THE ICE CREAM QUEEN

Summary

Podcast Summary: Therapy Gecko – Episode: THE ICE CREAM QUEEN

Release Date: November 27, 2024
Host: Lyle (The Gecko)

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Overview

In the episode titled "THE ICE CREAM QUEEN," hosted by Lyle—the unlicensed lizard psychologist known as Therapy Gecko—listeners delve into heartfelt and candid conversations with guests Angie and Aaron. The episode explores themes of finding joy in work, coping with personal struggles, and seeking meaningful connections. Through empathetic dialogue, Lyle provides a comforting space for guests to share their life experiences and challenges.

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1. Angie’s Journey: From Ice Cream Sales to Mail Delivery

Timestamp: 01:32 – 22:54

Background and Career Transition

Angie starts by sharing her vibrant past as a vendor for Mr. Softie’s ice cream truck in the Bay Area. She reminisces about the joy of serving free ice cream at various events, including a memorable experience serving at a wedding that brightened her otherwise grueling 16-hour workday.

Angie (02:17): "I've been watching you for almost two, three years now... before I did mail, I used to sell ice cream, and I had nothing but time to listen to you while doing ice cream."

Despite her passion for ice cream, Angie transitioned to delivering mail due to financial necessities and relocation challenges. She contrasts the hectic nature of her ice cream job with the daily frustrations of mail delivery, where she encounters grumpy customers frustrated by her lack of familiarity compared to the regular mail carrier.

Maintaining Positivity

Angie reveals her strategy for staying upbeat—dressing in different costumes daily to bring smiles to her community. From clowns to cows, her creative approach not only endears her to residents but also serves as a personal coping mechanism against her grumpiness in her personal life.

Angie (07:17): "I'm a big believer in keeping it peppy... I dress up as a clown or a cow so visible that you can see it from a block away."

Future Aspirations

Contemplating a return to her beloved ice cream business, Angie discusses the challenges of funding her own ice cream truck but remains optimistic about making her dream a reality. She envisions her truck adorned with "Lyle stickers" and named "Angie's," symbolizing her enduring passion.

Angie (14:29): "When I have it up and running, there'll be Lyle stickers all over it."

Supportive Interaction

Lyle commends Angie’s infectious enthusiasm and resilience, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in one’s work despite external challenges.

Lyle (08:00): "I really enjoy talking to you, Angie. I'm inspired by your attitude on life."

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2. Aaron’s Struggle: Battling Multiple Addictions

Timestamp: 26:45 – 58:08

Personal Struggles and Addiction Cycle

Aaron opens up about his tumultuous journey with various addictions since the age of 17, including Adderall, shoe flipping, weed, crypto trading, and gambling. He candidly describes the cyclical nature of his addictions and their profound impact on his life and finances.

Aaron (27:23): "I've been fighting a new addiction every year since 17... from Adderall to gambling."

Impact on Education and Career

Aaron discusses dropping out of computer science to pursue accounting, only to find himself dissatisfied and entangled in gambling, leading to financial instability.

Aaron (35:12): "I feel like my sign is that once I'm able to continue on something for a year plus... I just got burnt out."

Seeking Understanding and Support

During the conversation, Lyle empathizes with Aaron’s struggles, recognizing the difficulty in breaking free from addictive behaviors and the importance of finding positive outlets.

Lyle (34:00): "There's the struggle that you're having of like, I need to distract myself with something or else I will go crazy."

Advice and Reflection

Lyle advises Aaron to focus on building positive relationships and identify meaningful passions that can serve as healthier distractions from existential despair.

Lyle (50:27): "You've identified three things that you want... let's come up with some ideas that aren't just joining the military where you can fulfill those goals."

Aaron’s Realizations

Aaron reflects on his past successes and current struggles, contemplating the possibility that his experiences with addiction might have inadvertently shaped a more resilient version of himself.

Aaron (43:46): "Maybe it's for the better... I have something that caused me to ever have anything in the first place."

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3. Jeremiah’s Dilemma: Considering a Military Path

Timestamp: 62:21 – 73:20

Contemplating the Military

Jeremiah, a 20-year-old contemplating joining the military, seeks guidance on navigating peer pressure and familial motivations. Inspired partly by his girlfriend’s positive military experience, he faces skepticism from friends who question his decision.

Jeremiah (63:08): "I’ve always thought about joining... my girlfriend's in the military, and I can go in with her."

Lyle’s Perspective

Lyle questions the validity of Jeremiah’s motivations, emphasizing the importance of personal ambition over external influences. He encourages Jeremiah to explore other avenues that align with his desire for community, physical activity, and travel without the long-term commitments associated with military service.

Lyle (65:03): "I think that ambition is inherently bad... focus on positive relationships and passions."

Exploring Alternatives

Together, they brainstorm alternative career paths such as starting a gym with friends or becoming a personal trainer—options that fulfill Jeremiah’s aspirations without the restrictive nature of military contracts.

Lyle (69:02): "There are multiple different vessels that could fulfill those underlying desires."

Jeremiah’s Decision

Jeremiah considers Lyle’s advice, acknowledging the importance of aligning career choices with personal values and long-term happiness rather than succumbing to peer pressure.

Jeremiah (71:54): "I’m wanting to move out, try to get an apartment... start a gym up."

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Conclusion

In "THE ICE CREAM QUEEN," Lyle the Gecko provides a compassionate ear for guests grappling with personal and professional challenges. Through empathetic dialogue, the episode underscores the significance of finding joy in one’s work, overcoming addictive behaviors, and making career choices aligned with personal values and aspirations. Listeners are left with a profound sense of the human capacity for resilience and the importance of supportive relationships in navigating life’s complexities.

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Notable Quotes

• Angie (07:17): "I'm a big believer in keeping it peppy... I dress up as a clown or a cow so visible that you can see it from a block away."
• Aaron (27:23): "I've been fighting a new addiction every year since 17... from Adderall to gambling."
• Lyle (50:27): "You've identified three things that you want... let's come up with some ideas that aren't just joining the military where you can fulfill those goals."
• Jeremiah (63:08): "I’ve always thought about joining... my girlfriend's in the military, and I can go in with her."

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Key Takeaways

• Finding Joy in Work: Embracing creativity and positivity can transform even the most challenging jobs into sources of personal fulfillment.
• Overcoming Addictions: Recognizing destructive patterns and seeking healthier outlets is crucial for personal growth and stability.
• Career Choices: Aligning career paths with personal values and aspirations leads to greater satisfaction and long-term happiness.

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This summary captures the essence of the "THE ICE CREAM QUEEN" episode of Therapy Gecko, highlighting the meaningful discussions between Lyle and his guests, Angie and Aaron.

Transcript

[Aaron]

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[Lyle]

The hatchback.

[Aaron]

That took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust Ameca Auto Insurance Amica. Empathy is our best policy.

[Dr. Josie]

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[Angie]

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[Lyle]

Hi, what's your name?

[Angie]

Angie.

[Lyle]

Angie. What's up, Angie? How you doing?

[Angie]

I'm doing, doing great, Dick.

[Lyle]

What are you up to?

[Angie]

Delivering the mail currently.

[Lyle]

Oh, what's, what's, have you opened up anyone's letters?

[Angie]

No, no, I, I always get that, that one person who says I got their million dollar check, but it's always in my pocket. I never deliver that one.

[Lyle]

I gotcha. I gotcha. Well, Angie, what, what brings you to. To the, to this gecko thing that I'm doing? What brings you to call. To call a gecko on the phone today?

[Angie]

Oh, man, I don't know. I've been watching you for almost two, three years now, you know, since you started. I've been keeping up with you. Before I did mail, I used to sell ice cream and I had nothing but time to listen to you on my, you know, doing ice cream.

[Lyle]

What kind of, what was the most popular flavor of ice cream that you sold?

