Hello, Hey, Hey, what's your name? Brother?
Uh?
You call it Chris Chris. Oh, Chris, Chris, Chris Chris. What are we going to do with you? Chris?
I don't know.
But what can I do for you? Gecko?
What can you do for me? Well?
What do you doing?
What are you doing right now?
Uh?
Just relaxing for the evening. Really, my wife is putting our daughter to bed currently, So.
It sounds nice. It sounds nice. What's it like having what's it like having a family. I'm genuinely very curious.
It's been great, honestly, Like there's a lot of things that like once you have a family you weren't really like thinking about before that like become stressful or like more stressful, and obviously, like everybody's family situation is not the same, and so like I don't want to sound like a guy who's like all my families so far have been good, because I know these people have had really bad families. But it's great to be in one. I feel very I've lived my life in a way
that is like very Uh. I just want like security probably most thing out of my life. It's a very secure thing for me, and I find comfort in that where I know it's definitely not a secure thing for everyone.
You know, security is great. I used to knock security more and everyone told like, people told me that the old it's kind of a classic thing like the older you get, the more you crave security. And I am I am finding that. I mean, I'm always trying to find like a bell. I think I've I'm trying to strike a really kind of precise rhythm to my life that has a combination of chaos and stability. And I think I'm getting close to that. And I uh, I wanted to ask you about that. I wanted to ask
you about the kids thing though. Okay, let me can I get existential with you for a second, because I want to share a thought with you, and as a father, I want to hear your opinion. Go for it, Okay, I like, Okay, have you ever heard I'm like, I'm on all these weird rabbit holes on the internet and I've been kind of like reading about the like is it the moral like the ethics of like bringing a child into the world. I'm super not. I'm super not on the whole thing of like why would you bring
a child into this crazy world? Like I think the world has been uh way crazier in the past than it is now. But I guess this kind of existential thing of like if you believe that like there's like inherent suffering to life. I like, I'm thinking about, like if I want to have a kid, and I'm like, oh, I'm gonna like bring a being into consciousness to like suffer. And maybe that is obviously, of course reflective of my own like brain place, I suppose, but I do think
about I do think about it. It does freak me out to like bring a new form of consciousness into the world because of my own choice. I would feel responsible for every single thing that happened in that kid's life, And then I would also be if I'm also afraid of like you know obviously like like there's come there's a certain point of like you can do the best you can to be a good father and to raise your child right and to give them attention and do
all these things. But after a certain point, you know, they theyre the the their experience on this earth does become out of your control. Their experience on their their their experience on this earth is one hundred percent shaped by you. For a long time, but then but then there does come a point where you lose control and I sort of fear like about the sufferings that this being I've created will undergo, uh, just as an inevitability
of being a human being. I mean, of course there's inevitable joys of being a human being, but there's also just when I get kind of hung up on like weird, it's like nihilistic, I don't. I don't like it.
I don't.
I'm awesome. I'm in a weird mood. And when I'm in a good mood, it's easier. But like just this whole thing of bringing a being into this earth to like deal with the inevitable suffering of existence. So yeah, what do you think about that?
Oh no, dude, I totally get it. Like I'm I'm with you on the thing where like I know, there's talking to you just making my brain fart a little bit. But like the natalists are like people who are like the main goal is to like have children, you know what I mean. Like that's like they're ideological. And then like the anti natalist group is like it's actually like morally wrong to bring consciousness into worlds. For like a
lot of the reasons you like talked about. Yeah, but I don't know, I think I kind of fall in, especially like now, I definitely fallen like to the more middle ground of those where it's like I totally get what you're saying, and it is like a big responsibility, but it's also like a responsibility that's like doable, and we have like more resources ever than ever to like try and outweigh the suffering in life with like joyful experiences and to be like, you know, help these beings
that we brought into the world.
But then also the.
Same time, I really get pissed off when I hear, like, you know, a natalist, whether it's because like a political policy or like a religious thing or whatever, they're like, just have kids, And I'm like, dude, have you seen the price of houses? You're telling people to have like five kids right now? Like are you kidding me? Where
they gonna put them? You know, like, you can't you can't hold that position when you can't be mad at people when there's like clear economic pressures that would make it so the being that they bring into this world, you know, their kids are going to just have a worse life, Like how can you even ask people to do that, you know.
Yeah, yeah, I go back and forth on that because of this argument, which I feels like a pretty legitimate argument to me, of like people like I, like I believe that you shouldn't have a child until you're like
financially ready mm hm. But also it gets when you when you kind of like when when when you start thinking about all the like outside factors, uh, for for which you know a person is in is in poverty and financial strengths, of which it's you know, a lot of them, it starts to be a thing of like, well, is is reproduction like just for the becoming like a right reserved for the elite, you know?
M hm.
But also but on the same coin, it's like, but it still feels shitty to bring a kid into you know, the world when you can't like afford to take care of them.
M hmm.
Yeah, Like I guess I can tell you kind of like the process that like when we decided was a good time for us to have a kid, and it was like we were like we were both going to school and we were both like we don't even want to think about a kid into like we're both done
with school. And then like we both graduated and like I found a job thankfully, you know, like miraculslessly feels like sometimes and then we're like, okay, well, we know we can like afford to have a kid, like even just and the crazy thing about this is just like the expense of just bringing the being into the world is insane, and then like providing for them throughout their whole life is also insane.
