WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:05.160 The following presentation is abol Marvis Studio's production. 2 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:29.719 When you look on the sky, do you feel the poll? 3 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:35.679 The question why the stories told? 4 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:42.439 And left behind in shadows where the truth we find. 5 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:51.000 They built their tails on crafts and lines, on theories. 6 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:54.000 They stake their designed. 7 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:02.560 Put down here on this solid brown the answer screen. 8 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:08.480 They're all around, rise and break through. 9 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:14.959 All welcome back truthseekers from around the world. It's time 10 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.560 for another edition of the Flat Earth Files podcast. I'm 11 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:22.319 your host, as always, George Hobbs. We are recording on 12 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:26.959 this Thursday evening, June twenty six, twenty twenty five. I 13 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:30.560 hope everybody is doing well. We have a guest standing 14 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:32.680 by Brett and he'll join us in just a second. 15 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.760 Two quick notes before we get started. First, up by 16 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:39.799 the website truthernet dot com. And secondly, if you'd like 17 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:43.000 to share your story, like so many have before, and 18 00:01:43.760 --> 00:01:45.719 I think we still have six or seven people lined 19 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:49.719 up ahead of Brett, send us an email FE Filesguest 20 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:54.400 at gmail dot com. Again, it's fe Files Guest at 21 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:58.200 gmail dot com. We'll send you a questionnaire and we'll 22 00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:01.400 do our best to get you scheduled at a date 23 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:04.319 and a time. That is good for the both of us, 24 00:02:04.760 --> 00:02:08.719 and without any further ado, we're going to bring on 25 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:11.599 our guests for this evening. His name is Brett. Brett. 26 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.479 Thanks so much for taking the time to join us tonight. 27 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:17.960 How are you, brother, Oh, I'll do good, George, Thank 28 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:21.840 you for having me. I've been a been a fan 29 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:27.000 of your show now for about probably two years. Came 30 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:33.319 across it and just got hooked instantly. Basically Binge listened 31 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:37.680 to it every single day. And then last summer took 32 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:41.919 a family vacation out to Colorado and my wife and daughter. 33 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:46.719 They flew and I drove, and on the way there, 34 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:50.000 I listened to your show no stop. I just went 35 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:52.719 on the show, hit play and listened to every single 36 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:54.840 episode I could for the eight hour drive there and 37 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:55.960 the eight hour drive back. 38 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:57.759 So and finally got caught up. 39 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.439 And then I was a little sad when I caught 40 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:02.439 up because then I had to wait a week for 41 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:03.439 a new show to come out. 42 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:08.000 Oh that's awesome. And I'll tell you what, I don't 43 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:10.120 know what part of Colorado you went to. I really 44 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:14.879 missed Colorado. We we physically lived there for seven years, 45 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:17.240 but I was gone for probably four to four and 46 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.919 a half of those years. But I really enjoyed living 47 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:24.800 so beautiful there. And because of you know, we lived 48 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:28.639 in Colorado Springs that was probably forty five hundred feet 49 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:32.039 There wasn't a lot of bugs, cool nights, you know 50 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.520 that you didn't have to run the air conditioner too much. 51 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:36.319 I really enjoyed my time there. 52 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:38.960 Yeah, we we've got out there. 53 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:40.960 I've been there quite a few times in my life, 54 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.319 and my wife and I have been out there quite 55 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:42.960 a few times. 56 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.680 I got a lot of my family lives out there. 57 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:49.199 They lived in some of them live in Denver and 58 00:03:49.240 --> 00:03:51.400 some of them live up in the mountains in like Georgetown, 59 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:52.199 Frisco area. 60 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:52.599 Yep. 61 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:57.439 And then for the vacation, we went to Grand Lake Nice. Yep. 62 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:00.879 It was it's just like you said, it's it's breathtakingly 63 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:01.719 beautiful out there. 64 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:04.800 Yeah, it really is. Well, let's let's jump into it. 65 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.039 Why don't you kind of I know you've got quite 66 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:11.599 the story, and I think, yeah, we spoke about two 67 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:12.840 years ago, right. 