[Angie]

I sold soft serve. So it's just like Vanilla and chocolate. And the amount of people who love chocolate but, like, hate vanilla is crazy.

[Lyle]

What do you prefer?

[Angie]

I'm a vanilla girl. I'll do vanilla with everything. I just destroy it with toppings.

[Lyle]

People hate chocolate but love vanilla, you say?

[Angie]

No, the opposite.

[Lyle]

That's so surprising that people hate vanilla. I'm a big fan of vanilla. Did you sell. Oh, it's a soft serve. Okay. Did you serve it out of a truck? Did you serve it out of a truck?

[Angie]

Yeah, yeah. You've probably heard of Mr. Softies. You.

[Lyle]

You worked at a Mr. Softy truck?

[Angie]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. The only one in the Bay area.

[Lyle]

Wow. Well, yeah, I guess the Bay Area is not well, actually. Wait, I'm an idiot. They, of course they would need. They have hot summers, don't they?

[Angie]

Oh, yeah, yeah, we got hot ass summers down here.

[Lyle]

What did you. How often were you sneaking cream?

[Angie]

Oh, dude, every day. Every day I was eating ice cream. You shitting me? Every day?

[Lyle]

Yeah. I used to work at this place called you Spoon. And it was a frozen yogurt store that nobody. It was a failing frozen yogurt store that I, as a 16 year old worked in alone. And nobody would come in. So it was literally. I just would fucking make huge, disgusting milkshakes out of red velvet and cookie dough. It was so awesome.

[Angie]

Oh, Lyle, that's my shit right there. I make the best Shakespeare that.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah. Why'd you get out of the ice cream business and into mail?

[Angie]

Money. Money. And I moved and I moved too far away to keep doing my ice cream gig. Otherwise it's like a four hour drive there and back, you know? So now I just. I deliver mail in a really small town. It's really nice. It's beautiful.

[Lyle]

What's the. Which job was. Was more hectic, the mail or the ice cream?

[Angie]

Oh, ice cream was more hectic because there's more things going on. But the male is just angry. People just. Everyone's always mad.

[Lyle]

What was I going to say? What's. What. What's. What's one of the more interesting experiences perhaps that you had while you were delivering ice cream?

[Angie]

Oh, oh, I had a. We do all sorts of events. If you know, Mr. Softy from New York, New Jersey area, they're all like serving in the streets and everything. But in the Bay Area, we're a lot smaller, so we do a lot of like, parties and that kind of stuff. And one of my favorite and more crazy stories is I did a wedding at like a, like a wedding night. So it was all Adults. And it was starting at 10:30 and ending at 1:00am So I worked my whole day. Like I got to work at 9am and I worked and served ice cream all day. And then I went to this wedding afterwards. It was like a 16 hour day for me and the whole day was like horrible. Everybody was like all grumpy. And then I got to this wedding and they were just raving out. It was great.

[Lyle]

That sounds, that sounds really nice. That sounds really nice. What about serving, what about serving mail? Like you said, people are, people are crazy. What? Work? How? In what way?

[Angie]

Oh yeah, like, like I'm a substitute for everybody in the small town. I'm the only sub. So of course there's like the regular who runs it every day. And whenever you're not the regular, people are upset. Like, I'm late. Excuse me, I, you know, I don't, I'm always lost. I'm a little late sometimes. I'm not as fast as the regular who's been doing it for like 20 years, you know, so they're always like, you forgot this piece of nail. Or, or. I had a lady the other day called my office and say that I cut her off and flipped her off. But then she knew my name because, you know, she was pulling me over all grumpy and she was like, what's your name? What's your name? And I was like, angie, just happy to, you know, be here.

[Lyle]

What's going on? What's going on in your life? Angie? Are you, are, is every. Are you enjoying beat the experience of being alive?

[Angie]

Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Currently I'm, I'm trying to decide if I should move on from mail, but. But I seem to be the only happy person delivering mail.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Why do you think that is?

[Angie]

I try to keep it, keep it peppy, you know, like I had a rough growing up and you know, I'm, I'm able to do what I want to do right now and so I'm just having fun with it. Like, like October, the every day of October, I was dressed up in a different costume every day. Delivery mail.

[Lyle]

What were your costumes?

[Angie]

Oh, dude, I did a clown. I did a cow, like full on cow with ear tags and everything. I did scarecrow. I did an angel with some big old wings. You know, literally, if you could, if you could see it from a block away and be like, I know what that is. That's. I dressed up as that.

[Lyle]

That's so funny. This is a really cool thing because you're saying that you're one of the only people who deliver mail that you feel is happy. And you say it's just because you're keeping it peppy. Because I always. I always really feel like so much of so much stuff is, like, it. It's just about, like, the perspective that you have on it and whether you're gonna choose to have fun and enjoy, you know?

[Angie]

Oh, yeah, I'm a big believer in that. I'm a big believer. Like, a lot of the regulars are maybe like 45 and up, and they're just so gloomy. And I'm like, I come in, I'm like, good morning. And they're like, angie, just give it 10 more years and you won't be all excited about good mornings. And I'm like, I hope that I turn 80 in my clown costume. Deliver in the mail, happy as to be.

[Lyle]

That's so awesome. Have you always been this way?

[Angie]

I. I've. I've heard from other people that I am, but I personally feel like I'm just so grumpy in my personal life that there's no point in being grumpy all the time, you know?

[Lyle]

So you say you. You say you feel like you're grumpy in your personal life?

[Angie]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lyle]

How so? In what way?

[Angie]

Like. Like right now, I'm living with my future husband. We just, you know, we're struggling. We're not rich or anything. I'm. I'm living paycheck to paycheck with a little debt a little bit. But, you know, it's like, what am I gonna do? Grump around all day and just fucking be mopey about it? Like, you know, I. I still gotta, like, eat and do things, you know, so I might as well do it with a little bit of pep.

[Lyle]

Well, how'd you meet your future husband?

[Angie]

Oh, dude. Tinder.

[Lyle]

Huh? Cool.

[Angie]

Yeah, we met eight years ago on Tinder. We. We both just got out of high school, and both of our, like, friend groups were like, just download it. It's fun. And we were the first people that we met on Tinder and we just stopped there. We were like, all right, locked in.

[Lyle]

Wow. So they. So high school. So are you. You're like my. You're like 27.

[Angie]

Yeah, yeah, I'm actually 25.

[Lyle]

Oh, cool, cool, cool. What you saw. So you say you want to get out of mail? Potentially, yeah.

[Angie]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

What would you go into?

[Angie]

I want to go back to ice cream. I really like serving ice cream, but I got a job offer from my father in law to do something. Way boring. But It. It pays more, you know, and it's a way higher position than I am now, and it's like a career that I could do without busting my back. So it's just, like, it's one of those things where I've worked a lot of jobs, and I'm a believer in if you don't like what you're doing, you're not going to be happy, so you might as well enjoy your job a little bit. But, like, this is a job that I guess I could see myself doing, and everybody else says that I will be great at it, but it's. It's a computer job, and I'm not. I'm not with the technology these days.

[Lyle]

You know, what's your dream job? Like, if you could do anything?

[Angie]

If I could do anything, Lyle, I'd be back in my ice cream truck serving ice cream all day.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Really?

[Angie]

Yeah. Yeah. I served ice cream for five years, and I loved it. It was one of those jobs I got where I was. I was training dogs, and I was walking dogs, and I was serving ice cream, and that was, like, the pinnacle of my life. Even though I was dead beat broke, it was like the highlight of my existence. Serving.

[Lyle]

That's so cool. Why was. Tell me more about. Why was it the highlight of your existence?

