Two Holiday Classics with Kate Bohl

Summary

Podcast Summary: RISK! Episode - Two Holiday Classics with Kate Bohl

Podcast Information

• Title: RISK!
• Host: Kevin Allison
• Guests: Kate Bohl
• Episode Title: Two Holiday Classics with Kate Bohl
• Release Date: December 24, 2024
• Description: In this heartfelt episode, host Kevin Allison reunites with friend and storyteller Kate Bohl to revisit two classic holiday narratives. These stories, "Snow Globe" and "Close for the Duration," offer profound insights into human connection, kindness, and personal transformation, all set against the backdrop of the holiday season.

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1. Introduction

Kevin Allison warmly welcomes listeners to a special Christmas Eve episode, setting the stage for an intimate evening of storytelling. He shares the significance of the session, emphasizing the deep bond with his guest, Kate Bohl, and the poignant nature of the stories they are about to revisit.

"I have a feeling we're going to want to rerun it for many winter holiday seasons to come."
— Kevin Allison [02:17]

Allison also touches on Kate's recent transition in 2024, highlighting her resilience and the inspirational atmosphere she brings to the discussion.

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2. Story One: "Snow Globe"

Narrator: Kate Bohl delivers the first story, "Snow Globe," a beautifully crafted tale set during a severe blizzard in Brooklyn. The narrative unfolds in an old, charming bar where the protagonist, working late to avoid the storm, experiences an unexpected and magical encounter.

Key Elements of the Story:

• Setting: A historic Brooklyn bar with intricate architectural details, creating a warm and nostalgic ambiance amidst the raging storm.
• Encounter: A young woman seeks refuge from the blizzard, leading to a deep, soul-stirring interaction.
• Emotional Arc: From initial frustration and desire for solitude, the protagonist opens up to genuine connection, culminating in a heartfelt dance that symbolizes love and serendipity.
• Reflection: The protagonist likens the moment to being inside a snow globe—a perfect, unchanging snapshot of beauty and emotion.

Notable Quotes:

• "This is a snow globe moment. This perfect moment encased in glass, having no impact on anything that comes after, no connection with anything that came before."
  — Narrator [15:57]

• "I thank her silently for opening my eyes to the beautiful surprises that can come out of a snowstorm on a dark night."
  — Narrator [15:57]

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3. Reaction and Reflection on "Snow Globe"

After the first story, Kevin Allison and Kate Bohl engage in a moving discussion about the narrative's depth and emotional resonance. They express how the story's specific details and universal themes of unexpected kindness and connection make it a timeless piece.

"This story is so beautifully told."
— Kevin Allison [16:21]

Kate shares her amazement at how accurately the bar's description captured her own experiences, reinforcing the story's authenticity and emotional truth.

"That's how I knew that I had nailed it."
— Zycam Representative [17:46]

Both speakers acknowledge the story's ability to evoke deep emotions and its lasting impact, likening it to classic literary works that offer rich, immersive experiences.

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4. Story Two: "Close for the Duration"

Narrator: The second story, "Close for the Duration," delves into the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It recounts the closure of the Brooklyn Inn and the profound personal and financial struggles that ensued.

Key Elements of the Story:

• Closure Impact: The sudden shutdown of the beloved Brooklyn Inn leaves the protagonist feeling homeless and isolated during a global crisis.
• Acts of Kindness: Highlighting human resilience, the story showcases various acts of kindness, from supportive phone calls to direct financial assistance from strangers.
• Emotional Struggle: The protagonist grapples with fear, loneliness, and uncertainty, finding solace in unexpected gestures of support.
• Reflection: Emphasizes the importance of community, empathy, and the collective effort to overcome adversity.

Notable Quotes:

• "With all this darkness, with all of this fear and scariness going on, there is so much light as well."
  — Zycam Representative [37:59]

• "I believe that we all have this light inside of us and the way we are going to survive is collecting all of those lights together."
  — Zycam Representative [40:57]

• "These things can take you by such surprise. However, if you have your antenna out, if you are receptive, that's right. Toward the beauty out there that's exactly around you."
  — Kevin Allison [22:02]

---

5. Reaction and Reflection on "Close for the Duration"

Following the second narrative, Allison and Bohl engage in a heartfelt conversation about the profound themes presented. They discuss the transformative power of kindness and the vital role of community support during times of crisis.

