“I’M A VETERAN”

Hey, folks, it's Lyle. Before we get into the episode, I wanted to talk to you guys about a new thing I'm doing where you can help support my lizard endeavors by becoming a premium member of this podcast over at Therapy Gecko dot supercast dot com. Premium members, or gek Legends as I call them, we'll be able to get every new and existing episode of Therapy Gecko completely

All from Mark.

Hi, Mark, Hey, how's it going going? Okay? How's it going with you?

It could be better?

Okay? How could it be better?

Well, I had a rough day dealing with the veterans administration medical folks. So that was irritating.

Well, I'm glad you called because I know a lot about the Veterans Medical Association, a.

Lot of old vets bitching and complaining.

No I was, I was, I was being a dick. But what what? What problem are you having with them?

Oh? So, I've been having issues with my knees since twenty seventeen, and I've been frustrated with the Army when I was still in that they weren't taking it seriously, and weren't taking it seriously, and they didn't kind of give me the attention I wanted. And maybe I'm just kind of grasping for answers that aren't there. I'm one of the very few people who in the Army actually liked to run. And when my knees started to hurt, and the treatments they did on me haven't had surgery

What do you are you still in the well? You said you're a veteran, So are you still What are you doing?

I got out in August?

Okay, what do you do? What do you do now? You're retired?

Yuh sorta. I mean, retirement in the military has a very specific connectation, and I'm not retired, but my compensation from the VAU is almost equivalent.

Okay, so you have a you have a compensation from the Veterans Association. I'm going to assume that's what VA stands for administration administer. Okay, I was close. I got the v but not the association. And an association, by the way, an administration, I feel like a pretty similar anyway, It doesn't matter what what so? So you don't so?

So?

How long? How long are those checks going to be coming in for?

Unless I get convicted of fraud? Theoretically for life? But again, Congress can do whatever they want. If the American people stop giving the love they have been since nine to eleven two veterans and the electorate changes, that can change, but for the foreseeable future, I've got that money coming in.

Okay, well that's good. What so all right, so what do you do with your time then? If you don't, if you're not working.

That's a good question. I've been a little bit of a shut in. I do have something cooking. I'm trying. I'm applying to a Japanese language school in Japan. I want to get I've got a little bit of Japanese knowledge, but it's pretty pitiful and I've been hide I see, I see.

I don't know what that means. What does hyde mean?

It means uh hi oh hi high high?

Yes, yes, hi hi hi. That's cool man, that's cool. So you're you're you're are you like?

So?

Are you Are you applying to go do that in Japan? Yes?

We We had a little bit of a mix up with the school for an interview, so I accidentally missed the first interview. They've scheduled second one. So I was not happy when I realized I had gotten the wrong date, well, especially when I was very careful to confirm the time difference, and then I just completely missed that they shifted. It shifted the day when they sent me a zoom link.

M hm.

So is this this Japanese language school thing? Is it? Is it part of is it? Is it a veteran thing or is it just like, uh, you know, a random kind of unrelated Japanese school.

The latter, it's kind of a it's a for profit school. I wouldn't be able to pay for it with the VA, but that's one of the things I do have going for me. I have no debt, and I have between retirement accounts and just brokerage accounts, I have about one hundred thousand dollars in just straight like fairly liquid assets. Again, I know the economy takes dump, it's gonna be less.

But nice, nice, and you're gonna use that to pay for this Japanese school.

Yeah.

Now, are you hoping to like, like stay in Japan at all?

I I don't think so. Especially when I was in the Army, I got to go to Korea and Europe. But one of the things, like a every for the audience when CNN is freaking out about North Korea, ignore it. When the whole Trump business was going down, I was getting blackout drunk in the middle of soul. Nobody in South Korea cares North Korea has been going on anyways, tangent. But I've always said I'd like to live overseas for a year or two, and yeah, I think, you know,

Japanese Nazis.

It's more common than you would think.

Huh.

Were they like official? I guess. I don't know how official a Nazi can be, but what Japanese Nazis.

So the first time, it was a far right march, like a fairly good number. Fortunately most were middle, middle aged or older, but carrying signs that essentially said expel the foreigners, you know, restore the emperor and you know, essentially remail tries.

