Hey, folks, it's Lyle here. I just wanted to ask you guys, because there's no comments section on podcast apps and I don't really get a lot of feedback on this, but I was wondering, do you guys like that this podcast has background music? Or should I stop having that?
Or should I change the music because I've realized that maybe it's weird to have some of the more serious calls going while there's cute jazz in the background, But I don't know so anyway, if you have any thoughts on the background music, or if you have any thoughts on anything at all about this podcast, I would love to hear them. Please email your feedback to me at Lyle Forever and Ever at gmail dot com. That's Lyle Forever and Ever at gmail dot com. Lyle l y L E Forever, f O R E V E R
and Ever at gmail dot com. Let me know what to think about stuff. All right, let's get into the episode. Hello, Hello James.
Yes, sir, how are you doing while.
I'm I'm here right now. I'm alive. I have two legs. It's pretty uh, It's all I ever need.
The getos have two legs or four legs? There's a two hine on it.
So, James, what is it that you wanted to talk about today?
So when I was two, on my second birthday, I was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, And basically I was with my uncle, and my uncle and I had a very We had a very close relationship. He was like my father kind of guy. He raised me. I mean for two years, I guess, but he was kind of a father figure that I hadn't growing up there. And on my second day, we would have these corner stories, like these bodega types of places in Iraq and in the neighborhood that I lived in. He took me out to
grab go get a present. He went go get some candy or some toys or something for my birthday. On the way there, a humby drove in front of us, stopped right in front of us, and about four men hopped out and they shot my uncle in the head point blank as he was holding me and killed them and I dropped you a floor and they moved kidnapping me and then they had me for about nine days. And so about the third day they got a hold my parents and they were like, hey, you got your kid.
You want your kid back, you need fifty thousand dollars, and that converted like from whatever currency like be not it's converted to dollars. So they wanted like thousand dollars and he they basically said that they gave their ransom and then they hung up on the phone. They didn't let my parents beat They said nothing. So my parents started panicking because we weren't wealthy. We barely had enough money to survive. And they kind of started panicking because
weasive fifty thousand dollars in my life. And so with the help of extended family and family and the neighborhood in the community that I that they grew up in, they were able to gather around twenty five thousand dollars and about on the eighth day. I believe it's what my mom told me. They got a hold of them, they got the kidnappers called again and they were like, Hey, here's the details for the exchange. We're gonna you're gonna
meet up with this location. You can only bring one person, one person in the money, if anybody else, if a single other soul shows up with them, then the deal's off. And and whoever shows up is going to die and your kid's going to die, and that was kind of it.
That was literally all they told them. And then so the person that ended up going with my father and my father went to this it was like, I guess secluded area that doesn't doesn't He doesn't like talking about it much, so I can't really talk to him about it. But we went to this area and he ended up meeting this like, there's a seventeen year old kid there.
So the story with a seventeen year old kid is that, yeah, the story with the seventeen year old kid is that this seventeen year old kid was also kidnapped, but his thing is is that he was kidnapped solely for this exchange. Basically what they had told this kid and thisally what the kid had told my father.
So he was kidnapped to work for the kidnappers on this other kidnapping exactly.
So it's like it's a fuck fest.
Of just kidnapping, total fuck fast.
And so basically what the kidnappers had told this kid was like, they're going to be up with this with with this guy for the money, which is my father, and if you don't get us the money, we're going to kill you, we're going to kill the kid, and we're going to kill your entire family. That was it. And back then there's not a lot of this was This was two thousand and five, so it's it's a little it's a little bit after the war, so it's
still the country is not in the great state. There's not a lot of like anybody can do whatever the fuck they want, basically, right, And it was like, no.
Yeah, you know, one thing I was wondering is like, it doesn't I mean, it doesn't sound like your parents had much resources in terms of, like, you know, when you were kidnapped for ransom, like they it didn't sound like they could call the police or call any other third party to help them out. It sounded like they're only options were to just get the money.
Yeah, And so basically the kid ended up meeting up with my dad and my dad before, prior to getting all this knowledge that I just told you, my dad had thought that the kid was part of the kidnappers. So as soon as he showed up, the kid and him like started fighting like basically like scrabbing in the middle of the fucking like wherever they were. And then the kid was like hold on, hold on, and then he proceeded to tell him everything that I just told you,
and then so they got up. They kept the talks for a little bit. Then my dad gave them money. And then before you get the money, he's like, wait, where's my kid? Because remember I told you this was an exchange.
Yeah, So.
As he was like before, he's like, wait, where's my kid? This wasn't exchange. He's like, they told me to tell you that your kid's going to be released once I get this money. If I don't get them one and your kid's not released, and basically I'm going to die and my family's going to die and your kid's gonna die. And so my dad was like, I guess I can't There's not much I can do. I have to trust this, Like there's there's really you can't play a game here
with with with the lives that are risks. So my dad the kids of money. The kid ended up going back and I guess giving them the money. And basically what was what happened is that in Iraq there's these banks. There's just the rivers and then there's banks of the rivers, and the banks of the rivers is where people would throw their like trash bags at or their trash and then at a certain day, people, some people like workers
would come in new clean. This kid's body, the kid that was kidnapped with the exchange, this kid's body was found on the river of the bank.
With holy ship. The kid that your dad met up with, yes, then.
Was found in my kid my uncle was found in a hospital dead mm hmmm, with a bullet in his head, just dead on then on arrival. And I was found but asked naked at the age of two, outside of an abandoned carnival what three in the morning on the ninth.
Day and who who? So so okay, so hold on, so so the seventeen year old kid that met up with your dad was killed, but you so did the did was it? The kidnappers made good on their promise and they did release you or how were you found exactly?
Yes, So thankfully they had an ounce of empathy and they had they released me and because because again I was two, right, So there's I mean, there's not really unless you're gonna fucking raise me to be this fucking like super weapon of a terrorist or whatever, like, there's not really much in keeping a two year old, like you have to take care of it, and you have to unless they could have killed me obviously, but I don't know.
