1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: You're watching a video that says we're gonna cut your 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: body open. 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 2: Well, they're cartoon characters. 4 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: What's that happen? 5 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 2: They're cartoon characters. 6 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Matter, it's still your body. And you're gonna be down 7 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: for two weeks. You're going to have to be away 8 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: from work, and somebody's gonna have to take care of you, 9 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: and you're gonna have to go through all of this 10 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: for someone that you have never met, don't know, don't love, 11 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: or don't care about right now. 12 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 2: Okay, but yet you're down for three weeks. You're down. 13 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 2: Somebody gets their life back. 14 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, but you're giving up so much of your life. 15 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: They're getting their life back. 16 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: How is that? 17 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 2: How is that comparable? How is that comparable? I just 18 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 2: somebody's child. 19 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: What getting your kidney taken out? 20 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 2: Worth it? I do it? If I had if I 21 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 2: had five more, I don't. 22 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to an army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney. 23 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: I'm a normal guy. I'm a husband, I'm a father, 24 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: I'm an entrepreneur, and I've been a football coach an 25 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: inner city Memphis. And somehow that last part led to 26 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: an oscar for the film about our team. That movie 27 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: is called undefeated, y'all. I believe our country's problems will 28 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: never be solved by a bunch of fancy people and 29 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: nice suits using big words that nobody ever uses on 30 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: CNN and Fox, but rather by an army of normal folks. 31 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 1: That's us, just you and me deciding, Hey, you know what, 32 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: maybe I can help. That's exactly what Sam Fletterjohn, the 33 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: voice you just heard, has done. Sam donated her kidney 34 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: to a complete stranger, and because she was what they 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: call an altruistic donor, it enabled an entire chain of 36 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: kidney donations to be unlocked, which ultimately meant that ten 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: people who needed kidneys got them and are alive because 38 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: of her. I cannot wait for you to meet Sam 39 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: right after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Samantha Fletter, 40 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: y'all be a good guy. And it's your last name. 41 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: I'm a spell it F L E D D E 42 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:53,839 Speaker 1: R j O h A N N flutter John Fletter John. 43 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: Where I come from, that is normal. 44 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: We're all over what is the what? What's what? What 45 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: is that is that? Sweetish? Well? 46 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: It's German. I didn't choose it. I'm married into it. 47 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: It's German and it's they are all over in our 48 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: small town. 49 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: When I hear a name like that, I picture your 50 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: husband looks like a viking or a lumber giant. Fletter John. 51 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: My husband's like five eight. 52 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: Okay, well I'm misread there, he did. But welcome, Welcome 53 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: to Memphis. 54 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: Thank you. 55 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: From where do you hail? Sam? 56 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,639 Speaker 2: We are from a small farm town in Ohio, New Bremen. 57 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: And your your husband, mister fletter John, is a farmer. 58 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: He farms. 59 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's awesome. So did you grow up there in. 60 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,839 Speaker 2: That Yep, I grew up in the area, so it's 61 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: everything's so small. So if you grew up there, it's 62 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: like four different towns because, got it. 63 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's where you grew up. Yes, so do you 64 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: You just got to Memphis last night? 65 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: We did well yesterday afternoon. 66 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: What'd y'all do? 67 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 2: We ate and ate. 68 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:59,839 Speaker 1: Everything you can do in Memphis is eat and eat. 69 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 70 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: So we walked down Beale Street and found some some barbecue, 71 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: and then we made our way over to Elbows's house Graceland. Yeah, 72 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 2: we didn't do the tour, but we just looked at 73 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: everything from the outside, saw the planes, and then we 74 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 2: came back and ate again. 75 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 3: We did. 76 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: Where'd you get the where'd you barbecue? Do you remember 77 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: the place? 78 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 2: Some kind of pig, dirty pig, mad pig pig won. Yeah, 79 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: it won the twenty twenty three May barbecue thing. 80 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: Possibly pig and whistle. 81 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 2: Okay, okay, yeah it was. And you know, the streets 82 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: are pretty empty right now because it's crazy cold, and 83 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: where do we go it? Yeah, they said it different 84 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 2: than we were saying it, but we ate there and 85 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 2: then we picked up a Grizzly game last night. Cool, 86 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 2: we could walk over there. A Grizzly game by a landslide. 87 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, the Grizzly game. Fun. Yeah, it was good time. 88 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 2: We had a good time. That was just a random thing. 89 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 2: We're in Memphis. 90 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: Let's go Yeah, well, good Welcome to our fair s. 91 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: Usually when we introduce guests, we will say Sam Fletter 92 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: John with an organization. All we're doing tonight today is saying, hey, 93 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: Sam Fletter John Dash no organization, no organization. But your 94 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: story may be one of the most inspirational, uplifting examples 95 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: of kindness, empathy, and giving that I think I've ever seen. 96 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 2: Thank you for saying that It's true. 97 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: Thank you. I genuinely feel like I'm in the presence 98 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 1: of just one of the finest people I've ever read about, 99 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: and I cannot wait to dive in to your story. 100 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: Before we do, I have a lot of personal connections 101 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: to your story in odd ways. So as you tell 102 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: your story, I will anecdotally say to you saying, you're 103 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: not gonna believe this, but and I'll tell you why 104 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: your story is so personal to me in a number 105 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: of steps, one of which ultimately, which we're not We're 106 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: going to do a spoiler alert here. We're not. We're 107 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: going to get there everybody. But ultimately, the person's whose 108 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: life you really saved is the son of a dear, 109 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: dear friend of mine, Which is the weirdest thing in 110 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: the world that a dear friend of mine from Memphis 111 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: as a son of Ohio whose life was changed by 112 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: your selfless generosity. And it's just so weird that we're 113 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: sitting across from each other, and I just can't wait 114 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: to get into it. So I just read briefly that 115 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: your mom was seventeen when you were born, and you 116 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: were child number two. I was tell me about that. 117 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 2: So, my mother was fifteen when she got partnered with 118 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 2: my sister. She then that relationship didn't work out. They 119 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: were obviously children. My mom had her own interesting upbringing. 