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From Pain to Purpose - Finding Common Ground · Military Broadcast Radio | MBR Talk

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This entire military is 1 cohesive dedicated force and the
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It Military broadcast radio, the
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station that's giving veterans a voice.
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Find us on the web at MB Radio dot US.
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Welcome to the Propane to Purpose radio show.
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I'm your host Viva Fulton. In this show, we explore the
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incredible journeys of resilience, healing, and
1:33
transformation. In each episode, we will sit
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down with individuals who have faced unimaginable struggles and
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turn their pain into power, heartbreak into hope, and their
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challenges into meaningful change and finding new purpose
1:48
in life. Through candid conversations and
1:51
inspiring stories, we will uncover how pain, whether
1:55
emotional, physical, mental or spiritual.
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Can be the. Catalyst for profound growth and
2:01
a deeper sense of purpose. So if you are looking for
2:04
motivation, insight, and real stories of triumph over
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adversity, if you're in the right place, let's get started
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on this journey from pain to purpose.
2:13
Let's give veterans a voice through military broadcast talk.
2:19
Hey, good afternoon everybody. Hey, I hope you all are having a
2:25
fantastic summer. I am finishing up my 2 week
2:31
vacation away from home with some incredible people doing
2:37
some amazing things. What is it the saying I got
2:41
places to go, people to see and things to do and I have been
2:44
doing all of that and then some and I have just really been
2:49
enjoying myself. I want to say for the most part,
2:53
unplugging, you know, from the computer, I've not, I, I did
2:57
turn on my work computer once just to get a login thing and
3:04
and then I didn't even need it. So, you know, that worked out
3:07
nice. And I've only turned on my
3:11
personal computer a couple of times just to do normal personal
3:16
stuff. But this has been a great two
3:19
weeks of unplugging and I feel so energized, so charged up with
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the I think some personal accomplishments, watching other
3:32
some other people do some of their own personal
3:35
accomplishments and reaching new heights, getting uncomfortable
3:43
in the spaces that we're putting ourselves in.
3:47
And I'll, I'm gonna do a separate episode probably in a
3:53
next week on, on my, you know, my experience from the Golden
4:00
Age games 'cause I have three major points that I want to make
4:04
sure I get full attention to. But I'm actually in a really
4:08
good place. I'm in the green room here at at
4:14
McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, and I'm fixing to bring my
4:19
good buddy Jose Flores on. But I wanted to kind of dive in
4:25
to this whole common ground thing.
4:28
It's, you know, it's nice when you've got the convenience of
4:32
having people with you in person to have conversations and what
4:39
that kind of growth has meant for the week.
4:41
Because, you know, Jose and I both did Golden Age games last
4:45
week together in different activities, different sports.
4:50
But then we have had some same, you know, Jose and I taught a
4:54
class this week and I want to go over that.
4:58
I think it's a great opportunity to, you know, help help people
5:03
understand why finding common ground matters.
5:07
And I love the name of what they've been doing here with
5:12
with this organization. It's a nonprofit called Common
5:16
Ground. And I'm proud to have served my
5:20
fellow brothers and sisters in a way that you can't always do
5:25
from a virtual perspective. So and just my own personal
5:30
takeaways from the classes I've been in has been really unique
5:35
and obviously just great joy coming from what I've gone
5:41
through, the people that I've met.
5:44
And I'll cover that that sorry, he's got a frog in his throat.
5:51
So maybe I'll go ahead and jump to the nap.
5:53
So my first class is one that Jose and I've been teaching.
5:58
So we'll get to that one then, then, then we'll cover the
6:00
second one together that we've been attending.
6:03
But then the third class that I was actually taking as a student
6:09
has been my brain cramping has been acupressure, phenomenal
6:15
acupressure. Why have we not learned about
6:18
acupressure? And I'll get Jose's comments on
6:22
that in a moment. So we'll get back to the
6:25
acupressure thing 'cause it's, it's worth the the deep dive on
6:32
how things have evolved and changed for us in looking at
6:36
this whole concept of acupressure.
6:39
But really, really great. Then I have been taking a Celtic
6:45
dance class. So the origins of where I'm
6:49
from, if I, if my DNA results are correct on, you know, a
6:56
certain website, family tree type website, a you know,
6:59
several years ago I did send in my DNA.
7:03
And so Northern Europe, the whole Scottish, Irish, little
7:09
bit of England, you know, is pretty neat to see where your
7:17
family has originated from. I've got some French in there
7:20
from my mother's side. And so this Celtic class, I was
7:26
talking with this lady, we had family members that are probably
7:32
cousins or at the very, you know, very least they were
7:37
probably neighbors and knew each other.
