But You Look So Good

Summary

RISK! – “But You Look So Good” (June 30, 2026) Podcast Summary by AI

Episode Theme: The Disconnect Between Outward Appearance and Inner Struggle

This episode of RISK! explores the disconnect between what someone looks like and what they’re actually experiencing inside—physically, emotionally, even spiritually. Hosted by Kevin Allison, the show features two deeply personal stories: Andy Jackson recounts the emotional minefield of dealing with cancer and the isolating, sometimes harmful things people say with good intentions, while Cheddar M. Galloway offers an unflinching look at addiction’s grip, how outward composure can mask internal chaos, and the long road to recovery. Both stories confront how appearances can be deceiving, inviting empathy and deeper honesty in how we talk to—and support—one another.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Episode Framing

   • [02:27] Kevin Allison introduces the episode’s theme: “How hard it is to tell how someone is really doing based on how you’re seeing them.”
   • The title, “But You Look So Good,” echoes a refrain that often glosses over real suffering.

2. Story One: “What People Say” by Andy Jackson

   • [03:43–15:15]

   • Andy recalls being isolated during ovarian cancer treatment and wrestling with the impact of well-meant, but hurtful, comments from others.

   • Key Story Elements:

     • The story opens with a neighbor delivering a casserole and making the infamous comment, “None of us knows when we will die. I could walk out that door and get hit by a bus.” (Andy Jackson, 03:43)
     • Andy describes feeling invisible, misunderstood, and alienated by comments like “But you look so good,” which ignore her pain.
     • There’s a tension between people meaning well and not knowing what to say—sometimes resulting in minimizing, dismissing, or even bizarre commentary (diet tips, miracle cures, spiritual bypassing).
     • A moment of vulnerability: after the neighbor leaves, Andy mutters aloud in frustration, “For fuck’s sake, who’s getting hit by all these fucking buses?” (Andy Jackson, 10:39)
     • Andy lists an emotional, poetic litany of the types of advice and “reassurances” she received—a powerful sequence that lays bare common wounds inflicted by platitudes (“But you look so good, like a healthy person,” “You are so strong and brave and thin,” “None of us knows how long we’ll be here. I could walk out that door and get hit by a bus.”).
     • Writing becomes Andy’s way of processing the pain (“When I finished my writing, I shut off my computer and I did feel a little bit lighter. But mostly I was exhausted.” Andy Jackson, 13:06)
     • Years later, Andy looks back with more understanding and grace, acknowledging that while no one means harm, their words made a hard time even harder.

   • Memorable Quotes:

     • “Out of all the stupid things people said to me back then, this was the one I hated the most.” (Andy Jackson, 09:15)
     • “When I was going through it, I didn’t hear just one comment. I heard all of them. They lived in my head with me during a time where my stress was at its highest.” (Andy Jackson, 14:50)
     • “We can also do better.” (Andy Jackson, 15:09)

3. Story Two: “The Devil Tempts” by Cheddar M. Galloway

   • [23:29–36:27]

   • Cheddar recounts a period consumed by crystal methamphetamine use, the relentless energy required to keep up appearances, and pivotal moments on the path to sobriety.

   • Key Story Elements:

     • Opens with a missed HIV specialist appointment due to partying; this echoes past patterns and dangers.
     • Cheddar details the extremity of use—injecting meth (“shooting darts”) and the overwhelming, Hulk-like transformation it brought, especially with sexual urges compounded by drug use.
     • His apartment, nicknamed “Galloway’s Bed, Breakfast, and Brothel,” becomes an epicenter of meth-fueled sex parties. (Cheddar M. Galloway, 25:44)
     • Humor and candor mix as he describes the absurdity and risk of the lifestyle, including shooting up while driving: “I had gotten so reckless in my use with the drugs that I’m ashamed to say I actually shot up one time while driving on Interstate 85.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 26:54)
     • An attempt to maintain composure—makeup, Visine, hiding symptoms—highlights how easy it can be to “look good” (or normal) while struggling.
     • At the doctor’s office, caught out by high blood pressure, Cheddar’s honesty opens a potential path for help: a referral to “Icebreakers,” a meth support group.
     • The family reunion: Cheddar is forced to travel with sisters while coming down from meth—a miserable, paranoia-fueled, sweaty ordeal, darkly comedic in its retelling (“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? ... Then she got creative. She mixed it up. How much further is this? Texas.” Cheddar M. Galloway, 31:51)
     • His “apology tour” with family allows for reconciliation and support: “That’s okay, we understand. We still love you. And we hugged and made up.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 33:46)
     • Recovery is not linear—support groups didn’t work for Cheddar, relapses occurred, but a shocking revelation (his dealer arrested for being a child predator) became the moment of clarity that enabled him to walk away from drugs for good.
     • He closes with an African proverb: “The devil tempts, but he doesn’t force.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 36:19)

