Latest / All About The Joy / Lonely in a Connected World: Why We’re All Feeling Apart
Transcript
- 0:04Carmen Lezeth: Hey, rick Costa, welcome to All About the Joy, the Private Lounge, everyone.
- 0:08Carmen Lezeth: It's just me and Rick today.
- 0:10Rick Costa: Hi, how are you?
- 0:14Carmen Lezeth: Wait, what did you just say?
- 0:15Rick Costa: How are you?
- 0:16Rick Costa: How are?
- 0:17Carmen Lezeth: you.
- 0:17Carmen Lezeth: So you just woke up.
- 0:20Carmen Lezeth: Let's just be honest about what just happened.
- 0:22Carmen Lezeth: So you're in the perfect mode for our subject today.
- 0:25Rick Costa: Yeah.
- 0:27Carmen Lezeth: Just kidding.
- 0:27Carmen Lezeth: Well, we can just say we can, we don't have to, we can just chit chat, we don't have to do the show Like it's fine.
- 0:33Carmen Lezeth: Well, okay, Well, the topic we're going to so I should probably tell you why I picked the topic, cause I think in the past we talked about it a little bit, I think.
- 0:43Carmen Lezeth: Before we've talked about it, I'll tell you two things that happened this week that made me realize that I wanted to kind of have this conversation, and also it's something I've been thinking about, right.
- 0:53Carmen Lezeth: So one was one of the offices that I work in this.
- 0:58Carmen Lezeth: I think she's Gen Z, I don't know how old she is, but she's young and and she came in, she always meets me there at like 7, 30 in the morning, which I have to say, the reason why I go in early is because I can get so much work done and nobody's there, because the many people come in at like 10, 11 o'clock.
- 1:13Carmen Lezeth: It's like ridiculous.
- 1:14Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 1:15Carmen Lezeth: So she comes in and I say hi to her and I'm like why are you here so early?
- 1:20Carmen Lezeth: She's like I love coming into the office and just getting work done.
- 1:24Carmen Lezeth: Now, you know everyone's like remote from home.
- 1:26Carmen Lezeth: So you know I had to have a conversation with her.
- 1:28Carmen Lezeth: I was like wait, what she's?
- 1:30Carmen Lezeth: So she goes.
- 1:31Carmen Lezeth: She's like as much as I like having the freedom to work from home.
- 1:35Carmen Lezeth: She's like there's something about being around people and just like the energy and the.
- 1:39Carmen Lezeth: Okay, can I say again this is like a Gen Z person.
- 1:43Carmen Lezeth: It totally threw me, but it was a great conversation and it was so unexpected.
- 1:48Carmen Lezeth: I just was thrown by it and in a roundabout way, what she was saying was it's really lonely to be home by yourself, like she was like it's you know nobody's in my house.
- 2:00Carmen Lezeth: Like my parents go to work and I'm the only one home and my brother, you know, he's traveling and dah dah, dah traveling.
- 2:10Carmen Lezeth: And then she's like and then I sit at home all by myself, she's like.
- 2:13Carmen Lezeth: So I was really excited to get a job where I had to go into an office.
- 2:16Rick Costa: Weird, right, because that's not the norm.
- 2:17Rick Costa: Maybe that's what it is.
- 2:18Carmen Lezeth: I would say she's not extroverted at all.
- 2:20Carmen Lezeth: I think it's just about I think there is something happening where people this isn't really about working from home or working remotely I think there was something deeper happening where we're so disconnected from each other.
- 2:36Carmen Lezeth: The other thing that happened that day which threw me for a loop was I got a text from Mario, who we love.
- 2:43Carmen Lezeth: We love Mario, and so, for people who don't know, mario's usually been on the show with his wife, alma.
- 2:50Carmen Lezeth: They've been having a lot of family issues and Mario has been very ill lately and dealing with some stuff personally and he was in the hospital, whatever.
- 3:00Carmen Lezeth: And he's texting me and he's like hey, just thinking about you, wanted to know how you were doing.
- 3:06Carmen Lezeth: Um, whatever, he's like miss, you, hope you're doing well.
- 3:09Carmen Lezeth: And I was like and I started to cry.
- 3:11Carmen Lezeth: I was like he's, he's worried about me, he's checking in with me, and I was like, oh my God.
- 3:20Carmen Lezeth: And here's the thing I couldn't answer his text because I was at work when he sent it.
- 3:25Carmen Lezeth: So when I got home is when I was able to respond, and of course, I'm all choked up answering because he did a voice.
- 3:30Carmen Lezeth: What is it?
- 3:31Carmen Lezeth: Voice note Is that what we're calling them now, sure, and I felt like such a fool.
- 3:35Carmen Lezeth: But I was like, oh my people, it's not the same thing.
- 3:38Carmen Lezeth: Like I miss my friends, I miss hanging out with my friends and my friend Mia was supposed to come visit for a week but because of everything happening in Los Angeles and the political climate, we made the decision it's probably not a good idea for her to come right now.
- 3:58Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean With, like, ice agents and all this crap and stuff.
- 4:00Carmen Lezeth: But I'm really sad, like I'm really miserable about it.
- 4:09Rick Costa: Crap and stuff but I'm really sad, like I'm really miserable about it and I think I think I'm lonely.
- 4:12Carmen Lezeth: So I wanted to talk about it because I'm like I didn't even realize that maybe I'm lonely and I'm hearing someone else who's talking about it so easily and you know she's like no, I want to come in the office because then I'm around people, thoughts, what do you think?
- 4:29Rick Costa: yeah, like for me, for example, my best friend just moved out of state so I'm not gonna see him anymore like the only person I really interacted with, outside of mom, of course, and occasional family visit.
- 4:41Rick Costa: So I'm like, hey, nobody now.
- 4:46Rick Costa: Awesome, we watched a movie um this past sunday just so we could do something together.
- 4:51Rick Costa: He had never seen a furious seven.
- 4:53Rick Costa: I don't know how he picked that one.
- 4:54Rick Costa: He said oh, really good movies.
- 4:56Rick Costa: So I have like um one of those uh projector thingies so I put it in the basement and if you watch it at night it looks perfect and it's like huge and I got big speakers right behind your ears, whatever, and so it feels like at the movies with um zero gravity chairs.
- 5:10Rick Costa: He's like I love this chair all right, so rick is clearly living large.
- 5:15Carmen Lezeth: Okay, I'm just kidding.
- 5:16Carmen Lezeth: Good yeah, so um wait, why did he move out of state for work or something, or?
- 5:22Rick Costa: no, I think he just felt like connecticut he was done, he was done okay, where did he move?
- 5:29Carmen Lezeth: like far away or north carolina oh okay, I mean no, no, no offense in north carolina.
- 5:34Carmen Lezeth: I mean that's like like if you had said you know boston, I'd be like oh, that's not too far, you know, but okay, north carolina's a flight, yeah, yeah.
- 5:42Rick Costa: So he's like, yeah, so well, one day when your situation changes, wink, wink.
- 5:47Rick Costa: We know what that means Some of us he goes, I'll fly you down just so you can hang out with us.
- 5:51Rick Costa: I was like I may take up, take you up on that, you never know.
- 5:54Rick Costa: I'm like now.
- 5:56Rick Costa: I mean we talk on video, on the phone, all the time.
- 5:59Rick Costa: It's not the same.
- 6:09Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, it's not the same.
- 6:10Carmen Lezeth: It's not the same.
- 6:10Carmen Lezeth: So, yeah, so I'm in that kind of weird position right now myself.
- 6:12Carmen Lezeth: So, you know, I mean I have a mom, of course, but it's not the same as what you'll have.
- 6:14Carmen Lezeth: Well, it's not the same because, for people who don't know, especially people listening to the audio, you take care of your mom.
- 6:17Carmen Lezeth: Who is dealing with?
- 6:17Carmen Lezeth: I always say dementia, alzheimer's, but I don't know which one.
- 6:19Carmen Lezeth: It is Dementia, yeah, dementia.
- 6:20Carmen Lezeth: You've been doing it for how many years now?
- 6:22Rick Costa: It's at least three.
- 6:23Carmen Lezeth: Like three years, that's a lot and it's not getting better right.
- 6:27Rick Costa: It generally does not.
- 6:35Carmen Lezeth: Does not get better.
- 6:35Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, so you're isolated in a very different way because you're a caretaker as well, and that's like.
- 6:37Carmen Lezeth: In a lot of ways it's such a blessing and so beautiful because you are able to take care of your mom, which is a lovely thing.
- 6:43Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 6:44Carmen Lezeth: But it's got to be draining, it's got to be painful, and then your one friend that was in the neighborhood is that the right way to say it In the neighborhood?
- 6:55Rick Costa: It wasn't exactly close, but I mean.
- 6:56Carmen Lezeth: Oh, you guys would hang out, you would hang out.
- 6:58Rick Costa: For a while He'd come by after she was asleep.