7:39
So my family tree, my grandmother's cousin was Gene
7:44
Autry, so y'all may remember him.
7:47
He owned the Angels out there in California for a while.
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So you know, kind of neat ancestry.
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Of course there's the James, Jesse James and the Younger
7:58
gang. If you want to know why I have
8:00
this rebellious gene in me, there you go.
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There you go Jesse James and you know Jesse James and the Younger
8:09
gang. And then I have a couple of
8:12
other famous, you know, cousins that don't even know that I
8:16
exist. But anyways, so this lady may be
8:21
cousins. We're gonna figure out she goes.
8:22
He he got the you got the square jaw.
8:26
So who knows? That would be pretty wild if
8:29
weird distance cousins and met at, you know, met here in class
8:33
and Celtic dancing of all places met in class there.
8:38
So then wine tasting has been the class that I added on while
8:44
I was here. And who knew I actually knew a
8:48
thing or two about wine tasting. I'm going to attribute that to
8:53
being stationed in Germany for several years.
8:57
And one of my all time favorites is Reasoning Spedleza.
9:02
It's it's just a unique blend. I wouldn't say it's not really a
9:06
blend, but it's a specific grape that is grown in Germany.
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So the Riesling's bed Lace is my favorite.
9:15
But I but I what I learned the most in the wine tasting class
9:20
was it's OK to try new things. And I have been pretty
9:28
intimidated, I think is a good word.
9:30
That's what I was sharing with the instructor a while ago.
9:33
I've been intimidated about trying some other wines.
9:36
I've been, you know, gradual getting into the Pinot Noir or
9:42
Bordeaux or I had never had a Marsala.
9:48
So I had some Marsala yesterday that was actually quite tasty.
9:52
Little caramel flavor in there, little slight brown.
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Got some woody taste in there. So, you know, talking about
10:00
structure and, you know, the tannin and whether it's acidic
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and fruity. Can you smell it?
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No smell, the aroma, how the fruit flavors work or is it
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complicated? Is it simple?
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Does it you know, is there an oily taste or anyways, all of
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that lingo it, it hit home and you know, when you talk about it
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with other people, then things kind of start making sense.
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So anyways, I don't feel quite so intimidated about about wine
10:37
tasting now going to the wine store and doing a tasting and
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figuring out do I want to invest in this bottle or that bottle,
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right. So that was pretty cool.
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But the other thing I want to kind of go back to the Celtic
10:52
dancing is a neat thing. So I got my hat on.
10:57
Yes, it's a stats in. It's a stats in which is
11:01
important because my my older boys, I know those little
11:05
crinkle didn't travel well. They got me my Stetson hat a
11:11
couple of years ago for was it last year for my birthday?
11:15
No, Mother's Day. It was a Mother's Day gift.
11:17
But I happened to bring my boots with me all the way from Texas.
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So from Texas to Tampa to here I have my boots, which worked out
11:26
perfect for learning some Celtic dancing.
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So who who knew that? You know, I say that also with
11:36
the caveat that, you know, learning some of the dance steps
11:42
that we have back in Texas, like the cotton eyed Joe, there are
11:47
some little snippet flares of Scottish dance steps in there.
11:54
And, you know, picking it up on the Celtic dance side, this, you
11:59
know, the folksy dance was way easier than I thought it would
12:03
be. Now, if I could just get my
12:05
knees and and feet to cooperate, that would be a different story.
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But that's kind of aging. So anyways, without further ado,
12:14
let me go ahead and bring my hope, my friend Jose in and and
12:20
you know this has been a pretty neat week, so this is our first.
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Yes. You know this is your first time
12:27
actually attending Common Ground.
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You got me to teach last year and I attended classes.
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So now that you've actually attended classes, are you going
12:38
to come again next? Year Oh yeah yeah.
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So I've been coming to common ground 20 plus years on and off.
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This is the first time that I'm teaching and it's it's so yeah.
12:47
And just on the other way that we have like Dennis, Mark Dennis
12:51
haven't been able to he, he took it up.
12:54
So we haven't really talked about that class yet.
12:56
Let's talk about the the class we taught together.
13:00
It was stupendous. I think I think we hit the
13:04
syllabus nail on the head. We did, we did, we followed it.
13:08
We did everything. And like everything else in
13:10
life, you know, like in the Army, the the first, the plan
13:13
goes out the window after the first round goes down range.
