“I NEGLECTED MY LIFE FOR MY MUSICAL”

Summary

Therapy Gecko – "I NEGLECTED MY LIFE FOR MY MUSICAL"

Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Lyle (Therapy Gecko)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Therapy Gecko (Lyle) talks live with callers about the aftermath of pouring oneself into a passion project—a community theatre musical—and the ripple effects it has on friendships, work, and mental health. The episode also explores transitions into adulthood, purpose, and finding meaning through creative outlets, as well as the surprising comfort to be found in mundane life moments and friendships.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Connor: The Director's Aftermath

• Background: Connor, 20, calls in from a Buc-ee's parking lot in Alabama after just completing a year-and-a-half stint directing "Little Shop of Horrors" at his local community theater.
• Post-Project Letdown (05:02–09:42)
  • Connor describes the immense dedication: "I've been away from the house for pretty much 17 hours a day just, you know, working and then working on this passion project." (06:42)
  • After the final show, he experiences a deep "ego death": "I've still got Little Shop, I've still got Little Chop, and now that's done. And like, I don't know, like, I experienced a whole ego death in the middle of preparing for this show." (05:29)
  • Admits to post-show depression: “It hit me hard last night… I sobbed into his (lead actor’s) shoulder for like 10 minutes.” (07:57)
• Work Frustrations (09:42–12:52)
  • Shares frustration with a construction job that’s become exploitative: “If I take off a single day of work, I forfeit my base pay for the week… This amounted to me making $272 for four nine-hour days of a physical labor job last week.” (10:13)
  • The contrast between creative fulfillment and wage labor dissatisfaction is clear.

2. Art vs. Survival: The Double Life (12:13–18:12)

• Connor balances his theater passion with a blue-collar day job, choosing jobs that leave evenings free for creative pursuits: “If it’s something that leaves me room in the evenings for theater, that’s what I want to do… But now I’m getting contractually fucked, as you put it.” (12:13)
• Community theater is revered as a cross-section of real life: “Unlike the like, higher levels or higher quote unquote levels of like, theater... you have like 50 people sometimes showing up and doing this beautiful performing art from all different walks of life… and it’s such a special thing. It’s really, really important to me." (18:12)
• Connor's next steps: acting in local productions, striving for performance roles like Plankton in “SpongeBob” and participating in a Christmas variety show. (16:10)

3. Sean: On the Edge of Adulthood (20:12–31:00)

• Background: Sean, 18, Connor’s close friend and fellow theater participant, joins the call.
  • Recently accepted to University of South Alabama to study nursing, aspiring to be a nurse anesthetist.
  • Discusses the weight of leaving home, fear of debt, and the seriousness of his ambitions:
    “It’s scary overall, just the fact that I’m not a kid anymore… It's kind of stressing me out, I have to be honest.” (21:24)
  • Explores feelings of missing the ‘teenage experience,’ but is ultimately content:
    “I was sitting in my house just relaxing. I wasn’t very stressed out about not being like a hair society or anything.” (24:46)
  • Expresses desire to balance ambition in medicine with a love of music as a hobby:
    “I really enjoy…writing and playing and all that stuff. I love learning about the instruments. I just…it fascinates me in a way that not much else does.” (26:54)
• Friendship & Admiration
  • Sean credits Connor as an older brother and source of inspiration:
    “He’s more like a brother to me than just a friend…seeing him able to do that really helped me realize that I did like music a lot, as well as anesthesia…” (27:41)

4. Life Philosophy, Dreams, and Wholesome Vibes (32:15–39:00)

• Both young men share low-key aspirations focused on meaning, not status—working any job to fund creative pursuits would be fine.
• Connor: “Honestly, I’d be perfectly content to live out the rest of my life as I am right now. Just working some job to pay the bills and then doing my creative stuff with whatever time’s left over.” (32:42)
• Friendship and music—Connor shouts out his band, Cair Paravel (Instagram: @cairearaveltheband), named after the castle in "Narnia." (36:44)
• Lyle (Therapy Gecko) reflects on the wholesomeness and normality of their dreams, “This might be…one of the most wholesome conversations I think I’ve had on this show recently.” (33:51)

5. Ashlyn: Past Trauma & Building Independence (43:36–57:52)

• Background: Ashlyn, 21, calls in to reflect on the past two years following the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, which led to profound personal challenges.
• Shares using hard work—three jobs, including working at Allstate—as a means of coping:
  “I have three jobs. Just because I’m going through a lot right now, and you got to kind of, like, work a lot just to…I don’t know, to get your mind off shit.” (45:15)
• Recounts a surreal experience dating someone who reminded her heavily of her late ex—looks, voice, and personality—causing emotional turbulence and eventually stepping back from dating:
  “The person who he tried to convince me that he was is the person that my new boyfriend, like, actually is.” (53:08)
• Now focused on financial independence and self-betterment:
  “I just got accepted to get my insurance license with Allstate…I’m gonna be on a track to make stupid money.” (55:32)
• Lyle affirms her progress and encourages her self-reliance, “You’ve been through some fucking shit, man. I’m happy for you, Ash…You’ll be okay.” (55:43)

6. Reflections, Viewer Mail & Closing Thought (61:48–79:00)

• Lyle spends the final segment reading emails from listeners about life choices (dropping out of law school, overcoming substance abuse, travel anxiety), offering reassurance, encouragement, and light-hearted commentary.
• Reinforces the value of doing what you love:
  “You only get one life, you know, you may as well…If you have the ability to, you might as well try to do things that you like.” (62:43)
• Final thought: mundane, wholesome moments—like a conversation in a Buc-ee’s parking lot—are just as “alive” as the wildest life experiences:
  “Sometimes life is just sitting with your homie in a parking lot at a Buc-ee’s or it’s eating chicken. You know, that’s life.” (62:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On post-project depression:
  “I've still got Little Shop, I've still got Little Chop, and now that's done. And like, I don't know, like, I experienced a whole ego death in the middle of preparing for this show.” – Connor (05:29)
• Wholesome friendship:
  “He’s more like a brother to me than just a friend. Seeing him able to do that really helped me realize that I did like music a lot, as well as anesthesia…” – Sean (27:41)
• Life advice from the gecko:
  “I think that you can live a life that's abundant, so to speak, where you can…achieve all your dreams. You can figure out whether or not you can later, but you might as well live now as if you can.” – Therapy Gecko (29:45)
• On community theater:
  “Community theater is so beautiful to me…you have like 50 people doing this beautiful performing art from all different walks of life…It's really, really important to me.” – Connor (18:12)
• Post-trauma recovery:
  “I just got accepted to get my insurance license with Allstate…I’m gonna be on a track to make stupid money.” – Ashlyn (55:32)
• Final affirmation:
  “Sometimes we get into crazy, but other times we’ll just have a chill conversation…I like this…we just get to meet you and me, the listeners. We get to meet just a wholesome dude in the parking lot of a Buc-ee's in Alabama. God damn it. The world is okay. Everything’s gonna be fine.” – Therapy Gecko (40:26)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction (Ads/Intros skipped)
• Connor's call: Directing aftermath & work (02:19–16:05)
• Connor & Sean on theater and adult life, community (16:05–32:42)
• Joint reflection and friendship chat (32:42–39:00)
• Ashlyn's call: Grief, self-reinvention, relationships (43:34–57:52)
• Lyle reads viewer mail: Law school dropout, parenting, and more (61:48–79:00)

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Original Language and Tone

The episode is raw, conversational, and sincere. Lyle’s gecko persona supplies dry humor and warmth without trivializing serious feelings. The callers are young, open, and self-deprecating, turning what could be heavy topics into moments of shared human vulnerability.

