Vault: Getting Stood Up Was the Best Thing That Happened to Her

Summary

Podcast Summary

The Bert Show

Episode Title: Vault: Getting Stood Up Was the Best Thing That Happened to Her
Date: March 18, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, the hosts revisit a compelling listener story about unexpected connections, the idea of soulmates, and how getting stood up on a night out led Terry, a caller, to meet someone she now believes is her soulmate. The conversation explores the emotional rush of new romantic beginnings, the skepticism (and hope!) around instant connections, and how far we’re willing to go for a relationship—including big personal changes. Through playful banter and genuine curiosity, The Bert Show crew welcomes Terry's story and reflects on what it means to feel certain about love at first sight.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin of Terry's "Soulmate" Story (00:31–01:24)

• The crew recalls a previous debate on soulmates, leading Terry to call in after a serendipitous night at a bar.
• Terry's Story: She was supposed to meet her sister, who canceled last minute. A man, also stood up, was waiting nearby; they connected, spent an hour and a half together, ate, and ended up planning a date for Saturday.
• Quote:
  • Terry: "I totally felt a connection immediately. It's almost like he knew me and I knew him." (01:14)

2. Exploring the Instant Connection (01:24–03:04)

• The hosts reflect on how people—especially women—sometimes get swept up in the excitement of meeting someone new, even imagining a future together after just one interaction.
• Skeptical Perspective: Carl brings up how oftentimes these intense feelings can fade, and such stories rarely get shared if they don't pan out.
• Scientific Angle:
  • Jen: "Isn't it scientifically proven, like when you're connecting with somebody else and the pheromones are connecting, there's like a real physical reaction..." (02:19)

3. Terry’s Continued Optimism (03:12–04:00)

• A follow-up call with Terry reveals she is still ecstatic after their date.
• Quote:
  • Terry: "Everything is perfect. Everything's right. He's definitely the one that I know I'm going to be with like forever. Just someone that... It's just your other half." (03:36)

4. Gender Differences in Expressing Early Feelings (04:10–06:39)

• Carl and Jeff discuss the social stigma men face for expressing vulnerability, with jokes about how male friends will tease them relentlessly.
• Anecdote: Carl shares a story about being teased by his friends after a Vegas trip mishap.
• Quote:
  • Carl: "Sometimes it can be relentless... if you make a mistake, you'll hear about it for the next six hours. Six hours, nonstop." (05:17)

5. Values and Compatibility: The Religious Turn (06:47–09:32)

• Terry describes their first real date—a steakhouse dinner, meaningful conversation, and a kiss. The guy reveals he is Baptist and abstains from sex before marriage.
• Terry, previously not religious, is now searching for a Baptist church to align with him.
• Quote:
  • Terry: "Nothing happened because he's very religious and he's Baptist and believes no sex before marriage. ... I'm actually looking for a church in my area now..." (06:59–07:47)
• The hosts question the speed and significance of this change, wondering if it’s sustainable or wise after knowing someone for only a few days.

6. Caller Lacey's Cautionary Tale (09:32–10:24)

• Lacey calls in to share her own soulmate experience: She felt her first husband was her soulmate, but it didn't last. Her ex-husband quickly remarried someone he called his soulmate.
• Quote:
  • Lacey: "I believe my first husband was my soulmate. We didn't last, but ... it's unconditional love. ... Four years ago ... he goes, I just met my soulmate, which broke my heart. And ... two months later, he married her." (09:36–10:08)

7. Juggling Excitement and Pragmatism (10:25–12:44)

• The group encourages excitement but advises caution about making life-altering decisions too quickly, especially religious conversion.
• Quote:
  • Jeff: "Going from 'I'm not really that religious' to being a Southern Baptist is a huge jump." (11:12)
• The discussion highlights the idea that relationship changes should be made for one’s own reasons—not out of pressure to mesh with a new partner.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Instant Connection:
  • Terry: "…It's really hard to explain unless you experience it, you know." (03:36)
• On Men's Reluctance to Share:
  • Carl: "Guys just are ready for a reason to give crap, right? ...We're just ready to pounce on each other." (04:29–04:37)
• On Changing Religion for Someone Else:
  • Unidentified Female Speaker: "Make that religious decision for you and not for him … Religion's a big deal." (12:08)