13:16
But we adjusted fire and made it work and it worked out great.
13:19
It really did. It worked out great.
13:20
So we taught a class about podcasting, but as a metaphor
13:26
for finding your voice, right? So there are a lot of veterans
13:29
out there, we understand, have learned how to shrink after the
13:34
military. And by that I mean they, they
13:37
don't get out there, they don't use their voices and or they
13:42
don't want to hear the backlash. If they say something that goes
13:45
against the current, the current as in whatever's out in meaning,
13:50
right? They they go against the grain
13:53
and they don't want the backlash.
13:55
And so they just shrink. They don't use their voices.
13:59
And I want to say it's really more about using your voice
14:03
effectively. And I think what we did was
14:07
setting up a syllabus that we were trying to help the, our
14:15
participants understand the, you know, and navigate the, you
14:21
know, this whole setting up a podcast, even though it's
14:25
metaphorical that they are using, they're learning how to
14:29
use their voice, but we're using the podcasting as a method of
14:34
how they can do it. Now that could be applicable for
14:37
writing a book, a documentary, any number of avenues, public
14:41
speaking, finding your voice and using your voice.
14:45
But there are some things to navigate as you learn how to do
14:49
that. And you got to learn what is
14:50
your messaging, what are you trying to convey, right?
14:55
It's not just how you say it, but what are you saying?
14:58
And what are they going to be the consequences of how you say
15:02
it? Because you may get some bad PR
15:05
out of that. You don't want followers for the
15:07
wrong reasons. But we gave him some tools, I
15:13
think on how does he implement. So we, we, we're fortunate he
15:19
came with a lot of homework already done a lot of work and
15:23
investment, but he didn't quite have all of the next steps in
15:27
place. So he's going to have to do some
15:31
game planning, I think on how he implements things when he goes
15:35
back, because this has been a lot of information all week
15:38
long. And how does he digest that so
15:44
that he can work on the things that he needs to to make, you
15:49
know, work the plan, the work and work the plan is really
15:52
where it's at. Well, we like he was able to
15:54
bounce things off us, you know, as a sounding board and then we
15:57
were able to get feedback and it was a two way St.
16:00
'cause he, he has some things already established mindful
16:04
teaching. Is that what he does mindfulness
16:06
teaching. So he he has a skill set to so
16:09
our job was to help him. How do you form that so you're
16:13
ready to do a podcast, whatever it is?
16:15
So he's got some, like you would say, he's got some homework to
16:17
do, he's going to do. It not a lot of homework.
16:19
No, no, he just has to craft how he wants the message.
16:22
To yeah, I think that. I think he got a lot of
16:25
confirmation. Out of.
16:26
It and like, you know, like you said, I think we were able to
16:31
just FIRE. But I think as far as the
16:33
syllabus outline that we originally gave even for this
16:39
week, yeah, we actually implemented it.
16:42
It. But we're able to adjust FIRE
16:46
because we, you know, there are other people, other participants
16:49
were not quite in the same place where he was.
16:54
One guy decided he wasn't into pod fasting at all, so it was
16:58
not a good fit for him. But I think for the other female
17:02
participant, she is learning how to use her voice of the metaphor
17:07
side of it was actually the right thing for her.
17:10
And she had some take away to understand, 'cause she's a
17:14
friend of mine that hey, how, if, why am I doing what I'm
17:18
doing, how I'm doing it? And that makes sense now, just
17:22
understanding the background mechanics of podcasting, which a
17:27
lot of people I think really don't understand.
17:29
It's not just getting in front of a camera and rambling on so.
17:33
Even though we can if we wanted to, you know, we just once we
17:36
get, you know, one of the things also that we want to do as we
17:40
look, we move forward is how do we get you veterans to come
17:44
here? And between Eve and I, we've
17:47
been posting, you know, go on common ground and you will be
17:52
amazed at what you don't know, what you don't know till you do
17:55
it and say wow, this is something we like.
17:57
When Eva said the acupuncture, I didn't believe it till I saw it.
18:02
I was. Blown away.
18:03
Just for example, it's like who knew if she would have just told
18:05
me and I wouldn't, if I didn't see it with my own 2 eyeballs, I
18:08
would have been like no way. But those are just one of the
18:11
experience drumming. And that's what we want veterans
18:15
to know. Or if you know a veteran, but
18:17
even if you're just a civilian, you can come here too, you need
18:20
to come and experience what we've experienced.
18:23
And it is, it's been it's been amazing.
18:26
So, you know, the class is going well.