120 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 2: She was the daughter of a German immigrant who married 121 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 2: an American soldier, and that was a difficult upbringing, let's 122 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: put it that way. My grandfather was not the easiest man. 123 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 2: And then she met my father, who at the time 124 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: was twenty six, and he was they My sister was 125 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 2: just a few months old, no, ten months old, when 126 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: she got partnert with me. With my father, we have 127 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 2: different fathers. 128 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: So you said they officially divorced when you were fourteen. 129 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 2: They did end up marrying, yes, and they split. Yeah, 130 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 2: They did end up marying for a bit, and then 131 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 2: they I was fourteen, they had two more children. My 132 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: younger siblings are significantly younger than me, well, significantly six years. 133 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 2: But so they had us two, had a gap, and 134 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 2: then they had two more, and then they split a 135 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 2: fish when I was fourteen, my mom left finally. 136 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: So I can't imagine in an atmosphere like that that 137 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: there was any affluence. 138 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 2: There wasn't. There wasn't. I wouldn't say it was bottom poverty. 139 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 2: My grand my paternal grandparents were there were farmers, and 140 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,360 Speaker 2: they were very very good people and were helping some 141 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 2: in that. Yeah, there was nothing before it became cool 142 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 2: to shop at goodwill. That's when we were doing it. 143 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 2: Now it's what everybody does. 144 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: It is kind of cool to shop at goodwill now yeah, yeah, yeah. 145 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: Thrift storing is like up there on the cool thing. 146 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: But back then you were shopping there because that's necessity. 147 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: So your mom then married again, and I just read 148 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: that it was an abusive relationship. And then I read 149 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 1: somewhere it said Alex found it that you saved your 150 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: mom several times. What does that even mean? 151 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 2: It does? So my mom which my mom was left 152 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 2: my father, who was not physically abusive, but has his 153 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 2: own mental health issues, and it was not a good marriage. 154 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 2: So then she rebounded and married pretty quickly into a 155 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: marriage that was very physically and mentally abusive. So I 156 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 2: would come. I would be sitting at school and I 157 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 2: would just have this gut feeling like you need to 158 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 2: go home. I need to go home now for cell 159 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 2: phones because I'm not young, And I would go up 160 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: to the office and I'd say, I need to go home. 161 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 2: I'm sick. Okay, you have go ahead and home. I 162 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 2: could walk and I would go home and find that 163 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 2: he was in a rage, and I would have to. 164 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 2: But for some reason, when I would walk in, he 165 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 2: wouldn't it would stop. He would leave. He wanted nothing 166 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 2: to do with me, so he would leave. There were 167 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 2: times when I did. I would wake up with the 168 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: middle of the night and my mom would jump in 169 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: my bed and say, tell him I'm not here, and 170 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:42,719 Speaker 2: she'd crawl to the bottom of my bed and he 171 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 2: would come in my room looking for her, and I 172 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 2: would pretend it was pillows. I've hit a nerve my closet. 173 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,000 Speaker 2: He used to do things like in the middle of 174 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 2: the night, he'd get really mad at her and take 175 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 2: all of her clothes and throw them in the yard. 176 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 2: We lived in town, so all the neighbors could see 177 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 2: all these clothes. And I would get up at four 178 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 2: o'clock in the morning and pick up her clothes and 179 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 2: bring them back in the house and clean it all 180 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,719 Speaker 2: of the broken things outside so nobody would see. He 181 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: would try to duct taper and I would, you know, 182 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 2: take the duct tape. For some reason, he wasn't like 183 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 2: this with my other siblings, but with when I would 184 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 2: become present to him, he would back off, screaming not yelling? 185 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: How do we this time? Sixteen? Fifteen sixteen? 186 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:25,239 Speaker 1: That is traumatic? 187 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 2: Yeah? 188 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: How how do you know forty six looking back thirty 189 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 1: years on that? Now as an adult, once you get 190 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: kind of self actualized and you think back on your childhood. 191 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: I think we all as we grow things about ourselves, 192 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: reveal themselves to us when we're really thinking about our lives, 193 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: and then we kind of connect dots. You know. How 194 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: now do you look back on your own childhood and 195 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: process who you are now against what that was? Then? 196 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: Only recently do I have a little more grace with. 197 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: Myself, grace with yourself? 198 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 2: Yeah? 199 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: Wow. 200 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 2: So I kind of feel like mom and I grew 201 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 2: up together, and I've always been her protector. She was 202 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 2: a child, she was a child trying to figure out 203 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: life right, and I've always been her protector in a sense, 204 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 2: or I felt the responsibility of protecting her. I was 205 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:35,719 Speaker 2: born with a protective, empathetic soul. I think, and well, 206 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 2: there's nothing I like, there's nothing I regret, There's nothing 207 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 2: I would go back and change, except of course, for 208 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 2: my mother, but for myself. I am who I am 209 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 2: because I lived that life. I don't know how to 210 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 2: explain there are to articulate that properly. It was scary, 211 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 2: it was do it was, you know, there were times 212 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 2: where she would he was left to go. My mom 213 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 2: my first, when I came back from college the first year, 214 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 2: she was in a women's shelter because the abusa got 215 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: I was gone to the abusa gotten bad, and she 216 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 2: was in a shelter. And I came home and we 217 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 2: were and I from college at first semester and Christmas break, 218 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 2: and I stayed in that shelter with my two siblings. 