---

Key Segment Timestamps

• Terry's serendipitous meeting: 00:31–01:24
• Insights on the “soulmate feeling”: 01:24–03:04
• Follow-up with Terry / Immediate chemistry: 03:12–04:00
• Discussion on gender and vulnerability: 04:10–06:39
• Values, boundaries, and religious shift: 06:47–09:32
• Caller Lacey’s "soulmate" experience: 09:32–10:24
• Advice: Don't rush change for romance: 10:25–12:44

---

Tone and Style

The episode is lively, witty, and authentic, as the Bert Show crew juggles good-natured ribbing with thoughtful commentary. Listeners are drawn into a real, unscripted conversation about dating, love at first sight, and balancing hope with common sense. The team welcomes vulnerability while cautioning against impulsive decisions—especially when it comes to big personal beliefs.

---

Takeaways

• Serendipity happens: A canceled night turned into what Terry believes is a soulmate connection.
• Excitement is real—but go slow: It’s thrilling to meet someone new, but major life decisions (especially about faith or lifestyle) deserve time and careful thought.
• The group dynamic: Friends (and radio hosts!) will challenge, tease, and support you through all stages of love; sharing your story openly takes courage.
• Hope and skepticism coexist: The show wraps with a promise to check in on Terry’s story—a reminder that love’s journey is always worth following… and sometimes, it really does begin with being stood up.

Transcript

[Amber Hunt]

Some crimes are never forgotten. Others are lost to history. Those are the ones we focus on in Crimes of the Centuries, a history meets true crime podcast revisiting murders, trials and frauds that once dominated headlines. I'm Amber Hunt, your host and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. If you like true crime that feels both cinematic and historical, find Crimes of the Centuries wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host of The Burch Show]

The Burch Show.

[Carl]

All right. When we talked to Terry a couple of days ago, she was very excited. We were in debate about soulmates. Some of us in the room believe in soulmates, others not so sure. And Terry listened to the conversation and sure enough, that night she ends up in a bar and she thinks that she meets her soulmate.

[Terry]

I was going to meet my sister and I was there waiting. I noticed this other guy that was waiting there for a long time too. And my sister never shows up. I got a voicemail saying that she wasn't gonna come. I looked at the other guy and he was still there. And apparently he got almost like the same message. We just sat there and talked for about an hour and a half and got a table, we ate, we hung out. And like at the end, he asked me for a date on Saturday.

[Carl]

I'm assuming you've gone out with guys before that you're excited about.

[Terry]

Yeah, but this was totally different. I totally felt a connection immediately. It's almost like he knew me and I knew him. I mean, it was that whole, I don't know, it's just a weird feeling.

[Carl]

Okay. And let me reiterate my position on this kind of attitude, cuz we've talked about this before also that I think women, a large amount of women, have all had this feeling at one point or another in their life where they meet a guy for the very first time and they want instinct to take over and they want the romance of it all to take over. So they get overly excited, oh, he's the greatest guy in the world. And you call like one person. Woman calls like a sister, calls her mother. One person says, guess what? I just met my future husband. Then the Saturday after that, you Google him and you find out that he has killed people in 13 different states. And you realize, okay, that's not gonna happen. But you haven't gone out publicly and said that it's just between you and one other person, so it's never brought up ever again.

[Jen]

Isn't it scientifically proven, like when you're connecting with somebody else and the pheromones are connecting, there's like a, like a real physical Reaction that makes you feel euphoric, like you release all of those endorphins in your mind and all that kind of stuff is going on. So you almost in this euphoric state when you're falling for someone.