You know.
But then you also don't want to just be like, well, like only rich people can have kids, you know, like money gap it that way, because that's also feels truly crappy. So I don't know, it's definitely one of those things
where you can do it. I think it's one of those things where you can do it in way more responsible ways, and you know, there's and you just have to get to that point that you feel that you're like doing an actual good, like it's never going to be perfect, but it's like your best good faith effort into like actually where you feel good about it as well, you know, And that's kind of where we landed on.
We're like, you know, we're not making insane money, but we could probably like we want to have a kid and we can make sure that they have like food and a house and you know, pay for the birth and all this stuff, and so we were like, we can, we can. We think we can do it.
You know, how old are you?
Twenty six? Oh?
Cool man? Cool? How old your daughter?
She's about a year and a half.
Cool man? How long you've been with your wife.
Since twenty twenty one? Five years now? We went to the school together. Cool, But we didn't start dating. We went to high school together, and we didn't start dating until we went to like different colleges and reconnected like two years after we left.
What do you do for work like our hometown or whatever?
I do web development or a bank?
Okay, cool, you're like a you're a very normal guy. I like to think so, and but yet but you also but you know, but you also all all these like existential things, like you know, you've kept them in mind as you've made these decisions. It sounds mm hmmm, and I will some.
It's some of this is like reflection on the decisions too. It's not all like that all this was present during the decision, you know, different degrees?
Oh yeah, totally totally. Are you do you feel happy?
Uh?
The only unhappiness. Like the main stress point for unhappiness of my life I think right now is like the current state of the world.
Okay, so I mean that's great though, that's good. That means that that always says to me that, like you've like I feel like people who have a strong disdain for like the events of the world outside of themselves have like kind of gathered a certain level of peace about their own life so that they can start like thinking about the world outside of themselves either that or there they just are like tinted towards doing that naturally, Like that's how their brain is wired. What is it about?
Tell me more about this. Tell me more about the main pain point of your life is a general disdain for the world. Tell me more about this general disdain for the future of What does that look like for you?
My daughter's calling for me. We I like switch off with my wife whenever she like wants us to swap. Who's like laying with her?
Yeah?
Yeah, So if you're still doing.
Can I talk to like kess is your wife? Uh she's tired?
Maybe well she just doesn't know like I even texted you, or she has.
No context for the conversation. That you would throw her into No.
Yeah, so I would just have to check with her first.
So and yeah.
So, but I can text you when I when my daughter's asleep, and if you're still taking calls, maybe we can call back or whatever.
I can't promise anything other than this current moment, but I have enjoyed talking to you. I wish we could to talk to more. But I feel like we got a good picture of her life. I'm glad you shared that with us.
Yeah, thanks for calling. I really appreciate it.
Man.
All right, man, you take care. Okay, what a good dude?
Oh? Hello, Uh who is that? Who's facient?
Oh? This is uh the Gecko guy.
Oh my god, I can't believe it. I can't believe you're calling him.
Yeah, dude, you texted me and you said feel free to call any time. I am unemployed and have nothing going on in my life. And I was like, perfect, I need to I need to call somebody so we can do a podcast together. You said you texted me and said, I am a Brazilian illegal immigrant in Portugal. My wife sold the wedding ring I bought for her to pay for her abortion after our divorce.
Okay, let me start you right there? Uh, that was a lie. Okay, I want to say that so you would call me really.
Well, what the dude? Fuck you? Why would you? I mean, that's okay, what that's such a what part? Okay, dude, hold on, wait, shut up for a second. I am a Brazilian illegal immigrant in Portugal. My wife sold the wedding wing I brought for her to pay for her abortion after our divorce. You brought like there's an infinite amount of things in that sentence for you to have lied about. How much is that all? Is it one hundred percent of liear? Are you doing a voice right now?
Are you like a like dumb American guy in Philadelphia?
Like?
Who? What's the truth?
The truth is I am an illegal immigrant, Okay, I do live in Portugal and I'm a Presilian guy. The whole story I stand was actually a writing prompt, uh from my favorite author, actually, Chock Polinik. You know, uh you must be mean yeah yeah, yeah, Like he has a book, a book on writing called consider This, and you know this is one of his writing prompts.
Like okay, so the writing prompt, the writing prompt is, uh, I'd like to think that this guy has a work book section of his novel and there's just there's just a word. The prompt is lie and it's just a bunch of lines underneath it. And you that's that's all the prompt is.
It's something like this. The prompt is actually to have an engaging uh you know, an engaging apprentise, right like for example, Uh another prompt from his book one that you know he has like some exercises. By the way, this book I'm talking about is not a novel. He published lovelice before like fight Look, hold.
On, hold on, I I I don't want to talk about this, uh, this book. I want to talk about you. I want to know the truth. You said I am. You said I am unemployed and have nothing going on in my life? Is that true?
That is true? That is true?
Okay, all right. So that's so, that's the truth that we're working with. That is the initial reason that I called you. So as so, as long as that's true, this call can continue as it was intended.
Well, you have lost your truth. I hope to gain it back, and.
Perhaps perhaps you will ever so slowly. Are you actually in Portugal? Are you actually in Portugal?