219 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 2: The odor was gone already, my two siblings and my 220 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 2: mom in this women's shelter in a basement. And she said, well, 221 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 2: the dog is still back at the house. Will you go? 222 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 2: Will you go feed the dog? And I was like, yeah, 223 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:27,760 Speaker 2: i'll go. I'll go feed the dog. So I went 224 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 2: drove to the other town where because the shelter was 225 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 2: at the county seat, and then we're down in a 226 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: different town and I went to feed the dog, and 227 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 2: then I went to unlock the house to get inside 228 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 2: to get some things she needed, and he was there. 229 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 2: And it was not a good it was it was terrifying. 230 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 2: That's probably the most terrifying for me because I wasn't 231 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 2: in protective mode. I wasn't defending my siblings. I wasn't 232 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,600 Speaker 2: protecting my mom. It was just me by myself. And 233 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 2: that's the one that sticks out to me as the 234 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 2: scariest because I had nobody to protect but myself, and 235 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,200 Speaker 2: I cared more about protecting them. I didn't. I just 236 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 2: wasn't thinking. And that didn't go great. And then so 237 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: then I drove as fast as I could to the 238 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 2: next you know, I jumped in my car ran and 239 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 2: because he just went to the door and just slammed 240 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 2: his hands on the door and was just screaming at me, 241 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 2: and so it just scared me. He didn't touch me, 242 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 2: he didn't do anything. So then I drove to the 243 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 2: police my car. I went to my mom was working 244 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 2: s worked at a bank as a bank teller at 245 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 2: that time, and I went I said, mommy's there. His 246 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 2: is what happened. I'm shaking, And she said, you need 247 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,319 Speaker 2: to go to the police station. Well, I'm embarrassed to 248 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 2: go to the police station. I'm not. I'm you know, 249 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 2: that's embarrassing to me. I'm in college. I look at me. 250 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 2: I made it right, but I was all of eighteen. 251 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 2: And then he was. It was a trespassing for him, 252 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 2: and he was arrested and put in jail for the 253 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 2: final time. 254 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: I just it's just not natural for a fifteen year 255 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: old to be the person that is. Actually, the roles 256 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 1: were reversed. 257 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 2: For sure, for sure for long before that though. 258 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, But I think the only reason I'm talking about 259 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: this is I think it's your main to your story. 260 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: I just feel like the way you grew up conditioned 261 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: you to be a person who always felt like they 262 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:18,959 Speaker 1: needed to offer. 263 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 2: Help, right, You're probably right, However, not I don't think 264 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: as you mature and grow, not at the expense of 265 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 2: completely of yourself. So my mom, you know, I don't 266 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,480 Speaker 2: want to make her this this person who wasn't teaching 267 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 2: and helping, you know what I mean? She really was. 268 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 2: We did my mom like I was. I told Alex, 269 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 2: my mom learned a can from my paternal grandma, and 270 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: we'd had all these cans, and as a child, she 271 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 2: would take these these this can vegetables and things and 272 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 2: she would take us. We had nothing, right, so she 273 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 2: would take us to the nursing home and we'd follow 274 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 2: her along, and she'd go in the rooms where nobody 275 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 2: had they didn't have visitors, and she'd take them things. 276 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 2: My mom was also a giver. All that's how I 277 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 2: grew up. It's all you knew, you know. So this 278 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 2: to me is as far as the giving part is 279 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 2: just how you're raised in some sense, you know. 280 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: That's beautiful And the image of this horror story of 281 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: your home, yeah, against this, it feels like just you know, 282 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: German immigrant farming family who gardened and canned and took 283 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 1: canned goods when they didn't have anything at all to 284 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: old folks homes to give. I mean, it's such a dichotomy. 285 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and just I think it shows like no 286 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: matter what you see on the outside, there's different things 287 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 2: going on inside. Man. It was you know, her heart 288 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 2: was always she wasn't dealt the best hand. 289 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: Mom wasn't. 290 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 2: But at the time she's a survivor and she's amazing. 291 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 2: But she really instilled in us And it wasn't even 292 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 2: about taking in the gift. It was about time, you know, 293 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,560 Speaker 2: they just need someone to talk to, somebody to have 294 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 2: a conversation with. And she for what she had, I 295 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 2: think she did pretty well. 296 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: Oddly, we just we just had a listener send us 297 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: an email and We just did a shop talk on 298 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: it that'll be released. It may be released before or 299 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: after this episode gets released, but it was her saying 300 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: that she volunteers her times at retire communities and that 301 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: what she's learned is many old folks are just lonely. 302 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: And she said, encourage your listeners for a lonely widow 303 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: or widowed neighbor, or someone in a retirement community, or 304 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: your great grandmother or grandmother or grandfather that's there, to 305 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: spend extra time with them because they're just lonely. And 306 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: she wanted us and we did. We took it up 307 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: on shop talking did it. And it's interesting talking to 308 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: you that your grandmother and mother and you as a 309 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: kid did that very thing. 310 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it was just my mom, but she 311 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 2: was only twenty three years old, but she picked up 312 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 2: on that, she knew that, and she would drag us 313 00:16:58,080 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 2: along with. 314 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: Her, and you know, because we were so sweet. 315 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:07,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, she was, she was. She just my mom. Always 316 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 2: always say my mom wasn't raised. My mom survived, and 317 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 2: yeah she did the best she could. 318 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: So everybody just keep listening, you'll get why. For Sam, 319 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: for you that that that experience I think matters. And 320 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: now a few messages from our general sponsors. But first, 321 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: we've launched a new written series called Normal Folks Wisdom. 