Yeah, that didn't sound like something that was past them.
Yeah, And I guess it was the age because they didn't have a problem killing the seventeen eighteen year old kids.
So you were found so who? Well, okay, so so you were found outside of a carnival.
You say, I was found on the door. So there's this like carnival ground basically, and there's this abandoned carnival that has like the abandoned ferris wheel and everything, and the gates who were closed, and I was found literally right in front of the gates.
Who found you?
And my dad and.
His brothers how did they know to go to this carnival.
Because they all they told them was that your kid had been been released. So everybody in my family and extended family just took cars and they started driving around the area.
And it was a small was it a small area?
It wasn't necessarily a small area, but it was. It was kind of like looking areas where you wouldn't think anything would be there, right, looking areas where a lot of people wouldn't be there. Because if if I was I guess, if I was dropped off in an area with a lot of people, then people would see this a person dropping off a random kid at a populated area. So I don't know.
So your father eventually did find you.
And then we ended up we ended up moving to Syria actually from there, which back down Syria was recently a little bit better. But we moved to Syria, and my dad was a he's a co mechanic. He's been a co mechanic all his life. But in Syria you can't really be a co mechanic because people tend to put bombs under cars like I D type things and
have them explode. So my dad opened up his own cell phone shop and he was fixing phones, selling simcards, selling phones, type that type of business, right, And this is this is kind of like I guess, this is where the story gets crazy. The story he's been kind of fucking and that's already. But my dad's a very punctual man. My dad is rarely irrelated to anything. One day, my dad literally sat down to have breakfast with my
mom and I. This was in Cereal. When this caused my dad to be late to work, I should not, dude, I swear to God, hand on the fucking karan because I'm muscled by the way.
But that was not.
He When he was late, somebody had to knuck into his shop and placed the bomb in his trash can, and the bomb had been time to go off while he was in the shop since he was late to go to work. The bomb went off when he was not in there, and it exploded the shop. It went up and fucking flipped, and unfortunately there was like a six year old kid in front of the shop that had like lost the lower half of his leg and
he was taken care of. But then at that point we were like, we gotta get the fuck out of the Middle East.
Yeah, that's what I was saying in my head. I was like, you guys gotta get the fuck out of there.
Yeah, right, So I mean after kind of fuck around and find out twice, you gotta get the fuck out. And yeah, sure he got out of the Middle East.
And so okay, so can I ask you this? And you know, actually, I'll I guess I'll let you keep talking because I might just be asking you a question that you're gonna answer anyway. But like, what was preventing you from leaving or was it just like, I mean, it's your home and you wanted to stay, but things got too dangerous for you to stay.
Yeah, and mostly it was yeah, and mostly it was family I have. We have no my family currently here in America. We don't have any family around us. All of the rest of my family is in still living in Iraq, so we have no extent of family here. So the reason we were moving to Syria is because
it was farther. It was far enough to where we were out of the danger zone as we thought on, but it was close enough where you would be able to take a four hour bus ride or five hour bus ride and go to Iraq and see your family. But obviously it got too dangerous, so we kind of had to get up and go, and we came to America in June of two thousand and eight, I believe,
and I've been living here ever since. And my now my dad has his own dealership and shop, and I've been blessed and I've been lucky to go to school and get my high school diploma, and now I'm going to college. Well I actually dropped out of college, but now I'm transferring to another college and so.
How well, so how old were you when you went to the US.
Two thousand and eight? I would have been around five.
Okay? Where where was it was? It was it difficult for your family to go from the US to there? I mean fun? Sorry? Was it difficult for your family to go to the US for the Middle East?
I believe. I believe so because it was a little bit right after the war. So it was kind of still like like tensris, like if we had like obviously they saw it like when we were applying the things, you'd be like, oh, you have an Iraqi passport. The chances of you really doing anything with an Iraqi passport was kind of slim, the fucking nuns. But we got lucky.
We went. We we actually ended up coming to America through It's like a I don't like, I don't know the exact details, and I don't want to give you false information. But it was like this church organization that took us in as refugee and the general America and we lived in their home for about a month.
Where where was where was? Where was their home again?
Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania? Okay, Yeah, And.
I've been I've been in Pennsylvania, Mina my entire life.
Of living in And so then did you end up going did you? Did you finally like like did you enroll in like uh, elementary school, middle school and kind of live a normal American life from there.
I never I never went to school in Iraq or Syria. I tried it, and my pent my mom was just too anxious. She didn't really let me do anything. Actually, here's the fun thing. I went back to Iraq in the second grade to visit, and I was not allowed outside. I could not go outside. I was literally not allowed a fucking footstep outside. The most I could go was to the courtyards, and that's because the courtyards was sealed by a metal cage, like a metal.
F not not allowed by by by your mother.
Yes, And the only time I was allowed outside is if I was with if we were going into a car and we were going.
Why why did uh why did you go back to visit if it was still very dangerous? Just curious?
It wasn't. It wasn't dangerous, that's the thing. It wasn't still dangerous. It was it was just paranoia. Got mm hmm, Like like what would happen if we did it again. Basically the reason I guess we get through the reason of this. Obviously, it's a crazy story, and I've been through a lot, and my family has been through a lot, and it kind of shaped me into who I am today, because there's like, how I look at it is I've been given a second chance of life. Because why did
that bullet hit my uncle and not hit me? Why was it the seventeen year old kid that died and not me? Right, there's just see so many things that went right in my favor but wrong in other people's favor that I'm still standing here today and then I'm able to speak on the phone with you. Right, So, am I a bad person? If I were to use this story in my college as a college essay or
as scholarships and milk they shit out of it. Not milk it, but use it and use it repetitively to my advantage to get to win scholarships and to win money and to.
Yes, it says here that your your well, it says here that your your primary dilemma is you're wondering if you're a bad person. If you milk your if you quote milk your story to get scholarship money for.
