“I JUST TOOK 40 SHOTS OF FIREBALL”

Summary

Therapy Gecko – "I JUST TOOK 40 SHOTS OF FIREBALL"

Podcast: Therapy Gecko | Host: Lyle Forever | Air Date: March 11, 2026
Episode Focus:
A raw, honest phone call with “Mr. Fireball,” a young bartender wrestling with intense grief, alcoholism, and what it means to reach rock bottom. Lyle offers armchair therapy, exploring themes of addiction, loss, emotional numbness, and the struggle between hopelessness and hope—with Gekko’s trademark warmth, irreverence, and curiosity.

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Episode Overview

The episode centers around a deeply candid call from "Mr. Fireball," a Dallas dive bar worker who recently consumed an almost unthinkable amount of Fireball whiskey. What begins as a wild drinking story unfolds into a moving conversation about loss, self-destruction, and the flickering hope of pulling oneself back from the brink.

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Major Discussion Points

1. The Fireball Incident: Escalation and Aftermath

• Introduction of Mr. Fireball:
  • Caller chooses the moniker "Mr. Fireball."
  • Admits to recently drinking 40 shots of Fireball whiskey in roughly six hours.
  • “I highly recommend that people do not ever take 40 shots of Fireball.” (03:13, Mr. Fireball)
• Typical Drinking Habits:
  • Regularly drinks alone and with friends/co-workers.
  • “On a day where I'm getting crazy, I can easily pound out 20 [shots].” (04:07, Mr. Fireball)
  • Drinks daily: “I think daily is a lot more honest.” (06:04, Mr. Fireball)
• After the Binge:
  • Describes passing out, still being drunk upon waking, and drunkenly dressing a fire hydrant in a cowboy outfit.
  • Humor and absurdity mask deeper issues.

2. Digging Deeper: Alcohol, Environment, and Loss

• Work Culture and Drinking:
  • Works at a LA dive bar for over two years. Drinking is normalized.
• Underlying Pain:
  • Reveals that drinking got significantly worse after his mother's death in 2023.
  • “When she passed, I realized, you know, it's too late… I had a plan to reconcile, but I fought a losing battle.” (13:00–13:09, Mr. Fireball)
  • “I regret two things in my life, and that is one of them.” (11:34, Mr. Fireball)

3. Emotional State: Hopelessness and Numbness

• Admitting Defeat:
  • “Mentally and emotionally, like, deep down inside, I think I might be done for… But physically I’m still here.” (10:20, Mr. Fireball)
  • Feels emotionally detached: “I’m just very detached from everything at this point.” (15:39, Mr. Fireball)
• The Rabbit Hole:
  • Drinking as coping with unprocessed grief and feelings of regret.
  • Accepts the reality yet struggles with emotional engagement and hope.

4. Support Networks and Attempts at Help

• Friends and Family:
  • Has supportive friends and a present grandmother, but keeps them in the dark about the worst of his struggles.
  • “My grandmother… I’ve never wanted to quite expose her to what I’m going through.” (23:50, Mr. Fireball)
• Attempts at Sobriety:
  • Sober for a few months, but relapsed.
  • “I had a good three month period where I wasn’t doing anything, no drinking, and I just fell off the wagon.” (14:06, Mr. Fireball)
  • Perception of alcohol as a "hard drug" despite cultural perceptions.

5. Stalled Recovery: AA, Therapy, and Stigma

• Formal Help:
  • Brief therapy, but found the advice generic: “Maybe you should count to 100 until the itch goes away.” (15:09, Mr. Fireball)
  • Briefly visited AA, but was put off by language barriers (Spanish meeting) and discomfort being around older people.
    • “You gotta get a little bit outside your comfort zone if you wanna evolve.” (27:50, Lyle)
• Stigma and Isolation:
  • Notes the rarity of seeing young people at AA, adding to the discomfort and sense of isolation.

6. Flickers of Hope & Forward Movement

• A New Direction:
  • Considering a new career in oil and gas; motivation and planning offer glimpses of possible change.
  • “Now that you mention it, yes. Makes me a lot more mindful… how I need to engage and just in general, move and plan.” (19:08, Mr. Fireball)
• Lyle’s Insight & Encouragement:
  • “You’re not, I don’t think you are completely hopeless to improve your life by any means. You’re still young.” (20:27, Lyle)
  • Core Advice: Stop telling yourself you’re doomed.
    • “The second you throw your hands up and believe that you’re doomed is when it starts to happen… the only way you can really have any hope is to, you know, have hope.” (29:18–30:02, Lyle)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Facing Regret:

  • “I never got to make things right, and I regret that. I regret two things in my life, and that is one of them.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 11:34

• On Grief and the Cycle of Addiction:

  • “You just go so far down the rabbit hole, you can’t come back.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 10:40

• On Alcohol and Self-Perception:

  • “Even if you take, like, a year or so off alcohol, you can still go back to drinking the next day just as heavy as you were.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 14:35

• On Taking Steps Forward:

  • “It takes a lot of time… It’s not just the night and day thing.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 17:36

• Lyle’s Mantra:

  • “Reality shapes itself around your expectations… when you stop believing that you’re finished, you start to take actions as if you’re not finished. And then things start to, you know, reality starts to shape itself more positively.”
    — Lyle, 20:27

• On Survival After Rock Bottom:

  • “Whenever I took those 40 shots of Fireball, I was very, very afraid I was gonna die, and that kind of snapped me back to reality in a way. I do not recommend anyone do that… But it was a traumatizing experience, honestly, and it made me, you know, kind of wake up a little bit.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 22:42

• On Seeking Help Outside Your Comfort Zone:

  • “You gotta get a little bit outside your comfort zone if you wanna, you know, evolve… Being comfortable doesn’t make you grow any.”
    — Lyle, 27:50 / Mr. Fireball, 28:03

• On Hope and Doom:

  • “At minimum, stop telling yourself that you’re doomed. Because the second you throw your hands up and believe that you’re doomed is when it starts to happen.”
    — Lyle, 29:18

