Sept. 21, 2025

#134 - Josh Mack - The Sandbox: Networking for Veterans

#134 - Josh Mack - The Sandbox: Networking for Veterans

Hello Friends

In this engaging conversation, Chris and Mike welcome Josh Mack, a combat veteran and mental health advocate, who shares his journey of transitioning from military life to civilian life. Josh discusses the importance of finding purpose after service, the impact of trauma, and the significance of community support for veterans.

He introduces his initiative, The Sandbox, a networking event aimed at providing mental health resources for veterans and first responders. The discussion also delves into the effects of parenting on mental health, the power of gratitude, and the influence of media on our perceptions of reality. Throughout the conversation, the trio emphasizes the importance of awareness, personal growth, and the need for open conversations about mental health.

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What's up there, boys and girls,
is the Chris and Mike show.

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I'm Chris.
He's Mike.

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And this is Joshua Mack.
Did I say that right, Josh?

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Yeah, you did.
Do you prefer, do you prefer

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Josh or Joshua?
Josh.

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But you know, when I try to do
business things, I think Joshua

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sounds more professional, but
Josh is fine.

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OK, cool.
Right.

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So welcome to the show.
For those of you that are just

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joining in, we are, we are live
on Twitch and YouTube.

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So that's always fun.
And so Josh, we just kind of

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dive into shit, man.
We don't we're kind of really

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informal.
We just have conversations.

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So tell us who you are, what
you're all about, and why you

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wanted to come on our show
that's broadcasting into 22

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countries now.
Hey, congratulations.

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That's an amazing feat.
Thank you.

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Thank you.
Yeah, so my name is Josh Mack.

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I also go by J Mack.
It's also the name of the

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podcast that I started where I
combat veteran and 1st responder

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suicide.
One story, one conversation at a

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time.
A little back story about me.

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I grew up in a small country
town in the South, like 45

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minutes South of Chicago.
But whatever you think it's

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called, Beecher.
OK, I'm in Pontiac.

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Yeah, and, and my hometown's, my
hometown is Pleasant Plains, IL,

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just outside of Springfield.
We had 804 population about 10

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years ago.
OK, yes, I think you beat me.

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I graduated with like 80 kids.
OK, I was only there till I was

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3, but it's still my hometown.
So I don't, I don't, I don't

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know what size of all the things
are.

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I just went back to for my
grandmother's funeral and all of

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a sudden they had a monument,
you know, when you enter the

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town.
Yeah.

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And it was like population,
Henry, before I was like, oh,

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wow.
Huge.

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Metropolis.
Absolutely.

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So continue, J Mack.
Yeah, so I grew up like

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volunteering and helping with my
dad, who is now a retired police

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officer.
OK.

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So I always had that desire to
serve and give back to the

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community.
I decided to join the Marine

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Corps.
Nice. 2013 to 17, non combat,

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didn't see any deployments,
anything like that.

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I went to Oman for about a
month.

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My son, my son, my son's a devil
dog all.

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Right.
Yeah, buddy.

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Absolutely, yeah.
And then so after I got out of

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the Marine Corps, everyone's
like, you're going to get lost

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all this expectations.
And I was like, no, I'm not,

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that's not going to happen to
me.

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And well, it happened to me.
And one day I I see my buddy

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post a meme that said stop doing
the push ups and pick up the

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phone and call your buddy
referencing the 22 a day push up

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challenge.
And then I went to therapy and I

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told my therapist that I had
this idea.

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I pitched it to a former
baseball player but due to

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liability reasons he didn't want
to do it.

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And she tried to convince me to
go live in her office right then

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and there to start the podcast.
Wow.

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I was like, you're crazy, let's
switch chairs real quick.

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But I went home and made the
video like I promised, and that

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began Start at the Gym Mac
podcast.

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Cool.
That's awesome.

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That's I'm I'm.
That is.

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Awesome.
Yeah.

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I don't know how much you've
watched about us and, and the

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show and whatnot, but I'm all
about volunteering.

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I, I was a meal coordinator for
a homeless outreach service for

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over three years.
I got on the board of that, of

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that company.
Unfortunately, I saw some things

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that that I wouldn't shut up
about, so they asked me to

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leave.
I've since gone into the Rotary

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Club in Mesa, which is all about
volunteering.

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We 22, we do 24 different
volunteering things a year.

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I've run my wife and I runner.
So we've every time something

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comes up with the wounded
warriors or 22 too many, we

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we're all about that.
So I mean, obviously military

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family.
So nothing but mad respect for

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what you've, what you've started
based and, and what you've kind

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of explained it's about because
it's, it's, it's a true thing.

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Like our son's kind of
struggling with right now.

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Like you said, when you get out
of the Marine Corps, like you're

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lost.
And so he's, he kind of goes

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back and forth where he's going
to stay, go, stay, go.

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But so now he's kind of in that
mindset that he wants to get out

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at the end of his 8 1/2 years.
And we're kind of, we're focused

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on him make, you know, kind of
get lined up with what you want

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to do afterwards, right?
Because you spend your entire

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life and the brains being told
what to do and then you get out

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and it's like, well, now what?
Because nobody is there to tell

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you what to do.
So I think and I, I couldn't

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serve.
They wouldn't let me in because

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my asthma is too bad.
I tried, I tried everybody but

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the Air Force and they all told
me to go home.

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So you were non combat, my son's
non combat because he was a

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backup shipper, right?
So he got stuck in this box of

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three jobs and the only one that
he could do was the accounting

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supply and logistics is because
he's color deficient.

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So so it's a real thing, right?
When you get out, all of a

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sudden it's like you decompress
a little bit, right?

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And you're kind of like, oh, I'm
free.

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And then what?
Take us down that path.

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So people understand it's it's
it's not that your PTSD, that

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kind of shit, you know,
especially non combat.

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But you, I mean, correct me if
I'm wrong there, but once you

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get out of you kind of have this
like now what?

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Right.
Yeah, absolutely.

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What's best is at least six
months prior to already be

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planning, at least six months
plan prior to getting out, be

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planning, have a plan.
But the real key, I believe, is

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finding your purpose outside of
the Marine Corps.

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Like your purpose inside the
Marine Corps is to serve and do

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what your country's asking of
you, right?

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And then you get out.
And as you stated, we have no

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one telling us what to do.
Everything I ran away from that.

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I wanted out.
The reasons I wanted out of the

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Marine Corps is actually what
made me successful in life and

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all the things that I need, you
know, I need that structure.

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I need that routine.
So make sure he keeps the

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structure of routine.
Get in the gym, get in with

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veteran organizations before you
feel like you need veteran

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organizations.
Nice.

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Did you say you're in Mesa, AZ?
I'm I well, you might as well be

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Mesa Chandler.
I'm in the East Valley, so yeah,

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I'm in.
I'm in surprise.

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Oh, right on.
What up dude?

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Yeah, so I'm going to help you
out one step forward.

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I created this event called The
Sandbox.

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It's a networking event for
veterans and 1st responders that

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focus on providing mental health
resources.

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I do a 30 minute podcast
recording and then I pull up the

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mental health resources that I
brought in and give them up to

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two minutes to give their spiel,
who they are, what they do, how

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they help, and how they can use
help.

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It's once a month so Thursday,
September 25th will be my next

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one.
OK.