Japan by foreigners. Do they mean like like Americans coming over there?

No, they mean literally everyone who isn't the purest of the pure Japanese.

Okay, okay, so it's go ahead, now, you go ahead.

So it's it's even people like the there's a large Korean minority within Japan that has been historically treated very very very poorly, and I remember hanging out with at a Japanese bar and just hearing a Japanese local say some inredibly offensive things about Korean.

M okay, this and this. When How long were you in Japan for? When you were so the first time?

So the first time I went for about two weeks, and the second time I was. It was super cool. I landed the day they opened up to individual tourists, so I got interviewed on Japanese TV, which was kind of neat, and I spent about a month and a half just be bopping around Japan. I actually met an atomic bomb survivor in Nagasaki. That was wild.

Oh that is wild. Was he like a when when did the Nagasaki bomb drop?

That was August of nineteen forty five?

Wow? How old was was this guy?

Dude was ninety six, so he's a teenager. I can't remember if he worked in the Mitsubishi factory, but he handed me a little card with his story. Essentially, his boss was like, hey, we need you to walk to site. Be walked over to site B. I was walking right behind a pillar and the bomb went off and he was like one of two people from either sites to survive.

Wow, Okay, so you're there for two weeks and you're thinking about it, and so if you went back for this language school, how long would you go for?

So the maximum I could get the visas of about one year and nine months, but I figure at least a year and again living in work or living in Japan, and I have the option to have a part time job. I really want to be able to really increase my command of Japanese. And if I get to a certain point where I'm like, hey, I can watch my anime without subtitles and read my manga untranslated, so like that's gravy.

So I'm also kind of curious, what's your family friend situation right now? Would you be going to like if you went to Japan, would you be abandoning you know, anyone here? Would you still be able to have like a support system going on? Would you have people there? What's the deal?

So I'm single, I don't really have any brothers or sisters in the local area I currently am. I don't really have any friends. My best friend lives in a different time zone already, although Japan will complicate that. Fair deal and no real attachments it's been frustrating. Since I left the house at twenty two. I've moved, on average about moved or deployed on average about every year of my life since then. So relationships and friends have been difficult.

Is that like a big struggle in your life?

Uh?

Yeah, I mean I still talk to my best friend, who I've been friends with since middle school. But again, like he's got a wife, he's got a kid on the way, you know, life's taken all elsewhere. He works remote, so he's he and I can howk on discord while he plays RuneScape while he's quote unquote working.

So you've been like moving every year since you were twenty two?

Yeah? Okay?

Is it okay? If I asked cold you right now I'm thirty? Okay? Yeah? Do you and when you move, do you have an easy time making friends and like finding community where you go?

I mean the army is sort of like community, just add alcohol. But it's one of those things as soon as you move away, you might and especially as an officer a little, especially when I got to be a captain, it became very cutthroat, and I by about four years in I was like, I don't think I'm going to make this career. So I did something. There's a game

Well, I think I think moving to Japan would be exciting. I guess you weren't even talking about moving, you were just talking about going there for a year and nine months.

Yeah, I think I think it'd be cool, and it's something I actually want to do. Like another benefit I have is a full DII bill, So that's three years of cool within the United States or even outside. And like I told everybody on my way out, my plan is to get an m B A and do this and do this, and I'll be at a fortune five hundred company, you know, and put that on paper when it's just like please let me go.

Mm hmmm. Do you what, Sae? Do you have an ultimate dream or goal of of some kind?

I mean, yeah, be a billionaire and have a U a supervillain style uh, layer laid into a mountain in an abandoned salt mine that has apocalypse proof storage and all that stuff.

Ambitious.

Yes, I like that.

Hmm hmm. I don't know. I'm thinking. I'm thinking about you right now because, Uh, it's cool that you've you've moved, You've you've been able to withstand like moving every year of your life. And it sounds as though you know it's been difficult, but that you've found good stuff every time you do it. It's aspiring to me.