In Portugal? Yes, I've been living here for the list three years more or less.
Where in Brazil you are from.
I'm from Brazil, from a state called Goyas, So yeah, yeah, I'd say to leave there because there was nothing going on over there, so why not why not try something new over here? So I did. Then does in the beginning. But life is done slowly but surely getting better. I was working in a hotel. Yeah, it was a very nice experience actually, but unfortunately got fired and yet no no one employed, getting unemployment in peneds and you know,
trying to find out what to do with life. It was yeah, I don't know, man, this is weird.
Life is weird as hell. Life as weird as hell. What do you think you're going to do with life?
That is very a very interesting question, you know. Being unemployed for so long, like I've been unemployed ever since the January, has been giving me a lot of time to think about things. And of course, uh after, I don't know, man, It's it's very complicated because I don't really know what I want. I don't really know what
I want. Like it's actually, you know, it's very it's very it's very complicated because I think you called me at a very bad time because I was kind of sleeping, and yeah, honestly, I think, well, there.
I'm surprised you. I'm surprised that you sleep so well sending all these lies out into the world.
Yeah, maybe maybe what's your name? What's your flier? I think that I fucked this one up, and I think, what do you mean?
Hold on, what do you mean you fucked first of what's your name again? What's your name?
My name is whole thing? Oh, you in Aslaio. I don't know what I would seeking a bus in a syntheses text.
That's okay. I don't care. Listen, what's your name? Can you say your name? Please? I'm gonna die if you don't say your name right now. My name's Jose, Jose, Jose. Listen. I don't care that you lied to me. I don't care what you sent before. I you you're a you are in Brazil right now, we're on the fucking phone. We're together in this very moment, and this very moment
is all I give a fuck about. I already forgot your name, God damn it, Jose, j Jose, and you're trying to forget what to do with your life, if you could do if if you could do anything on the planet, what would it be.
I'll be honest, loo Uh, this this call is really not going you know how I was expecting it to go.
I just told you, Jose, Jose, Jose, you're not listening to me. Jose, you gotta listen Jose, Jose, Jose are you listening to me right now? I am listening to Jose. I need you to abandon immediately any idea of this call having a way that it was supposed to go, and I need you to instead be in the moments of where it is.
Okay, No, here's the saying, liar. I actually have plans I have I have things to do. But I guess I just didn't come out like I didn't. I didn't you know, honestly, this call is just not going to work. I'm very sorry. If you could include this in the podcast, I think wait.
Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait hold first first, hold on, mhm uh huh, why what are you talking about? We didn't even talk about anything. I've just been yelling at you.
You know. Uh, I just got to the feeling if you want to call me tomorrow.
Hold on. First of all, Jose, I'm totally putting this in the podcast. There's no if you had if you listen, if you had told me a bunch of if you had told me a bunch of really sensitive information about yourself, and then afterwards you were like, hey, man, listen, I don't feel comfortable putting in the podcast, Like, well, I then then I that'd be one thing. But this is you. You told me, you told me a lie. What do you what?
Dude?
What's going on? Why are you Why are you freaking out right now? What's the problem, Jose. I'm with you in this moment. Jose.
It's not that, Lyle. It's just that I'm not in the right state right now. I'm not in the right mind space to really have this conversation.
I have many things, but Jose, Jose, I'm gonna story. I'm gonna keep yelling. I'm so don't. This is gonna be the whole conversation. I'm gonna we're gonna, We're gonna okay, we're gonna get on the same wave. Like, Jose, I'm telling you, I want you to abandon the idea, like even what you just said, you were like I am not in the right mind space. There is no right mind there's no.
This.
There is no right headspace there. You're acting like there's a way this is supposed to go. This is complete chaos. This is nothing. This is the conversation, the conversation we're having right now, Jose, You've.
Been talking for ten minutes, and everything that's been happening in those ten minutes it's just me being fucking neurotic because I am in is there a neurotic spot in my life right now? And I had many beautiful things to talk about, like about life, about my experience as a person, but.
That's what But you're talking about your experience as a person right now. What are you talking about? You keep thinking that the thing is no, I'm just no. I understand. You keep thinking that there's a thing that's outside of the thing that is. The thing we're doing right now is the thing.
This is not the impression I want to leave people with about myself. I am not neurotic like this. I am not this personally. I'm different. I'm different than this. Okay, you just called me a very bad time. I'm very sorry, Jose.
I'm so Jose, Hose, do you would least kind of understand what do you at least kind of understand what I am trying to say to you know, Oh.
You understand what you're trying to say. You want to get real with me. You want to talk about life. But no, that's not what.
I that's Jose. No, you don't understand what I'm saying at all. I'm so I'm sorry. I'm so frustrated, right, Jose, Jose, Jose's not to be sorry about. Jose. Let's just exist, you know, Jose, I'm gonna say fu you know what, Jose? All right? You know, Jose, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this for you right now, Okay, Jose. Do you know how in podcasts are you can you hear me? Are you with me?
Jose? I can hear you? Do?
