1 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: Personally with Morgan Fieldsman. 2 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 2: A while back, I met a guy named Scotti Hastein 3 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: at an event here in Nashville, and I knew as 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: soon as I was talking to him that he had 5 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 2: a story that needed to be shared, and that's why 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: I decided to bring him on this week. We haven't 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 2: done any episodes on veterans or military or anything really 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 2: in that space, and I feel like he's one of 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: the perfect people to come on and start a conversation 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: around that, and his story is one that will have 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: you feel all kinds of emotions, especially to see where 12 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: he's at now. So let's get into this. I'm joined 13 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: this week by Scottie Hasting. Him and I met Gosh 14 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: so many months back at an event for Creative Vets, 15 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 2: which was super awesome. But I'm really just excited to 16 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 2: have you guys get to know Scotty Moore and hear 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 2: his wild story and experiences. So Scotti, thanks for being here, 18 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. We are going to dive 19 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 2: in so quick to your story because Creative It's is 20 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 2: the end of your story of what really started this journey? 21 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 2: I want to hear the beginning. Yeah, but what got 22 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: this all started? Why you're even in that group in 23 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: the first place, Like your background and what got you 24 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: to where you are today. 25 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's insane. So I grew up in the Cincinnati 26 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 3: Northern Kentucky area and I was playing baseball at the time, 27 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 3: semi pro baseball. I was making a little bit of money, 28 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 3: not a whole lot, and I made the decision one 29 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 3: day that I wanted to be a part of something 30 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 3: that meant something or something bigger than myself. And I 31 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 3: decided that I was going to go in enlist in 32 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 3: the Army. And so I did, and when I got there, 33 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 3: it was so funny, and I was like, man, I 34 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 3: just want to fight. Like, to me, a soldier is 35 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: someone who goes over in fights. That's what I wanted 36 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 3: to be. That's what I wanted to do. And I 37 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 3: should have played harder to get because come to find out, 38 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 3: there was a signing bonus. But they did. Of course, 39 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 3: the recruiter didn't tell me when I went to join 40 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: because he was like, oh, this guy wants to be 41 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 3: like the heck, yeah, you didn't get this. But everyone 42 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 3: else who like got actually got recruited got a signing 43 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 3: bonus except for me. 44 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 2: I'm like man, Come on, how many years did it 45 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: take for you to find out about that? 46 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 3: Oh? It was at basic training when I found out 47 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 3: that everyone else was getting a signing bonus. Yeah, someone 48 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 3: had said something about it. They were like, oh, I 49 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 3: got half the money before I left and helped out 50 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 3: my family, and then I get the rest of the 51 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: half when I graduated basic. And I was like, what 52 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 3: it's like that meme. We're like, wait, you guys are 53 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: getting paid absolutely that meme. 54 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 2: Wow it was you wanted to do this? 55 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, I wanted to. I just I felt like 56 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 3: I needed to be a part of something that meant something. 57 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 3: I was living a life where you know, I just 58 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 3: felt like I needed to do something, and so I yeah, 59 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 3: I joined the Army. I went to Fort Benning for 60 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 3: Basic training, which the home of the Infantry, and graduated 61 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 3: Basic training. And probably three months after graduating Basic training, 62 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: I was in Afghanistan. Wow. Yeah, it was very quick, 63 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 3: very quick. When I got to my unit, they were like, hey, 64 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 3: you guys know we're deploying right. 65 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, okay, was that kind of a 66 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: shock when it first happened. You're like, I knew I 67 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: wanted this. Yeah, but also that's happening a lot quicker 68 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: than I expected. 69 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 3: Oh. One, you go in and you're like, Okay, I'm 70 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: going to go to my first my first duty station. 71 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 3: I'm gonna be there for a little bit. I'm gonna train, 72 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 3: I'm gonna hang out with all the guys. And then 73 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 3: you get there and they're like, oh, yeah, we're deploying 74 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: in like a couple months. I was like, okay, dang, 75 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 3: wasn't expecting it to be that fast. 76 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and when you get that notice of deployment, are 77 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: you aware of what situation you're going into? 78 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, a little bit. For a while there, it was 79 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 3: that we were going to go to Iraq, and then 80 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 3: we were going to go somewhere else, and then they 81 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 3: finally decided Afghanistan is where we're going and and yeah, 82 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 3: and then that by that was probably a month before 83 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 3: we left. So we knew going into it we were 84 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 3: going to Afghanistan. We knew we didn't really know what 85 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 3: part of Afghanistan yet, we didn't. Yeah, we didn't know 86 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 3: that until right before we left. But yeah, we knew 87 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: it was gonna be Afghanistan. 88 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: So then you get there and how long are you 89 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,119 Speaker 2: over in Afghanistan. 90 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 3: For I was in Afghanistan for three months before I 91 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 3: got shot. 92 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:22,679 Speaker 2: So this all happened on your first ever deployment. Yeah, okay, yeah, wow. 93 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: I'm gonna put my reaction in comments until you continue this. 94 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. No, it was insane. We were there for three months. 95 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 3: We were there in twenty ten, twenty eleven, the end 96 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 3: of twenty ten, in the beginning of twenty eleven, and 97 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 3: it was that was a rough time in Afghanistan. We 98 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 3: were in the Kandahar Province, which is the southern part 99 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 3: of Afghanistan, which was a very rough part of Afghanistan, 100 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: and we were in firefights every day and losing people 101 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 3: and it was it was hard. But yeah, three months in, 102 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 3: we were on patrol April twenty first, twenty eleven, and 103 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 3: I walked up on a guy who had a rifle 104 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: behind his back and he just started spraying and he 105 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 3: was maybe fifteen feet from me, and he ended up 106 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 3: hitting me ten times total. So it was like up 107 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 3: my body this way. 108 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 2: Wow. Do you remember as this was happening in the 109 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 2: events that followed? Oh yeah, were you coming in and out? 110 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 3: Yeah? No, I was awake the whole time. I remember. 111 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: The only thing that I don't remember is falling on 112 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 3: the ground. I remember getting shot. I remember how it felt, 113 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 3: and then I remember waking up on the ground. I 114 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 3: don't remember that at all, but I do remember being 115 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 3: on the ground and trying to crawl over to my 116 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 3: guys because they were me getting shot was the start 117 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: of an ambush. So not only did I get shot, 118 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: but now they're getting shot at also, So it was 119 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 3: a whole thing, and I was trying to I was 120 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,559 Speaker 3: trying to crawl over to them, but I was really 121 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 3: bad off, so I just couldn't get to him. 122 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: When everything finally stopped, because I'm assuming that's what happened, 123 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 2: then you get transported somewhere. 124 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, I go from finally the fire stops. The guy 125 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 3: who shot me his gun jammed and that's the reason 126 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 3: why he stopped shooting me, and he I guess he 127 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 3: looked up as he was trying to fix the jam 128 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 3: and realize that I was still alive, and I pointed 129 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 3: my rifle at him, and that's when he dropped his 130 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 3: rifle and took off running. And then so he took 131 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 3: off running, but my team, my squad, is still getting 132 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 3: shot at, and then they all that subsides. It felt 133 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 3: like a lifetime, but it was probably only a couple 134 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: of minutes. Then that happens in my in between the 135 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 3: firefight that's happening, my medic runs to me and he 136 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 3: starts working on me, and then from there we go 137 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 3: back to the Candorhart airfield once the helicopter gets there 138 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 3: and picks me up. But I had lost so much 139 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,559 Speaker 3: blood at one point in time that my eyesight started 140 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 3: shutting down, and it was just like a white film 141 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 3: that I saw. It's crazy. I attribute that to like 142 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: the when people say I see the light, like, that's 143 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 3: what that is. I feel it's just like parts of 144 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 3: your body or shutting down, and my eyesight was the 145 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 3: first to go. But I eventually got to the Candorhort 146 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 3: Airfield and then went into the initial trauma room where 147 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: the doctors were working on me, trying to figure everything out, 148 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 3: and they immediately started hooking me up to blood started 149 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 3: getting blood pumping back into my box. And when that happened, 150 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 3: I started getting my eyesight back, and I remember saying, hey, 151 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 3: I can see, like my eyesight's coming back. It's a 152 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 3: little fuzzy, but I can see you guys. And then 153 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 3: that's when I heard a lady lean down and say, hey, 154 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 3: it's okay for you to go to sleep now. I 155 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 3: fought like hell to try to stay awake the whole time. 156 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 3: I remember like how easy it felt to just like 157 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 3: drift away, Like how easy it would have been to 158 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 3: just just give up and push them just drift away. 159 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 3: And I remember fighting that feeling from the from the 160 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 3: time that they picked me up in the goourney until 161 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 3: I was in the hospital Canfield. So the lady leaned down, 162 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 3: she said, hey, it's okay for you to go. 163 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: To sleep, and I was out like that, Why do 164 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 2: you feel like you were fighting so hard? What was 165 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 2: going through your mind that you can maybe recall that 166 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 2: was continuing to push you to fight. 