68 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:17.279 And uh, I email, Yeah. 69 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:21.399 Yep, and we've come full circle and we're here tonight. 70 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:23.360 And I'm very thankful by the way that our listeners 71 00:04:23.399 --> 00:04:26.800 have been flexible this week, both the interviews or three 72 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.040 interviews we had scheduled for this week. Between my my 73 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:32.680 dog's surgery and school and appointments, it's just been a 74 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:35.240 crazy week. But I'm very thankful that we've been able 75 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:36.160 to know, and. 76 00:04:36.600 --> 00:04:38.680 I'm thankful I was able to get on. Sorry, when 77 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:40.959 we had tried a couple of weeks ago. Oh yeah, 78 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:44.879 getting sick and you know that fell through. My daughter 79 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:48.560 was came down with something, and then my wife got it, 80 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:50.319 and then a couple of days later I got it, 81 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:53.480 so kind of spread it spread through the house a 82 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:55.000 little bit, so to say, there you go. 83 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:58.279 You look and sound healthy. So I'm thankful that you've 84 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.040 you all have overcame that. But yeah, by all means, 85 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:04.839 please take the time and talk to us about your journey. 86 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:11.040 Sure. My name is Brett from Iowa, Central Iowa. I 87 00:05:11.079 --> 00:05:15.240 was actually born here, but moved around a lot when 88 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:21.120 I was younger. My mom and dad they divorced shortly 89 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:25.800 after I was born. Then my mom and I moved 90 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.800 to Schomberg, Illinois. I don't remember it at all, I 91 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:33.759 was too young. And then from there we moved to Washington, 92 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.680 d C. Or I should say Western Virginia, which is 93 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.720 basically the DC area, it's not too far away. Lived 94 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.879 there for a few years, and then we lived moved 95 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:47.759 to Hawaii, lived on Oahu for a few years, and 96 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:52.800 then ended up back in Council Bluffs, Iowa. That's where 97 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:56.560 my mom was born. She has a pretty good sized family. 98 00:05:56.680 --> 00:06:00.879 She has four brothers and four sisters. We were actually 99 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:03.759 headed back to the DC area for her job and 100 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:08.560 we stopped to visit family, and she decided been away 101 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:11.160 from you guys too long. She ended up quitting her 102 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:13.279 job and we ended up staying in Council Bluffs and 103 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:14.680 that's where I went to high school at. 104 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:18.120 So, yeah, it's been quite a journey. 105 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.279 Yeah, it'd be interesting. Do you ever think about how 106 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:22.639 things would turn out if you grew up in the 107 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.160 DC area. 108 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:29.240 I remember a good portion of it because I was 109 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:40.879 probably it was probably fifth grade. I'd say probably about fourth, third, 110 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.839 fourth and fifth grade. I lived there, and I remember 111 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:48.519 we took a lot of field trips to d C. 112 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:52.360 So we would go to you know, the Aerospace Museum 113 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:55.040 and the National History Museums and. 114 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:58.759 You know, all the monuments and whatnot. 115 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:06.920 Yeah, but yeah, it's been a pretty crazy ride. But 116 00:07:07.959 --> 00:07:13.319 doing all that moving around made my childhood difficult, to 117 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:17.439 say the least, because like I probably went to three 118 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:23.000 at least three elementary schools, two different junior highs, and 119 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:30.160 ended up going to three different high schools. So education 120 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:33.480 came tough because I was always trying to fit in, 121 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:39.439 you know, trying to be accepted. 122 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:39.600 So to speak. 123 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:44.160 And so when I was younger, I was a product 124 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:50.839 of the eighties, and they put me on Ridland because 125 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.319 they said I had a d D and ended up 126 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:58.399 getting put on Ridland, and I was putting special ed classes, 127 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:02.920 which made junior high and high school extremely tough because 128 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:05.720 you know how kids are at that age, And I 129 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.560 would spend a good portion of the day in the 130 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:11.600 special ed classes and then I would go out to 131 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:15.720 the regular classes. But I was in the classroom for 132 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.639 the good part of the day with kids who had, 133 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:23.839 you know, real disabilities, so to speak. And so you know, 134 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.480 of course, getting teased all the time and getting bullied 135 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:33.679 all the time, and kind of went down