“I WAS IMPRISONED WITHOUT TRIAL FOR 3 YEARS”

Summary

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Therapy Gecko – “I WAS IMPRISONED WITHOUT TRIAL FOR 3 YEARS”

Date: June 10, 2026
Host: Lyle (Therapy Gecko)
Location: Washington Square Park, NYC

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Overview

In this vibrant and emotionally charged episode recorded live at Washington Square Park, Lyle—aka Therapy Gecko—embarks on a heartfelt journey through conversations with strangers. The main theme is the resilience of the human spirit amid adversity, explored through incredibly candid street interviews. The episode begins with Austin, who shares a harrowing story of wrongful imprisonment, followed by other park-goers reflecting on struggle, hope, love, friendship, and the power of staying open to life. Lyle’s dynamic presence creates a space for both gravity and levity, showcasing the profound impact of simply going outside and connecting with the people around us.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Austin’s Ordeal: Imprisoned Without Trial for 3 Years

(Start: 03:36 – 18:32)

• Austin’s Story
  • In 2019, Austin was jailed for over 1,300 days (more than three years) in Virginia Beach without a trial, accused by his ex-girlfriend of assault—a charge he contests as fabricated out of retaliation.
    • “They put me in a cage in 2019… They continued my case 90 days, 15 times, bro, through Covid.” (03:51 – Austin)
  • Delays were justified as “acts of God” due to Covid, effectively suspending his constitutional right to a speedy trial:
    • “My right to a speedy trial… that didn’t count whatsoever, bro.” (07:00 – Austin)
  • At the end, desperate for freedom, Austin accepted a plea for a minimal misdemeanor with no additional sentence just to secure release.
    • “So year three, this guy was like, yo, if you want a jury trial, it’s gonna take one more year. …So I took a plea for a misdemeanor... The only way that I can feel better about it is to become successful.” (12:35 – Austin)
• Impact & Coping
  • Austin developed “90 day programs” inside, attempting to stay mentally and physically resilient by meditating, doing pushups, and preparing for life beyond jail.
    • “Nelson Mandela has this really cool quote… ‘I didn’t survive. I prepared.’ So I just fucking locked in for four years.” (07:24 – Austin)
  • On release, he moved to NYC with $200 and two outfits, determined to rebuild.
• New Path & Philosophy
  • Works for a nonprofit helping kids, intentionally channeling his pain into positive acts (“I just tried my best to be that corny, hardworking dude that you always think that you might be able to be. I became.” (07:56 – Austin))
  • Created a personal “suffering workshop” featuring a sauna and ice bath, emphasizing voluntary discomfort as personal growth:
    • “We’ve become like epicureans… we seek to live a life that does not have any discomfort in it whatsoever. …It’s very empowering if you just voluntarily learn to get good at suffering.” (10:13-10:37 – Austin)
• Lasting Trauma & Motivation
  • Still angry and seeking closure by succeeding and giving more than he takes:
    • “The only way that I can put this behind me is if all that that happened was part of the reason that I became successful.” (13:24 – Austin)
  • Driven by a revised definition of success:
    • “To summarize… I gave more than I took in this lifetime, that I helped more than I was helped.” (13:57 – Austin)
• Memorable Quote
  • “No one’s coming for you. No one’s coming for us. No one’s coming to save the day. We have to come for each other.” (18:36 – Austin)

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2. Robert: A Vacation from Life & Wisdom on Renewal

(19:55 – 36:53)

• Routine to Renewal
  • Robert, 56, shares about stepping back from the rat race and stress by taking a recurring “vacation from life” in the park.
    • “Sometimes you just gotta take a plunge and see what happens… But I still want to travel more.” (22:55/23:52 – Robert)
• On Regrets, Family, and Perspective
  • Reflects on past spontaneity, relationships, and choosing to focus now on personal happiness and future travel.
    • “I make a lot of mistakes, but I’m…trying to get back on track.” (24:04 – Robert)
  • Urges the importance of planning before having children, to avoid hardship and ensure stability (“Kids are…a big responsibility… You want to get married, you want to do it right.” (25:35-26:20 – Robert))
• Enduring Love & Acceptance
  • Talks about his enduring love for an ex-partner, Mei Mei, and the challenge of finding the right partner:
    • “I’ve been in love… I still can’t go a day without thinking about these girls.” (26:40 – Robert)
• Dealing with Hard Times
  • Frank about struggles with depression, substance use, and suicidal thoughts:
    • “…There’s been times where I didn’t want to get out of bed. I’ve tried those attempts several times. …But you gotta keep moving.” (31:28-32:49 – Robert)
  • Finds solace in community, park friendships, and his faith in a higher power that connects everyone.
    • “Together? It’s beyond me… we’re all connected somehow, some way.” (24:17 – Robert)
• On NYC
  • Celebrates the city’s diversity and “realness” despite hardships or a lack of fake politeness.
    • “New York is always gonna be the best city to come to, no matter what…New York is real.” (34:54/36:16 – Robert)

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3. Abdul: Melted Ice Cream Zen & Self Reflection

(40:14 – 52:38)

• Life Philosophy from a Melting Cone
  • Abdul receives a melting $10 ice cream cone, which becomes a metaphor for his approach to life:
    • “That’s how you got to look at life… Not everything is a big deal, you know?” (41:15/41:26 – Abdul)
• Facing Hardship & Growth
  • Candid about the last difficult year (“The whole year of 2025.” (42:24 – Abdul)), struggles with mental and school pressures, missing his mother, and moving forward after relationship challenges.
    • “Some days you just wake up and you still feel the same, you know?” (43:10 – Abdul)
• Isolation, Identity, and Accountability
  • Finds value in self-imposed isolation to reflect and improve before entering a new relationship:
    • “I like to be there for other people. But when it comes to my own personal problems… I tend to just like isolate myself.” (44:20 – Abdul)
  • Emphasizes the need for self-awareness before being able to love fully again.
• Relationships and Self-Improvement
  • Discusses how relationships can both reveal good and bad in oneself and urges going into them “with a plan,” not just drifting.
    • “In order for you to really be in a relationship where you better each other, you first have to really find out who you are.” (48:10 – Abdul)
• Takeaway from Interviewing Others
  • Lyle reflects:
    • “The more I interview people… actually… the less I know… Everyone has their own perspective… so you are in some way shape or form the decider and maker of your own destiny.” (51:42 – Lyle)

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4. Mushfirat & London Crew: New York, Hot Dogs, and Global Perspective

(53:40 – 57:22)

• Cultural Exchange
  • Mushfirat, an intern from London, tries her first NYC hot dog live—finds it “a bit salty, but it’s nice.” (54:21/54:23 – Mushfirat)
  • Enthuses about New York’s uniqueness compared to London, enjoying the city’s openness and creative characters.
• Content Creation & Teamwork
  • Participating in a company scavenger hunt involving taking “the most New York picture” (with Lyle, a hot dog, and the park).
• Encouragement for Visitors
  • “I love New York City. You guys should visit here. From anyone from London. Come to New York City. Come to America.” (57:13 – Mushfirat)

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5. Nick: The Cow Herd Experiment & Chasing Big Dreams

(60:04 – 67:29)

• Cow Costume Project
  • Nick, dressed as a cow, is rallying up to 500 people to attend a Knicks finals game in cow costumes as a viral stunt.
    • “Let’s get 500 cows by the time maybe game four rolls around.” (61:13 – Nick)
  • Describes grassroots recruitment via group chat, humor around the logistics and ambition, and the fun of content creation.
  • Lyle’s advice: “If tomorrow 10 people show up wearing that cow costume, just fucking be like, wow, that’s sick.” (65:07 – Lyle)
• Friendship and Collaboration
  • Nick builds creative projects with a loyal friend and camera operator—proof positive of how goofy shared missions foster connection.

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6. Ezra & Nikki: Friendship, Loyalty, and Life’s Trajectories

(67:40 – 72:17)

• On Friendship
  • Ezra and Nikki, longtime best friends, show how differences and shared loyalty anchor deep bonds.
    • “Listen, in life there’s nothing more important than friendship. You got to stand by your friends, even if they do some really shit. I mean, up to a point. But you always got to stand by your boys.” (71:53 – Nikki)
• Life Aspirations
  • Nikki plans to pursue law (criminal defense), and the friends joke about being there for each other—“Never betray your friends.”
• Generational Wisdom
  • Advice: Stick together, support each other, and value the connections you build.

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7. Closing Reflections: Staying Open to Love and Hope

(73:43 – 78:22)

• On Places and People
  • Lyle and a passing stranger discuss the “best place to live,” with Lyle choosing New York and the guest choosing Barcelona but staying in NYC for love.
    • “I love someone here.” (74:19 – Unnamed Male)
  • The guest met his partner serendipitously in the park at age 46, offering hope for finding meaningful love later in life.
• Openness to Life’s Surprises
  • “You have to stay attuned and you have to stay open… That’s the struggle, dude, is to just stay attuned and to stay open. Then something… clicks.” (77:31 – Lyle)
• Parting Wisdom
  • “Stay true to yourself and love yourself and be kind to yourself and the ones next to you, Geck.” (78:16 – Unnamed Male)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Nelson Mandela has this really cool quote… They’re like, how did you survive those seven years? He goes, ‘I didn’t survive. I prepared.’” (07:24 – Austin)
• “No one’s coming for us. No one’s coming to save the day. We have to come for each other.” (18:36 – Austin)
• “I make a lot of mistakes, but I’m… trying to get back on track.” (24:04 – Robert)
• “Sometimes life gives you a melted ice cream cup and you’re like, well, we’re gonna roll with this.” (51:25 – Lyle)
• “Listen, in life there’s nothing more important than friendship. You got to stand by your friends…” (71:53 – Nikki)
• “You have to stay attuned and you have to stay open.” (77:31 – Lyle)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Austin’s story of imprisonment and recovery: 03:36–18:32
• Robert on life renewal and hope: 19:55–36:53
• Abdul’s philosophy of acceptance and growth: 40:14–52:38
• Mushfirat on London vs. NYC: 53:40–57:22
• Nick’s cow herd and creative hustle: 60:04–67:29
• Ezra & Nikki on friendship and loyalty: 67:40–72:17
• Final love story & closing reflections: 73:43–78:22

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Tone and Style

The episode sways between comedic, straightforward, and deeply vulnerable. Lyle’s banter provides warmth and continuity, while the guests are forthright, caring, and sometimes hilarious. Real human experience—trauma, hope, regret, joy—takes center stage, presented with raw humor and acceptance.