   • Memorable Quotes & Moments:

     • “Drop your draws at the door and then go ho, ho, ho and a hoe. And away we went.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 25:46)
     • “Imagine going from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk in a matter of seconds and staying that way. A sexual rage monster for hours on end or days.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 25:19)
     • “That was my scared the fucking straight moment and I haven’t used any drugs since.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 35:22)
     • “The devil tempts, but he doesn’t force.” (Cheddar M. Galloway, 36:19)

4. Host Commentary & Reflections

   • [19:30] Kevin Allison offers context on Andy’s growth as a storyteller and the flexibility of RISK!’s workshops (“Some of the stories that people share in my workshops are writerly, you could say. Others are just improvised off the cuff…”).
   • [37:38] Kevin tags Cheddar’s story with admiration for his creative spirit and leadership among Black storytellers.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:27 – Introduction of episode theme and Andy’s story
• 03:43 – Andy Jackson, “What People Say”
  • 09:15 – “None of us knows when we will die…” neighbor comment
  • 10:39 – “For fuck’s sake, who’s getting hit by all these fucking buses?”
  • 11:24–14:45 – Litany of comments and advice Andy received during treatment
  • 14:50 – Reflections on how comments landed versus intent
• 19:30 – Kevin Allison’s post-story commentary on Andy
• 23:29 – Cheddar M. Galloway, “The Devil Tempts”
  • 25:19 – “Imagine going from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk…”
  • 25:44 – The “wall of porn” and Galloway’s parties
  • 26:54 – Reckless drug use and shooting up while driving
  • 31:51 – Family reunion road trip (“Are we there yet?” montage)
  • 33:46 – “We still love you. And we hugged and made up.”
  • 35:22 – Dealer’s arrest and Cheddar’s breaking point (“scared the fucking straight moment”)
  • 36:19 – “The devil tempts, but he doesn’t force.”
• 37:38 – Host closes with context and Cheddar’s storytelling background

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Notable Quotes (with Attribution & Timestamp)

• “For fuck’s sake, who’s getting hit by all these fucking buses?” — Andy Jackson, 10:39
• “But you look so good, like a healthy person.” — Andy Jackson, 12:17
• “When I was going through it, I didn’t hear just one comment. I heard all of them. They lived in my head…” — Andy Jackson, 14:50
• “Drop your draws at the door and then go ho, ho, ho and a hoe. And away we went.” — Cheddar M. Galloway, 25:46
• “Imagine going from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk in a matter of seconds...” — Cheddar M. Galloway, 25:19
• “That was my scared the fucking straight moment and I haven’t used any drugs since.” — Cheddar M. Galloway, 35:22
• “The devil tempts, but he doesn’t force.” — Cheddar M. Galloway, 36:19

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Takeaways

• Suffering and struggle are often invisible; empathy requires seeing beyond appearances.
• Words intended to comfort can cut deeply—listen, validate, and avoid minimizing another’s reality.
• Recovery—whether from illness or addiction—is non-linear and fraught with setbacks, but moments of clarity or outside intervention can spark lasting change.
• “But you look so good” can be a silencing phrase, ignoring the invisible toll of inner battles.

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This episode combines humor, grit, and candor to challenge listeners to look closer, listen better, and be gentler with ourselves and others when facing hardship.

Transcript

[Kevin Allison]

On this episode of Risk, you'll hear,

[Andy Jackson]

for fuck's sake, who's getting hit by all these fucking buses?

[Kevin Allison]

And you'll hear, drop your draws at

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

the dough and then go ho ho ho.