"Kindness is important. Kindness is what is going to get us."
— Zycam Representative [37:42]

Allison draws parallels between the story and classic cinematic moments, appreciating the emotional depth and the universal relatability of the experiences shared.

"I think that that's an apt comparison."
— Zycam Representative [45:49]

Kate reflects on her personal journey, including her transition and the unwavering support from her community, further illustrating the episode's overarching theme of resilience and interpersonal connection.

---

6. Conclusion

As the episode draws to a close, Kevin Allison and Kate Bohl express their gratitude for the shared stories and the emotional journey they embarked upon together. Allison encourages listeners to engage with their own stories of kindness and connection, fostering a sense of community and shared humanity.

"It's just the thing to be putting out at that time. Take a risk."
— Kevin Allison [48:17]

The episode wraps up with a heartfelt farewell, inviting listeners to share their thoughts and continue the conversation on social platforms.

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Final Reflections:

This episode of RISK! masterfully intertwines personal narratives with universal themes of love, kindness, and resilience. Through "Snow Globe" and "Close for the Duration," listeners are reminded of the profound impact of human connections and the unexpected moments that can transform our lives. The authentic dialogue between Kevin Allison and Kate Bohl adds depth and relatability, making this episode a memorable addition to the RISK! series.

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Notable Moments:

• Emotional Depth: Both stories elicit strong emotional responses, demonstrating the power of storytelling in conveying complex human experiences.
• Personal Connections: Kate's transition and her reflections add layers of personal growth and acceptance, enriching the narratives' impact.
• Community and Kindness: The recurring theme of unexpected kindness highlights the importance of community support in overcoming personal and collective challenges.

Timestamp Highlights:

• Introduction and setting the scene: [02:17]
• "Snow Globe" narrative begins: [04:30]
• Emotional reactions post-story: [15:51]
• "Close for the Duration" narrative and reflections: [27:47]
• Concluding thoughts and invitations: [48:17]

---

For those who haven't tuned in, this episode offers a poignant exploration of human connection during challenging times, wrapped in the warmth of holiday storytelling. It's a testament to the enduring spirit of kindness and the beauty of unexpected moments that define our lives.

Transcript

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[Zycam Representative]

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[Kevin Allison]

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[Zycam Representative]

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[Kate Bowl]

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[Narrator]

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[Zycam Representative]

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[Kevin Allison]

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[Narrator]

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[Zycam Representative]

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[Kevin Allison]

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[Kevin Allison]

Hello folks, this is Risk, the show where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share. I'm Kevin Allison and we're releasing this episode on Christmas Eve 2024, but I have a feeling we're going to want to rerun it for many winter holiday seasons to come. For this episode, our dear friend Kate bowl came over to my apartment to sit down with me and listen to two classic holiday stories from our past. One is called Snow Globe and the other closed for the duration. The thing is, both of those stories were recorded years ago, before Kate transitioned. She transitioned in 2024, but back when the stories were told, Kate was called Kevin. I can't tell you how much I loved this experience of listening back to two stories that are so beautiful. Sitting on a couch with Kate, whose spirit, the love and joy that she emanates while having transitioned at such a challenging time in America for someone to be transitioning, I was just blown away. This was one of my favorite experiences of 2024. So without further ado, here I am with Kate Bowl. But first, the holiday classic. It's the story we call Snow Globe.