322 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 1: I think Alex came up with that. Did you come 323 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: up with that? 324 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 4: And an Army of Normal Dead Folks. People have strong 325 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 4: feelings on that one already, so we'll see what they 326 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 4: think about this. 327 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: I don't know about these titles, but anyway, we've got 328 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: this thing called Normal Folks Wisdom. 329 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 4: Come on, you like it? 330 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: I do like it, Actually I like it better than 331 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: Dead Folks. But whatever. What Normal Folks Wisdom is is 332 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 1: it's the heroic normal folks we interview and when they 333 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: share poignant, cutting, practical, and oftentimes hilarious wisdom with us. 334 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:22,439 Speaker 1: So we want to make it digestible for Army members, 335 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: especially if you don't get a chance to listen to 336 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: every single episode with shame on you, you should or 337 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 1: all the way through, so we think everybody can find 338 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: it valuable. The best way to start getting Normal Folks 339 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: Wisdom is to follow us on Instagram at Army of 340 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: Normal Folks or by signing up to join the Army 341 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 1: at normal Folks dot us. As we're going to start 342 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: emailing these things out as well. There's some fancy folks 343 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: with some wisdom, but normal folks got a whole bunch 344 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 1: of it and are often overlooked. So I hope you'll 345 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: check it out. We'll be right back. So you go 346 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 1: to college. 347 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: I did, I didn't finish. 348 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: Where do you meet the lumberjack farmer feder John Guy? Well? 349 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 2: I met him later into adulthood. So I used to 350 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 2: make pies for a restaurant. So, like I said, my 351 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 2: grandparents were farmers. I grew up. My grandma taught me 352 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 2: to make pies. So I used to make pies for 353 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 2: a restaurant, and he was in that restaurant and the 354 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 2: rest is history. 355 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: Okay, So well what you do for a living is interesting. Yeah, 356 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 1: how did that? How did you wind into that? 357 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 5: Yeah? 358 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,640 Speaker 2: So I've been in the d D world for for years, 359 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, developmental disability for years. And I started years ago. 360 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 2: I worked at an ICF, which is and where they 361 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 2: were individuals with developmental disabilities live in one home. Those 362 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 2: have kind of gone the way where they don't want 363 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 2: to do that anymore. But I worked there as their 364 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 2: activities director. 365 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 3: And we're talking about down kids and uh yeah, usual 366 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 3: if they were if they live in an ICF they're 367 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 3: usually a little higher or sorry little their needs are 368 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 3: a little higher than just somebody with. 369 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 2: With Down syndrome. So it could be, but it would 370 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 2: be in correlation with something else. 371 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: So okay, so special needs, special. 372 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 2: Needs for sure, Yeah, yeah, okay. And then so I 373 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 2: did that, and then I worked for the Medicaid system, 374 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 2: doing some for the older folks who needed help in 375 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 2: their homes, and then that kind of trans and I've 376 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:46,159 Speaker 2: always volunteered for Special Olympics since I was golly, I 377 00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 2: guess when I was thirty, when I moved back to 378 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: the area, the. 379 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: City a better in your family ever been special needs? What? 380 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: What's your heart? Where's the why do you have a 381 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: heart for that? 382 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? So from yeah, I love people. I just love 383 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 2: humanity and the humanity in that world and the culture 384 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 2: of that world is so beautiful. And it's a demographic 385 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 2: that a lot of people just kind of count out, 386 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 2: you know, well they don't understand, they don't, Yeah they do, 387 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 2: you know, And I just I've always you do it 388 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 2: once and it's easy to get addicted. So I volunteered 389 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:20,959 Speaker 2: for the track team and the county that I live in, 390 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 2: and I volunteer and then you're just sucked in because 391 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 2: it's a beautiful, beautiful, complicated, exhausting, wonderful demographic of people. 392 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:35,239 Speaker 1: I married Lisa when she was I guess twenty two 393 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: and I was twenty four, okay, And so I met 394 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 1: Lisa a year and a half prior to that. So 395 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 1: I'm fifty six now, So that was thirty four years ago. 396 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: And when I went to pick up Lisa for our 397 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 1: first day, I walked into and I grew up with nothing, 398 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: and I went to pick her up at this beautiful house, 399 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: and already I was intimidated. You know, I'm like, first 400 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: of all, she's dropped dead gorgeous, and I am, as 401 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: some viewers have aptly pointed out on Facebook, according to Alex, 402 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: kind of fat. All right, yeah, I mean just a 403 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: small intermission here, Alex informed me right before. The thing 404 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: is that someone was that someone was kind enough to 405 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: post on Facebook that he's a coach, but he's fat. 406 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: Is that what they said? Alex? Yeah? 407 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 4: Actually, Ann mallam, you remember she kind of actually made 408 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 4: funny for that too. In the first episode, she said clearly, 409 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 4: did you made your players run but you didn't run? 410 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean a guest even called me fat. Yeah, 411 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: I mean, well, but Anne runs like seventeen miles a day. 412 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: But whatever, I can make fun of Ann two. She 413 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: wants to start it up. But the point is, just 414 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,120 Speaker 1: today we got a post about how fat I am, 415 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: didn't we? 416 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sorry I shouldn't have told you. 417 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,679 Speaker 1: You should of I'm over here. I mean years in 418 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: years of therapy to get over my fear of what 419 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: he complexes, and that set me back at least four 420 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: or five months to give you a hug. No, I 421 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: do not want to hug that. In fact, you probably 422 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: couldn't get your arms around me. I'm so fat. I'm 423 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: actually fat too. You're not near fat. I'm fat. I'm fat. 424 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: Sam Is is mister Lumberjack fat? Or is he in 425 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: good shape? 426 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 2: Oh? He works really hard, he's good looking. 