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Takeaway

This episode epitomizes the messy, beautiful unpredictability of life and the healing, anchoring power of simple human connection. Whether you’re overcoming injustice, searching for home, reflecting on love lost and found, or just eating a melting ice cream in the sun—there is hope and wisdom in showing up, sharing your truth, and listening to others.

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Transcript

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[Lyle]

hello and welcome. I figured it out, folks. I figured it out. I figured out the cure to all that ails anyone that has ever been ailed. I figured out the answer. You'll never believe it. All you have to do is go outside. There's a whole world beyond the door. There's a whole world outside of the computer. I mean, your guess if you're watching this, you're watching this on the computer right now. Or you're listening to it on your phone or whatever. But hi, my name is Lyle. I'm a gecko guy. I'm filled with energy. I'm here, truly, at my favorite place on the planet, Washington Square Park. I haven't done one of these in, I think, a year. And I'm filled with joy to be back at this location. Just, you know, I love this place so much because there's every kind of person walks by here, everyone of every age Every race, every socioeconomic demographic, they all combine into this melting pot of everything and everyone in one place. The energy here is immaculate. There, there's. I was just great. It's good. So I'm. I'm feeling happy, I'm feeling great. And what I'm gonna do today is I'm gonna talk to some of these people and I'm gonna see what's happening with them in their lives. We're outside, the weather's good. There's a jazz band nearby. I don't know if you can hear it in the soundtrack of the thing, but yeah, it's a good place. It's got good vibes. Let's talk to some people. This is being a gecko at the park. Yeah. Come have us. Yeah, you have a crazy story. Come here, sit down with your crazy. By the way, I just want you to know. Yeah, and why. I don't know if I'm just gonna say it. Typically, if you ever have a crazy story, this is just some advice, I guess. If you ever have a crate, never tell people you have a crazy story.

[Austin]

Fair enough.

[Lyle]

Because now I have. I have high expectations.

[Austin]

Oh, well, you know, to meet them. What's your name, by the way?

[Lyle]

My name is Lyle. What's your name?

[Austin]

Austin.

[Lyle]

Austin. Nice to meet you, Austin. How's it going, man? How's. What's your crazy story?

[Austin]

Long story short, I. They put me in a cage in 2019.

[Lyle]

Oh, Jesus.

[Austin]

Yeah. And they were like, say you did it, you can go home. And I was like, I didn't do it, so let's go to trial. So they continued my case 90 days, 15 times, bro, through Covid. So, so like I'm in Virginia Beach, Virginia, maintaining my innocence, waiting for, waiting for trial, and then continue it 90 days, 15 times. I keep thinking I'm going to go home in 90 days. So I come up with like 90 day programs to live like the most optimal life ever. I'm like, yo, I'm going to do push, like meditate, push ups, right? Blah, blah, blah, blah. Do these 90 days and then go about my life. But then it continued, continued, continued, like a, like a soul breaking experience, dude. So when it was all said and done, I did 13, 21 days. I left. I got released from Virginia. I moved up here with 200 bucks and two outfits. I didn't know anyone. And, dude, I just tried my fucking hardest. And like, it's been a crazy, crazy ride.

[Lyle]

I have a million. First of all, I'm sorry I doubted you had a crazy story. You Have a crazy story. The second of all. They. Your story started with they put me in a cage. What is. What does that mean? Who is the. Who is they?

[Austin]

My. I guess you would say my ex girlfriend.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Austin]

I got. I got engaged to a girl. And grimy me, I was still hooking up with my ex girlfriend. Not cool. But it's not illegal. Dude, don't put me in a cage. But I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't cool.

[Lyle]

Wait, so you got engaged with a girl, you're still hooking up with your ex girlfriend, and then. What do you mean by a cage?

[Austin]

Like, jail.

[Lyle]

Oh, okay, wait, so your ex girlfriend called the cops on you?

[Austin]

Yeah, said I beat her up, and. Okay, then I bonded out. She went back down. Said I grabbed her by the titties, and then I bonded out, and she kept making stuff up. Mind you, before she pressed any charges, she, like, was calling my probation officer. I sold drugs in my early 20s. I really did that. But she's called my probation officer anonymously, trying to get me in trouble for two weeks, dude. And when that didn't work, she's like, all right, he beat me up.

[Lyle]

All right?

[Nick]

He choked.

[Austin]

And, like, dude, it was crazy. So, like, nobody knows that at first. So they. They. When all the dust settled, that was like, three years later. And they were like, oh, my God, this kid's innocent. And he's been sitting here like. Like, this whole time because.

[Lyle]

Wait, you were. So you were in there for 90 days?

[Austin]

No, no, I was in there for 1,321 days.

[Lyle]

Oh, fuck you. Oh, you were in there for three years?

[Austin]

Yeah, bro. More than three years.

[Lyle]

Oh, fuck. Yeah.

[Austin]

And they were telling me because of COVID Uh, yeah. Yeah, because they were like, my court day was in 90 days, right? So like I said, I came up with 90 day programs to live the most optimal life. 90 days would go around, and they'd be like, yo, we got to continue it another 90 days. They did that 15 times, brother. 15 times. So, like, in my head, I'm like, I go home in 90 days. I go home in 90 days. Three years later, I was still waiting.

[Lyle]

So how are. So Isn't there like a. I mean, okay, so isn't there supposed to be, like, a trial and they, like, wait, so that. Wait, so there wasn't even, like, a trial where you were, like, found guilty of a thing and then put.

[Austin]

You were waiting for trial?

[Lyle]

You were held. You were in holding. Waiting for trial for three years?

[Austin]

Yes, brother. In Virginia Beach.

[Lyle]

That's crazy. That's like, super illegal, right?

[Austin]

Yeah. But they say because it was an act of God, because of COVID that it changed, like, the. What's supposed to be constitutional rights, which is my right to a speedy trial, but that. That didn't count whatsoever, bro. And then my public defender, who was my lawyer at Amanda T Ball at year two, she became a prosecutor for the district I was in. The lady who was representing me, she became a prosecutor. I was like, you can't make this up.

[Lyle]

That's crazy.

[Austin]

Yeah. So, like, I. It literally was like, whatever can go wrong, went wrong in this situation. And it was like such an eye opening experience. So, like, basically I trained myself, bro. Nelson Mandela has this really cool quote. They're like, how did you survive those seven years? He goes, I didn't survive. I prepared. So I just fucking locked in for four years. I came here and I just worked as hard as I fucking possibly could for as long as I possibly could. Like, I didn't drink. Yeah. And I used to party, bro. I used to have fun. I used to hustle. I used to sell blow, like, whatever. But now it's like, I just tried my best to be that corny, hardworking dude that you always think that you might be able to be. I became.

[Lyle]

That's what you are now.

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Ezra]

Yeah.

[Austin]

It's wild.

[Lyle]

So what's your. Yeah, what's your story now? Like, what are you up to?

[Austin]

So now if you can blank this out, that would be great. My company.

[Lyle]

Oh, sure.

[Austin]

At this event, there's these benches behind us. A bunch of kids, they designed a bunch of park benches to address, like, real world problems. It's actually super empowering.

[Lyle]

They're like, wait, wait, your company designed these benches?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Wait, that's your company? Oh, the kids did.

[Austin]

Oh, students did. Of. Of the public schools I work with. I work for a non profit and like, we find.

[Lyle]

Wait, do we need to blur. Is this private information?

[Austin]

No, it's not private. We'll just keep it. I work for a good entity that helps people.

[Lyle]

Okay, cool.

[Austin]

Like, it's. I. I love it.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Austin]

We help kids and stuff, but. Yeah. My history, though, is kind of sus, so I didn't want to endanger that or anything.

[Lyle]

Do people. Do people know about your history?

[Austin]

Yeah, the ones that matter. No, like, other people, they kind of hear about it and then, like, I hope. I hope they ask, but people don't really, like.

[Lyle]

I mean, are you okay with being on the Internet with this?

[Austin]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

[Lyle]

Okay. All right.

[Austin]

Yeah. But, yeah, it's just been wild, bro. And then I came here. I worked for this gym called Khan Body. Shout out to Cost Marte Khan bud. Khan Body in the Lower east side. It's like a prison style gym.

[Lyle]

Wow.

[Austin]

Yeah, it was like the first job that I had. And then like, it's just all been a dream, bro. The first client I signed at this gym I ended up befriending. And then like he. This. The job that I have now, it's like all these little threads that I pulled, these strings that I pulled.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Austin]

And it just unraveled into this experience. So it's been, it's been wild. I have a thing too. Like, if you. If you ever want to come through and like, refresh.

[Lyle]

What's your thing? What's your thing?

[Austin]

I have a terrace in my house and I have a, a sauna out there and an ice bath and a massage table.

[Lyle]

So you have a sauna, a terrace and an ice bath in your house?

[Austin]

Yeah, yeah. And so where do you.

[Lyle]

What? I mean, not your address, but how do you. How do you have a sauna in your house?

[Austin]

It's on my terrace. Like I have like.

[Lyle]

Okay, you're in a building that has all that stuff.

[Nikki]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Austin]

Okay, Well, I just had. It's my terrace. Like, not the buildings, it's just mine. Oh, I got super lucky. I got super lucky. So I have this experience where you come through and like Persona. I. I teach people how to suffer.

[Lyle]

You teach people how to suffer?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Yeah. What tell. How does. What do you mean by that?

[Austin]

Like, have you ever heard the quote, like, how you do anything is how you do everything?

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Austin]

I think like, we low key have become like epicureans. Like we all want to get our dick sucked and our clits licked and we just seek pleasure. Pleasure, pleasure. Like we, we seek to live a life that is like, does not have any discomfort in it whatsoever.

[Lyle]

Yeah, totally.

[Austin]

And I think like, we didn't really know what we were doing doing as we were building that type of like.

[Lyle]

Oh, you mean society wants to have a life without any. Yeah, I feel, I feel.

[Austin]

No, I feel that, yeah, it's impossible.

[Lyle]

It is unfortunately impossible.

[Austin]

So I find it's like very empowering if you just voluntarily learn to get good at suffering. Like suffer with grace is what I like to say. So, okay, the sauna is like, I just try and rewire how people experience discomfort. So like, we'll be in the sauna and we'll be talking. Then we'll meditate, we'll do yoga we'll ice bath and we'll just talk and just try and, like, reword this experience, I guess. Like, I don't want to lie to anyone or, like, like, gaslight anyone, but just create opportunities to. To reinterpret this experience. Because, like, all of these symptoms, good, bad, in between, they're all symptoms of existence. They should be celebrated. Like, so, yeah, sadness or pain, like, I know it's easy to say, but these are symptoms that you are alive and you are in this bitch.