[Kevin Allison]

And meet Kevin Allison on the show where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to

[Kevin Allison (voiceover/promos)]

risk.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

Evening Buyer's Remorse Buy a new car. I'll be moving in. Let's get started.

[Carvana Ad Voice]

Sorry, I think there's been a mistake. I bought it from Carvana.

[Benjamin Boster]

You what?

[Carvana Ad Voice]

Yeah, great price. I even have seven days to love it or return it. So there's no, no, no Buyer's remorse. More like Buyers rejoice.

[Kevin Allison]

I guess I'll let myself out.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

Congratulations. I mean it.

[Carvana Ad Voice]

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[Andy Jackson]

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[Andy Jackson]

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[Kevin Allison]

Okay folks, this is Wandering Stranger behind me now and we're calling this week's episode but yout look so Good. How hard it is to tell how someone is really doing based on how you're seeing them. And to start things off, here's a story by Andy Jackson. Andy has been a student of mine in my online storytelling workshop. She's taken it three times now, and I've been so moved to see how far she's come. I'm always teaching people that a story can be about a day to day experience that didn't even take that long to happen and didn't necessarily involve all kinds of overt drama. And here's proof. It's Andy Jackson with a story we call what people say.

[Andy Jackson]

None of us knows when we will die. I could walk out that door and get hit by a bus. The woman who had just said this to me was standing in my doorway holding a casserole. She was a mom from my son's school. This was about 12 years ago, and I had recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. And if you don't know anything about that cancer, it is the most lethal gynecologic cancer. There is a greater chance of dying from ovarian cancer than there is of surviving it. I think people realize that going through cancer and its treatment is difficult. But what people might not understand is just how much what they say can have a really negative effect. Now, many years later, I can give grace about all of that. It is sometimes really hard to know what to say, and none of us are perfect. Back then, however, when I was going through it, comments were often hurtful, dismissive, and added to my feelings of isolation. So this one day, I was all alone in the house. My then husband was at work and my son was at his summer job. Now, every day going through cancer was really hard. Every single day was really hard. But some days were harder than hard. And this was one of those days. The doorbell rang. Now, usually I wouldn't open the door back then because my immune system was weakened from chemotherapy and that means I was at greater risk for infection. So I saw all other humans as dangerous walking germs. If I had caught a bad infection, they would have to reschedule chemotherapy until it cleared. And I just wanted it all to end as soon as it possibly could without any delays. So when I decided to answer the door that day, in my mind I was taking a big risk. But I was feeling really alone. And I thought it might be worth it to have some human interaction. So I opened the door and I invited the woman to step inside. She looked amazing. She had on a perfectly fitted outfit. She had this beautiful head of hair, thick and long, resting in this honey blonde wave at her shoulders. She had on this cute navy blue top that made her blue eyes pop. And I remember noticing her really lush long eyelashes and her thick, perfectly groomed eyebrows. In stark contrast, I was wearing what might look like a bizarre get up, but for me it was all about comfort. So I had on this orange paisley muumu dress. And if you're not sure what a muumu dress is, think tent doesn't cling anywhere. And this thing went all the way down to my ankles. It was super comfortable. I loved it. But it was a little bit chilly. You know, I was cold in it. So over that, I was wearing this off white crocheted knee length cardigan sweater. And this thing had wide, vibrant green stripes and it was a little bit frayed at the bottom, like hippie style. And I loved this sweater. The texture was really soft and it was just the right weight on me. So it wasn't too heavy or bulky, it wasn't too light. It kept me warm. But yes, it absolutely clashed with the orange paisley of my dress. On my feet, I had on childlike owl slippers that were brown with big white owl eyes and an orange triangle for the beak. And to top this all off, I had on my favorite hat at the time, which was a dark green, really soft wool baseball hat that mostly covered my 100% bald head. Because, yes, at that point in my treatment, I had lost all of the hair on my body. So there we stood in the small entryway between the open door and the white banister staircase, just kind of awkwardly taking each other in. I don't think she expected me to open the door. She seemed a little bit nervous. Her voice was a little bit squeaky, but she was nice. She was like, hey, Andy, we're all thinking of you. And you look, you look good. How are you? So I said back to her, you know, thanks for the food. It's really helpful. And then I told her, because she asked, actually, I'm really struggling today. And as soon as I said that, she seemed to tense up. She took a little bit, like a step back away from me. And she was just clearly more uncomfortable now. Then she said, none of us knows when we will die. I could walk out my door and get hit by a bus, which made me flinch. I thanked her for the casserole again and shut the door quickly behind her. And I just paused there for a moment. Out of all the stupid things people said to me back then, this was the one I hated the most. So now I felt worse. I had taken the risk of opening the door to dangerous human germs, and now I felt even worse. I walked into the kitchen and banged the casserole down, which made the sauce in it spill over the edge. And I said out loud to no one, for fuck's sake, who's getting hit by all these fucking buses? And I went to run my fingers through my hair, forgetting for a moment that I had no hair, and accidentally knocked off my favorite hat. And it flopped down in that sauce and I just couldn't take it anymore. It was just all too much. I hated how different everything was in my life. I missed my hair, my eyelashes, my eyebrows. I missed my healthy body and energy. I was so tired of being in pain. And I hated how people were so uncomfortable around me. Everything felt unbearably heavy. Tears welled up in my eyes and I started to cry. I gripped the sides of the countertop and I just let myself cry. I watched my tears quietly splash onto the floor, creating little mini puddles of sadness. After a while, I stood up, took a deep breath, wiped my tears, and did what I always do with unresolved emotion. I sat down at my computer and I wrote about it. And here is what I wrote, inspired by Casserole mom and so many others. What? People say. You have cancer, but you haven't been sick a day in your life. How did that happen? It's just not right. Be sure to eat turmeric. Drink green tea. Cut out all sugar and dairy.