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Concluding Thought

A gentle, feel-good episode about youth, aftermaths, and the ways real meaning emerges in life's most ordinary corners. Whether striving for creative dreams, surviving regular jobs, mourning losses, or simply sharing a meal, purpose is found not just in grand ambitions but in the comfort of good friends and honest talk.

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Notable Social Mention:
Follow Connor’s band on Instagram: @cairearaveltheband

“Go drink some water.” — Ashlyn (57:46)

Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an I heart podcast.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Chris Pine]

People called them murderers. Ten years later, they were gods. Today, no one knows their names. A group of maverick surgeons who took on the medical establishment who risked everything to invent open heart surgery. Welcome to the wild west of American medicine. I'm Chris Pine and this is Cardiac Cowboys. If you like medical dramas, if you like heart pounding thrillers, you will love Cardiac Cowboys. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You listen to podcasts sponsored by Jasper AI Built for marketers. This is Jim.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Hello.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Jim started advertising with iHeartRadio way back in April and now I have customers out the door. And this is Sarah.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Hi.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

She started putting a portion of her marketing dollars in podcasting back in June.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

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[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's why I'm working on a Saturday.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

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[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

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[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yay.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

We're rewatching the series from start to finish and getting into all the fashions, the drama, and the behind the scenes moments that you've never heard before but.

[Podcast Announcer]

You were still bar.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I didn't know that. The carpack is like, is that you?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

And I turn around and it's a commercial for Betty.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

And I was like, I gotta go. I quit. Listen to Viva Betty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Call from Connor.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Hello.

[Connor]

Hello. Is this who I think it is?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Gecko guy? Yes, this is who you think it is. It's the gecko guy. How you doing, buddy? How you doing, man?

[Connor]

I'm doing all right. How are you?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I'm okay. I'm. I am, you know, I don't know man, life is a series of you. You. You keep going. You wake up and you do things, then you go to bed. Right.

[Connor]

I hear that.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You hear that, but, you know, enough waxing, whatever. What's up with you, man? What's going on? What's your name? First of all?

[Connor]

My name's Connor. I'm. I'm just sitting here in the Buc EE's parking lot. I pulled over because he called, and I recognize the area code.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, fuck. Where did you get at? Buc EE's?

[Connor]

I. I was gonna get gas, but then I saw you calling, so I. I postponed that for a minute. Hopefully my car doesn't run out as I'm sitting here.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Is the car on?

[Connor]

Yes.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Well, well, well. How much gas is left in it?

[Connor]

Right Now I have 49 miles. So we've got a time frame here. I'm not turning my air conditioning off.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wait, are you driving right now?

[Connor]

No, no, no, no, no. I'm sitting up. I'm sitting at BUC EE's.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, okay. So why would the. Why would it run out of. Why would either you or the Buc ees run out of gas?

[Connor]

I don't know. I'm. I'm real scatterbrained right now. I'll be honest.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's all right, man. Did you get any beaver nuggets? Do you know what a beaver nugget is? The beaver nuggets.

[Connor]

I do know what a beaver nugget is. I'm. The food is tempting because I'm really hungry, but I'm sitting here with my buddy. We're gonna get dinner after this. Oh, I'm gonna try and eat my. I postponed the dinner to talk to you.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Your friend is in the car with you.

[Sean]

He is.

[Connor]

He just took a picture of me talking to you because he knows you too.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, okay. I was gonna ask if it was kind of pissed off that you just, like. You were like, hey, I gotta talk to this Gecko guy from the Internet. Let me just ruin our lie. Let me just postpone our life real quick.

[Connor]

Yeah, no, he's. He's as excited as I am.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, that's good. All right. This is good, because I want to talk to both of you. I don't want to talk to both of you at once. I want to actually, I. I want to experiment with something. I want to have a full, complete conversation with you and then talk to your friend. Is that okay? Is that cool, or is that fine by me?

[Connor]

Is that fine by you, Sean?

[Sean]

Oh, yeah.

[Connor]

Okay.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah, I heard Sean go. Oh, yeah. In the distance. And so it sounds like Sean's game. So I don't, I don't feel bad anymore that I'm ruining your day. Okay, well, Connor, you texted me and you said, I just finished directing a musical that I had been planning for a year and a half and I don't think I'm ready to let go. Is that, Is that accurate?

[Connor]

Yeah, pretty accurate. We. We had our final show yesterday. It was Little Shop of Horrors. And I don't know, man. Like, I, I feel like I don't know what to. What to do with myself at this point. I've been, you know, some of my best friends in my life that I have right now. I met after finding out that I was going to direct this show. So it feels like a whole lifetime has passed and I've gone through. I feel like I'm just trauma dumping right now, but I guess that's kind of what the show's for. I've gone through all kinds of crazy, not crazy things because it's stuff that everyone goes through. But like, I've dealt with some hard stuff in the time of me planning this show and now. And this show, like for the entire thing was always the light of the tunnel. Like, I've still got Little Shop, I've still got Little Chop, and now that's done. And like, I don't know, like, I experienced a whole ego death in the middle of preparing for this show.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah.

[Connor]

And I mean, it's. It's just gonna be a weird shift suddenly having time because I, I work right next to the theater that I've been directing at, so I don't really have a good excuse for the 30 minute drive home between work and the rehearsals. So for like two or three months now, as we've been actually rehearsing for the show, I've been away from the house for pretty much 17 hours a day just, you know, working and then working on this passion project and I don't know, I'm excited to be able to focus on the other aspects of my life. There's definitely stuff that's fallen by the wayside in, in the mania of directing. But yeah, I just, I'm kind of waiting for the post show depression to hit me, you know?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Interesting. It sounds like it already has a little bit.

[Connor]

Oh, it hit me hard last night we, we went to a little kind of like bar and grill place afterwards and I, I like the guy that played the main character is like one of my best friends in the world. And I, like, I sobbed into his shoulder for like 10 minutes. But yeah, I, I don't know if I really need advice or anything. I kind of just, kind of just talking.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

No, no, no, I don't take that at all. I, I know what you mean. I mean, if you've been out of your house for 17 hours working on the same thing for a year, then once it's gone, yeah, totally, you're gonna be like, what the. I mean, that's happened to me a bunch of times. That's a weird. And really, I think examining that is what makes me feel so like existential and crazy is that there is no, like the perpetual motion of life has driven me crazy a little bit. You know what I mean? And then you, you kind of take yourself out of that perpetual motion and take yourself out of your own thoughts by being busy all the time because you're in the flow state. You're not thinking about anything else but, you know, little shop of horrors for a year and a half. And so now you have time to think. What have you been thinking about now that you've had time to think?

[Connor]

Mainly work. I mean, my job is kind of, kind of me right now. So now that I've not had to be thinking about coordinating with 20 people on making some big play and pretend project, I've been really irritable with work.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

How has work been fucking you?

[Connor]

Well, pretty much. I was actually just telling my buddy Sean about this. I'm a construction worker and I install shelves, bathroom accessories and doorknobs in new construction. And the way that I'm typically paid is I'll have a base pay for the week, but everything I install has a dollar amount assigned to it. So if I pass the base pay and that total amount that I've installed, I get paid that instead. I've come to find out recently that, that Sean's chuckling right now because he can see how irritated I'm getting. But I've come to find out that if I take off a single day of work, I forfeit my base pay for the week. So rather than getting paid like the full base pay for every day, I'm only paid what I install. And business is very slow right now. So this amounted to me making 272 bucks for four nine hour days of a physical labor job last week. Oh, because I took off a single day of work?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Really? Like, like just contractually you got?