- 7:11Carmen Lezeth: So make sure, sure you know we have peace and quiet and not to do anything crazy going on.
- 7:14Carmen Lezeth: But yeah so, but yeah.
- 7:14Carmen Lezeth: So.
- 7:14Carmen Lezeth: How do you think loneliness I mean, I don't know, I don't want to project that on you would you say that that's loneliness or you're fearing?
- 7:18Rick Costa: it or you might, or I mean, I think one of the reasons why I literally do broadcast every day is to try to still have contact with people.
- 7:25Rick Costa: Again, not the same as being with people, but it's better than nothing.
- 7:30Rick Costa: If I didn't have that, I think I would definitely go stir crazy, even though I am an introvert and an indoor type person.
- 7:38Rick Costa: There's only so much you can take of that.
- 7:41Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, but see you and I have had this conversation about I really hate when people say they're an introvert, everybody's an introvert, everybody wants to be an introvert, like I don't know why.
- 7:51Carmen Lezeth: That's the thing.
- 7:51Carmen Lezeth: I'm not taking that away from you, I'm just saying it's.
- 7:54Carmen Lezeth: You never hear anyone say like I'm an extrovert.
- 7:58Rick Costa: Oh, I definitely have.
- 8:00Carmen Lezeth: I don't hear anyone say that Everyone wants to be an introvert.
- 8:02Carmen Lezeth: The reason why I think that doesn't matter in this case because that's not the definition of loneliness at all, like it doesn't matter if you're an introvert or extrovert.
- 8:11Carmen Lezeth: Loneliness is something that happens because we don't have connection with people.
- 8:16Carmen Lezeth: And I'm going to add this, and I'm no doctor or scientist or whatever but I don't think it's just about connecting on social media or on Zoom calls or whatever.
- 8:26Carmen Lezeth: I think it's about actually being in person, because we're social beings.
- 8:32Carmen Lezeth: I was shooketh shooketh, I tell you at my reaction when Mario texted me, because I wasn't expecting it, not him texting me, but my reaction to it was so visceral it was so I don't know if was so visceral Like it was, so I don't know if that's the right word it was so physical, you know, um, and I couldn't contain myself and I thought, like what is wrong with me?
- 8:51Carmen Lezeth: And then I realized I go weeks without talking to my friends.
- 8:55Carmen Lezeth: I go to work, I see people at work, I see people at the grocery store, I see, but I'm not really talking to them.
- 9:01Carmen Lezeth: Does that make sense?
- 9:03Carmen Lezeth: Like I'm not hanging out with them.
- 9:05Carmen Lezeth: I'm doing my work and leaving or getting my groceries and leaving, or going to the dry cleaners or whatever it is.
- 9:10Carmen Lezeth: I'm not hanging out and laughing.
- 9:16Rick Costa: Yeah, it's to say you can't really have the same kind of deep conversations you could have as if somebody is actually with you.
- 9:22Rick Costa: You can, but it's not the same.
- 9:25Carmen Lezeth: It's not the same.
- 9:25Carmen Lezeth: And so one of the things I used to love, like I used to hang out and andrea and I live in the same state but she's like an hour from me, it's not like she's not that close, you know what I mean.
- 9:34Carmen Lezeth: And also she has kids and you know they're older now and what chickens, fucking chickens, you know what?
- 9:43Carmen Lezeth: I think that's the reason why I haven't seen her those days.
- 9:45Carmen Lezeth: I forgot about the.
- 9:48Carmen Lezeth: But one of the things I used to love hanging out with, and jay and I, like at least once a month, used to go and have dinner and hang out and laugh, whatever.
- 9:58Carmen Lezeth: But even when she lived here, like when we lived in the same at least area, you know neighborhood or whatever you know we used to hang out a lot more often and it was just easier.
- 10:07Carmen Lezeth: I also think it might be an age thing.
- 10:09Carmen Lezeth: I think maybe as we get older, um, we detach more.
- 10:13Carmen Lezeth: I don't know.
- 10:14Carmen Lezeth: What do you think?
- 10:16Rick Costa: I don't know if age has as much to do with it, because I've seen older people like be attached to the hip.
- 10:23Rick Costa: I mean, I kind of think of think of it as a fun example.
- 10:24Rick Costa: But like the golden girls, there's some people that age.
- 10:27Rick Costa: They really are constantly together like that.
- 10:30Carmen Lezeth: So I agree with you, but those people live Okay, not all of them, but a lot of people.
- 10:36Carmen Lezeth: They live in communities for that reason, like they live in assisted living or in you know what I mean.
- 10:41Carmen Lezeth: Like they have, like there are apartments for people over 55.
- 10:56Carmen Lezeth: I'm like I don't know what that was about, but, um, but I wonder if that also is part of it too.
- 10:59Carmen Lezeth: Like the people you're talking about are people that are at a certain age where they decide to live together or they're retired.
- 11:05Carmen Lezeth: They have something in in common.
- 11:06Carmen Lezeth: I just feel like all of my friends who are my age, who I've used to hang out with or whatever.
- 11:11Rick Costa: We've just moved on could it be because most of them are married.
- 11:15Rick Costa: So that's why, maybe you know yeah, for sure my life.
- 11:21Rick Costa: I got stuff to do.
- 11:22Rick Costa: I can't.
- 11:22Rick Costa: I'm not single.
- 11:23Rick Costa: I can't just go out and do whatever I want, Anytime I want to.
- 11:25Rick Costa: I got kids, but you know it is what it is.
- 11:28Rick Costa: What are you going to do?
- 11:30Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, I don't do so.
- 11:32Carmen Lezeth: I kind of have a rule and I know it's annoying to some of my friends Like I don't call my friends because they're the ones with the kids Now, their kids are older now, so I guess it could be different.
- 11:41Carmen Lezeth: But in the past what would happen is I would call my friends and they'd be like oh my god, carmen, I can't talk to you right now because the baby's crying.
- 11:48Carmen Lezeth: I'll be like oh, okay.
- 11:49Carmen Lezeth: So then I was like you know what you call me when you're ready, you know what I mean, and that just felt like a better thing.
- 11:53Carmen Lezeth: But now that's become kind of the norm.
- 11:56Carmen Lezeth: So I don't call my friends because I'm like they're the ones with the.
- 11:59Carmen Lezeth: You know they have to take their kids on their, whatever they do I don't even know what they do or play dates or whatever all those things are that parents do.
- 12:11Carmen Lezeth: That I don't do.
- 12:12Carmen Lezeth: So I'm I always am like, but I think I I know for a fact too that if I called my friends they would call me.
- 12:16Carmen Lezeth: But I don't.
- 12:19Carmen Lezeth: It's not an emergency, I'm just like hey, I just miss you, just want to hang out, but they can't.
- 12:23Carmen Lezeth: You're right, it is so.
- 12:25Carmen Lezeth: I need some more single friends.
- 12:26Carmen Lezeth: That's what it is, I think, okay, there's a call out.
- 12:29Carmen Lezeth: Call out to single friends in the LA area.
- 12:32Rick Costa: We ain't got no kids no go ahead, Maybe text them and say like hey, can you talk on the weekend and pick a time or something.
- 12:39Carmen Lezeth: But you know what it?
- 12:40Carmen Lezeth: It's not about talking to them.
- 12:40Carmen Lezeth: I talk to them all the time.
- 12:41Carmen Lezeth: It's not that I think what I'm talking about because, like, one of the questions I want to talk about is mentally and physically right.
- 12:47Carmen Lezeth: I think there is something and again I didn't research this or whatever.
- 12:51Carmen Lezeth: This is me and you chit chatting right, Like I think there's something about physically hanging out with your friend.
- 12:56Carmen Lezeth: Like you just said, you guys watched a movie in your basement and hung out or whatever.
- 13:00Carmen Lezeth: Like you hung out or whatever.
- 13:06Carmen Lezeth: Like you and I could sit here and watch a movie on here.
- 13:08Carmen Lezeth: We could right it's not the same, but it's not the same.
- 13:10Rick Costa: It's not the same, that's snacking together and, you know, looking at each other laughing, like that was really funny, like it's just weird.
- 13:17Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, it's just weird, do you think?
- 13:20Carmen Lezeth: Do you think loneliness looks different today than it did maybe 10 years ago?
- 13:27Rick Costa: I don't know if it looks different.
- 13:29Rick Costa: I think it's probably more prevalent than ever before.
- 13:32Rick Costa: Oh, Because of this internet which has brought us together, we're more apart.
- 13:39Carmen Lezeth: Isn't that?
- 13:39Rick Costa: fascinating.
- 13:40Rick Costa: People talk about it all the time.
- 13:41Rick Costa: When I grew up, when we had dinner, we all sat at a table and we talked, and now it's like everybody's eating in their own room, or if they are together, they're on their phone, so it's like it's a different world.
- 13:54Carmen Lezeth: I think I'm going to say something that is not profound or anything, but I think social media has probably made us less.