[Lyle]

But you ever. You know what's funny, though, is, like, you ever. This is my thing is I feel like I constantly. Obviously, you never really know what's going on with people and whatnot, but you ever meet someone and you're like, I feel like the way you're living your life feels like it's so light, you know? And I'm like, oh, I wanna. I want that. I want life to feel like it's light.

[Austin]

Like levity?

[Lyle]

Yeah, like levity. I want life to feel light. Like, sometimes life feels like heavy. Emotions feel heavy all the time, you know? I mean, don't you ever. Don't you ever feel like you meet someone, you see something where you're like, oh, I'd like to live in that. That levity that this person seems like they live in.

[Austin]

Yes.

[Lyle]

You know?

[Austin]

Totally. Totally, man. Yeah, I. I can dig that for sure. Just, you never know what people got going on, you know?

[Lyle]

It's true. You never really know.

[Austin]

All these stories and then, like, all these fronts and, like, it's just like, you never really. Do you. Can we ever know what it's like to be a bat in a cave? Like, we never really know. Like, you know, like, I try and be positive and polite and shit, but I'm miserable.

[Nick]

I'm just kidding.

[Austin]

I'm not miserable.

[Lyle]

But are you? How do you feel now? I mean, you've been through that. Some crazy stuff.

[Austin]

Still fucking angry about it. Like, I'm so mad because I'm just supposed to forget about it. Like, just call it a wash, you know what I mean? Like, that's what they. That's what they expect me to do.

[Lyle]

Did you ever get a trial or did that. What happened?

[Austin]

So at year three, they were like, yo, if you want a trial, you're gonna have to wait one more year. And I was like, I can't.

[Lyle]

They just held you without a trial, brother.

[Austin]

Yes. And they continued it. Continue. So year three, this guy was like, yo, if you want a jury trial, it's gonna take one more year. I Was like, bro, I just want to go home. So I took a plea for a misdemeanor, like the lowest misdemeanor you could. No time, no, no nothing, right? And I was like, dude, the only way I'll say I did this, if it's no time, no, it's a misdemeanor, then there's no weird shit. You know what I mean? That's the only way I'll say that I did this. And then sure enough, I did it, I went home. And now I'm just like, bro, I'm angry about it. Like, I'm. The only way that I can feel better about it is to become successful. Like, the only way that I can. I've realized the only way that I can put this behind me is if all that that happened was part of the reason that I became successful. Like, so I'm actively determining if I have regret or not through my day to day actions, which is really fucking weird, to be honest. Like, it's an everyday fight or whatever. And then you can't like run around and tell these people your problems because they'll think you're fucking nuts. So you just kind of have to deal with it on your own and just, just try your best, like, you know, like, because it's probably a lot even coming up to you and be like, yo, I just was in a cage doing push ups and fighting for chicken for four years. Like, it's like people don't really know how to handle me sometimes. But thank you for your time, by the way.

[Lyle]

Oh, thank you for your time. So what, so what does being successful mean to you in this context?

[Austin]

It's a good question, brother. To summarize, to break it down, I would just say that I gave more than I took in this lifetime, that I helped more than I was helped.

[Lyle]

That's your definition of success?

[Austin]

Yeah, that's my definition of success. Success as of now. And that's, that's probably going to change, you know what I mean? Like, I'm still learning things about myself and about the world, but yeah, just to be free, like to be able to take care of the people that I care about, to be able to help, to have the capacity to help anyone that I bump into. Like, that would be my idea of success. Because we're, we're going to have regrets is what I'm learning. Like all these wealthy people and mentors that I have, like, everyone has regrets. Some realizing we just have to pick the ones we're okay with. I think, I think that's like the penciled in rule is what I'm gathering. So, yeah, just. Just to be my optimal Austin, you

[Lyle]

know, do you feel like you are on the path to that, or do you feel like you're on a upward trajectory towards becoming that version of yourself?

[Austin]

Yes, but at the same time, like, you never fucking know, dude. You just don't ever know. So, like, as certain as I can say.

[Lyle]

Sure.

[Austin]

I've exhausted every possibility to be sure and what I'm doing.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Austin]

Yes, I have. But at the same time, it's just kind of like, who fucking knows? Yeah. I feel like it's a constant process of. Of assessing. Like, am I full of shit? Am I being honest with myself? What did I mean by that? What did they mean by that? Like, and it's just like an everyday, like, tug of war kind of. Not tug of war, but just like, it doesn't stop. I don't think. I think this is just. You just do this till we die. So I don't know for sure, but.

[Lyle]

Oh, no, I know, I know. We do. We do kind of just do this until we die. That's so. It's so stressful. But you know what's funny is it stresses me out. There's like, oh, we just do this. No way. That. But again, I see people. I see, like, older people, see people like, like our boy we just talked to. Or like folks in their 60s, 70s, and it's like they're still doing it. And I'm like, all right, if they can do it for that's what I say. I'm like, I can do it. I can keep going.

[Austin]

And it happens in the blink of an eye. Like, I could say, like, I just did four years. And like, to say that to anyone who hasn't done time, it's like, oh, my God, that's an insurmountable amount of time.

[Lyle]

If I, like, did it feel like

[Austin]

a long time of an eye?

[Lyle]

Really?

[Austin]

It felt like when you're going through it, it takes forever. But now that I look back on my life, blink of an eye, I have you.

[Lyle]

I just watched this play, fear of 13. Have you heard of it? You should listen. You should actually listen to this. This is. Fuck. I literally forget the name of the guy. But it's based off a dude who was, like, falsely imprisoned for murder for, like, 13 years.

[Austin]

Oh, my God.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Austin]

Look at that, bro. That's another thing is I've realized, like, if this has happened to me, it has to have happened to other people, dude. And the feeling that you have is like, bro, it's so fucking alienating. Like you can't talk to anyone about it. And it scares me because if there's masses of people who have been wronged, like, I've been wrong, bro, I don't think everyone's going to have the same reserve to like try and be the best version of themselves or help society, bro. Like, I'm scared if there's people out there who have been wrong. Like, I've been wrong and they don't, they don't have that same mentality, dude, because it's. Dude, it's like so alienating. Like you feel you're just mad at the world. You're like, bro, they got me and nobody gives a fuck. And like it's.

[Lyle]

Do you, do you have a support system nowadays? Do you feel like you have a good supports good, like your friends, family? Yeah,

[Austin]

no, not really. But like there's. I have people, I have people who are there. But just like, like I said, I came here, I came here and I know anybody. I had an aunt in Prospect park who hooked me up with an apartment.

[Lyle]

Well, how long have you been in New York again?

[Austin]

I moved. I got. I did burpees in a cell in Virginia, January 17, 2023. And then I fell asleep in Park Slope, Brooklyn that night. I took an Amtrak up here and then I fell asleep in New York that night. I think I got appeal, bro, with my job. But bro, I would love to talk again. I looked at your page. You're really cool, you. Thanks for what you do and just hear.

[Lyle]

Yeah, thanks. Thanks for sharing your story, man.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

I appreciate.

[Lyle]

Is there. Is that right if I put this

[Austin]

on the computer and stuff too, bro, and maybe we can chop it up again one day?

[Lyle]

Sure, sure, sure.

[Austin]

You can come work with me and help some kids or something, bro.

[Lyle]

Sure, sure, sure. Anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[Austin]

Yeah, I just want to say, yeah, I believe in you and just fucking do it, man. Like, no one's coming for you. No one's coming for us. No one's coming to save the day. We have to come for each other.

[Lyle]

What's your name again, man?

[Austin]

Austin, bro.

[Lyle]

Austin Lyle. Nice to meet you, Austin. Thank you, ma'.

[Austin]

Am. We cross paths again, bro.

[Lyle]

Yeah, dude, I'll, I'll, I'll see you on the universe maybe. Yeah, maybe. Maybe if I'm feeling in the right mindset, I'll take you up on that pain tolerance thing you got going on. All right. Thank you, man. Thank you. Austin. Appreciate you. Fascinating. That was very fascinating. I might. I. Because I do agree with him on that thing of like pain being inevitable and kind of learning how to withstand it, you know? So, yeah, maybe I'll go to this guy's. Maybe I'll. Maybe I'll end up in some kind of 50 shades of grey situation or something. I don't know. I don't even know what that means. I don't know why I said that. I haven't read that book or seen the movie or anything. But yeah, maybe I'll go to this guy's house and go into his sauna, ice bath or something. That was very interesting. Thank you again, Austin, for sharing your story. What's up, man? What's. What's your name, dude?

[Robert]

My name is. My name is Robert.

[Lyle]

Robert. Nice to meet you, Robert.

[Robert]

Nice to meet you.

[Lyle]

What are you. What are you. My name is Lyle.

[Robert]

Nice to meet you, Lyle.

[Lyle]

What are you up to at the park today?

[Robert]

Well, I come to the park here because I enjoy this park, is a beautiful park, but I'm just chilling, enjoying the sites, honestly. Smoking some weed.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Robert]

I had a drink. When I'm just chilling, I enjoy this park. It's very interesting.

[Lyle]

Yeah, it's a beautiful place. Do you come here often?

[Robert]

Yes, I come here every day. Right now I'm on a little vacation. Yes.

[Lyle]

Oh, wait, where are you on vacation from?

[Robert]

Just life, real stuff.

[Lyle]

You're on vacation from life?

[Robert]

Yes, you know, work, major bills, stress. I come here every day just to take a different view on life. I'm tired of the rat race. I come here, just enjoy. I like to watch the artists, the individual people got their own businesses.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

People who come out here and play music, the chess players, the college students, the events that go on. So I just come in the park.

[Lyle]

It truly is one of my favorite places on the planet. It's just. It's. It's fucking great. Wait, so what was the catalyst for. For your vacation from life? Was there like a breaking point where you were like, fuck, I just gotta.

[Robert]

The catalyst is sometimes you go. Things in life, life is not really that. Life is hard.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Life can also be easy and sometimes you have challenging issues that you are facing. So I have some challenges. Issues. And I just want to do something different. So instead of doing what I normally do, I'm doing something different. So I come to the park. So I've been coming here since last year just to do something different besides hanging at home and doing the. Getting in trouble, doing other things. I'm not supposed to be doing. So I come here, I met some new people, some new friends, and I'm just enjoying life differently today also. So the catalysis was I'm just at a breaking point where I just wanted to try something different and stop doing the same routine I've been doing for many, many years.