College exactly, like like scholarship money, and okay.
Because I let me, let me, let me, let me, let me, I have thought I have a bunch of stuff. First of all, you said that you went to school and you dropped out. What happened to that?
Some ran into a couple issues that my living situation was kind of I was going to college for free. I had free tuition to to this university. I don't want to say the university because then it's weird and I don't have you had. Yeah, and basically all I had to pay for was room and board. But my girlfriend at the time had lived ten minutes away and her parents had offered me to stay in her house or in their healing and treat me as a child and feed me as long as I got got good grades.
And I was like, cool, fuck it, that sounds like a great deal. I move in. First month of college goes by. We're doing handy dandy. Keep in mind, even in this relationship for four years. Second month of college, Hey, Robbie, this isn't necessarily working out, and I think we should break up. And basically I was like, oh, okay, I guess i'llill fuck myself. And I had to drop out because the commute was too far. The dorms were shit like literally no ac no okay, so.
You couldn't okay, so you couldn't find a a suitable living situation. So you dropped out.
Exactly and the community was like two hours and with the prices for gas and I wasn't forward, So.
Okay, okay, And so what did you do after? What do you what did you do right after you dropped out? Did you start working?
Yeah? I had a job at Apple. I was working at Apple as a specialist.
And I also I like Apple Apple or like the Apple store.
No Apple store. I was working inside of an Apple store.
No, not okay, okay, because it's about to say, if you are already working an Apple, I don't know what the heck you need a school for. But okay, so now you are working at the Apple store, you are trying to go back to college, not any situation. Okay, you're not anymore? What are you doing now? Just hanging out?
I work at this well, I just about a week and a half ago, two weeks I started working at this UH sports facility, like one of the biggest sports facilities in America, it's called Spooky Nook, and so I work there.
Now It's like okay, so so, so you are now trying to go back to school in a situation that is a more standard but you have your control over that's not linked to a romantic relationship, which is a messy, bad thing, and you're trying to do it again.
What are you trying to go to traditional right? Go to the traditional route, dorm, dining hall?
What are you trying to go to school for.
Computer science?
Computer science? Beautiful? What do you want to do with your life at this very moment, right now?
Or you talk in future?
Yeah, I mean the future. I don't not neither of us know what you are going to want to do in the future. But what do you want to do right now?
Right now?
I just want to I just want to be happy. I guess to put it to I want to do things how I want to do. I spent the last four years in that relationship and and I kind of did everything with them to to to to keep that relationship and say this, and now I want to do things for myself. I want to go to whatever college I want to go to, even if that's across the fucking country. I want to I want to do things
for myself. I want to be who I am, like who I know I am, and do what I like doing, be around the people, make new friends, and be around people that I enjoy being around.
M So, so okay, So back to your your central dilemma. Am I a bad person if I milk the story? First of all, I mean, no, no, you're not. Second of all, why would you in your in your mind? I want to get into your mind and your perspective about this. Why would you feel like you're a bad person for telling the story in an attempt to get money to go to college. Why do you believe that would make you a bad person?
Because I don't because sometimes when I tell people it, they I get this vibe that they think that I'm trying to use it as an excuse, like I was kidnapped so I deserve this, or my uncle died so I deserve this. But that's not how it is. It's just it's that story has allowed and like like I said, it's kind of given me a different perspective on life to where it is. But people don't get that perspective.
People think that I'm doing it for money or this or that, but I'm just doing it because it's genuinely there was, genuinely a life changing experience, sing who I am today.
Well, let's look at a couple of things. First of all, I assume I don't know your family right now. I assume you guys are not working with a lot of money.
Well we yes, I mean the combined income between my parents and like filling out that type information staff but like, yeah, we're probably combined. It's under like under you.
Don't you don't have to give me your number, but it's it's yeah, your you you you know, Okay. Because what I'm trying to get at here is, let's think for a second, what is the why do these scholarships exist. They exist to try to give opportunities to people who were we were born in situations, who came from situations that were not ideal, and these scholarships exist as a way to to give opportunities two people. I'm repeating a
thing that I said. I'm repeating it to my I'll say it again, to give opportunities to people who came from situations that were not ideal. You, my friend, have proven over the course of this call, with that story that you came from a situation that was not particularly ideal, being in Syria, with your dad getting blown up, with your uncle getting killed, with you getting kidnapped, not an ideal situation by any means. And that story proves that,
that story proves that you've been through a lot. And the story proves that you know, with this money that has been allocated by people to be given to folks who again came from non ideal circumstances and are now trying to make something great of their lives, as you are trying to do by going and pursuing a higher education, you are, with this story proving to people that you are indeed deserving of this money. In no way, shape
or form does that make you a bad person. Why would that make you a bad person.
It's just some people just like like and some people like you tell the story and it sounds it's it's it's it's it's like okay, like, but some people are like, how do you remember that? Well, obviously I have parents that tell me and and and and and keep in mind, my mother didn't know I was kidnapped until nine hours later. They hit it from her for nine hours. They told her I was sleeping over.
But James, James, what okay are you? Are you just afraid that people are going to think that? What are you afraid of?
I'm just I don't want to like like like and this is like a personal fucking flaw, I guess, but yeah, I'm I don't want people to think that I'm fucking lying or taking advantage or or or or doing this just to fucking get the money and bullshit this story and that's not what it.
Okay, But James, James, James, you're not lying. This did happen to you?
Now you asked me, yes.
Yes, yes, No, I'm not asking. I'm telling you. No, I know, I don't. I don't know. I fully believe, there's there's no bone in my body believes that you're alying to mar right now, I'm telling you this. I'm stating the facts here. This did happen to you, Okay. I don't think you would lie about this. And you, James, know that this happened to you, okay, right, you don't you believe your parents? You know that this is your story. This is your story. You know it? Correct? Yes, so
this is your story. It happened. You know what happened. You know the truth. That's all that fucking matters who, any other tertiary party, any of your friends, anyone listening to this, any any other party that thinks to your life.