[Angie]

Just, it's. It's really freeing. Like, when we started the Softy company down here in the Bay Area, I started it sort of with my boss. I was, like, the first five employees we had down here, and we only had, like, four trucks, so I was, like, in charge of my own truck, essentially. It was like my thing. I cleaned it up, I took care of it, that kind of stuff. And it's really nice when I get to just, you know, drive around my neighborhood, wave and just smile, you know, and just hand out ice cream. You know, there's a lot of times where we have, like, events where it's, like, prepaid, and there's nothing better than looking someone dead in the face and going, it's free. It's free ice cream.

[Lyle]

Yeah. You're like a hero to those people.

[Angie]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm like, no, it's free. And they're, like, trying to pay me. I'm like, I'll take tips. Hand me that 20. I will not argue. But the ice cream itself is free.

[Lyle]

But it's.

[Angie]

It's. It was really freeing. You know, I got to essentially do what I want within reason, you know, and then on top of that, I get to eat ice cream, and then Food trucks. Food trucks will trade ice cream for food. So if I ever want a burrito or anything, I just pull up to the next food truck. Just, hey, you want to trade? They're usually down.

[Lyle]

That's. That's so. That's so funny. I was, I. A couple nights ago, I shout out the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. I did a show there, and they, I went to the concessions that the, the, the manager was like, you guys can have whatever you want from the concession stand. And we were so stoked. And we took popcorn and we put Mike and Ikes and bunch of crunch in it, and we were, like, so giddy, and we were like, yeah, we've been traveling around doing, like, these crazy shows, and just nothing made us happier than, like, getting free from the concession stand. You know, there's a power. There's really power in that. There's power in that.

[Angie]

Oh, yeah.

[Lyle]

I wanted.

[Angie]

Even now, free stuff is on the rise.

[Lyle]

I want to take. Just. If anyone in the chat has any questions for Angie, I want to take some questions from the chat if they, if they have any. Somebody in the chat already. Somebody said, you can take Angie out of the ice cream truck, but you can never take the ice cream truck out of Angie.

[Angie]

Oh, thank you. That's an honor. Yeah, yeah. You truly cannot. I can't live without it.

[Lyle]

It's true. Yeah. I really, I feel, I. I feel deep ice cream truck energy within you.

[Angie]

Oh, yeah. Even when I was doing ice cream, I did the every day of October in a different costume. And you'll pull up to the ice cream truck and there'll be a clown in there or cow, and it's great.

[Lyle]

Somebody wants to know, what's your personal favorite ice cream flavor? Flavor.

[Angie]

Out of all the flavors in the entire universe, Mint chocolate chip is my favorite. But, like, basics, it's vanilla. I gotta go vanilla.

[Lyle]

Some. A couple people want to know if you've ever thought about starting your own ice cream truck, like, going entrepreneurial about it.

[Angie]

Yeah, yeah, I have, and I have a really beat down old popsicle truck sitting in my driveway right now. Currently on the mend.

[Lyle]

Really?

[Angie]

But it's. Yeah, yeah. I, I. Dude, Lyle, when I tell you I'm in ice cream, I'm into ice cream, but it's like, it's more work than it's gonna be worth for the next two years, you know? Like, I just don't have it in the budget, you know? But it's getting there. It's getting there.

[Lyle]

Okay. I love. I under. I just want you to know. I understand the idea of, like, putting something off until you feel like it's logistically possible, But I'm giddy at the idea of you starting your own ice cream truck. I think that would be the coolest thing ever.

[Angie]

Oh, thanks, Lyle. Yeah, no, when you win, when I have it up and running, there'll be Lyle stickers all over it.

[Lyle]

While forever will you call. Will it be called Angie's? Because that is a perfect name for an ice cream thing.

[Angie]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, Angie's. And then it's gonna have, like, the little Angie's list star on the bottom, you know?

[Lyle]

Oh, dude, please do that. That's so cool. So, I mean, not to keep going, but somebody said, does she know how easy it is to get a business loan from the government right now? You don't even have to pay it back. I don't know if that's true or not. Somebody. I don't know if that's true or not, but somebody in a twitch chat did say that it's like.

[Angie]

It's like, sort of true. I guess it depends on the county you're in. My county has a ton of small businesses, and they're. They're like, looking at my case, quote, unquote, you know, looking at my case.

[Lyle]

Let's see here. Someone said, well, what's the. What do you think is the worst ice cream chain?

[Angie]

Ooh, it's either Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone.

[Lyle]

Really? I love Cold Stone. Why do you hate Cold Stone?

[Angie]

Yeah, Cold Stone is. It's so good in, like, specific flavors, but most of their stuff is like. It's got, like, freezer burn on it, and it just doesn't hit right, you know? Or like, you go to one and there's always some, like, cranky 15 year old behind the counter. I'm like, yo, dog, you're literally an ice cream shop. You need to have more pep.

[Lyle]

Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Are you like, like, do you. Are you very critical when you go. When you have your own ice cream experiences? Are you like, this person's not giving it their all?

[Angie]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. My. My. My boyfriend Scott loves to, like, like, shut me down because I'm like, behind the counter going, man, he's not really scooping that. Very sturdy. I bet I could flip that cone upside down. There's no way he can, like, stuff like that. Like, I'm always. My big thing, too, is customer service. Because before I did ice cream, I worked in a restaurant, and before that I worked in a library. And before that, I worked for my parents, I did house cleaning and gardening, you know, that kind of stuff. But it's like, I'm always customer service first, you know, because that's the face you're putting out there. If you want something in return or you're selling something, you should at least have like a good attitude or aura around you, you know.

[Lyle]

But well, well also mainly just because someone's missing. Sorry, sorry. I want to let you finish.

[Angie]

Oh, yeah. Especially if someone's like missing, mishandling stuff. Like, if I see like somebody putting scoopers back where they shouldn't be, I'm like, that's not food safety. That's not good.

[Lyle]

Well, it's also, I mean, God, it's good for. It's good for you too. Cuz if you're like upset about what you're. It. See, it seems to me like, you know, just like good customer service and all that stuff. Like for you personally, it seems like it gives you energy.

[Angie]

Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

[Lyle]

Somebody asked, somebody asked. What's the trick to a perfect scoop?

[Angie]

So if you're going ice cream scoop, you know that like, pretty ball that everybody tries to do? That's not it. You want an oval. Yeah, you want, yeah, an oval shape. Like, like an egg sort of, you know, you want sort of a point. That point goes into your cone, and that cone, you, I promise you can flip it with three scoops on top, no problem. And then if it's like a soft serve, it's all in the cone fill, everything's in the cone. So if your cone is filled perfectly, then the rest of the cone is set up, you know, perfect.

[Lyle]

Angie, I want you to make this ice cream truck so badly.

[Angie]

Oh, I know. When it happens, you will know.

[Lyle]

Well, I guess speaking of that, somebody in the chat did say, and this, this is totally up to you, but somebody in the chat does want to know if you have any plugs or socials or anything. Somebody said, do you have any socials? So we can watch this dream come to life. Only if you want. Only if you want random folks following you to see if your dreams. If the truck comes to fruition.

[Angie]

All right, so if anybody wants to keep up, I actually, I'm not on the Internet. Like, I have zero social media, zero Instagram. I have zero. The only Instagram I have is for my dog. And it's just because I want, I want him to have photos forever. You know, I don't, I don't want him a bazillion photos on my phone, but I like taking pictures of him. That would be the only thing. And then, you guys, don't worry. From there, you will see my ice cream career blossom. But it would be. That's the only thing I have.

[Lyle]

What's the. What's the. What's the dog Instagram, if you want.

[Angie]

It's Winston B dot Snedman, so you're.

[Lyle]

Gonna have to spell that.

[Angie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Winston W, I, N, P, S, O, N. Winston. And then B.

[Lyle]

Wait, is that wind? St.

[Angie]

I'm a little dyslexic. Winston. Like Churchill. Like Winston Churchill.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah.

[Angie]

And then B dot Snedman. Sn, E, D, man.

[Lyle]

Winston B. Winston B dot Snedman. Let me see if I can find this. Yeah, hold on.