[Lyle]

Was that scary to break out of your routine? Like, was there any fear behind it, or was it, like a natural thing?

[Robert]

No, it's not scary. Listen, I'm 56 years old. I'll be 56 in July. I've been through a lot, but I'm the type of person, I'm always jumping into different things, so it's not scary.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Robert]

I'm very adventurous in life. Like I said, one minute I could be here, one minute I could be there. You know, I've lived all over New York. I lived in Virginia, I lived in upstate. I lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I've been around. So I hop and skip and jump all the time. So.

[Lyle]

And there's that, like. Okay, so throughout your whole life, as you've been doing, like, the hopping, the skipping, the jumping, like, intuitively there's never been any fear. Like, you're very intuitively able to, like, move from each life phase to the next.

[Robert]

Yes, I just. I just jump into it. And things. You gotta be, you know, if I'm working, I'm making things happen, I'm doing stuff. You gotta make things happen while you make them changes. You know, I have to move a few times.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Bad relationships, money problems. Sometimes you just gotta go. Go where life takes you and make it happen. You know, there's no. I'm not fear. I don't have no fear of doing anything because I know that I'm able to do anything I want to do if I put my mind to it.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Robert]

And I've been broke. Money comes around. I've had great jobs. I have great houses. I have great people in my life. Right now, I'm just focusing on me. But sometimes you just gotta take a plunge and see what happens, you know, if you don't try in the future. I should have tried to do this. Oh, I should have did that. I take chances, but you're gonna.

[Lyle]

Looking back on all of it, do you. Do you have any regrets or do you feel like everything you did, you, like, at least tried to do everything you wanted to do?

[Robert]

Well, I haven't tried to do everything I want to do, but I'm very happy with most of my life. Yes, I'm gonna Have with some things in my life, but, you know, it is what it is. And I've had fun. I've learned. I got to be 55 without a lot of major drama, so I'm happy. But I still want to travel more. Right now, I want to travel. I've never been on a plane, but I want to travel more and do different things. But right now, yeah, I'm satisfied. It is what it is, and I made the best of it. I got kids that are grown 35 and probably 30 right now.

[Lyle]

Nice. Nice, man.

[Robert]

Grandkids. I got a big family, but right now I'm by myself. But I've done everything I want to do. I'm happy. I'm blessed. My higher power has blessed me, man.

[Lyle]

Nice.

[Robert]

I make a lot of mistakes, but I'm. I'm trying to get back on track.

[Lyle]

What's your. What's your higher power look like to you? Like. Like, do you feel like it's like a. Do you feel like it's like a singular entity or just like. Like, just the shit that's beyond you?

[Robert]

Together? It's beyond me, but I think we all connected in my. You know, I'm not gonna. I'm. I'm beyond. I'm a Christian. I believe in God, but I've been to my phases with, you know, aliens and all type of stuff and history in the past with how we were made, but I just know there's a higher power. And we all connected from the trees to the worms to the ants, to the air we breathe to the universe. We all connected somehow, some way. I think we all consciously think together and focus together. We'll be more powerful as a people, you know, we have a lot of separation with things, but, you know, my higher power is everything. He created everything. He knows everything. And I'm blessed. I just have to make decisions. You know, you either go left or you can go right.

[Lyle]

How was it having kids? That's something I'm, like, thinking about a lot because, like, I'm. I'm 28. I'm approaching into, like. Like in my, I guess, 30s and where I'm like, oh, at some point, like, you're saying, like, you got to make decisions. And I'm like, I know I want to do it at some point, but it's. It's. It's like. It's such a freaky existential thing. I'm very in my head about, like, how was it for you?

[Robert]

Well, I was young. I was 20 going on 21 when I had my first Child, I wish. Well, everything is fine. But I wish I would have had see you at a good age where you can plan it. I wish I would have planned it.

[Lyle]

Yeah, sure. Yeah.

[Robert]

So you want to plan. You want to plan your future, man? You know, kids are. It's a big responsibility. Excuse me. Raising a family is a big responsibility, and you want to have everything in order. Money, school, goals, whatever plan. I jumped into it, it happened, I had to be responsible. But everything didn't work out like we're supposed to work out, unfortunately, because we both were young, so we made mistakes and, you know, I ended up paying child support for 20 something years.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Robert]

Honestly, you know what I'm saying? But I still love my kids and we didn't work out, but you got to make sure you have the right partner. You gotta make sure you connect with the right partner. Have a kid, because, you know, you want to be together, you want to build a family. So you don't want to be somebody that's not going to work out.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

You want to get married, you want to do it right. Hopefully somebody that loves you, you love them and want to build together. Just don't have kids that have kids. Yeah, it's a big responsibility. It's another person on this earth that you're responsible for, and you want them to grow up and be successful in this world.

[Lyle]

Do you feel like you've ever been it? Like definitively you're 100. You feel like you've ever been in love?

[Robert]

Yeah, I've been in love with it. I was with a girl for, I always say 20. She said 18, but 18 years and I'm still in love. I still love her to this day. Her nickname was Mei Mae. My nickname was Chinky. And I loved her a lot. She loved me a lot. I still love her to this day. You know, it's been. We haven't been together since 20 2008, but yeah, I've been in love, deeply in love. Like I said, I still can't go a date without thinking about these girls.

[Lyle]

Really? Yeah, really. Do you. Do you feel like you will ever love again? Like, love another person?

[Robert]

Yeah, because the love is in my heart. I love everybody. But I'm saying fall in love with another person. Yes. I have several relationships, and like I said, you have to find the right person to fall in love with, the one that's connected with you. I did have one. I blew it. But I believe there might be a second time around 50, 55, going on 56 right now. I'm not really focused on that focusing on me, but in the future, if it comes along. Yeah, I'd love to mature women that I could bond with and fall in love and be happy and enjoy the rest of my days with. Of course.

[Lyle]

Well, the person that you were initially kind of were talking about, what was it that made you so in love with her?

[Robert]

Everything. I mean, you build a bond with a person. You know, at first it was a really. Hey, almost ran into us. She almost fell in love with me, sir. But we just bonded, man. We were.

[Lyle]

We.

[Robert]

She was a Pisces. She was one. She was the same age as me, her birthday, same man. She's a couple months of me on. But. But yeah, we connected, man. It was a passion. It was love, it was mystery. It was a lot of other stuff going around with the family unit, but we stuck together, man. And you know, we. At that young age, I didn't know what I was going. We didn't. We didn't plan a. Plan a life together, but we just stuck together through all. All the stuff that I put her through. She didn't really put me through anything, but she was a ride or die chicken. She just never went nowhere. And so I had to leave and I left in 2008 because I put her through a lot of stuff.

[Lyle]

But you let. You were like, you left for her sake?

[Robert]

Yeah, yeah, because I was, you know, actually, I have two kids not with that person.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Robert]

So sometimes women, for love and other different reasons, they're put up with you because sometimes they have nowhere to go or situations they're in. And, you know, everybody's situation is different.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

So sometimes people tolerate what they have to tolerate when they don't want to.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Because they're in a bad situation. But we. We fought. We went through a whole bunch of stuff, man. But I wish it would have been better. I wish I would have did that different me. I wish I would have married her and been faithful and did a lot of things differently. But, you know, I don't know if I got off track on that. Good question.

[Lyle]

No, no, no, not at all. No. You're making me think about. Just like now you're making me think about love and life. And I'm like. I'm just like, oh, I want to do. Like, I have this thing, and I think a lot of young people have this thing where they're like, I want to do everything perfect, but it's like, you can't, but you can't. And I. And I just. I'm having trouble, like, in my personal life, I'm having trouble, like, accepting that. You know what I mean?

[Robert]

Perfect. And it's the way you think, you know, you're going to try to think for the situation, communication, what's best for you and the person. If it's you and the person, it's complicated. You say what's best for you and the kids. You know, are you selfish? And you know, you want. Is it all about you? But, you know, everything. Nothing is perfect, man. You got to work through it, make it work. Like life, you know, it's like sometimes you make mistakes and you got to get back on track and, you know, you got money management goals, work, bills, kids, food. It's a lot that goes with just life. And enough, you know, like, you should not hand in a Geico suit with the I am. Yeah, Gekko suit.

[Lyle]

Like, I am. Yeah.

[Robert]

You know, like, I'm just saying. I know. I'm sure all your interviews are not perfect.

[Lyle]

It's true. No, it's true. The. My interviews are not open.

[Robert]

Having these conversations, you know, so we just keep going. Keep going. You know, you just gotta keep going.

[Lyle]

We just keep going.

[Robert]

There you go.

[Lyle]

You keep. Do you. Have you ever, like. Okay, let me ask you this, too. As of currently, do you have hope?

[Robert]

Well, I have hope, yes. There's many times I didn't have hope.

[Lyle]

That's what I was gonna ask. That's what I was gonna ask is, in the past, did you not have hope? And then in those moments where you didn't have hope, how did you regain the hope?

[Robert]

Well, if you knew my whole life story, I went through a lot of ups and downs and depression is part of my life. You know, drugs and alcohol can put you through a spin.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

So as many times where I had no hope, many times where I wanted to die.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Many times I asked my man upstairs. Listen, go tomorrow morning.

[Lyle]

He said, what? He said, what? Tomorrow morning.

[Robert]

Don't wake me up tomorrow morning.

[Lyle]

Oh, God. God said, don't wake me up tomorrow morning.

[Robert]

No, I'm saying. I mean something.

[Lyle]

Oh, you said. You said to God, don't wake me up tomorrow night.

[Robert]

Wake me up in the morning.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

You know, like I said, life is hard. Like I said, nothing is perfect.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

And you go through trials and tribulations. You have to be strong in this real mentally, physically, spiritually. You know, you gotta have family. You have to have the support. Because sometimes you do lose hope. People lose their job. It's hard out here. You know, people got bills.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

It's hard out here, so you have to stay positive, man. I always have a positive energy, but there's been times where I didn't want to get out of bed. You know, I've tried. I've tried those attempts several times.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Because I was in a real big rut. But, yeah, you know, sometimes you go through it, but like you said, you gotta keep it going.

[Lyle]

Yeah, you gotta keep it going.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Robert]

But some people snap, man. You got people here killing their own families and. And shooting up everybody else and shooting the schools and. Yeah, going crazy. But you gotta keep pushing through, dude.