Do you know how in podcasts you're supposed to like talk and make sounds and then the podcast and then people hear it. Right? You know what I'm gonna do, Jose, That's what you're supposed to do in podcasts. That's my that's my idea of how a podcast is supposed to go. You know what I want to do instaid Jose. Uh, Let's let's be let's Jose, Jose, We're gonna be silent. We're gonna exist on the phone together in silence for two minutes. Okay, Okay, I'm gonna all right at the end, Okay,
we're gonna sit inside. I don't see. I'm not thinking that this is supposed to go right way. Okay, this is just what it is. Because if I showed, like if I go on the Joe Rogan experience, it's not gonna be you know, two minutes of silence. We're gonna do two minutes of silence on this podcast because there's no there's no right way for this conversation to go. Okay, all right, at the end, all right, I'm gonna start. I'm gonna start now.
Okay, Well, I appreciate the in systems night.
No Jose, Wait, Jose, Hoose, we're gonna do two minutes of silence. Okay, Okay, here.
Ms Okay, we did it.
I really, I really appreciate that you're trying to get through to me. I get to the core of this and so.
A conversation, right, Jose, Jose, can you hear me?
I could hear you.
I'm not trying to do anything, Jose I'm just trying to exist, or you're you're on the phone with a gecko right now. You're on the phone with a gecko right now. That's all. This has to be everything. I want you to understand this, and I don't think. I don't think you understand this. I'm gonna try one more time to get you to understand this. Okay, this show,
these calls, they are about and this. Honestly, you know, when I you know what, when I first started doing this, I think I'm actually thinking, you're actually making me think a lot about myself, Jose. You actually make me think a lot. I'm gonna talk about me if you don't want to talk about let's talk about you're making me think a lot about myself. You're making me think a lot about myself, Jose, because I've been I've gotten too
into like, oh, let's talk about this interesting thing. It depends on the day, like, Hey, what do you want to talk about? And you know, when I first started doing this, the whole the whole show is just you're on the phone with a gecko. That's it. That's the show. There's no other thing. And that's kind of been the whole point of the whole thing, the whole time. But still the point of this phone call was that you were on the phone with a gecko, and that has
been that's been achieved. That's done. Let's cross off the list. Okay. So that was the only expectation that there was to be had, was that there was a guy who was going to talk to a get call on the phone, and so all expectations of this call have been met. So that's it.
I see, I see, I mean, I see. I am not currently conflicted about much in my life. Of course, some unemployed. But when I sent those texts, there were things I really want to talk about, but those things at this point, at two story moment are not as important right now. I'm just really existing, you know, Yes, you could talk about anything.
Also, Jose, Jose also also also those texts were lies? What the Jose sait Jose, Dude, Jose, you're you're you were talking just now as if you like you were talking just now, as if the thing you texted me was real. You were like, oh that lie, Like, oh, I was in a position to tell you about my wife spending my wedding ran money on her abortion. But that's too heavy to talk about right now that what that didn't even happen. It's a lie. It's a lie, jose.
H. You hear the story I was telling myself when I saynd that that you know I'm pro seeing and then the only way I can move in life is by hustling and skinning. You know, that's there's just you know, there's just how how I that's how I got into this country in the first place.
That's not a scheme, that's not that's a lot that's not It's.
A very awnsome thing to do, exactly, And that's why I regret. That's why I regret it. And you know, I sort a lot of it into find information in the beginning, and I that's why I was so adamant that you know, let's cancel this call, please are include it because I regret. I regret. I don't know what I was thinking when I send the text. I just really want to regret.
Regret is not regrets not a useful emotion to have. I think, I think an analyzing behavior and keep it like moving forward. I think reflection, reflection and changing. Of course it's useful, but like the regret, the shame of regret is kind of like a self flagellating.
I mean, we can analyze that lie as a behavior pattern, really, like, I guess that would be a valid angle to really analyze it, because I think it applies to many things. But I was living my life and you know what even inspired me to do such a thing, you know, to trick you into calling me by having an absolude prentice ah. And I don't know, man, Like being resilient is like you're born clandestine, right, you kind of have to you know, trick people constantly and really try to
get ahead because you're never getting ahead normally. Like if I never if I never leave the country to try, you know, t realize in Portugal, I would probably have never achieved anything. And it's really sad. It's really sad that presue a contry that kind of smaters you in the womb. I suppose it's a country that never was allowed to really develop itself and you know, become a saying. So being Brazilian, it's really sad. You're kind of SENI
in this existential limbo. And I don't know, man, I guess it made me a very bad person, But you have to get a bad person in order to survive. I wish I did not have to be like this. As you can see, I'm very ashamed of what I did. I'd be glad what I did. But that's the thing, man, I mean, what can you do when you don't have the same opportunities as anyone else?
Like it's when you're smother.
Than the womb, more or less you allowed to grow you never you never had any bridges and nowhere to go.
There's something so funny.
Never had a strong family.
I don't know, man, it's something so funny about you texting a fake story into the Therapy Get podcast and then going you gotta be a schemer to survive in this planet.
I don't know. I think it's very true. It's very true when er from the twit third world. But here's the thing, man, I didn't LIS's do nothing but struggle, honestly, Like all this work, the uncertainty of the next day check, and I don't know when when it is gonna end, you know, I don't know if it's ever gonna change. I don't know it's you know, I'm not saying class as sanction.