427 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 5: Dad? 428 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: All right fat, I'm fat? Hey, our videographer, he's fat? 429 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: Aren't you fat? Casius? Yep? All right? 430 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 2: Just spread meant okay, all. 431 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: Right, Sorry, that's a diversion. The point is my not 432 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: very unattractive fat roan pulled up to pick up this 433 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: girl who is gorgeous in this big old house unlike 434 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: anything I've ever seen. And then this lady comes to 435 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:57,240 Speaker 1: answered the door, her mother, who is beautiful and all 436 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 1: this nice furniture and stuff. And as I'm waiting least 437 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: to come downstairs take her out on her first date, 438 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 1: around comes this corner this interesting kid named Ben, Lisa's 439 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: little brother. He was eight at the time and so 440 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: loving wanted to He asked me seventeen and a half 441 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: thousand questions in the four minutes that I was standing 442 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: there in the faryor. And that was my introduction to 443 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: special needs people. And Ben has been part of my 444 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 1: life obviously for the last thirty five years. I have 445 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: watched been play special umpits basketball, I've gone to bowling. 446 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,360 Speaker 1: I have visited him when he went to a large 447 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: campus home in both Kentucky and Texas. I have watched 448 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: with extreme joy the way he still rips into Christmas 449 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:58,199 Speaker 1: presents when he gets them. I have also watched him 450 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: get so angry that he will throw stuff through windows 451 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: because of his frustration because he is low enough functioning 452 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: it's probably third grade, maybe second third grade, but he's 453 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: had enough functioning to know he's not right. And the 454 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: frustration that's inside of him because he can't communicate what's 455 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: going on in is that in his heart because he 456 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 1: is a human being. Still to this moment, bristle when 457 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: somebody talking about somebody who does something stupid says the words, oh, 458 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 1: you're so retarded, I correct everybody that uses that term. 459 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: I find it offensive. And I have also been very 460 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: angry when we're out at Walmart or somewhere and watched 461 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 1: people look or hear Ben and then almost recoil or 462 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 1: move away as fast as possible. And I also am 463 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: embarrassed to say that my first once a least and 464 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: I started dating after that first date, and we became 465 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,400 Speaker 1: an item before getting married. I mean, we took Ben 466 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 1: everywhere with us, and it took me a few months 467 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: to get over my own insecurities about what people were 468 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: looking at and saying about me being with Ben, until 469 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,640 Speaker 1: I decided that was cheap and gross and I need 470 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: to be a champion for Ben. So I have a 471 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:45,360 Speaker 1: very personal relationship with challenged folks. It takes a really 472 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: special mindset to want to work with people like Ben 473 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,400 Speaker 1: and just talk about it a little bit. 474 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so everything you say hits home. Well, I don't 475 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 2: have a family connection these these guys. You know, my 476 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 2: phone's NonStop. I'm sure I have text right now, since 477 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 2: we've sat down, they're they're I'm a part of their family. 478 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,680 Speaker 2: They're all parts of mine. So I have I'm the 479 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 2: coordinator for our county Special Olympics and we have sixty 480 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 2: seven registered athletes in a. 481 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: Little old place like that. Yeah, how far of a 482 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,120 Speaker 1: geographical area do these sixty seven people come from. 483 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 2: It's one county, just one county, one county. 484 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, one small rural county. 485 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 2: It's a rural county. 486 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: Sixty seven special needs and special ops. Go ahead. 487 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 2: And so we have all kinds of different sports. And 488 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 2: when I first started, all they had was bowling and 489 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 2: once in a while they had a basketball team. But 490 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 2: so we have lots of things. My thought was, we've 491 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 2: got to offer more because right, bullying is not right 492 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 2: for everybody. You know, you have eight year olds coming 493 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 2: in who want to do things. And so we just 494 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 2: added sport after support after sports that we can be 495 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,239 Speaker 2: more inclusive, because that's what we're trying to do, right, 496 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 2: have inclusiveivity, inclusivity, And we've added unified sports, which for 497 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,719 Speaker 2: us has been phenomenal. Unified meeting your traditional athletes from 498 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 2: high school or college or adulthood. Your traditional athletes play 499 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 2: with alongside our Special Olympics athletes and that is where 500 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 2: we get We have so much fun because friendships are 501 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 2: built and communities built and you're not just marked into 502 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 2: one spot, right, So then you see out in public 503 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 2: and you see these and it just brings awareness to 504 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: the community. With our unified sports, which has been ough. 505 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 2: Just I'm just so proud of them. I'm proud of 506 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 2: all of our sports with the unified ones because you 507 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 2: see the high school kids come in and get it 508 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 2: and they under oh okay, you know, and it's been 509 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 2: that's been one of the biggest joys of my life. 510 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 2: What I get back from this is ten times more 511 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 2: than I'll ever give in. And when people are like, 512 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: it's amazing that you do that, it chocks me because 513 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 2: what I get it's almost selfish. It just so so 514 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 2: much into my life. It's phenomenal. 515 00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: Do you I'd like you to speak to what happens 516 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: viscerally inside you when you see people who are blessed 517 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: with all of their faculties ten fingers, ten toes and 518 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 1: a good sound mind decide it's okay to belittle someone 519 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: who's special needs. Because it happens, and I forget it 520 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: happens in jokes, it happens in language, it'll happen in 521 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: the old curl up your hands and you know, act 522 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: like that stuff. It absolutely is revolting to me what 523 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 1: happens inside you when you see that, given that you 524 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: spend your life around special needs people, caring for them 525 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 1: and building relationships. 526 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 2: With them, Like I said, because there's so much joy 527 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 2: and there's and I see the work that goes in 528 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,120 Speaker 2: with our folks, and they're doing all the things right, 529 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: they're going they're doing all the things right that I 530 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 2: forget that it happens. And I just had it happen. 