[Lyle]

And sometimes I. I don't know what it is, but even in those moments, I'm like, you get a little air bubble that tells you, like, just gotta keep.

[Robert]

Keep moving.

[Lyle]

Keep moving, you know?

[Robert]

Yeah, you gotta keep moving.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Keep moving.

[Robert]

At the same time, you gotta have a goal, you gotta. You gotta have a plan and you gotta, you know, follow through with your plan. Nothing's gonna happen if you don't make it happen. And like I said, there's gonna be some ups and downs, but you gotta keep pushing.

[Lyle]

So what? So do you have a plan for.

[Robert]

No plan. I'm just going with the wind. That's my life. Going with the win.

[Lyle]

Cool, man. Cool, man.

[Robert]

Honestly.

[Lyle]

Cool, man. Do you have, like, friends at this park? Like, people?

[Robert]

You. Yes. There's a whole section of people I sit with on a daily basis. They. Everybody's different from different backgrounds.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Robert]

Different situations. And they love each other, man. They look out for each other. They show love.

[Lyle]

So.

[Robert]

Yeah, I love this park. I met a lot of people. Get there. From the chess tables to over here, to the dance paper over there, to the past drug addicts that used to be over there.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Robert]

So, you know, just, you know, to the artists, to the musicians, to the people with their new businesses. I met. It's a lot of people out here. Yeah, people that's come through. Old, young. Oh, ages.

[Lyle]

This is the best. Well, how long have you. Did you. I'm. I'm sorry.

[Robert]

I'm coming back from the last. Since last year.

[Lyle]

How long have you living living in New York for?

[Robert]

I've been born in New York. Born in Harlem. Born in Harlem. Raised on One in Douglas project. 103rd street and Columbus Avenue. I lived in every borough. Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens. I lived all over, so I'm a stapler to New York. I love New York.

[Lyle]

Do you feel like New York has changed significantly Because. Well, cuz it's. It's funny cuz and I've talked about this a lot on this show because I do this in the park pretty often. Is like this, obviously, whatever. Technology and, you know, things changing, whatever, but, like, the. The essence of like. Like people from all over the place gathering to be amongst each other. Seems like it is like the driving, the thing that drives people to New York. It seems like it's still here. Do you feel that way or do you feel like it was different?

[Robert]

New York is New York. New York is always gonna be the best city to come to, no matter what. You know, we have. New York is just the greatest. I mean, and we have gotten better. You know, Forest Checking Street's gotten better. Uptown has gotten better. You have more places. Things are building up. You have a lot more places to go. See? You know what I'm saying? Like, New York is going to always be number one. New York is always going to be the best city to beat. No matter what all your other states. I'm sorry, but New York is number one. Other people have come up, but New York is always going to be the best one. There's just so much to do in New York City. You can see the people, just the vibe of New York. Each borough is different, and it's just. It's just so much to do. So, you know, come to New York. Love New York. Sometimes I want some quiet, but I live in a quiet block, so I can stay home. But I love to come outside and see people. Even though people can be rude, disrespectful, and, you know, just, you know, just evil. But then you have a lot of good people in New York, too. You go down south, people say, hi, good morning, they welcome you. New York don't do that. Everybody has a serious face. There's no. There's no. There's no. What is the word I'm looking for?

[Lyle]

Fake politeness or.

[Robert]

Yeah, there's no real, you know, politeness around in New York.

[Lyle]

Yeah, but it feels real. It feels like a real place.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Yeah. What you mean, it feels real? New York is real. It could be crime, mugging, drugs fighting.

[Lyle]

New York.

[Robert]

Yeah. And the Knicks. The Knicks are going to do it this year. Knicks on the road.

[Lyle]

Go.

[Robert]

I just want to say one thing. I'm pleased. I'm sitting in the sun and I'm hot. My man got on a gecko suit and I'm sweating. I know he in here. Sweat.

[Lyle]

My body is adapted to being this dude. What's your name again?

[Robert]

Robert.

[Lyle]

Robert. Dude. Robert. Thank you very much for sitting down, talking to me. Man, I really appreciate it. Is there anything else you want to say to the people before we go?

[Robert]

Support, talk to, talk to. Support, talk to a real gecko.

[Lyle]

Thanks, man.

[Robert]

Everybody. Hi. From New York.

[Lyle]

Rock and roll, yo. Thank you, Robert. I appreciate your time, man. Thank you very, very much.

[Robert]

Hopefully, remember, if you get a lot of views, I want my money.

[Lyle]

We'll get it to you. See you, Robert. Thank you, man. That was awesome. That was great. Oh, that was perfect. That was amazing. Thank you so much, Robert. Oh, that was great. That was good. Oh, man, I remember why. I remember why I like doing this. So fun. So great. Oh, man. Shout out, Robert. What a fucking og. Hey, man, you want to talk to a gecko about life? It'll be fun.

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[Lyle]

hey,

[Kal Penn]

everyone, it's Kal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay the Audible and iheart audiobook club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary, massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it. I was like, no. At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that that deeply, emotionally affected me and I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Irsay the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comfort of pretty much anywhere, Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win. Not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to. To wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com.

[Lyle]

yo, dude, you got an ice cream right now?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Where'd you get this ice cream at?

[Abdul]

It's down a block right there.

[Lyle]

Oh, cool. Wait, this. This is. Dude, this ice cream is severely melting right now.

[Abdul]

I don't know why they gave it to.

[Lyle]

To me like that. What do you mean they gave it to you like that?

[Abdul]

And then, mind you, he didn't give me a paper towel or a napkin, so I had to come all the way over here. And then there was a stand, and I had to ask some random lady for it.

[Lyle]

They just. Okay, these people, they just gave you a melted ice cream already?

[Abdul]

Honestly?

[Lyle]

Yeah, dude, you still.

[Abdul]

And it cost me $10 for like three scoops. Yeah.

[Lyle]

You know what? You're like. You're like the chillest guy ever. Cuz you. It really feels like they handed you this melted ice cream and like 9 out of 10 people would be like, yo, what the is this? But you kind of seem like you're a chill enough guy that you're like, all right, I guess that's what I get.

[Abdul]

I mean, honestly, that's how you got to look at life yourself.

[Lyle]

You really feel that way?

[Abdul]

Yeah, that's how you got. It's melting. Mind if I drop? Damn.

[Lyle]

You feel like that's how you have to look at life.

[Abdul]

Yeah, that's really how you have to look at life itself. You know, you can't really. Not everything is a big deal, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

Same way how I left there and I came over here and I got a paper towel from some random lady. Yeah, you just got to go about life like that, you know?

[Lyle]

So you. You don't get to. You don't get triggered very easily by life's things.

[Abdul]

No, I do I do, I do, I do. But I feel like I'm just at a point in life where that's, that's, that's not all I look forward to, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

It's like it's life. Life itself has so much things to offer.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

That I really look at it from a point of view of. Why would I let a little situation really affect how the rest of my day will go, you know?

[Lyle]

When was the last time you couldn't remember, metaphorically speaking, that life handed you a melted ice cream cone?

[Abdul]

Yeah, that's a, that's a good. Honestly, I would say for sure the whole year of 2025.

[Lyle]

Why. Why was going on?

[Abdul]

Honestly, I was just dealing with a lot, you know.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

Not, not financially, but just mentally itself. You know, I haven't seen my mom in over like what, 16 years. And then I was dealing with a significant other, you know, and then just to self school and then having the worries of feeling like you're not really moving forward in life.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you feel like, I mean, okay, compared to that time, do you feel now like you're moving forward in life?

[Abdul]

Honestly, you would think a whole year would be something. You would think that a whole year would be, you know, pass, pass a whole year. I would change. But it's like some days you just wake up and you still feel the same, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Abdul]

And honestly, it's all about me trying to change who I am.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

Because the person that I was before is not the person that I want to be moving forward. So it's just a sense of me trying to better myself, that I'm really starting to feel like who am I? You know, trying to figure out who

[Lyle]

am I, who I am, what so in for to you? What's the answer to that question? Like who, what is the ideal version of yourself?

[Abdul]

Honestly, I'm a person that like to help others. I'm a person that likes to be there for other people. I'm a person that, you know, just. I like to be isolated. That's one thing that I learned about myself this year.

[Lyle]

You like to be isolated?

[Abdul]

Yeah, that's one thing that I learned.

[Lyle]

Well, I thought you, you just said two contradicting things. You said you like to be there for other people like that, but you like to be isolated.

[Abdul]

Okay, let me go more in depth about it. Right. When it comes to like, when it comes to like helping other people or just helping problem, like problems itself, I like to be there for other people. But when it comes to like My own personal problems. Like, I tend to just like isolate myself or like I'll go for a walk or I don't, I don't like to, you know, talk to people about stuff. Yeah.

[Lyle]

Do you have a lot of friends?

[Abdul]

I do have friends, yeah.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

So you see. Okay, you have. I'm. I'm trying to. I can't buy that. You're like.

[Abdul]

Are you lonely? No, no, no, no, no, I'm not lonely.

[Lyle]

You seem like you've. You're connected in some way.

[Abdul]

Yeah, of course, you know, I have friends, I have family members and you know, I'm always connected. But it's like being around people for too long, like I said, you could tend to really lose self. Love, self awareness. I feel like as a human being, you should really just take time to yourself. Even if it's like a week or whatever, days, hours or whatever, just take time to yourself and really just have your own self reflection, you know, self isolation. That's the best thing that you could really do for yourself.

[Lyle]

When was the last time you took a period of self reflection?

[Abdul]

That's a good question. I feel like I always do, even now, honestly. I'm on break with work and stuff, so I just walk around really just taking nature and think about life and just where I want to be and where I'm going and where I'm at.

[Lyle]

What are you doing in the park here today?

[Abdul]

I mean, I was just passing by, but I just sat down and I said, it's a nice day, everybody's outside. Why not just sit down and just eat ice cream? Reflect? Yeah, my life.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

All right, you mentions problems with the significant other. Are you still with this lady? Are you with a new lady? Are you dating?

[Abdul]

It's a long. It's a long, complicated story.

[Lyle]

Okay. If it's a whole thing, you don't want to put it on a TV show or whatever. It's okay.

[Abdul]

It's just. Best thing that I could really say is it's having self accountability could really take you far in life and also, you know, just accepting your wrongs and. Yeah, but besides that, I've been. I've been single for like what, 11 months now.

[Lyle]

Okay. How's the single life?

