Vault: He's Been Looking For His Love For Over 17 Years!

Summary

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The Bert Show: "Vault: He's Been Looking For His Love For Over 17 Years!"

Episode Date: March 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a poignant, decades-long search for lost love. The Bert Show hosts guide Craig—a musician who has been yearning for his high school sweetheart, Heather, for 17 years—through efforts to reconnect. The segment blends nostalgia, vulnerability, and the universal human desire to resolve unfinished stories from the past. The show’s cast offers support, analysis, and a compassionate plan as Craig grapples with what the outcome of this search might mean for his present and future.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Craig’s Story: The High School Sweetheart He Can’t Forget

• [00:00-01:33] Craig’s Testimony:
  • Craig explains how he and Heather were inseparable in high school, bonded by shared passions for music ("we used to play Extreme all the time").
  • Despite breaking up at 17, Craig (now 34) admits he has “thought about her every single day… through all that stuff, every single day.”
  • Even major life milestones—marriage, having children, serving in the military—haven’t shaken her memory from his mind.

The Emotional Impact and Lingering Nostalgia

• [00:58-02:13] Craig, on why he can’t let go:

  • Describes a breakup for which he feels responsible, compounded by his being alone during his military service.
  • Shares vulnerability about how “she was the person that I measured everyone up to.”

• Host Insights:

  • “We are hopeless romantics.” (B, 00:31)
  • “Why do you think you haven’t been able to let her go?” (E, 00:58)

Life’s Diverging Paths

• [01:19-01:44] Recognizing Different Journeys:
  • Craig acknowledges he and Heather have led "totally different" lives since the breakup, but “I always wondered… everybody has that one, and she was mine.”

Reality Versus Romanticizing the Past

• [02:05-02:24] Panel Encouragement:
  • Hosts point out how nostalgia can “make it more romantic and intense than it could be maybe today.” (E, 02:05)
  • Craig understands both have changed: “Neither one of us are those people anymore. You always retain a part of that.”

The Logistics of the Search

• [02:51-05:22] Producer Tracy’s Investigation:
  • Blue Dog Investigations and Producer Tracy manage to track down Heather using address and email clues.
  • Heather responds positively but with curiosity—her last name hasn’t changed, suggesting either she’s not married or kept her name.
  • Tracy shares only minimal details at first, respecting privacy and comfort levels. Plans are made to ask Heather 10 questions from Craig, either live or via email, based on her hectic schedule.

Ethical Considerations & Sensitivity

• [05:28-05:37] Carefully Setting the Stage:
  • Tracy has not told Heather about Craig’s 17-year longing, deciding to ease her into the situation.

Looking Ahead

• [05:41-06:22] Next Steps:
  • The hosts tell Craig, “chew on this for 24 hours,” and promise to return with Heather’s answers or perhaps a live conversation.
  • Craig’s nerves are clear, but the panel reassures him: “at this point, you got zero to lose, right?” (B, 06:09)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Craig (A, 00:52):
  “She was my… the person that I measured everyone up to.”

• Host Kristin (B, 01:21):
  “Obviously over the last 17 years, your life goes in one direction, her life goes in another direction. But you write in your email that through all that stuff, every single day, you’ve thought about her.”

• Craig (A, 01:33):
  “Even when my kids were born and everything, I always wondered… I think everybody has that one, and she was mine.”

• Panel Reflection:
  “You realize the nostalgia of the whole thing could make it more romantic and intense than it could be maybe today.” (E, 02:05)

• Producer Tracy (C, 03:18):
  “I wasn’t sure if it was the right girl, so I emailed her and just kind of said, you know, hey, did you go to this high school? Did you live in this area?... And it turned out to be her. And she was very, very nice.”

• Craig (A, 06:13):
  “It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for so long that now… to communicate with her, it’s just surreal.”

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Important Timestamps

• [00:00-01:33] — Craig’s background: lifelong longing for Heather
• [01:19-01:44] — Craig discusses how life diverged post-breakup
• [02:24-02:50] — The emotional flaws and regrets from their teenage breakup
• [02:51-05:06] — Producer Tracy updates on tracking down Heather
• [05:28-05:37] — Decision to gently approach Heather with Craig’s feelings
• [05:41-06:22] — Hosts lay out the plan for next steps and Craig reflects on his feelings

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is empathetic, emotionally open, and gently humorous in keeping with The Bert Show’s accessible style. The cast balances hope and realism, offering Craig a supportive environment as he confronts his past and possibly redefines his future.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode captures the universal longing for unresolved first loves, the power of nostalgia, and the courage it takes to seek closure. The cast’s sincere support, behind-the-scenes investigative work, and compassionate consideration for both Craig and Heather’s feelings leave listeners with a sense of anticipation and a reminder that our pasts can shape our hearts for years to come.

Transcript

[A]

The Bird show previously on the Bird Show. I'm a musician. I've been in bands since I was 16. I had a high school sweetheart and we used to play Extreme all the time. My band played it with our song. Yeah, Anytime that comes on, it just kills me. And we broke up when I was 17. I'm 34 now. I don't think a day has gone by where I haven't think about her. I'm still in love. I've tried to find her a million times on MySpace and Facebook and all that stuff, and I can't never, ever find her.

[B]

God, we are hopeless romantics.

[C]

Right?

[D]

So sweet, though.

[E]

I felt the same way hearing it again. It was like the first time.

[B]

Hey, Craig. Good morning.

[A]

Good morning.

[B]

Hey. Welcome back.