It doesn't matter, James, because you know the truth. You know that you came from an unideal circumstance and you are now trying to as you put in your own words, you were saying, going to college for me is an opportunity because I was kidnapped and I almost fucking died multiple times, and I now have an opportunity to do something really worthwhile with my life. And that's what this fucking scholarship money that's out there is for James. And nobody needs to know that or be assured of that
other than you. So I don't really care what your friends think or what anyone else thinks except for you. And so what I think you gotta do is really internalize the fact that this is your story. This is the truth is that's what happened to you, and you do deserve to be able to go to college, and you do deserve these opportunities, and anyone else's perspective on that really does not matter except I guess the people who are giving you the money.
And yeah, I guess the problem. I guess it comes back to me worrying about other people's things. But like you said, it.
Does, this is coming back to, This is coming back to like this is a classic thing. This is like a universal thing of caring about other people's opinions.
You gotta get over in situations that their opinion doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter. You know, you know what you're telling. You know you're telling the truth. That's all that matters. So other people's opinions that it just doesn't matter, James, So please write your essay. Please tell the story. Tell tell those people in the college admissions, in the scholarship essays, Tell them the story exactly how you told it to us, because I was compelled by it, you know, I mean, this is this is a trait. It's a gnarly fucking story.
You know, it's a gnarly fucking story. That's why you called in with it. It's a gnarly story. And you and and and it's not just a gnarly story, it's there's a thing behind it, which again you explained, which is I really feel strongly. I'll repeat this. I really feel strongly that I was given a second chance in life, and you believe that. You told us that, and I
think you believe it, and I think it's true. You believe strongly that you have were given a second chance in life, and you want to make the most out of that second chance. And that's your truth and that's all that matter. Anyone else's opinion on that doesn't matter. That's your thing. So go forward with that, Let that take you wherever you want it to, and on the way to don't give a fuck what stup anyone thinks about it, because you know it be true.
That feels I'm gonna that that that that feels like from a like like it just feels good to hear, like like I guess I just needed to not sound like a bitch, but I need to reassurance like like it's like like like I and I genuinely do believe like everything that I do in my life, like from when I was able to contextualize and figure out what I wanted to do in my life, I figured out that everything that I do now is a second opportunity to do it, because that's that's how it is it's
I've been given the second opportunity to do whatever I want in my life and to live at how I want to and because I'm choosing how to do it, and even with like even with my I want a major in in computer science. But a majority of that comes from I've done a little bit of coding and stuff, but a majority comes out of that comes from the money. I'm not even gonna lie it comes from the money because I want to be able to to like support my family and my brothers and my sister and my
and my parents. But also I have this. I have this, I have this passion for social work and allowing people because, like I said, when we came here, we came to a church, and I want to be able to give back to the same people that allowed me to be here today and to be able to talk to you. And I didn't do I didn't even know how to speak a word a lick of the English before I came here. The first week that I came here, we date. She handed me this is a truth, so I remember this.
She handed me a doctor pepper for dinner at Dan hitting me at doctor pepper. I cracked it open and I drank it, and it was like the most disgusting thing that had adver tasted, because I never had soda before that, and and I like and I didn't want to be rude, and I also didn't know how to speak English, and so I just down the whole doctor Pepper, and she thought that I enjoyed it so much that
she gave me another one. And I had to look at her, and I didn't know how to be English, and I just shook my head and I stuck my tongue out like like like in a sign of disgust. And I've come from doing that, from using facial expressions to describe how I feel, to be able to write an essay on my life and use it to myself.
Up. Yes, you've you've h James. You've had a beautiful journey in your life, and this journey has inspired and everything you're talking to me about right now. You want to go into social work to help people in the same way that you were helped. You want to go into coding so that you can afford to support your family.
You have altruistic passions and motivations, and I just need you to know, these are these, these are these truths that you have, these motivations you have, you know, you know where they came from, you know where they will guide you. And that's all that matters. And nobody can everyone in the fucking world could believe that that you're not telling the truth. Whatever it is, nobody, nobody can
take it away from you. Not nobody can take that away from you, James, So just keep following that and stop giving a fuck about other people's perspectives on your internal life motivations and your truths. Well, can you do that for me?
Thank you? Thank you? I can. I'm gonna do it, not only do it for you, but I'm gonna do it for myself. How about that.
Please don't do it for me, do it for yourself.
I will. I will. It's just yeah, I don't want to keep you here much longer. But it's uh, it's it's also like there's a like, like a very strong part of me, like I said, give back to my parents because of where we came from, and we literally lived I should not we lived in a box like it was. It was basically a closet. Lived in a closet that had two mattresses on the floor, had a kitchen and I had to hear and that was it. Thank you have you get a door? Thankful for the door.
So the weather got shitty and there's a lotting, but we that was that was a serious by the way, Well.
Well listen, James, is is there you know? Look man, I'm glad. I'm glad that you I hope, and it sounds like we have gotten somewhere in this conversation. I really hope we have because I think that you deserve to feel confident in your truths and not let random fucking people, you know, mess with that confidence because it's
the really powerful thing that you've got. I hope you come away from this conversation really believing that is there any other aspect of of this or of your story, or of your future or anything that you kind of feel like we didn't cover before before we do that. I don't know.
I think I think it's for like not too.
I don't know.
I don't want to sound too but I think it gives a It gives a perspective onto of people. There's a lot of people that are that are like me, not like that they've kidnapped, they that they've come from
from from kind of nothing. The work worked, their family has worked, and they've worked so hard to achieve and and and they kind of they kind of get undermine and they don't they don't get the attention they deserve, and they don't get the they don't get acknowledged for how hard they fucking work, and and they should and it sucks because not everybody's gonna do it.
But James, real quick, what's what's what's your future goal? You want to get into programming?