[Abdul]

Oh, it's boring, man.

[Lyle]

I can't lie to you. It's boring. Yes.

[Abdul]

This is the first time in a while that I haven't like, you know, really taking the time to like, meet new people or being in a relationship. Yeah, it's. It's new to me.

[Lyle]

You know, relationships are Tough. But it truly is a damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Abdul]

Yeah, exactly.

[Lyle]

There is no pat. There is no like if you're in a relationship, it's like, okay, now you have to. It's a lot of work.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

To like. Because now you're cuz. You cuz when you're alone you can just be a piece of shit and you can just like be whatever you are. But then when you have like someone else like to get a checking you like. No, you have to like you're. You're a big part of someone else's life. So you have to now be a better version of yourself. Whereas if you're just alone, there's no accountability. To be a better version of yourself.

[Abdul]

Yeah. You know, and it's, it's also about having to be present too. Like constantly.

[Lyle]

Yes. You have to be present another person.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

You can't just zone the out.

[Abdul]

Yeah, you can't just zone out. And that's why I'm saying like in order for you to like really be truly in a relationship or be in a relationship where you better each other, you first have to really find out who you are at first. You know? Yeah. Know who you are and know what you like, know the type of person that you want to be in a relationship. And I feel like that's the reason why I've really taken this long of a period of not being in a relationship. Because I don't want to be in a relationship where it's like the same thing with pizza self and knowing the type of person that I am. I feel like if a problem do. Cause it's probably gonna come for me, but. So I'd rather not put myself in that predicament or put the other person in that predicament. So I gotta better myself before I could be in a relationship basically.

[Lyle]

But the whole thing of like knowing who you want to be because I feel like you sometimes you like, you meet people, you fall in love, whatever it is. And then by that process you discover more things about yourself. Yeah, that's how I felt about relationships and stuff is like I've learned. I learned more about myself. I learned more about like what I'm capable of and what I like. And I also learn more about like oh fuck, I'm not. You learn, you learn. You learn both things that you didn't know about yourself that are good and that are bad.

[Abdul]

Yeah. You know, and that's, that's, that is very true. And that's what I'm saying. Like you know, I feel like my bad outweighs my goods, really. So that's the reason why I really need to isolate myself.

[Lyle]

But when you were in a relationship with this lady, right. Did you ever have points where you were like, oh, I didn't know I could be that guy, like, in a good way, you know, like any, like, any times you're like, had to like, she kind of forced you to like, step up in some way or she forced you to like, be some way where you were like, oh, I didn't know I could even do that.

[Abdul]

I mean, yes and no, because. Yes. Because I always knew that I could be a better version of myself in a relationship.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

So that's, that's the yes. No, because I'm not the type of person that like to be peer pressured to like, you know, like, go out of my way and stuff.

[Lyle]

So, yeah, I feel it. I get you. I give you, man. I get what you mean.

[Abdul]

I mean, but I feel like a relationship, if you're going to be in a relationship, you should always have a future version of an outcome that you want.

[Lyle]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Like go into it with a plan.

[Abdul]

Go with it with a plan, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

Because if you're just going into it, just to go into it and see how it goes, it's not really going to go anywhere.

[Lyle]

What's your name again, man?

[Abdul]

My name is Abdul.

[Lyle]

Oh, say again?

[Abdul]

Abdul. Abdul.

[Lyle]

Abdul. Abdul. Well, listen, Abdul, I'll let you get back to that.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Holy. I'm looking at the ice cream right now and it's just like the cup, it's fully melted. It's just a cup of ice cream juice. I mean, I, If I were you, I would still like, I would drink the cup of melted ice cream. Is that what you're gonna do? Are you gonna still consume whatever that is? Okay, cool.

[Abdul]

I'm not gonna let. Let it go for waste,

[Lyle]

dude. That's life, man. Sometimes life gives you a melted ice cream cup and you're like, what, we're gonna roll with this?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Abdul]

I mean, I got one question for you.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Please.

[Abdul]

Being that you interview a lot of people, right. What's something that you take away from

[Lyle]

it was something I take away from it.

[Abdul]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

If I could be completely honest about that. The more I interview people and the more I expand myself outwards, I. I actually feel like the less I know.

[Abdul]

Okay.

[Lyle]

I really do feel that the more I'm like, oh, there's no right answer to anything. Everyone has their own perspective and their own thing that works. For you, which I can conclude from that that you are in some way shape or form the decider and maker of your own destiny, because you have no. There is no objective right or wrong decisions by which to hold yourself to.

[Abdul]

I think I understand what you.

[Lyle]

If that makes sense.

[Abdul]

It makes perfect sense, you know? I mean. Well, I hope you keep going.

[Lyle]

Thank you.

[Abdul]

I hope that you grow from this.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Thank you, Abdul.

[Abdul]

Yeah, man.

[Lyle]

It was nice talking. You're a chill dude. I'm sure. Whatever. I. I hope you achieve all your dreams, man.

[Abdul]

No, I appreciate it.

[Lyle]

I hope one day. One day life's gonna hand you a nice, firm, hard scoop of ice cream. You know, none of this melted, you know? Yeah, dude. Thank you, Abdul. I'll see you around the universe. Take care, man. You too, ma'.

[Robert]

Am.

[Lyle]

No, don't worry. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Take care, man. For the. For those listening on the audio version, he got up and the. The ice cream just melted all over these. These wires that I have. It's gonna be a little harder to get someone to sit down on the chair now because there's a little bit of melted ice cream not on it, but, like, near it. But it's okay. We'll figure that out. Do either of you want to talk to a gecko about life Here, Have a seat. Hi. What's your name?

[N]

My name is Mushfirat.

[Lyle]

Mushfarat. Mushfirat. Nice to meet you, Mushfirat. No, that's okay. What are you. What are you eating? You got a sandwich there?

[N]

A hot dog.

[Lyle]

Oh, you got a hot dog?

[N]

I never tried a hot dog. I'm from Britain, so it's my.

[Lyle]

Oh, you're from Britain. Wait, you've never had a hot dog?

[N]

No.

[Lyle]

Wait, I'm about to watch you. I'm about to watch. Wait, this is a. Wait, hold on. This is. I'm about to watch a person who's never eaten a hot dog before eat a hot dog.

[N]

First time. Even the mustard as well.

[Lyle]

Okay. I mean. I mean, you know, it's a big deal. You go at your own pace, but I'm. I'm ready.

[N]

Okay, Ready.

[Lyle]

All right, let's hear it. Let's see it. Thoughts?

[N]

It's a bit salty.

[Lyle]

Yeah, it's a bit salty, but it's nice. What are you doing? What are you doing here? From. From. From Britain.

[N]

From London.

[Lyle]

Oh, from London. Yeah.

[N]

Yeah. I'm interning with these girls. Beautiful girls.

[Lyle]

Oh, cool.

[N]

Yeah, so I'm just interning for like, three months. I'm gonna be here for five days, and then I'm gonna DC after.

[Lyle]

And what do you think of New York so far?

[N]

Unique. It's really unique because London is, like, kind of similar with subways and everything, but I feel like New York City has. Look at you. You wouldn't see this in London.

[Lyle]

My. My understanding of London is that, oh, there's police officers here. This is the one. Every time I go and do this, I get kicked out of wherever I am, but this is the one place I never get kicked out.

[N]

Okay.

[Lyle]

So I don't get as anxious when I see police. Anyway, sorry. So I feel like we have a bad rap.

[N]

Do we have a bad rap in London? Yeah, yeah. We don't like you guys. No, no.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah. But this is your first time in America.

[N]

No, I love it. I told him. I was like, I love. I love the subway. I love how people sing. I love people that's dressed up like you. I love that.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[N]

I love it so much.

[Lyle]

And what's the. What company are you interning at?

[N]

And it's a company. It's a bit confidential, so. A company.

[Lyle]

Sure, sure, sure.

[N]

But, yeah, it's just like a normal company.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[N]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Well. Okay, so what are you gonna do in dc? What's the plan?

[N]

So in DC I'm gonna just be working there for two months as finance. I'm even finance. And, yeah, all I can say is it's an aerospace company. That's about it. But not too much.

[Lyle]

So you seem fairly underwhelmed by the hot dog. It seems like it's not exactly changing your life.

[N]

Not really. No. It's plain. Yeah. I'm not gonna eat them.

[Lyle]

Oh, someone just said. Someone just yelled at her from off screen. You need save the hot dog. We need it for the picture.

[N]

Yeah. We.

[Lyle]

What's this picture?

[N]

So, basically, you're making content.

[Lyle]

Everyone here is making content.

[N]

We need to help with that.

[Lyle]

Okay. We need my help with that.

[N]

Yeah. We're taking a picture for our company, and whoever wins is basically between groups. And you have to get the best New York picture. You're the best candidate for that.

[Lyle]

Oh, I'm so.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Okay.

[Lyle]

I'm honored. So this. So we'll take a picture.

[N]

Yeah. With the hot dog, but. And we're going to take a picture with them as well, if you.

[Lyle]

Okay. Yeah, of course. Yeah, yeah, of course. Okay, cool.

[N]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

All right, well, let's do it.

[N]

Let's do it.

[Lyle]

Is the arch in the back, too? Okay, cool. We are Taking a photo with a bunch of people we're helping. So this is like a. This is like. This is like a scavenger hunt that we're doing.

[N]

Yeah, Sweet.

[Lyle]

We'll do one more. We gotta get.

[N]

Was it three, two, one. Just all die. Three, two, one.

[Lyle]

Oh, this is perfect. We got. You got the cow guy in it too.

[N]

Yeah, exactly.

[Lyle]

Oh, hell yeah.

[N]

Thank you so much for the interview.

[Lyle]

Of course, of course. Is there anything else that you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[N]

I love New York City. You guys should visit here. From anyone from London. Come to New York City. Come to America.

[Lyle]

Beautiful. Yeah, Beautiful, yo. Thank you very much, dude. Appreciate you.

[N]

Have a good day.

[Lyle]

Enjoy the hot dog.

[Advertisement Voice]

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[Kal Penn]

hey, everyone, it's Cal Penn. I'm the host of Irsay The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook project, Hail Mary, massive sci fi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone, very far from Earth.

[Ray Porter]

I really had to make a decision because I caught myself getting that frog in my throat and starting to get teary as I'm narrating some of these sections. And it's like, okay, yo, yo, yo. Is this indulgent? And I really thought about it.

[Lyle]

I was like, no.