167 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was just the fact that I just felt 168 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 3: like I wasn't ready to give up. I just felt 169 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 3: like I wasn't if there's still a lot of life. 170 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 3: It's crazy. When I was laying down on the ground 171 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 3: and I was bleeding and I was like, man, there's 172 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 3: still so much that I want to do. I can't 173 00:07:57,840 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 3: die here. There's so much that I want to do still, 174 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 3: and I just remember fighting. And the most amazing part 175 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 3: about it is going into basic training. You find out 176 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: that in all the different combat lifesaver things that you do. 177 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 3: They tell you that going into shock is going to 178 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 3: be It's a killer. If you go into shock, it's 179 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 3: the number one killer of combat injuries. If you get 180 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 3: injured or you're missing a limb or whatever. If you 181 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: go into shock, more than likely you're not going to 182 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 3: come back from that. So I fought to just try 183 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 3: to stay calm, try to stay as calm and cool 184 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 3: as possible, to the point of where I was trying 185 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 3: to just make jokes with my buddies that were part 186 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: with me that were there, and kudos to them because 187 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 3: they were picking up what I was trying to do 188 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 3: and they were just joking around with me. The medic 189 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 3: and those guys, they saved my life just doing that, 190 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 3: just making me stay calm as much as possible. 191 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 2: Scotty, that's incredibly impressive. Also just heartbreaking, but so impressive 192 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 2: that you could stay calm after that just happened to you. 193 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: Did you realize how many times you had been hit 194 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 2: at that? 195 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 3: No, I knew that I was really bad off. I 196 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 3: didn't know how bad. I knew that my hand and everything, 197 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 3: my whole arm was completely numb. My leg I remember 198 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 3: feeling like I remember when I got shot. I felt 199 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 3: all of it. So whoever says that adrenaline kicks in 200 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 3: is a liar, because that's true, felt all of it. 201 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 3: But no, it's I remember just the pain. And I 202 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 3: was like, man, like this, with how much pain I'm in, 203 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 3: I have to be really bad off. I was missing 204 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 3: a part of my hip where the guy said that 205 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 3: you whenever they first came to me to work on 206 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 3: my hip, you could see like the joint of my hip, 207 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 3: like the ball joint. And because I was all of 208 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 3: that muscle and all that tissue and everything which just 209 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 3: ripped away by bullets, I'm missing part of my armpit 210 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 3: because of where it hit me in the break your 211 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 3: plexus also, and it's just yeah, it was really bad off. 212 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 3: And I knew it was bad off, and especially by 213 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 3: the way that the medical reacted when he first came 214 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 3: to me, I was like, Oh, okay, this is a lot. 215 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 3: This is really bad. 216 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,319 Speaker 2: And yet you're still here and you're staying calm, cracking joke. 217 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm still trying to stay as calm as possible. 218 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 3: That's the only thing that you can do in that situation. 219 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 3: That's literally the only thing that I could do was 220 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 3: just try to stay calm and try fight that feeling 221 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 3: of just drifting off and going away. 222 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 2: So you get to the hospital, they start doing all 223 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 2: of this work on you. What are the events that follow? 224 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 3: The most incredible thing of that, this whole story, is 225 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 3: that lady that leaned down and said it's okay for 226 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 3: you to go to sleep. I talked to a guy 227 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 3: who was in that room that day, and there was 228 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 3: no there were no women in that room that day. 229 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 2: Wow. 230 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 3: So whoever that was, whoever came into my head and 231 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 3: said it's okay for you to go to sleep, it's 232 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 3: okay for you to let go. We got you. Whoever 233 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 3: that was, I don't know who it was, but then 234 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 3: there was no women in that room that night. 235 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 2: Does that feel like eerie too, and you're trying to 236 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: place maybe potentially who that was. 237 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's just it's yeah, it still gives me goose bumps. 238 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 3: It's crazy. There's a voice I've never heard before, and 239 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 3: it was just yeah, it was literally like, hey, it's 240 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 3: okay for you to go to sleep. We got you, 241 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 3: we'll take care of you, and I just passed owme. 242 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 2: It's crazy what happens with your body and with your 243 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 2: mind when stuff like that's happened. Absolutely, just you. Even 244 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 2: you've sitting here talking about trying to stay really calm, 245 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 2: but then also this happening. It's just crazy, the things 246 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: and the events that surround a really traumatic experience like that. 247 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 3: Absolutely, it's insane, man. And I remember, so that happened. 248 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 3: We got all that done, I went to sleep, and 249 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 3: I woke up like a day later, and I was 250 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 3: still in Kandahar and we were getting ready to move. 251 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 3: They asked me where I wanted to go, if I 252 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 3: wanted to go to Walter Reed or if I wanted 253 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 3: to go to Bamsea, which is in San Antonio. I'd 254 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 3: never heard of BAMSA, and they talked about Bamca being 255 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,559 Speaker 3: mainly for burnen people, okay, And I was like, well, 256 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 3: I'm not burnt, and I've never heard of Bamsa, but 257 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 3: I've heard of Walter Reed. I'll go there. Why that's cool? 258 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 3: And so went there. But we made so they'd take 259 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 3: you from Candahart into Lonstool, Germany. And but between those 260 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 3: two they lost pulse in my arm, and they thought 261 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:54,880 Speaker 3: they were gonna have to take my arm, and they 262 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 3: had to make an emergency stop in bogram and they 263 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 3: ended up taking a vein out of my right leg 264 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 3: and replace the artery in my arm, which is crazy. Wow, 265 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 3: I can even do that because I don't know what 266 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 3: health class they went to, but the one that I 267 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 3: went to said that arteries and veins are completely different. Yeah, 268 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 3: but apparently a vein will grow into an artery, which 269 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 3: is crazy, or at least grow into what it needs 270 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 3: to be. It's insane. 271 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 2: It sounds like you were in the right place with 272 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 2: the right person to do what needed to. 273 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 3: Absolutely, because like I said, they lost Paul some arm. 274 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 3: The thought they were gonna have to take the arm. 275 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 3: They just thought, Hey, like the arm's dying, we just 276 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,200 Speaker 3: have to get rid of it. But luckily there was 277 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 3: some doctor that I said, Nope, I got something I 278 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 3: can do and that thank god, I still have it. 279 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you have full feeling and stuff. 280 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: I have from I have no feeling from basically my 281 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 3: elbow down. I have this much movement in his hand. 282 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 3: These three fingers just sit there. But yeah, it's something 283 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 3: I've lived with for a while now. 284 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 2: And we get into in a little bit. You play 285 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 2: an instrument, Does that change anything for you? 286 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? I was lucky enough that when I started learning guitar, 287 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 3: I didn't know how to play guitar until like before this, 288 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 3: because I feel like if I knew how to play 289 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 3: guitar before this, I would have been like, this is stupid, 290 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 3: I'm done, I'm not gonna do this anymore. I would 291 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 3: have gotten upset and I would have gotten frustrated and 292 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 3: just quit, because it does change a lot. It's there's 293 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 3: a lot of learning curves that happen with having nerve 294 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 3: damage in your hand trying to learn how to play 295 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 3: the guitar. 