You said, yeah, currently, I have this internship at the A cybersecurity, saying, so, cybersecurity is kind of the road that I want to take in because most comfortable with it. So cybersecurity, Well.
Well, listen to James. I I I I want to say, I really appreciate you calling in and sharing your story with us. It's a gnarly story. I don't and I really hope I'm glad that it sounds like you're coming away from this conversation feeling more confident in your truths. I hope that that stays like that as you write your essays and do your things and follow your path. And thank you for calling. Man, Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go.
To the people computed. Take it from me, take it from a Wilder said, do what the fuck you want. Do it for yourself and your family. If that's something that you that you work for. Be happy. Do what makes you happy. Surround yourself with people that make you happy and that push you to be better. Do you not surround yourself people that hold you back and that are selfish. I think that the devil in this world is being selfish. Be selfless, help others around you, allow
people to help you. Don't afraid to reach out sad. Tell people you're sad. It's okay. There's nothing wrong with being sad, which I'll do with therapist. I go to therapy. There's nothing wrong with say it's one of the best decisions I made for myself. There's so many things outside that can that can help you. You're not alone no matter what. And yeah, man, thank you for taking the time. This has been This has been amazing. It went literally ten times better than I than I thought you could have.
Man, But beautiful, beautiful. I'm really happy to hear that. Man. I appreciate you sharing this all with us, and I'll talk to you again soon. Man, good luck with those essays.
All right, all right, man, I'll call you back if I get if I get into the colleges I'm applying.
Please do give us a little updick, give us a little up to have a good have aggressed that.
James, all right, you as well, Thank you.
I liked that call a lot. I like that call a lot. That call touched on a lot of themes that I'm very interested in. James has this story and he's like concerned with other people's saying to him, whether or not. I don't even I didn't even get from him if this is like a thing that people have been saying to him, or if this is a thing that he thinks other people think about him. But both of them are are are irrelevant that he's in his
mind like, oh, people are gonna think I'm lying. People are gonna think I'm you know, just milking it for attention. People are going to think this and that and the other thing. But it's like, you know, let's go back to his truth, right, which is this happened to me. I was there. I was in fucking Syria and Iraq. My family was there.
This.
I know this. I don't need other people's validation on this to be true, because I know it happened. I know what I've been through. I went, I came to America, I didn't speak any English. I had to go from sticking my tongue out to now being able to have fluent conversation. Was hard. I was there and I know it, and it was hard. And I now want to take that and go back and like try to help other folks who we are dealing with similar things in the way that you know, this church helped me when I
was dealing with some shit. And this is a beautiful, powerful thing, And I just hope he realizes it and realizes the strength of it, that it's so strong that a guy on the internet typing fake and is not anything, it's just not worth paying attention to. He's got a stronger thing to be rattled by that, and I hope he follows it, and I hope it takes him to wonderful places. That was a good call. I like that. Thank you for sharing. James, Keiko. Hi, what's what's going on?
Hanging out?
Keiko? It says here that you you are in Tokyo right now? Yeah? Wait, Lyle, Yes, this is.
Me Wow, your voice sounds so different.
How does it normally sound?
Well?
I wish I had perfect pitch and I could tell you exactly, but it's like a different tongue.
Are you Can you do an impression of me? Is that what you're trying to do right now?
Yeah?
Keek, are you there?
I can't do an impression.
Yeah.
I don't think I can do an impression of you either without sounding mean. Oh man, Keiko, what's going on? Kiko? I picked your call because you're are you? Are you just in Tokyo or do you? Do you live there? Were you born there? What's what's the deal?
I was born here and I live here now. Uh, but I've spent half of my life in America?
What part of America?
Washington State?
That's cool? Man? I am you know I'm playing. I'm going to take a trip to Japan either in December? Did I say that already? When? Did I say that? Well?
I told you in chat to come to Tokyo like two days ago or something, and you said you were thinking about coming in two months, and I really want.
To do you around.
Yeah, I'm thinking about Oh shit, you know what? Actually, okay, let's put a pin in this Keiko, because I actually do need somebody because I'm going to do street interviews in Japan and I need someone for you to translate for me. Wow.
Perfect, Oh my Japanese is better than my English.
Perfect perfect? Okay, sweet No, let's put a pin in that message me on Discord or Instagram or something and we'll keep in touch.
For I'll do Instagram. I don't know how to do discord.
Okay, perfect. I was going to say, uh sh I was. I'm thinking about when I go there. I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to do a show, because like I'm on this kick now, like I want to go internationally and do shows. I don't I don't know. I know there's like there's this place called the Tokyo Comedy Bar that I think does stuff, But I don't know if I have enough people who listen to me in Japan.
Oh, for sure you do. I was talking about like trying to call in and just like a random friend was like, oh my god, you listen just.
Like Lyle two.
Really yeah.
But I feel like it's all like non Japanese people because Japanese people don't want to speak English.
Well, does she live in does your friend live? Does your friend live in Tokyo?
Yeah?
Okay, Well I figured it wouldn't be Japanese. Okay. I figured it would be like, I guess, expats or do a lot of people in Japan speak English.
Japanese people don't, like I'm married to a guy who's Japanese and doesn't speak English.
Interesting? Interesting? Yeah, how did you meet him?
We actually met on Tinder, but it's really magical and he's yeah, he's my soulmate.
So what is can I ask? What is Japanese Tinder? Like?
Just as bad as Tinder anywhere, I think? Okay, but I mean, I guess I never really dated in Japan too much. But it's like, I don't know, it all feels very sticky and gross.
Did you meet him on Japanese tender?
Yeah?
But did you get lucky? And it just didn't?
No?
Sorry, go ahead, I interrupted you.
Yeah, no, no, no, yeah. We were both about to fucking like do et our accounts because it was so like cringey. But yeah, just and like it was at the point where I stopped giving a ship and so I was just like messaging random people like stupid things. But then he like came back with the same energy. So we met up in shibu yah h and turned out so when we first saw each other, we both had a shaved head and yellow pants on and where the exact same height, really, and I was just like, yeah,
what the heck? Yeah?