the wrong 136 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:38.600 path because the kids that ended up accepting you were 137 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:41.000 probably kids you wouldn't want your kids hanging out with. 138 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:47.200 So I wouldn't say I was a big trouble maker, 139 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:50.679 but I hung out with a lot of troublemakers, and 140 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:54.799 through the grace of God, you know, thankfully, I was 141 00:08:54.879 --> 00:08:57.759 able to stay out of trouble for the most part. 142 00:08:57.879 --> 00:08:59.919 You know, I did my fair share of getting into 143 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:02.639 a little bit of trouble here and there, but things 144 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:04.720 could have been a lot worse with the situation that 145 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:05.720 I was in, for sure. 146 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:12.679 So that's you know, education, I've said this many times, 147 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.200 not just education, but they always have to put a 148 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:21.480 label on something. And you know, a teenage boy having 149 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:23.279 to sit in a chair all day, you know, well, 150 00:09:23.320 --> 00:09:27.000 he's tapping his feet all day. It's because the teachers 151 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:32.759 not really challenging them, not giving them, like the critical 152 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:38.360 thinking type of things to get them energized and involved 153 00:09:38.440 --> 00:09:41.000 in these type of educations. And again, have so many 154 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:43.399 great teachers, unfortunately many of them are handcuffed by the 155 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:47.720 system that they work in. For me, you know, I 156 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.600 had the same excitement graduating from high school as I 157 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:54.240 did getting my DD two fourteen. The day I retired 158 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:58.240 from the military, I felt free. But now that I'm older, 159 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.120 I do have a yearning for learning, and you know, 160 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:07.320 I'm kind of back in an education system, and you know, 161 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:10.240 I look at it differently and obviously, I'm not locked 162 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.240 in a seat eight hours a day, you know, going 163 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.919 through bell rings moves at forty five minutes, bell rings move, 164 00:10:17.480 --> 00:10:21.919 you know that that whole system, and we all have 165 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:24.799 the hindsight twenty twenty, right, you know. I wish I 166 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.840 would have paid more attention and done this and that, 167 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:29.679 but I mostly for the most part, let that go 168 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:33.399 because that doesn't affect our future. And we can't change 169 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:35.360 what we've done in the past, but we can certainly 170 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:37.799 focus on today in the future. 171 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:43.840 Absolutely, And it's different when you're wanting to learn something 172 00:10:43.879 --> 00:10:44.879 that you have an interest in. 173 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:45.320 For sure. 174 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:53.120 When something I kind of skipped over is when I 175 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:57.159 was in high school. Like I said, it was just 176 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.639 me and my mom growing up. When I was growing up, 177 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:05.159 we moved back to Council Bluffs. She hadn't met up 178 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:09.799 with her high school sweetheart and they ended up getting 179 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:13.679 married and he turned out to be real abusive, and 180 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:17.799 I guess growing up I didn't notice, but looking back, 181 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.559 I can see all the signs now. But my mom 182 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:27.519 was diagnosed with severe depression and bipolar and so I 183 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:30.840 think I was a sophomore in high school the first 184 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:36.559 time she had attempted suicide. And I remember I was 185 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.039 over at my girlfriend's house half the time, we were 186 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:40.080 hanging out downstairs. 187 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.320 Her parents came down and said, we need you to 188 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:44.039 come upstairs. We need to tell you something. 189 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:46.960 And they told me that my mom was in the hospital, 190 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.080 and so they took me to the hospital and I 191 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:51.960 got to see my mom for a little bit, and 192 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:57.559 then she ended up going somewhere out in Colorado for 193 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:01.080 it was a mental don't want to say institution, but 194 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:03.799 some kind of mental hospital that she went there for 195 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.720 several months. And I remember them trying to figure out 196 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:10.879 what they were going to do with me, and. 197 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:12.679 They asked me, what do you want to do? 198 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:16.679 Well, at that time, the only thing I cared about was, 199 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:18.919 you know, I wanted to stay close to my friends. 