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And my whole purpose of that is
to, I'm for veterans and 1st

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responders.
But truthfully, how can I have a

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mental Health Organization?
And just because you don't fit

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the niche, I'm going to tell you
to piss off.

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So I don't, I don't, I don't
believe in that.

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So I'm for everyone.
But we're going to be everything

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we do is led by veterans and 1st
responders.

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That's fantastic, man.
That is very cool.

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I have all kinds of people
walking to my door, man.

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Who's behind me, Mike?
Amazon.

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Amazon again.
So so so the thing in this I'm

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putting this on our Facebook
page right now.

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J Mac So what what is let me get
your name down here.

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Joshua Mac whoops.
Oh, it's being stupid.

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Dasha Mac IE J Mac.
So what's what's the sandbox you

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said it was called?
Yes, Sir, it's a. 2 words, 2

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words or one word?
Sandbox is one word.

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OK, yeah, 'cause I it was major.
So now, now explain that again.

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It's it's a monthly meet up
with.

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It's a yeah.
So I, the words that I've

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calling it right now is a
monthly networking event for

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veterans and 1st responders with
mental health resources and a

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live podcast recording so they
can hear the real raw,

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vulnerable conversations that
need to be had.

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Like everyone struggles.
Yeah.

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And combat and combat or not,
you still struggle from the

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military.
But truthfully, most of our

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struggles start with our
childhood, The beginning, this

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first sandbox we were in that
traumatized.

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As well.
Oh yeah, OK.

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Yeah.
So like it's basically how we

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react today is what we learned
or did not learn as a child

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growing up and then not then you
join the military or whatever

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life experience you go through
and that just compounds on to

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the traumas and all that that
you have.

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So really we just got to go back
and heal our inner child, to

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work through all of our traumas.
That's that's deep, man.

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Absolutely.
I never, I never, I never

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thought of it that way because I
mean, yeah, that's interesting.

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That's a whole, that's a whole
different dynamic on on the

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traumas and the demons that
people have.

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You got to go all the way back
to the childhood and understand

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what you didn't address then and
how you didn't address it.

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Right.
Like respectfully, your son was

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pre positioned to joining the
Marine Corps from a young age

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because whatever he's seen went
through and how he chose to

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handle it it.
We were kind of crazy to join

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the Marine, the military to
begin with and then to go to the

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Marine Corps, right, Right.
Not many people are willing to

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sign up to do that.
No, because that's by far the

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hardest of all four branches.
I don't care what you say, right

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for sure.
You just.

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I mean, because if you're a
Marine, you can leave the Marine

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Corps two days later, decide you
want to go be in the Army, and

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you just walk into the Army.
Like, OK, sign here because

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you're a badass.
Like, nobody does the Crucible

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except the Marines, right?
We had friends that their kids

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went into the military as well.
One went to the Air Force and

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they were fucking calling home
every other day because they

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kept their cell phones.
Like, are you kidding me?

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It's, you know, and then and
then our son had had the, the

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mindset that he was going to be
a drill instructor.

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So in from accounting, supply
and logistics and, and then got

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accepted to the boot camp for
drill instructor.

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So he went through boot camp
twice and then he became the

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drill instructor.
So then he's going through boot

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camp again as as the drill
instructor side of it.

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So talk about insanity, right?
It just, but you know, he's kind

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of driven like that and he's, he
likes to be challenged.

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He's got to have something in
front of him to go after

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otherwise he just gets bored out
of his mind.

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And then, you know, the brain
starts wandering and and he was,

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you know, our, our lifetime
together wasn't anything

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traumatic or you know it.
We were very well grounded

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family had, you know, family
dinners and we, both my wife and

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I were completely involved in
both our kids lives.

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You know, I coached Jake
throughout his, his youth and

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things like that.
So it's not like we were just,

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you know, neglectful parents.
We were super involved.

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So.
I didn't mean that whatsoever.

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No, no, no.
I know he didn't.

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00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:40,920
I know he didn't.
Even the best relationships,

220
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,560
there's still trauma in there.
Sure, because there's no way

221
00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:46,080
your needs were met 110% of the
time, right?

222
00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:50,440
And do you if you have multiple
kids, This is something I just

223
00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,240
learned and I'm a dad myself
now, right?

224
00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,120
That your kids are not
experiencing the same parents

225
00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,360
ever, right?
Because of the age gap.

226
00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,400
So you've learned from your
first child moving on to your

227
00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,800
second child, you may be a
little bit more lenient on your

228
00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:05,880
second child.
Then you wear your first child

229
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:12,520
and that causes like hard
feelings, traumas, like you're

230
00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,400
potentially choosing the other
child over the other.

231
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,360
And that's not right.
As a parent, we're just trying

232
00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,560
to do the best we can with what
we have, right?

233
00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,040
Right.
Becoming a parent has also

234
00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,520
helped mentally.
And it also just has heart hurt

235
00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,800
mentally, right 'cause like it
takes a toll on you.

236
00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,640
It's such a blessing and it's so
stressful all at the same time.

237
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,080
But you also got to recognize,
looking back at your parents,

238
00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,760
whatever resentment, grudge,
happiness you hold towards them,

239
00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,240
We got to realize that wow,
they, they were just

240
00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:39,520
experiencing this for their
first time as well.

241
00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,080
You got to be more lenient on
our parents as well.

242
00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,600
Yeah, sometimes.
Yeah, my parents are hassles,

243
00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,040
man.
I haven't talked about them.

244
00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:50,440
Think.
About how they grew up and what

245
00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,360
they had, I'm not justifying.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I

246
00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,520
get it.
Yeah, I get it.

247
00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:58,040
That's just.
Well, I think the biggest

248
00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,240
illusion on this planet is
there's a there's such a thing

249
00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,720
as an an adult, right?
We all, we all strove to become

250
00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:06,360
an adult.
When I grow up, I'm going to do

251
00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:07,760
this.
It's an illusion.

252
00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,680
Yeah, and you're adults fueled
by your inner child, your inner

253
00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:14,240
child monologue that's inside
you.

254
00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:16,840
Your parents are just people
that did the best they could

255
00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,000
with what they had, right?
Absolutely.

256
00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,560
In Chris's case, unfortunately,
his parents didn't have much,

257
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,560
right?
But I felt like I grew up in

258
00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:27,640
what people call the nuclear
family, right?

259
00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,480
And even my mom and dad, they're
just people, right?

260
00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,320
They did the best they could.
They admit that.

261
00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,200
I'm not saying anything they
don't admit.

262
00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,640
Luckily, I had parents that
admitted that we did the best we

263
00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,080
could with what we had the
information that we were armed

264
00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:41,560
with at the time.
You just said it.

265
00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,280
I was the oldest, so I was their
experiment, right?

266
00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:48,600
The next two, they learned from
that.

267
00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:50,640
So they got a little better and
they got a little better.

268
00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,840
You hear that the youngest
always got the best treatment.

269
00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,880
Well, of course they did,
because your parents were at

270
00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,400
their at their best at that
point.

271
00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,160
If you had one kid,
unfortunately that kid didn't

272
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,240
get that experience.
But the older kid in the

273
00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,240
relationship is always going to
feel like they got screwed, and

274
00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,440
the younger kids are always
going to feel like they got

275
00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,800
screwed, just from a different
side, right?

276
00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,640
Yeah, because the younger kids
always going to want to be able

277
00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:20,520
to do the thing that the older
kids going to be able to do.