But you know, having a little a little more release, having my my I don't know. I think my curves a little bit less tight. I suppose. I don't know, man, I don't know. I don't know when it's gonna end. I don't know what the suture looks like. For me, looks like a lot of a lot of work and more work. Very dissillusioned about life. Maybe you can have some insight about it.
Oh geez I, I you know what. I'm actually gonna take a take a piece from your playbook, and I'm gonna tell you that I do have thoughts about that. But because it's eleven PM and I'm deep in a vivance crash where my UH dopamine and norah pronephyrine are very low, my stress levels are very high. I I'm gonna take a piece out of your playbook. I am in not the right mindset to talk about that because I'm inclined.
To agree with you.
M M.
But if I were in a better mood, I would have different thoughts about life. But Jose, yes, you did it. We had you got the call. We did, We did whatever we were supposed to do here.
I suppose.
Is there anything else you want to say? Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go, Jose.
I appreciate you calling me. I'm sorry for tricking you, and you should can please please edit the beginning of this call to.
Really, I'm not editing a single thing.
Of some identifying information there.
What do you wait? What identifying what? Identifying information?
What did?
What did you say?
Like where I'm from in Brazil specistically my interest because you know, around my friends, I talk about my favorite altar all the time, and that's very identifiable. Children, So if if you could just you.
Know, it's just just the fact that you're Brazilian.
No, the fact that I'm Brazilian and I'm very into Chuck's polony, Like that's a red flag that my friends are going to snow for a mile away.
Dude, I can't. How is anyone going to identify How is anyone gonna identify you that you're Brazilian into Chuck? You're not?
Yeah, man, I'm going to get clowned and marked on my little my little circle like they do it to this podcast. It.
I'm sorry, I'm not gonna edit this. All you said. All you said was that you're a Brazilian and you like this book.
Oh man, oh man, you know what, Lyle, Yeah, j.
Is not even Jose is not your real name?
Right?
No, okay, I'm not editing. I'm not editing this. You said you're Brazilian. You like a book that's too much work to edit? If yousa what's from?
Okay, okay, you know what, Lyle, you know what O get. Here's what here, here's what, here's where I released this, said earlier in the call, regret it is not a youth for information. You know what, I'll buy this bullet man, post it as it is. And here's the thing. Maybe when your vinvents crash out, maybe Pat and you listen to this call again, maybe in a better mood, maybe
you have this ideas. But if if later you look at this, you're I said now I'm going to post it as it is, then be it Nan, you're you know this.
I'm putting this episode on a thing in less than twelve hours. This is this is People will listen to this and and and and you know what's gonna happen.
What's gonna happen.
People are gonna run, People are gonna make spreadsheets, cross referencing bookstores where Chuck whatever his name is, and a Brazilian God. People are going to find out who you are based on those two heavily identifying tidbits of information that you dropped, that you are one of hold on, what's the population of Brazil? It's literally one of the most popular plays in the world. Okay, hold on, okay, you are okay, all right, You've been narrowed down out
of two hundred and twelve million people. So if someone wants to find you, you're gonna be fine.
You're a very You're you're a very full Thank you very much for this conversation. Thanks for man, Thanks for keeping this conversation even after you know I lie to you, man like, yeah, I think things. Did I earn your truth back even a little bit? I guess that was the objective. Maybe I didn't. That doesn't matter anyways, think it very much, Lyle. I don't think there's anything else we can really do. Schools over here, Good.
Luck, huse, I'll see you around the universe.
You're wrong, Bid.
That was Jose. He's a Brazilian that likes Chuck Norriska Barry. I think is that the guy who created Two and a half Men. He's a Brazilian that likes chuck e cheese. He's just like us. Hello. Hello is this I actually don't know your name? Hello? What's up? What's your name?
Oh? I'm gonna give you a fake name. My fake name is Michael.
Michael. What's up?
Man?
What's going on?
Oh? Man? I just moved back in with my parents.
How's that going?
It's going pretty good? Actually?
Do you have a good relationship with them?
Yep? I'm sorry.
Do they are good parents?
What were you doing before you moved back in with your parents?
I just completed my first year of art school.
Oh did you learn anything?
Not?
Really, you didn't learn anything.
Well, I learned some stuff, but you know, I learned more about people than I did in my classes, you know what I mean?
Tell me more? What did you learn about people?
I learned about how most people go to college because of their parents and not because you know, they actually want to, of course, But you know, I went to art school because, you know, my grandparents told me to go. So I don't know, and I'm considering, you know, maybe not doing it for four years because it's kind of a scam. But you know, I'm not on it.
Here's what well, here's this is all it has always been my position. So, okay, so your grandparents said that you should go. Are they paying for it?
They are paying for it, so I'm probably gonna keep going, Okay.
My position, My position is that if you have to take out any loans to go to art school, you should totally not do it. But if your grandparents want you to go and they want to pay for it,
you should totally do it the whole time. Yeah, you get it, No, because there's the thing like it like if you can it if someone else is willing to like front that for you, and like in their eyes, like they want it for you, they think it would be good for you, especially if it's something it sounds like, I assume like you want it to go to art school, right, Like it's it doesn't sound like it's a it's a thing where like you know, it's the you're being forced
to do something you don't want to do, Like it sounds like you want to do it. It's like they're sending it to med school or some shit.