[Priceline Negotiator]

Mmm.

[Andy Jackson]

Practice daily yoga, meditation, and definitely Tai Chi. Stay away from Shadow Fruits so you won't get sicker. You should go to Anderson or the Mayo Clinic, maybe even Mexico, Canada or Europe. Eat a raw vegan diet and you are sure to beat it. But you look so good, like a healthy person. My friend had that cancer and she died. It seems like everyone is getting it. They're dropping like flies. Well, I don't need to worry. I take care of my body. I eat healthy and exercise. Chemotherapy kills the immune system. Don't you know it's a conspiracy and you're too young. Instead, just start juicing. Be positive, be grateful, and be sure to have fun. With that type of cancer, you surely won't last. You are so strong and brave and thin. I have the worst sore throat, so I know how you feel. I have back pain, too. It's just old age. None of us knows how long we'll be here. I could walk out that door and get hit by a bus. Chemotherapy, but no radiation. Gosh. Do you think that's enough? Did your hair fall out everywhere? You should eat more. You've lost too much weight. Leaving the house without your wig. How could you dare? Oh, you're not dead yet. When I finished my writing, I shut off my computer and I did feel a little bit lighter. But mostly I was exhausted. So I forced myself to slowly shuffle outside to the backyard deck. I laid down on my zero gravity lounge chair, closed my eyes, and took a nap in the warm, warm sun, which was always a no risk. Wonderful choice. Thirteen years after I've survived going through cancer and its treatment, those comments are much softer. They land softer to me. I can look back on that and have a lot of understanding and grace. None of them were said with ill intention. I'm human too. I say the wrong things sometimes. None of us are perfect. But when I was going through it, I didn't hear just one comment. I heard all of them. They lived in my head with me during a time where my stress was at its highest. So I get it. It's really hard to be around somebody facing something so life threatening. But we can also do better.