It's one of those things where it's been tough. But there's like some folks that, like I met somebody in Ohio who the furthest they'd ever been away from home was sixty miles, like over the border to Indiana. And it's just like I've been literally all over the world, and I'm saying you need to do that. But if you hate your potu ONNK Town, maybe it's time to fire bomb your apartment and just drive.

I feel like you would get in trouble if you fire bombed your apartments.

Yeah, probably would, but it's a nice fantasy.

What is your name again, Mark?

And how should I address you? Mister forever Lyle mister gecko.

You can call me whatever you want. Man, thanks for talking to me about all this stuff. This is all fascinating. It makes me think about I don't know. That's what I really like about doing this show is I feel like I get to learn about so many people's lives and how they deal with whatever the fuck is going on with them. And you know, I appreciate you talking about all this.

Oh yeah, no worries. I appreciate you picking up the phone.

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

Don't trade options kids on your day trading app And the best thing you can do recommended by Warrant Buffett, is a low cost SMP five index, fun have a good day.

Words to live by. Thank you, man, appreciate it.

Bute Hi hi, Hi?

Who is this?

My name's Rain.

What's going on right? How you doing? You know?

I'm I'm all right. I just found out that I didn't get a job that I really wanted, So I'm a little bummed.

What was the job?

A dog trainer?

A dog trainer?

Yeah?

What were you trying to train the dogs to do?

All kinds of things? But yeah, most basic obedience and stuff like that.

Okay, is it is it wrong to train dogs?

Like?

Should we just let them misbehave because it's in their nature? You know?

It's actually not so dogs love to work.

M hmm.

Yeah. So dogs love to work, and so if you give them like purpose, it kind of helps them to to grow more pinality and kind of share more of a bond with her own nurse. So it actually helps a lot.

I feel like by the way I I, I, you know, I appreciate it sounds as though what you're saying comes from like an educated place, But anecdotally, anecdotally, I have a dog that's my parents' dog, is not my dog, but and that dog does not like to work. That dog likes to sit and do absolutely nothing as much as she possibly can. Would she would she be happier if she worked? Probably? Yeah, I mean I, I, you know, I spend lots of time sitting around doing absolutely nothing.

That's what they say, is like doing things like walking and stuff helps with like your mental health and stuff. But I don't personally do it myself. I myself is just a little bit lazy.

You know, so you did Why are you so you're upset that you didn't get this job? How many different door It sounds like dogs are like your thing. How many different dog jobs did you apply for?

I've applied for quite a few. So I currently work at a big chain store as a trainer. But it's kind of the worst job I've ever ever experienced, not the job that I do. I love training and I love teaching people and helping them with their dogs. But I definitely have applied for many, many positions for training at like like big like board and train places that are a little bit more professional than I would say a pet smart is okay?

In what way is not to put pets smart on blast?

Well?

What way are they unprofessional?

Managers? The managers they're they're not very they like to pick on everyone, and they kind of are just not very good people. And I've been a manager before, so, like, like, I was a retail manager beforehand, and I've done all kinds of things. Honestly, I was a stripper at one point. But you know, so I have definitely met better managers in my days, and these managers are just there, almost evil.

I would say, what evil? You say, what like, well, okay, how do you feel like they're evil?

Well, my one box.

She just seems to find every little thing and point it out, but in the worst way possible. So she'll make you feel like you are worthless when she's got you. And it's just not you know, I was a manager before, and the way you handle talking to people, not making them feel like they're the worst thing in the world, sounds like you did.

I just hear a dog bark.

Yeah, I've got four of them.

That sounds that sounds if you If you told me you had four dogs, I'd hire you for any kind of dog training thing. I feel like that's objective evidence that you know how to take care of dogs. Okay, why do you you know? You know?

You know?

Why do you Why do you think this person fucking is so evil to you?

Honestly, I think she's unhappy. Yeah, she's overall unhappy in her daily life, and I think that it's something that she just doesn't know how to help herself with. And I think that the way she handles it is just by tin picking people who she just doesn't.

Like and I'm very I will say I'm very I stand.

Up for myself. So I will never work in a place where I think that, you know, I I that I can't stand up and say hey, that's not right. So I'm very open and I'll tell her things like, hey, this isn't okay. And because I do that, and because I bring up like issues that she's not handling, because she just wants to let it ride, you know, and just kind of ignore it. Because I bring up the issues that she kind of dusts under the rugs. I don't think she is very happy about that, and so

Got to ride up for being over all.