This is true because I have a friend who's going to be a doctor and he has to pay for it all by himself.
Yeah, yeah, but that's not a terrible idea for him as much of a terrible idea. It would be a terrible idea for you to go to art school and pay for it. But the thing is, and here's the thing, right because if if you're if your grandparents are wanting to pay for it, now you just get to how old are you?
Oh, I'm only eighteen.
See this is perfect because now for like four years you can kind of just dick around and like experiment with You get like a little safety bed, you know what I mean. You get a little like four years of like let me like meet people and fuck around and make ship and kind of like discover myself before it's time to figure out how to make money. So it is a positive thing.
It is.
It is a legit gift. Your grandparents are your grandparents aren't really sending you to college. Your grandparents are giving you four years to dick around and sort of figure out who you are and what you want to do. And that is helpful. But if you have to pay, if you have to, there's easier ways to do that than paying for it out of pocket. But again, if your parents wanted to pay for it, it's it's a it's a good it's a good deal. Well, so you're
learning about people? What? Uh? Okay? What made you want to go to at school?
Honestly, I just like drawing pictures.
And sorry, they're gonna stop there, go ahead.
Well it's more than just drawing pictures, you know what I mean. But like, if you have a talent, you're told to capitalize on it. So and I didn't want to take classes I didn't care about I wanted to take classes about drawing pictures.
What do you like to draw pictures of?
I like to draw pictures of people, of animals, of like, I don't know, just stuff.
I like whatever.
I feel, Like, what.
Do you hope to do for the future.
I just want to like be happy, that's all I want.
What do you think would make you happy?
I think I want to make an enough money to live in, you know, maybe like a one bedroom apartment. I think that's good enough for me until I'm like, you know, I want to say twenty, because dude, I'm only eighteen years old.
You want to make enough money to live in a one bedroom apartment until you're twenty.
Dude, I like have no plans for the future. I just plan to go to art school and then that doesn't work out, I'll go somewhere else. I'll like be Okay, I work at a noodle restaurant. I can be a noodle cooker.
You'd be happy to be a noodle cooker.
I am a noodle cooker. I work for a big noodle restaurant. Dude, I'm not lying to I swear. I texted you a lot of times, and I deleted the text because it sounds like I was lying. But I wasn't lying, because.
I don't I if you were going to lie about doing something, I would hope it would be I mean, I believe that you're a noodle cooker. I believe that you work at a restaurant and you cook noodles. It's not a crazy thing to say. So you're telling me that you would be happy continuing to cook noodles indefinitely.
I could see myself cooking noodles for to get myself through college, to be honest.
Cool.
What's your name again? My name is Michael, Michael Michael. Everything about your demeanor so far indicates to me that I think you're going to be fine.
I think I'm going to be fine too, Like I think.
You're going to be fine. Lucky, said my friend.
And I know I wouldn't want to be a doctor, so you know, but I'll be I'll be a guy on the phone, you know, cooking noodles and drawing pictures.
Hear me, Oh, I can hear you.
Yeah, I think that's all. I think that's all I have to say, mister Gecko.
All right, man, well yeah, I'm rooting for you. I think, uh, I think you're gonna be fine. Whatever you end up doing. Drawing pictures, eating noodles, making noodles, doing them both. I think you're gonna be fine.
I think you're gonna be fine. Mister Gheto.
You gotta really you think so? You think I'm gonna be okay?
Yeah, dude, you get to go to so many cool places that I wish I could get to go to.
You'll get to go to. Don't worry, you'll get to go to them. Where do you want to go? Let's talk about this real quick. Where do you want to go?
I want to go to Thailand first, Okay, I want to go I don't know, just anywhere else. I'll go anywhere?
Sure, Yeah, I mean, don't give me your address, yeah, vaguely? Where do you live? I am curious.
I live in the Midwest area.
Okay, do you live near a major city or yeah? Yeah, do you live near a major city or do you live near like in the middle of kind of nowhere.
I come from the middle of nowhere, but I go to school and a not I go to school somewhere.
Okay, Yeah, you're in the Midwest. Have you ever left the Midwest?
Yes, I have left the Midwest, but you know, the farthest I've ever gone was Canada. And you know, Canada's pretty cool, but like I would not live in Canada. No hate to Canada.
Yeah. Well, you got a lot of places to go, uh go check out, should you want to check them out? That's what's exciting, man, That truly, that's what like, uh not to say I'm like over it or anything, but like, fuck, you know that nothing beats like the first time you get to go to certain places.
You know.
Yeah, it's like exploring the map, you know what I mean exactly?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like going to Japan for the first time, going to Europe for first time, seeing all the all the all the places in America you've never seen for the first time. Like it's kind of it's a little bit like doing MDMA, where it's like the first nothing ever beats the first time.
I think I'm a little too young to do that one. Not going to do that one.
No, I am not suggesting at all that you do MDMA. But I do think it's good to travel like I remember, fucking yeah, the first times. I would like solo travel and like Europe and shit like it. Just with the first time when it's all very like novel and cool, it's I'm nostalgic for that.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I'm definitely gonna go in the future when I can, but you know, I'm kind of stuck working my job at the noodle place.
Oh dude, you'll get there. I I again, I have no thoughts whatsoever that anything.
That.