[Carl]

Some women, though, have the filter. And other women, I think, get overly excited and they call that one person just to say, this is it. I'm living the dream right here. I already know it. But the relationship lasts a week or two months or three months or six months. Then you guys realize you're not right for each other. And the statement that you made six months earlier seems ridiculous, but you only told one other person, so it's never said again. So I give Terri here credit. She came out publicly and she's like, you know what? I am so sure about this.

[Jen]

Right.

[Carl]

I'm telling you guys now. I met my soulmate and I haven't even spent an hour with him. That was Thursday. Let's see how it went this weekend. Hey, Terry.

[Terry]

Hi.

[Carl]

How are you?

[Terry]

I'm good. How are you guys?

[Carl]

Good.

[Jen]

You still have those endorphins going on.

[Terry]

I do.

[Carl]

You do.

[Terry]

I can hear it in your voice. I do. He's definitely my soulmate.

[Jen]

Wow.

[Carl]

Okay, now, what makes him your soulmate? What makes him more than just a guy that you have a lot in common in that you are very attracted to? A soulmate is a strong word.

[Lacey]

I know.

[Terry]

I just. I don't know. Just a huge, huge connection and I'm just. I don't know. Everything is perfect. Everything's right. He's definitely the one that I know I'm going to be with like forever. Just someone that. It's just your other half. It's really hard to explain unless you experience it, you know.

[Jen]

Now, do you think he's feeling the same?

[Terry]

I think so. I think so. I mean, of course I'm not gonna say anything, but yeah, he's definitely freak people out.

[Carl]

I think guys are more cautious in telling other people that. Even if it happened, you're out at a bar, you meet or you're hanging out, then you have your first date and you're overly excited about it, you're still reserved. You're not gonna go to your buddy and go, guess what, dude? I already. I know. I already know this is the one I'm gonna marry. Because you're guy friends are going to give you a whole bunch of crap.

[Terry]

They just have to wait for the right moment.

[Jeff]

Guys just are ready for a reason to give crap, right? Yes. Because that's the motivation for Most guys, I'm not going to say that or I'm not going to do that because my guys will give me crap.

[Carl]

Yes. We're just ready to pounce on each other.

[Jeff]

You're on your haunches, ready to go. Just say the word and we're going. Yes.

[Host of The Burch Show]

And the problem is other guys. Or not the problem, but I mean, the good thing about it is other guys understand that. Like, when I was walking through the halls yesterday and Carl had come up after he got all teary on the air, as soon as he saw me, he was like, don't even look at me.

[Carl]

First thing I said to him, because

[Host of The Burch Show]

he knew I was gonna give him crap.

[Carl]

Even though we loved it on the air, we still had to give crap, right? He knew it.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Like, as soon as I even walked by, he put his, like, arms up, you know, and laughed because he knew he was gonna get crap. And I gave him crap. And I said, nice job on the radio, and that's that. But for whatever reason, guys have to give crap.

[Carl]

And sometimes it can be relentless. I know with the group of guys that I run with, if you make a mistake, you'll hear about it for the next six hours. Six hours, non stop.

[Jeff]

See, I think the guy, though, like, the guy that can be such a vet at this, that can maneuver between men and women, that can handle their guy friends, but also get the sympathy from the girls. Because one thing I think Carl, he didn't go from one to the other because he came to me when I saw him yesterday and almost apologized for crying, and I fussed at him for apologizing for crying. So he's what he. So you have to maneuver to the women and say, you know, I'm a little broken up, but I'm okay, you know, and then give me a hug and that kind of thing.

[Carl]

So two years ago. Sorry for the sidebar here. Two years ago, me and all the guys were in Vegas two years ago, okay? And we all were out drinking all night long. And I get back to the hotel room, and I'm the one with the hotel room key, and I'm nice and buzzed. So I put the hotel room key, I slide it in the door, and I slide it back up, and it doesn't activate the lock, and I push the door with my shoulder, and it doesn't open, all right? So I smash my shoulder into the door.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Oh, you tried to go in.