[Angie]

Yeah, sorry. He's my first. He's my first dog that wasn't a rescue, so I had to name him something extra.

[Lyle]

Oh, yeah. There he is. There he is. There he is. Wow, man, you got a cool life, dude.

[Angie]

Thank you. Thank you, Lyle. Yeah, I. I just. I just enjoy what I have, you know, I. If I have it and I can, you know, breathe every day and eat food and stay warm, you know, then it's all good.

[Lyle]

Hey, this was. I really enjoyed talking to you, Angie. I'm. I'm inspired by. By your. Your attitude on life. Is there anything else you want to say to the people, the computer, before we go?

[Angie]

Lyle forever. Wow. Forever. Dude, I. Watching your stuff for so long, and I'm so happy I got on a call. It was my first time ever trying to call. And. And I really like what you do, Lyle. Like, even though you. You say you dog on yourself a lot, like, you always say that you don't know anything and all this stuff, but a lot of the stuff you do say is. Is pretty good. It's all right.

[Lyle]

Thank you. Thank you, Angie. I really appreciate that. I. Well, actually, I had one more question. If you don't have any social media, how did you find that I exist?

[Angie]

I. Actually. My husband, Scott, he's. He's on Twitch and stuff, and he does art, and he was on Twitch. Like, we like to go on Twitch just to see all the outrageous, like, big booby ladies who are on Twitch just shaking it.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Angie]

And we're like, that does. There's no way this is getting through guidelines. And it does. It's crazy while. But we always laugh at that stuff. And I was like, who's that little green guy in the corner? He was like, that. I think that's Lyle. And I was like, oh. And then I've been on to you ever since I always watch the. The podcast on YouTube.

[Lyle]

Well, kick ass. Well, thank you, Angie. You rock. It was great talking to you.

[Angie]

Ah, thanks, Lyle. You too, man. Are you. Have a great one.

[Lyle]

You too, dude. Bye. Oh, my God. That. What a. What an awesome. What an awesome caller, man. What an awesome caller. She reminds. So I went to. I went to. I was in Minneapolis a couple days ago and I went to the Mall of America and it was the most stimulating thing I've ever. There's no porn on the Internet. That's as stimulating to the senses as the Mall of America in Minneapolis. And we went to the beef jerky experience and there was a guy there who like, was guiding us. He like, knew everything about all the beef jerky and he was like very joyously guiding us through the be literally provided a beef jerky experience. And he was talking about his life and he was like, yeah, dude, I fucking work here. And I work at the, the. The spicy sauce place right next door. And I'm chilling. I love beef jerky and I love life. And I'm. I'm sitting over here trying to figure out the meaning of how to not be depressed and shit. And then I'm like, I don't know, man. Some people, they just have these like great perspectives and fucking great kick ass energy and they're just good at being a person. And it's, it's, it's really cool. So thanks. Thanks for sharing your stuff with us, Angie, once again, if you want to keep up with her, that's WinstonB Snedman. Good stuff. Good stuff.

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[Aaron]

Hello, my name is Aaron. Nice meeting you, man. I've been watching the show for a minute. Biggest, biggest stream that I watched was the lil yachty one. That one went crazy.

[Lyle]

Well, thanks, Aaron. Well, what's, what's up? How you doing? You have a. I like your demeanor. You have a calm demeanor.

[Aaron]

Thank you, man. I appreciate it. I wanted to call today because I'm currently 21, about to go on 22 in January. And ever since like 17, I've been fighting a new addiction every year. But like, I don't know if this is like in like a self deprecated way or like his life is just going crazy for me, but you want to hear a little bit about that?

[Lyle]

You've been fighting a new, a different addiction every year since 17. Yeah.

[Aaron]

I don't know what the hell it is.

[Lyle]

Okay. Yeah. If you want to talk about it.

[Aaron]

So check it out. 17, right? 17. I was in high school. My first ever addiction was, it was Adderall, believe it or not.

[Lyle]

Oh, I believe.

[Aaron]

Are you familiar with how the stimulant works?

[Lyle]

Yeah. Basically you feel like you want to die and you can't do anything right and that you're never gonna achieve anything at all. And you're gonna. Everything. You're basically. You spiral, and then you take a pill, and then you. And then you all of a sudden get flipped, and you're like, oh, my God, I can actually do anything I ever want to do in my life and everything's going to be okay. And then you crash.

[Aaron]

Boom. 100%, right? That's exactly how it was going for me. I'm. I was a junior in high school, and I was, you know, going on to the SATs, and I was, all right, here we go. And I spiraled crazy. I. I lost it. And then, you know, I was like, screw that terrible, terrible addiction to have. And it wasn't really helping my pockets, so I was like, instead of buying it and using it, why not sell it and distribute it? And so on 18, I just started pushing it. But, you know, that's not really an addiction. But to get out of it, I started flipping shoes, and I got really addicted to selling shoes. At 18, man. You ever. You ever heard about selling shoes at all?

[Lyle]

Yeah. Like, the hypebeast thing is that you call that an addiction. It sounds like you're just. You're being an entrepreneur.

[Aaron]

Well, I mean, I was just addicted to shoes, man. You. You brought me any pair? Well, what is chatting about that?

[Lyle]

Is it.

[Aaron]

Is it an addiction if you just. It doesn't even matter if you're making money at that point. You're just. You're just pushing.

[Lyle]

Okay, well. Well, what's. What. What was 19?

[Aaron]

19, I went to weed. I was like, you know, I was. I was having my highs with something that made me feel really up. What's on the flip side, what'll make me feel really low, you know?

[Lyle]

Sure.

[Aaron]

So, I mean, you know, we. It's. It's one of those things where you either, you know, you're really productive on it, and you're just someone who's like a superhuman. And I don't know how the hell these people do it, or you just start, like, spiraling and like, I guess losing. Losing control of everything in front of you. You know, you just start wanting to change what kind of person you are. You start looking at stuff like marshmallows all day. You know, you start. You start researching the most random crap. Like, what's a crazy one? I remember I started looking at water and, like, ph levels and, like, looking at different types of cups to sip from. I don't know, I'm more of a. Of a horizontal, like, shortcut type of guy. What kind of cups do you like drinking?

[Lyle]

Hold on, brother. I'm so confused right now because you were talking about weed, now you're talking about looking at cups on the Internet.

[Aaron]

No, that's what I'm saying. You like hyper fixate on anything, man. It's like, I don't know what weed does to me, but I'm just like, it just makes me really want to learn about everything. And like, everything just becomes really chill, you know, it's like one of those.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah. Like I'll smoke weed and I'll look at the ins. I'll look at the Wikipedia page of subjectivity, and I'll be like, I'm gonna sit here and look at the Wikipedia page, read the whole Wikipedia page on subjectivity. But then I, but then I get like, you know, two sentences in and I go do something else. I mean, I don't. Is there hyper fixation? How long does it stay on a track for? Cuz mine is very, very adhd. I'm, I'm, I'm going all around driving in circles around Wikipedia.

[Aaron]

I'll go like 45 minutes to an hour if a topic doesn't have me hooked. And then I'll just start pushing crazy if something's like, got me going. Like, I remember at 20, I just, I dropped weed and I was like, all right, crypto, you know, let me just get addicted to the big meme thing. Let me get, let me get addicted to. What was I addicted to? Basically should coins just what everyone's doing now. I was like, oh my God, this is terrible. I'm losing all my money left and right. I'm no longer in school now I'm like, all right. I went from computer science when I was what, like 18 to going into being an accountant afterwards. That was terrible, man. I, I, I, I feel like one of the, oh man, one of the worst addictions that I've had is definitely crypto. Just because I kept pushing, you know, like different, I guess, strategies every single, like week or so I was start looking at trading and, and you know, just, you start going into all these like degenerate shits. Like, you start going on like all these degenerate plays. But after crypto, now 21, this is, you know, I'm 21 right now. I got into gambling and so life has just been weird. I, I looked at what I make in a year and I've gambled my entire salary. I went from zero to hero with this.