[Narrator]

There was a blizzard in Brooklyn. The snow was falling down heavily and there was talk of shutting down the subways. So I shut the bar down a little early that night to make sure that I could get home. But I also shut it down so that I could have the bar to myself in the blizzard. The bar where I work is one of the most beautiful bars in the city. It's over 130 years old. It's all hand carved wood, details everywhere. There's a proscenium with a giant mirror over the back bar with gargoyles in either corner, stained glass with the first owner's initials in a coat of arms. There are 18 foot ceilings with the original tin and a bar that is a single piece of mahogany from end to end. And there are huge windows out front with bars on them. When the bar is closed, I will sit in my perch behind the bar, enjoy the silence and perhaps read a book and definitely have a whiskey. In a snowstorm, I like to watch the snow fall through the windows. The bar is particularly beautiful in a snowstorm. And if you squint when the cars are covered and you have the sodium lights coming down from the street lamps and there's an orange glow on the street, you can imagine, almost believe that you are in the 19th century. And you wouldn't blink an eye if a horse drawn sleigh came up Bergen Street. So it was a perfect moment, sitting there with my book reading or not reading and sipping the whiskey. And then out of the storm, there was a knock on the front door. Not getting up from my chair, I drew my hand across my throat, giving the international signal for we are closed, and went back to my book. And the knock came again. And I'm thinking to myself, ah, for fuck's sake. So I heave myself out of the chair to make my way to the front door. And as I get closer, I can see that there's this figure silhouetted against the street light. It's this young woman outside. I say to her, we're closed. I'm sorry. I can't help you. And she says, oh, no, I know, I know. I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I can see that you're closed. I just. I'm staying with a friend in the neighborhood and I can't get in. I don't have the keys. Is it possible that I could wait inside until I hear from her? Fine, I say, and motion her to the back door to let her in. Now, after working a bar shift and dealing with people all day long, dealing with drunk people all day long and the same stories over and over again, and dealing with the neediness of people and the voices that are sometimes like ice picks in my skull, and hearing the same song played over and over again on the jukebox, all I want is this silence. I want this place to myself. So it was frustrating to let this person in. But I can't leave this woman on the stoop in a blizzard. So resigned, I go and open the door, and the storm blows in. And she blows in and there's snow on her and there's snow on the floor. And I shut the door against the wind. The steam is already coming off of her clothes. She pulls back her hood and takes off her scarf. And she's this beautiful young woman with close cropped blonde hair and sparkling eyes. She's stunning, but even that doesn't get past my defenses at this point. She says, thank you. Thank you. I'm like, no problem. So she finishes taking off her coat, and I lead her into the bar. And she's this little slip of the thing, and she sits in the chair and I offer her a drink, and I pour a whiskey for her. She starts to talk. Now, I'm still in my head at this point, and I'm kind enough to give her monosyllabic answers to her questions, but that's really all I can muster at this point. I'm waiting for this phone call to happen so that I can have the night back to myself. But she has this unrelenting cheeriness. Oh, this is the most beautiful bar. I love this bar. Thank you so much for letting me in. You're so kind to let me do this. I know it's difficult, and yes, I say, fine. Thank you. No worries. And then she starts to go deep with the questions, which is like catnip to me. I love to go deep in a conversation. So I'm beginning to have more interest into the things that she's asking. She starts to ask me, how long have you been working here? A long time, I say, it must be difficult to do what you do and deal with all these personalities all day long. Yeah, it is. You know, I'm an actress, she says, so I know what it's like working in the food industry myself sometimes. I know what it's like to have to deal with that. And then we start talking about theater, and we start talking about her work and how she loved figuring out a character that she was working on, finding the heart of the character. And I talked about how I love that, too, being an actor. And I began to thaw a little bit. And then she asked me to put music on. Some bartenders, when they close up a bar, they will play music. They love to put their own personal playlist on and. And they DJ for a friend or two that they've got in the bar after hours. And for me, I adore the silence. I've been listening to the cacophony of people all day long and music, and I just love the silence. But there's more, too, because I tend to feel things deeply. And music in particular is very evocative to me. I use it sparingly. So I say, no, no, you know, I'm good with the silence. And she says, please, just put on something. Who's your favorite artist? She says, billie Holiday, I say. She says, that's wonderful. Put some Billie Holiday on. Fine. So I go to the ipod and I find Blue Moon. And Billy starts singing, and she fills the space with her voice. And it just seems like she lives there, too, when she's singing to us. And then the woman reaches over the bar for my hand. I'm flabbergasted. I don't know what to do for a moment. But the whiskey has softened me, and Billy's softened me, and her conversation soften me. And so I take her hand, warm in mine, and she leads me around the bar and we find an open space on the floor. I put my hand on her waist and take her other hand and hold it up. She puts her hand on my shoulder and we start to dance. And Billy's singing to us. And we are slowly dancing to her music. And the snow is falling outside the giant windows. And I can feel her warmth next to me. I can feel the warmth beyond her body, this warm soul that has walked into my bar at this strange time. And we slowly move, and she puts her head on my shoulder and we sway. And I can feel her soft back and her soft hand and her head on my shoulder. And it's just perfect. And then the song ends. And I look at her and I can see the sparkles in her eyes. And her smile melts my heart. And in that moment, I'm in love. And I sense nothing but love from her. So we grab our drinks and we go to the front window. And we talk in whispers now, like children up after bedtime and stealing these moments of watching the snow and the light and feeling how lucky we are to be seeing this. And then the call comes, and it's time for her to go. So we take our drinks to the bar and we put them down. And I walk her to the back door and I unlock it as she's pulling on her coat and tying her scarf and putting her mittens on her hands. And she looks at me and we hug. And then I open the door and the storm blows in again. And she disappears into the night. And I slowly make my way back to my perch behind the bar. My drink is there and my book is there. The snow is still falling. And it occurs to me that, yes, in fact, everything has changed. The room looks different. The snow looks different. And I think this was a perfect moment. This must be what it's like to be inside of a snow globe. This perfect moment encased in glass, having no impact on anything that comes after, no connection with anything that came before. Just this perfect crystalline moment in time. And I pick up my whiskey and I sip, and I think, that's what this is. This is a snow globe moment. And I thank her silently for opening my eyes to the beautiful surprises that can come out of a snowstorm on a dark night.