[Carl]

Like, I tried to go in before the door was even open, Right. And I smashed my door. Everybody in the hall is laughing about It. Laughing about it. I still hear about that. Two years. Every time I open the door when I'm with my guys, I still hear about that. Like, oh, you run your shoulder into it, right? Two years later.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Watch out, burnout. Careful with that door.

[Jen]

Plow into it, buddy.

[Carl]

All right, Terry, so tell me something that he said during your conversations where it was more like, oh, wow, this guy is great, too. He just touched my soul.

[Terry]

Well, he took me to the steakhouse. You know, Aspen's.

[Carl]

Do we.

[Jen]

What do we know? Aspen's stickers and Marietta.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Nope, but it sounds tasty.

[Terry]

Yeah, that's good. Anyway, we hung out. Great conversations, you know, just everything. And it's not just a feeling. I mean, it's really. It's in the gut. Like, it's just. It's natural, you know, that's just. We just talked about pretty much everything. And he. We kissed afterwards and hung out at his place. Nothing happened because he's very religious and he's Baptist and believes no sex before marriage. And we kind of met up again on Sunday and had brunch, and I haven't seen him since because he's been busy and he had church last night and everything. I know that religion is very important to him, and I'm actually looking for a church in my area now and just going to join as well and start getting involved with that and everything.

[Host of The Burch Show]

What religion are you now?

[Carl]

Baptist. Happened yesterday.

[Terry]

No, he is. Yeah.

[Unidentified Female Speaker]

What about you?

[Terry]

I'm not really that religious affiliation.

[Host of The Burch Show]

So will you.

[Jeff]

So what. When you're searching for church, what denomination

[Jen]

are you searching for?

[Terry]

Well, I'm going to search for Baptist.

[Host of The Burch Show]

If you're not religious. I don't know if it's called converting, but are you going to become a Baptist?

[Terry]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Now, you said that it can work. He doesn't believe in sex before marriage. Has he ever had sex?

[Terry]

No, I don't think so. I mean, we. We talked a little bit about it, but we didn't go into he.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Definitely.

[Carl]

I mean, she's logged, what, five hours with the guy total so far?

[Jen]

I just wondering. And how old are you guys?

[Terry]

How old are we? Yeah, like late 20s.

[Jeff]

Okay.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Carl]

Are you skeptical here, Jen?

[Jen]

A little. A little. But I don't know. I don't know why Melissa hashtag believe

[Carl]

that, but how skeptical are you?

[Jeff]

Well, no, I'm just laughing. I'm laughing. I was laughing earlier because when she was even talking about the steakhouse, you know, like, every detail right now. Oh, my God. Aspen Steakhouse.

[Jen]

How many of y' all have Been there.

[Terry]

Have you heard?

[Host of The Burch Show]

And almost mad at us when I go there.

[Jeff]

Oh, my God, it's the best steak ever. I do.

[Carl]

It's a soulmate steak on the soulmate steak, medium rare, please.

[Jeff]

I think my belief is that a couple can make it. You know, you can go through this romantic phase, and you can go through the struggles and everything, and they can make it. But I do think that probably the skepticism for a lot of people. Come in. Well, this is charming now, but let's wait and see if this is truly something that you want to be about and make sure that he's making as many sacrifices for you two days later as you are for him. So I don't know. I mean, I'm not skeptical. I think it could be great. She's old enough to know what she's getting into. She's not too young.

[Carl]

Hey, Lacey. Good morning.

[Terry]

Good morning.

[Lacey]

I started to call you guys the other week because you were asking about soulmates, and I believe my first husband was my soulmate. We didn't last, but we worked together, and it's unconditional love. I still love him, and I'm very proud of him. But I guess about four years ago, I was at the movies, and he called me, and he goes, I just met my soulmate, which broke my heart. And I was like, how do you know? And he was like, oh, I just did. We had this conversation, and I just love her. And like, two months later, he married her, and they're still married.