[Connor]

I, I got contractually, yeah.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's insane, man.

[Connor]

Yeah. And I, I had no idea that, that, that that was how taking off A day would affect me until now, and I've been working at this company for almost a year.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You're a. You're such. You're an interesting combination I would not expect. Construction worker slash theater director. That's an. That's an interesting combination.

[Connor]

I've been doing theater stuff for a lot longer, and my. My MO or finding a job was always like, if it's something that leaves me room in the evenings for theater, that's what I want to do. All I need to do is show up and make money, leave, and then have my evening to do the stuff that I give a shit about. But. And that this job was that for a while, but now I'm getting contractually fucked, as you put it. So I'm. I'm pretty frustrated.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

So, like, where are you directing these, like, musicals at? Like, are you. You're not in college still, are you? Are you. Is it, like a community theater thing?

[Connor]

No, no, no. It's. It's a local community theater thing.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Cool, man. That's. That's awesome. And you've been doing that since, like, pretty much your whole life?

[Connor]

Well, I started acting about four years ago, and this is my first time directing, or it was.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

And so about the whole, I guess, ego death thing of, like, having time to think, which is a very real phenomenon. Are you planning another directing bout soon?

[Connor]

Not super soon. I was. I was asked to come back and direct in about two years at the same theater because the whole next theatrical season is. Is booked out because they do it for, like, months and months and months in advance. But the little shop got enough. Got enough recognition from around that they asked me back, so I'm. I'm pretty excited about that.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wow.

[Connor]

Two years, it'll be. Yeah, that's.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

So that's like. That feels like. It's like. That's not even, like, a comprehendable amount of time.

[Connor]

No, but, like, I. I've had that thought. But then I think about the fact that I planned Little Shop for a year and a half, and it just flew by. So, like, I have confidence that this show will get here a lot quicker in my brain than it actually is. But it's. It's still a long time. And I'll be acting between now and then, of course. But I don't know. I think part of what I meant by Let Go in my original text is it's gonna be really hard to go from being, like, the director over a show to now having to be the one taking direction again, I guess, and that sounds egotistical. I know, but it'll. It'll be a weird shift, I think.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

So. So now that you're not doing this anymore and that you're like, okay, I'm gonna come back in two years, are you, like, the time that you were spending directing the musical, have you, like, filled that with anything else?

[Connor]

I've got a few shows lined up that I'm planning on auditioning for to perform in, because that's my first love. I think if it was between directing and performing, I would much rather be a performer, but directing scratches a whole different itch, you know?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

What are you trying to audition for?

[Connor]

We're doing Bonnie and Clyde soon. I'm doing Christmas. Call it the Christmas Extravaganza. It's like a variety show. I'm doing that this December, and then there's a few after that. I know. SpongeBob is a big one that I want to go for, bro.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I. I want to see SpongeBob. I want to see the play. I haven't seen it. I want to go on Broadway to see SpongeBob. I think that'd be sick. Who are you gonna go out for? Are you going out. Are you going out for spongebob?

[Connor]

I want Plankton more than any role I've ever wanted. Because I. I mean, you hear my voice, right?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I hear it. Yeah. I. I would. I think you're. I was thinking you would either be. I was thinking you would go out for Squidward.

[Connor]

I. That is a very close second. But this voice that you're hearing is coming out of a five, six, insanely skinny frame. So me playing Plankton would be fucking perfect, if you ask me.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

And. But is this another, like, local theater production?

[Connor]

Yeah, it's. It's the same theater.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Same theater. Okay, so the same theater is, like, in the next. When. And then when is. When are they doing spongebob? Is that in, like, five years?

[Connor]

Spongebob is this coming summer.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay. Okay, so they haven't even casted it yet.

[Connor]

No, no, no.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Were you a theater kid in high school? Like, Like. And I know. I know you like, you. You. Well, how old are you?

[Connor]

I'm 20.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

20. Okay. So. So. Yes. So you started four years ago. So you would have been in. In high school when you were doing it. Yeah. Were you, like, a theater kid type of guy? Because you don't strike me as, like, a theatery guy in your demeanor.

[Connor]

The. I mean, I'm flamboyant as. Don't get me wrong. But the. The community that we've got around here, there's not a whole lot of the. Like, when you think theater, kid, I don't think you typically think of the kind of people that we have hanging around because. Can I go on a tangent? Because I love theater so much, I need everyone to hear about it, please. Community theater is so beautiful to me because unlike the like, higher levels or higher quote unquote levels of like, theater where you're getting paid to do it and whatnot, instead of like everyone there being like an actor and that's like their thing, you have like 50 people sometimes showing up and like doing this beautiful performing art from all different walks of life. Like, I've been in shows with pops, I've been in shows with doctors. It. People, like just people I would never interact with in any other setting. And we all come together to perform and to show our passion to an audience. And it's. It's such a special thing. It's really, really important to me. But all that is to say we, we don't really get a lot of the typical, like, tick tocky theater kids in the, in the community. And I'm. I'm glad that that bullet missed me.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

And I know I said I was going to talk to you guys separately, but what about your boy? Is he, is he a theater guy as well?

[Connor]

He is. That's how we met.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, I'm ready to talk to him.

[Connor]

If he's down to talk you down to talk? Sean? Here you go.

[Sean]

Hello.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

What up?

[Sean]

Hey.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Are you sure you guys are cool with this? Like, you don't have, you're not, like, you don't have like a reservation or something?

[Sean]

Oh, no, we don't have a reservation. We were just going out to dinner.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Are you also 20?

[Sean]

I'm not. I just turned 18.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, rock and roll. What are you gonna do now that you're. Now that you're 18?

[Sean]

I mean, the plan right now is to just get finished with high school. And then I've been applying to colleges and everything, and I just got my acceptance letter to a college called the University of South Alabama. And I'm very excited to be able to go. It's really what I want to do is to go to college and get my bachelor's in nursing so I can get my post grad degree and be a nurse. Nepesist.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Cool, man. That's awesome. Yeah, that's like such a. I don't know, man. That's like, that's a. That's a very, like. That's a real life. That's a real job. You Know what I mean? Like, that's admirable. That's very admirable.

[Sean]

It. It's scary thought overall, just the fact that I'm, like, I'm not a kid anymore. I've never felt like I've been, like, the. The quintessential, like, teenager archetype or anything, but I. It's weird that I'm like. I'm an actual. Like, legally, I am an adult now, and it. It's kind of stressing me out, I have to be honest. Going, like, man, all that.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah, go ahead.

[Connor]

Go ahead me out.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

What? I'm sorry. Yeah, go ahead.

[Sean]

All right. It's just I'm moving away from home for the first time, and it's just. I don't know exactly how I'm going to pay for everything, because I. I'm not. I'm not, like, so smart that I can get the best scholarships and everything, and it's just. It's very expensive to go to college for how long I want to, and I just. I don't know if it's gonna be working out or not.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

But. Yeah, you know, you're. It's not like if you told me you were going into debt to get a theater degree, I'd be like, I don't know about that. But you're going for, like, a real thing to be, like, a nurse.

[Sean]

Yeah, it. I've won for the longest time to do something in the medical field because my great grandfather passed away years ago from a heart disease, and it runs in my family and everything. And I just. I just want to do something to help others who are, like, afflicted with any kind of diseases or illnesses. And anesthesia, specifically is what helps people, where they go into surgery, what keeps them passed out and everything. And I just feel like that's a job that's very underappreciated, and I'd love to be able to help people by assisting them in that way.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's. You're a very wholesome guy, man.