296 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I could imagine, yeah, yeah, and. 297 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 3: It was so they passed me up. They got my 298 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 3: arm still fine in bogram and then I got to 299 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,440 Speaker 3: Long Still Germany, and then when I got to long 300 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 3: actually when I got to Bogramer is when I actually 301 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 3: finally got to call my family. So for the longest time, 302 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 3: they were told Scotty got hit, he got shot a 303 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,680 Speaker 3: bunch of times, he's in intensive care. We don't really 304 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 3: know what's gonna happen or what's happening, like it's touch 305 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 3: and God, we don't know. 306 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 2: And what is that timeframe that's two. 307 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 3: Days where my family's like just trying to figure out 308 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 3: if I'm even alive, Oh my god, and then yeah, 309 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 3: and then I get to bogram and they do that 310 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 3: procedure and that's when I call my mom and I'm like, hey, 311 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 3: I'm good, I'm still here high for now at least, 312 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 3: and then that's when she heard my voice. I called 313 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 3: my wife at the time, and it was it was crazy. 314 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 3: For the longest time, they didn't even know if I 315 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 3: was still alive. 316 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 2: Well, and just like when you were having that experience 317 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 2: where you're like, this felt like years for them, I'm 318 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 2: sure it was that saying where it was like every 319 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 2: minute just clicked as they were just waiting for that 320 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 2: phone call. 321 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 3: Absolute. I couldn't imagine being now that I have kids, 322 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 3: I couldn't imagine being on that end and just wondering 323 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 3: if my child's alive. Like I couldn't even imagine the feeling. 324 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 2: Have you ever talked to your mom about that moment 325 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 2: in time? 326 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 3: Oh? Yeah, We've done different like documentaries and stuff like that. 327 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 3: We did a VA documentary that she talks about it 328 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 3: and stuff, and we've had conversations about it, and it's rough. 329 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 3: It's really rough to hear her talk about it and 330 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 3: to hear my brother and my dad talk about it. 331 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 3: It's yeah, it's a completely different experience than what I experienced. 332 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 2: Well, and it's not ever something I don't feel like 333 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 2: anybody who chooses to join the army by choice, right, 334 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 2: like you choose your like the this is what I 335 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 2: want to do. I don't think you're thinking in that moment, well, 336 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 2: my family is going to have to potentially get a 337 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 2: phone call somebody. That's not what you're considering. 338 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think when you volunteer, especially volunteering into the infantry, 339 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 3: like you have an idea that something could happen, but 340 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 3: you don't ever want to think about it. I want 341 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 3: to think that could happen, and it does and you're like, 342 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 3: what do I do now? And yeah, and that's I 343 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 3: think more so for the family, it's harder because this 344 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 3: wasn't a decision they made. This was a decision that 345 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 3: I made. And yeah, now they're just having to deal 346 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 3: with the consequences of it. And yeah, it's just it 347 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 3: was rough. 348 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 2: I but on all of you guys, but particularly you're 349 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 2: the one who's going through this entire experience. So you're 350 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 2: in Germany, you make that phone call, when do you 351 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 2: finally make it back to the States. 352 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I was in Lonstool for about another day. 353 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 3: I think it was about another day. They were basically 354 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 3: just trying to make sure that I could make the 355 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 3: trip from Germany to the United States. Which before we 356 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 3: go any further, whoever picks the nurses that go to 357 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 3: Lonstol Germany deserves a medal because they are beautiful. So 358 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 3: ordered shout out to you whoever it was. 359 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: Are they nurses within like the US Army or are 360 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: they Yeah? 361 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 3: A little bit of both. So in Lonstool you have 362 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 3: you have the German nurses, and then you have nurses 363 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 3: that are also still part of the United States Army, 364 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 3: and and then you have nurses who are from the 365 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 3: US that they just they get paid to go overseas 366 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 3: and be nurses and hospitals like that. 367 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, shout out you're in Lonsto. There's something about 368 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 2: your parents. 369 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 3: Absolutely you're great. But yeah, so got I went from there. 370 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 3: I went to from Lonstool, I finally got to Walter 371 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 3: Reed and that was really that was where like the 372 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 3: fight really started was to That's why I had to 373 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 3: learn how to rewalk again. I had to learn how 374 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 3: to I had to learn how to do everything left 375 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 3: handed instead of right handed. And and that was when 376 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 3: I had to do other pt the occupaional therapy are 377 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 3: the different therapies and yeah, and then that was when 378 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,160 Speaker 3: the first time that my family got to see me also, 379 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 3: and the hardest part for them was I was hooked 380 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 3: up to wound vacs, which are like the things that 381 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: helped keep your wounds clean. And I was hooked up 382 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 3: to four different ones. And my mom said that when 383 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 3: she first walked in, she thought that those machines were 384 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 3: keeping me alive. And she said that it was scared 385 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 3: the crap out of her. 386 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, and she's seen four different machines and then 387 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:27,360 Speaker 2: she's seen you hooked up to all kinds of other 388 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 2: stuff and she's is this permanent? What's happening to my son? 389 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, she didn't really know. She didn't know what 390 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 3: those were. You don't know what a wound vac is 391 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 3: until you get in that situation and you're like, oh, 392 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 3: this was okay. But yeah, she said when she first 393 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 3: walked in, like her, my dad and my brother were 394 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 3: all like, is he even? Is he gonna live through this? What? 395 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 3: They didn't know? But I was fine. I was alive. 396 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 2: I was good when you get you gave the phone 397 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 2: call and they're like, Okay, he's alive. That's good, We're good. 398 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 2: They're probably not anticipating what that meant. 399 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 3: No, not at all. They were definitely not anticipating what 400 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 3: they saw when they walked into that and yeah, but 401 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 3: you know they they were troopers man. They stayed strong, 402 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 3: and it was how long were you? 403 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:06,120 Speaker 2: Therefore? 404 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 3: I was impatient for a month and then I was 405 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 3: out patient at Walter Reed but still living on the 406 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 3: campus for six months. Wow, but impatient. That was every 407 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 3: other day I was going under anesthesian. They were cleaning 408 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 3: my wounds every other day. For a month. 409 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 2: You had to go under anesthesia every other day, every 410 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 2: other day, Yeah, just to clean the wounds that you had. 411 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, because it would have been far too painful to 412 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:29,719 Speaker 3: not doing so. 413 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,360 Speaker 2: After that month of having that same experience over and over, 414 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 2: where you just. 415 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was just a blur, it really was. It 416 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 3: was you just get into Okay, well this is what 417 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 3: my life is now. There's like different stages. I feel 418 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 3: like you get there and you're like for me, I 419 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,159 Speaker 3: still I was like, Okay, I'm gonna be fine. I'm 420 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 3: gonna get nurse back to health and I'm gonna go 421 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 3: back over. I'm gonna be with my guys. I'm gonna 422 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 3: go back over. That's the plan. And then at Walter reed, 423 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 3: that was slowly started deteriorating. Okay, I'm not gonna be 424 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 3: able to go back over because this is worse than 425 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 3: I thought. And then it goes to accepting that, Okay, 426 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 3: well this is my life now, and then you get 427 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 3: a little pissed off sometimes like well, why I don't 428 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 3: want to do this anymore. I don't want to go 429 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 3: back to sleep tomorrow. It's what you need to do. 430 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 3: It's hard, it's a hard life to live in a 431 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 3: hospital bed. 432 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 2: Well, and that's so much of why I wanted to 433 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 2: bring you on Scotty, because those experiences that you have 434 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 2: are unfortunately not uncommon. Yours situation and then what happened 435 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 2: to you is very so woman yours, thank. 436 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: God, because I don't recommend it, but there's so many 437 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,439 Speaker 1: men and women like you who choose to serve and 438 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: they come out of serving with horribly traumatic situations that 439 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: happened to them. 440 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 2: And the things that happened to you, guys after is 441 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 2: really what gets lost. Right, here's your story, This is 442 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 2: what happened to you? That's what everybody always wants to know. Yeah, 443 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 2: but who's Scotty after that? And what happens to Scotti 444 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 2: after that moment in time where everybody's paying attention, the 445 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 2: support is all there, everybody's doing all the things, and 446 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 2: you go through the six months. But then after. 