200 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:22.559 So I ended up staying with my stepdad at the time, 201 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:28.039 and shortly after that he kicked me out, so I 202 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.720 ended up go live in at different friend's house, staying 203 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.919 after couch is still trying to go through high school 204 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:39.120 doing all that and work in and then so I 205 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:46.799 was probably late fifteen, early sixteens when that happened. Then 206 00:12:47.679 --> 00:12:53.639 when I was about seventeen eighteen years old, my mom 207 00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:56.120 she moved back to Iowa and moved to Des Moines. 208 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.080 And I have a half brother, so she moved in 209 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:02.879 with my other and she they asked me if I 210 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.840 would come live with them, and then so I did, 211 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.159 and uh, I remember there was a kind of some 212 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:16.159 conflict between us because at this time, I'm basically living 213 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:18.480 on my own and I'm making my own rules, I'm 214 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:21.320 fending for myselves, and now they want me to fall 215 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:25.840 back into the structure life of you know, she's the 216 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:30.759 mom on the sun, and I didn't really want anything 217 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.600 to do with it. So I ended up moving out shortly. 218 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:37.000 I mean it was a short stint with that. My 219 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.919 mom ended up moving back out to Colorado, being close 220 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:40.519 to family. 221 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:41.440 And then. 222 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:46.879 I remember this was I remember nine to eleven happened, 223 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:51.000 and that was in my apartment, and I remember my 224 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:53.399 mom called me in the morning and I woke up 225 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:56.039 and I was like, answer the phone. She's like, do 226 00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:57.639 you see what's going on? You know what's going on? 227 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.519 To what are you talking about? She goes throw on TVs. 228 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:03.759 I turned TV and saw all the chaos that was 229 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:07.039 going in New York City, the towers and everything. And 230 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:13.600 I remember that time, a little bit before nine to 231 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.279 eleven happened. I was actually looking to join the army 232 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:20.000 and I was going through the steps. So I went 233 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:26.440 into a recruiters office, did the enlistment, did my tests, 234 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:31.279 but I still hadn't graduated high school yet and so 235 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:33.679 and I didn't have a GV at the time, so 236 00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:36.080 they said as soon as I get my GED they 237 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:37.600 would send me off. And I was going to go 238 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:40.840 to Fort Bettingworth, Georgia, but then the nine to eleven happened, 239 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:42.480 so I was like, I don't know if it was 240 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.159 a good time for me to join right now. 241 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:46.720 And that's one thing I do regret. 242 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.159 Even to this day, even though my feelings, what my 243 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:53.320 feelings are toward government are is, I do regret not 244 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:54.320 joining the service. 245 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:55.320 I think that. 246 00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:58.559 Probably would have been a pretty good thing for me 247 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:00.480 to go through at the time to get the structure 248 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.320 that I think I was yearning for but never got. 249 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:09.679 But yeah, so that happened, and then my mom came 250 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:12.639 and visited one time and she ended up moving back 251 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:14.639 to Hawaii, and she said, well, I would like to 252 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:17.600 have you move out to Hawaii with me, and I 253 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.440 was like, sure, share shirt. And then for some reason 254 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:21.320 something fell through. 255 00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.559 I didn't. She ended up moving back to Colorado, and 256 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:25.639 I remember we got. 257 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.919 Into a terrible, terrible disagreement, argument, fight, whatever you'd like 258 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:32.600 to call it, and I remember I said some pretty 259 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:38.440 hurtful things to her, and that was the last time 260 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.039 I talked to her. And then a couple of years later, 261 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:44.919 got a phone call, I think it was like four 262 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:48.000 o'clock in the morning that she had ended up committing suicide. 263 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:51.600 And my biggest regret was me because of what I 264 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:53.840 had said to her. I just felt so ashamed and 265 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:57.840 so embarrassed, and I didn't know how to seek the 266 00:15:57.879 --> 00:16:01.639 forgiveness from her, and so that's something I've kind of 267 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:04.159 lived with ever since. 