[Carl]

Wow. Do you guys have kids together?

[Lacey]

Yeah, I have a daughter.

[Carl]

Okay, that's a bummer. That would be the only reason.

[Jeff]

Yeah, I got a daughter.

[Carl]

So you are not with your soulmate, and he feels like he is with his soulmate now.

[Lacey]

Yeah, exactly.

[Carl]

Sucks.

[Host of The Burch Show]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

I mean, I think you should still be excited. I think you should be excited. I think my thing is my. My reservation is I wouldn't do a lot, you know, make a lot of changes in your life during this excitement, you know, I mean, unless.

[Jen]

I mean, unless this is something that, you know, especially with the spirituality part of. Part of it or the religious part of it. Like, maybe she's been feeling a void in her life, and this is, like, the answer to that. I don't know. You know what I mean? A lot of people are brought to religion or spirituality in different ways, so I don't necessarily think it's her totally changing everything in her life. Maybe she's been looking for this, the

[Carl]

romantic part, maybe wants this. Wants to believe in this. You know, like, she Knew in the first conversation. She looked into his eyes, he said one thing, and whatever that is, she just knew. I wanna believe in that.

[Jeff]

I guess my thing is going from I'm not really that religious to being a Southern Baptist is a huge jump.

[Jen]

That is a big. Definitely a big jump.

[Jeff]

It's a huge transition.

[Host of The Burch Show]

And knowing a guy for five days and making the decision to convert regardless of the religion.

[Jeff]

Right.

[Host of The Burch Show]

It's pretty intense.

[Jeff]

And yeah, the religious difference is. It's just, you know, I think kind of going on what Jeff just said after a few days doing this. I'm just curious, has he done anything in five days that may have changed kind of his lifestyle to adapt to, or may get more interested in what you're interested in?

[Terry]

Have I done anything?

[Jeff]

Has he?

[Terry]

Oh, has he? No, not that. I don't know.

[Carl]

It's hard to say.

[Terry]

I mean, this is the decision I'm making, so, I mean, he didn't force that.

[Jeff]

I understand that. Yeah, no, I understand. I understand.

[Carl]

But, you know, is it possible that one person in the relationship knows their soulmates before the other? Like, she's assuming she knows.

[Jeff]

Right.

[Carl]

He may not even have a clue yet.

[Jen]

Right.

[Jeff]

I don't know.

[Unidentified Female Speaker]

I was just gonna say make that religious decision for you and not for him. It's a big deal. Religion's a big deal. I mean, you gotta actually believe what he believes in. I mean, but you need to make it for you, not for him.

[Carl]

I want to follow up with you.

[Unidentified Female Speaker]

Yeah. Don't be Baptist just because of him.

[Carl]

I want you to prove us all around. What's that?

[Host of The Burch Show]

Don't be Baptist just cuz everyone else is.

[Carl]

I want you to prove us all wrong. I want to check in with you from time to time. And every time we do, I hope you say, you know what? Everything's been working out great. It's getting deeper for both of us. He's fallen in love with me and my instinct was absolutely right.

[Jen]

Maybe we could talk to him too.

[Carl]

Yeah, we'd love to talk to him. Also, you know, we won't bring up the soulmate thing, but we would certainly like to check in and get his attitude about it also.

[Terry]

Cool.

[Carl]

All right, well, congratulations to someone.

[Lacey]

You know what?

[Carl]

I hope it all works out great, but let's check back with you again next week and find and get a little progress report.

[Terry]

Okay, thanks.

[Carl]

Okay, bye. Bye.

[Host of The Burch Show]

The Birch Show.

[Amber Hunt]

Some crimes are never forgotten. Others are lost to history. Those are the ones we focus on in Crimes of the Centuries. A History Meets True Crime Podcast Revisiting murders, trials and frauds that once dominated headlines. I'm Amber Hunt, your host and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. If you like true crime that feels both cinematic and historical, find Crimes of the Centuries wherever you get your podcasts.