I think You're gonna be fine. You'll get to go to places, you get to draw plent I believe in your life you're gonna get to go many places, You're gonna draw many pictures, You're gonna make many noodles. The world.
Will.
We'll bat you around a little bits, as it does to us all, but I believe that you have a good outer shell to withstand the battery.
Yeah, is there anything else?
Please go please?
Is that.
On the top floor of my school? Uh there's a student with a post review and it's signed and you're not and you're like, you're not naked, but you're not wearing the full Get Go costume. And I thought that was pretty funny.
Oh wait, is it the one where I'm like in a in a bikini.
You're lifting a like a little blue weight.
I think I'm very uncomfortable that that is posted up at a high school somewhere.
It's not a high school. I'm the I just I graduated from high school.
Don't worry, bro, Okay this was that. This is at the art school. Yes, okay, all right, that's that's I have the summer.
I don't want to dogs myself, so but I do have a summer birthday. So you know, I'm kind of young. I'm kind of little, but you know, I like listening to people talk to the gecko on the phone. I've been doing it since I was very young.
What's your name again?
My name is Michael.
Michael.
Good luck, Michael, Thanks Geck.
Go see you in the universe. I'll see you, Michael. Michael's going to be all right, Michael's going to be just fine. Okay, what's up?
Man? How much? Man? Wait?
What's your name again?
Chris?
Chris Chris. From the beginning, I told you that we might know. I told you that we might not ever talk again, and I meant it in that moment, but I thought it would be kind of fun to have you be the first caller and then have it end like that, and then have it and then we'll end the episode with you again.
Oh wow, honored, that's crazy. And I was told I was willing to accept that shake. I was like, you know what, I had my chance. I honestly, I was satisfied with the amount of time I was able to talk to you, and you know, but this is great. I'm glad to be back.
Okay, let's wrap this up in the next ten minutes. Why are you concerned about the greater fate of the universe? Is that's right? That's how we left off last time.
I believe, Yeah, like the.
Basically like I kind of feel like my immediate surroundings are taken care of, but then the external stuff is what it's harder to feel comfortable and good about, you know, like feel security.
From you know, m.
Such as such as what.
Oh, mostly just like the like political stuff, some local legislation stuff I mentioned earlier. I work like with programming, and you know, that's like the type thing is like a bunch of people being laid off from it. And so I'm like, well, I kind of got like the bachelors and this, So I would really appreciate it if you didn't like take my money away from me, you know, like my job, you know, and so but like that's all kind of above out and outside of my immediate
control in like a big scheme way. And so that's where like a lot of the anxiety and fears quote unquote you know come from hm hmm. If that make sense.
It makes a lot of sense. Yes, it makes sense that you are nervous about the future of the planet, but you have it. I don't know, I've gone on this fucking spiel a ton on this podcast about like unprecedentedness is extremely precedented, We've only ever lived in unprecedented
times type of shit. Yeah, And I'm sorry, I do genuinely dislike when people say that, like like people get really anxious about like I mean, we have like you know, whatever Trump and fucking war and fucking AI Like yeah, sure, there's a lot of crazy stuff, but like bro that, like we had World War Two, we had like less less than a hundred years ago, the world was at war, and yeah, the Hitler doing a bunch of crazy stuff. People America had a civil war. There has been industrial
revolutions for fucking centuries upon centuries. There's been giant there's been giant plagues and massive fucking slaughterings, and like, I don't know, like none of this none of people might shut on me for it, but I'll stand my ground on I think none of this ship is like new you know us.
Yeah, And it's like and like people have obviously gotten through it, and that doesn't mean just because you they got through it doesn't mean like it was fun to get yeah, you know what I mean, and came out the other end better, uh, or like the outcome was better. Not necessarily they came out the other end of like the struggle better, you know. But I think one of the ways I'm dealing with it is like that's a good realization to be like, look, the nice thing is,
I guess is what I'm trying to get at. It's like I'm not the only one film in this way you know, and so there's like some form of community and being like, hey, can we like do anything about this, like can we change this? Like what can I do to alleviate personal anxieties about things that fills out of
your control? And so I've been getting and what I've decided to do is to like try and do something at like a local municipal level so I can like try and fix the things around me that I can actually have more vision into and like go to city council meetings and stuff, and that has helped.
Man.
I also just think, like I also just think, like, okay, back, all right, argument for natalism m hm. And because the first time I called you, way back when all those many minutes ago, I was going on the whole nihilistic fucking thing about raising a kid to stuff forever, I
think what, okay, pro natalism argument. I think one of the best things that you can do for a nailing world, should you be in the position to do it, actually, is to like have a kid and like give them a good life and teach them like good values and shit, so that they can go on to like be positive
productive members of society and have positive productive lives. Because if human because right, because we're because we're worried about the existential threats of the universe that cause mass human suffering. But mass human suffering, but human suffering as like a cohesive, all encompassing thing is built up of, you know, all of the individual humans that exist on Earth. And your daughter is one of the individual humans that exist on Earth, as are you one of the individual humans they exist
on Earth. So to the degree in which you can alleviate your own suffering and alleviate your daughter's suffering and create a good life for her, you are contributing in what I believe to be a substantial way to alleviating the mass human suffering of the entire Earth.