[Lyle]

Did you go from zero to hero and back to zero or are you still at hero?

[Aaron]

You know what? I'm actually breaking even right now, which is crazy.

[Lyle]

Okay, great. That's a good time to quit.

[Aaron]

Yeah, man. I'm glad you brought that up. So before I turn 22, my thing is, if I don't break even, I'm. I'm done, you know? Like, I'm. I'm no longer hitting it.

[Lyle]

Hold on. What do you. Okay, wait, here's, here's. What? Here's, here's. I'm gonna stop you for a second, okay? Okay. So you've, you've almost broken even is what you're saying?

[Aaron]

No, no, no. What I'm saying is I'm still above the water. I'm still, I'm, I'm like, maybe like a grand. A grand profit right now.

[Lyle]

Oh, so why don't you fucking. Why don't you quit now?

[Aaron]

The goal is to just keep riding the wave. You know what? Like, here's the thing. If I'm someone, right, who's got the. I don't. I got not shitty look, but I. If I'm someone who's able to just ride the wave and, like, so far, nothing bad has happened to me, why not just keep going?

[Lyle]

There's.

[Aaron]

There's definitely, like. There's definitely like. I don't know. I feel like it's a sign or something, you know, it's like I haven't, I haven't really lost. I guess the only.

[Lyle]

What do you. What, what do you, what do you mean? What kind of sign? What are you. A sign of what?

[Aaron]

I feel like it's, it's obviously not my thing. Gambling isn't. But I'm saying I feel like my sign is that once I'm able to continue on something for a year plus. And this is right now, this is, this has all been negative, right? All these addictions have been pretty, I guess, spiraling, right?

[Lyle]

Huh. Huh?

[Aaron]

I feel like once I find something that's positive, I'm just gonna ride that way for like 10 years or some. And, and so far I haven't, I had like. I don't know, I just haven't hit big on something positive. I like, my literally is.

[Lyle]

Buddy, what's your, what's your name? What's your name again?

[Aaron]

Aaron. Aaron. My bad.

[Lyle]

Aaron. And you're 21?

[Aaron]

Yeah. Yeah. And here's the thing.

[Lyle]

What? Hold on. Aaron, what are you in school?

[Aaron]

I, I, I was in school for computer science and I switched to accounting. And after that, I'm, like, going on literally the whole year of just going to work instead of. Instead of going to school. So I'm like, a year into it, and all right, I haven't gone back.

[Lyle]

So you're. You're. I. Look, I'm here's. And you know this. Everyone knows this. I'm not a real therapist, but I'm interested in.

[Aaron]

I love the show. It's fine.

[Lyle]

It's an interesting issue. So you're trying to find. You sound like you get it. You get obsessed with things. Like, every year you have a new thing that you're obsessed with, and you're like, all right, I know that I get obsessed with stuff, so let me at least find something to get obsessed with that's positive, right? That's. And then. And then. And you're. And you're like, let me get. Let me see if I can land the. My crazy plane on a positive Runway. And then once I do, I'm gonna rocket down that Runway for. For forever. This is what you're saying to me?

[Aaron]

Well, that's the thing. I feel like once you find something positive, you. You definitely ride the wave longer because, you know, it's like, impacting you in a positive way. Like, from 14 to 17, I had a girlfriend in high school. And, you know, like, that shit was great. Like, I remember, like, you know, it was all rainbows and happiness and sunshine, and now that that's gone, it's like, oh, you know, you just. You start spiraling out of it, and that's. Maybe that's where it all started. You know, maybe I just became, like, destructive once once me and the girls feel ways. You know what I mean?

[Lyle]

But you feel like you became destructive once you broke up with your girlfriend four years ago?

[Aaron]

Yeah, it could be it.

[Lyle]

So tell me, I guess, tell me this. You're saying that you want to land this plan on something positive, right? To get obsessed with what. What ideas do you have? What have you been leaning towards?

[Aaron]

So I, you know, I guess I've noticed that every time that I pick up something, it's always because I started doing research on Reddit or something. Like, I've always just been heavily focused on using my computer to find out whatever it is I'm gonna do. And so I guess maybe using my. Using my. Using my computer for something good, like, I don't know, that's why I picked up coding. Like, that was fun for a while.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

Like, I don't know. It's just with the current field that I'm in and work, I. I haven't touched the computer in a while to, like, make a program or anything, so.

[Lyle]

Well, well, let me. Can I just say this? Because this just popped into my brain is. I just want you to. I want you to know something, Aaron. You're not. You're not insane. You're not insane.

[Aaron]

Thank you.

[Lyle]

You're not insane. And the reason I think you're not insane. And maybe I. By the way, I. I'm. By the way, I'm insane. So. So me saying that you're not insane actually probably isn't worth much because I'm only saying you're not insane because I identify with your issue, but yet I am also insane. So maybe you actually are insane. But what the reason I said that is because the. Does sometimes I really feel like life is just. You need to distract yourself until you die. Because if you don't, you will slip into a pit of existential dread and some. And it's like you can either really distract yourself. Well, most. Most people on earth are distracting themselves with their own survival. That's like most people. And then if you are fucking lucky, if you're a blessed, lucky human being, survival doesn't. Doesn't. Isn't the main thing that's distracting you from the void. And if you're that lucky, you can be distracted from the void through your relationships, like this girlfriend you were talking about, or through passions, a career that you chose or whatever. Like. Like the fucking sneakers. Or you distract yourself, or you distract yourself with drugs and getting high all the time and doing. Getting drunk all the time. But yeah, the struggle that you're having of like, I need to distract myself with something or else I will go. My. My idle hands will reach for the nearest fucking gun and maybe not that far, but. But you know what I mean? Like, you just. Will just go insane. You'll go crazy. So, yes, I understand the whole. The whole. I'm getting a D, though. You're framing it like it's such a crazy thing to need something for your brain to land on, for you to not. Not want to kill yourself. But it makes sense. So I get you. I'm in the same boat as that. And I think. I think it's true. And I want you to hold that thought for a second. But I think just in my personal experience with this, and I'm. I'm also, you know, the idea of like, okay, let me at least find something that's good, that's not gonna drive me crazy, that's not gonna cause me to lose all my fucking money, that's not gonna cause my health to shoot into the fucking gutter. Yeah, you Have a. You're on a certain. I think that makes sense to try to take all this energy and put it into something else, but something. Something that's good. So what were you gonna say.

[Aaron]

Man? You. You lost me. Those are beautiful words. I. I lost my thought going on to that, though, man. It.

[Lyle]

Why I was talking and you. I was. Hold on. I was talking and you said, you know, you said. You said to me, you're like, you know what it is, you know what it is. And then you're gonna say something.

[Aaron]

You know what it is? You know what it is? It's that I think throughout all the. The drugs that I've taken, throughout all the, you know, girls that I've talked to, whatever it is, it's the. The addictions that I claim to have that, like, I guess you. You said weed wasn't really an addiction and like, searching for something positive isn't always an addiction.

[Lyle]

I don't know if I said weed isn't an addiction, but. Go ahead, keep going.