- 14:01Carmen Lezeth: It's not about connected there's got to be a better word, because I think we are more connected.
- 14:07Carmen Lezeth: I would again.
- 14:08Carmen Lezeth: We always talk about I would have never met you if it wasn't for social media.
- 14:12Carmen Lezeth: I would have never.
- 14:12Carmen Lezeth: We, we would not have our show that we have the way we have it if I hadn't met you.
- 14:17Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 14:18Carmen Lezeth: So there's the great plus sides of social media that I will not abandon or throw under the bus.
- 14:23Carmen Lezeth: I think social media is a great thing, but, like a microwave, it's not going to overtake an oven.
- 14:29Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 14:30Carmen Lezeth: I don't mean to be goofy that way, but social media doesn't take over actually being in person and hanging out with people.
- 14:40Rick Costa: Yeah, I think another issue too is that things are so much more expensive.
- 14:45Rick Costa: You know, people just don't have the money to go out to the movies, go out to the restaurants I just called you girl, girl because, okay, let me tell you, I just went to the grocery store.
- 14:56Carmen Lezeth: I'm not even kidding, so I don't complain about grocery store things or whatever but today, and I went to the same grocery store.
- 15:03Carmen Lezeth: I don't know what happened from last week, I think I went to the grocery store two weeks ago two weeks ago because I go pretty regularly.
- 15:09Carmen Lezeth: Okay, so this week, my coffee, which was 9.99, I buy pete's coffee, columbia coffee or, um, uh, major dickersons if people know what pete's coffee is and they don't sponsor us, but they could um, it was nine, 99, two weeks ago, and I remember cause I bought like three bags.
- 15:30Carmen Lezeth: I'm like I'm just going to stock up.
- 15:31Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean Today 15, 99, 15, 99.
- 15:36Carmen Lezeth: That's crazy.
- 15:39Rick Costa: That's crazy.
- 15:40Carmen Lezeth: So I came home and I was like I mean, all of it was really expensive.
- 15:43Carmen Lezeth: So I came home and I thought maybe the other ones were.
- 15:45Carmen Lezeth: First of all, this is like that's my coffee.
- 15:48Carmen Lezeth: I don't go to Starbucks or whatever, but I make coffee here.
- 15:50Carmen Lezeth: So I was like maybe that was old, but I know it's always about like sometimes you can get the deals like $7.99 or $9.99 and then you get the coupon or whatever, and so that's why I know, because I have my coupons, you know, but it wasn't, it's just now 59.
- 16:05Carmen Lezeth: All of them shook it.
- 16:07Carmen Lezeth: It's a big jump, that's a big jump, that's a big jump.
- 16:11Carmen Lezeth: So yeah, I do think things are more expensive, you're right.
- 16:14Rick Costa: I'm having to deal with that at work with like.
- 16:16Rick Costa: So we deal with so many different companies.
- 16:18Rick Costa: People want to order stuff and this company has that and that company, and then that company has that, which makes my job a headache Totally different than when I first started.
- 16:25Rick Costa: And when I first started that company, everything we had in stock in our warehouse and that's it.
- 16:30Rick Costa: It was much easier.
- 16:30Rick Costa: Now it's headaches because this one's got that rule and that rule and that rule and this one and you drop ship for free.
- 16:35Rick Costa: You don't drop ship for free.
- 16:36Rick Costa: You don't drop ship at all.
- 16:45Rick Costa: He's like if my boss ever fires me, he's going to really find out what a headache this job really is Right, but because of the whole situation going on now everybody's checking up their prices and I'm like I didn't even update all your 1,000 products on our website.
- 16:54Rick Costa: Now I've got to do it again.
- 16:57Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, it's because of the tariffs too, because the tariffs are being put to the consumer.
- 17:02Carmen Lezeth: So, yeah, we all knew that was what was going to happen, I mean.
- 17:06Carmen Lezeth: But I think that's.
- 17:07Carmen Lezeth: But even beside the whole tariffs thing and what's happening in the political vibe, I think just also in general, it's really difficult nowadays to get on, you know, like to go like fly to your friends now in North Carolina or whatever, to say, hey, let's just hang out for the weekend.
- 17:24Carmen Lezeth: Like it's not even just that it's expensive, it's also like logistically a hard thing to do, Whereas before, like how did you meet your friend?
- 17:32Carmen Lezeth: What's his name?
- 17:34Rick Costa: Oh, corey, it was at church.
- 17:36Carmen Lezeth: Corey, so at church.
- 17:36Carmen Lezeth: So it was like that's what I'm saying Like it was like a local thing, you know, like in your neighborhood, or like Andrea and I lived in the same part of West Los Angeles when we first met.
- 17:44Carmen Lezeth: You know we worked together, so then we would go out and we'd hang out.
- 17:48Carmen Lezeth: You know the same thing, me and I were roommates in college, you know.
- 17:51Carmen Lezeth: You know, there's just like just kind of different things, yeah.
- 17:56Rick Costa: People are like Disney world.
- 17:57Rick Costa: They're like Disney world I ain't got Disney world money Like before.
- 18:00Rick Costa: People were like I'm just going to save and then it's fine.
- 18:02Rick Costa: Now it's like you know how expensive the Disney World is, like everything's so expensive.
- 18:09Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, you know, I'm always going to say I don't understand the Disney World thing.
- 18:13Carmen Lezeth: But if that's your flavor, that's your flavor.
- 18:16Carmen Lezeth: My brother from another mother who I love with all my heart, Billy.
- 18:19Carmen Lezeth: He's huge into Disney, so I try not to fight with people about Disney.
- 18:23Carmen Lezeth: I don't have Disney World money, and I'm glad I don't Even if I did, I wouldn't be spending it there.
- 18:26Carmen Lezeth: I don't have Botox money that's my new problem and I don't have hair coloring money.
- 18:34Rick Costa: Yes, sorry, cynthia, and Mario and Alma, but I've never been and I'm not in a rush to go either.
- 18:40Carmen Lezeth: Oh, you've never been to Disney?
- 18:41Carmen Lezeth: No, but you're not a Disney fan.
- 18:44Carmen Lezeth: Except that they bought Marvel, so that's not the same thing.
- 18:47Rick Costa: Yeah, yeah, but I do like amusement parks though.
- 18:49Rick Costa: I love that.
- 18:50Carmen Lezeth: I used to love amusement parks too, but I have no interest in getting in a roller coaster anymore, so that wouldn't make me happy anymore.
- 18:56Carmen Lezeth: I used to love it, Especially now because they put you in these harnesses and all these and that would just make me claustrophobic, you know.
- 19:05Carmen Lezeth: But yeah, back in the day I loved that stuff, but I saw one the other day.
- 19:08Rick Costa: I was like y'all are insane.
- 19:10Rick Costa: It literally goes really, really high and then it goes literally your head.
- 19:13Rick Costa: You're like waiting and then straight down like y'all, y'all crazy.
- 19:17Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, they have a whole, like there's a whole tiktok on just roller coasters.
- 19:20Carmen Lezeth: If you just put that in the search engine.
- 19:22Carmen Lezeth: And it's weird because you can actually watch it and then like from the point of view of the person in the seat and you can almost feel a little like yeah, no, I'm not interested anymore, like I've changed.
- 19:31Rick Costa: I've changed one that used to be called the mind bender.
- 19:33Rick Costa: I'm like, I got off my.
- 19:34Rick Costa: It's the neck bender.
- 19:35Rick Costa: I'm in so much pain, right now.
- 19:38Carmen Lezeth: No, no, I would go skydiving again.
- 19:39Carmen Lezeth: You know what that brings us.
- 19:40Carmen Lezeth: To another Okay, wait, let's not get off of the loneliness thing.
- 19:44Carmen Lezeth: What could we do?
- 19:46Carmen Lezeth: What could we do to change up?
- 19:50Carmen Lezeth: I think some of it we're already doing.
- 19:52Carmen Lezeth: We do try to connect in the ways that we can, whether it's doing your show or doing this show, or staying in touch with those people that we can like your friend and making sure you do movie nights and stuff like that.
- 20:01Carmen Lezeth: But are there other?
- 20:07Rick Costa: things that you try to do to make sure you stay connected.
- 20:08Rick Costa: Yeah, I mean, I can't make people come to me and I treasure when they do.
- 20:11Rick Costa: And then, like a little example, my cousin came Sunday.
- 20:16Rick Costa: She told me she was going to come over.
- 20:16Rick Costa: I was like, hey, do you mind if I run to the pharmacy to get my mom's medicine?
- 20:22Rick Costa: And she turned up to like 10 medicines Good Lord, that is a lot of medicine.
- 20:24Rick Costa: And even though she would have done it, but if she offered, I'd be like, no, let me do it.
- 20:30Rick Costa: I never need it.
- 20:30Rick Costa: Let me go enjoy the cool air flowing through my head the air, whatever Right.