• Final Warning:

  • “Whatever you do, don’t ever take 40 shots Fireball.”
    — Mr. Fireball, 30:13

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Important Timestamps

• [01:52] – Intro to Mr. Fireball and his epic drinking tale.
• [03:13] – Mr. Fireball describes the 40 shots incident.
• [10:20] – Conversation shifts to emotional numbness and feeling “done for.”
• [11:34] – Regret about mother’s death and missed reconciliation.
• [14:06] – Discussion about failed attempts to quit drinking.
• [16:26] – Lyle offers to try “real”/armchair therapy.
• [19:08] – Prospects for change: Talks of switching careers.
• [20:27] – Lyle explains the importance of hope and belief in change.
• [22:42] – Mr. Fireball’s rock bottom moment and warning to listeners.
• [27:36] – AA and the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
• [29:18] – Lyle’s closing advice: Stop telling yourself you’re doomed.
• [30:13] – Mr. Fireball’s stark warning: Never take 40 shots of Fireball.

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Episode Tone & Style

The conversation is bracingly honest, darkly funny, and vulnerable. Lyle meets Mr. Fireball’s pain and candor with warmth, nonjudgmental curiosity, and the occasional absurd joke, never minimizing the seriousness of addiction but refusing to let the caller give up hope. The tone is unconventional—sometimes irreverent, but ultimately empathetic and life-affirming.

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Key Takeaways

• Even in the depths of addiction and despair, small steps toward change are possible.
• Recovery is neither linear nor easy, and setbacks (and relapses) are common.
• Regret and grief—especially unresolved family relationships—can fuel addiction.
• Emotional engagement with life is hard, but hope is both necessary and self-fulfilling.
• Support, honesty, and community—even from strangers on the internet—matter.
• Sometimes the bravest thing is to admit you’re not okay but to keep moving forward anyway.

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This episode stands out for its unsparing look at addiction, loneliness, and healing, wrapped in the unique humor and heart that defines Therapy Gecko.

Transcript

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[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

and ways to save 40 shots. Oh, 40. Fireball. To accept, press one.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Hello?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Hello, this is Mr. Gecko.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yes, hi. Who is this?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

This. Can I go by Mr. Fireball?

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Sure, you can go by Mr. Fireball. You can have whatever you want, man. What else do you want? You can have whatever you want. I don't know why, but I feel like you should have whatever you want. Tell me more. What else do you want?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Everything and nothing at the same time.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

No. Come on, come on. Give me the. Give me, give me. You want everything and nothing at the same time? Let's get into that. Let's start with the everything. What? What's the everything?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Everything is all the fireball. I need you to for the rest of my life, Mr. Gecko.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

All right. And why that was the nothing. The, the nothing is the everything. As I want all this fireball. And the nothing is. I know that it will ruin my life to have that much fireball. Is that the everything and the nothing?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I guess so. Yeah. Yes, Mr. Gecko. I, I, I did, I, I, I did not expect you to answer, Mr. Gecko. This is taking me by surprise.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Let's just get it. Let's just dive in, man. Who. We're here. We're here. Hmm.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

We are here. Yes. So I'll go ahead and take the lead.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Go ahead.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

There was. There was a experience I had recently. I woke up on a Friday at about 11am and I decided, hey, you know, I want to take 40 shots of Fireball. And it did not end well. Well, it ended somewhat. It ended somewhat well because I did not die. But I am a regular drinker, so it kind of makes sense. But I figured I just wanted to call in and highly recommend that people do not ever take 40 shots of Fireball.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Now, how many shots as a regular drinker do you typically take

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

as a regular drinker? We. On a. On a day where I'm getting crazy, I can easily pound out 20.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Really? And how often are you drinking

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

enough where I can pound out 20 and still be a. Okay.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Fireball's a little low proof, right?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

You are correct. Yes. But whenever you do 40 of them, it still, it, it'll get the, it gets the job done.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

How many shots are in a handle?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

A handle A fireball? I, I can't tell you for exact, but I already did the math. I. 40 shots of Fireball, if I, if I remember correctly, is about two liters.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Two liters? Oh, that's a lot.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, yeah. 40 shots. I did it in about a six hour here, hour time period. I passed out drunk as any excessive alcohol consumption will do. And I woke up and was still plastered and proceeded to go dress up a fire hydrant in a cowboy outfit.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You dressed up a fire hydrant in a cowboy outfit?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes. Yes, Mr. Gekko, I did. And I fully.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Were you, Were you drinking alone?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes. Yes, I was.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Are you typically drinking alone?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Not all the time.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. And you mentioned to me how. Remind me again how often you said you drink.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

We'll say weekly. That's being. That's being very subtle. But weekly at least. Probably more like daily. I think daily is a lot more honest.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

There's a big difference between weekly and daily. I would Say okay.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Okay. Okay. Well, daily. Daily then. You know, let's have transparency here.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. Are you. Are you drunk right now?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

How drunk are you right now?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I'm at the sweet spot, so 40 shots of Fireball is way too much. I know that that's where you're, like, approaching death, but, like, 20 to 25 is a sweet spot. That's a good spot for me, at least. Mm.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. Like, when are you doing this? Are you doing this in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Well, I like to pace it out. I don't just like to take everything straight to the dome. So today, I believe I started drinking at about.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

1pm you started drinking at 1pm and what, it's what, Tuesday?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes, it is Tuesday. It is my day off, though.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. Yeah. So, like, what. What do you do when you have to, like, do things with your life?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I. I get. I. I get a little buzz going. Just enough buzz where I can, you know, hang throughout the day and, you know, do all of my business. And then when I get a day off, like I do now, I get, you know, barely, fairly hammered.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And who. Okay, so you sometimes drink alone, but not all the time. When you're. When you are drinking with other people, who are these people that you're drinking with?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

These are my friends, you know, co workers. I work at a LA dive bar, so it's kind of natural in that sense.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Oh, so you work at a bar?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes. Yes, I do.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

How long you worked at this bar for?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I've worked at this bar are on and off for about two and a half years.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And how's it going?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

It's actually going wonderful. The owner, who is a. I don't know, are. We live right now. Like, can I say anything offensive?