447 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, there was a moment when I was at Well 448 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 3: to Read where I just I had to redefine what 449 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 3: my life was going to look like and what I 450 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 3: was going to look like. There was a time when 451 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 3: I was married at the time, and we were at 452 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 3: one point in time she had gotten pregnant and we 453 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 3: were expecting a baby, and I'm like, what does like 454 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 3: how do I change a diaper? How do I live 455 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 3: my life? Like? How do I take care of another 456 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 3: person when I can barely even take care of myself? 457 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 3: But there were a lot of moments like that where 458 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,360 Speaker 3: you just had to make the decision that you were 459 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 3: just going to figure it out. And for a long 460 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 3: time at Walter Read for probably three months while I 461 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 3: was there, I was in that rut of just feeling 462 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 3: sorry for myself for so long, and then something happened. 463 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 3: There was a moment when I was at Well to 464 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,239 Speaker 3: Read that kind of changed everything. And we were at 465 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 3: an event at Walter Read and there was a and 466 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 3: at these different events, like they always held, these events 467 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 3: build camaraderie between all the broke veterans. But it was great. 468 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 3: It was great to have that. It was great to 469 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 3: have a community. That was One of the most amazing 470 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 3: things about Walter Reed is that there is a community 471 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,239 Speaker 3: of people there and everyone is suffering. Some of us 472 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 3: were worse than others, and but at the end of 473 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 3: the day, we all went through something horrific and we're 474 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 3: all there and we're all kind of bonding in this trauma, 475 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 3: and it was amazing. But there was a moment when 476 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 3: we were at this event and I overheard a song 477 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 3: that they were playing in the background. I always played 478 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 3: music in the background, and there was a song that 479 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 3: came on and it was a song that was cut 480 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 3: by Trace Akins called to the Left Shuts Fire and 481 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 3: Trace Akins originally cut it, and it was the first 482 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 3: time I'd ever heard the song. And I heard it 483 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 3: out of the corner of my just in the background, 484 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 3: and then it was like I locked into it. I 485 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 3: don't know what happened, but something just drew me into 486 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 3: the song, and after the song was over, like, I 487 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 3: cried for a baby for two hours and I couldn't 488 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 3: stop myself. And in those two hours, I was when 489 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,400 Speaker 3: I made the decision that I was going to live 490 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 3: my life to the fullest and I wasn't going to 491 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 3: let my injury dictate my life, and I was going 492 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 3: to live for my best friends who would never have 493 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 3: the opportunity. And Yeah, that song came back around full 494 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 3: circle and a little bit later that we can talk 495 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 3: about in a little bit. 496 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I definitely want to. I want to talk about 497 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 2: that for sure, But wow, talk about a defining moment 498 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 2: when you're really struggling. And do you feel like that 499 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,520 Speaker 2: was the first time as you hear the song and 500 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:25,879 Speaker 2: you talk about crying for two hours after, was that 501 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 2: really the first time where everything just kind of all 502 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 2: the emotions and everything you'd been experienced for the last 503 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 2: several months just came to a head. 504 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 3: One hundred percent that was those two hours were crying 505 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,360 Speaker 3: was one hundred percent understanding that life. Life is different now. 506 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,640 Speaker 3: And while I'm here at Walter Read, I'm also hearing 507 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 3: about my best friends being killed, and it's there was 508 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 3: just so much at Walter reed. I guess in that 509 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,719 Speaker 3: moment it was like everything finally slowed down and I 510 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,879 Speaker 3: was able to like all the emotions, everything just came 511 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 3: rushing in and I was able to really think about 512 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 3: what just happened and what life looks like moving forward, 513 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 3: and it was just an overwhelming sense of emotion that 514 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:04,399 Speaker 3: just I couldn't help it. 515 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 2: What would you hope for someone like me who's never 516 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 2: had that experience, or maybe somebody who's never heard of 517 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 2: a story like yours. What's something that you hope they 518 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 2: can come away with understanding For someone in an experience 519 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 2: like yours, or even somebody who chooses to fight in 520 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,440 Speaker 2: the army, any of the above. Yeah, but just maybe 521 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 2: something that helps them understand, maybe have more empathy understanding 522 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 2: of situations and things that you go. 523 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 3: It's so hard to be empathetic with someone if you've 524 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 3: never experienced with the experience, you know what I mean. 525 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 3: That's something that I feel like the world is understanding now. 526 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 3: But at the same time it loss has lost. I 527 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,199 Speaker 3: lost some of my best friends and that still sticks 528 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,159 Speaker 3: to me, and the survivor's guilt behind that still is 529 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 3: something I still try to deal with and at the 530 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 3: end of the day, trauma is trauma, and trauma's relative. 531 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: But anyone who experiences in different ways, And I think 532 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 3: that it's important for everyone to understand that, just like 533 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 3: there's a lot of people that are like, man, I 534 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,200 Speaker 3: got hurt, but it wasn't anything like you, Like it 535 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 3: doesn't matter, Like trauma is trauma, Like it doesn't matter 536 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 3: that you weren't hurt as bad as me. You experienced 537 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 3: something it was relative to your life, it changed your life, 538 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 3: Like it doesn't matter if it was like if it 539 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 3: was as bad as me or not, or at the 540 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 3: end of the day, we're all in this and at 541 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 3: the end of the day, like it hurts regardless, and 542 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 3: at the end of the day you have to find 543 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 3: a new way to live life. 544 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 2: You mentioned that survivor's guilt. I know a lot of 545 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 2: you guys struggle with that because you're really experiencing this 546 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,119 Speaker 2: a very sharp contrast between life and death. Does the 547 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,880 Speaker 2: survivor's guilt happen obviously in the moment when you find out, 548 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,159 Speaker 2: but throughout the rest of your life. 549 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's still something I struggle with on a daily basis. 550 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,119 Speaker 3: It's actually pretty amazing. I was able to create a 551 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 3: best I was able to link up with them and 552 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 3: write a song about my survivor's guilt, and when I 553 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 3: signed my record deal with Black River Entertainment, it was 554 00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 3: the first single that I ever put out, called how 555 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,959 Speaker 3: Do You Choose? Because with my music and with all 556 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 3: that I've only ever wanted, I want to help people 557 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: that are struggling. I want to use either my story 558 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 3: or my music or something and try to help someone 559 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 3: who's struggling and understand that there's so much more. You 560 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 3: know that you can go through all of this bad 561 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 3: and you can come out on the other side and 562 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 3: do things that you never thought possible. And they're with that, though. 563 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 3: I had to put out songs that were very much 564 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 3: me opening my chest and letting people see my heart 565 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 3: and my soul. And that song is still the hardest 566 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 3: song I've ever written, and it's the hardest song that 567 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 3: I ever performed, And it's truly a song about my 568 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 3: survivor's guild and my best friends who never came home 569 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 3: and why did I get to after getting shot ten times? 570 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 3: And there they did. 571 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: Do you still keep in contact with any of those families? 572 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 3: My best friend Adam Hamilton, his mom is one of 573 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 3: my dearest friends. I love her so much. It's actually amazing. 574 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 3: I made my grand Ole Opper debut not too long ago, 575 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 3: and at the at that debut, I played a song 576 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 3: from Forrest Gump, which was Fortune Song. It was amazing, 577 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 3: it was so much fun. And then I played that 578 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 3: song how Do You Choose? And that song is about 579 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 3: my best friend Adam Hamilton, who was killed. And Adam 580 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 3: Hamilton's family was in the crowd that night, and it 581 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 3: was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever felt. 582 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 3: And it was cool because after you make your debut, 583 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 3: like you go into the circle room and you get 584 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 3: this little party, this little debut party, and all of 585 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 3: Adam's family was there, and it was so cool to 586 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 3: like just experience this moment with them. And it was 587 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 3: even more amazing because I had never met some of them, 588 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 3: so it was cool to be like, hey man, so 589 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 3: great to meet you. Like how do You Choose? Makes 590 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 3: me feel connected to Adam again, and like just to 591 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 3: like understand that like this thing that I put out 592 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 3: that was so personal to me, like that it touches 593 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 3: them and makes them feel something. That's amazing. 