Right.

So she's unhappy, so she starts, you know, taking it out on another folks. Uh, And you're then that makes you unhappy, so you're like, oh am, I gonna put up with this shit. So you tell her that she's doing so she's sucking up, and that just pisses her off, so she starts to do more things that you are not exactly Uh huh are you still at this job?

I am? Yeah. I love the people I teach and the classes that I do. So like, I go in and I really try to focus on the pet parents and the dogs who come in to see me and specifically me, which is why it's so hard to leave, because I still have classes that are going on right now, you know. So it's like one of those things really difficult to just pick up and leave all your people who you're kind of teaching and helping. You know, these people have dogs who are aggressive or you know, jumpers,

You know, what's your name again, Rain? Just like the rain, Rain, Rain, Look, I look up. I could tell you this. It sounds as though you, I mean, clearly you have a passion for dogs, and look, I feel like even if you didn't get this one job, I think that passion for dogs will lend you into something. I mean there's at least Look, there is at least ten thousand dogs, so there's probably at least how many dogs. How many work with me here? How many dog jobs do you think

In the world, There's got to be a good amount compared to the dogs I feel okay around the world. I feel like it's hard to some pop impoverished places or places like Korea or places where they sell dog meat and stuff like that, Like it's really hard.

So and and and I assume, and I assume when you say that you want to do a job with dogs, selling dog meat.

Is not Yeah, it's hard to one of those.

Okay, all right, so not so we're not including those dog jobs. Technically those are technically those are dog jobs. They're not the ideal ones under but undeniably they are. They are dog they are jobs working with dogs.

Anyway, very true.

I would a good amount compared to the amount.

Of dogs that there are.

You know this bets. There's trainers, there's dog fitters, there's groomers.

Mhm. So I mean, listen, I'm sure you'll I am I am uh I guess just from talking to you, I I'm pretty confident you'll be able to find uh a job that involves dogs that doesn't involve you know, killing them and selling them. Yeah, and involves the opposite, In fact, involves the opposite taken care of them so that they do not die. So I think you'll be okay, but I don't know. Thank you I needed okay.

Good good good supporting me too.

And he's kind of cave and helped me when I got home and was feeling down.

That's nice. What does he also does? He does he also do dog stuff?

No, he's a district manager.

Okay, cool, Well listen, Rain, is there anything else that you would like to say to the people the computer before we go?

Honestly, thank you so much for answering this is I've called thousands of times. I must have the last time you were on stream, I called at least four hundred times. So thank you for answering. Adopt and you know, love dogs, love all animals and give them a shot and go to your local shelter and you can help someone out. And don't forget about the senior dogs.

They need love to.

Thank you for calling Ray.

Thank you.

Oh sorry, you know I hate the I don't like the tiny. I don't like tiny dogs. I don't like the little ones. I don't those are those even dogs? At that point? Like, I don't like the I hate to be biased against, you know. I hate the little ones with the with the crap in their eyes, with like the little white ones. I mean, they can exist, but I don't. I don't like them. I don't like them so much. I wouldn't even eat one.

All right, let's move on all from.

Hello, Hey, Lyle, what's up? How you doing? Man? What's going on?

Nothing much? I'm just sitting on the couch watching my wife play Anni Walk Cross.

Do you sound like you just did a whip it right now?

I did not, I promise.

Have we ever talked before.

One time, long long ago and you were getting raided and I was telling you the story about one of my shitty neighbors and you're very tired.

Oh well, I'm not tired right now. I'm full of energy and ready to accept whatever it is you have called in to tell me.

Nice.

I uh, I don't have anything to tell me you.

No, I do. I do. I have a pretty stressful job. Oh yeah, my wife's pregnant. I have a twenty one month old baby, and I don't get a lot of time to around and do stupid stuff like I used to.

What kind of stupid stuff did you used to do?

I go out in miller woods, gone in the middle of nowhere for like ten hours or so, just wake up super early, get really far out there and just have nothing around or things like that.