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You can. You're. You're a human being of your own agency that can say whatever you so desire.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Understood. Okay, well, the owner is a. Someone else would refer to him as an Asian Jew. He is a very money. He's a very money pension guy.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Is he. Is he literally an Asian Jew?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

No, not literally. He's just an Asian guy. But as far as money goes, he's kind. He's very greedy about it. He's very. He's very conservative with giving raises. And recently he just offered me a raise, so I would say it's going very good.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay, So how's your life going, man? I mean, what's. What's up? Is this. Are you, like. Is. Are you destroyed or are you good? Like, are you good? How are you doing?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I Think. To be honest, I think mentally and emotionally, like, deep down inside, I think I might, like, I might be done for.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

All right.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

But. But, I mean, we're physically. I'm physically still here. Why still kicking?

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Why do you feel like you are done for?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Ah, man, you gotta. Sometimes you just go so far down the rabbit hole, you can't come back.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

When did you start going down the rabbit hole?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

20, 23. My mother passed on. It just like. It kind of devolved very, very quickly after that. That I. The week I lost my mother was easy. Easily the worst week of my life. I wasn't even that close to my mother, but it was still. That week was still easily the worst week of my life.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Now what? Okay, so you weren't that close with your mother, so I'm. I'm curious. Why was it so devastating for you?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I never got to make things right, and I regret that. I regret two things in my life, and that is one of them.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

What was there. Was there a particular conflict?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

She. She. Unfortunately, my mother was a drug addict, and due to her addiction, we had to be separated. When I was about. I was. I was in fifth grade. I want to say I was about nine or 10 years old. And I am. Whenever I lost her, I was 23. Yep, 20. I was 23 going on 24. And as I. When she passed, I realized, you know, it's too late. I can't, you know, make things sort of okay, despite everything that happened, that still, my mother and I still love her. Even after death, I still love.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

So was there ever. Was there a plan that you had of some kind to reconcile with her?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes, there was a plan, but I fought a losing battle.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You fought a losing battle?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes, Sir, I did, Mr. Gekko.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Well, what do you mean by that?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Well, whenever people are addicts, there is a certain stigma around them, and, you know, a lot of people will shun them and kind of treat them like the black sheep. So, although I want to reconcile and, you know, make peace with things, there are a lot of people close to me who are not quite on board with it.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Sure. Sure. Okay. So that's when the drinking got heavy.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes. It was already an issue prior, but it didn't get completely out of control until that event happened. Mm.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And what has it been like every day since then?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I've made attempts to stop unsuccessful. But I have tried. But I've. I had a good three month period where I wasn't doing anything, no drinking, and I just. Just fell off the wagon. And once you. A lot of people who don't do, you know, alcohol. Although it's not. Although people consider it a very sociable drug. Not. Don't consider a. It a hard drug. It is still a hard drug. And what people don't understand is that even if you take, like, a year or so off alcohol, you can still go back to drinking the next day just as heavy as you were.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Have you ever spoken to a real therapist about any of this?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Briefly, briefly.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

What do they say?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

They always give you very generic advice. They always give you, like, you know, maybe you should. Maybe you should, you know, sit down with your thoughts. You know, maybe if you think about drinking, count to 100 until the. You know, until the itch goes away, so to say.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You ever been to, like, a rehab?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I have not actually been to rehab, no. No, Mr. Gekko.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

So you believe that you are done for,

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

you know, mentally and emotionally? Yes, I think I'm very. Mentally, I'm still engaged in my reality. Mentally, I can see what's going on around me. I understand it. But emotionally, I'm just very detached from everything at this point.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

How old are you?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I am 25, going on 26 in August.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Oh, okay. You're a young guy.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah. Yeah. Like, there's still. It's. There's still hope. There's still some light at the end of the tunnel. I'm just, you know, I'm searching for it at this.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay, so you're not really engaged. You know what? Let's do it. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. Attempt to do real therapy here. Mode. Let's do it. Let's do armchair. Are you down? Are you down to do armchair?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah. No, we're. We're here. Let's do it.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You're right. Fuck it. We're here. Let's do it. Let's do armchair therapy. Yeah, I guess it's the whole podcast, but. All right. You're emotionally detached from your reality, correct?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, very much so, yeah.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

I mean, like, take me through your life. Do you have anything in it that's worth having emotional attachment to anyone or anything? Any people, any goals, any locations? Like, do you have things in your life that are worth your emotional engagement?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

You know, I have a very good group of friends. Amazing that. That will have my back no matter what? I know that for 100%. And at this point, I've kind of realized that maybe with the way I've been moving the past few years, that working a dive bar might not be the best thing. So I'm currently, like, looking to move into another career field, but it takes time. It's not just, it's not just the night and day thing. It takes a lot of time.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

What career field are you looking to move into?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I'm planning on getting into the oil and gas industry.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. Like as a worker

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

to start out with. Yeah, you know, I just start out at the bottom. I've, I've looked into it a little bit, and if I can go to job fair with a CDL license and some of my safety certifications, there's a high likelihood, as long as I present myself well, that I could get a job. Mm.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And so does the prospect of doing that motivate you in any way to be emotionally engaged with your reality?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Now that you mention it, yes. It makes me, it makes me a lot more mindful of everything around me and how I need to engage and just in general, move and plan.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah. Okay, so you're not. So what's all this talk about being done for?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Well, I mean, even though I have the plan, I, I, I'm making the move, you know, still mentally and emotionally. It's almost like I'm stuck in that, you know, that, that moment, that life I was about, that life I was living. And although, although it's almost like I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Like, I can envision it. I can imagine it. I still, like, can't see it yet. I'm not that close. I'm not quite there yet.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, but you're still, you're still moving. You're still walking.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