531 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 2: I had a populated email that came to me that 532 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 2: someone can go in and fill out a form if 533 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 2: they're interested and they don't know anything about our program. 534 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 2: So I was like, oh, so I got it populated 535 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: to my email. I called them and it was a 536 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 2: high school kid whose friends had played a joke on 537 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 2: him because they said, ha ha, he qualifies. And he's like, 538 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 2: my friends are playing a joke. I'm really sorry, and 539 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 2: it just my gut, it just in my heart like 540 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 2: what I don't even know how to put into words. 541 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 2: The disrespect is so real and it's it's disheartening. It's 542 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 2: it's you're talking about some really good people, but they're 543 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:36,240 Speaker 2: they're human, right, So they're human. Sometimes they're not like 544 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 2: you and I sometimes were jerks right, well, at least 545 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 2: I am. But these are human beings living their best life, 546 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 2: doing their best, you know. And to see somebody so 547 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 2: minimize what they bring to this world is makes me 548 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:54,959 Speaker 2: physically ill. Me too physically And. 549 00:30:57,400 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: What kind of crap do you have in your own 550 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,360 Speaker 1: life that you feel like it's a valuable use of 551 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: your time to detegrate someone who is not as blessed 552 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 1: as you are. 553 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:12,239 Speaker 2: Honestly, I'm sorry for them, you know, to be so 554 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 2: uncomfortable with who you are that that makes you feel better. Yeah, 555 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 2: that's a tough. 556 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 1: Life to live, you know what we say in the South. No, 557 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: bless your heart, yea, bless their hearts for being so small. Okay, 558 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 1: I got that off my chest and I enjoyed it. 559 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: Did you enjoy it? I hope? I hope somebody listening 560 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: here is taking stock of that and make sure that 561 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 1: I went to I was involved in an organization who said, 562 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 1: obviously you can't lie steed or chill, lie steet or 563 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: chill lie, cheat or still yeah, and then it was 564 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: just as big of an infraction against the rules if 565 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: you knew somebody was lying, cheating, and stealing and didn't 566 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: speak up. I think in this little conversation we have 567 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: great if you don't do that, but if you suffer 568 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: people who do it and are unwilling to speak up 569 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: against it on the behalf of someone who is not 570 00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: as fortunate as you, I think it's just as bad. 571 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: And so that's why I'm saying this is I don't 572 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: think everybody listen to us makes fun of special needs people. 573 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: But if you're around people that make fun of special 574 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: needs people and you turn a blind eye to it, 575 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: and my opinion, you're just as guilty. Speak up on 576 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: behalf of the most needy among. 577 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 2: Us, for sure. 578 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: For sure, we'll be right back. So you spend your life. 579 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: When you showed up, they had bowling and now they 580 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:01,440 Speaker 1: have like sixteen sports. 581 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 2: Well we have not sixteen. We have two different basketball teams, 582 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 2: we have flag football, we. 583 00:33:08,560 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: Have bowling football. 584 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, we just started this past year. It was a 585 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 2: huge chick. 586 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: So much. 587 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 2: And our coaches, you know, all of our coaches are volunteers. 588 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 2: So I'm surrounded by these humans who are on the 589 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 2: same page as me, like they're there to just love 590 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 2: their athletes and to coach. It's like our coaches don't 591 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 2: mess around. They're there to coach. We have competitive we 592 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 2: have unified cheer and a traditional chaer team, which are 593 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,320 Speaker 2: both competitive teams. We have unified volleyball, we have unified golf. 594 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 2: I don't know if I named them all, but we 595 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 2: just we just keep our athletes really busy. 596 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: And we said not sixteen, but you're already up to nine. 597 00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, questrian. We start a questrian too, which is 598 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 2: questrian Yeah, which is really neat. We were able to 599 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 2: I knew continuing to do this. We know we're I 600 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 2: don't want to miss a demographic and so our higher 601 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 2: needs and we keep that for them. That that's because 602 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 2: it's very expensive. That's where there are place to be 603 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 2: and it's been in life change. I have families. What 604 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,479 Speaker 2: this does for our athletes is amazing and I never 605 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 2: want toke away, but what it does for their families. 606 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 2: They get to watch their child be the star to be, 607 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 2: to do the things that traditional parents get to see 608 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 2: their kids do in which I lived for when my 609 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 2: kids were They. 610 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 1: Also get to watch their kids smile and have relationships, 611 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: and we. 612 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,959 Speaker 2: Had one speak for the first time during a question 613 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,480 Speaker 2: for the first time. I mean it is. We had 614 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 2: one girl who with the equestrian team. It's called stemming, 615 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 2: which I don't know if you're familiar with, but she 616 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 2: holds stuffed animals and she just does this. And these 617 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 2: stuffed animals are at school, they never go down, they 618 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 2: never go down. Now a year later, when she walks 619 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,800 Speaker 2: into that barn, her stuffies go down and she grabs 620 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 2: her horse, and that's huge. It doesn't seem like a 621 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 2: huge thing, right, but you have parents over sobbing because 622 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 2: she put them down and her horse is everything. It's 623 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,799 Speaker 2: just changed lives. I have parents tell me the only 624 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 2: nights their child sleeps for more than six hours are 625 00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 2: on the nights they have their special Olympics event. It's 626 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 2: life changing for families too, not just not just our athletes. 627 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,759 Speaker 1: So people listen to us would think this is an 628 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: episode about the special Olympics and special needs people. 629 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 2: I could talk about it all day, but guess. 