[Zycam Representative]

It.

[Kevin Allison]

Wow. Oh, my God. We both got teary there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, this story is so beautifully told.

[Zycam Representative]

Thank you.

[Kevin Allison]

I just feel like there aren't many stories you can listen to again and again over the years and want to go back and hear it again, you know?

[Zycam Representative]

Thank you. That means the world to me.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah, yeah. Goodness gracious. It's also. It's a short story, too. It's not, you know, it's not a big, long, epic tale.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Kevin Allison]

It's a little vignette. It's a slice of life. But it reminds me of some of those things, like Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas, or some of those that just have these wonderful details.

[Zycam Representative]

Thank you.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

I still remember, you know, I've worked there for so long, and I was afraid that because I'd been in that space for as long as I had that I wasn't visually creating it for people. Oh, my God.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, my God. In fact, do you remember?

[Zycam Representative]

I do.

[Kevin Allison]

The first time I entered that bar a couple years later, and I was like, oh, my God, I recognize this place from your description in the story.

[Zycam Representative]

That's how I knew that I had nailed it. It's that phenomenon of, like, if you look at a circle that isn't completely closed, your brain will close the circle for you. And I was afraid that I had not closed the circle. But when I got that message from you, then I was like, okay, good.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. There's a mindfulness in it. There is a deep love of the atmosphere and the romance and the. Just the tiny little things that can make a moment magical, that make you nostalgic for it. I'm sorry, now I'm tearing up again.

[Zycam Representative]

The thing is, that snow globe moment, it's like when you learn a new word and then suddenly you hear that word everywhere. It becomes a part of your consciousness. After this, I started to find snow globe moments everywhere.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, that's beautiful.

[Zycam Representative]

Shortly, maybe a year or two after this, I took myself to see the Florida Project, I don't know if you've ever seen. And I went to the Angelica, you know, that great old movie theater. And I found a seat. The theater was packed, but I found a seat six rows back on the aisle. And there was a seat next to me open. But I sat on the aisle and the lights went down and the trailers start to go. And all of a sudden I felt this presence at my left shoulder. And I looked up and there was this woman standing there, and she pointed to the empty seat. Of course, I obliged. I stood up, let her get in. She sat down, the movie starts. And the movie meant so much to me.