Yeah, and I think that's like a it's like flipping like the one big Like a lot of people who are like pronated lists, they seem also really like enamored, enamored and obsessed with like this idea of like leaving
behind a legacy. So it's like they're like but like in a really gross way that you see from like a lot of especially like some people in like the Texters are like I need to have a ton of kids, so like I'm never forgotten and like I have a legacy, and you know, it's just like a bunch of like
little mees running everywhere. But you're like flipping that on the head and being like, well, also if you're like do we just want them to have just a world full of them later, then like if I have the capacity to influence the future in like a better way and like a more responsible way, that could also be a good motivator to or like a good argument to
like have a kid. You know, it probably shouldn't be your only reason for having a kid, but definitely we'll get you maybe over a few humps or anxieties about like the responsibilities you you will take on.
You know, you know, I also have this thing of like, you know, I've lived. I feel like I've like experienced a lot of feelings and events and things to the point where I'm like, like, I feel like I feel like I've navigated some emotions mentally and whatnot to the point where I'm like, huh, I could really try to help you know, uh, a human being that I really care about. That's like going through the motions of existing
to like give them a better roadmap. Like I guess, like like the the new generation should always be smarter in that in that sense. Yeah, and that's that's good. That's a possive, that is a positive.
I agree, yeah, and I'm not.
Thinking about it not so nihilistically.
Go ahead, oh I was gonna say, and like even like that's just like a positive in like the like you can do that and you'd like you don't even need a kid to do that, right, you can like try and that's true. Yeah, like volunteer at like uh like do like not tutoring, but the words escaping me not like a boy's home or something. But you know, you can try and influence the younger generation in a positive way with your experience and it doesn't necessarily have to be.
Like your kid, you know what I mean, totally totally, So.
You know, and I think there's a lot of people, like I think your show does help a lot, Like it's I live in a very like homogeneous part of the United States, and so you don't get like a lot of give from viewpoints, you know, then it it has helped a lot to be like, man, people live in the whole universes out in these people's lives, you know what I mean, Like.
Yeah, dude, it's crazy we know too much, we know too much about the world that actually, maybe that's kind of what I think. Actually, that's kind of one of my theories as to why, uh, like we're so anxious because we we just have we have more information, We have an unpressed we have the most okay to Devil's advocate, my own everything is unprecedented thing. We have the most information about the entirety of all of everything and everyone,
all the time ever than anyone else has. And I think that that makes us that makes us freak out a little bit.
Mm hmm, Yeah, like gives you like it does like push a definitely more nihilistic kind of thing. You're like, they're just I can't, like I can't fix all of this, you know what I mean? Like you know too much about the world and too many and a lot of that A lot of that is good, but a lot of it is also like really bad, and it's really tough to like focus on the good and like push for a better day tomorrow than just being like, holy cow,
there's so many there's so much suffering. How do I even like parse all of it?
Chris, Yeah, is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go.
Oh, yes, what was I gonna say? I texted it to you. You. I was listening to the most recent one before this one with the lady from Iran, and you were talking about how we need it, Uh probably for no, Yeah, I think it's not likely.
Not likely. But that's but that's not that's two words. I need one word.
Oh, just a single word.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm not like, they want.
To do something later and I'm like, not likely. That's okay, all right, all right, all right, unlikely, unlikely.
Oh, there you go.
There you go, unlikely. That's the probably for now. There we go.
So awesome.
Well, thanks for calling man.
I'll see your in the universe. Chris, see in the universe.
Talk to her, but.
You hang up first? Is he gonna do it? Is he gonna hang up?
Oh?
Right, see you, Chris? He hung up. Oh my god.
Wow.
This was a great episode of the podcast. This is I gotta stop trying so hard to do this. I gotta start dicking around more. I used to dick around with this more. I gotta dick around more. It's more fun. Still works, folks. Has been the Therapy Gecko podcast. I'm a Gecko I'm Lyle. I'm on the road. I'm going to California in about four hours. If you're in San Diego, I'm doing a show the American Comedy Company, The Night of whenever this airs. If you're in Los Angeles Wednesday,
May sixth, I'm doing a show. If you're in a bunch of other places and go to therapy, get gootour dot com. I'm doing shows this week. Fuck either Monday or Tuesday. I try. I was trying to get it all done in time. I just fucking couldn't. But my Ukraine documentary is almost done. I'm very excited about it. My uh, these documentaries have been getting me, uh getting me real fired up. They've been getting me real fired up.
I think I'm gonna go to Somali Land next. Uh we'll figure out what that's gonna be.
Like.
I just got back from Japan a couple whatever is ago. I'm feeling a little crazy. But when I'm ready to go on a random journey again, it'll probably be Somali Land. India looks cool, China looks cool. Antarctica it's a lot of places I want to run around and be a get go and uh, we got time. There's still people here, there's still people listening to this show. There's still people
hanging out. So we'll do things. We'll live life, we'll have fun, we'll try our best, and I'm gonna go to bed, get bless you, and I will see you all in another life or in another episode of the podcast. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Everyone's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be fine. Woo, all right, how do I turn this off? How do I turn this off? Okay? All right, okay, Never goes on the line taking your phone calls every night.
Never be goes.
Doing and ride.
He's teaching you aloud in the livery line, but he's not really an expert.