[Sean]

Thank you.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wait, when you said you didn't get to live the. The teenager life, what does that mean?

[Sean]

I mean, I. I feel like a lot of the time teenagers are kind of, like, in, like, media and, like, the news and everything. It's always teenagers are out causing a ruckus or going to parties and that kind of stuff and hanging out with their friends every other day. And I try to be with my friends as much as possible, but it always feels like sometimes it just doesn't work out, and I'm always. I Spend a lot of time just alone at my house more than anything else. And it just. It doesn't feel like what I thought it would, I guess, if that makes any sense.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah, that makes total sense. Have, I mean, like, were you sitting in your house being like, I wish I was causing a ruckus, or were you sitting in your house like, all right, this is. This is fine.

[Sean]

I was sitting in my house just relaxing. I wasn't very stressed out about, like, not being like a hair society or anything.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Not a terrorist society, but, you know, like, some people get stressed out right about like, that they're not living whatever life they think they should be.

[Sean]

Yeah. That one of my biggest fears, I feel like that goes back to going to college and for four years to get one degree, to go again for three and get another degree. It's just. That's a lot of time of my life that I'm going to be losing out on. And I don't know if that's like. Like I really want to go, but it almost. That's seven years of my life. It's going to be taken up before I even get. Get a chance to get the job I want to get. And that's just. I really want to do it. It's just that, what if I get there and then it's just. I don't like it and it's just been a waste of time and money for the past almost a decade.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

But I don't know, the way that you're talking about it is very passionate because you're not over here, like, well, my parents want me to do it, or, well, I think I'll make it money or this and that. The other thing, the way you're talking about it is like, this is something I really want to do, you know? So I think that taking a shot on something that you really want to do is a good idea. Well, I mean, what the fuck else would you do?

[Sean]

That's a good point.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah. Right. Well, so. Right. Because you're like, oh, I would waste all my time getting into medicine, but, like, what I, you know, do you. You're not over here, Like, I want to go around destroying mailboxes that I didn't get to destroy when I was in high school, you know, like, do you. I. I. Do you even fantasize about what else you would. You would do with your life if not this?

[Sean]

I mean, if not anesthesia in any kind of way? I would. I've been learning more and more about myself that I enjoy music as a Hobby. And I'd love to be able to do something with that, you know, just like a side hustle in the future. I just. I really enjoy listening and writing and playing and all that stuff. I love learning about the instruments. I just. It fascinates me in a way that not much else does.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Well, look at your boy, man. He's fucking holding down his construction job and still makes time to do he loves in the musical world.

[Sean]

That's true. He's.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

He's.

[Sean]

Actually, I. I thought for the past couple years that he's. He's more like a brother to me than just a friend. Like, he's been like an older brother I never actually had. And not to be all like sappy or anything, Connor, but like, I really do look up to him as a person. I think he's great. He recently, like got. He started a band recently, and I'm so proud of them. It's beautiful to see it all come together and it just makes me really happy. And seeing him able to do that really helped me, like, realize that I did like music a lot, as well as anesthesia and stuff along those lines.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's so nice, man. You know, that's cool. That's cool. I wish I had friends like you in high school, you know, who were. Who were wholesome and nice. My friends were kind of. But that's because I was also an. But. Hmm. That's nice, man. That's really nice. Yeah. I mean, your boy's doing. I'm inspired. I'm inspired by your boy. I mean, the fact that he's fucking holding down these 17 hour days, making time for. He started a band. I mean, that's crazy, man. To be making time for doing your regular job and also directing a musical and also being in a band. It goes to. It goes to show. I don't know, some people are just wired with that amount of fucking energy or whatever. But yeah, dude, I mean, I think that. I think that you can live a life that's abundant, so to speak, where you can. I mean, you're 18, man. You should. You should take a shot at living as though you can do. You can achieve all your dreams. You can figure out whether or not you can later, but you might as well live now as if you can.

[Sean]

I. I agree. That's actually. That's really good intimate to have.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Mm. And yeah, it sounds like you really want to do this, go for it in medicine, but you can also make music on the side, have time to hang out with your boys, especially while you're young man. Because, I don't know, you seem like you're a family man. You seem like you want to make an offspring, have a wife and a fence and shit. That seems like your M.O. am I wrong?

[Sean]

Maybe I haven't fully decided on everything. I'd like to, in the future be able to have that kind of life where I can come home and be happy and everything and, you know, all that, like, the quintessential stuff, I guess. Not that I'm, like, the kind of, you know, like the nuclear family kind of dynamic. That's not really what I'm looking for. But I do love the idea of having somebody to come back to. You know what I mean?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

What state are you guys in right now?

[Sean]

We're in Alabama.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You're in Alabama. I love this, man. I love. I. I love just being able to, like. Like, fly on the wall in. In the car of. And I love. I love being able to be a fly on the wall of a parked car at a Bucky's in Alabama with two. Just wholesome, like, you know, like homies. This is an interesting. It's an interesting experience. Am I on speakerphone?

[Sean]

Not right now.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, let me talk to you. Yeah, let me say. I'll talk to Connor real quick.

[Connor]

All right, you're on speaker now.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh. All right. I can. All right, I got both the boys.

[Connor]

You do?

[Sean]

Yep.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

So what's the. What's the plan after this? I'm glad you got. I'm glad I got to talk to you guys. I'm glad I got this little slice of. Slice of cake into your life.

[Connor]

We're actually meeting up with another friend at a really great, like, Hawaiian bowl place called Ono Pokemon.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Ooh.

[Sean]

Mm.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's good shit.

[Connor]

I'm pretty stoked. I've been thinking about it all day.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's good. That's good shit. Hmm. Connor, what's your. What's. What's your dream in life? I feel like. I feel like I got. I feel like I got deeper into it with Shane than I did with Connor. Shane. Or Sean.

[Sean]

Sean.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I feel like I got deeper into it with Sean than I did with Connor. I gotta. I gotta even it out now.

[Connor]

You're fine. I mean, really, I. I would be. This. This is probably a stupid thing to say at 20, but I'd be perfectly content to live out the rest of my life as. As I am right now. Just working some job to pay the bills and then doing my creative stuff with whatever time's left over. I mean, obviously. Sorry, there's a car getting broken into, and Bucky's not actually broken into. The alarms just going off. But obviously the dream would be for theater to just kind of take over and start making me money. But I'd also love if the band. If the band kind of took off and we. We got to live that lifestyle because we're. We're having a really good time with it right now. We played our first show for a cancer fundraiser about a month back.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Man. This is. This. This might be. This is, like, low key. One of the most wholesome conversations I think I've had on this show recently. I feel like I don't. I don't know. I don't have the right words for it, but, yeah, I like you guys. You guys are cool. You guys are good.

[Sean]

I like you, Lyle.

[Connor]

Thank you. I appreciate what you do, man.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Did you get gas yet?

[Connor]

No, I'm sitting at 43 miles until I'm empty, so we're doing okay.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wait, what was it at the beginning of this call?

[Connor]

I think 49ish.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wait, what the fuck?

[Connor]

I drive an old car, man.

[Sean]

There's.

[Connor]

I. I've been so focused on the show that I haven't even given myself the time to get anything checked out on this thing, but goodness knows this. There's a lot of shit wrong with my old shitbox.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Well, I don't know anything. I don't know anything about cars, but if you guys are parked and the car is off, how is it losing gas?