- 20:36Rick Costa: In the car.
- 20:36Rick Costa: Let me enjoy going out somewhere, even though it's like not that far, but still Right.
- 20:49Carmen Lezeth: Any little thing I can do.
- 20:49Carmen Lezeth: I'm going to try to do it, but are you and we've had this conversation in the green room before, and I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I mean you choose to to take care of your, your mom, right?
- 20:54Rick Costa: there's nobody else and I've seen how the nursing homes are no offense if you work in a nursing home and you're actually a good person, I'm sorry.
- 21:01Rick Costa: Seven years with my father and several years with my grandmother, that's not a place you want your parent to be.
- 21:07Carmen Lezeth: Okay, no, that's fair enough.
- 21:08Carmen Lezeth: That's fair enough and I, I applaud you for what you do.
- 21:11Carmen Lezeth: I just think it kind of sucks that you don't have any help so that you can like.
- 21:16Carmen Lezeth: The one thing I do have, you know, because I don't I'm not in that circumstance at all Um is I I do go out to the beach and hang out, but I'm still by myself.
- 21:24Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean the few times I do.
- 21:27Carmen Lezeth: I mean I have a couple of neighbors or whatever.
- 21:28Carmen Lezeth: Sometimes we walk, not the same thing.
- 21:30Carmen Lezeth: I want my crew, I want my friends.
- 21:34Carmen Lezeth: I think I need to get new friends.
- 21:36Carmen Lezeth: Maybe that's what this show is about.
- 21:41Rick Costa: How would you do that?
- 21:41Rick Costa: Oh, like those things where you could join a group, like a walking group.
- 21:45Carmen Lezeth: Meetup group like a meetup group.
- 21:47Carmen Lezeth: So a long time ago not a long time ago, but I met one of my trainers back in the day because I did go to meetupcom Again, they don't sponsor us but they could and meetupcom you could go and meet people in your neighborhood.
- 22:03Carmen Lezeth: You put in your zip code.
- 22:05Carmen Lezeth: It's still a viable, really good website.
- 22:08Carmen Lezeth: I think the thing about that I've done like you could go hiking, you can like there's knitting, there's writing groups, there's all these different things.
- 22:14Carmen Lezeth: I know in the past, when I've looked it up, like maybe a few months ago, whatever you could tell that some of the things that I used to do whatever are now dormant.
- 22:23Carmen Lezeth: So like people like the group is still there but they're not really doing anything.
- 22:27Carmen Lezeth: So you know, maybe I need to check it out again and be more serious about it.
- 22:31Carmen Lezeth: But I also think there's something about going to your local community.
- 22:36Carmen Lezeth: Like every town, every city has like a community center, you know, and so I was thinking about that too.
- 22:42Carmen Lezeth: And then I'm thinking like I know, back in the day that was always all the old people.
- 22:46Rick Costa: You know you can totally hold me like oh, but you know, maybe I gotta embrace this shit like I'm not 20, something, I don't know I remember and this very out of character for me because, again, I know you said introvert, but I would say I'm shy, ultra, super, super shy, right, um, so I don't know if it's in November and I assume they still do it NaNoWriMo, I think it's called, where you try to write oh, really, you try to write every day, whatever a certain number of words.
- 23:14Rick Costa: You try to do it.
- 23:15Rick Costa: If you fail, you fail.
- 23:16Rick Costa: Whatever it doesn't matter.
- 23:17Rick Costa: And I actually, because there's a group where you can talk to each other and encourage each other, and I met some people that were local to me and I was like, not only that, but one of the guys.
- 23:27Rick Costa: I ended up going to my first one and only Comic-Con in New York City with him and I was like this is so not like me, cause I'm like you know, I'm shy, I don't get around strangers, but I was like, no, do it Stop being a chicken.
- 23:40Rick Costa: And I did it and being a chicken, and I did it.
- 23:42Rick Costa: And I'm still proud of myself because you know, again, I'm super shy, like people don't think I am like when I yeah, I don't think you're super shy when I had meetups with my team from the stuff I do online with people they were like, yeah, you don't talk a lot.
- 23:53Rick Costa: I didn't believe you.
- 23:54Carmen Lezeth: We're not talking a lot.
- 23:55Carmen Lezeth: Does it make you shy?
- 23:56Carmen Lezeth: I'm just saying that doesn't make you shy, that's a stylistic thing.
- 24:01Carmen Lezeth: I I don't know again.
- 24:03Carmen Lezeth: Again.
- 24:03Carmen Lezeth: I know I'm always the person that's fighting back with people about being introverts and being shy or whatever.
- 24:08Carmen Lezeth: Because I think people I'll tell you why not to change the trajectory of how our show goes.
- 24:12Carmen Lezeth: But you know, we got to do what we got to do.
- 24:16Carmen Lezeth: I think somewhere along the way we have been convinced that being being humble has a certain betterness about being on the planet, and I think a lot of it has to do with religion and Christianity and Catholicism, whatever, like to be as humble as possible.
- 24:33Carmen Lezeth: And under the umbrella of humbleness comes these things of oh I better be an introvert, oh I better be very quiet, oh I better be very shy.
- 24:41Carmen Lezeth: And I think all of that is not very true.
- 24:44Carmen Lezeth: I think it's something that has been warped into our psyche without us realizing.
- 24:52Carmen Lezeth: The reason why I say I don't think you're shy is you know what?
- 24:56Carmen Lezeth: I'll put it in these terms.
- 24:57Carmen Lezeth: So I'm not bashing you because that's the last thing I want to do.
- 25:00Carmen Lezeth: I don't mean to be bashing you.
- 25:02Carmen Lezeth: Everyone's like oh my God, michael Jackson was so shy.
- 25:04Carmen Lezeth: Oh my God, janet Jackson, they're so shy.
- 25:07Carmen Lezeth: No, they're not shy.
- 25:08Carmen Lezeth: You cannot be shy and jump up on stage and do what you do Now.
- 25:13Carmen Lezeth: Are you someone who, when you're by yourself or when you're not being your extroverted self, maybe need time to be introverted, or you know, those are stylistic things.
- 25:23Carmen Lezeth: True, shy people don't jump up on stage, you know I mean, and grab themselves and do 15 million things.
- 25:31Carmen Lezeth: You know what I'm saying?
- 25:32Carmen Lezeth: Like no, no, I'm just saying like.
- 25:35Carmen Lezeth: I'm just saying it's like if you've ever met a really shy person, they really um, it's not a negative thing, it's just you could tell it's really hard to get them comfortable, to get them to talk, to get them to come out of their shell, and I think there were fewer people that I know that are that shy.
- 25:55Rick Costa: When I was young, when I was a kid, I believe that I was so shy Like if my parents' friends came over I would try to hide anywhere because I don't want to talk to nobody.
- 26:06Rick Costa: Don't ask me no questions.
- 26:08Rick Costa: There was only one guy that would come over.
- 26:10Rick Costa: I'd be like a little bit okay with, because he'd be like hey, I'm going to give you a dollar.
- 26:14Rick Costa: I'm like, ooh, a dollar I'll talk now.
- 26:16Carmen Lezeth: Right, I mean, that makes more sense.
- 26:20Carmen Lezeth: But I mean, like you're not that kid anymore, you know.
- 26:23Carmen Lezeth: But I think sometimes we hold on to stuff because we, you know, we, we learned the label and we, you know.
- 26:29Carmen Lezeth: But I always laugh every time I would hear people talk about Michael Jackson, and you know, my God, he's so shy.
- 26:35Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, no, you know, and no offense.
- 26:38Carmen Lezeth: I loved Michael Jackson.
- 26:39Carmen Lezeth: Actually, right before you logged on, I was listening to the Jackson 5.
- 26:44Carmen Lezeth: You and I must make a pact.
- 26:47Carmen Lezeth: I love that song.
- 26:48Carmen Lezeth: We must bring salvation back.
- 26:52Rick Costa: I really think.
- 26:55Carmen Lezeth: Where there is love, I'll be there.
- 26:59Carmen Lezeth: It's such a good song, don't you know?
- 27:03Carmen Lezeth: See, we're good, okay.
- 27:05Rick Costa: I mean.
- 27:05Carmen Lezeth: I can't sing for shit, but you know, at least I'm in tune, right, I'm in tune, um, but yeah, I mean, I think I, I I love your demeanor and your style and who you are, but I would never say that you're shy or introverted.
- 27:23Carmen Lezeth: Those are, are not things that would that I would ever.
- 27:25Carmen Lezeth: Those would not even be in my top 100.
- 27:27Carmen Lezeth: You know, do I think you're kind?
- 27:29Carmen Lezeth: Yes, do I think you're someone who's more thoughtful and a better listener than I could ever be?
- 27:36Carmen Lezeth: Like you listen to people really well or you just ignore and make us think you're listening.
- 27:42Carmen Lezeth: I don't know.