268 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:08.840 That's tough, brother, but you were still you were still 269 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:13.840 at an age where it's really hard to think the 270 00:16:13.879 --> 00:16:16.000 way we do. And that's something I always try to 271 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:19.600 remind myself when I'm beating myself over the head for 272 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:21.960 mistakes I made when I was in my late teens 273 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.279 and twenties. We didn't have the spiritual formation, we didn't 274 00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:30.600 have the wisdom. And the reason we get wisdom is 275 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:34.399 because we live through these mistakes, and it's you know, 276 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:36.960 you know, we can blame ourselves, we can feel guilty 277 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:40.720 about it. But the big thing is when we're young, 278 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:43.720 especially if you're a guy. Man. I me and my 279 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:46.120 buddy today, I've been friends with him for over forty years. 280 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.000 We were clueless when we were eighteen nineteen years old. Man, 281 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:53.759 clueless and you know, you think you know everything, but 282 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:58.279 you really don't. You know, you were self centered. We 283 00:16:58.840 --> 00:17:02.879 really only care about our and you know, I have 284 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:05.759 been blessed. I'll tell you, brother, that I needed the 285 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:08.200 army more than the army needed me. And it did. 286 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.839 When I went back in for that second stint. It 287 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.839 gave me the structure and understanding that you know, if 288 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:18.039 I gave if I blew this after everything else I've blown, 289 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:20.759 you know that that could be it. And I took 290 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.200 it very seriously. And I lived just about every day 291 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:24.960 of my life while I wore the uniform. I took 292 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.440 it very seriously because then, you know, you get married, 293 00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:34.200 more children and responsibilities. You know, there's children and people 294 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:37.960 depending on you. And I was like, just don't screw 295 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:41.720 this up, George. And that's why I've worked so hard 296 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.279 at it. And that is something again, just like you 297 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:48.160 said right now, that we know what the government's really 298 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:52.119 about and the lives of this and that still, whether 299 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.759 it's being a teacher or a soldier, or a doctor 300 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:58.319 or a nurse, it's a very admirable, admirable and honorable 301 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:03.400 thing to do. Unfortunately, the matrix has corrupted all of 302 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:08.519 the systems, so it's really hard, right and we get 303 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.519 stuck in the paycheck you know thing where we you know, well, 304 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:14.279 if I don't do this, then I'm going to lose 305 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:16.519 my job. Then hang on a feld my family. It's 306 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:19.680 it's quite a matrix that they've created and that which 307 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:21.920 creates a lot of dilemmas for us personally. 308 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:24.039 Yeah, definitely. 309 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:27.839 And going back to what I said, you know, education 310 00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:30.480 comes easier when it's something that you want and want 311 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:30.759 to do. 312 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.599 Amen. Amen. 313 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:37.519 When when she had probably six months after coming back 314 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:41.799 from her funeral, I remember I made a promise to 315 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:44.680 her before we got that big argument where I quit 316 00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:46.920 talking to her, that you know, I would go to 317 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.079 school and whatnot. So I went out got my ged 318 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:54.240 right away. Then I enlisted in the culinary school. I 319 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:57.480 got accepted to the Culinary Institute of America and Hyde Park, 320 00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:01.960 New York. But the tuition there was insane. There's no 321 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:04.039 way I was going to afford it, even with the 322 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.240 financial aid that I was going to get. So I 323 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.359 ended up going to a local school here called the 324 00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:13.559 Iowa Culinary Institute, and it's pretty well known throughout the country, 325 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.960 and they have a sister school in Paris, France. And 326 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:19.839 I remember our first day of class, they were going 327 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.400 through the syllabus and everything and talking about, you know. 328 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:25.240 The program, and then they're like, well, at the end. 329 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:28.279 Of two years, we picked the eight top students and 330 00:19:28.359 --> 00:19:31.440 we give them scholarships to go do an internship in France. 331 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:34.559 And I was thinking to myself, I'm getting that scholarship, 332 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:38.160 and sure enough I did, you know, which was amazing. 