[Aaron]

Throughout. Throughout the space. I've noticed that, like, I guess I just became like. Well, I went from being like a shooting star, you know, I. I really patted myself on the back at 17 for having, like. I think it was like a 134 IQ. I don't. I was some fucking. I'm. I'm somewhat smart, right? I'm somewhat. I'm somewhat. Half. Half smart. I have somewhat of a brain from. From being a shooting star to now, like, you know, just living a regular life. You know, at one point with the shoes, I was making like a good. I think it was like 80, 90 grand from. From being a shooting star, making some decent money.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

And now just like feeling burnt out. I feel like the distractions has helped me along the way to like, I guess remind myself that, like, I could have it way worse, you know, I feel like, yeah, maybe, you know, just being burnt out, maybe just taking losses along the way, shaping myself back up, being a regular person. Yeah, maybe. Maybe it was for the better, man.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Aaron]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Well, I think so too. That's. That's the journey I'm on right now is I'm. I just. I don't. But I. I don't know if this is. Resonates with you or if it's what we're talking about, but I've. I just finished my final, like, tour and I've been running around for two years trying to distract myself from, you know, existential thought and whatnot. And I'm also. It's been very High highs and low lows. And I'm also like, let me just kind of keep. Get things normal. Get things on a steady, chill, not crazy pace.

[Aaron]

Okay.

[Lyle]

Is that. Is that. Did I interrupt what you were saying to talk about something completely random or does that make sense?

[Aaron]

No, it makes sense that you've had high highs and low lows, but you. You just, like, cut yourself off mid sentence.

[Lyle]

Oh, sorry. Oh, I thought. I thought. I finished that thought. What the. Were we talking. What were we talking about?

[Aaron]

Being burnt out.

[Lyle]

Oh, yes, yes, yes. Being burnt out. Yes, being burnt out. And yes, I feel burnt out. And now I'm just like, I don't know. I don't. I don't. Man, I wish I had answers for you, but this. I don't. I don't at all. I don't at all. I think. I think. I mean, you're 22. You're. You're. You've got. I'm like five, six years older than you, something like that. And I'm feeling pretty burnt out. And it's like, if you're feeling burnt out now, maybe cut yourself a little bit of a break and step back and try to approach it, Approach this a little more patiently, I suppose.

[Aaron]

Man, I'm not. I'm not one for patience. I think that that's part of the issue. I've definitely. Like.

[Lyle]

If that's your wiring, go ahead. Just don't. Don't hurt yourself or other people or. Or lose all your money. Just. Just. I think it's okay. I think it's okay for you to be. Be a. Be a crazy guy and. And. And do, you know, go ham and do your crazy stuff, but just be careful a little bit. Have. Have a couple of of, you know, rules in place, you know, Don't. You know what I mean? Like. Like. Like it's okay. It's okay to be obsessed with things and keep. Keep going down, following your obsessions, but don't. Don't kill anyone, including, you know, don't yourself. Don't do anything too fucking crazy.

[Aaron]

Yeah, that's. That's tough. But I gotta ask about the tour. So did you take any drugs on the tour?

[Lyle]

Sure. Yeah. Not like every day.

[Aaron]

Not every day. Damn. Can you get into specifics about that on. On stream or.

[Lyle]

No, yeah, it's not. It's nothing crazy. I. Dude, it's. I was. I was just in Europe, and me and my buddy David, who went with me, we were sitting in our hotel room eating Mike and Ikes. We're just eating a bunch of Mike and Ikes. And we were like, we were like, man, people, people, people keep. People are. People are like, oh tor must be so crazy. And it's just us in twin beds eating Mike and Ikes. I mean I did cocaine once, but just a little bit. It wasn't that crazy though. It was. It's what?

[Angie]

Not.

[Lyle]

It wasn't that. It's not that crazy. It's more. It's like. It's like one time doing that and then most nights just eating, drinking a Coca Cola at night. I don't usually drink. I don't usually drink them at night because there's too much caffeine.

[Aaron]

Man, we are on different boats. I. I guess that's the one. I never beat caffeine. That was like since I was like 3, 4 years old, my grandma gave me like a cup of coffee and a piece of bread and I've just been running with it ever since, you know, drinking coffee every day. But I think that's the one thing that I'll never do. Crazy. You know, I'm been on lsd, see my future and shit. Crazy. Obviously it's.

[Lyle]

You said you, you saw your future on lsd.

[Aaron]

Yeah, it, well it, you know, it. You're. You're hallucinating. So it's not 100 real, but I saw some pretty crazy. Like I saw myself basically like living in a. It was like a high rise or something with my feet. Like. Like I was like sitting down a little like deck looking over the city of Chicago because that's where I'm from. Like, just like I. And I woke up and I was like, oh. Like it started off with me, you know, just closing my eyes and I was hallucinating, just seeing. And then I wake up hours later. I was like, oh. Like it was like this hallucination was just like it also just extended into a dream and like seeing like that like it like. How do I put this? Like basically seeing what a hallucination version of my life would have been and then going back to like just being a burnt out star. I was like, either I fix my life now you.

[Lyle]

I'll let you finish and then I'll introduce. I'm going to let you finish and then I'll interject.

[Aaron]

Okay. Being on that like bright, bright star, being like, you know, pushing myself to the limits, holding myself up to high standards and being in the 1% of, of amongst my peers. Like I guess financially and educationally to now losing it all and basically like feeling like I have no, you know, I'm not even. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not even in college anymore, and I see all of my peers about to get their bachelor's and shit. Like, seeing, Seeing the difference in life among the years where I kind of, you know, just spiraled out and it's kind of like blowing. It's kind of like fucking with my head where I'm like, I can either make that hallucination true or I just fucking blew it all. And like, picking up the drugs fucked me up.

[Lyle]

You're. Can I have so many observations about what you. What you just said. If I can. What's up?

[Aaron]

What's up? Go for it.

[Lyle]

Pick out my brain a few of them. And by the. And also by the way, I'm a hypocrite. So everything I'm telling you, I'm just telling myself because I struggle with a lot of these things too. Is one. Is that these. What just. I mean, the greatest poison is comparing yourself to other people, especially when you're young, just being. You know what I mean? Being like, oh, my friends are graduating and I am doing. It's like, who gives a. Who fucking cares what anyone else is doing? That was number one. And then two is like this. You're. You're. You're playing a crazy game with yourself right now, man. You're like, you're like, oh, either I, either I need to be in the top 1% financially of everyone in my age group and I need to, you know, fucking have us have a super successful whatever, or I, I lost it all and I suck and I need to die. It's like, well, don't. That's too much. That's too much. That's too much. And also, by the way, a lot of those things don't matter. I've learned this because I've been there and now I'm looking back at things kind of retroactively and I'm like, oh, a lot of the stuff I thought mattered doesn't matter. There's a few things that matter. And it's like, are you. When you wake up, are you. Do you feel sane and happy? And are you. Are you genuinely enjoying whatever it is you're about to go do? And then two, are you around other people who you like and make you. And don't make you feel like you're alone? You know, those are really the two things that I've identified. Matter, because you can. Because everything else isn't really a road to anywhere, right? Like, like, you could have the Most successful sneaker company ever. You could be the kingpin of sneakers, but if you don't. If you don't actually care about selling sneaker, if you don't care about the process of selling your sneakers, and. And if you've made enough money and now you're just making more just because I. What are you even doing? Just, you know, what show.

[Aaron]

No, I'm not even at sneakers. I. I ended up losing it all. Long story short, there's a way you can sell your sneakers where you put them in different sneaker stores around the country, and once they sell it, they take us, like, 10% and they give you back your money. A whole bunch of stories during COVID just kind of ran off with everyone's money, and I lost that, so I had to build up my. Okay money again by working. But that. That whole comparison part.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

About, you know, just being an extremist and having comparison just, like, deeply engraved into me. I think. I don't know. I think I've just been kind of, like, always drilling that into my head to kind of be wanting to be the very best. Like, fucking Ash Ketchum. Like, it's just. It's part of. I guess, just.

[Lyle]

Well, do it. Just do me a favor. And I actually think. I don't want to discount that fully because I don't think ambition is inherently bad. I don't. But just. Just do me a favor. When you.

[Jeremiah]

When you.

[Lyle]

When you. When you. We. I can't do this for you, but, like, take a second. Whether it's today or tomorrow, just really sit down and journal or meditate and just be like, take that. That. That thing of, like, I gotta be the best and take your ambition and throw it on the table and go, okay, in what. And be honest with yourself and go, in what arenas has this thing made my life better? And then in what arenas has this thing made my life worse? And try to be honest with yourself about the answers to that and then see. See what you find. It could be helpful information.