[Kevin Allison]

It is extraordinary.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, I was raised by a single mother in the 70s, and we didn't have anything. And my mother was so good at not letting us. My brother and I know just how poor we were. That was not something that was in our consciousness. You know, we thought that food stamps were cool, getting free lunch. Well, we're special, you know, and there was no stuff stigma because most of the other people around us were in the similar boat. And so in the summertimes, we were completely left to be feral and would run around like the kids in this movie. Right. You know, and then the last five minutes, suddenly this tone, there's a shift in tone, which I won't spoil. But I started just utterly ugly crying. Snot and tears and body shaking. And I suddenly became aware that the woman sitting next to me was having the exact same deep emotional response. And we connected on that for a moment in the darkness of the cinema. But I didn't want it to get creepy. I was still living. I was still a boy then. And I got up and I went to the back of the cinema with my back to the wall and watch the credits roll and trying to gather myself. And I saw her stand up, walk up the aisle, and she just stood right next to me and we watched the rest of the credits together. You know, we tried to talk afterwards, but language was gone. You know, it was just that. And then we left the cinema and we parted ways and I shit you not, it was snowing.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

It was remarkable. And that's another beautiful snow globe moment. This connection with another soul over this emotionally impactful moment.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, in New York City.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. And you. These things can take you by such surprise. However, if you have your antenna out, if you are receptive, that's right. Toward the beauty out there that's exactly around you.

[Zycam Representative]

That's exactly right.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

As a matter of fact, weirdly, this is only maybe 3 weeks ago I was closing the bar. And now when I work, I always just play jazz. I don't, you know, the jukebox is gone. I am setting the tone.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, fabulous.

[Zycam Representative]

And the jazz just fits that space.

[Kevin Allison]

Goodbye, me.

[Zycam Representative]

It's wonderful. And, you know, I bartend on a early in the week, so it's not like a Saturday night shit show. And a friend of mine who's in the industry as well, she's a server at a local restaurant near the inn. She was hanging out with me as I was closing up, and we're listening to the music and we're talking, and then she reaches over the bar for my hand and says, let's dance. And she had not heard snow globe.

[Kevin Allison]

Wow.

[Zycam Representative]

And so she led me around the bar and this time she put my hand on her shoulder and her hand was on my back and she led.

[Kevin Allison]

Wow.

[Zycam Representative]

And we were dancing in the same spot.

[Kevin Allison]

Amazing.

[Zycam Representative]

It was incredible.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. How does that feel? That aspect of. You are only several months into transitioning.

[Zycam Representative]

Yeah.

[Kevin Allison]

And you've described it before as being like in the glowing sort of honeymoon. Like, everything is so new in this.

[Zycam Representative]

And it's so exciting. Everything is so exciting. Painting my nails, you know, and doing my makeup every day and just moving in the body that I Always knew that I should have.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

And then for her. And let me just preface this by saying I am the luckiest trans woman on the planet and I do not take that for granted.

[Kevin Allison]

Wow.

[Zycam Representative]

I have such an incredible community around me and my family is supportive of me. My mother, she's doing her best, but she doesn't question my choices. And I don't worry if she misgenders me. I mean, she had a boy for 15 years.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, but this woman, you know, she knows that I'm trans. And for her to put me in the woman's position was so affirming and exciting and, you know, of course, I wept again.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God.

[Zycam Representative]

It was incredible.

[Kevin Allison]

It was fascinating for me to listen back this time and to hear in your voice and your, oh, I don't know, the poetry and just the emotion in the way you were speaking back then and to be like, oh, yeah, you know what I mean? Like, in retrospect. Yes.

[Zycam Representative]

Yes, absolutely. You know, in some ways, I'm the only one who's surprised.

[Kevin Allison]

Well, let's give a listen to the second one. Stick around for the second story and more from myself and Kate.

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[Kevin Allison]

We have one more act for you this evening. I don't even need to say his name.