594 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 2: You're making me feel that I'm not getting alterio, just 595 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 2: even hearing the story of this and how you use 596 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 2: such difficult moments in your life to connect with others, 597 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 2: which is what this podcast is all about, was trying 598 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:58,199 Speaker 2: to help people feel less alone and their struggles. And 599 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 2: veterans and people who are in our military are such 600 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 2: a huge part of the population. And you were the 601 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 2: perfect first yes for this to share your story. And 602 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 2: I just like Scottie, it's so incredible watching what you've 603 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 2: done because here everybody's heard your story. This is what happened, 604 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 2: and you take this moment in time and then you're 605 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 2: doing what you do now, which is making music, being 606 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 2: an artist. You're working with creativeth give that kind of 607 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 2: background too, because that's now the big part of your story. 608 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, this is the Honestly, the music part of 609 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 3: it was the most unexpected of all of it. I'm 610 00:27:35,960 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 3: going to be real. So after all my injury and everything, 611 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 3: I went back to Fort Riley and in Kansas because 612 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 3: my guys were coming back. 613 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 2: That's where I'm from, Kansas. Yes, I went to Manhattan 614 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 2: Kansas College, so Fort Riley Hike. I even did news 615 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 2: segments at Fort Reley. I was probing in the barbed wire. 616 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,639 Speaker 3: That's awesome. Yeah, that's so cool. But yeah, so I 617 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 3: went back to Fort Riley because my guys were coming back. 618 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 3: I had to be there, which is crazy because a 619 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,680 Speaker 3: lot of times, like people who go to Walter Read 620 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 3: like that's where their story ends. Like they go to 621 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 3: Walter Read, they get out of the military, they medically 622 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,160 Speaker 3: retired to the military. So for me to be like, hey, 623 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 3: I want to go back to Fort Riley and be 624 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,280 Speaker 3: there when my guys get there, no one at Walter 625 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 3: Reid knew how to make that happen because it never 626 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,160 Speaker 3: happened before. No one has ever done that. It basically 627 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 3: took an Act of Congress. Luckily, my congressman was an 628 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 3: ex ranger and he said, yeah, you need to be there, 629 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 3: and so he wrote up a letter and stuff and 630 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 3: made it work. 631 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,439 Speaker 2: But I wasn't incredible, by the way, that's just awesome 632 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 2: that happened, but also crazy that to your point that 633 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 2: it took an Act of Congress. 634 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:35,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, oh, it was hard to happen. And my congressman 635 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 3: had to write a letter just for me to be 636 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 3: able to go back to my duty station and see 637 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 3: my guys. But yeah, so I was there. I went 638 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 3: back to Fort Riley and they all came back and 639 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,840 Speaker 3: we were there for a while. But while I was there, 640 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 3: I was lucky enough to find adaptive sports. I played 641 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 3: sports my whole life growing up. Sports was our world, 642 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 3: That's what we did. So when I got to Fort Riley, 643 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 3: they were like, adapt to sports is what we're really 644 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 3: pushing right now. We feel like it's really going to help. 645 00:28:57,360 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 3: It's going to help you, give get an escape, whatever. 646 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 3: And I was like, yeah, short, let's try it. I'll 647 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 3: try everything you got on this list. And I did, 648 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 3: and the one that really stuck with me was archery, 649 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 3: so to the point of where it's crazy because I'm 650 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 3: right handed. So I went to my first archery clinic 651 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 3: ever to learn how to shoot archery and the guy 652 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 3: was like, all right, what are you left handed? Right hand? 653 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 3: And I'm like, I'm right handed, but this hand I 654 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 3: have no feeling and it doesn't really work. He said, oh, 655 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 3: that's all right, Well, strap a will, strap a release 656 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 3: to this hand. You'll be fine. And then I found 657 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 3: out three arrows later into the ceiling that I'm not 658 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 3: having feeling in the hand that has the trigger on 659 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 3: it is a bad thing. 660 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 2: I've even done archery, and I do have fulfilling and 661 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:34,960 Speaker 2: it's even a disaster. 662 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:36,800 Speaker 3: It was to the point where the guy was like, listen, 663 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 3: your a liability. Stop shooting archery. 664 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 2: Like I did tell you I was. 665 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 3: We had this conversation. I don't know what you want, 666 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 3: but I'm way too hard headed for him to tell 667 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 3: me I can't do it. So I was like, man, 668 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 3: there's got to be a way to do it. And 669 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 3: I remember him saying, the hand that's holding the bow 670 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 3: just sits there. That's all it does. And I was like, well, 671 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: this hand, that's all it does. Anyhow, what if I 672 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 3: just switched to left handed? So I went back the 673 00:29:57,840 --> 00:29:59,520 Speaker 3: next day and as soon as I walked up, he 674 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 3: immediately like, no, like, why are you here. I told 675 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 3: you your a liability. You have to go like you 676 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 3: can't do it, And I was like, no, just hear 677 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 3: me out, Just hear me out. Man, what if I 678 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 3: tried this left handed? And so we did, and I 679 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 3: found an amazing escape and an amazing purpose and archery 680 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 3: to the point of where I eventually got recruited by 681 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 3: the US Paralympic Committee and I started shooting and representing 682 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 3: the United States and the Paralympic program all throughout the 683 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,520 Speaker 3: United States, and I did that. 684 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 2: Hold on, wow, yeah, Scotty, you're just like low key, 685 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 2: like okay, Yeah, it was that's incredible. 686 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,239 Speaker 3: It was amazing and it was I did that for 687 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 3: six years. I shot professionally. I got paid by the 688 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 3: VA and by others to shoot, and that's what I did. 689 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 3: That was my job. And it was amazing because for 690 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 3: the seven seconds before that Era releases, the PTSD, the depression, 691 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 3: the anxiety, all that disappeared and I was able to 692 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 3: focus on just one thing. And I lived for those 693 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 3: seven seconds. For six years, I lived for those seven seconds, 694 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:59,920 Speaker 3: and then COVID happened. When COVID happened, the world shut, 695 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 3: which means that my therapy, my escape, got taken away 696 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 3: from me. And when it gets quiet is when the 697 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 3: demon's not the loudest, and COVID was very quiet, and 698 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 3: I needed something. I was struggling. I was really going 699 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:14,560 Speaker 3: into a place that I had been before and I 700 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 3: didn't want to be anymore. And I had a guitar 701 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 3: in the corner of my room and one day I 702 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:20,400 Speaker 3: was like, you know what, I'm just I'm gonna I'm 703 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,400 Speaker 3: gonna learn how to play this thing. I'm gonna I'm 704 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 3: just gonna jump on YouTube. I'm gonna figure out how 705 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 3: to play this. So I did. I jumped on YouTube and 706 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 3: I deeped ove and to learn how to play the guitar. 707 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 3: And yeah, there's a lot that goes into having to 708 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 3: learn with the disability how to play the guitar. And again, 709 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 3: thank god I didn't know how to play before, because 710 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 3: I would have gotten just pissed off and be like 711 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 3: I'm done, I'm not doing this. Yeah, but you know 712 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 3: it was and for me, like I figured that learning 713 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 3: how to play the guitar was going to be hard 714 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 3: enough to where it's something that I'm truly gonna have 715 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 3: to focus all my time into. I'm really gonna have 716 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 3: to escape into this and figure out how to do this. 717 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 3: And it was. It gave me a new escape. It 718 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 3: let me escape from the PTSD and the depression and 719 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 3: the anxiety that I was feeling at that time. And 720 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 3: the best way for me to learn was I started 721 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 3: learning how to play songs I grew up listening to. 722 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,960 Speaker 3: I Am a nineties country kid through and through nineties countries. 723 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 3: Is the best time for country music in my opinion, 724 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 3: and you're not wrong. 725 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 2: It's not a controversial one. So you are saying there, Per, 726 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:15,400 Speaker 2: what's the first song you were like, I have to 727 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 2: learn the song. 728 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 3: Oh, the first song I ever learned how to play 729 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 3: was should have been. 730 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 2: Cowboy by Oh fantastic song. 731 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love that song. I started learning how to 732 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,320 Speaker 3: play songs that I grew up listening to because I 733 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 3: knew if it didn't sound right, I had to fix something, 734 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 3: and there's plenty of YouTube videos out there to teach 735 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 3: you how to play it. I started learning songs that 736 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 3: I grew up listening to, and then from there I 737 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 3: was like, okay, like I'm learning how to play the guitar. 