630 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: What it is not. That is just what you do. Yeah, 631 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: and the story about your upbringing is just where you 632 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 1: came from. That I think all culminates into the crux 633 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 1: of why you're here today, and I want to tell 634 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: you a little bit about why this story is so 635 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:44,440 Speaker 1: personal to me. When the Memphis Grizzlies moved to the 636 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: FedEx Forum maybe fifteen years ago, I was introduced to 637 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: this guy named Mike who was a C level guy there, 638 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:58,000 Speaker 1: and we formed a really good friendship. He's this Canadian 639 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:01,920 Speaker 1: guy moved to Memphis who was involved in professional sports 640 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: at all kinds of levels, and we really did we 641 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: for himed a really good good friendship. And then he 642 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: moved off to Phoenix to become I think the chief 643 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: administrative officer or financial officer, revenue officer something for the 644 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,040 Speaker 1: Phoenix something codes they have. 645 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,160 Speaker 4: So he's usually been chief revenue officer, chief revenue like 646 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 4: the Sons and the SuperSonics and the Columbus Blue Jackets. 647 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean he's been Mike was all over the place. 648 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: It's been a big executive in professional sports all over 649 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 1: the place. And then when he resigned from that, this 650 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: cat moved back to Memphis. And the reason moved back 651 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:41,120 Speaker 1: to Memphis is he loves Memphis. This Canadian that could 652 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 1: probably live anywhere, and I think he's got a Master's 653 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,520 Speaker 1: and some stuff. He's really bright. Anyway, Mike and I 654 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:52,439 Speaker 1: became buddies, and over the last few years, Mike's been 655 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,280 Speaker 1: incredibly involved in Memphis. We have this new amazing tennis 656 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 1: center that he kind of spearheaded happening. And when I 657 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: say tennis center, the University of Memphis teams play in it. 658 00:37:04,920 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: It's massive. It's one of the largest municipal tennis centers 659 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: in the world. It's brand new, it's got indoor courts outdoor, 660 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 1: it's gorgeous. And then I think the second largest municipal 661 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 1: indoor outdoor basketball arena that can host National AAU Games 662 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 1: was built in the middle of Memphis. But it's a 663 00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,480 Speaker 1: dual or a multi purpose place that you can host 664 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: national chess championships, you can host e sports championships, which 665 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: is a big deal. And he's a multi million dollar thing. 666 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 1: He was the spearhead of that. The Liberty Bowl is 667 00:37:48,280 --> 00:37:51,279 Speaker 1: now sponsored by Simmons Bank. He was instrumental in that 668 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: the Cook Convention Center, a big convention center downtown, got 669 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,799 Speaker 1: renamed Rights. He was center that. I mean, he's just done. 670 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: He's a Memphis transplant who has done stuff literally all 671 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 1: over our city to improve it, and everywhere he goes, 672 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:11,960 Speaker 1: he improves our city. And he is my buddy, and 673 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 1: I love the guy, Mike Humes. So you know, as 674 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:20,800 Speaker 1: you do in your friends, and you go to dinner 675 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: with your wives and stuff, you talk about life. And 676 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 1: Mike told me about his kids, and he told me 677 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: about this one son he had that had some problems 678 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: at birth and and because of the because of the 679 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: treatment he had to have, he lost his hearing and 680 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: had renal failure and whatever. And so I knew about 681 00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:54,080 Speaker 1: his son, Scott, and I don't know, six months to 682 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:57,720 Speaker 1: a year ago, we went to lunch and he said 683 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:04,439 Speaker 1: that Scott's kidney had had failed. He was being kept 684 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:09,680 Speaker 1: alive by dialysis. And this is after he told me 685 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: that the guy got leukemia. And was I'm just like, 686 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: how much can one father talk about how much his 687 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:25,800 Speaker 1: son had been dealt I mean, deafness, then a kidney 688 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: transplant as a young kid, and then renal failure again 689 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:34,319 Speaker 1: and lymphoma and he beat that. And I'm thinking, this 690 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: sickly boy in a bubble. And what I find out 691 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: is despite all of this, this guy's gone to college. 692 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,880 Speaker 1: He's playing on US hockey teams. They've won a national 693 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:52,719 Speaker 1: hockey something in Ohio. And you know, this kid, despite 694 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 1: having his hearing taking from him at a young age, 695 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,520 Speaker 1: and having kidney transplants when he's like thirteen or fourteen 696 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: or whatever, and then having lymphoma and everything, he still 697 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 1: ends up playing hockey at a high level and competing 698 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: in national everything. And I'm just like, what a testament 699 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,080 Speaker 1: to this guy. That's the story for me. That's it. Mike, 700 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 1: my buddy, who has this sick kid who's overcoming a 701 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,840 Speaker 1: ton of stuff and it is just an impressive kid. 702 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:25,880 Speaker 1: And then we're having lunch and he says he's in 703 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: renal failure and if he doesn't get a kidney, he's 704 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: gonna die. And you can see then, as any parent 705 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:38,160 Speaker 1: would have. You could see the concern, but you could 706 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: also see the fight in his eyes. And you know, 707 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 1: what do you say to a friend like that, other 708 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,319 Speaker 1: than if there's anything I can do, let me know. 709 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:51,040 Speaker 1: I'll pray for you, I love you. Do you need 710 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,960 Speaker 1: shoulder to crime or just somebody to talk to holler? 711 00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:00,279 Speaker 1: And then a not a short time long ago, he 712 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:02,840 Speaker 1: said he was going up to Oho to be with 713 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:09,360 Speaker 1: Scott because he was getting his kidney and it was like, Wow, amazing, 714 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:17,359 Speaker 1: you know, and then and he didn't say anything else. 715 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: And then not too long ago, he told me about 716 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: this thing that the medical center at Ohio State did 717 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 1: and this chain thing and how it all happened, and 718 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:32,800 Speaker 1: that it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for this innocuous, 719 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 1: unknown woman who didn't have a single relationship to anybody, 720 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: and all of these ten people's lives who were saved 721 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:47,279 Speaker 1: by giving kidneys, who just out of the goodness of 722 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,480 Speaker 1: her heart, said you know what, I have two of 723 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 1: these things. I could donate one and save a life, 724 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,799 Speaker 1: and I'm going to do it. And Sam, that's you. 725 00:41:58,600 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 2: Wow. 726 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: I get tears even saying it. Sam. It is the 727 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 1: most selfless thing I've ever heard of. So I've revealed it, 728 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:13,760 Speaker 1: but I would love for you to take us through why. 729 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure by now you're where versed in how this 730 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,640 Speaker 1: chain of events happens at Ohio State and explained that 731 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: incredible work, how many lives were changed and saved, how 732 00:42:26,960 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 1: many people were involved. I know that you believe in 733 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:34,800 Speaker 1: silent giving, and I know you're not a chest thumping, 734 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:37,400 Speaker 1: look at me kind of girl, but you're gonna have 735 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: to do that a little bit with me to tell 736 00:42:38,800 --> 00:42:46,320 Speaker 1: the story. And I am just in awe of your selflessness. 