[Kevin Allison]

Hey folks, have you ever wondered what

[Patreon Shoutout Reader]

you should do if you run into

[Kevin Allison]

a bear while hiking? Or maybe you want to know about a single leopard that killed over a hundred people in India? If you've got thoughts like these, do I have a show for you. Tooth and Claw is a storytelling podcast that takes listeners through tales of hair raising and often violent encounters with wildlife, as well as the often very human reasons behind the attacks. Story topics cover everything from a black bear rampaging through a hot springs and leaving two people dead in its wake to the unbelievable story of the survivors of the USS Indianapolis and their four day battle with hungry sharks. The best part is that it's led by a wildlife biologist and animal behavior expert, and his analysis of these stories might just help you avoid a similar encounter. A good starting point is the recent episode the Twisted Tale of Travis the Chimpanzee. It's a chilling story of a depressed chimpanzee who took his anger out on an unsuspecting woman and changed her life forever. Listen to Tooth and Claw today and get better informed before you venture out into the great outdoors. Just search Tooth and Claw on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Priceline Negotiator]

Bonjour, compadre, it's the Priceline negotiator. How do I negotiate so many great travel deals? My greatest gadget? The Priceline app. It's got hotel deals, flight deals, rental car deals, all of those deals in a bundle deals, game day deals, concert trip deals. No one deals more deals than Priceline. Hold your horses, there's more. The app lets you filter hotels by neighborhood vibe, star level, and amenities like pools and spas and beach fronts and. Wait, I'm not done. Stop cutting me up.

[Kevin Allison (voiceover/promos)]

Priceline.

[Benjamin Boster]

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast with Benjamin Boster. If you're tired of sleepless nights, you'll love the I Can't Sleep podcast. I help quiet your mind by reading random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. Each episode provides enough interesting content to hold your attention, and then your mind lets you drift off. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. That's I Can't Sleep with Benjamin Boster.

[Kevin Allison (voiceover/promos)]

Hey, do you have trouble sleeping? Then maybe you should check out the Sleepy Podcast. It's a show where I read old books in the public domain to help you get to sleep. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom. Classic stories like A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, Winnie the Pooh. Stories that are great for kids and adults alike. So whether you have a tough time snoozing or just like a good bedtime story, fluff up the cool side of your pillow and tune into Sleepy. Unless you're driving, then please don't listen to Sleepy. Find Sleepy wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Sunday. Sweet dreams.

[Kevin Allison]

This is Risk. This is Rafter behind me now, and we just heard from Andy Jackson, who I'm excited to know is thinking of taking my online storytelling workshop a fourth time. She said, I'm just getting started sharing my story. It's been 12 years since my cancer diagnosis. I'm finally ready to start sharing, and it's thanks to Risk. I'm hoping she writes a memoir or starts a substack. Some of the stories that people share in my workshops are writerly, you could say. Some others are just improvised off the cuff, and some others are workshopped and rehearsed but still presented quite conversationally. So there's lots of flexibility in that course. Now I'm in the process of creating a far more structured, nitty gritty, step by step course for practical and strategic storytelling, for job interviews, college application reviews, pitch meetings, networking events, ceremonial toast, podcast appearances, and so on. This is going to be a course on how to share stories in real life where you prepare five stories, workshopping versions that last only one minute to tell, and versions that can take up to five minutes to tell, depending on how much time you have in that real life situation. And you leave that course with five stories that you can definitely use again and again in your life that show who you are, what you care about, what you faced, how you connect with people and where you're going. So email me at kevinrisk-show.com to learn about either my standard workshop for creative personal Expression or my upcoming workshop for practical and strategic storytelling. Folks, Baby Beast Roxy is our latest. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'M not well, I'm very sick. But making making the podcast. Anyway, I was just saying Baby Beast Roxy is our latest Patreon member and Christ, good Lord in heaven, is she pretty much my favorite person named Baby Beast Roxy. There are times when I find myself singing her name. Who wouldn't, who wouldn't burst into song every now and then about good old Baby Beast Roxy? And folks, you never know if helping, if helping us out on Patreon might just get you a happy little tune. Also, the amazing Stuart Jacobson has a bonus story on Patreon this week.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

You know, fuck Dr. Wallace, fuck my letter, I'm gonna quit.

[Kevin Allison]

Joining our Patreon helps make it possible for risk to continue to exist or upping your current support level at patreon.com risk or you can make a one time donation through Zelle to kevinrisk-show.com or go to PayPal me riskshow. Next up, a story from Cheddar M. Galloway. It's a story we call the Devil Tempts.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

It's July 2005 and I walk into my apartment. The message light's blinking on the answering machine. I hit the play button.

[Patreon Shoutout Reader]

Boom.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

Cheddar, this is your doctor's office. Don't forget you've got an appointment today at 1 o'.