You're correct. Yeah, I know. You're absolutely correct. Yeah, I guess, I guess in that since I haven't quite given up, because I am still, I am still moving. Mm hmm.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, you're still moving. So you haven't completely given up. You have some vague form of direction. You have friends. Yeah. I mean, you're not, I don't think you are completely hopeless to improve your life by any means. You're still young. I, I, I talk about this on here a lot. And I, and I, I do believe it. And it's very easy to kind of succumb to inclinations that you're done or you're over with, but like, you know, reality shapes itself around your expectations of it in a way. And so when you stop believing that you're finished, you start to take actions as if you're not finished. And then things start to, you know, reality starts to shape itself more positively.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I hear you. I understand it's just it. You know, whenever. Whenever you hit that moment where it's rock bottom, like, truthfully rock bottom, it's super hard to get out of it. And I. Like I told you, my mother passed in 2023. Here we are in 2026. Now. Now. And I'm. I am just now, like, starting to make a plan and starting to even make an attempt to get out of it. You know, I. I wallowed in my own sorrow for a while.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah. But, I mean, good job. Not good that you Wallet in your own sorrow, but, you know, good job. I mean, you. You could have well spent the rest of your life doing that, but you still got a lot of time to, you know, do well.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes, sir, Mr. Gecko.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

But I'll be honest, though. I'll get. Whenever I took those 40 shots of Fireball, I was very, very afraid I was gonna die, and that kind of snapped me back to reality in a way. I do not recommend anyone do that. Like, I actually recommend the absolute opposite. Opposite. Like, please don't ever do that. But it was. It was a traumatizing experience, honestly, and it made me, you know, kind of wake up a little bit.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Do you have any other family?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, I have a very limited family, but I still have some other family.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And what's their deal? Are they around?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I have my grandmother around.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. And is she in your life? Is she taking part?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

She's present. Yeah. She. She. She's present in my life. We're in good standing.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Does she know what you're going through?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

No. You know, that's my grandmother. I've grown, honestly, done my best to keep her in the dark about it. Like, you know, she's had suspicions and all, but I've never. I don't want to. I. I've never wanted to quite expose her to what I'm going through. She was. See, she. You know, the. My mother was her daughter, so she went through a loss as well during that time, and I didn't want to make it harder for her.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And your friends. Do they know what's going on with you?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Not to the full extent.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Have you ever. You ever been to, like, AA or anything like that?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, it's. There was actually. It was actually very recently I wanted to go to an AA meeting nearby, and I. I walked outside the building, and I looked inside, and. Well, I. First off, I looked outside the building, and the Alcoholics Anonymous was in Spanish, so I was like, okay. Like, this might not. This might. This might not be the one for me, but I Took a peek inside still, just to look inside the building, and it was this older to looking guy. Right, Like a older Mexican uncle.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

And look, I, that's not an issue at all. The issue is, I, I, I don't speak Spanish good enough to attend one of those meetings. That was the bigger issue.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

That's a bummer, because this guy, he sounds like, it sounds like if you did speak a little bit Spanish, this guy would have some wisdom for you.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I, I, I absolutely agree. I just. My. Me espanol. Espanol. Mallow.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

That's pretty good. Okay, so you didn't actually go to an AA meeting. You stood in front of a building and saw that it was, you went to one that was in Spanish, and then you didn't go in at all, and then you went home. So you didn't, you just, you didn't go to a meeting.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

It's really, you know, it's very, it's very intimidating going to a meeting, period. But whatever. It's in a whole different language. It's a lot more intimidating. I'm sorry, Mr. Gekko, but it is.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

No, I mean, brother, they have them in English. You should go find an English one.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, you're probably right. That would probably benefit me quite well. Previously, even, like, prior to that, I, I, I had visited one in English.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Oh, so previously, prior to that, you had before been to one in English?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay. How was that?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

You know, like I said, I am 25 years old. It's, it's super, super rare to find someone my age in.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, they're a lot older.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Exactly.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, but that's good. That's really, I think that's a good thing. Right, because that's who you, that's who you want to be around, is. You want to be around motherfuckers where it's like, they know where your path leads. Those people have wisdom that can only be ascertained through lived experience. And those are the. You wanna, you wanna be talking to.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yeah, you're right. You're definitely right there. It just, it just kind of makes me uncomfortable a little bit. You know, it's, it's not, it's, it's, it's out of my comfort zone. That's exactly, it's just out of my comfort zone.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, but you gotta, you gotta get a little bit outside of your comfort zone if you wanna, you know, kind of evolve, evolve yourself into the kind of person that you want to be, you know?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

You're right. Yeah. Being comfortable doesn't won't make you Grow any?

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, I mean, I, I do the same thing in a lot of aspects of my life. I stay comfortable because I don't want to fucking deal with anything. But do, you know, you gotta, you gotta do it. You gotta do some stuff.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

No, I, I, I, I, I agree, Mr. Gecko. I really appreciate your time. No, I'm, I mean, I already said I'm working towards a career change and that's. I can look around for more meetings. It's not the end of the world. Just because I happen to stumble upon one close by that I didn't quite understand. And

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

what state do you live in? I'm just curious.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I am in Texas.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You're Texas?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Dallas, Texas.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Dallas, Texas. Okay, man. It's a. Just an okay town.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm on the outskirts, but I'm close enough to Dallas, where I am in Dallas.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

What's your name again?

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Mr. Fireball.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Mr. Fireball. Okay, Mr. Fireball. I'm rooting for you. Mr. Fireball, I'm rooting for you. If there's one thing that you could do, I believe the best thing you could do is to, at minimum, stop telling yourself that you're doomed. That's. I actually genuinely believe that's the worst thing you could do. Because the second you throw your hands up and believe that you're doomed is when it starts to happen. So the only way you can really have any hope is to, you know, have hope. If that makes any sense.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

No, it makes complete sense. Thank you.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah. Is there anything else you want to say to the people at the computer before we go? Mr. Fireball,

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Whatever you do, don't ever take 40 shots. Fireball.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

I'm going to call you Mr. Lacroix. Maybe you'll get into Lacroix and you'll replace the Fireball with Lacroix. That could be good.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Well, no one. I'll look into that. That's sparkling water, right?