[Ray Porter]

At this point, it would kind of be betraying the trust the author and the listener have in telling this story if I don't go through it. But there's places in this book that deeply, emotionally affected me. And I left it on the mic. That's great because it served the story. People will say like, oh, my God, I cried at the end. It's like, yeah, dude, me too.

[Kal Penn]

Listen to Hearsay. The Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Advertisement Voice]

Let's talk about modern home shopping. It's sort of become a fun side hobby, right? Scrolling listings at night, dreaming about kitchens you've never seen or. Or backyards you haven't even stepped foot in. All from the comfort of pretty much anywhere. Redfin knows a lot of people like you want to own but are stuck in this browsing mode loop. That's where Redfin flips the script. With listings that update within minutes and tours you can book right from the Redfin app, you can see your dream home the moment it appears. Now, liking a listing is easy, but actually landing it, that's where Redfin comes in. Redfin has over 2200 agents with local expertise. And Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents. That means they want to help you win. Not just window shop. Redfin is built to help you go from just looking to wait. This could actually be home. So become the newest neighbor on the block. Visit redfin.com to start finding and start owning. That's redfin.com.

[Lyle]

what's up, man? So you're. You're in a. You got a cow outfit?

[Nick]

Yes, sir.

[Lyle]

On. And what is the occasion for this cow outfit?

[Nick]

So, NBA game one of the finals tomorrow night. I'm trying to get 500 cows outside MSG for the watch party. You know how after the game, all the Fans are on 7th Avenue going nuts?

[Lyle]

Yeah. You're trying to get five. You're trying to get 500 people, 500 cows.

[Nick]

A herd of cows.

[Lyle]

Why a herd of cows?

[Nick]

To be honest, I came to, I think, game two of the first round just by myself as a cow, because I was like, I want to make some content. I've been doing content for about a year. And so I showed up as a cow because my parents were cows at Halloween back in like, 86 at Penn State or something like that. And so I asked them, I was like, hey, do you have anything ridiculous I can wear for the game? They were like, yes, we have a cow costume for you. So I wore it. I got on the Jumbotron, made some videos. They did pretty well. And so I wore it to a couple other events after that. And then heading into the finals, I knew that, you know, the final, the Knicks finals is the biggest thing that's happened to New York sports in the last 10 years since the Giants won the Super Bowl. So I figured, let's go big or go home. Let's get 500 cows by the time maybe game four rolls around.

[Lyle]

And how many cows have you recruited so far?

[Nick]

So I have a group chat on Instagram of about 100 cows, I'd say,

[Lyle]

okay, that's pretty good. Listen, man, listen. I appreciate the ambition of trying to get 500 people, but 100 is pretty good. Yeah. How did you recruit? How did you recruit those people?

[Nick]

I'd say I know personally. Maybe half of them.

[Lyle]

You know, you know, 50 people, you know, you. You know 50 people who are. You're close enough with that, you can convince them to dress up as cows.

[Nick]

Or at least verbally. Verbally con.

[Lyle]

Verbally recovered that they were okay, so we'll. We'll find out.

[Austin]

Yeah, yeah, you gotta.

[Lyle]

You gotta imagine that of the hundred, at least, you know, at least 30% of them will bail. Yeah.

[Nick]

I'm sending my expectations low. Like, there's a chance that four people show up tomorrow, but if you get

[Lyle]

four people, if you have four friends who are willing to dress up in a costume for you, that's pretty good. Where. Where are you getting these costumes? Like. Like everyone has to because there's a financial commitment. I mean, this. How much money you think this costume is?

[Nick]

I'd say about 70, maybe.

[Lyle]

Okay. This guy buys animal costume. $70? Yeah, that's a. That's, you know, that's a big buy in.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I've been doing content for about a year now. I started with a podcast, and over time I was like, I want to do more man on the street type of deal.

[Lyle]

Sure. And I see you got a microphone with you. We're on your. We're on your podcast too. What's the microphone say? Let me see.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's niche to notable.

[Lyle]

Niche. The notable.

[Nick]

I was a kicker in college and I started a podcast around about, like, niche athletes and sports.

[Lyle]

Okay, cool, man.

[Nick]

Whatnot. And then I, me and my buddy that's behind the camera over there, we went to a celebrity golf tournament last summer, and we started interviewing athletes at the tournament. And I was like, I love the man on the street type deal.

[Lyle]

Sure.

[Nick]

It's a lot of fun. It's entertaining. I kind of like to be in the mix.

[Lyle]

So it's all. I'm not done with this cow thing. So how did you recruit those hundred? The other fifty are like, just random folks.

[Nick]

Yeah. So when it first started, I opened it up and I put something on my story and I said, whoever wants to join the group chat? I'm trying to get a herd of cows together. Gave my initial pitch, and then about five people joined, and I was like, hey, spread the word. Tell your buddies. Like, let's get as many cows as we can. So of the five, they brought on maybe five more of their own buddies. Then it grew to 25. And then I just invited a bunch of celebrities. Some of them have probably never opened the chat in the Last couple of days, but it's all good. You gotta shoot your shots. And then over time, it got to about 85, I'd say real people. And then 15 are celebrities that I just invited to the chat that probably never look at it.

[Lyle]

Okay, so you got about 85 real people, and they're all. Everyone's gonna buy their own costume. Everyone. Everyone's throwing in the 70 bucks.

[Nick]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

For the costume.

[Nick]

This is 40 bucks off Amazon.

[Lyle]

So I. Yours is 40?

[Austin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Nick]

So at first I threw a. I told everyone I was gonna buy the cow costumes. So that was when it was like four people in the chat.

[Lyle]

That was. Yeah, that would have been. Yeah, yeah. You're at like, what, $4,000?

[Nick]

Yeah, if I were to. But I'm. I'm not at that point yet, so I said I. I'll throw in the Amazon link. Whoever can do it would love to have you. Let's herd up.

[Lyle]

Let's talk.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Okay.

[Lyle]

Okay. All right. Cool, man. So. And when is. When. When is the Knicks thing?

[Nick]

The Knicks game one of the finals is tomorrow night at msg, so our plan is to congregate before the game at.

[Lyle]

Around.

[Nick]

The game's at 8:30, I believe, so we'll get there at like, 6.

[Lyle]

This will come, by the way. I just. I don't want you to waste your breath. This episode is coming out way after that. This episode is coming out. So you. So we'll find out.

[Nick]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

If you were able to pull it off. Well, I get. I'm of the opinion that if you can get. If you can convince one other person. I mean, again, Jesus had, what, 13 followers? Something like that. If you can convince, you know, four other people to dress up in a costume, that's pretty good.

[Nick]

Yes, sir. Yeah, absolutely. I think after game one, if we make some noise, who knows, maybe a bar store or one of the major news networks gets the word out. And then maybe by game two, we double and go from there.

[Austin]

So we'll see.

[Lyle]

Cool, man. Well, look, I'm just saying this, like, you know, it's exciting to chase the numbers, like, oh, we'll double it. But, God, I'm telling you, if tomorrow 10 people show up wearing that cow costume, just fucking be like, wow, that's sick.

[Nick]

Absolutely.

[Lyle]

You got to be. Because if you can't be stoked with whoever is.

[Nick]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

With your thing. You won't be stoked when there's, you know, 80 billion people.

[Nick]

Absolutely. And I was having fun just doing it by myself, you know, last week, two weeks ago. So Everything else.

[Lyle]

Who is this camera guy? How do you know him? You're his high school friend.

[Nick]

One of my best buds from high school. Last summer he came with me to the Lake Tahoe golf tournament and we had a ton of fun.

[Nikki]

We were.

[Nick]

We must have walked 15 miles every day during a three day tournament doing a bunch of videos. And then we both graduated from school about a week and a half ago

[Lyle]

from, from high school, from college. Cool.

[Nick]

Yeah. Yes, sir. So. And then he was like, you know, I'd love to maybe hop on with you full time. So actually our plan is we're going to fly out. He went to San Diego State for school. I don't know if we can disclose that, if that's all right. Yeah. So we're going out there and we're. He drove out to school at the start of the year, so we're going to fly out there and then drive his car all the way back home. Do like a 10 day road trip across the U.S. dude.

[Lyle]

Cool, man. Joe, honestly, you guys seem like you're living a good life, man. Just enjoy the fucking present, man. You guys got good lives.

[Nick]

Yes, sir.

[Lyle]

What's your name, man?

[Nick]

I'm Nick.

[Lyle]

Nick.

[Nick]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Nice to meet you, Nick. I hope that, I hope everything goes well with your, your cow endeavor. Let me. How do I, how do I figure out if this worked? Where do I, where do I go? Yeah, so I'll let you do a plug. Go ahead.

[Nick]

If. Is it, is it going? Yeah. So I guess I'll do double mic

[Lyle]

here, but we're double mic and.

[Nick]

Yeah. So niche to notable. So on Wednesday, tomorrow night we're getting a herd of cows together. The goal originally was 500. We'll just see how many we can get tomorrow before the game. Congregating. Who's ready to utter up?

[Lyle]

I like that. Utter up.

[Nick]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Okay, I'll sign off on that. I'm not going to be there, but I'll, I'll sign off.

[Nick]

Yeah. Do you have motion?

[Lyle]

Do I have motion? Sure. Yeah. That sounds like a low stakes thing to have. Yeah, I'll accept that. I'll be on this. That sounds. I don't. Doesn't sound like a strong like position.

[Nick]

No.

[Lyle]

Where it's. Yeah, okay. Yeah, that's a low stakes commitment to have motion. Yeah, I'll have motion.

[Nick]

100.

[Lyle]

You do.

[Nick]

All right, nice meeting you.

[Lyle]

Nice meeting you too, man. Take care. Nick, that was awesome. Thanks, man. Thanks for coming. Thank you, man. Appreciate it. Have a good one, guys. All right, let's talk to one more Person. Have a seat. Have a seat, my friend.

[Ezra]

Thank you.

[Lyle]

Thank you. What's up, man? What's your name?

[Ezra]

I'm Ezra.

[Lyle]

Nice to meet you, Ezra. Nice to meet you.

[Ezra]

I'm familiar with your content.

[Lyle]

Oh, swag, Swag. How's. How's your life going, man?

[Ezra]

It's all right, you know.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Ezra]

Classic day.

[Lyle]

Beautiful day, Beautiful day.

[Ezra]

Sun, sun out.

[Lyle]

What are you doing here at the park today?

[Ezra]

I'm. I'm meeting with a friend.

