The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler

Episode 364: Mike Lawrence | Released December 15, 2025

Overview

This episode of The HoneyDew features comedian and writer Mike Lawrence, known for his sharp wit, deep nerd culture knowledge, and recently, for being open about his late-in-life autism diagnosis and journey into fatherhood through adoption. True to the show’s mission of "highlighting the lowlights," Mike and Ryan dig into Mike’s turbulent family life, the quirks and challenges of neurodivergence, the perils (and peculiar comforts) of retail jobs, and the complexities of building a life and identity from unconventional pieces.
The conversation balances humor and honesty, especially as Mike shares the candid, often absurd moments of growing up with an alcoholic father, the grind of minimum-wage work, nerd obsessions, and his path to parenthood.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Mike’s Background: Divorce, Absurdity & Origin Stories

• Mike’s parents divorced when he was about three and a half; his memories start after the split. His father was an alcoholic, even in the hospital when Mike was born.
  • “I'm such a comic book nerd that even my birth is an origin story.” (11:03, Mike)
• Family logistics: Older brother (from same parents) and younger half-sister (from mom’s second marriage).
• A particularly surreal memory: after mom’s wedding to Mike’s stepdad, he and his brother were picked up by their father at a Denny’s parking lot for visitation.
  • “Yeah, moons over my daddy. But they're going on their honeymoon. Yeah, honeymoon's over. Miami.” (14:00, Mike)

2. Childhood with an Alcoholic Dad: Early Exposure to AA & Its Effects

• Recalls being five years old at AA meetings with his brother, taking the Serenity Prayer hand-in-hand with adults.
  • “If you don’t want someone to drink, take them to AA meetings when they’re five.” (16:05, Mike)
  • Developed lifelong aversion to alcohol—Mike has had only two beers in his life.

3. Comedy in the Family Tree

• Mike’s mother was a comedian in the 1980s, though never famous; ran a short-lived NPR show with cameos from Mike and his brother.
• Talks about inheriting a love for comedy from his mom and a sweet tooth from his dad:
  • “If I'm going to be a comic like my mom, I can't be an alcoholic like my dad, and I have no identity of my own.” (18:46, Mike)

4. Working-Class Realities: The McDonald’s Era

• Mike worked at McDonald’s in Florida from age 16 up until almost 24.
  • “Get that, get that. The younger you are, to know that you don't matter and nothing is beneath you.” (19:44, Mike)
• Pay barely increased: $5.25/hour in 1999 to $6.45/hour eight years later, mostly due to government mandates.
• Vivid depiction of customers and coworkers, including the account of a customer refusing a Black Barbie Happy Meal toy in overtly racist fashion.
• Commented sharply on generational shifts and lack of early work experience among current societal leadership.
  • “The country is now being run by people who didn’t work in high school. And it shows.” (20:00, Mike)

5. Action Figure Addiction & Nerd Culture

• Mike’s podcast Nerd of Mouth explores such topics as Looney Tunes’ disappearance, Stan Lee’s reputation, and how “nerd” is far more universal than the stereotype.
  • “Just about everyone we called a nerd growing up was an undiagnosed autistic person for the most part.” (07:08, Mike)
• "Crippling" action figure collecting traced to discovering credit cards/Ebay in early 2000s; Mike racked up massive debt on nostalgia:
  • “We are the first generation that can buy our past.” (24:14, Mike)
• His collecting is about the dopamine of unboxing and play, not resale value or sealed collectibles.
  • “Everything's out of the box. It's the dopamine rush of opening.” (29:39, Mike)

6. Autism Diagnosis in Adulthood

• Mike was diagnosed at age 38, prompted by the desire to be the best parent possible and recognizing challenges with socialization—especially in light of the adoption process.
  • “I need to be the best version of myself for him. I don't know how to socialize. I want to be able to do that for his teachers.” (40:17, Mike)
• The process involved a psychological evaluation, detailed family and childhood questionnaire, and getting parents’ input.
• Mike’s mother felt defensive, as if the diagnosis critiqued her parenting; his late father more readily admitted his own eccentricity and probable neurodivergence.
• Diagnosis framed much of Mike’s life in a productive new light:
  • “If you do get the diagnosis, it's your responsibility now to be a better person. And if you know who you are, you have to. That's the hard part.” (57:07, Mike)
• He uses a system (e.g. “I’m at a 2 out of 5”) to communicate sensory overload and avoid shutdown in stressful situations.