18:28
We are just fire as needed. Every veteran we mad as taking
18:33
something away, you know, So that's why we do this, you know,
18:36
so you can come and experience something you may not have
18:39
experienced. I I think from the culture's
18:42
perspective, Jose, is that for many of us, we spent so many
18:47
years in the military and that and our time allotment of what
18:52
we could do was very occupied by what the military wanted for us.
18:58
And then whatever family obligations or maybe some other,
19:02
I want to say social obligations, but we didn't ever
19:05
get that chance to figure out what what did you like to do,
19:09
Jose? What did what did I like to do?
19:12
You know, so that whole for me, the athlete thing last week was
19:17
a new label, but now doing I'm not, I'm not saying I'm an
19:22
expert by any means on anything that we've learned this week,
19:25
but I think the exploration of what what I've done.
19:31
I don't know about you, but the is Eva figuring out what do I
19:36
like doing? You know, I would have taken the
19:40
last year I took the guitar beginning guitar class.
19:43
I would have taken it again this year, but I had the heat and
19:48
travel and another piece of gear to go to go all these miles that
19:54
it wasn't feasible to bring the guitar with and take that class
19:59
again. And we were teaching during the
20:00
beginning guitar classes. The last two weeks have been,
20:05
how can you say renewal? Renewal but busy and.
20:11
Doing things that I well, when last week I've never done and
20:14
just getting uncomfortable and then coming here almost to
20:17
package your air all up. OK, we did the individual by
20:19
ourselves. Now we come together, the
20:21
community with brand new people. But it's been an amazing
20:25
experience. You know, for me, every time I
20:27
come here, it's something different.
20:29
So you need to get ready to get uncomfortable.
20:35
Because that's the only way they're going to know us.
20:36
Oh yeah. You got us here.
20:38
You're going to know us already, so it's not like you don't know
20:41
anybody. Because we'll be here.
20:43
Yeah, we're already on tap to teach again next year.
20:48
Yes, we are. So come on down.
20:49
I'm so excited. It's going to be stupendously
20:53
Yeah, you got to take occupressure because I'm going
20:55
to take it again anyway. But you know but.
20:57
The class that that guy teaches after I wouldn't teach.
21:01
I want to take that one as well. So that's the the.
21:03
The child thing, yeah, whatever. Yeah, yeah.
21:06
Yes, I want to take that. I might still take the wine
21:10
tasting. Class.
21:11
Yeah, that's a good. One, yeah, you can't go wrong
21:13
with the. Drumming you got?
21:15
What's your mandolin? Am I pronouncing it?
21:17
There is. You got mandolin, you got
21:19
guitar, you got yes. Oh, you know, I took songwriting
21:23
last year. I did finish writing my song
21:26
that I wrote last year. Was that in the?
21:30
I think I've finished writing it in December, November timeframe,
21:35
and you know that it's a it. That song is dependous.
21:39
Yeah, and I got it. I got it in arts and crafts.
21:43
Arts and Crafts, Welding. They have welding, jewelry.
21:45
Jewelry. Yeah, 'cause Betty had made
21:47
jewelry. We have a Vietnam veteran here.
21:50
Ragtime teaches stained glass right along with Veronica.
21:57
They teach that class together. Pottery.
22:00
There was a pottery. Class painting.
22:03
There's I mean. It's.
22:04
There's something for everybody. Oh, and your grand it's.
22:17
Oh yes. Have gone so I can bring yes,
22:21
but you know. My.
22:23
My new little youngin, absolutely to, to, you know,
22:27
here next year, World Village. I can bring him with me next
22:31
year. That will be exciting.
22:33
So what would he was talking about My kids when they were 10
22:38
and 12 and 13 grew up coming here and now I see some of the
22:41
people that they grew up with are now mothers, adults and.
22:45
Teaching and they were playing They were playing on the.
22:49
Stage last night. It's it's, it's a community of
22:51
love. That's the only way I can put
22:52
it. You know, something that's
22:54
different. Like Eva said, when we were in,
22:57
even when we're on leave, we never, it wasn't our time.
23:00
We could not control it. Yeah, we, anybody who's served,
23:03
even when we work for the government, as you know,
23:04
sometimes when you want to leave here, you have an opportunity of
23:08
a week just to find out what makes you happy, what made Jose
23:11
and Eva happy. And.
23:13
And it's been good. And everybody we've met, it's
23:15
been so. Nice, I've laughed so.
23:18
Much this week, absolutely. Tell about the concerts, the
23:21
different concerts. The concerts, you know, I I
23:25
missed Wednesday night. The Blues.