Okay, let's see, you have a wife and children, and unfortunately your wife and children have impeded your ability to go out deep into the woods alone for ten hours and fall asleep with nothing.

Yeah.

No, but it's okay, it's good. But I found something new.

Did you bring a did you bring a sleeping bag or was just just you?

I would have a firearm and a GPS tool in the backpack with some goodies. I wouldn't sleep, I just go walk around.

Hmmm. I mean, have you ever do you know what camping is?

I do know what camping is.

Yes, okay. Some people take their families camping, which is a version of what you did.

I could do it, but I try to take a pregnant person camping would seem like they wouldn't enjoy it much. They're constant discomfort.

H Okay, So you have a twenty one. How old are you?

I'm thirty three.

Nice? Okay, you're like you're you see, you seem like a healthy, normal adult man. You kind of seem like the guy that would pop up if I googled man and went to Google images.

Maybe. I guess it depends.

Do you consider yourself a healthy adult man?

Mm? Well, I guess so. Yeah, I'm pretty. My job is stressful, and I just I don't sleep much and that's I guess that's all normal stuff.

So yeah, well, what do you do for work?

I am a veterinarian.

You're a veterinarian, so you dude, you're yeah, you know, I wouldn't sleep too if my job was to kill dogs all day. That's your job, right, is to kill dogs all day?

And that is a part of it.

Tell me, honestly, how many Okay, guys, I know the whole idea of a veteran is if you're you're supposed to save dogs, right true, on a daily basis, how many dogs do you kill? And how many dogs do you say?

I guess kill would be zero to four?

Okay, Dave, I.

I guess defined save like that something's dying and then stop it from dying. Yes, I did that today. That was fun.

Okay, do you kill any dogs today?

I did?

How many dogs do you kill?

One?

So you really didn't do anything today?

Zero zero?

Does it work like that in your brain? Like at the end of a day, do for every dog you saved? Does that negate a dog that you kill or are those like two just separate things in your brain?

Oh, you gotta put points upon the scoreboard. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I don't even see it as killing something. It's like this thing is suffering so immensely. It's like a mercy.

That's hardcore, you know what. That's what Thanos thought too when he was snapping people away.

Oh my god. I explained the plot line of Banos to my dad one time and he said, oh, that makes.

Sense, Bro, That's the thing. I feel like. That's how half the people who see that movie come out they kind.

Of getting, Yeah, that would work.

I'm not gonna say I don't get what Thanos was going for. I don't think it was a good I don't think in practice it was a good idea. But you know, I get what he was going for.

The series is good. It sounds.

Okay, so I mean, yeah, dude, you kill dogs for a living, you're gonna be stressed out in that sleep.

But my wife on Easter bought our baby this bubble set and it makes these fucking gigantic bubbles and it has inspired something in me. And now if I'm not making bubbles, I'm spending at least two hours a day thinking about making bubbles.

What do you like so much about the bubbles?

The bubbles they're huge first off, and then when you're making them with like the two sticks and a stream, you get a look inside of them and they're like a morphous and they got this kind of they're kind of alive window outside and they wabble around and they get really long, and they snap into these little, not little, the gigantic circles and they're just kind of floating around. Then it is it is so fun to see. It's like relaxing.

Mm hm, you've you've regressed into a childlike state of wonder.

Dude. I researched making my own bubble solutions to make bigger bubbles that last longer.

That's awesome.

What did you find glycerin? It's like a plant based hand moisturizing thing. I bought like a gallon of it on Amazon. I mix it with normal bubble solutions. You can put corn stars in there, you let it sit overnight. Then you have a park next to my house and there's a big grass field with a hill next to it, and I stand on top of that hill and I just launch these gigantic bubbles out into the ether.

That's kind of awesome. It sounds you sound like you have a good life.

Yeah I do. I think.

Yeah, you kill dogs and have a baby and low bubbles. That sounds true. It sounds like you again. You seem like a normal, healthy adult male me at least in my eyes. Man, at least to my eyes, I don't. I'm not hearing anything dire from you. And I'm not saying that to minimize the issues. I'm saying that, no, hopefully make you see the same thing.