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yes, sir.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Oh, yeah, I can, I can dig that.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

All right, Mr. F. Good luck, man. Say, have a good one.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Thank you. I appreciate your time. Okay.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay, man. Take care. Good luck, brother.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Yes, sir. Bye bye.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

That was a gentleman from Dallas, Texas.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Who? Foreign.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

We're rooting for, we're rooting for him. He's gonna turn it around. He's gonna turn around. He's gonna, he's gonna learn Spanish. He's gonna stop calling people Asian, Jews. He's gonna get sober. He's gonna figure it out. He's gonna have a good life. I'll put it into the universe.

[Clayton Eckerd]

I'm Clayton ECKARD and in 2022, I I was the lead of ABC's the Bachelor.

[Stephanie Young]

Unfortunately, it didn't go according to plan. He became the first Bachelor to ever have his final rose rejected. The Internet turned on him.

[Clayton Eckerd]

If I could press a button and rewind it all, I would.

[Stephanie Young]

But what happened to Clayton? After the show made even bigger headlines. It began as a one night stand and ended in a courtroom with Clayton at the center of a very strange paternity scandal.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

The media is here.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

This case has gone viral.

[Clayton Eckerd]

The dating Contract.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Agree to date me, but I'm also suing you.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Please search for it.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

This is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

[Stephanie Young]

I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped this season, an epic battle of he said, she said and the search for accountability in a sea of lies.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I have done nothing except get pregnant by the Bachelor.

[Stephanie Young]

Listen to Love trapped on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Hi, this is Joe Winterstein, host of the Spirit Daughter podcast where we talk about astrology, natal charts and how to step into your most vibrant life. And I just sat down with a mini driver, the Irish traveler said when I was 16.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You're gonna have a terrible time with me. Men.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Actor, storyteller and unapologetic Aquarian visionary. Aquarius is all about freedom loving and different perspectives and I find a lot of people with strong placements in Aquarius like are Misunderstood a Sun and Venus in Aquarius in her seventh house spark her unconventional approach to partnership.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

He really has taught me to embrace people sleeping in different rooms, on different houses, in different places, but just an

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

embracing of the isness of it all. If you're navigating your own transformation or just want a chart side view into how a leading artist integrates astrology, creativity and real life, this episode is a must. Listen Listen to the Spirit Daughter podcast starting on February 24th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcast.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Next Monday, our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards are happening live at south by Southwest.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

This is the biggest night in podcasting

[Clayton Eckerd]

will honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative talent and creators in the industry.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And the winner is.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Creativity, knowledge and passion will all be on full display.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Thank you so much iheartradio. Thank you to all the other nominees. You guys are awesome.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Watch Live next Monday at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific [e-mail] or the Veeps app.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

What's up, everyone? It's Lyle. I'm gonna make this a half phone call, half Geck mail episode. And this is gonna be the Geck mail half where I read emails that people have sent me to the email address therapygeckomailmail.com and I ponder the emails. So we're gonna spend the next. Let's call it half hour pondering emails that people have sent me to therapygeckomailmail.com let's begin with. Let's see. Let's begin with this one from Alex. Subject line, Midwest pineapple guy. Hey, Geck, My name is Alex, and I want to tell you about this guy I met in VRChat. I was in a world by a fire in this world on vrchat, when this guy comes up to me and starts saying, bro, you need to grow a garden, bro. Because you know why? Because if you don't, someone else will do it for you. Interesting. Or something like that. Along with him rambling on about the universe and talking about how we are probably friends in another timeline, but on this one, this will be the only time we ever speak to each other. Wait, this guy sounds very interesting. After that, he left, and this other guy who was behind him came up and was just as weirded out as me. Wait, why were you weirded out? I don't. Hold on. Wait, why were you weirded out? This is the whole point of VRChat is to meet insane people who say cra. Who say interesting stuff. You know? I mean, listen, I don't know. I feel like being weirded out in a thing where, like, everyone is dressed up as, like, Peter Pan and Hatsune Miku and fucking Charlie Brown. Whatever. Like, I don't know. I don't know if you can really. I don't know if it's really fair game to get weirded out in VR chat. You're kind of getting what you came there for, in my humble opinion. Okay, let me finish reading the email. This was reassuring because I was smoking some weed and I couldn't tell if I was too high to understand him or if he was just talking nonsense. Then after talking about what just happened for a moment, the guy came back and started again with the same talking points. We tried to ask him what he was on because it was clear that he was on something, and his only response was Midwest pineapple, bro. And when I finally decided to look it up was because he said, bro. I already said Midwest pineapple. It turns out Midwest pineapple is a very strong edible. Eventually, he continued his rambling about growing gardens and timelines in the universe. He stopped and stayed still. I think he passed out. But a whole group formed to listen to this guy. And we were all talking about how weird it was, but my headset died and I don't know what else happened. It was wild and it was mind fucking. Anyway, have a great day. I hope you find this just as funny as I did. Thanks, Alex. I'm first, I have many questions about the Midwest Pineapple guy. I want to know what character he was. And also, by the way, here's the thing. The Midwest pineapple guy, that guy is a modern day philosopher, hands down. Okay, this is 2026. The 2026 version of Socrates is going to be a dude he in VR chat who's high, talking about the universe through a knuckles avatar. So, you know, that's the form that I expect modern day philosophers to take. So I'm not weirded out. I think this guy had some. He had something to him. And it's true. You do need to grow a garden or else someone else will do it for you. This guy, I like this guy. Can you find this guy, Alex? Bring him to me. I want to replace him as the host of this podcast. I think he would do a better job, honestly. And he's already good. He can just. He can just make the character like he can just use a gecko character in VR chat. He doesn't even have to wear my gross smelly costume. Anyway, shout out this pineapple guy who was really high and just providing classic entertainment value to the citizens of vrchat universe. Okay, this is from Josh. My new family is fucking me up. Hey Gak. I wanted to write you and tell you about my problem. I just had a daughter with my girlfriend and it's fucking me up big time. I love both of them more than I've ever loved anything except my 13 year old cat. They're all family anyways. Having a daughter is making me do things I hate doing and it's making me worry about things I don't even care about. It might be because I'm autistic, but I've genuinely never cared about the normal concept of everyday life. You know, like talking to people and caring about others or even being successful in a job. I hate talking to people. Like sometimes I start a conversation just to be friendly because you can tell they need or want to talk to someone. And as soon as I do, my brain immediately defaults back to how long does this go on before I can leave. I also never really cared much about working. I have my own place. We all live in it. And I have a pretty cool job that I really don't care about. What is this cool job that you don't care about? Up until now, as long as I made enough money to keep me and my cat out of the weather, buy some burgers, and pay my phone bill, I'm pretty happy. Now with my new daughter, I. My brain is trying to freak out about making more money, finding us a better place to live, and being friendly with others so she has a decent network of people around her, and I hate it. I feel like it's such a sham or con that now I need to buy a house and save money for emergencies, but I don't want my daughter to have a lousy life. I didn't realize how many more people I'd have to interact with after having a kid. People like doctors and nurses, caregivers and even neighbors. So many people want to talk to me about the baby and give us stuff, and I'm thankful. But deep down in the immediate moments, it happens. I hate it. I hate when people try to talk to me or ask me questions and I have to play nice and smile and pretend to care about their problems just to get some free baby clothes and whatnot. It's not that I hate being a father. That part kicks ass. I hate all the stuff that comes with it, but, like being responsible and socializing with people I've spent my whole life avoiding, so now I don't even know how to talk to them. I really only get along with four people on this planet, but now I have to figure out how to act like people so my daughter can have a good life and not end up weird like me. Josh, I got a lot of thoughts about your message. First of all, you know what? I. My, My. My gut instinct is like, you know, listen, man, I don't think that. I think these feelings are, like, real and legitimate. You know, you're feeling them, you're having them, they're there. But as far as, like, what you should do with them, yes, it is true. There is a.