278
00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,040
The older kids always going to
want the freedoms and like the

279
00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,880
quote UN quote softness that the
younger sibling is getting.

280
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,800
It's so crazy.
If you pay attention, each

281
00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,560
sibling, whether you're the
first, middle, or last child,

282
00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,880
they all come with their own
like traumas and like ticks and

283
00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,160
all of that where if you pay
attention and you could start

284
00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,800
noticing the pattern.
Like Sir, I can't give an

285
00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:45,880
example so I feel like I'm just
talking on my ass, right?

286
00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,400
Now, no, I like what?
I like what you said earlier

287
00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:55,000
about that each kid has a
different experience from their

288
00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,400
parents.
I've, I've never really heard it

289
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,520
put into those words, but I've
heard that story told in just

290
00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,400
that way, right?
You, you got 3 kids and a family

291
00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:09,080
and you'll hear those three kids
tell the same story from a

292
00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,840
completely different angle,
right?

293
00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,080
My mom and dad dressed me in
such horrible clothes.

294
00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:19,600
Well, the next kid might say my
mom and dad dressed us the best

295
00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:20,920
they could with what they had,
right?

296
00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,880
We were poor at the time.
That kid understood that, you

297
00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,120
know, at that moment in time,
their family was going through a

298
00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,560
hard a hardship where the other
kid, all they were thinking

299
00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,840
about is they were getting made
fun of at school because they

300
00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,160
weren't going to school with the
latest greatest whatever, right?

301
00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,080
Yeah.
So I like what you said there,

302
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,360
that no two kids have the same
view of the way they were

303
00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,040
raised.
That's that, that's really

304
00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,600
interesting too, because I, I
want to, I want to form that

305
00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,800
question to my kids and ask
them, you know, hey.

306
00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,480
I do for you too.
That's what I thought of right

307
00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,040
away when he said that.
Ask each one of my kids what

308
00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:57,640
what's your perception of your
upbringing?

309
00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,120
Because I don't that'll be
that'll be a really interesting

310
00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:04,800
response because we had we had a
boy and a girl, which is cool.

311
00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,560
So whenever was asshole, you
know, Jake's your favorite.

312
00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:08,720
Well, you're my favorite
daughter.

313
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,080
Well, I'm your favorite.
I'm your no, you're my favorite

314
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:12,200
son.
She's my favorite daughter.

315
00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:13,880
So that was the best way around
that.

316
00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:15,440
I'm the favorite kid.
Well, you're the favorite

317
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,280
daughter because I didn't really
have a favorite kid.

318
00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,440
And now my daughter has has
blessed us with two grandkids

319
00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,240
that are going to be 6 and the
other ones was just over 2 and a

320
00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:28,400
half.
And that's kind of a trip

321
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,360
because your approach and now my
approach now because I have my

322
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,040
youngest, I have the oldest 1
little man.

323
00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,080
I call him, I've had him every
morning during the week since he

324
00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,880
was 3 weeks old.
But my approach to him is, is,

325
00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,760
is it's so different than what
it was with Sky than what it was

326
00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:46,560
with Jake.
So much so that my wife will

327
00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,640
tell me that I have blinders on
when it comes to Anthony.

328
00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:54,600
But at the same time, Anthony
respects me more than he

329
00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,600
respects his own mother and and
my wife and and his his new and

330
00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,240
his dad just for the simple fact
that I've consistently been in

331
00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:06,520
his life every single day.
So when he needs, you know, that

332
00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:10,040
stern moment, it's I just I get
that voice and he just.

333
00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,280
He respects you.
You can see it in his eyes even

334
00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:15,120
in the little clips that you
post online.

335
00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,200
It's like he just, he's like
hanging on your every move.

336
00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,920
Yeah, so, but if that's that's
what that's interesting.

337
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,120
Man, I never, I never thought of
that.

338
00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:25,680
I never thought of neither most
of that.

339
00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,560
Jay blew my mind.
This is why we do this dude,

340
00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,360
because we just learn stuff
every single single time.

341
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,200
It's crazy.
I'm not sure if it's considered

342
00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:39,200
research or what, but there is a
study out or documentation out

343
00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:44,160
of two twins that grew up with
an abusive alcoholic father and

344
00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:46,320
they're trying to figure it out
if it's nature or nurture,

345
00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:51,040
right.
Both kids, one kid became like,

346
00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:56,080
we'll say a priest, not doesn't
drink, treats women correctly.

347
00:16:56,280 --> 00:17:00,680
The other kid isn't a direct
example of his father, what an

348
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,240
alcoholic, mean, abusive,
whatever.

349
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,800
And they were asked the same
question, what made you this

350
00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,480
way?
And they gave the same answer.

351
00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,000
Look how I was raised.
Look at my dad.

352
00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,359
Yeah, that just hit me because
I'm a 20 year recovery alcoholic

353
00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,720
and and Jake's not old enough
really to understand he didn't

354
00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:26,599
remember it because I stopped.
He's 24, so I stopped young

355
00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:28,160
enough for him not to really
have memories.

356
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:35,000
But my daughter who's five years
older, Wow, that just smacked me

357
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:36,720
outside the head.
Josh, thanks, man.

358
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,280
Yeah, well, because she went
down, she went down, she went

359
00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,000
down a path.
This is where I'm going when she

360
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,800
went down a path, a very dark
path for for several years.

361
00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,800
And so now I can't now that's
just making me think, oh, shit

362
00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:50,400
was.
So I'm going to ask that

363
00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,920
question because it'll be
interesting to see her response

364
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:59,320
because I think Jake's, Jake's
Jake's reaction to her chaos was

365
00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:00,680
that's why he joined the
military.

366
00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,200
Like he.
We were those parents.

367
00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,160
Once you're done with high
school, you get a job, you go to

368
00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:07,120
school or you join the military.
There's no, there's no fucking

369
00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,120
around.
There's no sleeping until 10:00.

370
00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:11,320
There's no, you know, going out
with your friends till 3:00 in

371
00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:13,000
the morning.
Now you have to have a direction

372
00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:14,960
in life.
One of these things has to

373
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,760
happen.
And he didn't like school, He

374
00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:19,400
just didn't like study.
He's got my brain,

375
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,760
unfortunately, not my wife's.
He had a couple jobs but didn't

376
00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,280
like them because they were
just, you know, piss Ant server

377
00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,480
jobs and things like that.
Not that that's not a bad

378
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,040
occupation just for a kid.
It's just, you know, just wasn't

379
00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:34,720
So he just right.
So he just, he came home one day

380
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,520
from high school and said, I'm,
I'm, I'm going to the army.

381
00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,840
I'm going to be a diver.
I'm like, whoa, dude, there's

382
00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,800
not divers in the Army.
Who's who's feeding you

383
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,320
bullshit.
And I had AI had a good friend

384
00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,440
that my wife's actually caught
their kids.

385
00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:49,680
And then I, they used me to help
them purchase a home.

386
00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,560
So I'm like, hey, we're going to
call Steve, Steve Fishers or not

387
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:54,240
Steve Fishers.
Steve Steve West is going to

388
00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,120
come over and he's a Marine.
He's going to talk to you.

389
00:18:56,120 --> 00:19:00,320
And I knew he would give Jake
the the the just the real raw

390
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,800
relevance about all four
branches, you know, the ups and

391
00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,480
downs, insurance and outs.
And they sat in the dining room

392
00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,360
for about an hour and a half.
And he hadn't made-up his mind

393
00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:11,720
yet.
This is kind of a funny story.