[Lyle]

And how do you know this friends?

[Ezra]

High school.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Ezra]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Are you in high school?

[Nikki]

No.

[Lyle]

Well, you met him in high school.

[Ezra]

Met him in high school.

[Lyle]

Do you remember what the situation was, what the context was that you met this friends in class. Do you remember what the class was?

[Ezra]

Yeah, it's a seventh grade. Humanities.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

What?

[Lyle]

What is humanities?

[Ezra]

Like English, Reading, writing, history.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[Ezra]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

And what do you remember what it was about this guy that first attracted you to him, that made you feel like you wanted to be his friend?

[Ezra]

I remember him being a very nice guy. Very forthcoming, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Ezra]

He has a great sense of style.

[Lyle]

Really?

[Ezra]

Kind of looks like a mob boss.

[Lyle]

Really?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Where is he? Has he. He's not here. Wait, is this him?

[Ezra]

Yeah, this is him.

[Lyle]

Wait, hey, can you come here for a second? I just. You know, you don't have to talk, but you really. Can you crouch down. But you actually have a great. You do you look like this all the time. Oh, yeah. Really? Wait, can you. I'm sorry, could you guys share a mic? Do you want to be on the thing? Oh, cool. Dude, you look awesome.

[Nikki]

Thank you, bro.

[Lyle]

This awesome. You got like a Tony Soprano vibe.

[Nikki]

That's my shit. I love that show.

[Lyle]

What's your name?

[Austin]

I'm Nikki.

[Lyle]

Nikki. Nice to meet you, Nikki. Dude, wait, you. You two have two. Completely different. You guys both look very different.

[Nikki]

Yeah, we're best friends, though.

[Lyle]

Really? Tell me more about. Do you feel like opposites attract in some sense?

[Nikki]

I like. I like talking to people that are different from me. It's more interesting, you know?

[Lyle]

And are you. So are you guys both in college right now?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Robert]

Yeah.

[Ezra]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Are you like at nyu?

[Nikki]

No, no, we're. We're from here. We're from New City.

[Lyle]

You're from the city. Okay, cool.

[Nikki]

Yeah, we're both upstate for college.

[Lyle]

What's your deal? Who are your parents? What's your deal? You feel I you something to you? I'm trying to figure it out.

[Nikki]

Dad's a chef. My dad's in a lot of businesses, actually.

[Lyle]

I'm sure he is.

[Nikki]

And My mom's a teacher.

[Lyle]

Okay. Sorry. I know, I, I, I got to get another chair.

[Ezra]

His dad's in the mafia.

[Lyle]

His dad seems like he's in the mafia.

[Nikki]

That's in a lot of different businesses, you know. He's in a lot of different businesses. He's not in the mob though.

[Lyle]

And so what are, what are you training to become in college? What is your, what is your goal for college?

[Nikki]

I kind of want to do law, like criminal defense.

[Lyle]

Criminal defense?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Okay. Help out some of your homies in the mob.

[Nikki]

Yeah, Help us some of the wise guys.

[Lyle]

Do you know what's funny? I don't know if this is related. Have you ever played the video game. This just happens to be the video game I'm playing at the moment is, have you ever played Phoenix Wright, ace attorney?

[Nikki]

Heard about it.

[Lyle]

It's a, it's a video game about a defense attorney.

[Nikki]

Oh, sick.

[Lyle]

That's the only reason I, it came up to me. So if you're, if your homie is in trouble, would you defend him?

[Austin]

Oh, yeah.

[Nikki]

You got to stick by your friends. Never betray your friends.

[Lyle]

Nice, man, nice. What are you guys about to go do?

[Nikki]

We're about to take our other friend shopping for his prom suit.

[Austin]

We got to do him right.

[Nikki]

We got to make sure he's dripped out for a senior promotion.

[Lyle]

Really?

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

You guys are like, you guys have a good friendship together. This is really sweet. Thank you. Nice. This is nice. Thank you very much. What's your name again?

[Ezra]

I'm Ezra.

[Lyle]

Ezra. Ezra. Well, before we go, is there anything that you feel like you want to tell the people about friendship? What have you learned about friendship through being friends with this cool looking guy?

[Ezra]

I think that I've learned friendship is one of the most important things in life. Especially you gotta become friends with the mob type, the people like that, you know, the people that can benefit you later in your life if you get into some kind of trouble or something. And it's just about, I think friendship is just about friendship, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah, Nikki, you got anything? Is that you, right, Nikki? Yeah, yeah. Nikki, do you have anything you want to say about friendship?

[Nikki]

Nikki, listen, in life there's nothing more important than friendship. You got to stand by your friends, even if they do some really shit. I mean, up to a point. But you always got to stand by your boys. You know, you got to talk good about them behind their back and to their front.

[Lyle]

That's a class. This man was born to be a criminal defense attorney. His friend's doing some up shit he's like, nah, I got your back, dude. Hell yeah. Yo, what's your name? Ezra.

[Ezra]

Ezra.

[Lyle]

Ezra. Nikki. Nice to meet you guys, man. Thank you very much for. For grace in the podcast. Appreciate you. God bless you guys. Well, folks, I think how long we've been going. I think. I think we did it. I think we did a podcast. I think we. I think we beat a gecko. That was. That was great. That was a really fun time. Thank you guys very much for joining. This reminded me how much I love doing this outside. I feel like it's. It's been probably like a year since we've done our last episode outside, so I'm definitely gonna keep doing these. I'll be back. Thanks for watching. If you're watching this on YouTube. I'm sorry. I haven't uploaded the podcast on YouTube in a while. I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm gonna do with that. But anyway, do I have anything to plug? No, no, I'm not plugging. I'll plug outside. I think outside is a good place to be. I think outside is a great time. I think you should go outside, talk to people, live your life, and that's it. Wait, say again? Oh, sorry. I'm about to. I'm about to pack up. I'm about to pack up. But. But I will be back. I will return. We will do more of these. We got one question. Yeah, okay, one. We can do one. We'll do one question. You got one question. We got time for one question. Hit me. Hit me. All right, all right. What's your one question?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

If you had to live anywhere on this earth. Yeah, we live on.

[Lyle]

Yes.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Where would you live?

[Lyle]

I would live right here in New York City.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

That's a great answer.

[Lyle]

What about you? What about you? Barcelona. Barcelona?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Where do you live? Right now I live in Harlem. Oh. How come you don't move to Barcelona? It can never be. Just one question. I always got. I will always get into it. That's my. That's my fault. That's 100. My fault. That's my fault. That's my fault. That's my fault. Why? How come you're not in. How come you're not in Barcelona?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

I love someone here.

[Lyle]

You love someone here?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yes.

[Lyle]

Oh. How did you fall in love with them?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

I met her right there.

[Lyle]

You met her right there?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Oh, wow.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Right over there.

[Lyle]

Oh, wow.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Four years ago.

[Lyle]

Oh, that's beautiful.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

I know.

[Lyle]

Oh, that's amazing how it goes when

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

you feel this deeply. So that's why Although I feel deeply about Barcelona, it's hard for me to separate. I feel selfish.

[Lyle]

You love her more than you love being in Barcelona or being in the

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

place where I think eventually we both will. And this is a test for me to. I'm not a patient person to kind of live out the practice of being patient. Like, she has work to do, and I know our eventual. If that makes sense.

[Lyle]

Yeah, of course.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Okay.

[Lyle]

Of course. Of course, man. So, wait, how did you guys meet? Like, what was the.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

I just saw her and I, I, I said, I. I've only had, like, five girlfriends in my life.

[Lyle]

That's. That's the way. That's a lot of girlfriends.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Well, I'm 50.

[Lyle]

That's. No, that's a lot. That's like one. That's one per decade. True. One girlfriend per decade is pretty good.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

24 years.

[Lyle]

Okay, you're right. You're right.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Usually, and I'm that type person, you. You fall in love and you kind of commit.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Austin]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

But I saw her, and this is my hangout. I live over there.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

And it was just like, you couldn't deny it.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it. Yeah. What was your opening line? What'd you say to her?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

She was talking to another musician, and I said, lee, please stop talking to her. I need to talk to her.

[Robert]

Well.

[Lyle]

Oh, you're talking to the musician that you know.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Well, she's kind of in the circle, but she was just over there, and it doesn't just hit me. So I asked Lee, and he's a singer too, and she's a singer, to just please step aside. Because I. I felt that adamant about my feeling to tell her that you're the one. So to this day, she's the one.

[Lyle]

That's beautiful, man. God damn, that's beautiful, man.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Amen.

[Lyle]

I feel like. I feel like we learned a lot about love today. I'm glad to hear that it's working out, but. Well, dude. Because I don't know, because, like, I, I will. Like you said, you're 50. So you found this. So you're in love with a woman that you met when you were 46. That gives me. You have no idea how much that

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

gives me hope to everyone.

[Lyle]

Yeah, it gives me so much. I'm 28, and I'm like, it's over. I gotta pack it up. I'm gonna die it all. But then I hear stuff. My dad, my. Actually, both my parents, they met who they're currently with when they were around the age you met the lady that you're with. I hear stuff like that and I'm like, I can't kill myself. I gotta keep going, right? And it just does.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

That's what I mean. I saw her and it was just like that.

[Lyle]

That's beautiful.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

But you have to stay in tune

[Lyle]

to be open 100%. Yeah, I know. I know exactly what you're talking about. You have to stay in tune. I agree. You have to say too. You have to be attuned with cuz one cuz if you're cosmic is. I know what you mean. I know exactly what you mean. I know exactly. It's once you give up. Once you give up and you're like, ah, everyone sucks. I'm never going to find. I'm too old, I'm too fat. I'm too. Whatever. Once. No, no, no. It's true. Once you say it, it becomes true. But it is. Once you stay attuned and you stay open. That's the struggle, dude. That's the struggle is to just stay attuned and to stay open. Then something, you know, clicks. Respect. Thanks for giving me hope today. Thanks for giving us all hope, man.

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

We'll close out the show.

[Lyle]

Is there anything you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[Unnamed Male (In Love with Woman Met at Park)]

Stay true to yourself and love yourself and be kind to yourself and the ones next to you, Geck.

[Lyle]

Bless you guys. Thanks for listening. See you all around the universe. Therapy. Geck goes on the line taking your phone calls every night. Therapy kept goes doing it right, teaching

[Robert]

you how to live your life.

[Lyle]

But he's not really an expert.

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[Nick]

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[Lyle]

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[Nick]

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[Lyle]

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