Yeah, one hundred percent. I want to take my bubble wand and everything, and I want to sit outside of a music festival and just make these gigantic bubbles for people who are tripping and just watch the enjoyment on their face. And that's my dream right now.

That sounds awesome, man. I like that. You ever take it to a music festival.

Yeah, like.

You what on your wife?

I was making fun of her because I was like, oh Jesus did he he was born today?

I came alive.

She's like born Catholic, but she's like not really religious. So she tries to do these religious holidays for our kid, and I make fun of it. And then I spent the entire god En Day playing with her Easter bubble.

That's awesome, man. Do you do you blow I know you have like a little baby. Do you ever blow bubbles at him?

Oh? Yeah, she she like, uh, will grab the sticks out of my hands and she'll make bubbles too, And that's a lot of fun to see.

Oh that's great, man, that's cool. What do you call your new you get? That's the cool thing about inventing stuff. You get to name it. What have you called your new bubble solution?

Oh my god, I haven't. I call it bubble juice, Actually bubble juice, but that's not that's more of just a descriptor of anything.

Dude. What if you injected that ship into a dog and it saved the dog?

Oh I highly doubt that, dude.

What if you injected it into a dog and it make it would like make dogs float.

Like Willy Wonka and the Juice.

And yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and then I scream at the dog for stealing it from me.

Yeah. Man, look, I know that you missed going on ten hour walks in the woods, but just from an outsider looking in, I think your life has improved since then.

You're probably right. You know what they don't tell you about having a kid? Tell me this constant guilt that I feel like I could be doing so much more.

Sounds like you're doing a lot. Man, What do you think more you could be doing?

I'm not sure. I don't know. I work four days a week, I hang out with her one day week and on the weekend my parents take care of her. Else The rest of the time my wife is working. I feel like there's always stuff more to do.

I don't know, well, like like what like because you know, look, man, if you can't think of anything, don't drive yourself crazy over it. What else do you want to do?

Like if I have to if I have to do something on our weekday hang out day, and I have to take her to my parents' house, it's time that I should be spending with her. But I'm is he doing something else? If I want to do something fun and my wife watches her for a bit and I go do something, or my parents watch her for a bit, I feel like, you know, there's always like a piece of It's like, uh, you suck? Oh?

Is this you want to do more for yourself?

No?

No, no more for the baby or for the baby?

Ye?

Well, here's the thing. I think you have a long why I'm in This baby's only twenty one months old? Isn't it exciting? You won't be able to say you can just start using years soon? You want have to do the month's thing. I never understood the months thing anyway, you have? This baby's only fucking too a you got you got.

Uh.

Several several more are years to make contribution. And the other one isn't even born yet, So sure you haven't even you haven't even had Like, you're beating yourself up. Hold on office sneeze. Yeah, you're beating yourself up. You're beating yourself up over a ship that you haven't even had the opportunity to do yet. You're beating yourself up for not contributing enough to the life of a baby that has not even been born. Yet, give yourself creak. You know.

It'sn't even beating myself up. It's just like a little nag, like like a like a like a little ringing, and you think about it sometimes and then you bloil bubbles and everything floats away.

Some people, I don't know if this has happened in your office. Some people they have a baby and then they just abandon it on the door of a vet's office and oh my god, I have the vet take in the baby. Some people just abandon their children in dumpsters and never speak to them again. I want you to make that. I want you to go ahead and make that. You're new, you make that your baseline. Right.

I haven't abandoned her.

You have not abandoned You did not throw your baby in the garbage. Oh god, that's your baseline, dude, Right.

There is something else that happens when you have a baby. Tell me as for everybody, your o CD comes out like I have this OCD. I used to have it when I was a kid. We're all knock on wood constantly. If I have I have like intrusive thoughts. Fucking christ, dude. The first two months she was born, I feel like I had blisters on my knuckles just from knocking wood. Knocking wood, intest of thoughts, there's a life on the counter. What if it tumbles off the counter, impales her? What

It's like, oh my god, oh yeah, oh yeah, I know right, because it's like when you're when you're just when you're just.