738 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 3: This is really cool. But I still have all these feelings, 739 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 3: and I still have all these thoughts, and I still 740 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 3: have all these emotions that are just overwhelming, and I 741 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,960 Speaker 3: need some I need to find a way to stop 742 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 3: this cup from overflowing. I need to figure out a 743 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 3: way to pour some out of this cup a little bit. 744 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 3: And that's when I discovered songwriting. I don't know what 745 00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 3: I thought. Maybe I don't know. I I songs just 746 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 3: came out of nowhere. It was just like God just 747 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:04,360 Speaker 3: gave them to people. I don't like. 748 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 2: Dropped it on your front port. 749 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 3: I don't know why. I never thought that songwriting was 750 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 3: the thing. It was just like people had these songs 751 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 3: and here you go. I don't know, I don't know 752 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,479 Speaker 3: what I thought. But then I discovered songwriting, and I 753 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:16,680 Speaker 3: was like, I want to learn how to do this, 754 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 3: Like I can just take these emotions and these feelings 755 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 3: and I can throw them somewhere. So I jumped on 756 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:22,720 Speaker 3: YouTube and I started learning how to write songs, and 757 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 3: I started learning how songs are structured, and how you 758 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 3: go from a verse to a chorus to a bridge, 759 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,640 Speaker 3: and then how all this comes together and becomes one 760 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 3: piece of work. And I found a new escape and 761 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 3: learning how to write, and I found a new escape 762 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 3: and getting these emotions and these feelings that I was 763 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 3: truly struggling with and putting them somewhere else. I was 764 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 3: able to take them out of myself and throw them 765 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 3: into something else, which was a lifesaver, truly a lifesaver 766 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 3: for me. 767 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: You created your own therapy. Yeah, with what you were 768 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 2: teaching yourself. Absolutely, because songwriting is a form of journaling. 769 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 2: You're expressing how you're feeling. It's just almost giving it 770 00:33:58,880 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 2: a prettier. Look. 771 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I don't know pretty. I mean, they were 772 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:07,880 Speaker 3: not songs. They were not they were not good. It 773 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:10,760 Speaker 3: was really just like word vomit put onto a piece 774 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,359 Speaker 3: of paper that I could then like put somewhere else. 775 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 3: And I needed that and it was exactly what I 776 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 3: needed when I needed it, and it was amazing. And 777 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 3: then from there I just really deep dove into music 778 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 3: in general and all the types of music. And then 779 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 3: from there the world started opening up a little bit. 780 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:29,800 Speaker 3: And I went to an open mic night in Cookville, Tennessee, 781 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 3: at Red Silo Brewing Company. And I don't know why 782 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,399 Speaker 3: I did it. I just decided to screw it. I'm 783 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 3: gonna go why not? And I know songs now, so 784 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 3: why not go sing one? Why not? Let's give it 785 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 3: a shot. I went up there, I put my name 786 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 3: on the list. There was like four people there because 787 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 3: it's still COVID time and everyone thinks that everyone's gonna 788 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 3: die when you meet each other. And I was like, well, 789 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 3: four people here, what do I have to lose? What 790 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:52,080 Speaker 3: are the four people are gonna make it? 791 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 2: This is easier? 792 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:55,480 Speaker 3: Well, four people are gonna make fun of me. Cool, 793 00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:57,560 Speaker 3: I don't care. I don't live here in Cookville. I'll 794 00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 3: be fine. But yeah, So I went up there and 795 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:00,879 Speaker 3: I played the song I ever learned how to play, 796 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:03,240 Speaker 3: should Have Been a Cowboy by Tobe Keith. In that moment, 797 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 3: that escape that I had found an archery, that sense 798 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,560 Speaker 3: of purpose that I had found, that therapy that I 799 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 3: had found in everything else before was there, but it 800 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 3: was magnified a hundred times. And in that moment, that's 801 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 3: when the stage became a sanctuary for me. And then 802 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 3: I was hooked an archery for seven seconds. Nothing else 803 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 3: in the world matters except for being in that moment 804 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 3: when I'm playing a song or I'm playing a show 805 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 3: for three minutes. Now, nothing in the world matters except 806 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 3: for being in that moment. To the point of now 807 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 3: where when I play a show and I'm playing an 808 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,560 Speaker 3: hour long show, nothing in the world matters except for 809 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,680 Speaker 3: me being in that moment for an hour. I lived 810 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 3: for that to the point of where I would go 811 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 3: to all different open mic nights all around Nashville. And 812 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 3: then Nashville started opening up a little bit, and I 813 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 3: had heard through some of the other guys at the 814 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 3: open mic nights that down on Broadway you can play 815 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:54,600 Speaker 3: three to four hours at a time. I was like, 816 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 3: whoa wait, tell me for three to four hours a day, 817 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,360 Speaker 3: I can be rid of the PTA, the end of the 818 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 3: depression of anxiety. I can live in a moment for 819 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:04,000 Speaker 3: three to four hours a day. I want to do that. 820 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 3: So I walked up and down Broadway for a month, 821 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 3: bugging the crap out of people until they lit me 822 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 3: on a stage, and to the point of I was 823 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 3: playing six shows a week. I would play a show 824 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 3: every night three to four hours at a time. My 825 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 3: vocal courts hated me, but the therapy that I got 826 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 3: from it was more than I could have ever imagined. 827 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:22,439 Speaker 3: I was able to live in a moment for three 828 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 3: to four hours, And for someone who suffers from PTSD, 829 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:28,759 Speaker 3: depression and anxiety, being able to find a moment where 830 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:31,320 Speaker 3: you can live in that moment is magic. 831 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:34,759 Speaker 2: Do you feel like those experiences, everything on that as 832 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 2: you were having them, allowed you then to heal during 833 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 2: the other twenty three hours of the day. 834 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:45,319 Speaker 3: That yeah, Because I knew that no matter what I 835 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 3: was struggling with, I was going to have that outlet, 836 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 3: no matter what was happening, no matter all the hard 837 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 3: that I was dealing with, throughout the day, I knew 838 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 3: that there was going to be an escape, and I 839 00:36:55,080 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 3: knew that for three to four hours, I was going 840 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:57,880 Speaker 3: to be able to get rid of this and I 841 00:36:57,880 --> 00:36:59,840 Speaker 3: was going to be able to get away from it. 842 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 3: And it kept me moving right, it kept me understanding 843 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,799 Speaker 3: that there's gonna be something that's gonna help me get 844 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 3: over whatever I'm dealing with at this time. And yeah, 845 00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 3: so I live for that, live for the three to 846 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 3: four hours at a time. And I always say, you 847 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,760 Speaker 3: know that when I'm on stage, like you're watching therapy 848 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:16,920 Speaker 3: happen in person, like you're truly actively watching it, because 849 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 3: that's what it is for me. And it's so crazy. 850 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 3: I don't know how it all happened, how all where 851 00:37:22,160 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 3: I am now and all that, and it's it's just insane. 852 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 3: It's I'm more blessed than I could have ever imagined 853 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 3: I would be. But for there's three to four hours, 854 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 3: and it didn't matter. It didn't matter who was in 855 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 3: the room, it didn't matter anything else. All that mattered 856 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 3: was that I was on that stage and then I 857 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 3: was playing that music and I was being able to 858 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 3: live in a moment. It didn't matter if there was 859 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,280 Speaker 3: three hundred people in a fool bar down on Broadway, 860 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 3: or if I was just playing for the Bartenders, I 861 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,759 Speaker 3: was just there for myself, for my therapy. But at 862 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 3: the same time, like, I'm so glad that I went 863 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 3: to Broadway, and I'm so glad that I played down 864 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,439 Speaker 3: on Broadway because it taught me so much about being 865 00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 3: an artist and about being a performer, and about being 866 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 3: able to people. And because Broadway will humble you. One 867 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 3: day you're playing for a packed room and everyone's having 868 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:08,799 Speaker 3: a great time, and the next day you're playing for 869 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,839 Speaker 3: the Bartenders and hoping someone walks in the door. It'll 870 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,239 Speaker 3: humble you real quick. But at the end of the day, 871 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 3: you really have to love it. And it made me 872 00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:18,920 Speaker 3: find a love, a true love for music and a 873 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:19,920 Speaker 3: true love for performing. 