394
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:13,920
And Steve leaves.
And so Jake and I kind of talk a

395
00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:15,400
little bit, but I'm like, dude,
you do you.

396
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:16,520
I got your back.
Regardless.

397
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,640
He next day he went to see Toy
Story four with one of his

398
00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:22,760
buddies from high school.
Came home.

399
00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:28,120
He's like, I'm join the Marines.
OK.

400
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,400
How does Toy Story 4 equate to
joining the Marine son?

401
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,520
I don't know, dad.
I'm just, I'm just going to do

402
00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:34,520
it.
I'm like, all right, cool.

403
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:37,680
You're going to be a bad ass.
So, but that's that's

404
00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,760
interesting.
So yeah, I'm going to I'll tell

405
00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,240
you how that how that answer is
when I asked my daughter that

406
00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:47,920
question, because that's I've
never asked her about her

407
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:49,800
upbringing and her how she
looked at it.

408
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:54,000
And I never you never really
asked her what made her turn to

409
00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:56,360
the dark side or you know, so
that's going to be an

410
00:19:56,360 --> 00:20:02,200
interesting response that may.
Shake my day fro and don't don't

411
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:06,440
put that all on you right like
you ended up setting the right

412
00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,720
example.
You got sure took care of

413
00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,520
yourself right and don't be two
ways.

414
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,760
Don't be surprised if your
daughter doesn't fully tell you

415
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,040
the truth and open up because
like.

416
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,120
I don't know your guys's
relationships.

417
00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:20,880
I don't know how comfortable
she's going to feel, right?

418
00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:23,400
Like, yeah, sometimes you want
to keep things from your parents

419
00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,920
still, but also be ready if she
opens up and spills something

420
00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:28,840
you never thought you were
expecting to hear.

421
00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,200
Be prepared for that.
So don't like, freak out.

422
00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,720
And also, I hate to tell you
about your son, but he was a

423
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,080
contractual alcoholic unless he
had some strong.

424
00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,000
No, he's no, he's had, no, he's
had he.

425
00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:41,280
And I don't want to throw him
under the bus.

426
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,360
I don't want to throw him kids
in the bus, but he's, he's,

427
00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:50,360
he's, he's a really good kid.
He's very smart.

428
00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:53,880
But he's made some decisions
that I think he regrets.

429
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,200
He didn't start drinking till he
got into the Marines.

430
00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:00,680
And, and I've, I've, and I've
preached, right.

431
00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,520
And I've preached to him and
preached to him and preached to

432
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,880
him.
You know, so I don't, because I

433
00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:07,600
don't see him every day.
I can't say whether he's an

434
00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:08,960
alcoholic, whether he has a
problem.

435
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,440
You know, there's some stuff in
his and that's happened since

436
00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,920
he's been Marine that kind of
kind of pushes the envelope as

437
00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:16,800
far as, OK, you have a problem
with drinking.

438
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,160
You know, he's gone in and out
of cycles of, of being sober.

439
00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:22,920
I'm going to stop drinking for
this amount of time.

440
00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,640
But because he's, he's not at
arm's length for me, I can't

441
00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:34,840
really ascertain what his actual
consumption of alcohol and how

442
00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,520
dependent or not dependent he is
on it, if that makes sense.

443
00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,200
But I get what you're saying
because it is in my DNA.

444
00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:45,560
So both of them have that that,
you know, example per SE.

445
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,480
And I mean, I wasn't abusive.
I was, I was just I was mentally

446
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:49,880
not there emotionally wasn't
there.

447
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:53,480
I was kind of an ass.
I'm saying contractually as when

448
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,360
he signed the contract for the
Marine Corps that obligates.

449
00:21:56,360 --> 00:21:58,760
You well, and you just said
something really important too,

450
00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:04,240
Chris, that you're nature part
of it, the nurture part of it.

451
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,440
The nature part of it is it is
in his DNA, right?

452
00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,320
It was in my DNA.
If if your mother or father is

453
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:15,280
an addict, your chances of being
an addict scientifically are

454
00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:16,640
super high.
It's.

455
00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:18,120
That's just correct.
Yeah.

456
00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:22,280
You know, so I guess what I'm
saying is you people can't beat

457
00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,320
themselves up for that part of
it either.

458
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,920
No, you know.
He knew you were an alcoholic,

459
00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,080
she knew you were an alcoholic.
So they have some skin in the

460
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,280
game going into it too.
I'm just saying for parents out

461
00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:38,760
there who beat themselves up,
it's like 50% of that is out of

462
00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,800
your control because it's burned
into your chromosomes.

463
00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,880
It's in your DNA, right?
Yeah, and and you know this,

464
00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,720
Mike, you'd probably don't know
this Josh, because you don't

465
00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:52,040
know my, my story and stuff.
But with, with what our daughter

466
00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:56,280
went down that path of what she
went down, Nikki and I, first

467
00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:57,440
thing we said, it's not our
fault.

468
00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,280
Like we didn't, we didn't make
these decisions.

469
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:01,560
Kind of like my approach to
recovery with alcoholic,

470
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:03,400
everybody's like higher power
work.

471
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,400
And I, I say this all the time.
God didn't make me drink.

472
00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:09,360
I made myself drink.
God didn't make me stop.

473
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:12,280
I made myself stop.
So we have our own ownership.

474
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,000
It's it's it's this a free
choice, right?

475
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,360
We have that ability to choose
as humans, right or wrong,

476
00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:20,040
whatever it is, we have that
free will.

477
00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,560
So both my kids, yeah, they grew
up with an alcoholic father.

478
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,520
Skyler was maybe 10 when by the
time I stopped, Jake was 4 to

479
00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,760
5:00-ish.
So Skyler's going to have more

480
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,080
memories than Jake will.
You know, I can remember shit

481
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,440
from back when I was three to
four years old at the trauma

482
00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:36,880
side of life.
So I'm going to, it'll be

483
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,480
interesting to see what he kind
of responds to that question

484
00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,680
too, to see if there's some kind
of trauma that he's still

485
00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:49,240
processing from that time frame.
You know, it's interesting, man.

486
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,200
It's an interesting approach to
this, Josh.

487
00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,400
No question.
And a lot of it is our

488
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,040
subconscious, right?
Like we don't understand the

489
00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,000
whys because we don't talk to
ourselves enough.

490
00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,280
We don't we don't figure it out,
but we start craving or we want

491
00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:02,960
something or we do something so
we do it.

492
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,000
But it's deep down fueled by our
subconscious, right?

493
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:10,400
There's been evidence that kids
have trauma from the umbilical

494
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,160
cord being wrapped around their
neck during delivery.

495
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,400
So it it it's crazy how far like
trauma is stored in our body and

496
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,240
we have to find ways to release
it right?

497
00:24:21,120 --> 00:24:24,680
It takes a stronger man to cry
and talk about his emotions.

498
00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,680
Bottles it up and it's just an
angry asshole all the time.

499
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,640
Right, and that's the difference
between this generation and last

500
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,880
right, because the generation
with Mike's parents grew up.

501
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,600
It's like you don't there's
stoic nothing affects me.

502
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:42,160
I'm this, I'm this brick wall
of, of just I'm a man, you know,

503
00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,240
there's you don't see me cry,
you don't see me.

504
00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,520
There's nothing man.
There's nothing that affects me.