[Connor]

It's not off. We've got the. We've got the AC running.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, okay. All right. All right. That makes sense. But still, like, does it. Why does it need gas to stay still?

[Connor]

You know? I've had that question for a while.

[Sean]

That's a great question.

[Connor]

I don't. I'm not going to pretend to know the answer for. For you. Yeah.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

All right. Medical school, construction. You guys should go to school to figure out the answer to that question and then report back.

[Connor]

We'll get back to you.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah. I appreciate you guys taking time out of your. Out of your day to chat with me. I'm gonna let you guys get back to your Poke Bowl.

[Sean]

Of course.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Is there. Is there anything that either of you. You boys want to say to the people of the computer?

[Connor]

Before we go, do you mind if I shout out my band? We've got Instagram.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah, yeah. Please hear how much I'm gonna look at it.

[Connor]

It's hair Paravel. It's just the castle from Narnia. C A I R space. E A R A V E, L.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Is there. There's a space. You mean like, is it an underscore or a space?

[Connor]

Hold on, I gotta pull it up again. It's been a second since I looked at it. Care.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

It's the. It's the castle from what?

[Connor]

Okay, sorry, I. I just. I gave you the name of the band and not the name of the Instagram.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, yeah, it.

[Connor]

No spaces. C A I, R E A R A B, E, L. The band.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Caravel. Okay. Caravel, the band. Okay. I definitely this up. Wait, what's the name of the cat? What's the castle named after?

[Connor]

It's named after the castle from Narnia.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, I'm just gonna search the castle from Narnia. Okay, what's the name? Okay. Okay. Care Parav. Okay, there we go. Is it is. Okay, so instagram.com but with a V instead of a P. Okay. Are you a big Narnia fan?

[Connor]

It's the. The reason that we named it after that was I actually acted in the lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Tell me your ass. Tell me your ass was Aslan, dude. Tell me your ass was Aslan.

[Connor]

I was Aslan.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah. That's awesome.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Connor]

But that show was actually the first time that all four band members were in the same place. So we named it. I gave you.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I gave you guys a follow. Care Paravel, the band. If you all. If you're listening to this, you all follow this guy. But you also don't know how to spell that. You just Google the. The Castle from Narnia. Look, that's exactly all. Is this all four? Is this the band? These, these, you, you two, and then these three people.

[Connor]

Sean isn't in the band, but I'm.

[Sean]

The number one fan.

[Connor]

He is the number one fan.

[Sean]

Hell yeah.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You guys already got a groupie.

[Connor]

We do. He's. He's been day one. You get sent all the demos we.

[Sean]

Make so excited every time.

[Connor]

Well, now I gotta post something.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Well, you already have picture. You have a picture. Look at. You have a picture of yourself eating a sheet cake or something. You already got stuff. This is. This is good. Who needs music? Just keep posting photos of random all going to die.

[Connor]

I'll be. We'll turn it into a food vlog now.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You guys are cool, man. I appreciate you guys talking to me. You guys. You guys have a good rest of your. Rest of your lives.

[Connor]

All right, well, thank you, man.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah. Take care, guys.

[Connor]

Bye.

[Sean]

Bye. Bye.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That was really nice. I'm in a really chill mood right now. Sometimes you just. We just come on here. We just have really chill ass conversations. I don't know. Yeah, sometimes we'll get into crazy, but other times we'll just have a just a chill conversation. We'll just. I like this. One of the things I like about doing this is you just, we just get to meet you and me, the listeners. We get to meet just a wholesome dude in the parking lot of a Buc Ees in Alabama. God damn it. The world is okay. Everything's gonna be fine. All right? Everything's gonna be fine. You look around this, you, you really look her if you there's certain places you can go to on the Internet or in the world and be like is, everything's crumbling apart. The ice caps are melting and it's they super are. But you know, there's also two nice guys parked at a Buc EE's in Alabama living out their dreams. It's nice. It's good. I that makes me feel. Makes me feel good.

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[Chris Pine]

People called them murderers. Ten years later, they were gods. Today, no one knows their names. A group of maverick surgeons who took on the medical establishment who risked everything to invent open heart surgery. Welcome to the wild west of American medicine. I'm Chris Pine and this is Cardiac Cowboys. If you like medical dramas, if you like heart pounding thrillers, you will love Cardiac Cowboys. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You listen to podcasts sponsored by Jasper.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

AI Built for marketers. Call from I'm returning a missed call.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Hello?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Hi, this is Ashlyn.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

What's up, Ashlyn? How you doing? How's life?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I'm doing good. May I ask why you called?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, this is the gecko guy.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, hi. Nice to talk to you. Wait, wait, am I on the gecko right now?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Yeah, yeah, you're on the Gecko show.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, there's no problem.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Is that, is that cool? Do you have, do you have time? I'm going to. Just to give some context. I sometimes like, I'll give you some context. Like sometimes I live stream myself doing this and other times I'm just like, like, all right. So while I'm live, people like text me shit. And then sometimes I'm like, you know what? Instead of going live and having new people call me, let me just call, Let me. It's kind of insane actually, now that I think about it, because I'm just like, oh, this person texted me something they wanted to talk about a week ago. Let me just call them randomly and see if they pick up and we can talk.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, yeah, no. Oh, I got time. Oh, yeah, I got time.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You got time. Okay. It's weirdly worked. It's weirdly been working people there People are massively unemployed across the planet Earth, which is good for me because it means they have time to talk on my podcast.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I'm not unemployed. I actually have three jobs, but I got time.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

How do you. How do you have three jobs but time to talk to a gecko? I'm glad. I appreciate you fitting me in your schedule.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah. Okay, wait, that's not why I wanted to talk to you. I have three jobs. Just because I'm going through a lot right now, and you got to kind of, like, work a lot just to. I don't know, to get your mind off shit. Dude, but that's so crazy.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I know what you mean. I know what you mean.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Perfect time. I just got home. Dude, do you know what Hawaiian Bros is? I don't know what state you're in, but do you have Hawaiian Bros in your state?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Hawaiian Bros.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yes.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

No, it's funny. I just talked to two Hawaiian Bros that were on their way to a Hawaiian restaurant. Is it. Wait, is Hawaiian Bros. Is that a fucking. Hold on. Hawaiian Bros. Oh, okay. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I think I've seen Hawaiian Bros before.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah, dude, in my state, they have this thing running where you can get two plates and it comes out to, like, $30, but you get. You don't have to pay for one of them. It's like, buy one, get one free. I just got four trays for, like, $30. I'm not even gonna eat any of this. I'm about to go hand it out to some homeless people probably. But, yeah, I got. I got a lot of food.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, that's nice. No, I. I Google image searched Hawaiian Bros. This looks amazing.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, my God, it is. It's just chicken. You could just make it at home. It's just chicken with teriyaki sauce on it. But, yeah, no, okay, wait, I need your advice on something. I don't know if you follow my text, but, yeah, I texted you, like. I think it was, like, a year, two years ago. And then I texted you the other day because that same issue kind of popped up.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I can try my best to give it. I. I could try my best to give advice on. On whatever's going on.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Well, see, I think it's hilarious. It's gonna sound sad. It's funny. Just know that. So basically, my ex shot himself in the head, like, two years ago. He's dead. Anyways, I'm over that. Whatever. Time goes on. You know, I've.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I. Listen, here's Ash. I really do. Ash is Your name?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I really. I want to trust you because you're a guest on my show. I want to trust you that this is somehow funny, but.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, okay, maybe it's not funny, but I think it's. I think it's funny. Basically, I, you know, went on some like, spiritual path and I went to isolated for two years. I started working a ton. Started doing sales job. Well, actually, no, I didn't do anything for like almost two years. But recently, these past couple months this year, I've been just like working, working, working, working, working, focusing on myself, trying to do better. Anyways, time goes on. I'm like, perfect, dude. I. I'm 21 years old. I was making like, in my last job, I was making up to like 60 something thousand dollars every year. I just got my own apartment, dude. I have a spiral staircase. Anyways, life's good, right? Then I go to the smoke shop one day. I had like long hair. I. I don't know, I was just kind of like, you know what? I'm gonna do something crazy. So I chopped off all my hair, go into the smoke shop, and I see this guy and he looks exactly like my ex. And he sounds. Maybe he doesn't look exactly like him, but he sounds exactly like my ex. And I don't know how to feel about that. It's just kind of weird. It's maybe, yeah, maybe it's not funny. I think it's funny, but it's weird.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, okay. So hold on, let me wrangle this all in. You texted me saying the guy I'm dating looks like my ex. So are you dating this smoke shop guy?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Not anymore. It's complicated. We're gonna talk on Friday.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I just had to like, push all that off to the side for now because that was like too much for me to handle, but like.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, Okay. I thought you were. Okay, you met. You started dating a guy who looks like your ex boyfriend. I thought this was leading up to it somehow being funny that your ex shot himself.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