Did you take that as a sign of.
Some kind kind of but not as much as like I feel like someone else might think. I mean, like, what a coincidence. But I didn't think too much about it.
How long have you guys, you said, he's your husband?
Mm hm, now he is.
How long have you guys been.
Married for for a year?
For a year now, congratulations?
Man?
How long have you been like dating in general?
Three years?
I think, Yeah, that's awesome, that's awesome.
It's cool.
Do Now I'm wondering. I'm I'm probably gonna go in Japan like December January, and I'm gonna do I'm want to do these streen interviews. Would love your help to translate. I'm wondering. Wait, I hold that thought because I want to ask you what you were gonna say. But I'm wondering, like, how in like public in Japan, how willing are people to like interact with nonsense? Like if I set up my chairs and my sign and stuff and invite people to come sit down, Like, are are just most people
going to gloss over me? Or do you think we'll be able to get folks to sit down?
You hit up the right places and there'll be plenty of people who will want to hang out.
Okay, the right place you're yeah, yeah, yeah, I feel like I mean, Japanese people love that sort of like TV show like interview, interesting dynamic, so I think, and there's some like late night shows that do that.
It's really silly. So it might also be like the place and time of day.
Well, okay, there was a thought that you were holding me you were going to tell.
Me, oh, well you should if as soon as you know when you're coming, I can take as much time off as I need because I'm like kind of you know, I have a flexible schedule.
What do you what do you do for work?
I I tattoo.
As like a Japanese tattoo place. Yeah, I guess that was a ship question of me because if you live in Japan and you are a tattoo artist, you would be at a Japanese.
Tattoo It's not like the traditional like hand done Japanese style.
What what style is it?
Mmmmmm Everyone at the studio does sort of like like more contemporary, like Japanese like stuff, and then I kind of stick out because I do like scribbly, rainbow, sparkly weird stuff.
You know, it's good to it's good to be different, makes you stand out.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's pretty cool.
Now let me ask you this again. Sorry, I'm making you into my travel agent, but.
No, I'm so happy to do that.
I I definitely go. I'm definitely going to Tokyo. I'm definitely gonna go to Kyoto. I've heard cool things about Kyoto. I'm gonna go for two weeks. Is there anywhere else in the two weeks that you think I should hit besides Tokyo and Kyoto? Osaka, Okay, Osaka could be cool.
Osaka is like the comedy capital of Japan.
The comedy for like Japanese comedy or American comedy.
It's for Japanese comedy. Like a question, there's a specific die like Japanese dialect. I guess that's from Osaka, and like pretty much all comedians are from Osaka and they have that distinct dialect. So it's like comedy equals Osaka.
I'm going to make an Instagram I did this recently with just Europe in general. I'm gonna make an Instagram story and I'm gonna be like, who in who currently lives in Japan and would come see me if I did a show there, and if I get like ten people, I mean.
Oh, okay, I think Japan small enough that everyone would like come to you.
I don't know, I guess I just don't know if I have enough. Well, I'll find you know if I do it. If I do it and you and your friends show up and I just spend the whole thing interviewing you guys, that would be a win win.
I could die hardily.
Okay, real quick before we go, it's us here that you had an acid trip recently and that you what what what was going on in this acid trip? Mmm?
So it was my birthday and my husband and I were taking acid in the mountains and I just I don't know where it came from, but I was just like the gecko, the gecko, I really want to talk to the gecko, and I mean he doesn't speak English. That was like Frank you as gecko in Japanese.
But by the way, what is is it? Is it it's Yamori right or something like that.
Oh, it's YAMMOI. Oh, I don't know. There's like so there's I kept saying tokage, but that might be lizard. I don't know specifics tokage, but we do have a yammody living in our post uh our mail box.
Okay.
Acid, Yeah, I was on acid and I was just like talking about you. I was just like, I've been really wanting to talk to the Geck and I know it's going to happen, and I'm going to tell him I'm in Japan and I do tattoos.
And he was just like really encouraging and he's like.
Yeah, you tell him and I was like yeah, Gecko, no, hell, yeah, this is this is.
I just thought I should share that with you. It was a really good trip.
Well no, it's this is perfect because I was, well, it's perfect you mentioned because I literally it's so perfectly called in because I literally really this morning was like yesterday, I was really high and I was like, I should just go to Japan. I'm gonna die. Just go to Japan for two weeks. I've never done this, to do it and so It's funny that you just now are calling me right now, and as I'm on this kick of trying to do it, because I was thinking two things.
I was thinking, I need to get a translator for doing street interviews, and also I kind of want to do acid in Japan. If you know, I shouldn't be talking about God. We'll talk, we'll talk on the we'll talk about that. We'll go ahead, what we're gonna say.
Okay, we'll take good care of you in Japan?
Okay? Oh? Can I interview your husband too?
When you're here in Japan.
He's at worker, you know, Okay, Okay, sick, sick? Okay, this is cool, and I'm glad you call cut your hair? Oh shit? Could he because I'm gonna probably could he? Like? Can he make me look cool? Can he give me like a mohawk or something?
Yeah, mohawk, skin fade, whatever you need?
Oh sick, Okay, cool. I'm very stoked about this.
I figured you wouldn't want a tattoo, but.
Maybe I don't know. I don't know. I've been I've been fairly anti tattoo for most of my life. But maybe while I'm on acid in Japan, I'll open myself up to new experiences.
Are you gonna be doing the interviews or is that like oh.
No, oh no, no, no, no, I will I.
Uh.
Drugs and the gecko costume do not have never mixed. Well, I like to keep those two things fairly separate. But no, I'm excited. I'm glad you called in. This is actually part of them because I'm like, I literally last night was fucking Stone and I was looking and I was like, it's only this much money to go there. I can do that. It'll be easy. Let's do it. We're on geto's going to.