[Clayton Eckerd]

You.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You have activated the biological instinct that happens once you have a child that goes, oh, it's. I mean, it's. It's ancient, dude. It's like, you have a kid, and now you're like, I gotta go run into the woods with a spear and get a fucking salmon so I can feed my kid, right? But. Except it's like, I have to get a better job. I have to start making More money. And, dude, honestly, you know, I'm. I'm a. I'm a proponent of, like, live your life the way you want to live your life. But also, man, like, this kind of feels like it's a good opportunity for you. I know you hate talking to other people, and, you know, I'm trying to. I like talking to people, so I'm trying to channel into your brain here. But, like, dude, this is an opportunity for you to grow, right? Like. Like, I think that you're just, like, creating artificial resistance between you and the. The universe, right? Like, at a certain point, you just have to submit yourself to it. I know it's hard. It's really hard because, like, if your gut is telling you that you just hate talking to all these people, it's hard to kind of fake it till you make it type of thing. But, like, I don't know, man. I think you have to. At minimum, like, you don't have. You don't have to like it, but you have to embrace it as a necessity. And also, dude, if you want your daughter to have a good life, like, and you say, you're saying, like, I want my daughter to have a good life and not end up weird like me, right? So, like, this is a good opportunity for you to be a good example to. To your daughter. Like, would you. Would you want. I mean, you should. You should do whatever you want, but would you want your daughter to, like, avoid talking to people and to not have ambitions and to not care about being successful and having a good life and to avoid these things that you're avoiding? No, you'd want them to, you know, embrace the universe around them. So you should, I guess, act in a way that you would want your daughter to be able to, like, look up to you and be like, oh, I want to be like my dad. My dad fucking is well connected. He's ambitious. He likes doing stuff.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Hmm. Mm hmm.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Yeah, man. Yeah. I think. I think you do have to figure out how to act like a real person so that your daughter can have a good life. But that's good, man. Also. Also, you know what? Listen, I commend you. I really do. I commend you because I think, like, in turn, I don't think we can kind of. I don't think that we can. I know I just gave you the advice to do this, but I don't really think that we can change our gut feelings about things. And your gut feeling is that you just hate having to talk to all these people, but you're Doing what I think is a pretty amazing thing, which is you're fucking just doing it anyway, right? You're just doing it anyway. Keep just doing it anyway because, like, you'd be a piece of shit if you were like, you know what? I don't really feel like talking to the doctor, so I'm just not gonna make my daughter a doctor appointment, right? Like, you're, like, you're hating it the whole time, but you're still doing it. So respect for that. But, yeah, I mean, I would just embrace this as like a opportunity to. Be of the universe more. I mean, that's the thing about having a kid, right? Is like, you're kind of. I think in life, you. You kind of have like a note, nice rhythm to your life, right? You were like, I got my cat, and if I can make enough money to keep me and my cat chill and pay my phone bill, I'm pretty happy. And then you were like, you kind of made the decision of, let's shake it up, right? Let's have a kid in there. And you have to accept the fact that when you have a kid, you're going to disturb your life's rhythm. You seem like you're really happy with being a dad. You seem like you love your daughter, but you're kind of going through the uncomfortable part of, like, disturbing your life rhythm. And, you know, I think within the disturbance of one's life rhythm, there is room for growth. So, you know, keep. Keep making your daughter doctor's appointments. Keep doing stuff like that. Let's keep going. This is from Pearson in all caps. Pessimism pisses me off with five exclamation points. Hey, Geck, I'm listening to your latest Geck Mail episode. As I write this, I don't have any specific problems going on in my life at the moment I. I'm in school. I enjoy going outside and doing activities in my free time. We love activities. I've been listening to your podcast since I was 14, and I enjoy the content. I've noticed over the years that many people who call in feel as though the world and all it holds is heinous. Even in my own life, there are people whose outlook on life is seemingly filled with doom, gloom, and worry. I understand that there are many circumstantial differences that create these feelings, but to me, weighing yourself down with the entire weight of the world's problems can only be detrimental to both you and the world. This overly pessimistic outlook pisses me off. Whether it's about political Situations, the economy, emotional issues. It truly annoys me to hear people who have seemingly given up and are now victims to the world they feel is so horrible. I'm with you, Pearson. I. I feel that letting things outside of your control influence your life so greatly is foolish and that this has only been accentuated by the emergence of the digital world and globalization. Yes, bad things happen in this world. I know the world is far from perfect, and perhaps this outlook is ignorant, but oftentimes I find it difficult to have sympathy for people who are not doing their very best to improve their situation. To extend off of this point, I. I feel it's the people with the least to worry about who are often playing the victim card in life. Many privileged people who have more than a less fortunate person could ever imagine still find a way to be miserable, ungrateful, and pessimistic about their lives. So often I see people with the largest burdens push through them and remain optimistic, motivated, and seemingly happy, which with much less to be happy about. I hate lucky people's magnetism toward misery and I want it to stop. Anyway, I love your podcast. Appreciate you. My advice to the people at the computer is to be active, go outside, and don't make yourself miserable for no reason. Also, I'm going to your show in Vancouver. Thanks, Pearson. Yes, Vancouver. Please, please come to the show. I don't know when exactly I'm going to Vancouver, but go to therapygecator.com anyway. Thank you, Pearson. I'll see you there, Pearson. You know, Pearson, I'm with you. I know it's.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