505
00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,800
Which is complete bullshit.
Everybody out there that's still

506
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,440
hanging on to that.
If you're that guy, you're

507
00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,760
wrong.
Just so you know, that will kill

508
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,640
you.
I do believe there are certain

509
00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,200
times where you have to be that
stoic and strong individual.

510
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,080
Of course you do when you're
defending your family or

511
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:07,280
protecting your family or.
Or just showing up for your

512
00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,360
family, right?
Like as much this, this is

513
00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:13,400
something I'm work actively
working on and it's hard, right?

514
00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,000
Like I want my wife to be my
person.

515
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,440
I want to be able to tell her
everything and anything that

516
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:20,680
does not always work out in my
favor because either she doesn't

517
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:23,840
understand what I'm saying or I
feel a type of way for telling

518
00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,240
her now I'm judging how she's
judging me or whatever.

519
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,880
But I was introduced to saying
that you got to be the man in

520
00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,160
the arena.
Sometimes when all eyes are on

521
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,400
you, you have to perform.
But once you get back in that

522
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,840
tunnel and nobody's watching,
you need to decompress.

523
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,880
So we need to let it out,
whether you do it by yourself

524
00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:47,160
healthily and not picking up a
bottle or smoking or whatever

525
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,760
your poison is, or by going to
the gym, talking to a buddy

526
00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:53,800
there.
There's all sorts of different

527
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:55,280
ways.
And if you ever feel like you're

528
00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,080
alone in a situation where
nobody's ever experienced this,

529
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,320
nobody ever understands, shut
the fuck up and wake up, dude.

530
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,000
We've all been there.
There's somebody going through

531
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,400
something and you just never
know.

532
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:06,960
That's what I love about my
podcast.

533
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,280
It's like mental health focused.
And I try to learn about their

534
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,240
whole life from beginning
sandbox to the end, right?

535
00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,120
And to what they're doing now.
And that's because I feel like

536
00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,080
people, Chris, look up to Chris,
people look up to Mike.

537
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,280
They're like, oh man, you guys
are such badass.

538
00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,000
You handle things in a different
way.

539
00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,000
You don't struggle XYZ.
Come on the podcast, you Share

540
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,920
your story about why you
struggle, how you struggle.

541
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,040
That's so important, How you.
Cope.

542
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,880
So we're learning these
different tools and techniques

543
00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,640
or we can recognize the
negative, like oh shit, I have

544
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,960
that bad trade as well.
Let me try to work on improving

545
00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,920
that and see how the rest of my
life improves and just keep

546
00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,320
growing like we learned from
everyone, good or bad.

547
00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,000
That's totally something I was.
Just you.

548
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,240
It's funny how things just come
around at the right time.

549
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:54,560
I was just thinking about that
yesterday while I was taking a

550
00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,160
shower.
It's like it's important for us

551
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:01,640
to make sure that people
understand that Chris and I and

552
00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:04,400
Josh struggle every day just
like they do.

553
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,160
And that's why Chris makes a
point at the end of the podcast

554
00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,200
to say what he says.
We have bad days just like

555
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,880
everybody else, and we try and
open up about it on the show for

556
00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:15,800
the same reason that you just
said.

557
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,440
It may look like we've tackled
and conquered life and we got it

558
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,400
by the balls and now we're
succeeding.

559
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,800
That's true to an extent, but we
still have to protect our Peace

560
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,200
of Mind.
We still have to take time, like

561
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:32,440
you said, to decompress, to
process the things that have

562
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:36,200
gone wrong in our lives and to
handle it in a healthy,

563
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,840
constructive way.
Instead of reaching for the

564
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,560
bottle, instead of reaching for
the pipe, instead of reaching

565
00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:43,400
for the line of cocaine or
whatever.

566
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,200
It's, it's just important that
right there, what he just put

567
00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,560
out of it is so important.
Somebody out there loves you.

568
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,280
Somebody cares about you.
Somebody would miss you if

569
00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,000
you're not here tomorrow, even
if you don't on your worst day.

570
00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,640
You think nobody gives a shit
about me?

571
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:02,560
Nobody's listening to me.
I've been through this myself.

572
00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,600
I felt like the whole world was
against me and no one was for me

573
00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,080
and nothing could have been
further from the truth, right?

574
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,120
There was people all around me
that love me.

575
00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:13,520
I just couldn't see it, right?
Right.

576
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,560
And.
Like did awareness?

577
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,240
I had a boss used to tell me
awareness is $1,000,000 word and

578
00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,480
like after he explained it, it
made sense to me.

579
00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,760
But the more that I start to
become aware of things, it makes

580
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,320
sense why it's $1,000,000 word
because.

581
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:33,400
Us as a society, we've so.
Quick to fall into this victim

582
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,400
mindset and sometimes you don't
even realize you're you're

583
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,640
you're being the victim, right?
But as soon as you're aware

584
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,440
you're being the victim and it
aware that your choices LED you

585
00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:45,360
to where you're at doesn't
matter the other.

586
00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:49,040
OK it's semi matters the other
people's reactions, but it's

587
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,280
your actions and continued
choices that get keep you where

588
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,480
you're at.
Right.

589
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,640
So I actively have to wake up or
go to bed every day talking

590
00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:02,520
positive self loving caring
thoughts because before I would

591
00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,080
just spiral and think of
everything I hate in my life or

592
00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:07,040
what I'm mad about today and
just me too.

593
00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:08,520
I went through that period.
Too.

594
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:10,240
Yeah, dude.
So it's a.

595
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,680
Struggle everyday, but it's a
struggle worth fighting for and

596
00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,000
that mindset.
That you just said, Josh, is

597
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,600
something that people really
need to take to heart, and I'm

598
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:20,840
guilty of it as well.
And I still go through these

599
00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:24,040
periods where Chris said it
about his drinking.

600
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:25,840
God didn't put the drink in his
hand.

601
00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:27,640
God didn't make him stop
drinking.

602
00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,560
No one is going to come save
you.

603
00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:34,760
That is such a hard lesson for
people to get over.

604
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,720
You cannot be of help to anyone
else until you help yourself,

605
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,800
right?
I don't like that term.

606
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:43,480
Pick yourself up by your
bootstraps.

607
00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,280
Because everyone is born into a
different situation, right?

608
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,440
If you're born into the ghetto
and getting out of that ghetto

609
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,360
is a lot harder than the guy
sitting up on the hill thinks it

610
00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,800
is, right?
But both of those people

611
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,840
everyday have to decide that
they are going to be a positive

612
00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:07,520
influence into the world, right?
Josh telling MM you have to be a

613
00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:10,680
more positive person.
Well, that's a true statement,

614
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,120
but just you saying that is not
going to make me a positive

615
00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,000
person.
Mike has to do that for himself.

616
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,080
Just like Chris had to quit
drinking, just like Mike had to

617
00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,320
quit doing drugs.
Yes, I just think that's such a

618
00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,960
huge positive concept that it
gets overlooked all the time.

619
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:28,520
Free will.
Yeah, perfect.

620
00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,560
And the the.
The crazy part is the person

621
00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:34,000
will just say living in Beverly
Hills versus the one living in

622
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,200
the ghetto, they could
potentially have the same

623
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,320
mindset, but they're stuck in
their own forests, their own

624
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:43,400
weeds that they don't see the
avenues out of 11 Avenue or out

625
00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,360
of the other.
That's a brilliant statement.