737 00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:49,959 Speaker 1: So why in the world are you cutting your body 738 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 1: open for people you don't know? And how did all 739 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:52,720 Speaker 1: this work? 740 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:55,480 Speaker 2: You know? I've been asked that a lot in the 741 00:42:55,560 --> 00:43:00,359 Speaker 2: last two months, not quite two months, and I still 742 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 2: failed to properly articulate unless you understand that still small voice. 743 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:10,160 Speaker 2: And I don't know how to properly explain it to 744 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,759 Speaker 2: people who don't get it, but maybe you will. I'll 745 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:17,520 Speaker 2: do my best. We've all see online. You know, somebody 746 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,040 Speaker 2: knows somebody who needs a gidney, right you see? And 747 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 2: on backs of cars, you see all those things. And 748 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:23,520 Speaker 2: I've seen those for years, just like everybody else has. 749 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:26,560 Speaker 2: And I didn't have necessarily a person in mind, but 750 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:29,319 Speaker 2: I remember, I remember where I was, and I failed it. 751 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:34,239 Speaker 2: I wasn't around any of those things, but feeling it 752 00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:39,160 Speaker 2: in my soul. You need to get tested to donate 753 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:41,600 Speaker 2: your kidney. And I don't know anybody in my family 754 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:44,759 Speaker 2: who you know, has such things. But to explain that 755 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:49,400 Speaker 2: feeling is I can't, except you know, you have to 756 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 2: on the same token. I processed it for a couple 757 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,080 Speaker 2: of days making sure it wasn't the same thing, making 758 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,360 Speaker 2: sure it wasn't a you know, when you're in the 759 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 2: social work world, you can be accused of wanting to 760 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 2: save the world. I wanted to make sure that wasn't 761 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 2: that feeling that it was a god thing. So I 762 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:04,439 Speaker 2: wait about a while. 763 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,800 Speaker 1: You wanted to make sure that, in the weirdest way, 764 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:11,120 Speaker 1: it wasn't selfish, but it was a God thing. 765 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:13,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I want how in the. 766 00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:18,440 Speaker 1: World can be given a kidney away be selfish? 767 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:23,160 Speaker 2: I wanted to make sure that it wasn't a thing 768 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:25,319 Speaker 2: that just I wanted to do. I needed to make 769 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 2: sure that it was a God Are you telling me 770 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,920 Speaker 2: to do this? Because this came out of nowhere for me, 771 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 2: absolutely nowhere, and so I really wanted to dissect it 772 00:44:33,719 --> 00:44:36,880 Speaker 2: and to make things. Have I do other things for 773 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:41,759 Speaker 2: other people that I that I just feel like I 774 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 2: want to. But this was going to affect more than 775 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,520 Speaker 2: just me. This was going to affect my job, my athletes, 776 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:48,520 Speaker 2: my family, you know. So I needed to make sure. 777 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,759 Speaker 2: So I presented it to my husband about a week 778 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 2: after I've been praying about it, like, but this was 779 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:57,160 Speaker 2: not going away. It was getting louder and louder and louder. 780 00:44:57,200 --> 00:44:59,879 Speaker 2: It wasn't and I, you know, and he's so used 781 00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:01,839 Speaker 2: to me saying, hey, I really feel like we need 782 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:02,279 Speaker 2: to do this. 783 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 1: And to be clear, you knew nobody know nobody. 784 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 2: I don't know these people exist, Like what you just 785 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:10,120 Speaker 2: told me about this. This is the first I've heard 786 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:12,360 Speaker 2: this Scott story to that extent. 787 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:14,719 Speaker 1: Really. Yeah, I'm glad to share that with you. 788 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:15,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I. 789 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: Hopefully it hopefully it helps you understand the impact of 790 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:23,920 Speaker 1: your selflessness. 791 00:45:24,320 --> 00:45:27,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's beautiful. It's not me with the story 792 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:30,719 Speaker 2: is beautiful. And so my husband is pretty used to it. 793 00:45:30,719 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 2: And he's like, well, okay, so we So. 794 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: I almost to know your husband did not say that. 795 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:40,359 Speaker 5: That's just there's no way, okay, Sam, there's no way 796 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:42,480 Speaker 5: you walked in and said, hey, honey, I hope the 797 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:44,560 Speaker 5: harvest is going, well, I'm gonna give away a kidney 798 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:47,160 Speaker 5: and he goes, Okay, that's not how that happened. 799 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:50,200 Speaker 2: You're right, you're right, Okay, how did that happen? Okay? 800 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 2: So I said, I'm going to reach out and get 801 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:56,479 Speaker 2: more information, and he's like and he is like, okay, Well, 802 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 2: the good news is Ohio State sends this video and 803 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:02,440 Speaker 2: not only you have to watch it, but your caretaker 804 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,440 Speaker 2: has to watch it. He would be my caretaker in 805 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:08,640 Speaker 2: this situation. And they do an excellent job with the video. Again, 806 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:12,800 Speaker 2: he didn't say okay, he's but he is very used 807 00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 2: to in these last few decades me saying I've got this, 808 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,319 Speaker 2: I've got this feeling, I've got this, and he's so 809 00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 2: used to that that he takes it with a grain 810 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:25,719 Speaker 2: of salt. So because the things have happened before, I 811 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:27,319 Speaker 2: was like, Okay, that's not gonna work. That's not what 812 00:46:27,320 --> 00:46:29,120 Speaker 2: we're supposed to do. So he just takes it with 813 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:30,560 Speaker 2: a grain of salt and says, okay, I'll watch the 814 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:36,200 Speaker 2: video with you. He's this, mate, Yeah, yeah, my. You know, 815 00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:38,520 Speaker 2: we're going to regional basketball tournament next weekend and my 816 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:41,680 Speaker 2: basketball coaches can't be there for other reasons. And by 817 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:44,799 Speaker 2: the way, babe, your coach a basketball Okay, this is 818 00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:47,359 Speaker 2: this is his life. He knows this, he knows he's signed, 819 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:48,360 Speaker 2: he knew what he signed up for. 820 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:57,440 Speaker 1: And that concludes part one of my conversation with Sam 821 00:46:57,480 --> 00:47:00,799 Speaker 1: Fletterer John and guys, you don't want to us Part two. 822 00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:07,440 Speaker 1: That's now available to listen to, where special guest joins Sam. Together, guys, 823 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 1: we can change this country, and it starts with you. 824 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:12,359 Speaker 1: I'll see you in Part two.