A guy, it's like all you got to worry about is yourself and any and like all the bad things that could possibly happen to you. And then you fall in love, you get married, You're like, all right, now is me and all the bad things that could possibly happen to my wife and two kids. And it's like, oh man, here's all the bad things that can happen to two of my kids and my wife and me. I mean, it's crazy. I feel like everything I just

Fully, when you remind yourself it doesn't matter. You're like, if I stumble upon a cougar out in these woods, I'm just gonna deal with it, and whatever happens happens. And now it's like I don't want to go there.

Well, I think you're a great dad. You're making fucking bubble solution for your children. Man, give yourself a break. Okay, you're a good guy. You're a good dad. You didn't abandon your children. You care about whether or out they're impaled by knives. Oh you're doing good man.

Thanks dude, you're doing good too. I saw you in San Diego. That's pretty fun. Oh you did, Yeah, we're good.

Well, yeah did we meet that you? Did you do the meet and greet line thing?

I didn't do the meet and greet line. I had to get outtle afterwards.

Damn. I'm glad you guys. I finally talked to you.

Yeah.

That's a fun shot. It's cool and I had a good time. That club is awesome. Shout out, Mike dropped comedy.

Do you feel I've been meaning to ask you this too? Do you feel that the people who are willing to step on stage versus the people who are willing to call in anonymously are vastly different human beings?

I have gotten what I believe I have gotten very lucky in doing these live shows that the people who come on stage, they're like, like almost every time the people that come on stage. They're not just like, you know whatever, looking for attention or or being like, oh I'm on the show. Hey is it. They're like be like,

Yeah.

I don't know if it answers your question.

But they really open up.

What is your name again?

Well that's my that's my fake name, mouse.

Yeah.

In my cat he died a name name of mouse Trap.

Oh well, Mouse, it's good talking to you, man. I hope one of these days, I hope you realize that you're a good dad. You've been putting in a lot of work, and I hope you reward yourself with one of your weird ten hour walks with a gun.

Yeah, that would be good. Maybe that'd be fun.

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

No, I am satisfied. I'm happy, have fun. Everybody out there, be safe.

Hey, you take care of mouse? Thank you?

Man, bet everybody? Oh, Lyle, Hi?

Who is this?

This is Gwen?

What's up? Gwen?

Oh?

Fine?

Wow, this is really the first time I've tried to call in. That's crazy.

Green What Gwen? What year were you born? Two thousand and three? How old does that make you? Twenty twenty years old? Okay, what's going on, Gwen?

Okay, I beginning of last year started to have a conniption where I started to for the first time, starts randomly having moments where I feel like I'm not on the right path and it's sucking me up.

Okay, last year, you had a caniption, like you had a medical is is a conniption a medical term?

You had?

You had like your brain went weird.

That's what a conniption is, right medically.

But yes, okay, so your brain went weird and you feel like you're not on the right path?

Correct?

Oh what tell me? What path are you on?

Okay?

I'm taking the the typical route, going to college and then I'm getting a job.

Okay, Like.

I'm studying journalism currently and it's I'm always have wanted to be a journalist, but now that I'm here, I'm a I'm a sophomore. When I was afraid, was so passionate about it, and beginning of last semester, I think I started to uh, like more chat more obstacles were at it, Like I wasn't just doing school, like like I have an actual job. I had a new relationship, and I'm like trying to balance all of those with

In a way then inspired the connection you just trying to live a balanced life inspired a conniption.

It did, But Bru said before, I wasn't balancing so many things, and then it was just like it was just chaos. Yeah, I'm doing much this semester, but unpacking last semester is troublesome.

Love well, life's are fucking I mean, it's crazy how many things you're a parent. I don't I don't know how to be a normal human being because I don't like my apartment has fucking dust bunnies on it and ship but like the checklist of a normal of of what the societal normal human being is, right whatever, Educated with a job and a relationship and you know, laundry done and friends and you know, reads the news whatever it like like completing everything on the uh supposed societal

Yeah? So currently I feel like I need to have some kind of like I need to start doing internships and stuff. Okay, for my major, in order to have like a job after college, I need internships. But in order to get internships, they want me to have previous experience. And I feel like it's just this never ending cycle of like.

Like fuck, what what tell me?