[Aaron]

Yeah, I. I get that. I just. I guess off of that, you pick out what areas of life you'd like to focus on, and then you start pushing towards those general categories more and building up something positive, right?

[Lyle]

Oh, yeah, well, I guess so. Well, like, one other thing. One other thing before just. Is the whole, like, the whole concept of you lost everything, just so you know, is that whatever is inside of you that was able to create anything in the first place is no. No one can ever take that away from you. That can't be lost. That's like. That's the only thing you truly even have. And so when you think you've lost everything, you. You really haven't because you're a young guy and you have this. The. You have whatever it is that caused you to ever have anything in the first place. So, you know, don't. Don't forget that.

[Aaron]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Well, don't.

[Lyle]

Don't do cocaine. I know I said I did cocaine, but don't do it. I didn't even do that much.

[Aaron]

That's the thing I'm never gonna do. Because, look, that's an upper, man. You. You. It was so bad off of Adderall, man. I'm telling you. It was so bad.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

That I'm just like. Coke is just a whole. Another dragon I never want to ride on. You know what I mean? Like that.

[Lyle]

Yeah, well, I do. You. Can. I. I just drink Celsius. That. That's my. That's like my Miniata roll. It's awesome.

[Aaron]

Celsius is nothing. I remember, like. Like, I'm telling you, the caffeine thing. It.

[Angie]

It. It's actually.

[Aaron]

The one that I'm trying to fight right now is actually like a month, a month and a half of caffeine. But right before I decided, fuck this, I remember I was doing, like, maybe like four. Three Celsius. Three Celsius a day.

[Lyle]

Oh, my God. You have. You have no idea. You have no idea how much Celsius related diarrhea I am trying not to. Trying to contain so I can talk to you right now. Aaron. Aaron, Is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[Aaron]

Well, you know what? To the extremists that might be on the same boat as me. I guess Gekko has really taught us that, you know, it's all just. It's all in your head.

[Lyle]

Gecko's got to teach himself. It's all in his head.

[Aaron]

You know what? After the tour and everything, man, you kind of have to.

[Lyle]

You know.

[Aaron]

I guess.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Aaron]

My words to you, man. Hopefully it's not a year that you're gonna take off that, you know, you're gonna maybe lose 40 pounds or whatever. I'm not sure what exactly your goal is with that.

[Lyle]

Yeah, go ahead. Yeah.

[Aaron]

But everyone, I guess, about the friends you make along the way.

[Lyle]

You know what? It sure is. It sure is. Thanks for calling, Aaron. Good luck.

[Aaron]

Been a pleasure, man. Thank you. I'll keep watching. Have a good one.

[Lyle]

Yeah. That was a good call. I Liked talking to that guy. It's. It's cool. It's cool. What? I like doing this because it's fun. It's fun listening to other people, trying to figure out life. And I kind of get to, in this one little moment, sort of talk with them about figuring it out. Yeah. I don't know. I really do feel that way sometimes. I really do feel that way sometimes that, like, we're just. I'm just. I just need to distract myself. Even, like, beautiful things, like. Like, you're. Like, relationships with people that you care about and passions that are meaningful. They're all. I guess they're all you. They're just distractions that you need. You need distractions or else you're gonna go and go completely insane. So I don't think that. I guess what I heard from Aaron as. I heard a guy who was looking for something to get into so that you can. I don't know when it comes to, like, I just. I'm speaking purely of my own experience. When it comes to, like, depression and anxiety, I'm like, I'm. I'm always. You're always running away from it. I don't know. And I'm trying to deal with it, but I'm always. You're running away from it, and you can. There's healthy ways to run away from it, like through building positive relationships and passions and hobbies and things that keep you grounded in real life. And then there's, of course, fentanyl and Mike and Ikes. But I. Hopefully you find something, and then you do okay. And then you die surrounded by dogs. And. And that was it. I hope. I hope. I hope I made any amount of sense rambling just now. And. And let's. And. And let's take another call.

[Angie]

I was struggling for the past year and a half, two years with trying to lose weight.

[Lyle]

I just can't get rid of the.

[Angie]

Stubborn weight in my legs and in my belly.

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[Jeremiah]

This first week, I lost five pounds.

[Angie]

Just after one week, I'm down six pounds, and all of my bloating is gone. I just finished the Belvatel program. I have lost £15, and I have never felt better. I've noticed inches just shed every week that I go through.

[Dr. Josie]

I've lost 13 pounds and 16 inches.

[Lyle]

From all around my body.

[Angie]

I feel like an entirely different person.

I don't know if I've ever felt this good. Get hormone health for [e-mail] this will change everything.

[Dr. Josie]

Hey guys, it's Dr. Josie from InTheVet's office. Loving a pet often means wondering if you're providing the care they need. Is there a health issue lurking around the corner? Does the pet need something or feel something but can't say it? Pettivity health kits and smart products use data and best in class technology to learn your pet's behaviors and alert you to key changes that you can act on. Petivity is reimagining pet care with a family of products designed to help give your pet a voice and and empower you to provide the best care possible. Visit P-E-T-I-V-I-T-Y.com to learn more.

[Angie]

Hey, comedy fans. The funniest comedians in the world are on tour and you can get tickets to see them live near you. Laugh at the biggest names in comedy like Atsuko Okatsuka, Chelsea Handler, Jimmy Carr, Kathy Griffin, Matt Matthews, Matt Rife, Sarah Silverman, Sebastian Maniscalco, Stavros Helkias, Wanda Sykes, and so many more. All kinds of shows, all kinds of venues, all kinds of funny. Head to livenation.comcomedy to get your tickets today. That's livenation.comcomedy.

[Lyle]

Hey, man. What's your name?

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah.

[Lyle]

Jeremiah. What's up, Jeremiah? How's life going? Good.

[Jeremiah]

Going good. I'm a little nervous.

[Lyle]

Don't be. Don't be. There's. This is, this is. This might be one of the lowest stakes things you ever do with your entire life. You've taken math tests in elementary school with higher stakes than this. What's up, Jeremiah? Would you. What you want to talk about today?

[Jeremiah]

Oh, I don't know. Kind of just, just thought of the call. Okay, let's see. I've been thinking a lot about joining, like the military right now.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Jeremiah]

Yeah. But I don't know how like, like a lot of my friends and stuff aren't very supportive of it. They don't like, they don't like the idea.

[Lyle]

How old are you?

[Jeremiah]

20.

[Lyle]

20. Okay. What, what are your reasons for joining the military?

[Jeremiah]

So this is where, this is where a lot of my buddies are like. So I wanted to join. I've always thought about joining. Like, I'm a Physical, the guy, like going to the gym, working out, stuff like that. So it's always seemed pretty cool. But it was always like the, like the, like the loneliness of it, like going in by yourself, scared of making friends and stuff. But now, you know, I got a girlfriend and stuff, she's in the military and I can go in, go through basic and stuff and then be in her unit and be like, just like in the military with her. But my buddies are like, oh, that's, you know, what if it didn't work out and then you're in the military by yourself.

[Lyle]

So I have to. I. I think that's a bad reason to join the military.

[Jeremiah]

Right. Right.

[Lyle]

Do you have. If your girlfriend were not in that unit and you were going in alone, would you still want to.

[Angie]

See?

[Jeremiah]

That's where. Because like, ah, it's like right now I work at like. Or get a gas station and I don't know, it's just getting, it's getting. What's the word? Like monotonous.

[Lyle]

Sure.

[Jeremiah]

I think that's the word. We're like, I just, I wake up, come to work, go home or go to the gym, then go home.

[Lyle]

Yeah. You're looking, you're looking to spice up. Yeah. You're looking to spice things up.

[Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Why did you. Is that. Here's the thing with the military is like, you have to sign a little contract where it's like they kind of. Right. Yeah, that's what I. That's the big thing I don't like about it.

[Jeremiah]

Yeah, no, that's, that's what's always kept me from doing it because it's like, oh, man, you know, I signed this piece of paper and that's it. And there is no. Well, I don't want to do it no more. Yeah. Take backsies.

[Lyle]

No. Yeah. 20 is a little young to. I mean, look, here's the thing. I'm not gonna. I've. I have a friend who joined the military and it's. He's had a really positive experience. And you know, I've talked to people on this show who've had positive experiences joining the military and conversely, people who've had horrible experiences joining the military. But I think again, it's. It's one of those sort of individual decisions and if, if your only decision, if your only thing is, well, my girlfriend's in it, I think that's a bad thing.

[Jeremiah]

Yeah, no, I mean, so, like, she tells me so she's been in there for a little bit and, you know, she'll tell me about, like, what she does and stuff. And, like, you know, it comes back to the. Like, her life in the military seems so much more interesting than it does cleaning up shit after truckers. You know what I mean?

[Lyle]

Okay, well, let's. Let's get into that. What is it about her life in the military that's exciting to you?

[Jeremiah]

I don't know. Like, being around a bunch of people kind of all doing the same thing.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Jeremiah]

They get in, like, I love. I love working out. Being in the gym's a big part of, like, just what I really enjoy doing.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Jeremiah]

And, you know, they do that as, like, things. Like, they do that as a job. They travel, and it just seems like that just. That's. That's really cool, you know?

[Lyle]

Cool. So look, here's what I would say is you have these. You don't expressly want to join the military, but you expressly want to. You've ident. This is good. You've identified, like, okay, I want to be around other people. I want something that's communal. I like things that. I like being physically active, and I want to travel. And I would. I would. I would write those three things down, and I would be like, let's come up with some ideas that aren't just joining the military where you can kind of fulfill those goals, because those are. I mean, there's a lot of things you can do under the umbrella of those three things that aren't just joining the military. Have you thought about that?

[Jeremiah]

Yeah. I don't know. It just seems. Seems very. I guess, like. I don't know how to put it. Like, I just. Like, when I try to think of something, like, you know what I could do? I pull blanks, you know, Like.

[Lyle]

Okay, I'm not sure. I don't. I don't want to expressly dissuade you from it, because now that. Now that you have identified three things that aren't just the fact that your girlfriend's in there, how long. How long do you have to sign your. Your life away for?

[Jeremiah]

So I think it's like. It's like five years of, like, just on. Yeah. On. Like. Like, you're working, you're doing military stuff. And then I think it's another, like, three years of, like, yeah, hey, if World War III happens, we're coming to get you. You're coming with us, and you're gonna.

[Lyle]

Oh, my God. Eight. They want you for eight years.

[Aaron]

Yeah.

[Jeremiah]

That's typically how long they.

[Lyle]

Oh, my God, man. Yeah, I. You can. Look, look, brother, you could Find a better job to just work outside. You know what I'm saying?

[Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

This is good though. This is. You've identified three things that you want out of your life.

[Jeremiah]

Mm.

[Lyle]

Are you. Have you. Have you sort of really tried to brainstorm other things that could satisfy that but that aren't just.

[Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

Don't involve signing an eight year contract?

[Jeremiah]

Yeah, no, I've always like. I've always like, thought about. So like, I got a bunch of buddies, they like the gym too. And we've always like, said that we would want to like, like start a gym up and like, just own our own gym. Because like, in my mind that sounds like that way I could be. I'd be around people that work out. I'd be making money off of it.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Jeremiah]

Like anytime I would have, like friends or something come to the gym with me for the first time, I've always like it. It made me feel good to like, teach them something that I've been doing for a long time and helping them reach their goal.

[Lyle]

That sounds, you know, I like that.

[Jeremiah]

But it's.

[Angie]

That's.

[Jeremiah]

I feel like that's like starting up a gym. That's just something, you know, I'm 20, I ain't got a whole lot of money, you know?

[Lyle]

Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah. How about like, can you become a personal trainer?

[Jeremiah]

I've looked into it, but it seems like there's like a lot of, like you gotta like a lot of them. Like you gotta like go to college and be like, like good with like knowing the specifics and stuff. Like, I don't know, how about having a. Too much.

[Lyle]

How about like being, being like a firefighter?

[Jeremiah]

You know, I've definitely, I'll put thought into that. But I'd have to stop smoking. That's one of the few things that kind of stopped me from doing that. But.

[Lyle]

Weed or cigarettes?

[Jeremiah]

Weed.

[Lyle]

Oh. I don't think it's a terrible idea to stop smoking weeds. It'd be a fire.

[Jeremiah]

No, no, it's not.

[Angie]

Well, definitely.

[Jeremiah]

Go ahead. You go ahead. No, I've definitely thought about being a firefighter, but it's always. What's always worried me about that is just like the, like the pay and stuff, which I know you're not supposed to worry about pay, I guess, you know, you know, but like I kind of live. I still live with my parents right now, which is, you know, it's good, you know, I don't, I don't have to pay bills or nothing really. So that's, you know, it's always Good to save my money. But, you know, eventually I kind of want to. I'm wanting to move out, try to get an apartment.

[Lyle]

Mm. Well, look here. I guess here's what I would say is if, hopefully if you gleaned anything from the phone call, it's like you've identified three things that you want is to work outside, be around other people, and travel. And I would say I'm a big fan of, like, kind of doing away with commitments to vessels, if that makes sense. Like, like the military is just a vessel for these underlying desires that you have. And I believe that there's. There's multiple different vessels that you perhaps haven't thought about yet that could fulfill those underlying desires. So I wouldn't. I wouldn't laser focus in on the one vessel that you've identified that requires you to, you know, sign a contract for eight years and go kill a bunch of people in some place.

[Jeremiah]

Right.

[Lyle]

Unless. Unless you like killing people. Some people. Like killing people.

[Jeremiah]

Some people.

[Lyle]

What's your name again?

[Jeremiah]

Jeremiah.

[Lyle]

Jeremiah, was it? Did you. Was this a good phone call for you? Did you. Is this helpful?

[Jeremiah]

Yeah. I'm surprised I even got through.

[Lyle]

Nice. Well, is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

[Jeremiah]

Ah, God bless. Hope you have a good one, gek.

[Lyle]

Thank you, Jeremiah. You take care.

[Jeremiah]

You too.

[Lyle]

Life is crazy.

[Aaron]

At Amica Insurance, we know it's more than just a car or a house. It's the four wheels that get you where you're going and the four walls that welcome you home. When you combine auto and home insurance with Amica, we'll help protect it all. And the more you cover, the more you can save. Amica.

[Lyle]

Empathy is our best policy.

[Dr. Josie]

Hey, guys, it's Dr. Josie from InTheVet's office. Loving a pet often means wondering if you're providing the care they need. Is there a health issue lurking around the corner? Does a pet need something or feel something but can't say it? Petivity Health kits and smart products use data and best in class technology to learn your pet's behaviors and alert you to key changes that you can act on. Petivity is reimagining pet care with a family of products designed to help give your pet a voice and empower you to provide the best care possible. Visit P e t I V-I-T-Y.com to learn more.

[Angie]

Hey, comedy fans. The funniest comedians in the world are on tour, and you can get tickets to see them live near you. Laugh at the biggest names in comedy like Atsuko Okotzuka, Chelsea Handler, Jimmy Carr, Kathy Griffin, Matt Matthews, Matt Rife, Sarah Silverman, Sebastian Maniscalco, Stavros Helkias, Wanda Sykes and so many more. All kinds of shows, all kinds of venues, all kinds of funny. Head to livenation.comcomedy to get your tickets today. That's livenation.comcomedy.