333 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:43.359 I got to go over to France and had amazing 334 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:49.519 time there. So, you know, I don't know if this 335 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:53.480 is the right thing to say, but it was kind 336 00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:56.440 of I don't want to say blessing because that sounds 337 00:19:57.240 --> 00:20:03.720 kind of maybe morbid and way, but her passing was 338 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:07.519 in a sense kind of like a blessing because it 339 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:14.839 saved me, because it woke me up. The crazy thing is, 340 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:19.240 I remember when I came back from it was shortly 341 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:21.599 after her funeral. When we came back, I had a 342 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:25.440 couple of weird things happened to me, And I don't 343 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:27.839 know how I feel about it now, because I've been 344 00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:35.119 listening to a lot of podcasts and they talked about 345 00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:39.960 Christian based podcast and whatnot, and to kind of talk 346 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:43.000 about like how demons demons and stuff. But I remember 347 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:46.839 one day when I got home from work, I flipped 348 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:49.240 open my laptop. I was getting ready to go just 349 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:52.000 mess around on the computer, and I got into my 350 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:54.680 logging screen, so I wasn't even on my desktop yet, 351 00:20:54.839 --> 00:20:57.599 I haven't even put my password yet, and my mom's 352 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:01.119 voice came over and repeated over and over again, I 353 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:04.359 love you, I love you, I love you, and sounded 354 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:08.599 just like her, and I just remember all the hairs 355 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:13.160 on my body stood up. I instantly just started the ball. 356 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:15.680 And I was living with my brother at the time. 357 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:18.079 He was upstairs, and I yelled for him, and he 358 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.720 came down. What what what happened? What happened? 359 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.039 And I told him what happened. He goes he kind 360 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.440 of looked at me like I was crazy. 361 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:28.240 He's like, well, if it happens again, you know, we'll 362 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:31.920 get it recorded. The very next day, the exact same 363 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:34.440 thing happened again. My brother was able to come downstairs 364 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:37.440 in time, we hit record, We got it on recording. 365 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:39.559 Never happened again after that. 366 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:48.440 So I think, in a way, I I feel that 367 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:50.920 it was her connecting with me, just letting her know that, 368 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:55.000 you know, that she did love me. And you would 369 00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:57.440 think at that time it was that time when I 370 00:21:57.519 --> 00:22:02.119 realized that we don't truly die, there is life beyond 371 00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:08.119 what we experience. But I would have to honestly say 372 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:13.680 that it wasn't until I came across your podcast where 373 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:18.279 my faith had really started to change. And which is 374 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:21.880 weird because my mom was such a huge follower of Christ, 375 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.359 and she's always trying to get me involved in the 376 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:29.319 church so much so we're just constantly thrown down my throat, 377 00:22:29.400 --> 00:22:33.319 you know, and she's getting me into like youth group 378 00:22:33.400 --> 00:22:37.200 programs and uh all, you know, whatever she could try 379 00:22:37.240 --> 00:22:40.079 to get me involved. But at that time and my age, 380 00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:43.359 the only thing I cared about was, you know, hanging 381 00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:46.880 out with friends and getting in the mischief and doing 382 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:49.799 that kind of stuff. But so when I say her 383 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:52.039 passing was kind of a blessing in the way, it 384 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:53.559 kind of was because. 385 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:54.680 It made me. 386 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:59.960 Start to start on the path of straightening my life. 387 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:01.720 About you know, so. 388 00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:05.720 Yeah, many of us have unfortunately had to and at 389 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:08.000 some point we all will, you know, enduring the death 390 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.920 of a parent. I'm truly sorry that you had to 391 00:23:10.960 --> 00:23:12.680 deal with it at such a young age and in 392 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:16.519 the fashion you had to deal with it. But I think, 393 00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:18.240 you know, I've talked to a lot of people over 394 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:21.519 the years, especially after I lost my dad in twenty nineteen, 395 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:26.480 and you do feel, you know, I need to step 396 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:31.079 up right, And that's really when I fully changed my life. 397 00:23:31.160 --> 00:23:33.519 And like you said, I've moved back. I sold my 398 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:36.920 house in Texas, I sold my property in Colorado. We 399 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:40.400 moved back home. We started, you know, it was time 400 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:43.079 to come home, to be around family, to where I 401 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:48.279