7. Relationships, Love, and Parenthood through Adoption

• After a difficult road with fertility (low sperm count, Crohn’s disease for Mike, fibroids for his wife), adoption brought further trials, including two disrupted matches before finally adopting their son from Florida.
• Mike candidly talks about imposter syndrome in parenting, especially with a Black/white (biracial) adopted child, and the social challenges that can arise.
  • “It was really rough, like, the first year and a half. But now he can say daddy, and he treats me like a father.” (67:13, Mike)
• He emphasizes “all that matters is time”—the presence and engagement, not extravagant gestures.
  • “My main job is to keep my son safe. And one of those things is to keep him from being cynical for as long as possible... Every day that he wakes up happy, you know, he'll wake me up at 6 in the morning... and it's a beautiful feeling.” (36:11, Mike)
• On sports and interests:
  • “You better like what they like and love what they love. It's not about you. It's about them.” (30:58, Jesse Ventura, quoted by Mike)

8. Reflections on Generational Change, Parenting, and Acceptance

• Comparing his childhood with his son’s, Mike expresses pride that his son’s growing up so differently—for one, “He’s already out of Florida.”
• Ryan and Mike mutually reflect on their roles as parents, the changes from their own upbringings, and letting their children follow their own passions.
• Mike’s advice to his younger self:
  • “You’re going to have good days and you’re going to have bad days and you don’t know who you are. But the people that love you know who you are and they accept you for who you are—and that’s what matters.” (70:32, Mike)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the power of nostalgia and collecting:
“We are the first generation that can buy our past.”
— Mike Lawrence (24:14)

On being a 'nerd':
“Just about everyone we called a nerd growing up was an undiagnosed autistic person for the most part.”
— Mike Lawrence (07:08)

Parenthood and presence:
“My main job is to keep my son safe. And one of those things is to keep him from being cynical for as long as possible, because that’s its own state…Every day that he wakes up happy…it’s a beautiful feeling.”
— Mike Lawrence (36:11)

Parenting adopted children:
“He’s just like, the most amazing little dude... At two weeks into my son being alive, he’s already out of Florida.”
— Mike Lawrence (65:25/65:28)

Advice to his younger self:
“You don’t know who you are. But the people who love you know who you are and they accept you for who you are and that’s what matters.”
— Mike Lawrence (70:32)

On social expectations at work:
“Why are we spending 10 minutes on talking about lunch? Let's just put our orders in and work. I would rather, like, get stuff done, go home earlier than be in the culture of an office if I can help it.”
— Mike Lawrence (58:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:43] Mike introduces Nerd of Mouth podcast
• [10:11] Mike’s early family life, parents’ divorce
• [16:05] Attending AA with his father as a child
• [19:25] Working at McDonald's as a teenager and young adult
• [24:00] Credit cards, buying his past on eBay
• [28:09] McFarlane toys and action figure collecting
• [38:12] Being diagnosed with autism as an adult
• [47:05] Getting family input on his neurodivergence
• [61:57] Meeting his wife, dating, and marriage
• [62:26] Adoption process and challenges
• [66:04] Navigating identity as a parent to a biracial adopted child
• [70:16] Advice to his younger self

Tone and Style

The episode flows as a warm, confessional conversation, often irreverent, but deeply empathetic. Both Mike and Ryan use self-deprecating humor to discuss pain, growth, and parental purpose. The tone is bluntly honest, funny, and often poignant—true to The HoneyDew’s “highlighting the lowlights” mission.

Episode Takeaways

• Childhood hardship and adult adversity can foster empathy, reflection, and unique perspectives.
• Parenthood is about presence, investment, and acceptance—not perfection or shared genetics.
• Late-in-life self-understanding (autism, in this case) can reframe a life’s story with new compassion.
• Nerd passions can provide lifelong comfort, connection, and sometimes debt—but the joy is real.

Further Listening

• Learn more about Mike Lawrence via his podcast [Nerd of Mouth].
• Ryan Sickler’s Patreon-exclusive episodes spotlight wild listener stories in a similar “lowlights” fashion.

End of summary.