What do you?

What is like? Do you have an ultimate goal for? Like what do you want you? Okay, I said you were into journalism. Are you still into journalism?

I am still into journalism. I got a little radio show I write for like school newspaper, and it's really and I enjoy it. But I definitely don't write for the newspaper as often because it's such a it feels like such a task. But I mean writing is an all journalism't it?

Okay? So do you what is it? What do you ultimately like want to do? You have like a career in mind that you would like to pursue or like a dream?

Yeah, I think I I definitely want to do something involving like media, like media and analysis for her analysts and working with social medias of people's companies. Like I think that's what I want to do.

A media What does a media anal? What does a media analyst do?

They like analyze how how companies are properly using our social media to people more business.

I thought, for too for a second, I thought you were going to say they analyzed media, and I was going to go, you know what, that makes a lot of sense. I I don't. I try not to give advice because but this I feel like I have. I feel like I have good advice for this lane. So I will advise. I will advise. I Actually I'm gonna I'm about to make your life worse because I'm gonna tell you to do things and and you the whole crux of this call was that you were doing too

I am not going into debt to go to school, which I am so grateful for.

Okay, wonderful, All right, okay, cool, So that's good. Here's my thing is intern You know, internships are great. I worked a lot of internships in the in the film and media arts universe. But if you want to be a social media analyst and like help companies run their social media, why don't you like just start a business doing that. You can start doing that, you know you can. I mean, you can just start doing that right now.

I like, not huge, but I enjoy.

TikTok okay, because you could go on TikTok right now and just start making you know, I mean, I find an interesting way to do it because the's a lot of people that do this stuff, but you know, talk about trends or just use your expertise to make videos and then go to every dentist's office in your local municipality and be like, hey, you want me to be your social media manager for so you can get more teeth money. I mean, you can just do that right now.

Right.

It's gonna make the problems that here's what I'm gonna tell you if you take that route, which I think you should.

Okay, I like build a brand like Yeah.

It's gonna make the problems that we were talking about earlier about about one hundred thousand times worse. And and actually now I'm thinking about now, I'm thinking about nothing. Now I'm thinking about it. No, I'm thinking about it because it will make the problems you were just talking about one hundred thousand thimes worse. It might not be the best lifestyle fit for you to like run your

I like what you're saying. I feel like you're I'm because I'm also thinking about how I like the idea, like it's not I want like I think I'm finally starting to manage having this balanced life, like for the first time, sure, throwing new things.

In the mix.

All right, good, I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, you're you could be a market dude.

You know.

Look you sooner or later you're gonna be up there with fucking Gary Vee and Tony Robbins yelling at people about how they're not making enough YouTube shorts and those people people will you know, they'll give you money.

Yeah, there's also the worry in being a shitty journalist. But I know I'm not going to be a shitty journalist.

But what do you mean a shitty What do you mean a shitty journalist?

Like people who for like I don't know, creating maybe fake news or like what do you.

What do you?

What do you?

What do you talk? What are you talking? Where's that coming from? I don't know, Because here's another thing. If you wanted to write, like you could start a you know, well, I guess now there's like medium or I'm just saying everything. I just want you to know because in like the

I just take my own path, yes.

But I also want you I also we should be aware of the fact, just because you know you wanted to talk about balance, that the guy who made that one hour YouTube video about the Nickelodeon hotel almost certainly destroyed his life in the process. He almost certainly several times neglected his wife and children to you know, because he was getting emails from somebody who had found lost

Right.

What was this conversation helpful to you at all?

While it was helpful to me. I at you as we're talking because it's trusting me out.

But Gwen, is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go.

Just have a great evening and hope everyone is feeling good and doing well.

Have a good night, Gwen, Thank you, thank you. I was I was trying to make a point when I was talked about he got an email about lost decals on a It felt clunky, though, but you guys understood what I was trying to say. Sometimes I'm clunky. Sometimes I suck. I don't know why I'm being hard on myself. I hope Gwen does the thing I don't. I don't know. I get heated. Let this. I'm sure I've talked about

Everything goes on the line, taking your phone calls every nine.

Everything goes to teach them line

Lady an expert