[Kate Bowl]

Mr. Bob Dylan, a complete unknown, is now a Golden Globe in critics Choice nominee for best picture.

[Zycam Representative]

Bobby, what do you want to be? Whatever it is they don't want me to be.

[Kate Bowl]

Timothee Chalamet astonishes as Bob Dylan in one of the best performances of the year and critics rave. Edward Norton is absolutely fantastic.

[Zycam Representative]

70,000 people are here and Bobby is the reason for it this Christmas. They just want me singing, blowing in the wind for the rest of my life.

[Kate Bowl]

Don't miss the movie. Critics are healing. Five stars. It's pure cinematic magic.

[Narrator]

Turn it down.

[Kate Bowl]

Pay loud direction and name to AFI and the National Board of reviews. Top 10 films of the year make.

[Zycam Representative]

Some noise BD track some mud on the carpet.

[Kate Bowl]

A complete unknown. Only in theaters. Christmas day rated R under 1790 without parent we're back.

[Narrator]

When I finished my shift on Sunday, March 15, I closed the Brooklyn Inn for the duration of the pandemic. There was a finality to it. After I locked the doors, I found myself on the sidewalk in the wee hours and it was quiet. Not too long ago, I found myself briefly homeless, nowhere to go, and feeling utterly, utterly alone. And that's how it felt out there on that Monday morning. The Brooklyn Inn has been my home for the last 14 years. It is the most beautiful bar. It's a bar where during a blizzard, a woman can appear out of nowhere and you find yourself dancing with her.

I take her hand, warm in mine, and we start to dance. And the snow is falling outside the giant windows, the sparkles in her eyes and her smile melts my heart.

The Brooklyn Inn is a cathedral of bars. And only half jokingly, I call myself the Monsignor of the cathedral of bars. And now I find myself missing my flock, missing my people. When I was in high School. I had to take one of those aptitude tests that tells you what career you should follow. And I scored clergy or shrink. And here I am, clergy and a shrink without a place to practice either of those skills. I also found myself in a position with no income. And I was scared. And I remain scared. I don't want to be homeless again. I don't want to lose my apartment. I don't want my lights shut off. I. The first thing that occurred to me was to keep my phone on. So I called AT&T that Monday morning, and I got through surprisingly quickly and only in about 10 minutes, and a woman picked up. Thank you for calling AT&T. This is Kayla. How may I help you? Uh, hi, Kayla. This is Kevin. I'm a bartender in New York City. She says, let me stop you right there. She says, you're going to be okay. It's going to be okay. They won't shut your phone off. You're okay. And I started sobbing. I just was ugly crying like tears and snot and the whole nine yards. And dear, sweet Kayla, wherever you are, you were kind enough to listen. And since then, I have encountered incredible kindnesses. Recently, I got a text from one of my dear regulars, Kevin. He writes, times are tough, but I, at least will be saving a lot of money in the coming weeks, etcetera, as no bars or restaurants and no travel. He says, if it helps, I'd like to send you a certain amount of money a month until things get back to some semblance of normal. If you're okay with this, shoot me your address and I'll send you a check tomorrow. Well, no, I'm not okay with this, but I'm the one who's supposed to be taking care of others. But I said, yes, thank you. I am extremely grateful. So that's something. And then another friend, a creative partner, a man I've done a lot of work with over the years, he texted me. He says, so Brooklyn Inn is closed for the duration. He says, I saw the GoFundMe site you guys have going. That's for the entire organization, right? I said, yeah, all three bars. I think that's a total of 10 of us out of work. He says, so I'd like to contribute only. Would you be comfortable with me contributing directly to you? I said, boris, the time of comfort is past. I said, I'd be utterly grateful and humbled. And he says, I'm glad you gave your consent. It's not much, but I just want to give you something. When I wrote Him. It's all about perspective. What may seem small to you is enormous to me. And it was enormous to me. I get these notifications that area restaurants are trying to do things to take care of out of work service industry people. And I got one today and tried to log on to their website and I couldn't. But a friend insisted that I go over that there may be cancellations and I did. And I walked in and the gentleman I spoke to, I explained the situation to him and he said, no, no, no, it's okay, there have been cancellations. Let me just get your name. And so I gave him my name and he looked at me, he said, how you doing? I said, scared. And I started crying and then he started crying and then he handed me a bag of groceries and I made it home. I had to stop on the way just because I couldn't stop sobbing. And in addition to the bountiful groceries, there were two rows of toilet paper in there. Here's the thing, with all this darkness, with all of this fear and scariness going on, there is so much light as well. I mean, I feel like George Bailey on Christmas Eve. This, this is who we are now more than ever. Kindness is important. Kindness is what is going to get us.