[Kevin Allison (voiceover/promos)]

Clock.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

My heart sank. I had forgotten about it, just as like I'd forgotten about the previous two appointments. And it was for the exact same reason. I'd been out all night partying on crystal methamphetamines. And this wasn't just any doctor I could afford to miss again. This was my HIV specialist, so it was pretty serious. Now I knew I was in no condition to go in, especially considering how I'd been doing the drug of which there are many ways most people will smoke it in a glass pipe. Some might line it up and snort it like cocaine. But my preferred method was something we referred to as getting to the point or shooting darts by injecting it directly into your vein. And I did it that way because it was quick, it was clean and instant euphoria like you've never experienced. If I could describe it, imagine yourself on a hot summer day and you need a ice cold beverage to cool you down. And you take it and you drink it in one big gulp and it immediately revitalizes your whole body. Just imagine that feeling intensified a thousand times over. That's what a good hit of meth felt like running through my veins. Ice cold water that refreshed me from head to toe. Another way of describing this. Maybe if you're into comics, Imagine going from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk in a matter of seconds and staying that way. A sexual rage monster for hours on end or days. And that night, before my doctor's office, I had been a sexual lunatic at my drug dealers, which wasn't uncommon because either he would host parties or I would host orgies at my place. I often referred to it as Galloway's Bed, Breakfast and Brothel. Drop your draws at the door and then go ho, ho, ho and a hoe. And away we went. Because people were very comfortable at my place. Mainly because, like, Phil Spector, the music producer from the 60s, had the wall of sound. Well, I had the wall of porn, which made its own distinctive sounds. I mean, there were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Nine monitors of porn going at the same time. In fact, one guy walked in and was like, dude, this is like a sports bar, except that it's all porn. I don't know what to focus on, kid. I mean, it was nothing for me to have porn going 24 hours at the height of my addiction. While, you know, people find that funny or may laugh at it, what's not so funny is that I'd gotten so reckless in my. My use with the drugs that I'm ashamed to say I actually shot up one time while driving on Interstate 85. Thankfully, it wasn't a strong enough dose to knock me out or make me lose control and have an accident. So imagine knowing all that and what the drug could do. I still made the unwise decision to go to the doctor's office that day. So I cleaned up as best I could. I shaved the hair that had grown overnight because of the side effects of meth, put makeup on, Visine, red eyedrops, got my glass shaves, and I headed to the doctor's office. I got past the receptionist okay, but when I went into the examination room, that's when things took a turn for the worse. Because after the nurse put the sleeve on my arm and took a few quick pictures, pumps, she says, why is your blood pressure so high? And I lied and was like, I was working out. And she looked at me like a mother would who's about to scold a child and said, working out, huh? So she snatches the sleeve off and leaves abruptly. And a few minutes later, the doctor walks in, half smiling, half shaking his head, said, oh, oh, okay, Cheddar, let me know what I'm working with here. Crack, coke, weed, meth, ghb. Just let me know which one it is. And I said, it's meth. He says, okay, come with me, let's get you some help. So we go to his office and he reaches in one of his desk drawers and pulls out a business card. He says, this is the address to a methodic support group called Icebreakers. I want you to go there. That was the name. Get some, some help and come back and see us when you're doing better. So as I'm leaving the doctor's office in the hallway, I run into the nurse who taking my blood pressure and I apologize to her because this was a family practice and they really looked out for us. If, like we didn't have enough medicine or if we were a little short on our bill, they extended us out some. So she says, that's fine. I just go get some help and come back and see us when you're doing better. So I go home and instead of wallowing in self pity and coming down off the drug like most sane, rational people would have done because I had some product laying around, and to be frank, I didn't want to see it go to waste, I had Scotty beam me back up to the Enterprise, even though I knew there was another drama on the horizon. You see, later that evening, two of my sisters were driving in from North Carolina and they were going to pick me up here in Atlanta. And the three of us, we were going to the family reunion, yes, in San Antonio, Texas. Now, our reunions are a big deal because my dad was responsible for reviving them. So needless to say, by the time they arrive in Atlanta, I'm back in orbit, circling the globe at the speed of light. In fact, one of my sisters was like, cheddar, why are you moving around so fast? And I caught myself and was like, oh, I'm just making sure I don't delay us leaving on time. So we left around midnight or so and started heading towards San Antonio. And let me tell you, that road trip to San Antonio, Texas, was nothing short of sheer torture. 