Look at my wife's smiling. Okay, she's happy too. Are we happy?

Every day?

I tell her every day? We got no.

His wife, his wife. Just for people who can't hear his wife just said, tell him about when the day?

When the Day's my motto years ago. My my one daughter is heavy into it with me. Till at the end of every day, I keep scoring to see if I won the day, and what do I mean by winning.

The What do you mean by winning the day?

Was I happy that day? Did I have a good day? Did I feel good about myself? Did I accomplish things I wanted to accomplish?

And was I happy?

As opposed to losing a day where at the end of the day you're miserable, you're regretful, You're like, today sucked.

I don't want to do this again.

And it has nothing to do with money, because there's been plenty of days where I'd make great money where I lost the day where I was unhappy, but I made a lot of money, I was unhappy. And there's been plenty of days where I've lost money or made no money and been happy with myself and my relationships in my day. And at the end of the day, I say to myself every night, did I win today? And most days now I say, yeah, I won today. My goal is to die with a winning.

Record where you won more days than you lost.

Right.

I'm still still behind.

Oh way behind. But I'm on a major wind streak. I'm on a great dynasty type wind streak. But I've got years to go to break even. Too many years wasted on the wrong people, the wrong things, the wrong ideas, wasted time.

You know what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah, you know exactly what.

I'm talking about. Man, you know that's awesome. That's awesome. What's your name again, man, Adam? Adam?

A great pleasure to meet you.

Man, it was a pleasure.

Where could I see this?

Uh, it's on YouTube dot com slash Lyle.

Forever, Lyle forever.

Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go, Adam, This was.

A great experience talking to Lyle the get go. I had a blast here in New York today with my wife having fun. Happy birthday to Maddie. We're having a blast. This was great. And and if one person got a positive message from me, I'm glad I stopped.

I got a positive message for you. So you got the one person.

We won the day.

We won the day. Nice to meetch Adam, Thank you very much, man. That was awesome. This was a great Gecko session. This was a lot of fun, folks. Just goes to show if you're fucking feeling insane in your house, just go outside, try to talk to people. You'll feel better. I'm saying that from my personal experience. It was great talking to that guy because I don't know, if you listen to the podcast, you know that I've been talking about all kinds of existential crazy bullshit. But isn't it

I don't know.

It's cool, man, It's cool. It just makes you want to not give up on finding peace. So that was cool. Shout out Adam, Shout out New York. Thank you guys for watching on YouTube or listening on the On the podcast, my name is Lyle. I am a gecko and I will I will see you all around the universe. Maybe at some point in the future, get blessed, see you around.

Thanks for listening.