Sa.

[Kevin Allison]

Once again. Wow, I feel like that one is newer and so I don't think I've heard that since it first ran. It's just so important to hear that right now.

[Zycam Representative]

100%. 100%. I mean, I still believe what I say in that, that it's kindness, it's empathy, it's love. These are the things that are going to get us through. Yeah, I mean, I honestly believe because I've encountered it. Yeah, I've encountered it. Saturday before the election, I was with my best girlfriend, Esmeralda. She's 26 year old trans woman, the most gorgeous woman you've ever seen and she's my big little sister, you know, she, she has more institutionalized knowledge of transitioning and I have my old lady wisdom that I bring to the right.

[Kevin Allison]

Right, right.

[Zycam Representative]

So she's just a part of my heart. And she had picked me up from work one Saturday night and we were outside having a smoke and this drunk, 22, 23 year old boy comes up to me and says, who are you supposed to be? And Esmeralda. And I cursed him out. And Esmeralda's whispering in my ear the entire time, let me off the leash, let me off the leash. Because she would have taken him down. I didn't. I said, it's okay, we got this. In fact, I don't want blood in front of the place where I work. It's just not good business. And then at the end of the night, I stopped off for a nightcap at my local and went in to the deli across the street to pick up a bite. And as I'm in there, the same fucking thing happens. Another drunk, 22, 23 year old boy decides that he is entitled to come up to me and say, who are you supposed to be? But this time it was alone. And I went to fear and I went to anger and, you know, we shouted back and forth and I paid and I left and I stood outside like, I'm going to beat this guy up. I mean, come on. This ridiculous. But I didn't know what else to do. And then a regular from where I was comes out and he's a total dude, bro. You know, big beard, backwards ball cap, loud, loves his sports. I don't think that I've had more than, you know, said to him, more than hello and goodbye, you know, how you doing? Sort of thing. And he saw that I was in distress and so he came over. He convinced me it was a good idea for him to give me a ride home, even though I live a five minute walk. And he talked me off the ledge and he played music for me and he sat with me for 20 minutes outside of my apartment just to make sure that I was going to be okay. And it's that kind of thing.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

I believe that we all have this light inside of us and the way we are going to survive is collecting all of those lights together.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

And then we become blinding and we scare away the shadows in the corners.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

That is how we move forward. It's just remembering how to love and remembering that we all have our own journeys.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. Yeah. You find historians and sociologists talking about it all the time too, that it is acts of kindness. It is that those things might seem small, but they can build up into a tidal wave. They can change the world. The more that people realize that, oh my gosh, life is just so, so much more rewarding when we're kind to one another.

[Zycam Representative]

Absolutely.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, and even the joy in my own body, once I began transitioning, the joy in my heart has translated to a much easier life for me.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

I mean, the happiness that I have, yeah. It translates to better relations with my friends and with my family and with my customers at the bar. That is what is going to get us through.

[Kevin Allison]

And you know, that original story in Luke, you know, despite the fact. Whatever. It's probably not historically accurate and whatnot, but the reason it speaks to people is here is this refugee family, this poor refugee family who. Running for their lives. They're immigrants and there's no place for them to stay.

[Zycam Representative]

Yes.

[Kevin Allison]

And it's people recognizing, you know, oh, no, there's something special and sacred and beautiful here.