626
00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:47,600
And that's why the guy in.
Beverly Hills might.

627
00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,480
Just be as miserable as the guy
living in the ghetto or vice

628
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,320
versa.
The the guy living in the ghetto

629
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,080
might be super happy, just like
the guy living in Beverly Hills.

630
00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,360
I always say life is
perspective, right?

631
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,960
Yeah, it's all and how you're
approaching it from your

632
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,680
mindset?
Absolutely.

633
00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:06,880
And like that's.
All you can get control is

634
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,640
yourself and your mindset.
And the wildest thing that I

635
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:12,920
have learned is that, like,
we're not our own thoughts.

636
00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,480
And that blows my mind because
like, who the fuck's up there

637
00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,440
then, you know, if that's not
me, then who is it?

638
00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,640
But we just got to accept which
thoughts we want to dwell on,

639
00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:24,600
right?
If you, if you're having a great

640
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,120
day and the negative thought
comes in, yeah, you can either

641
00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,480
choose to sit with that negative
thought and spiral and make it a

642
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:32,560
bad day.
Or you could choose to like,

643
00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,800
push that to the side and not
allow yourself to think about

644
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:38,120
that and force yourself to think
about something happy or

645
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,240
something you're grateful for.
It's supposedly scientifically

646
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:47,240
proven that you cannot be
grateful and depressed about

647
00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,240
something at the same time.
So when you're start, when I

648
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,800
start feeling down about
something, I think of the

649
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,600
adverse like the the thing I'm
grateful for.

650
00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:57,800
I try the same thing.
Grateful.

651
00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,440
So that way I don't allow myself
to go to the negative.

652
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,960
And some days, dude, I feel like
I'm flat out lying to myself and

653
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,840
I'm just reading a script, you
know, Bart Simpson writing I

654
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,560
will not skate in school again
or whatever on the chalkboard

655
00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,880
over and over again.
That's exactly what I'm doing.

656
00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,560
I've told Chris before on this.
Show I should get some kind of

657
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,960
fucking award for what I do
every day because I should have

658
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:19,280
been an actor.
Because it really is an act for

659
00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:23,040
me to go do my job every day.
It's a great job.

660
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,640
I make good money.
That's not like it's there's

661
00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,000
people that would die for that
job.

662
00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,000
But in my mind, it's just not
what I want to do every day.

663
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,920
It is an act, but I choose to go
make the best of it, right?

664
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:38,720
So the way I look at life is the
things that I don't want to do.

665
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,880
I just, it's almost like a Zen
moment.

666
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,480
I'm like, this is what I'm doing
for this moment, you know, for

667
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:49,880
these, this span of hours, this
is my life for right now after

668
00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,840
it, I'm going to go do whatever.
But instead of looking at it

669
00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,120
like, Oh my God, I got to go to
work and I'm not going to make

670
00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:56,920
it through and it's going to be
the worst day ever.

671
00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:59,720
Well, people do that every day
and it is the worst day ever for

672
00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:01,960
him every day.
And then they look at me and

673
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:03,800
they say, how come you're always
smiling?

674
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,160
Because I woke up?
Because I'm alive, Because I'm

675
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,400
breathing?
Or do you need any other yes?

676
00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,640
Just like they're choosing to
frown, you're choosing to smile.

677
00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:15,440
Thank you.
And one thing I really had to

678
00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:17,840
work on as well is that like,
it's not a bad day.

679
00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,160
It's a bad moment.
It's a bad hour.

680
00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,800
And forcing myself not to allow
it to be a bad day.

681
00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:26,960
I told Chris when I went through
my.

682
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,200
Recovery.
That's how I took life was I

683
00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,920
started with 10 seconds at a
time because I was a horrible

684
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,360
addict.
So I went from 10 seconds to 10

685
00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:38,640
minutes to 10 hours to 10 days,
you know, and here we are 18

686
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:42,280
years later or whatever.
But it started with those micro

687
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,160
micro moments in time.
I called them if I can just make

688
00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:50,080
it through this moment in time,
I'll be OK, right.

689
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:52,920
That's your awareness.
That's where the. $1,000,000

690
00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:54,960
word comes in aware.
You became aware.

691
00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:58,080
You just have to focus on the
next 10 seconds, the next 10

692
00:33:58,080 --> 00:33:59,960
minutes.
When I was in boot camp, our

693
00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:03,080
drill instructors told us to
best thing to do is focus on

694
00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:05,720
making it to the next child.
Don't worry about how far away

695
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:08,280
graduation seems.
Worry about making it to the

696
00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:11,080
next child, to the next child,
to the next child and then

697
00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,960
you'll be at graduation.
That's totally my mindset man.

698
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:17,320
So when someone thinks they can
out willpower me, I've been

699
00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,320
willpowering for 18 years to not
do hard drugs.

700
00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,000
So congratulations to both of
you.

701
00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,239
Thank you.
Now with with.

702
00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,120
You, Josh, I want to circle back
to you a little bit here.

703
00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:32,280
So, so when you came out at the
Marines, how long were you kind

704
00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,480
of like just struggling with,
OK, what am I going to do?

705
00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,639
Where am I going?
You know what kind of time time

706
00:34:37,639 --> 00:34:41,199
transition that take to get you
from from getting out to kind of

707
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,880
finding your your niche and then
moving forward with that.

708
00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:48,960
So I got out.
In 2017, and sometimes to this

709
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,639
day, I still feel like I'm
struggling trying to figure it

710
00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:56,480
out, right?
The first couple of years almost

711
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:59,880
are a blur.
I was still drinking at that

712
00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:06,200
time, got into a relationship
that was toxic at that time, and

713
00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:08,440
it's just kind of all a blur in
a sense.

714
00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,040
So like the first couple of
years I didn't even think I was

715
00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,160
struggling.
I didn't think I was lost, I

716
00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:15,120
didn't think anything.
I just thought I was going

717
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:20,200
through life.
And then it took me 3-4 years in

718
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,040
to realize, oh shit, I am kind
of lost.

719
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,120
I still feel that way to this
day, right?

720
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:26,960
But I'm also trying to grow
something that I don't, I don't

721
00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:31,520
necessarily have a model to, to
mimic to go after, right?

722
00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:35,320
Like, so long, what I'm trying
to do with the sandbox on my

723
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:38,320
podcast has become this
generation's version of the VFW

724
00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,360
and Lions Club combined, except
it's going to be focused on

725
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,360
being substance free and
community healing.

726
00:35:45,520 --> 00:35:48,000
I'll never be able to get rid of
those half true war stories.

727
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:49,760
That's just going to be part of
nature, right?

728
00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,600
But I can take the drinking or
the smoking or whatever

729
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,640
substance it is out of the
situation.

730
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,120
And then I like to say us as
veterans have collectively

731
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:03,040
donned the oxygen mask on the
airplanes, but the mental health

732
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,800
one.
And now we're ready to spread

733
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:07,080
throughout our community to help
rebuild and regrow.

734
00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,960
So eventually we're going to be
doing things for the community

735
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,600
that are all led by veterans,
whether it's a simple pancake

736
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,320
breakfast and the veterans and
1st responders are the ones

737
00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:19,040
serving our community.
Because everything I feel is

738
00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:22,600
dividing us.
That's what is people are trying

739
00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:24,800
to do is keep us divided.
And I'm tired of that.