No, no, that's not funny.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, okay. Yeah, I didn't, I didn't. I didn't think that was funny either, but I was like, you know what? The world, this world surprises me every day. I'm gonna relinquish my faith to you. I guess that's a. Well, it makes sense. I mean, I assume you dated this guy because he was. You found him, he was your type in some way, shape or form. So it makes sense that you would be attracted to a guy who looks like a guy that you were attracted to before?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah. I mean, yeah. No, he was like, I see. I didn't even think that. Here's the thing. I didn't. I just kind of, like, walked in there. He. He rent a house, venues. He's like, oh, dude, here's my flyer. His name's. Actually, I don't need to give out his name. Anyways, that's the. That's that. And then we were, like, talking, and then we start to, like. I don't know, maybe like two or three weeks. We kind of, like, told each other, like, yeah, I like you. Whatever, whatever, whatever, you know, and then he brought that up, actually, that I kind of like, he. He thought that because I sort of had. Like, for two years, I had a picture of my ex on my Instagram. I took everything off now because I was like, yeah, that's dumb. Why do I still have that? But he saw that, and he comes up to me and he's like, yeah, me and my friends talked and something. Something he thought. He kind of looked like it. And I was like, no, that's not true. And I told him, like, no, no. But then I was, like, looking at it, and I was like, a little bit. Just a little bit. But here's the even weirder part. I was listening to a voice memo of what he sent me the other day, and then I was listening to, like, another voice memo of my ex from, like, a long time ago. They sound like the same person, and it's weird.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Interesting. Why? So what. What are you guys talking about on Friday? Why? Is it not going well? Or is. Or is it, like, a good talk? Is it like a we, let's be exclusive talk?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Oh, no, we've already had that talk. I kind of, like, broke up. I don't know. He's weird. So, like, on top of all that, like, not to, like. I don't know, it's not my place to talk about my relationship issues on live tv, but, you know, I'm not. I guess I. I don't know. I didn't date for two years. I wasn't really. I wouldn't say. I'm not like, well, now I know I'm not ready for a relationship, and I just kind of like, we're. We took a break. We're on a break right now to make.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay, all right, so what's. So is the. Is the talk. Is it like a let's get back together talk or like a here's where we're at talk?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Probably here's where we're At. I'm just gonna tell them, like, sorry, I kind of, like, flipped out there, you know? My bad.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Okay.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Probably don't want to date you, but, like. And that's not the point. I'm not. I don't know. I'm not even, like, worried about the talk, but it's like. I don't know. Do you ever meet people? I guess I feel like. Okay, I don't want to sound crazy. I feel like the world sound.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

It's okay to sound crazy. The. What? You said the world is testing you.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I feel like it. Because it's like. I don't know. There's a lot of. I don't know, obviously. My. So my ex. Like, I don't know. I don't know. It's like. I feel like there's a lot of parallels, I guess there's a lot of.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Between your ex and this boy?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yes. Oh, my God.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Do they have. Do they have similar personalities?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

So here's the part that's the. So my ex was kind of like a. I don't want to say a shitty person. He was just not mentally okay. So. So he convinced me that he was, like, this bad and the other would tell me all these things and then go and tell his friends, like, something else completely. And then I found out all of these lies after he died.

[Sean]

So I.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

In my head, the person that I knew was not the person I was dating when it comes to my ex, but the person who he tried to convince me that he was is the person that my new boyfriend, like, actually is, which is like.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That's interesting. Yeah, that's. It's interesting. It's interesting.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I haven't told.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

I mean, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm so sorry that. That all of that. That. That happened with your ex boyfriend. I mean, that's. That's a horrible way for that to have ended. It's interesting that you're. Yeah, I guess meeting someone who is. Yeah, I guess the person that you thought your ex was, but you're not. But you're not. You don't want to date anyone right now. You're. You're living your life. You're chilling. What are you. What are you doing?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I'm. Oh. Oh, I'm so glad you asked. So for two years. So this happened all in, like, 2022? No, it happened in 2023. Yeah. So for the past, like, two years, I was. Oh, I wasn't doing, like. I sound like a loser. I wasn't doing anything. I was just like, Couch hopping. I was, like, living with other people. I lived with this. Like, I don't know, just. It was just bad. Like, I didn't. I couldn't keep a job. I couldn't really do anything. I was making, like, I was hustling, though. Like, I don't want to sound like I was just a complete bum. I was definitely hustling. But now, these past six months since, like, February, April, around that time, I have been. Oh, my God. So I did, like, door to door. I went from doing nothing to. I did door to door for a bit. They had me, like, traveling out of state. I was like, door knocking in the middle of a blizzard. I was like, yeah, that. I don't want to do this. Did a bunch of other sales jobs. I worked in my last position. I was. I was a sales representative in a call center. So I was just setting appointments for people all day. And then I. I recently lost that job. Kind of like. I don't know, I met this guy. I've known him for, like. I don't know, it felt rushed. That's another reason I don't want to, like, you know, but it was like. I don't know, I wasn't doing good these past two months. And then I was like, I don't know, I kind of just cut that off for a little bit. And then I. I just got accepted to get my insurance license with Allstate. I was.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, great.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah. They gave me a thing that said I was a blue ribbon hire, so I'm gonna be on a track to make stupid money.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

How. How old are you, Ash?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

I just turned 21.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, you did? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You know what, Ash? Yeah. You've been through some fucking shit, man. That's some. That's some fucking shit. I mean, that's. That's. That's a lot. I'm happy for you, Ash. Honestly, you seem like. You seem like, look, you got your own apartment. You're getting your money up. You know, you went through some crazy shit. You're meeting crazy guys. It sounds like this is a nice time for you to develop your own life. You know, you have your. You have four plates of. Dude, this chicken looks fucking awesome. You have four plates of Hawaiian Brothers chicken. Are you doing good? I'm. I'm. I'm not worried about you. You have three jobs. Yeah. You know, you're saving up some money. You'll be. You'll. You'll. You'll. You'll be okay. You'll be okay. Yeah. Don't let. I Don't know. Don't, don't. Don't delay yourself, I guess. Getting into some crazy thing, I suppose. Hmm. Well, I'm glad. I. I don't know if this phone. I was this phone call helpful for you in any way, shape or form? I know you said you wanted advice. I don't know if I gave you advice.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Yeah, no, you did. I just kind of wanted to air that out and that was awesome, dude. Thanks for calling. It's. Yeah, I don't know, I just want to say to you really quick. I've been watching a lot of your videos recently and I. You're fucking awesome, dude. Like, you're so fucking funny.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Oh, thank you, Ash. Thank you, Ash. Oh, good. I'm glad you said funny. I feel like I'm. I feel like I've gotten so serious over the, over the years. I don't know. Life is.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