- 27:45Carmen Lezeth: But, you know what I mean.
- 27:46Carmen Lezeth: Like, I think that's a very different thing.
- 27:49Rick Costa: One thing I've always been is observe observe everything.
- 27:53Rick Costa: And I had to because I've talked about this before with my dad, who was found out at the end of his life.
- 28:00Rick Costa: He was bipolar, like I had to watch like a hawk, like his moods, because don't say the wrong thing, you set them off and we start World War III.
- 28:07Rick Costa: I've been here so yeah, but I've always been an observer of people.
- 28:11Rick Costa: Like I love going to the, when I used to walk to try to lose weight and I went to the mall because it was rainy outside, because I definitely prefer to walk outside, I loved watching people, not in a stalkery way, but I was like people are just fascinating.
- 28:27Carmen Lezeth: Right way.
- 28:28Carmen Lezeth: But I was like people are just fascinating, right, right, yeah, and I think I, I think those are the types of characteristics I would, I would say about you.
- 28:31Carmen Lezeth: I do know a couple people who are extremely shy.
- 28:34Carmen Lezeth: They're so shy I wouldn't even mention their names, you know like because they don't like.
- 28:39Carmen Lezeth: They don't like the limelight at all, they don't, they always want to be in the background.
- 28:43Carmen Lezeth: They they're not coming on here they're never going to come on this show.
- 28:46Carmen Lezeth: You know, like they're really shy and they're extremely introverted people and I think that's why I'm like, yeah, everyone who says they're introverted, I'm like please stop talking.
- 28:56Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 28:57Carmen Lezeth: Like, because I have two friends and they're they're they're not friends to each other, they're separate people and so when you know someone who is that, you realize, like a lot of people say that they are again, you and I've had this conversation.
- 29:13Carmen Lezeth: I think we're all a little bit of that, you know.
- 29:16Carmen Lezeth: I think we're all both extroverted and introverted.
- 29:19Carmen Lezeth: I think sometimes, depending on what's happening in our lives, we lean a certain way or not you know, um, you know, sometimes I want the world to be listening to me, I want to be on stage, I want to be talking, and then sometimes I just want to be left alone and quiet and by myself.
- 29:36Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean like, but I would never say I'm an introvert.
- 29:40Carmen Lezeth: I would never be like oh my god, and I would never say I'm shy.
- 29:42Carmen Lezeth: I would not be like oh my God, and I would never say I'm shy.
- 29:44Carmen Lezeth: I would never be like I'm so shy, I would never say that.
- 29:46Carmen Lezeth: So let me see how are you feeling today and what makes you feel lonely, if anything at all.
- 29:58Rick Costa: Interesting, another very.
- 30:01Rick Costa: This is not trying to change the subject, but it's kind of tying it in Another very famous person passed away today that a lot of people knew and I just found out.
- 30:11Rick Costa: I was like what, oh my gosh, and there was another very famous person that just died the other day and that gets me thinking, like you know.
- 30:17Rick Costa: So when I go, is anybody going to remember me?
- 30:22Rick Costa: And that can make you feel a little sad and lonely and it feels like am I doing enough?
- 30:28Rick Costa: Am I leaving my mark on the world?
- 30:32Rick Costa: I don't want to die and nobody remembers me.
- 30:35Rick Costa: You know what I'm saying?
- 30:35Rick Costa: There's nothing you could do and you're dead.
- 30:37Rick Costa: You're dead, but at the same time it's like I don't want to have come and not left some kind of a mark in the world.
- 30:44Rick Costa: You know what?
- 30:44Carmen Lezeth: I mean, but what would you?
- 30:46Carmen Lezeth: I mean?
- 30:46Carmen Lezeth: No, I mean, I know what you mean, but what would you do differently to leave a like?
- 30:51Carmen Lezeth: What does that mean?
- 30:52Carmen Lezeth: To leave a mark in the world?
- 30:53Rick Costa: I just want people to remember me that I was kind you guys, kind you guys, kind All the white people are like.
- 31:09Rick Costa: I don't know what you're talking about, right?
- 31:11Carmen Lezeth: now, but um, yeah, I don't want people to.
- 31:13Rick Costa: You know, think like you know, oh, he was a jerk, he was a horrible, this horrible that I don't want people to be like, oh, no.
- 31:21Carmen Lezeth: Definition of good person yeah, that was a good person but let me ask you this it I've thought about this a lot too, but in a very different way.
- 31:29Carmen Lezeth: Let me ask you this Does it matter if a lot of people remember you or just one person?
- 31:35Carmen Lezeth: And I'll tell you before you answer that.
- 31:36Carmen Lezeth: I'll give you the reason why my mom.
- 31:39Carmen Lezeth: Nobody talks about Emma Suarez Nobody.
- 31:42Carmen Lezeth: She wasn't a famous person.
- 31:44Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 31:44Carmen Lezeth: She was a single mom and she was a housekeeper and then she was a teacher's aide and she died very young.
- 31:56Carmen Lezeth: She died at 49 and she died of a heart attack due to asthma, which should have never happened if she had good healthcare.
- 32:03Carmen Lezeth: I just want to put the plug in there, because we should have health care in this country for everyone.
- 32:06Carmen Lezeth: We really should.
- 32:09Carmen Lezeth: Even back then, that wasn't a good reason for anyone to pass away.
- 32:12Carmen Lezeth: But I think about this because when she died, I got upset in the church because all of a sudden there were all these people in the church at the funeral and I was like, where were you now?
- 32:25Carmen Lezeth: Of course, I was a little kid and I was, you know, having a moment, but I was still not wrong.
- 32:29Carmen Lezeth: That's what I love about it.
- 32:30Carmen Lezeth: I still wasn't wrong.
- 32:31Carmen Lezeth: Where were you all when she was needing help or needing you.
- 32:37Carmen Lezeth: But the church was filled and packed.
- 32:39Carmen Lezeth: And I think to myself this is why, when people pass away now, I'm like.
- 32:43Carmen Lezeth: This is why when people pass away now, I'm like, I get it.
- 32:45Carmen Lezeth: Your impact is while you're here, because when you move on as time passes, even if you're a famous person, I think of Paul Newman.
- 32:56Carmen Lezeth: Remember when Paul Newman died?
- 33:01Carmen Lezeth: I mean we were young but Paul Newman and he was a big deal, and every time I go get salad dressing or something or see a movie, whatever I'm like, but we don't remember Paul Newman all the time, it's just so.
- 33:14Carmen Lezeth: I guess that's what I'm saying.
- 33:14Carmen Lezeth: Is, what would you do differently or today to feel better about your legacy?
- 33:24Rick Costa: or does your legacy?
- 33:25Rick Costa: Matter to go back to what you were saying, though, like that's the whole reason.
- 33:28Rick Costa: The whole expression is give people their flowers now that's right that's the.
- 33:33Rick Costa: That's why that whole expression came about, because people love to go to funerals and get oh, I'm gonna get you flowers.
- 33:38Rick Costa: Uh, she ain't gonna appreciate it if you did like hello, like what are you doing?
- 33:43Rick Costa: Like yeah, and it's like it is kind of annoying, I know.
- 33:46Rick Costa: That interesting thing, though, is like for my grandma and my dad, which were the two biggest ones, and my cousin.
- 33:53Rick Costa: I don't remember necessarily how long anybody stayed, but I know that you came like that, stuck in my head.
- 34:00Carmen Lezeth: I know that you came.
- 34:01Rick Costa: Oh, say that again for the people in the back even if you only came for 30 seconds I'm on my lunch break, but I had to come and people have said that.
- 34:09Rick Costa: But I remember you took the time, you took the effort to come.
- 34:12Rick Costa: You didn't have to.
- 34:13Rick Costa: It would have changed nothing, but I remember that and that means a lot.
- 34:16Rick Costa: It does mean a lot.
- 34:17Rick Costa: But when you got all these people that are strangers, like why are you here?
- 34:24Rick Costa: Why strangers like, why are you here?
- 34:26Rick Costa: Why is it to make you feel better?
- 34:27Rick Costa: Like why are you weird, right?
- 34:30Carmen Lezeth: so it can be annoying right, I think I think one of the things that's interesting, though, too.
- 34:35Carmen Lezeth: Just to get back to you talking about your legacy or whatever it's like, it's like what you just said give people their flowers now, like I posted on facebook and I wrote like.
- 34:44Carmen Lezeth: If you just said give people their flowers now, like I posted on Facebook and I wrote like if you want to support me, if you could please follow my sub stack, right, I think you saw that.
- 34:50Carmen Lezeth: Or?
- 34:51Carmen Lezeth: Or you know people could follow our YouTube channel or anything.
- 34:54Carmen Lezeth: Because here's the other thing People always say they want to support you, but then they don't.
- 34:59Carmen Lezeth: Your best of friends will tell you I got you, I'm here for you, but then they don't.
- 35:05Carmen Lezeth: And I don't get upset about it.