740
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,560
Like, yeah, why?
Let's just all come together.

741
00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:29,800
Yeah, Agree.
Yeah, I stopped.

742
00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:31,920
Watching the news, dude, 'cause
I just got fed up with

743
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,760
everything.
So negative and just, it's just,

744
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:37,440
it's depressing and they're not
there's, there's no accuracy to

745
00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:39,440
it anymore.
It's entertainment.

746
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:41,520
Yeah, and the news.
Is Yeah, yeah.

747
00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:43,920
What I've learned is that the
news.

748
00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:47,640
Is like pure propaganda for
whoever owns it and they're only

749
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:51,440
putting their side out there
with with an added spin to make

750
00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:54,840
it spicier for the TV to make
you want to pay attention.

751
00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:57,680
And for me it's just.
Click.

752
00:36:57,680 --> 00:36:59,720
It's clickbait because I again,
I don't watch the news.

753
00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:01,520
Like literally, I will not watch
the news.

754
00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,120
I probably, I can't say never,
but maybe five times since 2008

755
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:06,800
I've watched the news.
I mean, that's it.

756
00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,400
And I don't go with never but.
The one thing that what would

757
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:16,040
you say changed immediately in
your life by not watching the

758
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:20,360
news?
If I wasn't depressed, that's

759
00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:21,560
the point I was just going to
make.

760
00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,680
If you're one of those people.
That watches that shit every.

761
00:37:24,680 --> 00:37:28,160
Day for Christ's sake, shut it
off for a week right and see how

762
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,040
much your life changes how many
positive stories do you hear on

763
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:36,240
the news in 1/2 hour news cycle
maybe want maybe yeah and see

764
00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:37,840
that's.
The whole reason too, why I

765
00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,880
started Good News Arizona in two
weeks under cover because

766
00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:42,880
everything was just so negative,
negative, negative.

767
00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,800
So I called the buddy up like,
hey, let's go do this.

768
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:50,160
And it it that took on its own
life because people were tuning

769
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,520
in for the sheer fact it was
just Arizona based and

770
00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:54,760
everything was good news.
It was stuff I would just pull

771
00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:57,840
off social media and things.
It was nothing but a positive

772
00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,360
and it wasn't even a spin.
It was just like if if I had ran

773
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,800
into you back then, Josh, we
would have talked on good news

774
00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,200
Arizona about sandbox like this
is a great outlets.

775
00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,120
It's a great it's a it's a great
resource for veterans and 1st

776
00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,360
responders to come with like
minded people.

777
00:38:12,280 --> 00:38:16,000
And it could, but that's what it
was about because the news is so

778
00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:17,200
bad.
And coming from somebody who

779
00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:19,720
went to school to be a
journalist, we one of the one of

780
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:22,080
the things I had to do in
college was time on newscast

781
00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,080
from start to finish with a
stopwatch.

782
00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:27,800
And every time they had a news
story, you press start.

783
00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:30,320
And when they're done with that
news for you, you press stop and

784
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:33,320
a 30 minute news show, which now
it's like 32 minutes.

785
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:37,640
There was 4 minutes or so of
actual concrete news.

786
00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:43,360
Everything else was fluff and
and what the hell is the word?

787
00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:45,080
I don't know.
I just my brain lost it.

788
00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:50,080
But you know, the the fake shit,
the fella, the fillers, the

789
00:38:50,080 --> 00:38:52,440
fillers and the smoke and
mirrors and kind of like there's

790
00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:54,720
two good songs on an.
Album and the other 8 suck.

791
00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:56,440
Yeah, yeah.
And it so.

792
00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,640
It was, it was commercials and
rhetoric and conversations

793
00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,440
between the anchors, whether you
don't count as news because

794
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:05,200
you're just reporting, you know,
on the weather.

795
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:06,680
So it's just you take the
weather out.

796
00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,800
Everything else is 4 minutes of
actual hardcore news there.

797
00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,480
And here's the other thing real
quick.

798
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:18,240
Can you ever get a point across
in a 3 minute sound bite with

799
00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:19,880
four people talking over each
other?

800
00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:22,920
Right.
We've just, I mean.

801
00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:27,680
We're limited on time today a
little bit, but we still blew up

802
00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:31,720
your story to the point where
you could tell it in a way you

803
00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:33,840
wanted to.
You couldn't do that in 3

804
00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:37,760
minutes on CNN.
If Chris and I were talking in

805
00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:40,320
addition to you, you would have
never got your point across.

806
00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,280
That's the other thing that
people don't realize is Josh

807
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:47,480
just said it a second ago.
You're hearing what they want

808
00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:51,320
you to hear from their angle to
sell their advertising.

809
00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,400
The one thing I can impress that
I can't impress upon people

810
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,600
enough about television is you
are literally watching what they

811
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:03,320
want you to watch to sell the
advertisement they want to sell.

812
00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,880
That's what television is.
Yep, it's not.

813
00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:08,200
About the program, it's about
the.

814
00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,760
Advertising for them.
You're looking at it from One

815
00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:12,640
Direction, they're looking at it
from another.

816
00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:14,880
Prime example.
I just finished watching.

817
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,200
The Charlie Sheen thing on
Netflix OK was a good final.

818
00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,800
Oh, unbelievable.
The final two years he was so

819
00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,400
down the dark path of his
addictions doing smoking 7 grams

820
00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,920
of crack at a time like it was
crazy.

821
00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:33,880
They made him the highest paid
TV star at 2 million an episode

822
00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:36,560
for 2 1/2 men for the last two
years because they were making

823
00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:43,120
150, five, $155,000,000 a year
in revenue from ads and they

824
00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:44,960
kept offering him money.
He kept saying no.

825
00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,320
Him and his attorney just kept
saying no, I'm done, I'm done,

826
00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:49,120
I'm done.
And then they threw 2 million at

827
00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:51,040
him.
He's like I, what do you do with

828
00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:53,160
that?
But they could.

829
00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:56,000
They could care.
Less about his, his struggles

830
00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:57,680
and his addictions.
And they say, and it was out

831
00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,240
there, they were talking to
Chuck Lorre on the on the on the

832
00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,880
documentary and he, he's like,
you knew something was going on.

833
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:04,920
Jon Cryer, you knew something
was going on.

834
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:08,800
But how do you stop it?
Because he's the meal ticket.

835
00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:10,400
He's the reason that I'm getting
paid.

836
00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:11,880
He's the reason for my
livelihood.

837
00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,000
You just all these points,
right.

838
00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,120
So all these people around
Charlie Sheen see the train

839
00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:19,440
wreck and John cry even said it.
He's like the world wanted the

840
00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:20,640
train wreck.
It was.

841
00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:23,800
It was the first real explosion
of social media.

842
00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:27,320
And Charlie could do nothing
wrong that would deter the world

843
00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:29,160
from watching him.
They liked watching the train

844
00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:30,680
wrecked.
They were like watching the

845
00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:33,480
chaos.
They like, oh, he, he, he put a

846
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:36,680
he shot such and such, you know,
and she claims it was an

847
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:38,360
accident, fell off the dresser
and hit her.

848
00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:41,000
You know, he put his knife to
the throat of this chick.

849
00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,920
Same time the Tiger Woods does
his shit.

850
00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:46,880
Charlie seems apologizing for
domestic violence.

851
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:49,920
Everybody embraces Charlie.
Fuck you Tiger.