Yay Lyle forever.
Yes, send me a thing and we'll keep in touch on I'll that, you know.
Yeah, when I d M you, my my usual name has my name Keiko in.
It, So this is yeah, okay, perfect, perfect Keko. Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?
Oh, shout out to Bri.
Yes, shout out Tobris as well. Sabri is one of the call screamers. She's a she is a mega homie, very sweet individual. Shout out debris. Yeah, that's it, Kiko forever. I'll talk to you soon, dude.
Okay, I have a good night.
Damn that was that was genuine I that was genuinely kissed me.
Uh.
I've been thinking about Japan. Uh, I have the you know, this is gonna this is a this is cliche. I'm gonna get cliche for a second. You know, the whole there's a coffee table expression that's not even the word someday is not a day type of shit was getting into my head, and I'm like, I've always wanted to go to Asia but never been. I should just do it. I like going to foreign countries alone with my little Gecko suitcase. I've done it a couple times. I did
it once. I did like a weekend in Guatemala alone with my Gecko suit and did interviews there. That was fucking awesome. I did it in Mexico City that was great. And now we're gonna do it in Japan and hopefully do it everywhere in the world. Very exciting stuff, very excited stuff. Hey, folks, it's Lyle. Lately I've been ending my Sunday podcast with an excerpt from my street interview segments,
and this is a great one. It's a conversation I had on Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee with a guy who is just kind of getting his life back together. And I really enjoyed having the talk. And I'm gonna shut up and play it because I hate rambling intros. I just wanted to be here to explain the transition between phone calls and real life. Soundy sounds Okay, let's get into it. Cody.
Yeah, nice to meet you.
What's your deal, Cody? What's going on that? Man?
I'm just standing here. I'm gonna go to work. I work at the hard Rock across the street.
You work at the hard Rock.
Yeah, I'm just enjoying the weather right now.
I feel like the hard Rock Cafe in Nashville must be a gnarly place.
Yeah, today's my first day.
Actually, this is your first day. You haven't even been in there yet. Okay, what I maybe this is a stupid question. What inspired you to work at the hard Rock Cafe?
I really just I love I loved Nashville. I like this the energy in the atmosphere, and I love to cook. And if that's mixed up both over there, it's NonStop, you know what I mean? And I'm just really uh anticipating what I can learn there and how I can progress in that environment. There's a lot of people there.
Interesting, So you're you're talking about what you could learn there? What what what is it that you want to learn that.
Just more culinary skills because I love to cook. I love to present food to people. I like people the smile on their face when they get it. And so it's the closest thing to being a chef in there. It's really cool.
Interesting are you Are you a chef or your waiter? I'm a cook, your cook, I'm gonna cook. So we'll get there. What what is like? So you you like to cook? What is your magnum opus dish?
What does that mean?
Like your your your signature dish? Probably checking af fredo, checking out I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, definitely that's the bomb dot com Okay, and gro cheese. I feel like, are you gonna be cooking chicken altfreddo and girl cheese and probably.
Not groal cheeses. Maybe chicken alfredo though definitely I have to put my own little spin on it.
So you love Nashville and you want to contribute to the to the sphere of the culture. Yes, definitely tell me what you love about Nashville.
Well, first of all the people, there's some really nice people here and just it's a really a good place for opportunity. Man, It's a good place for you to grow. And that's what I'm trying to do in life right now, because I'm really just now like figuring what I like and who I am.
Interesting. Tell me, let's start from like before, when you didn't know, I didn't know. It was like a struggle to figure out who you are and what you like.
Yeah, because I was always high, because you're high. Yeah, I was on drugs for a long time, bro, And I'm just now getting off of those things, you know what I mean, and really just discovering who I am and what real happiness is because I thought I was happy, but now far from it.
Was it difficult to wean yourself off the.
Drug very difficult. I've been. I've been using since I was like thirteen. I'm twenty seven. Yeah, yeah, and I'm only I'm only like three or four months clean. He congratulations, man, thank you, bro, thank you.
What what kinds of things are you doing in your sobriety to like keep it up, to keep yourself in good shape, to try to you know, stay off.
Drugs, staying positive at all times no matter what. Yeah, that's the first thing I have to do every morning, bro, is look at what my day is going to be, like how I'm going to look at it, Because it's all about my perspective, really it is. And willingness and being open minded to suggestions and remaining teachable is the biggest thing because I think I know everything, So yeah, I have to remain teachable bro at all times.
Yeah, it's important to not feel as though you're like done growing or like you know everything, because then you are opening yourself up to more of the universe's knowledge and sit.
Yeah definitely.
So uh okay, so you were using for a while. Your three months sober again, congrats? What types of like things are you learning about yourself in those three months.
I like a roller skate. I really like to roller skate, Bro, I do. And I really want to have a hand in helping people, but not specifically help find missing people because I don't know why. That's that's something that's got to be hard on a family, bro, is to not know.
You want to help find missing missing people? Yeah, like go on like rogue missions to find like folks on like milk cartons and stuff.
Yes, like I really want to do that, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, And it's I don't know why or how, it's just something I would like to do because whether they're alive or whether they're dead, it's the fact of knowing for their families that's got to be hard, waking up every day wondering.
Yeah, have you ever like gone, have you like looked for missing posters and like gone on your own sort of like hunts for the folks?
No? Not, Yeah, I don't have the resources or the time right now to do that, but it's something I aspire to do.
Man, it really is anything else like a roller skating looking for missing people? I both very niche like I wouldn't have guessed those things.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm glad you're thinking outside of the box here. Yeah, anything else that you're interested in developing for yourself.
I want to help, Okay, like people like the guy that was just sitting here. I want to help people like that man that are in because I was that guy before. I've been there. I've been on the streets and not knowing where to go or no having no one to talk to or no money or no resources. So finally, I would like to get in a position to help those people. I just want to help, Bro, you know what I mean?