It's an unpopular opinion. I've been thinking about it a lot because truthfully, just being online is the strongest gravitator toward that thing. Like, I, like, I see all this stuff online where people like believe that the default mode of the universe is that it's fucked up and everything is fucked up. And then like I go outside and I see like a lady on a bike and I'm like, well, this lady's on a bike. And that's how. And that's happening right now. Yes, wars are happening, poverty's happening. Yes, lots of bad things are happening. But the phones do this fucking thing where like they pinpoint in on horrible things that are happening in the world. And then it's like if you just look up from the phone and you look around outside, people are walking with their friends, people are drinking a coffee, people are just like walking around living their lives, talking to each other. Like, like regular life,

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

dude.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Regular, boring, stupid, normal Life is happening much more across the planet than, like, crazy, crazy bullshit. But of course, you only hear the crazy bullshit. Nobody's gonna take a video of a guy walking his dog and be like, look at this guy walking his dog and just. And breathing. But that's how, you know how many guys are just, you know, many people just walking a dog and looking at the sky like, things are more fine than not. And also, like, I don't know, man, like, fucking wars and poverty and like, political corruption and all these things. Like, I mean, I've said this on the podcast a billion times, but I'll reiterate it just because this emailer is bringing it up. But all these things are not new. They're new for us as people. They're certainly new for us as Americans. I know this person's not American. They're Canadian, I think. But anyway, Pearson, I agree with you. I won't. I won't rant too much, but I appreciate also, you're a young dude. You were 14 when you started listening to the podcast in 2021. So you're like 19 now. I think the world needs more people who are not, you know, pissed off about everything. So much respect to you. Okay. This is from Nicholas Greenwood. Subject line rendezvous. Hello, Gecko. I am the abominable Snowman. I live off the east polar caps. The weather here is nice and chill, perfect for my fur type. Since I moved here back in the early winter when snow cone sales were low, my life has improved. I just got some sick new horn tats as well. Anyway, I am inviting you to the east polar caps in my village in the abominable region of Antarctica. I'll think about it.

[Clayton Eckerd]

I'm Clayton eckerd, and in 2022, I was the lead of ABC's the Bachelor.

[Stephanie Young]

Unfortunately, it didn't go according to plan. He became the first bachelor to ever have his final rose rejected. The Internet turned on him.

[Clayton Eckerd]

If I could press a button and rewind it all, I would.

[Stephanie Young]

But what happened to Clayton? After the show made even bigger headlines. It began as a one night stand and ended in a courtroom with Clayton at the center of a very strange paternity scandal.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

The media is here.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

This case has gone viral.

[Clayton Eckerd]

The dating contract.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Agree to date me, but I'm also suing you.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

Please search for it.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

This is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

[Stephanie Young]

I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. This season, an epic battle of he said, she said and the search for accountability in a sea of lies.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

I have done nothing except get pregnant by the Bachelor.

[Stephanie Young]

Listen to Love trapped on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Hi, this is Jo Winterstein, host of the Spirit Daughter podcast where we talk about astrology, natal charts and how to step into your most vibrant life. And I just sat down with a mini driver, the Irish traveler said when I was 16.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

You're going to have a terrible time with men.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Actor, storyteller and unapologetic occasional Aquarian visionary. Aquarius is all about freedom loving and different perspectives and I find a lot of people with strong placements in Aquarius like Are Misunderstood A Sun and Venus in Aquarius in her seventh house Spark her unconventional approach to partnership.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

He really has taught me to embrace people sleeping in different rooms, on different houses, in different places, but just an

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

embracing of the isness of it all. If you're navigating your own transformation or just want to chart something, view into how a leading artist integrates astrology, creativity and real life. This episode is a must. Listen Listen to the Spirit Daughter podcast starting on February 24th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcast.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Next Monday, our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards are happening live at south by Southwest.

[Mr. Fireball (Caller)]

This is the biggest night in podcasting.

[Clayton Eckerd]

We'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative talent and creators in the industry.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

And the winner is.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Creativity, knowledge and Passion will all be on full display.

[Podcast Host/Announcer]

Thank you so much iheartradio. Thank you to all the other nominees. You guys are awesome.

[Clayton Eckerd]

Watch Live next Monday at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific [e-mail] or the Veeps app.