874 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,560 Speaker 2: Scotti. Just listening to you over just the course of 875 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 2: all of your stories, I think a lot of it 876 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 2: is also a testament to your character and who you 877 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:29,440 Speaker 2: are as a person, which you've probably never given yourself 878 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 2: the credit for. But you couldn't do and have survived 879 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 2: a lot of the things that you've gone through without 880 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,719 Speaker 2: being who you are, and you're an incredible person and 881 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 2: you did that, like you created this. I know you're like, 882 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 2: I have no idea how I am where I am 883 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,160 Speaker 2: right now, but like you did this, and you created 884 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 2: all of that just hearing you talk about it, and 885 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 2: I know, like I can sit here and see your 886 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:53,400 Speaker 2: a bigger picture. You're in it, so it's harder to 887 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 2: see when you're in it. But you did all that. 888 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:56,799 Speaker 2: That was all you. 889 00:38:57,400 --> 00:38:59,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it was just the necessity of it. 890 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:03,160 Speaker 3: All I needed something. I've lost way too many bodies 891 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,239 Speaker 3: here in the States and I wasn't going to be 892 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:09,439 Speaker 3: another one of them, and I needed something. I have kids, 893 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 3: I have things I have to live for, and I 894 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 3: needed the necessity of needing to find something. Outweighed anything. 895 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 3: It outweighed all the embarrassment that I could possibly feel 896 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 3: into that open mic night. It outweighed any of it. 897 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 3: And now I'm at a point in this career that 898 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 3: has become a dream and a career that I could 899 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 3: only ever imagine that would. 900 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:33,439 Speaker 2: Be Yeah, and it's incredible, which is what I want 901 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 2: you to share the three kind of stories because you 902 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,360 Speaker 2: are now part of Creativet's Yes, which is an awesome 903 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:44,080 Speaker 2: organization that employs veterans to write songs and do a 904 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 2: lot within the music industry. But you have three really 905 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,200 Speaker 2: cool stories. Yeah, how I met you? Was that you 906 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 2: you were if I remember correctly, there's a George Straight 907 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 2: song connection type thing. Or were you just there that 908 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 2: I was just there? Okay, you're just taking out for 909 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,799 Speaker 2: creativet Okay, Okay. Then there's the two stories that I 910 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:02,880 Speaker 2: know for sure, But you were there. George Straight did 911 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,279 Speaker 2: an entire album with a lot of the creative events, 912 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:07,440 Speaker 2: which was really cool. We were there for the art 913 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,800 Speaker 2: exhibit and the whole piece of that. But Dolly Parton 914 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 2: story and Trace Adkins story, Oh. 915 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 3: Man, you know it. I'll tell another story that's pretty 916 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 3: amazing and bring it up to Nashville story. Okay, the 917 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,520 Speaker 3: way that I got discovered. Everyone always asks this. One day, 918 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:23,200 Speaker 3: my mom was like, Hey, I'm going to go buy 919 00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 3: a new car. I want you to come with me. 920 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:28,360 Speaker 3: I don't know anything about cars. I know nothing about courses. 921 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 2: But when you're a woman, you need a male accomplice 922 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 2: for things because otherwise you get take advantage of. So 923 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 2: I know where your mom, you know. 924 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 3: What's I was like, Man, I don't know anything about cars, 925 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,160 Speaker 3: but I do know Mom's probably going to buy lunch. 926 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:42,320 Speaker 3: So I'll go because I will never say no to 927 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 3: free food. And so I went and we were at 928 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 3: this dealership and her salesman was Michael Kerr, who is 929 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:54,240 Speaker 3: the son of the president and CEO of Black River Entertainment, 930 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,960 Speaker 3: Gordon Kerr, and we were talking about music and how 931 00:40:58,000 --> 00:40:59,640 Speaker 3: I used music as a form of therapy and he 932 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:01,520 Speaker 3: grew up in music and how I use it as 933 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:02,839 Speaker 3: a form of therapy and how I want to help 934 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 3: people with my music and with my story, and we 935 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:07,080 Speaker 3: just we talked from now we were my mom was 936 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:08,839 Speaker 3: supposed to buying a car and we're talking about music 937 00:41:08,880 --> 00:41:10,399 Speaker 3: and all of this stuff. Shut up buying a car. 938 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 3: But yeah, we talked about music. And at the time, 939 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 3: I had one song out just because I wanted to 940 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 3: get a taste of what being in the studio was like. 941 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:20,279 Speaker 3: So he was like, man, the song's okay, but your 942 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,359 Speaker 3: story is amazing. I'm gonna send this to my dad 943 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 3: and I'm gonna send I'm gonna send it to Doug 944 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 3: Johnson and our guy at Black River. I feel like 945 00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 3: they need to meet you. And I was like, yeah, man, 946 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:33,600 Speaker 3: like that would be incredible, that's amazing. Please, like, holy crap, 947 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 3: he's no promises, and I'm like, yeah, of course, but 948 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,680 Speaker 3: nash was full of people who talk and then nothing 949 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,160 Speaker 3: ever happens and I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna get 950 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 3: my hopes up. But three hours later I got to 951 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 3: call from Doug Johnson. Hey man, we need to meet 952 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 3: and I was like okay, and then yeah, it's crazy. 953 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 2: Not because you went for free food, because I. 954 00:41:50,120 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 3: Went for free food with my mom. If your mom 955 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,120 Speaker 3: ever asked you to go somewhere, go because you never 956 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:56,680 Speaker 3: know what could happen. And then yeah, So I went 957 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,520 Speaker 3: into Black River and I met Doug in literally like 958 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:01,759 Speaker 3: ten minutes, and it's into me telling my story. He 959 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 3: was like, stop talking, hold on, we need to go 960 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:06,800 Speaker 3: to Gordon's office and you need to tell this story 961 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:09,680 Speaker 3: with Gordon there. And I was like okay, yeah, I 962 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 3: don't know who Gordon is, but absolutely, let's do it. 963 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:13,839 Speaker 3: And so I went in toil my story, told talked 964 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 3: about what I want to do with music and how 965 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 3: I use music, and they were yet, are you going 966 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 3: to do you live here in Nashville. I was like yeah. 967 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 3: They're like can you come back? Come back around? And 968 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:24,279 Speaker 3: I was like yeah, absolutely. From then on that I 969 00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:26,359 Speaker 3: just started coming over and I just started hanging out 970 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,520 Speaker 3: with Doug, and Doug is Not only did Doug Johnson 971 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:31,760 Speaker 3: write Three Wooden Crosses, but he's the guy who developed 972 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 3: Blake Shelton to Blake Shelton. And I didn't know any 973 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:36,200 Speaker 3: of this when I first met him, and it's so 974 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:40,279 Speaker 3: funny looking back now. He took the time to talk 975 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,399 Speaker 3: to me and write with me and develop me into 976 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:44,799 Speaker 3: who I am now, and it's so funny. For the 977 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 3: longest time at Black River, I was just Doug's guy. 978 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:48,920 Speaker 3: No one knew who I was, no one had a 979 00:42:49,040 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 3: name to put with my face. I was just Doug's guy. 980 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:54,600 Speaker 3: And yeah, and then a little bit later I ended 981 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:56,520 Speaker 3: up signing a record deal with him and a publishing 982 00:42:56,520 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 3: deal with him, and now I'm a recording artist, which 983 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:01,480 Speaker 3: is insane. 984 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 2: That's an incredibly awesome Nashville story. 985 00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:06,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love that story. I know it's so and 986 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:09,000 Speaker 3: it's even crazier because stuff like that never really happens anymore. 987 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,719 Speaker 3: It's just man like that. That's crazy. But yeah, so 988 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 3: the Trace Akins story is wild. I told you that 989 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 3: I heard this song and it changed everything for me. 990 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:22,280 Speaker 3: Fast forward ten years and I'm sitting in Doug Johnson's 991 00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:25,160 Speaker 3: office talking about signing a record deal and he's working 992 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 3: with me to become an artist and all this other stuff, 993 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:29,560 Speaker 3: and he's, hey, man, there's a song I wrote a 994 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:32,600 Speaker 3: while ago and me and Rob Crosby wrote it. And 995 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:34,719 Speaker 3: I don't know if you've heard it. It's a song 996 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:37,279 Speaker 3: called Till the Left Shots Fired. Trace Ackens version cut it. 997 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:38,520 Speaker 3: I don't know if you've heard it. And I was like, 998 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:41,840 Speaker 3: I was like, yeah, I know the song. I'm trying 999 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 3: to stay cool, trying to stay cool and calm, and 1000 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:45,759 Speaker 3: he's like, cool, you've heard it. Awesome, I'm glad you've 1001 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:47,120 Speaker 3: heard it. Do you want to do a version of it? 1002 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:50,480 Speaker 3: And I was like, yeah, man, I would love to 1003 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 3: do a version of it. 1004 00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:52,960 Speaker 2: Like how long did you keep your chill for it? 1005 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:55,520 Speaker 3: Not very long? But you know, I'm like, I would 1006 00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:57,160 Speaker 3: love to. I'm trying to stay calm and cool, but 1007 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 3: inside I'm jumping up and down a little kiddage on 1008 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:02,360 Speaker 3: Christmas morning. Oh my god, you have no idea. But 1009 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 3: then yeah, I was like, man, yeah, And then I 1010 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:07,880 Speaker 3: think after we finally finished, I finally told Doug what 1011 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,759 Speaker 3: that song actually meant to me. But we did a 1012 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,280 Speaker 3: version of it and it was amazing, and every feeling 1013 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:14,000 Speaker 3: that I first felt when I heard that song, I 1014 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:16,239 Speaker 3: put it into that song and it was perfect. I thought. 