852
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:55,880
You know it was it was crazy.
I don't know why because it all.

853
00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,240
Goes back to what I've said 100
times.

854
00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:01,400
Life is perspective, right?
We expect that out of Charlie

855
00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:04,240
Sheen.
We expected more out of Tiger

856
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:05,560
from Tiger Wood.
This is true.

857
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:07,840
It's the hypocrisy of the whole.
Deal.

858
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:09,560
Yeah, yeah.
But it's.

859
00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:10,600
Insane.
It's insane.

860
00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,160
What what they and he takes
ownership of everything but it's

861
00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,120
insane that everybody knowing
full blown that he was going

862
00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:18,960
through this total chaotic train
wreck.

863
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:23,440
They paid him 2 million an
episode, $2,000,000 the highest

864
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:27,400
paid actor ever per episode.
Chris Dunham What?

865
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,960
You know, I love this
conversation, but we got to get

866
00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,480
Josh out of here and I want him
to have a chance to plug the

867
00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:33,640
rest of the stuff.
OK?

868
00:42:33,680 --> 00:42:34,920
Yeah, plug the rest of your
stuff, man.

869
00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,040
OK wait before I even do.
That I've been like trying to

870
00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:39,200
keep this in my brain the whole
time.

871
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:43,480
For your son Chris, there's a
program called Skill Bridge

872
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,000
where I believe it's up to six
the last six months of his

873
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,400
contract.
He can end up getting a man.

874
00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,320
What's it?
He can end up interning at an

875
00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:56,080
organization.
He can learn how to Weld.

876
00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:58,200
He can learn all sorts of
different things.

877
00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,320
There's a whole bunch of
different businesses on there

878
00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:04,440
now that he could potentially
get, quote, UN quote, internship

879
00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:07,160
where he'll still get paid
through the Marine Corps, but he

880
00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:09,360
gets to go.
It's like a bridge into the

881
00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:11,200
civilian life.
He doesn't have to do Marine

882
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:14,120
Corps things anymore.
He goes and does whatever he's

883
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,920
learning for those six months.
OK, yeah, his thing.

884
00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:18,160
He's in, right?
Now he's trying to be a

885
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,240
firefighter, so he's found
something within the fire,

886
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:22,840
within the Marine Corps that
will help that transition.

887
00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,320
So that's cool that that might
be Skill Bridge.

888
00:43:26,720 --> 00:43:28,400
But that, that's awesome.
Good for him.

889
00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,040
And so we got 90 seconds.
Yeah, OK.

890
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:33,480
Yeah.
Not to interrupt you.

891
00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:35,720
Yeah, yeah, drop your, drop all
your stuff.

892
00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:37,840
We got 90 seconds left.
So tell people how to find you.

893
00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,760
Tell them how to find your
podcast, tell them how to find

894
00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:41,680
your networking stuff, because
we want to get that out there.

895
00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,280
OK, Yeah.
So you can find me on social

896
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:50,840
media by J Mac podcast.
That's JMACH podcast, all

897
00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:55,880
streaming sources the same way
my websites J macpodcast.org The

898
00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:58,680
Sandbox is J Mac Sandbox on
Instagram.

899
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,280
Anywhere you find J Mac Podcast,
you're going to find everything

900
00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:05,760
I do with the sandbox as well.
It's out here in surprise, AZ.

901
00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:09,840
I'm just trying to combat
veteran and 1st responders

902
00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,760
suicide, one story, one
conversation at a time while

903
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:14,120
reminding everybody they're not
alone.

904
00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:17,440
We all have our struggles
gentlemen, it's been a pleasure

905
00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:19,480
being on here.
I love it brother.

906
00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:20,920
Thank.
You for coming out, please come

907
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:22,680
back.
So you're going to like, you're

908
00:44:22,680 --> 00:44:23,320
going to dig.
This.

909
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:25,360
You're going to dig this, G Mac,
because this is how we end up

910
00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:26,640
every.
This is how we wrap up every

911
00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:28,240
single show.
It doesn't matter who you are.

912
00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:29,720
It doesn't matter how you're
feeling.

913
00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:33,400
If you're depressed, if you're
feeling suicidal, somebody's

914
00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:34,920
going to miss you, somebody's
going to love you.

915
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:36,880
Don't leave somebody.
Don't leave a hole in somebody's

916
00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:38,560
heart because you decided not to
wake up tomorrow.

917
00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:42,080
Go run, go journal, go workout,
go scream in a pillow, call

918
00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:43,920
somebody.
Anybody will talk to you whether

919
00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,200
you believe it or not, you are
loved.

920
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:48,080
You will be missed.
So don't make that choice.

921
00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:51,160
If you need help, text 988.
It's there 24/7.

922
00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:53,280
Someone will listen to you if
someone will help you.

923
00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,160
And tomorrow is a better day.
So it'll be even better day with

924
00:44:56,160 --> 00:44:58,960
you waking up in it.
So until next time, I'm Chris

925
00:44:58,960 --> 00:44:59,840
Dunham.
He's Mike Michaels.

926
00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:02,600
That's J Mac J Mac podcast.
He's doing great things.

927
00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:05,760
By all means, go check him out,
especially first responders,

928
00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,120
veterans, because what he's
doing is something that needs to

929
00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:11,200
be done and appreciate you for
doing that, Josh, and learned a

930
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:13,360
lot today.
I'm thanks again brother.

931
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:14,720
Yeah.
Pleasure to meet you.

932
00:45:14,720 --> 00:45:15,960
Absolutely.
Absolutely.

933
00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:17,200
Thank you for your service too,
man.

934
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:19,360
From my family, military family
of yours.

935
00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:20,000
Hoorah.
Absolutely.

936
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:21,640
Thanks for your support and
Chris.

937
00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:24,040
I better see you at the sandbox.
No excuse all.

938
00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:28,040
Right, gentlemen, thank you so
much.

939
00:45:28,040 --> 00:45:29,600
We'll talk again.
All right, brother.

940
00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:30,400
Peace.
Peace.

941
00:45:30,560 --> 00:45:32,280
That's it.
Don't leave yet.

942
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:33,280
We got to make.
Sure you upload.

943
00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:54,200
Your wife long your journey.
This is the place where you will

944
00:45:54,680 --> 00:45:59,480
go.
Feel the trail behind your eyes,

945
00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:07,200
Feel yourself and need yourself.
Take a moment, look until you

946
00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,760
see it.
Watch your bail and see your

947
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,880
boss wears your bail.
But you fuck will.

948
00:46:17,040 --> 00:47:37,710
Who is this baby to your city?
Now you're turning.

949
00:47:39,110 --> 00:47:42,430
Come down here.
You haven't bounced out.

950
00:47:42,430 --> 00:47:47,950
It is in your sand.
It's fun fighting wait for the

951
00:47:48,110 --> 00:47:51,150
dead or when it's closer out
here.

952
00:47:51,670 --> 00:47:54,990
But in the wind you ain't no
creature.

953
00:47:55,910 --> 00:47:58,390
We're playing Smound.
And you should.

954
00:47:58,590 --> 00:48:03,200
You put it on the Almighty.
Got a dream?

955
00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:11,000
Who in your life could keep your
soul in every man?

956
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:16,240
Take the trail behind your eyes.
Feel the soul everyone shed now.

957
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:25,160
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah.

958
00:49:44,840 --> 00:49:44,920
The.