[Lyle (Therapy Geck)]

Okay, this is from Rhiannon. Subject line Should I be less honest with my mother? Let's see what's up. Dear Lyle, I am an artist and a writer currently living in Scotland. I am writing primarily about some troubles I am having with my mother. She works in coordination for the arts. A wonderful woman, insightful, hard working and one of the bravest people I have ever known. I admire her and deeply desire her respect. She escaped my shithead abusive father with nothing but me, then three years old in her arms and raised me as a single mother. The town where I grew up is not very diverse. I am mixed raced and my family is from India so my mama is visibly brown. There was a lot of bigotry from the townsfolk as a result. We were always very close. I have memories of her encouraging me to trust nobody but her relevant at the time since my father was a creepy stalkery type. However, I am now 26. My life has changed drastically since I was a child in that little village. I studied fine arts and got my degree and now live in a friendly, accepting city. I am a professional artist and a bookseller on the weekends. I am currently living with my two partners, Dog, seven years together in June and Fox, four years together in April. She's got like a Snow White thing going on. That's pretty cool. Further adding to the parade of polyamorous individuals emailing and calling you. We have an actual dog as well who is very sweet and growing old and is my best friend. Pick attached for your enjoyment. And she has a little picture of a dog right here. It's very cute. I make artwork about my life and the people around me, the people I love. I am a queer, trans, masculine person, but beyond that, I'm not sure I can hammer down many labels. Even while stating that she accepts me and loves me unconditionally. My mother clearly dislikes all of these things, including the dog, and does not behave. Why does she hate that you have a dog? Okay. She does not behave in a very accepting way. She persists in trying to make me engage with girly things, buys me makeup, clothes and toiletries for any gift. Fox and I have been living together for longer than many people take to get married, but she still will not invite her to family dinners. I know many queer people at this point begin keeping their personal lives as just that, personal. It's normal enough not to tell your parents everything. She worries if I haven't contacted her in a week, but then goes quiet and stormy if I talk candidly about my life. She takes great joy in closely watching and encouraging my artistic career. But what I make art about is precisely what she doesn't want to hear. Mmm. I feel I truly do need her help and her patronage more than anything. I want her love and her approval. I want Fox and Dog to be able to be with me without reservations or disapproval. We'd like to marry quietly and have children eventually. Of course. My mother thinks any child resulting from a three way relationship would be born a cat demon. Should I be less honest with her? Should I keep all this to myself and find something else to make art about altogether? Or should I stay stubborn in my ways and hope she comes around? All the best. Re. Um. Well, Re. You know, I'm sorry to hear that your mom is not. Is not encouraging of your existence. And here's what I. Here's. Here's what I think first of all, you should absolutely, positively. The last fucking thing that you should do is to let this, like, change the direction of your art. You know what I mean? Like, you're a professional artist. You have one life. Clearly the, the, you know, your personal life and your experiences are the things that you want to talk about. And you should never let anyone or anything stop you from wanting to make the art that you're going to make. So you should definitely not find something else to make art about. If that's, if that's what you want to make art about is, is the things in your life that your mom disapproves of. Now, as far as how to like, navigate the relationship with your mom as a whole, dude, I kind of think this is a situation where it's like, I know. Ah, fuck, man. I know it's kind of hard, but like, I think you should, like, kind of as an adult, right? As a 26 year old, I think that you should be very confident about the life that you've chosen for yourself and be very confident in who you are and that this is the life that's making you happy. And I don't think you should dull that confidence down for your mom. But then, listen, you can have your cake and eat it too, right? Because you can still love your mom and still respect your mom, still want your mom to be a part of your life, still, you know, you know, hold that respect for her, but just kind of communicate this confidence to her that like, listen, and I'm sure you've already done this, but listen, this is the way I'm living my life. You might not like it. That's fine. I appreciate you raising me, but you know, having a child is not like a debt that they must repay later by succumbing to your will, right? So your mom can't control your life and she can kind of try to push you in these various directions and whatnot, but it's, it's not gonna really do anything because you're an adult who is living their life confidently as they are. And I, and I really, I really, really, really don't think that you should compromise that. But you also, you don't really have to compromise anything about your relationship with your mom either. I don't think you should, like, dull anything. I should think you should just be confidently who you are. And you know, if your mom doesn't accept it, then that's kind of, it's a bummer, but it's kind of on her to, to deal with Fox and Dog. Interesting. Why doesn't she like that you have a dog? Is she worried the dog is gonna be gay? Because I get. Because that's the thing where they're like, oh, the like, oh, if you raise, like, if gay people raise kids, the kids are gonna be gay. Does she think the dog is gonna be gay too? That's a little wild. Good luck. Re. Okay, let's do one more. This is from Giga Cats. Deterministic thoughts. The way things are in the present and the way things were in the past determine how the future plays out. We have no control over the future, but our agency comes in when we become conscious of how our present determines the future and making small changes in a way that we can hope to change the outcomes. Taking advantage of that determinism. If we lie idle and unaware, then all other external factors will determine our future for us. My name is Gabby, an ever changing entity who wanders the philosophical plane. I love your show. Please do it and come to San Juan, Puerto Rico. I think that's a good place to end this. Thank you, Gabby. You know what? Deterministically, whether or not I come to San Juan, Puerto Rico has already been decided. So I don't really have a choice in the matter. Thank you guys very much for listening. Please go to therapygeckotour.com I've got good stories from my recent travels through Iraq and Ukraine. I have some other little tricks up my sleeve. I think these are gonna be really good shows. They're gonna be really fun. I just added a show in Houston on September 20th. I have a show coming up soon in Tokyo on March 22, and the show's gonna be really fun. So go to therapygeckotour.com to get tickets. Send an email to [e-mail] and try not to kill yourself, try not to kill anyone else. And go eat one of those thin Oreos. They're really good. I'm gonna get some of those after I'm done talking. So I'm gonna stop talking really soon so that I can have less time between now and when I'm eating those Oreo thins. They're so good. All right, I'm going to go do that. Geck. Bless.

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