1015 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 3: I was like, this is this song is incredible And 1016 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:20,120 Speaker 3: Doug was like, man, this is really great. I love 1017 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 3: this version. Your version where it's just you, it's amazing. 1018 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 3: But what do you think about reached out to some 1019 00:44:25,239 --> 00:44:27,839 Speaker 3: other artists and see what happens. I'm like, send it 1020 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,799 Speaker 3: to everybody? Yeah, man, who knows? And the first person 1021 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 3: who said yes was Lee Brice and a testament to 1022 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,719 Speaker 3: who Lee is. He is become an incredibly dear friend 1023 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 3: of mine now. But he basically sat down with us 1024 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:41,919 Speaker 3: and he was like, man, I don't care what part 1025 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 3: I play in this song. I just want to be 1026 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:45,480 Speaker 3: a part of what this is. Whatever you're doing here, 1027 00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 3: I want to be a part of this. So then 1028 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,440 Speaker 3: we had me and Lee's version and it was amazing 1029 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,359 Speaker 3: and it was perfect. I thought it was perfect. Fast 1030 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,719 Speaker 3: forward a couple weeks and Doug's I'm driving home from 1031 00:44:56,719 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 3: somewhere and Doug calls me. He's like, hey, man, Dotley 1032 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,360 Speaker 3: Parton wants to be a part of this song. What 1033 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:01,960 Speaker 3: do you think? And I'm like, why are you calling me? 1034 00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 3: Let her do whatever she wants to do. Are you serious? 1035 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,759 Speaker 3: As Dolly Parton, like what? And so he was like, 1036 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:09,400 Speaker 3: that's what I thought you'd say, okay, And I'm like, 1037 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:11,160 Speaker 3: I don't feel like you needed to call me about that. 1038 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:12,920 Speaker 3: I feel like you could have just been like, Dolly's 1039 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 3: gonna be on your song. And then literally four weeks later, 1040 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 3: I got a call from Doug again and he's, hey, man, like, 1041 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:19,840 Speaker 3: I have Dolly's version. You want to hear it? And 1042 00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:22,200 Speaker 3: I'm like, again, I feel like we're making phone calls 1043 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:24,480 Speaker 3: we don't need to make and just send it. Why 1044 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 3: are you doing this to me? Man? Just send it? 1045 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:29,120 Speaker 3: And so he sent it to me, and it, man, like, 1046 00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 3: the feelings that I felt when I first heard that 1047 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:33,759 Speaker 3: song just came rushing back and it was and I 1048 00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 3: had to pull over on the side of the road 1049 00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:37,480 Speaker 3: and I was just I just cried, man, And it 1050 00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:39,759 Speaker 3: was like then it wasn't just the fact that like, 1051 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:42,560 Speaker 3: this song is what it is and that it means 1052 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 3: as much as it means to me, But they decided 1053 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 3: that they wanted the fact that they wanted to be 1054 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:49,120 Speaker 3: a part of my song, but not only just a 1055 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:50,800 Speaker 3: part of my song, but a part of my journey 1056 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,959 Speaker 3: and a part of my story, and that means more 1057 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,200 Speaker 3: than they will ever know. And I don't think I 1058 00:45:55,239 --> 00:45:59,239 Speaker 3: can ever tell them thank you enough for not only 1059 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:01,479 Speaker 3: I said, not only being a part of the song, 1060 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 3: but just like some guy who just started music doesn't 1061 00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 3: know anything about music and they wanted to be a 1062 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,000 Speaker 3: part of a song that I was doing, like that 1063 00:46:10,040 --> 00:46:10,760 Speaker 3: means so much. 1064 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:13,279 Speaker 2: Okay again, Scotty, But back to the testament of you 1065 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:15,680 Speaker 2: as a human being. I think anybody meets you and 1066 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,439 Speaker 2: wants to be in your circle, I think they hear 1067 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:20,319 Speaker 2: your story. I think they hear who you are as 1068 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:23,440 Speaker 2: a person and are like, yes, when people are just 1069 00:46:23,840 --> 00:46:30,280 Speaker 2: energizers and they have this gosh aura about them, people 1070 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:34,279 Speaker 2: truly gravitate towards that. And bad people sure, but like 1071 00:46:35,239 --> 00:46:39,080 Speaker 2: good people too, like a Lee Brice and a Dolly Parton. 1072 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:42,640 Speaker 2: If Dolly Parton wanting to be on it doesn't tell 1073 00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:44,120 Speaker 2: you what an energizer you are. 1074 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:47,200 Speaker 3: And that's since saying. The craziest part is I have 1075 00:46:47,239 --> 00:46:49,719 Speaker 3: a song with her. Still haven't met her yet, so 1076 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:51,280 Speaker 3: that's on the bucketlet Still. 1077 00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 2: That has to happen, and did you ever meet Trace? 1078 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:57,160 Speaker 3: Knowing that the song I met Trace, way before music 1079 00:46:57,239 --> 00:46:58,839 Speaker 3: was ever a thing, was one of the first opera 1080 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 3: shows I ever went to. I just I went to 1081 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 3: a military opera show one day and there was like 1082 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,480 Speaker 3: an outing that they were doing for veterans. And I'd 1083 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:07,960 Speaker 3: always wanted to go to an opera show and I 1084 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:10,560 Speaker 3: never got the chance, and I went and I got 1085 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:12,359 Speaker 3: to meet Trace, which was crazy, and I was like, man, 1086 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:15,200 Speaker 3: like your song till Lash Shots Fire changed everything for me. 1087 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:18,560 Speaker 3: And then fast forward a little bit and I remember 1088 00:47:18,719 --> 00:47:21,000 Speaker 3: Doug called Trace and we were talking to him because 1089 00:47:21,040 --> 00:47:22,480 Speaker 3: originally I was like, man, I would love to do 1090 00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:24,759 Speaker 3: this with Trace, Like that would be so cool. Can 1091 00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,400 Speaker 3: I you think we can do that? And that was 1092 00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:29,360 Speaker 3: like and originally when he was like, let's send it 1093 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:31,560 Speaker 3: to other artists and see and I was like, Trace, Trace, 1094 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:32,920 Speaker 3: maybe that would be great and we do that. 1095 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:35,359 Speaker 2: Already has this song, can we do it with him? 1096 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:37,040 Speaker 3: And you know what's amazing is we were on the 1097 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,560 Speaker 3: phone with Trace and he said, man, he said, I 1098 00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:43,239 Speaker 3: already have my version. He said, let Scottie make his own. 1099 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:48,879 Speaker 3: And I was like, Okay, that's cool, You're cool, You're yeah. 1100 00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:51,200 Speaker 2: That's also the recognition that like he heard your song. 1101 00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:53,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was just it was just like like it's 1102 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:57,040 Speaker 3: let Scotty do let Scotty do this, Let Scotty have 1103 00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 3: his And it wasn't like it was just amazing, just 1104 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 3: the under standing that he's man if I do another 1105 00:48:01,719 --> 00:48:04,040 Speaker 3: version of this, it's going to be another Trace song. 1106 00:48:04,120 --> 00:48:06,720 Speaker 3: Let Scotty have his moment. And it was so cool. 1107 00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:08,839 Speaker 3: It was so cool to just hear that. And for 1108 00:48:09,200 --> 00:48:11,120 Speaker 3: a part of me was, oh, dang man, like Trace 1109 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,000 Speaker 3: would have been cool. But you know a part of 1110 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:15,360 Speaker 3: me understood and was like grateful that he was like, 1111 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:18,040 Speaker 3: Scotty needs to have his version, which is really cool. 1112 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:19,640 Speaker 2: Well, I'm gonna manifest for you that you guys got 1113 00:48:19,760 --> 00:48:21,480 Speaker 2: to have your own clab and it's just a song. 1114 00:48:21,719 --> 00:48:22,440 Speaker 3: I would love that. 1115 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:24,040 Speaker 2: I would love to do it, maybe another one. You 1116 00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:28,439 Speaker 2: wrote that I like it cool. Well, man, Scotty, I'm 1117 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:30,799 Speaker 2: so happy you came on and shared your story and 1118 00:48:30,880 --> 00:48:33,239 Speaker 2: all the pieces, and I hope everybody goes out and 1119 00:48:33,239 --> 00:48:35,160 Speaker 2: supports you. You want to shout out your social media page 1120 00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 2: so they can go follow you. 1121 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's literally at Scotty hasting music everywhere. 1122 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:41,759 Speaker 2: Perfect you made it simple, easy. 1123 00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:42,160 Speaker 3: Super easy. 1124 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:44,719 Speaker 2: Absolutely, so ghostream it goes support him and all the 1125 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:47,160 Speaker 2: stuff that he's incredibly doing, not just in music but 1126 00:48:47,239 --> 00:48:50,319 Speaker 2: also with creativets and and the story that he's trying 1127 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:52,760 Speaker 2: to share and get out with the world. So Scotti, thanks. 1128 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,520 Speaker 3: For being here, Thank you, thanks for having me. It's 1129 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:58,359 Speaker 3: been wild in a wild year, and it's looking even 1130 00:48:58,400 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 3: crazier now. 1131 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:00,600 Speaker 2: I was gonna say it's probably only gonna get more 1132 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:03,960 Speaker 2: while for here, but that's a good thing. Yes, Oh 1133 00:49:04,239 --> 00:49:06,640 Speaker 2: thanks Scotti, thanks for being here. This is what it's 1134 00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:09,319 Speaker 2: all about for me, getting to share stories like Scotti's 1135 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:11,399 Speaker 2: and so many of the other episodes that we've done. 1136 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:14,000 Speaker 2: I think it's really important to share real people and 1137 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:17,280 Speaker 2: their real experiences. That is how we connect with one another. 1138 00:49:17,320 --> 00:49:19,760 Speaker 2: That's how we feel community, how we feel less alone. 1139 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:22,560 Speaker 2: And Scottie's story not only does just that, but it's 1140 00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:25,759 Speaker 2: also a story of determination and hope, and I love 1141 00:49:26,160 --> 00:49:29,080 Speaker 2: everything about what he represents. So really cool to have 1142 00:49:29,160 --> 00:49:31,920 Speaker 2: him on. Be sure to go and follow our Instagram 1143 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:34,480 Speaker 2: page at Take This Personally. Also, you can watch all 1144 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:37,520 Speaker 2: of these episodes on YouTube at what Girl Morgan and 1145 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:40,719 Speaker 2: if you're subscribed, awesome. I love you. If you're not, 1146 00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:43,640 Speaker 2: go ahead and do that wherever you listen, and as 1147 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:46,279 Speaker 2: well as be ready for next week because we're going 1148 00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:49,480 Speaker 2: to talk some more veterans and families, really in the 1149 00:49:49,480 --> 00:49:52,399 Speaker 2: space of homeless veterans. I have somebody coming on who's 1150 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:55,000 Speaker 2: doing great work in the community. So love you and 1151 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:56,280 Speaker 2: I'll yap at you next week