- 35:07Carmen Lezeth: I don't get angry about it, because here's what I know.
- 35:10Carmen Lezeth: I know it's not people's intention to not be supportive.
- 35:14Carmen Lezeth: I think people, like all of us, we're just all wrapped up in our own lives, and I'm sure people think, well, if Carmen really needs me, she'll call me and ask me to join my sub stack or whatever.
- 35:25Carmen Lezeth: Like, I'm going to call 1500 people or whatever.
- 35:28Carmen Lezeth: But but I get it because we, like, we're all connected to each other and so we think like well, carmen's my friend, if she really needs my help, she'll call me directly, as opposed to just posting it on Facebook.
- 35:40Carmen Lezeth: You see what I'm saying?
- 35:41Rick Costa: I found out real quick on Periscope, because you know I try to be big headed, but you know I got a little bit big over there.
- 35:48Rick Costa: Family never showed up, friends never showed up.
- 35:53Rick Costa: So I'm like you're going to have to just build up your own tribe from scratch and they will support you, but you weren't bitter.
- 36:00Carmen Lezeth: were you with the family and friends?
- 36:02Carmen Lezeth: Did you think people were doing it?
- 36:07Rick Costa: intentionally, no, no.
- 36:08Rick Costa: The part that makes me annoyed is I'm pretty sure I would do it for you, but I can't make people be like me.
- 36:16Carmen Lezeth: Right, I think okay.
- 36:17Carmen Lezeth: So I was thinking about this too.
- 36:18Carmen Lezeth: I'm like I would do anything for any of my friends.
- 36:21Carmen Lezeth: I really would, but sometimes I don't know that they have posted something Right Like, and it's not out of being mean.
- 36:30Carmen Lezeth: So that's why I was saying earlier, it's like I mean again.
- 36:33Carmen Lezeth: Maybe I'm trying to find excuses for some of my friends because I don't want to be hurt.
- 36:37Carmen Lezeth: It's possible.
- 36:38Carmen Lezeth: But there's the other part of me that thinks like I know people have called me out and has been like well, I asked you three months ago and I'll be like what are you talking about?
- 36:46Carmen Lezeth: They'll be like I sent an Instagram message.
- 36:50Carmen Lezeth: I'll be like I don't look at it, but they everyone doesn't know, because I post on Instagram all the time but people don't know that I'm posting through a third party, that I'm not actually looking at Instagram.
- 37:01Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 37:02Carmen Lezeth: So I get why sometimes people might think I'm not, because if you don't reach out to me personally and you think I've seen it on some social media and it's not because I'm so busy or whatever, it's because I'm just not doing it.
- 37:19Rick Costa: It's very easy to miss something on social.
- 37:21Rick Costa: Somebody the other day they said I tried to call you on a facebook messenger and I needed an answer quick, but you didn't answer.
- 37:30Rick Costa: I was like I don't use messenger on my phone, I would have never gotten the call.
- 37:33Rick Costa: I apologize, like what you want me to do but you see what I'm saying.
- 37:36Carmen Lezeth: So that's why sometimes I think when we, when we ask people in that massive way to support us or whatever, and then they don't, I don't get upset with people because I realized, like, I know I'm a good person and I know I've been there for many people and when people ask me to do something, I'm there 100% and I know that my friends, who I love with all my heart, that I would die for, would do the same for me.
- 38:02Carmen Lezeth: I have no question about that.
- 38:03Carmen Lezeth: So therefore, if I ask people to do something on social media and not call them directly, then it doesn't happen.
- 38:12Carmen Lezeth: I can't be mad at them because I know I've done the same thing.
- 38:15Carmen Lezeth: Does that make sense?
- 38:17Rick Costa: Oh yeah, definitely, Definitely.
- 38:18Carmen Lezeth: Yeah.
- 38:19Rick Costa: And, like I said, we can't get mad at somebody else because they're not like us and they don't do things the way we do.
- 38:25Rick Costa: They're them, you're you.
- 38:26Rick Costa: I can't get mad.
- 38:28Carmen Lezeth: Right, but you also just admitted that you don't get certain social media.
- 38:34Carmen Lezeth: So people are like I can't believe rick ain't supporting me.
- 38:36Rick Costa: To them, you're like I didn't get it right, that could be the same thing that's happening to them or maybe I'm crazy busy and that's why I didn't answer you the in the within the first five minutes of you send me a message like calm down, maybe you're connected to the internet like that, right.
- 38:52Carmen Lezeth: But you see, like I mean, I think that's part of it too is like being able to understand that not everybody, not everybody, is concerned with my life or with your life.
- 39:03Carmen Lezeth: We're all pretty much concerned with our own lives.
- 39:07Carmen Lezeth: Most of the day, right, like maybe 85% of the day, I'm concerned with my own existence and I think I'm doing the best I can every single day, just doing what I can do, whether it's being sad or lonely or being happy or having to work or struggle through whatever, or whatever it is.
- 39:25Carmen Lezeth: And then the other 15% of the time I'm doing other things for other people.
- 39:29Carmen Lezeth: I hope I am, you know, and I'm not using those percentages like wildly, I'm just kind of guessing Because I want to believe the best in people, you know.
- 39:39Carmen Lezeth: And like, the other day I did a, I don't know, I did some posting or whatever, and nobody looked at it and I was like, wow, what did I write?
- 39:47Carmen Lezeth: Did I write something bad, is it not?
- 39:48Carmen Lezeth: I don't have the right SEO.
- 39:51Carmen Lezeth: You, did I write something bad, is it not?
- 39:52Carmen Lezeth: I don't have the right SEO and I'm like, you know, I just got to let it go.
- 39:55Carmen Lezeth: I just got to let it go and let it be and people will either look at it or they won't, and it's okay.
- 40:00Carmen Lezeth: You got to just create your own tribe elsewhere and people are either going to gravitate towards you or not.
- 40:07Carmen Lezeth: And it's usually going to be people who don't know you, because your friends and family know you.
- 40:11Carmen Lezeth: They know how to reach you.
- 40:12Carmen Lezeth: If they want your advice on whatever it is, you just post it on TikTok or whatever they're going to call you.
- 40:18Carmen Lezeth: They're not going to look on social media.
- 40:21Rick Costa: Yeah, it's true.
- 40:24Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, still, that also adds to the loneliness, right, because you want your friends and family to see what you're doing and you want them to be excited for you or to comment or to say something or to give a thumbs up or any feedback at all.
- 40:40Carmen Lezeth: And then you're like, okay, they didn't even look at it.
- 40:43Rick Costa: Right, right, and I don't need this.
- 40:45Rick Costa: It's just another thing I didn't get to answer yet.
- 40:47Rick Costa: I don't need a million people to say you were a good person, but the ones that kind of know me, it would be nice if they thought like you were trying to be a good person.
- 40:58Carmen Lezeth: Let me ask you this, because now we're going to get into another topic If people don't think you're a good person, do you think that means you weren't a good person?
- 41:08Rick Costa: No, I mean people are going to think what they're going to think.
- 41:10Rick Costa: I mean, for example, hate to bring up the past, but when?
- 41:19Carmen Lezeth: I got divorced.
- 41:19Rick Costa: There was a lot of lies told and I'm like I can't even believe I'm going through this.
- 41:22Rick Costa: I don't even want to defend this, because this is so outlandish and ridiculous.
- 41:26Rick Costa: Who would believe this?
- 41:27Rick Costa: And that's exactly what happened.
- 41:28Rick Costa: The people that knew me were like, no, no, no, what a stupid thing is that to accuse them of no?
- 41:34Rick Costa: And so I just laid back and I'm like, yeah, people that know me, they're going to know this is bull crap.
- 41:39Rick Costa: And then, yeah, in the end.
- 41:41Rick Costa: And then the funny thing was in the end, years later, like, oh, I'm so sorry I put you through that.
- 41:46Rick Costa: That was all lies.
- 41:47Rick Costa: I was listening to somebody that doesn't really like you and I believed them.
- 41:50Rick Costa: I'm like, oh my God, are we in high school?
- 41:52Rick Costa: What is happening?
- 41:53Carmen Lezeth: I know, but does it matter?
- 41:54Carmen Lezeth: It seems to me okay, I say this nicely and kindly that it really matters to you what people think about you now and also when you pass away.
- 42:05Rick Costa: Like I said, it keeps me out of time.
- 42:08Carmen Lezeth: Your opinions don't pay my bills, it's okay, if it matters I would like it to be okay, but okay, but we'd all like it.
- 42:19Carmen Lezeth: But my question is what would you do differently?
- 42:22Carmen Lezeth: Nothing like right now.
- 42:24Rick Costa: There's nothing I could do differently than what I'm doing right now.
- 42:26Rick Costa: I'm giving my max, but what's the expression burning the candle at both ends like I'm doing everything I can.
- 42:31Rick Costa: There's nothing else I can do I know.