23:28
I missed the Blues. No Celtic Blues was Thursday and
23:31
then yeah. And we saw bluegrass.
23:34
That's what it was, bluegrass. Was last night I saw Tuesday
23:38
night. Yeah, it was.
23:40
You're right. Wednesday was Blues.
23:41
It was really good. Or was it 2 Tuesday I fell
23:43
asleep? I don't know and.
23:45
Sometimes we forget the days it was, but bottom line, the front,
23:48
you know, if you look on our Facebooks, you'll see it and get
23:52
an opportunity to see what music.
23:55
Maybe you haven't been exposed to it.
23:56
This is what's cool. Exactly.
23:59
Like today, some of the classes, they're gonna be on stage if you
24:02
learn how to play guitar or that you get to see him.
24:05
But you know, so it's it's. There's some epic people like
24:08
Guy Davis, yes, when he gets up there last night, Bob Lucas was
24:13
playing. So he was sitting with a young
24:17
girl with the. Violin.
24:18
I can't. Oh, the fiddle.
24:19
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Phenomenal.
24:22
I mean, y'all, you just don't know what you're missing and
24:26
that's why I posted. You may not listen to this music
24:30
on Sirius or your radio station, but this is kind of like, you
24:37
know, like a lot of the music last night.
24:39
You think about it, it, it is bluegrass.
24:41
It is it is as some of its Appalachian music.
24:45
And you know, that is the culture of America.
24:49
Really, it is the culture of America.
24:51
And if we don't remember these, these type of whether the arts,
24:58
let's say it, we don't remember and use these kinds of arts,
25:02
we're going to lose it, right? Because we're not going to be
25:06
around to help make sure that it goes on to the next generations.
25:12
And that's, that's, I think it's critical, right?
25:15
The exposure to that stuff is going to be critical.
25:18
And Dan Collins, who Emmy award-winning director, film
25:24
maker and he showed his movie unbelievable people that you
25:28
normally would not engage on a daily basis.
25:31
You get the opportunity to expand your horizon, learn
25:34
something, say wow, I didn't know that I didn't.
25:36
And you know, and that's what life's about, you know?
25:41
Go outside your comfort. Zone yeah, that's it.
25:43
Be ready to stretch and. In a good way.
25:46
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know where to put the
25:48
pressure points on. Trust me, I know.
25:50
But but you know, life is is what you make of it, you know,
25:54
And here's an opportunity to try something different, meeting you
25:56
people, you know and say, wow, I'm glad that I went.
26:00
It's better to have come and try something than never had gone
26:03
us. I'm not going to that come down
26:05
even I are here. There are scholarships.
26:07
Available that scholarships serious yes yes yes get on that
26:11
early and even I will be putting those dates help if you go and
26:15
Google coming coming ground on the hill.
26:18
You get. Signed up for the subscription
26:20
both. Of us have been tagging it all
26:22
year long and you know they have this this is this year's catalog
26:30
of classes so you can peruse through the catalog and I'm sure
26:37
there's going to be something. Yes, yes.
26:39
Something you're going to be interested in.
26:41
Yeah, let me see. Drum circle jam.
26:45
You got old time jam and dance Alexander Technique for you.
26:48
Oh, documentaries. They talk about documentaries
26:51
real quick. I sat on a non violence class
26:53
about Martin Luther King and what happened in Nashville and
26:57
some of the people that have been involved in that they would
26:59
have interviewed just history, history and all types of things
27:03
that just say I didn't know that so you have an opportunity.
27:06
So this we have a little bit of everything for any something for
27:10
children, Yeah, children. I mean the concerts.
27:13
No excuses. Yeah.
27:15
So the neat thing about it is we've been staying at the dorm
27:19
or I've been staying. You live here local, So I've
27:22
been staying in the dorm. They have the cafeteria.
27:25
It's college food. There are college.
27:28
You know, kids have been coming here for sports camps this week
27:32
too, You know, Did did you see the text that I sent you about
27:37
the young kid with the saying on his T?
27:39
Shirt No, I didn't see it. No what?
27:41
So he said, I sent it to you. It was, this is important.
27:49
It's important because I said just saw a kids T-shirt train
27:55
according to your aspirations. So let so let that sit with you
28:00
because and I saw him at lunch. Was it lunch or breakfast?
28:04
And I, I said, you know, thank you for wearing that shirt.
28:07
I said that is huge that you're wearing that.
28:10
I will hope that you embody that train to your aspirations.