[A]

A little nervous this morning.

[B]

Well, I mean, 17 years ago, you and Heather broke up. And it's accurate to say that you have thought about her every single day for 17 years.

[A]

Yeah, pretty much. Even if it was just a second or. She was my. The person that I measured everyone up to.

[E]

Why do you think you haven't been able to let her go?

[A]

There was my fault in the circumstances of our breakup and everything. And then I was young, I was decided to go into the military. And I think that was. That intensified it a little bit because I was alone. I was in Europe. And, you know, the last real girlfriend that I had ended like that. I had a lot of time to think.

[B]

Now you've been married since then.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You've had children. A totally different life. I mean, obviously over the last 17 years, your life goes in one direction, her life goes in another direction. But you write in your email that through all that stuff, every single day, you've thought about her.

[A]

Yeah, I never obsessed about it or anything, but I always thought about her. Even when my kids were born and everything, I always wondered, you know, I think everybody has that one, and she was mine.

[C]

Do you secretly hope that she's still available?

[A]

It wouldn't be bad.

[D]

I do think this will be good for you because I would so hate for if, you know, as the mother of your children, for you to wonder about having the children with someone else or being with somebody else. So I think this would be good for you either way. Either you can pursue it with her or actually 100% pursue it with somebody else instead of always measuring them up to her.

[E]

And you realize the nostalgia of the whole thing could make it more romantic and intense than it could be maybe today.

[A]

You know, neither one of us are those people anymore. You always retain A part of that. If the circumstances were that she was available and, you know, didn't still hate me, then, yeah, I would love to

[B]

hear again you say still hate me. Was the breakup a really bad one?

[A]

I think so. She'll tell you I was devastated. You know, it was my fault, but I was still the one that was devastated. So, you know, I tried and tried and tried and begged and to get her back, and she just wasn't hearing it. You retain a part of that person that you were. But, you know, I mean, throughout my experiences and everything that I've been through, I'm obviously a completely different person.

[E]

Right.

[B]

So let me ask you this. And I know we got your name, and we got her name a while ago, and Blue Dog Investigations and producer Tracy have been working very hard and trying to get in touch with her. So, Trace, where are we right now?

[C]

Well, Blue Dog found an address for me, so we knew exactly where she was. And then I did a little more research, too, based on that information and found an email address for her. I wasn't sure if it was the right girl, so I emailed her and just kind of said, you know, hey, did you go to this high school? Did you live in this area?

[E]

And.

[C]

And it turned out to be her. And she was very, very nice. I have not asked her if she's been married because, you know, I didn't exactly get into the whole reason Craig was looking for her. However, I can say that her last name hasn't changed. So she either didn't get married, or

[A]

she's one of them independent women.

[C]

She kept her last name, and I asked her if she would come on the air with us. All I've told her at this point was that, you know, first I said somebody from your past was looking for you. I explained who we were, and. And then she wanted a little bit more information. So, you know, I did tell her it was Craig. And based on an email I had gotten from Craig, I didn't seem to think that that would be a problem with him because he had given me a message to relay to her.

[B]

He's ready to put it out there.

[C]

So she said, oh, my gosh. Wow, Small world. Yes, I did date him. You know, I asked her if she'd be willing to come on the air with us just because this is the kind of thing that we do. And she said she wanted to talk to me further about it, like on the phone rather than via email. But she said she was willing. She just wanted the information up front. And then that was over Christmas break, and then I hadn't heard from her for like, several weeks. So I was getting nervous that she might have backed out. Finally, yesterday, she got back in touch with me and said, so sorry, I've been out of town for work. She's really, really busy. Apparently she has a full time job and she teaches. So we're just trying to line up schedules at this point to try and find a time that works for her that she can talk to me first and then get her on the radio.

[B]

So we can do this one of a couple of different ways. Depending on what she's most comfort is, we get the 10 questions that you want most to ask her, we'll get them from you, and we can either ask them to her on the air, or we will send her a list of those 10 questions, she will answer them, and then we will read them to you as she answered them on the air.

[D]

And it just depends on her schedule.

[B]

It all depends on what she wants to do.

[C]

She did, because I gave her that option when I thought that she wasn't getting back in touch with me. And she did ask to do it that way, only because of her schedule. But then I tried to convince her to come on the air. So I think. I'm not sure which one she's gonna do.

[B]

Well, producer Tracy can be very persuasive.

[C]

What I haven't done, I'm finding her.

[D]

By the way, she's awesome. She sounds sweet on air, but Tracy, she has her way.

[C]

What I haven't done, though, is told her why Craig has been looking for and how much Craig has been thinking about her for the past 17 years.

[B]

Good. That's good. I think that's probably a strategy.

[A]

She's not local, right?

[C]

She is not local.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

So we're gonna see how this plays out over the next couple of days. We'll see if she wants to come on with us, and if not, then we'll get her answers. And sometime over the next 48 hours, we'll have those 10 answers that you sent to her. We'll have the. I should say the questions that you sent. We'll have the answers. So chew on this for 24 hours and we'll see what kind of reaction we can get from out of her. I mean, and ideally, she comes on and she answers the 10 questions, right?

[A]

Oh, my God. So nervous.

[B]

Yeah. Well, at this point, you got zero to lose, right? Zero.

[A]

Well, I know it's been something I've been thinking about for so long that now that communicate with her. It's just surreal.

[B]

All right, well, give us a couple days, and we'll put it all together and we'll see how it all pans out. The bird show.