- 42:32Carmen Lezeth: So if you were god forbid whatever to pass away tomorrow, why would you even be worried about what people thought of you when you passed away?
- 42:43Carmen Lezeth: I'm just concerned that that matters to you no, I'm not worried about.
- 42:49Rick Costa: It's not like oh my gosh all day long thinking about it like at all, maybe like oh my gosh all day long I'm thinking about it.
- 42:53Carmen Lezeth: Maybe you've brought it up a few times in this conversation, and look, the only reason why I'm asking is because I think a lot of people think this way too.
- 43:00Rick Costa: Oh yeah, a lot of people do.
- 43:01Carmen Lezeth: A lot of people think this way.
- 43:02Carmen Lezeth: I'm going to tell you the truth.
- 43:03Carmen Lezeth: I don't think this way at all.
- 43:04Carmen Lezeth: I don't think this way at all.
- 43:05Carmen Lezeth: I know I'm a bitch, I'm just kidding.
- 43:10Carmen Lezeth: Like I look at cause, I cause cause here's.
- 43:13Carmen Lezeth: Here's what I'm going to say.
- 43:15Carmen Lezeth: You do the best you can in the moment you can with the cards you've been dealt, and if you do the best you can every single day to live the best life you can and do as good as you can, then how can you fail, Like I can't make any other choices than the best choices I make in this moment, and if I make a mistake, I will go back and fix it.
- 43:41Carmen Lezeth: But if I'm intentionally trying to hurt somebody, or if I'm intentionally trying to swindle somebody, or if I'm intentionally doing things that are bad, that's a bad person.
- 43:51Carmen Lezeth: But if I'm intentionally trying to do good in the world and I'm trying to share my best talents and skills and I'm trying to help people and I'm trying to, with my experience, share what it is to have joy, no matter what the situation is or what it is to walk through things, so you get to the other side.
- 44:11Carmen Lezeth: If I'm doing that every single day to the best of my ability, no matter the circumstance, no matter how lonely or sad I am, no matter how much I miss my friends.
- 44:19Carmen Lezeth: That is the best I can do and I think you need to know that.
- 44:24Carmen Lezeth: You need to feel it in your heart.
- 44:26Carmen Lezeth: Okay.
- 44:28Rick Costa: Preach Pastor Carmen, preach Right Right, we'll pass the comment.
- 44:29Carmen Lezeth: I Right Preach.
- 44:30Carmen Lezeth: I mean preach Right, right, past the comment.
- 44:31Carmen Lezeth: I like that.
- 44:32Carmen Lezeth: But I'm just saying, rick, it's like you are a really unique and wonderful human being and the idea that you would think you wouldn't be thought of brilliantly when the day comes to me is something I want to hit you about.
- 44:49Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 44:49Carmen Lezeth: Like I want to intentionally be like what is wrong with you, like if people have a problem with you that's about them.
- 45:02Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, I just think you're a good person, so it bothers me when I hear you talk in a way of lack or negatively.
- 45:09Carmen Lezeth: You're not being negative, but even that thought of that anyone would think badly about you to me is weird, because you're a good and decent human being doing the absolute best you can, sharing your talents and skills to the best of your ability.
- 45:27Carmen Lezeth: With the cards you've been dealt, you know what I, what I'm saying, and and that's all you can do.
- 45:33Carmen Lezeth: What would you do differently?
- 45:36Rick Costa: you know it's now is making me think of.
- 45:38Rick Costa: I wonder.
- 45:38Rick Costa: This is part of that.
- 45:39Rick Costa: Remember I told you I went to to therapy after my whole divorce thing because the lawyer's like, yeah, do whatever she tells you to do, and that was part of it.
- 45:46Rick Costa: Um, then he said you have a messianic complex which is what.
- 45:51Carmen Lezeth: I don't know what that means.
- 45:51Carmen Lezeth: Say it again.
- 45:52Rick Costa: So, basically, you think you can save everybody and what that really means is you're so busy doing stuff for other people that you're not realizing you're letting yourself go down the drain Because I got to help, I got to help, I got to do, I got to do, but I think that's a whole other problem.
- 46:12Carmen Lezeth: That's a whole different problem.
- 46:13Carmen Lezeth: I mean, I don't know why you think you have to do and help other people.
- 46:18Rick Costa: I think it's because, again, the way I was raised and I would try to be the peacemaker, and yeah, it's deep Therapy recession with Rick today.
- 46:29Carmen Lezeth: I.
- 46:29Carmen Lezeth: But look, I don't think I mean I can cut all this out if you want, I don't.
- 46:33Carmen Lezeth: I just think it might help other people.
- 46:35Carmen Lezeth: I think part of that problem, just from my experience, is okay, I don't want to hurt your feelings at all, but I'm gonna, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna.
- 46:52Carmen Lezeth: I think sometimes, when we are constantly worried about other people all the time, it's so much easier to worry about everybody else than to actually deal with our own actual selves, right?
- 47:02Carmen Lezeth: So I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean when we are continuously in this space of like I have to help this person, I have to do this, I have to do that, I have to do that, I have to do that.
- 47:13Carmen Lezeth: What it does is it makes you avoid dealing with Rick and who Rick is.
- 47:20Carmen Lezeth: What Rick wants, like you squash Okay, here goes the hurtful part you squash I know you're like oh, there's more Right you squash everything that you want and need in life for your mom.
- 47:36Carmen Lezeth: Now, before you say anything, you and I have had this conversation because I always stop you.
- 47:42Carmen Lezeth: I stop you from using your mom as content, right?
- 47:45Carmen Lezeth: We've had that where I shut you down and everyone thinks I'm mean.
- 47:49Carmen Lezeth: And I let them think I'm mean because I'm like I'm doing something that matters in a different way.
- 47:54Carmen Lezeth: You can think I'm a bitch, I don't care.
- 47:55Carmen Lezeth: I don't want him using his mom as content, cause that's not his point.
- 47:59Carmen Lezeth: That's not what you mean to do.
- 48:01Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 48:02Carmen Lezeth: So I'm stopping you as a friend, right.
- 48:05Carmen Lezeth: But I think what you do with that too is like you're in this situation and you are in martyrdom role.
- 48:11Carmen Lezeth: Martyrdom role.
- 48:13Carmen Lezeth: I know you don't mean to be, but it's like you don't even allow yourself to give yourself a break.
- 48:18Carmen Lezeth: You don't even allow yourself to be angry and upset and pissed off about it, and even though you have every right to be upset and pissed off and angry about it, you know, because even though's your duty, it's also unfair, right.
- 48:34Carmen Lezeth: So you, caring about everybody else and taking care of everybody else allows you not to have to deal with this part of it, which is you've made a choice that is a right choice.
- 48:48Carmen Lezeth: A good choice makes sense.
- 48:50Carmen Lezeth: Choice May not be the best choice, right.
- 48:54Carmen Lezeth: The best choice would be if you had other people helping you.
- 48:56Carmen Lezeth: Am I right?
- 48:57Rick Costa: You know what I mean Like if you had other people helping you.
- 48:59Rick Costa: That would be nice, that would be lovely.
- 49:00Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
- 49:01Carmen Lezeth: So that would be the best choice, right?
- 49:03Carmen Lezeth: I think that's what that's about.
- 49:04Carmen Lezeth: Is that when we're always I learned the other way.
- 49:09Carmen Lezeth: It's so weird how you and I are so different and yet fundamentally a lot alike.
- 49:14Carmen Lezeth: Because I was so alone, because I had to take care of myself, because I had to figure out what was going on around me and protect myself.
- 49:22Carmen Lezeth: I actually make sure my cup is full before I try to give anybody anything.
- 49:28Carmen Lezeth: Yeah, I don't give until I am okay.
- 49:34Carmen Lezeth: So I'm the opposite I take care of me first you have no choice and then when my cup is full, that's when I give to everybody else.
- 49:43Carmen Lezeth: But when I have nothing, I can't give anything.
- 49:46Carmen Lezeth: I I have to reserve.
- 49:47Carmen Lezeth: I have to try to fill it up again.
- 49:49Carmen Lezeth: I still help other people, but I really don't help people if I don't have to try to fill it up again.
- 49:52Carmen Lezeth: I still help other people, but I really don't help people if I don't have the ability to Right.
- 49:56Carmen Lezeth: I don't, I can't, you know.
- 50:02Rick Costa: And for more on how Carmen grew up, buy her book Canela.
- 50:05Rick Costa: I'm available on Amazoncom.
- 50:08Carmen Lezeth: You know what's so interesting.
- 50:10Carmen Lezeth: So I'm like halfway through the next book that I'm writing.
- 50:14Carmen Lezeth: I know it's been really I don't know if I'm ever gonna get finished because, okay, but I have been working on the second part of canela, but I don't know when it's gonna be done.
- 50:21Carmen Lezeth: Like I again, if, like, if you and I had money, we wouldn't be lonely at all.