That's why you're funny. Somebody will be like, just drop some on you and you're like, yeah, well, this is what I think. I don't know, you're.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You're cool. Okay. I appreciate you, man. I appreciate you. Is there anything else you want to say to the people, the computer before we go?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

No, to anyone watching this? Go drink some water.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Thank you, Ashley. Have a good one.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Okay, bye.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

That was Ash. Fuck this. Hawaiian brothers, like go on Google Images and search up. Hawaiian brothers. It is. It's just chicken. But I love places like that, like shitty Chinese food places and just places where you just go and they just put a bunch of. Or like, or like there's a teriyaki chicken place by my house, maybe I'll go there tonight, eat some chicken puts. Or put some rice in there, some vegetables, man. That's all a guy needs. That's all anyone needs. You don't need a fulfilling relationship or career. You don't need friends. You don't need. You don't need anything. You just need a styrofoam plate that has a, a protein, a carb and a vegetable and you'll be okay.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through November 4th. Shop the annual beauty event and save $5 when you spend $25 on select beauty products. Shop in store or online for items like Dove Body Wash Native Body Wash, Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, Dr. Squatch body wash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Dial Liquid Hand Soap and Olay Body Wash and Saf. When you spend $25 or more. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Podcast Announcer]

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers are into true crime, sports, comedy culture, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. And all this reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for you. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844 iHeart. One more time, call 844-844 iHEART and get podcasting working for you.

[Chris Pine]

People called them murderers. Ten years later they were gods. Today no one knows their names. A group of maverick surgeons who took on the medical establishment who risked everything to invent open heart. Welcome to the Wild west of American Medicine. I'm Chris Pine and this is Cardiac Cowboys. If you like medical dramas, if you like heart pounding thrillers, you will love Cardiac Cowboys. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You listen to podcasts sponsored by Jasper AI Built for marketers. Okay, I have been strongly enjoying this new format of thing where I read viewer mail to close out the phone calls. So I'm Gonna do that. I'm gonna read viewer mail to close out the phone calls. This is. This is end of therapy gecko session viewer mail. Good calls today. Good calls today. I don't know. Sometimes the. We get like. The podcast is interesting, right? Because sometimes, I mean, for those of you who listen for a while, sometimes we get like. Because I just get whatever comes in. Sometimes you get a big crazy story of a crazy. Wow. I mean, it's like life. Sometimes you're on a big crazy adventure.

[Podcast Announcer]