Can I ask you, you know, having been in that guy's position, having been on the streets with not a lot of resources, like, what would be the most helpful thing for you in that moment?
Go to rehabit all day because they are going to help you. You know. The first they're gonna teach you how to help yourself, and then they're gonna help you as far as shelter, food, transportation, everything you need to become a better person. They are gonna give you that. It's the best thing I've done ever.
See did you go to rehab three months ago?
Yeah? I went to Samaritan Actually oh no shit, yeah, oh so was it?
I assume it was like really hard at first. We're going through a lot of like withdrawal and whatnot.
Yeah, definitely because my DLC. Can I stand it on here?
You can tell what everyone?
Okay? Yeah, my DLC is fitanel heroin, which is deadly Bro. It's and it took an OD for me to actually wake up. It took me dying to wake up, which is ironic, but Yeah, I did go through those withdrawals and that's the hardest part. But it's like a weak work.
And you fucking made it through.
Yeah, definitely, Yeah I did. And I don't know, it's a blessing. I'm not really a big believer in God, but I do have a higher power, you.
Know what I mean. It's fuck it because in the like NA and AA and all that stuff they talk about like submitting to a higher power, which doesn't necessarily mean God. So in your own like definition of that, what is your higher power?
Well, I'm I have a lot of pagan beliefs. I have a lot of pagan beliefs and wicked beliefs, you know what I mean, which is just it just really just ties into the earth and nature and there. I feel like there's a God of love. There's a god sadness. There's a God of the sky, god of you know what I'm saying, the trees, There's a god for everything. So but my main, really my main high power is the universe.
Bro.
Like the universe.
I want it.
There's a force that puts people in our path for a reason. There's a force that makes us think a certain way. There's a force that makes us go through this, so we get ready for that even though if we don't know it.
Are you deterministic in your beliefs? Do you believe that things happen for a reason that is kind of predetermined by forces outside of our control?
Especially my biggest thing is horoscopes. They're pre written, but when I read mine, it's like it's already it just it speaks on my situation and what I'm going through, not physically, mentally, internally, and it's that's the weirdest thing to me. Man, that's so weird.
What's your sign? PCEs?
Yeah, so we're already very tuned in with the other side type stuff.
And how long has that philosophy been a part of your life?
For as long as I remember, bro, since I was a kid, Like, I've always heard things different, seen different things look different to me than other people. Or I've always seen other sides of things that normal people didn't. Really I'm not gonna say normal with that other people didn't see. So I've always felt like I've had not a gift, but like a third eye since before I was even aware of it, you know what I mean, It's always been open.
Has uh you know, following your horoscope and and and sort of this philosophy of the determinism has it guided you into positive places in your life? Oh?
Yes, definitely. I gotta be work at two. Yeah.
Oh what time is there right now?
On fire good? Yeah?
Oh man, I'm really happy for you.
Man.
You have a very bright smile on your face. It seems like you're doing a lot better.
Yeah, I've just met you. I'm alive.
Yeah, man, what uh? What are you the most excited for it to work at? For the hard rock?
You want to be honest, please.
The girls seems to be a trend going on.
They're really cute girls there, you know what I mean. But I'm not gonna let that determine from my main focus. It's gonna be cool to make some new friends, get some new associates because I've had to let all the old ones go, So it's gonna be nice to meet some new friends. Man. Yeah.
So I when you stopped using, did you have like a lot of relationships or you know, friendships or anything that were like really tied in with the drug use that you had to cut off.
Yes, When I look back, the only thing me and those people had in common was getting high.
Yeah.
Yeah, so that's a very toxic. I didn't know then, but I know now that's very toxic. And one thing that I had to quit doing was talking to girls, and that's my biggest distraction and my biggest downfall.
Every Just why was it a distracting thing for you?
Because I put more time into them than I do me sure they become a higher power.
Yeah, so that's not good. That's interesting. We talked at the very beginning of this to a girl who was just getting a divorce and she was had a similar thing where she was like, I'm putting all my energy into this guy, and I'm not key saving anything for myself, you know. So I feel like it's a common thing with ye training.
Yeah.
So to recap roller skating, looking for missing folks ship, What was the third thing you had? A good? Third thing? I want to remember.
What was that?
Man, you're picking good niches?
Was it hard rock? Was it cooking cooking hard rock?
I'm I'm oh, I know. I'm very glad to seem as though you have a lot of very exciting things ahead of you doccupy your life and your time that are not only gonna be fun for you, but are gonna help other people?
Yeah. Oh I love to take pictures in paint. Oh yeah, and I didn't know that before, but I'm really good at those things.
Do you have a before you go? Do you want to plug anything you have an Instagram or you.
Make art or anything that don't have any social media.
You don't have any social media, you must be much more calm.
Yeah, there's this distracting. Of course it's distracting. And of course I find myself always comparing my life to social media. So oh, I had to let it go.
Has getting off of like hard drugs sort of helped you with your relationship to other vices such as like talking to girls, social media thing like that.
Yeah, it's made me very much more aware of these problems so I can start doing something about them. But you want to know my biggest my biggest obstacle, Yeah.
Yeah, my ego interesting myself? Yeah, how in what ways? How do you combat that? How do you in your experience for a better relationship with your ego?
Just being aware of it, Yeah, and knowing when I'm being egotistical and chill because I miss a lot of messages because my ego is in the way. So being aware of it.
Well, that goes back to what you were talking about earlier about like wanting to be more teachable and the bigger your ego is. It's blocks all that shit clo. You have to get out of here. Yeah, I have to say to the people of the computer before you go.
No, man, just just don't give up. Just don't. It is possible. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't, because you can. You can.
What's your name again, dude?
Cody? Cody, nice to meet you, got nice.
To be You're too many night.
Never be get ghost doing his right. He was teaching you to housing your.
Life, but he's not ready.
An expert
H