- 50:26Carmen Lezeth: No, I'm just kidding, it all comes down to money.
- 50:31Rick Costa: oh my god.
- 50:31Rick Costa: That reminds me it was a trailer of a new movie with Keanu Reeves and he plays Angel.
- 50:37Rick Costa: But what he does is he switches two guys' lives One was kind of poor and one was rich and he switches them and then the other Angel's confirmed.
- 50:47Rick Costa: He's like why did you do that?
- 50:49Rick Costa: I wanted to show him that just because you have money, it doesn't solve all your problems.
- 50:53Rick Costa: But now the problem is it kind of did solve the problem.
- 50:59Carmen Lezeth: It's funny.
- 51:00Carmen Lezeth: Is this like a comedy or something?
- 51:01Rick Costa: No, yeah, it's a movie.
- 51:03Rick Costa: Really that's funny Keanu Reeves.
- 51:05Rick Costa: I forgot what the other guy's name is.
- 51:07Carmen Lezeth: Oh, that's funny We've already had a conversation about.
- 51:13Carmen Lezeth: You know I've worked with so many wealthy people.
- 51:14Carmen Lezeth: I actually don't think money solves all problems.
- 51:16Carmen Lezeth: I think money could solve some problems, like, if we had it gives you more choices.
- 51:22Carmen Lezeth: But if you're a sucky person and you have a lot of money, you're still going to be a sucky person.
- 51:26Carmen Lezeth: And if you're a materialistic person, whether you have money or not, you're still going to be a materialistic person.
- 51:33Carmen Lezeth: When you have money and you're just going to blow it all on stuff and you're going to be selfish.
- 51:37Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 51:37Carmen Lezeth: Like, money does give you choices.
- 51:41Carmen Lezeth: There's no doubt about it, and I think anyone who's listening to this, who isn't wealthy or whatever, deserves the chance to have money and see how it goes.
- 51:49Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean.
- 51:49Carmen Lezeth: Like I do, I would like to see how I deal with a lot of money.
- 51:53Carmen Lezeth: I would love to see that, but I know that and I stand on this 10 toes deep I will die on this hill.
- 52:04Carmen Lezeth: There is not one wealthy person that I know or who I have worked for for my entire life that I would have changed lives with.
- 52:12Carmen Lezeth: It doesn't matter how bad my life has been.
- 52:14Carmen Lezeth: I would not want their money, I would not want their life, I would not want anything with it, because they are not any happier, and sometimes more miserable, than any of my friends or poor people or myself that I've ever known.
- 52:27Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean, yeah.
- 52:28Rick Costa: I've heard people say like that were like maybe a nanny or even housekeepers, whatever, like would you trade places with your boss and they're like to be miserable, like them, no yeah, no, no, yeah, most people that work for very wealthy people you have.
- 52:44Carmen Lezeth: You have a different viewpoint, you know?
- 52:46Carmen Lezeth: Um, I I think that money would help in changing our dynamic, but I still don't think it would change the issues we're talking about.
- 52:58Carmen Lezeth: Loneliness, you know what I mean, things like that, because that has nothing to do with money.
- 53:02Carmen Lezeth: Have your friendships and make connections, and you know so just to wrap this up a little bit, let's see what are small things or small ways in which you do try to find joy or try to connect with people and try not to be lonely or sad or depressed.
- 53:23Rick Costa: Any one of those I mean right now, because I literally can't go anywhere.
- 53:27Rick Costa: All I have is the internet.
- 53:28Rick Costa: So, you know, I I watch people online.
- 53:32Rick Costa: Um, there's some people that I watch on a regular basis because they just crack me up.
- 53:37Rick Costa: They're really funny and I need to laugh sometimes, especially if, like you're in a bad mood.
- 53:42Rick Costa: I mean, put on something that makes me laugh, you know, and it helps, it makes you laugh, you know.
- 53:46Rick Costa: Or put on some music or whatever.
- 53:47Rick Costa: But, um, yeah, if you're in that position, like me, and you just can't go anywhere, then yeah, you got to do what you got to do, and if that's what you got to do, then utilize it.
- 53:59Carmen Lezeth: I think it's also kind of a blessing.
- 54:00Carmen Lezeth: I mean I'm glad we have that because, again, it's how we met.
- 54:03Carmen Lezeth: You know what I mean, and I think sometimes you and I have conversations in the green room, we're laughing, whatever, and those are moments of joy as well I can imagine pre-internet.
- 54:14Rick Costa: If I had to deal with this, what would I do?
- 54:17Carmen Lezeth: right I don't know well, and so many people have done that in the past and it's really miserable, you know, um, so I think that's kind of a blessing.
- 54:29Carmen Lezeth: Um, I was gonna say music.
- 54:31Carmen Lezeth: I going to say music is probably one of the things that when I'm really feeling lonely or whatever, or feeling sad or missing my friends, I'll put on music and it does transport you.
- 54:41Carmen Lezeth: You know, sometimes it can also make you cry Like it got to be even sadder.
- 54:46Carmen Lezeth: So it depends on what you put on, you know.
- 54:51Rick Costa: I remember there was like one school year.
- 54:54Rick Costa: It was like the year that I actually started being stopped being so shy and I was trying to be more outgoing and talk to people and it was like, oh, it was such a great year.
- 55:05Rick Costa: And then when school ended, everybody's like sad and I was like super sad.
- 55:08Rick Costa: I was like, oh, I'm finally getting it, now it's over, I gotta wait till.
- 55:11Rick Costa: And there was a song at that time that was like super sad.
- 55:12Rick Costa: I was like, oh, I'm finally getting it, and now it's over.
- 55:13Rick Costa: And I got to wait.
- 55:14Rick Costa: And there was a song at that time that was like super popular, but it was like a sadder song.
- 55:17Rick Costa: And to this day, if I hear that the sadness, I can feel it hitting me and I'm like why am I?
- 55:22Carmen Lezeth: sad.
- 55:23Rick Costa: That freaking song.
- 55:24Carmen Lezeth: No, no, no, no.
- 55:26Carmen Lezeth: We cannot.
- 55:27Carmen Lezeth: No, no, no.
- 55:27Carmen Lezeth: I also think, and I know people aren't going to like this, but exercise and being outside, going out for a walk.
- 55:34Rick Costa: Mood and everything.
- 55:35Rick Costa: Exercise going outside, getting the sun, actual vitamin D, not just taking vitamin supplements.
- 55:41Rick Costa: Get the real vitamin D from the sun.
- 55:43Rick Costa: It all helps your mood.
- 55:45Carmen Lezeth: It does, and people should do that more often.
- 55:47Carmen Lezeth: All right, well, look it.
- 55:49Carmen Lezeth: I'm glad that we had this talk.
- 55:50Carmen Lezeth: It sounds so fake when I do it like this, but I'm going to do it anyways.
- 55:54Rick Costa: What's the old TV show I'm so glad we had this time.
- 55:59Rick Costa: What's that?
- 56:00Rick Costa: Carol?
- 56:01Carmen Lezeth: Burnett, carol Burnett, yeah.
- 56:04Rick Costa: Another funny person.
- 56:06Carmen Lezeth: Another funny, awesome person.
- 56:07Carmen Lezeth: All right, so look it, rick.
- 56:09Carmen Lezeth: This was a really good, deep conversation.
- 56:11Carmen Lezeth: Thank you so much.
- 56:13Carmen Lezeth: I appreciate you so much.
- 56:14Rick Costa: I hope it helps people.
- 56:16Carmen Lezeth: I think it'll help people.
- 56:17Carmen Lezeth: It helped me.
- 56:18Carmen Lezeth: Ain't that enough?
- 56:20Rick Costa: Yeah, sure.
- 56:21Carmen Lezeth: Ain't it enough that when you go, I will know that you were a good man?
- 56:28Rick Costa: Now I can die in peace.
- 56:30Carmen Lezeth: You can't die yet, child.
- 56:32Carmen Lezeth: Yet we got at least another 50 years, okay, alright, everyone.
- 56:37Carmen Lezeth: Well, thank you so much for stopping by.
- 56:39Carmen Lezeth: We appreciate you.
- 56:39Carmen Lezeth: Remember we're on on Friday nights, 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern, on our regular lives.
- 56:45Carmen Lezeth: Everyone's invited to join and hang out and remember at the end of the day.
- 56:49Carmen Lezeth: It really is all about the joy.
- 56:51Carmen Lezeth: Bye everyone, goodnight, good afternoon, bye.
- 56:52Carmen Lezeth: To join and hang out and remember at the end of the day, it really is all about the joy.
- 56:53Carmen Lezeth: Bye everyone, good night, good afternoon, bye.
- 56:55Carmen Lezeth: Thanks for stopping by.
- 56:58Carmen Lezeth: All about the joy.
- 56:59Carmen Lezeth: Be better and stay beautiful folks.
- 57:02Carmen Lezeth: Have a sweet day.