Wow.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You're. You're. You're traveling on trains and you're. What am I. Am I doing? Hold on, I got. I gotta look at. I can't even remember any of this shit. You're tra. I'm looking at my own. You're traveling on trains and you're going to strong woman competitions in your. Inheriting your dad's business in Vietnam or wherever it was. You guys remember that. Sometimes you're doing crazy shit, but then, you know, but that's not all that life is. Sometimes life is just sitting with your homie in a. In a parking lot at a Buc. Ees or it's eating chicken. You know, that's. That's life. I want that. I think it's good. I think it's good to have big crazy things and then also just normal life stuff. Let's read some emails. I got a few of them here right now in front of my face. Let's see here. Okay. Actually, I lied when I said they had them. If I really had them in front of me, I wouldn't be looking for them right now. Okay. Therapygeckomailmail.com by the way, if you want to. To have me read your email, you can send an email to therapygeckomailmail.com if you. If you sent me an email at one point, send. Send me one again. I'll. Maybe I'll. I need to. I need more emails to read. I'm addicted to reading email. This is from Sienna, subject line. I'm dropping out of law school to work at rei. Hey Geck. I don't care about remaining anonymous. My name is Sienna and I am a 22 year old, soon to be ex law student. After performing really, really well in my first year and a half of law school, I'm dropping out to work at REI and probably do some other weird stuff that makes me happy. I grew up poor and I think I convinced myself that nobody likes their job. So I might as well do something that I'm good at and pays Well, I went to law school mostly because I knew I could do it. I did not grow up around any lawyers and I had no idea what the profession looked like. I know it isn't entirely fair to generalize an entire profession, but man, these people are miserable. I hated law school. I hated legal work. And when I ended up hating a clinic I thought I would really enjoy working in, I decided that I can't sunk cost fallacy myself into an insanely expensive degree that I despise just because I might make a lot of money. Recently, I have met a lot of people who really love what they do, and I want to live my life more like them. I am living in an entirely different area for the first time. And while REI is not a solid way to grow a career, it sounds fun and I am so, so burnt out. Life is too short to do something that I hate and I know I can find a way to make this work. There's a lot more to the story, but I mostly wanted to tell you this anyway. I love the podcast. Been listening to it for years. And I appreciate your gecko wisdom. I appreciate your fucking Sienna wisdom, dude. Kudos. Kudos. That takes a lot of courage to do what you do to. To. To do what you did. To do it. Did what you do. Takes a lot of courage to do what you did. Sienna, bro, I don't know if it's capitalism or what it is, but like, I think in society we are not encouraged enough to like, take a step back and be like, wait, why am I actually doing any of the things that I'm doing? It's an important thing. You only get one life, you know, you may as well. You might as well try. If you have the ability to. You might as well try to do things that you. That you like. And it's cool. Especially because, yeah, I guess you can. You kind of conditioned yourself into believing like, well, why the fuck should I like what I do? You know, I was talking about this a little bit on the previous episode. Like, like, I, like, I've convinced I've. You can. You can kind of condition yourself to be like, well, why the fuck am I supposed to be happy? Why the fuck am I supposed to like my job? Why the fuck, you know, who do I think I am to enjoy my existence on this planet? And, you know, I think it's a stupid way to live. So I. I'm glad that you're living in the opposite and doing what makes you happy. That's cool. Sienna. That was Sienna. This is. This is From Eric. Subject line is. Oi. Hey, Gecko. Hope you're doing good for a while. You seem to be doing a lot better, but lately you seem down. Oh, no. Maybe it's just a phase, but try to remember all the little things to be grateful for and stay positive. We love you. Thank you, Eric. You're very, very sweet. My name is eric. I'm a 24 year old that struggled with substance abuse and found my way out through the gym. I just became a dad five months ago and it's made me the happiest I've ever been. It's wild. I've tried to call a few times with no luck, but I'd really like to talk to you about dealing with substance issues, going to the gym, parenthood, or anything really. I've been listening to your podcast since 2021 and it's been getting me through tough work days. I know you always say you're not a real therapist, but damn, dude, you can give some pretty solid advice. I really like how most of the time it's you. Telling people not to be afraid of something they've wanted to do seems to be one of the repeating things, or at least what I've gotten from listening to the show. Hearing it so much motivated me to post gym content on TikTok. After contemplating it for so long, I hope one day I can go to one of your shows and say, what's up, Geck? Bless. P.S. my TikTok is. He put his TikTok handle in there. If you'd like to check out what I've posted so far and I will. Pps. I'm not sure what it is, but you remind me of Charlie from It's Always Sunny. I hope that's not offensive. Thank you. I am really happy that you said Charlie and not Frank because I'm getting dangerously close to Frank. Okay, I'm going to listen, I'm going to look at this guy's tick tock. I'm gonna look at Eric's tick tock. His TikTok is Air WWIC. Oh, look at this guy. Holy. This guy's ripped, bro. Yeah, this guy's ripped. I'm not surprised. This guy is so. You know, it's. Can I be like super honest on here? I'm like, I. Eric, I like. I appreciate you saying these nice things about me, but like, you're. I just. I'm just looking at you. You're. I'm just looking at you and I'm like, you are, like, you're. You're the real therapy gecko. You know, you're like a real person. You're like. You look like a full adult. You have a baby and you have abs. That's incredible. You should get. I want to listen to your fucking podcasts. Damn. Look at this, man. He's just holding a. He has this tick tock race. He has a. Is that a do rag? He's a red do rag on his head. And he's holding his baby and his baby as a durag. And his baby has abs. I'm glad. I'm glad you sent me this. I'm glad I clicked on this. Let's see here. Um. Da, da, da, da, da. Trying to find some. Some emails here. I got a whole. Oh, okay. This is from Nicholas. Subject line, hippopotamus problem. If you were just chilling one day and a purple hippopotamus unexpectedly entered your bedroom, what's your first move? I would scream. Okay, this is from Amelia. Hello, my name is Millie and I'm from Adelaide, Australia. I was at your show when you were here years ago. I was sitting in the front row. Hell yeah. Yeah, that was a fun time. I've always wanted to call in, but I'm worried about how much an international call like that would cost. I have recently found myself single, and it has been a journey, but a journey I am grateful to be on. I have reconnected with some people from my past, and I have made closer friendships and will be going on my first international trip soon that does not involve a parental figure. My friends and I are going to Korea in September to see the bouldering world champs, specifically the women's. They are all so hot and sexy and strong, and it is such a gay awakening. I have cried several times from anxiety around this trip. Why anxiety? I get very bad, plain anxiety. And I have never been to a country where English isn't the first language. My friend that I'm going with is super excited and is super confident, and we've had conversations about how I might not do so well, and he has been super supportive, which is just so sweet. I've recently come across a quote that has been helping me a bit. We don't follow the mood, we follow the plan. I don't know if I agree with that. I feel like we naturally. I don't. I feel like I make plans. Like I'm half and half. I'll follow half of a plan, but then once my mood interrupts the plan, that plan is fucked. Sometimes I really struggle with my emotions, and they can usually get the Better of me. And because of that I end up not doing things that I really should be doing. But I have plans now that I want to achieve. And I think the quote is a good mantra. Bless. That's the email. Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to fuck up your quote, but I, I don't agree with it at all. I think if you, I think if you have a different interpretation, I don't agree with what I interpret the quote to be. I think if you have a different interpretation and it's helpful to you, then don't let me fuck that up. But let me tell you something about planes, Millie. Let me tell you something about planes. Cars are so much more dangerous than planes. You are, weirdly enough, extremely safe in an airplane. Even the turbulence, Even if it's like shaken violently and you're banging your head against the fucking roof of it, you're safer than in a car. So you can find. I think there's. Let's Google this. How many, how many, how many commercial airline crashes have there been? I'm like, airline crashes have there been in Australia in the last 10 years? They're pretty good about it. There have been no fatalities in scheduled commercial air transport in Australia since 2005. So that means nobody has died in a commercial airplane travel in 21 years. So it's not gonna be you. You might die in the, in the car ride over there, but I don't think you're not gonna die on the plane. So you'll be alright. I don't think you're gonna die on the cab right up there either. I think you're gonna be fine. What I actually think is gonna happen is you're gonna go on a beautiful trip. You're gonna see beautiful climbing ladies and you can have a fun time also. Yeah. Go into countries where, where English isn't the first language. It can be a little bit intimidating. But once you're like that, once you're there, everything's gonna be okay. Yeah, once you're there, everything's gonna be okay. They'll be excited to talk to you. They'll be like, you know, you, you're Australian Koreans. I think Koreans like Australians. I'm basing that off of no information. Do those countries have a history? I want to Google that too. What's the history between Australia and Korea? Oh, okay. Australia had a strong military involvement in the Korean War. Following the war, Australia helped with UN efforts to reunite Korea and it became a strong ally to South Korea and established diplomatic relations. In 1962, the relationship has grown significantly into a strategic partnership with robust security economy and people to people ties. Okay, so you're good. They love you over there. You're going to be okay. Yeah. They're excited for you to come. So you're going to be all right. Millie, let me know how it is. This sounds fun. I want to go to Korea. I want to go to Korea and dress up as a gecko and walk around. That was a nice email. Should I read one more? Let me see if. Let me see if I can find like a. A nice short and sweet one to just. Just bring us on home. Okay. This is from Maximus. Subject line Idk man. Maximus says I couldn't think of anything to say, so here's a picture of my cat. He sent the picture of his cat. I know this is an audio podcast and you can't see the cat, but you can. You can know that I am looking at a picture of a cat right now and maybe that does something for you. This was the Therapy Gecko podcast. I hope you guys had a good time. I hope you guys had a good time. If you live in Edmonton, Canada. I am doing a show at. What the is the name of this college? Mason University on November 6th. It is in fact open to the public. So if you live in Edmonton and you want to come see my gecko show on November 6th, then come hang. I'll put the link to the show in the. In the podcast episode description. If any of you guys live in Edmonton and want to come. Other than that, I ain't got anything else to say. This was. This was. I hope you enjoyed this hour of hanging out. I know I did. I'm a little sleepy now. I'm gonna go to sleep. Much love to everyone out there listening to the show. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go to sleep. Thank you guys for listening and see you next time. Thanks for tuning in to our program. Bye bye.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. Now through November 4, shop the annual beauty event and save $5 when you spend 25 on select beauty products. Shop in store or online for items like Dove Body Wash, Native Body Wash, Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, Dr. Squatch body wash, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel, Dial Liquid Hand Soap and Olay Body wash and say $5 when you spend $25 or more. Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Chris Pine]

People called them murderers. Ten years later, they were gods. Today, no one knows their names. A group of maverick surgeons who took on the medical establishment who risked everything to invent open heart surgery. Welcome to the wild west of American medicine. I'm Chris Pine and this is Cardiac Cowboys. If you like medical dramas, if you like heart pounding thrillers, you will love Cardiac Cowboys. Listen on the iHeartRadio app or wherever.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

You listen to podcasts sponsored by Jasper.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

AI built for marketers.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Sami Gente. It's Anna Ortiz and I'm Markin Delicato. You might know us as Hilda and Justin from Ugly Betty. Welcome to our new podcast, Be My Betty. We're rewatching the series from start to finish and getting into all the fashions, the drama and the behind the scenes moments that you've never heard before. But you were still bartending. I didn't know that. The car back is like, is that you?

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

And I turn around and it's a commercial for Betty.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

And I was like, I gotta go. I quit. Listen to Viva Betty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Advertisement Voice]

In early 1988, federal agents raced to.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Track down the gang they suspect of importing millions of dollars worth of heroin.

[Advertisement Voice]

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[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Had 30 agents ready to go with shotguns and rifles and you name it.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Five, six white people pushed me in the car. I'm going, what the hell?

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Basically, your stay at home moms were picking up these large amounts of heroin. All you gotta do is receive the package. Don't have to open it, just accept it.

[Sean]

She was very upset, crying.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

Once I saw the gun, I tried.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

To take his hand and I saw.

[Ashlyn / Caller 1]

The flash of light.

[Therapy Gecko (Host)]

Listen to the Chinatown sting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.