[Zycam Representative]

And they're human beings.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

Just like us. Yeah, just like us. The way that people came out to help us during the pandemic, you know, it was so unexpected. I was terrified, as I say in the story. I was utterly. We all were, though.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. It was such a surreal. We were really looking at uncertainty, Facing the unknown.

[Zycam Representative]

Yes.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

We didn't have any point of reference.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

The entire world was on lockdown at that point.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

It was so. It was like out of a dystopian future movie or something.

[Kevin Allison]

And I so appreciate. I feel like in America, it's rare for people to share publicly about financial distress. You know what I mean? Like, that's one of those areas. People's finances and whatnot, they tend to keep those cards close to their chest in this dog eat dog world, you know, and so I so appreciate it when someone speaks as directly to that as you do in this story, because I'm like, oh, my God, I've been there so many times. Right.

[Zycam Representative]

And, you know, so many of us do find ourselves in those positions. There are so many of us that are living paycheck to paycheck.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, and it's. It is a terrifying thing to live on such fragile ground. And yet, unfortunately, the second man I talk about who wants to just give me money directly, his name is Boris. Boris has passed away way too young. And he was just. The kindness in that and the thoughtfulness. It wasn't like I was advertising that I'm, you know, broke.

[Kevin Allison]

Right.

[Zycam Representative]

And we were closed for seven and a half months.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

Which, you know, the aid from the government was running out at that point.

[Kevin Allison]

Right.

[Zycam Representative]

I was literally down to my last $20 when we reopened.

[Kevin Allison]

Holy shit.

[Zycam Representative]

And just to be able to be back at work and try to find the stability. And I'm going through it again now in a certain way because I broke my leg last year, bad leg. And I'm still recuperating. Physically, I'm fine, but it's the financial aspects that happen, so. And it does get scary, but people are amazing.

[Kevin Allison]

Well, I'm so grateful to listen to both of these stories again today. And to be reminded of that, especially now, because, you know, once again, we're in this period of tremendous uncertainty, and this is exactly, I think, what we need to be reminded of.

[Zycam Representative]

Yeah. And it is. It does feel. You know, I talk about being like. Feeling like George Bailey on Christmas Eve, and I think that that's an apt comparison.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

Because George was at the end of his ropes, certainly.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

And then to come home and find out, oh, wait a minute, I'm loved.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. Yeah. We both just sat here crying. Oh, goodness gracious.

[Zycam Representative]

And one other thing. And we had talked about it with John La Sala's work on this.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, gosh. On both stories.

[Zycam Representative]

Just extraordinary. It's so evocative.

[Kate Bowl]

Yeah.

[Kevin Allison]

And it's so specific and carefully chosen and timed.

[Zycam Representative]

The drums on the knock at the door.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, the echoes of the music from Snow Globe in close for the duration. But it leaves it at this uncomfortable and discordant note at the very end.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Zycam Representative]

You know, I'm so enamored with his work in general.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. Yeah. And Snow Globe was probably early on in his time with Risk. Really? I think so. Probably. Because I remember just being so knocked out, being like, wow, this guy goes way beyond, you know, this guy is as good as it gets.

[Zycam Representative]

The sound of the cars at the end.

[Kevin Allison]

Yeah. So beautiful. You know, for my adhd, I will sleep with white noise in my ears on headphones. And sometimes I choose cars going through rain or snow.

[Zycam Representative]

Yes, yes, yes. I do the same thing. I do the same thing.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, gosh. Well, that is a lovely, lovely way to spend Christmas Eve. Not that it's Christmas Eve while we're recording this, but it will be when people are hearing this. I think it's really just the thing to be putting out at that time.

[Zycam Representative]

Thank you so much for all of this, Kevin.

[Kevin Allison]

Oh, thank you.

[Zycam Representative]

Thank you.

[Kevin Allison]

And that is that I am so grateful to Kate Bowl. She radiates the sort of love and delight in life that give me hope for the future. Let us know your own thoughts and feelings about any of the stories at the Risk Podcast Fans discussion group on Facebook or our subreddit r riskpodcast. Or you can email me directly at kevinrisk-show.com Happy holidays, everyone. And folks, today's the day. Take a risk.