15 freaking hours in the hot, sweltering summer heat. And I'm sweating like a pig trying to get that stuff out of my body. I'm sweating because I'm nervous my sister's gonna find out what's going on. And I'm sweating because my sister, sister's air condition is working like the windshield wipers intermittently. And then about midway of the trip is when the side effects of meth started kicking in. You know, the paranoia, the irritability, you're cranky and getting a headache and a Lot of the headache had to do with what I call suffering from post traumatic horniness syndrome. And what that is, is you're coming down off the drug, you're still high, and you still have a dick full of cum that you need to fire off, but you can't because of the circumstances. So dealing with that and the fact of my sister in the backseat, who hadn't done a whole lot of traveling, asking that $10,000 question we've all heard before, Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Then she got creative. She mixed it up. How much further is this? Texas. When are we stopping? I need to eat. Are we there yet? Are we there yet? All the way to San Antonio, where there was delay after delay after delay. And what was supposed to be a 15 hour trip turned into an 18 hour odyssey to the depths of hell. So when we reach hell, I mean, San Antonio, I look like a drowned rat. But thankfully, that meant all that stuff had drained out of me. And the rest of the weekend was uneventful, as was the trip back home. So when we got back to Atlanta, I continued what I call my apology tour that I started at the doctor's office because I had been a complete bitch to my sisters on the way out there. And I was like, you know, look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act the way I did out of character, but I had something going on and they were like, that's okay, we understand. We still love you. And we hugged and made up. So the next week, I went to my first Icebreakers meeting to begin a long road to recovery. Long road, because I have to admit, that method of trying to get off drugs with a support group and 12 steps just didn't pan out for me. Mainly because I grew tired of going there, hearing people's sob stories or people coming there high, and it just wasn't working out for me. So eventually I stopped going altogether. In fact, it would take years for me to wean myself away from the drug after having relapsed, after relapsing, falling back into doing the same old things. Although there was a two year period where I'd quit cold turkey when I moved to the west coast to Portland, Oregon, and didn't do any drugs at all. However, when I moved back here, slowly but surely, I found my old habits slipping back into my routine and doing the same old things. But all of that came to a screeching halt in February of 2018. I was at home in my apartment and my best friend who did method with me sometimes, sent me a text message and said, you've got to read this right now and it was a link to a news article. I clicked on the link and it was about our drug dealer who'd been arrested but not for dealing drugs, for child grooming and being a child predator. And that freaked me the hell out because I had never had any inclination or any clues that would indicate he was involved in something like that. And also I was really panicking because a couple of months earlier, around New Year's Eve, in my attempts to try to sleep with him, I had sent him some nude photos to his phone. But thankfully he was strictly business and dismissed business with pleasure, no matter how handsome or I told him he was was. So upon getting that information, if you want to call it it, that was my scared the fucking straight moment and I haven't used any drugs since. Now I would be lying if I didn't say that someone has offered them to me or even that I had been tempted. However, when I think about the consequences of what I can lose, especially at this stage stage in life, I always wind up making the right decision and as I did learn in the support group, take things one day at a time. And when I am forced to face those temptations, I always keep this African proverb in mind which makes me do the right thing. And that is the devil tempts, but he doesn't force. Thank you.

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Sam Green with six tuckings.

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

Dressed in red Makeup man loses his

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hair

[Cheddar M. Galloway]

Woman black dress for $99 shoes.

[Kevin Allison]

This is Risk. This is JUU behind me now and we just heard from Cheddar M. Galloway. Cheddar Cheddar told that one the last time risk was in Atlanta in 2025. He is an avid runner who enjoys creating stories while he's running. Cheddar's also a toastmaster and the president elect for the national association of Black Storytellers. You can find out more@cheddar galloway.com now you all might be wondering if I plan on singing the names of other Patreon members who have signed up since the last two Patreon Picks episodes. And all I can say is time will tell

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folks.

[Kevin Allison]

Today's the day. Take a rest.

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