28:15
If you, I'm going to, I'm going to kind of put this in context.
28:20
If you don't have any aspirations, then what are you
28:25
doing right? If you are just accepting the
28:28
fact that sitting in your couch is good enough, I'm not trying
28:32
to take that away from you. But if you're expecting your
28:35
situation to improve or change and that's not working, then
28:40
that's called insanity and I'm trying to call you insane.
28:44
I'm just saying that you're not helping to improve your
28:48
situation by training to your aspirations.
28:52
So you have to learn how to dream.
28:55
You have to learn how to set new goals.
28:58
And I think for you and I both these last two weeks, we have
29:01
been embodying that. We didn't know exactly what to
29:04
expect. It was our first time, but I'm
29:06
glad I went. I did things I've never done and
29:08
I'm glad I did them because now I know, OK, I won't try that
29:11
next year, but I'm going to try that.
29:12
But more importantly, family. It was community.
29:15
Yeah, for sure. Community, I mean, you know
29:17
even. Here all week long it's been
29:19
community with with the your roommates to the suite mates,
29:24
the other veterans. It's, you know, absolutely been
29:29
awesome. So give it a try, team, give it
29:32
a try. Come out, send us an e-mail,
29:34
look on. It ain't going to hurt, you
29:36
know, and you may not know what what you'll learn.
29:40
I know how to do this and I don't have to check this.
29:43
And those are some of the active pressures like wow, I wish you
29:45
knew this back when I was back in the you know, in the day.
29:48
But it was like I could not believe.
29:49
I was so excited. Acts Eve.
29:50
I was like a 12 year. I said get out of here.
29:54
You you the Bunny is saying though that made the instructor.
29:59
Oh my goodness. Yeah.
30:00
Well, you know, and what I said because so, so one of the the
30:05
the things they showed us is on your body part.
30:07
Let's say you got a head, you know, you're touching all
30:10
different parts of your body from your hands to your feet.
30:12
And I said now I got, I got so much to play with for myself,
30:15
you know, so. Not afraid to touch yourself.
30:17
No, I'm not afraid to touch myself.
30:19
I was like, wow, I know what to do.
30:20
But it's like, wow, exploring your own body that you didn't
30:23
know. I'm like, wow, you know, so.
30:26
I don't know who know all these different places.
30:28
Yeah, you know that could help. Yes, yeah, clean.
30:33
Your tee, I didn't know all this stuff.
30:36
And the instructor himself was funny, knowledgeable, knew what
30:40
he was doing. It was, it was hands on.
30:43
He showed us, hey, it's here. No, let me show it was.
30:45
It's really. Amazing look, I even have a
30:47
little even have a market I have a little spot right here for I
30:51
don't know what that one was, but and.
30:53
And for any veterans that are coming next year, we want to see
30:57
you right here, right here in between Eva and I.
31:00
Come and join us. Right here, there's a spot that
31:02
has your name on it, so come on down.
31:04
Hey, you know Westminster, MD, Doesn't matter.
31:07
Put in for it. Yeah, Try the experience.
31:10
You know when we came in with be all that you can be?
31:13
So now we're bringing. For now, we're taking it to
31:16
another. Level we are, we are.
31:17
Come on. Put it.
31:19
To another level. Be all this right?
31:21
Because what is it? Self-care is not selfish.
31:26
Oh, for sure. Self-care, and this is part of
31:29
self-care. It really is because it's not
31:31
only physical, but mental and just engaging and doing
31:35
different things that you, you don't know that that you know
31:39
until you do, you don't know what you don't you do.
31:41
Now, if we're out here, OK, we're not lying with what's
31:44
doing it, you know what I'm saying?
31:46
And at first you're like, should I try this?
31:47
But once you try it, it's like, I'm glad I did it.
31:50
Yeah, That's all we can say, you know.
31:52
You'll be saying, wow, I didn't know I was missing all that.
31:56
But then you can go home and look up.
31:59
Maybe I want to go back to Texas and look up Celtic dancing and
32:03
go watch and go watch now that I'm a little bit more informed
32:07
about what Celtic dancing is about and want to, you know, I
32:14
don't know if I, I don't know if my knees are going to be able to
32:16
do the Celtic dancing itself, but I will definitely have a
32:21
greater appreciation for it as well as the music.
32:25
You know, I mean, I think if you're just broaden your
32:28
horizons, then you can't go. Wrong.
32:30
No, you can't really. You can't go wrong SO.
32:32
You know, here you have an opportunity to possibly get a
32:35
scholarship, come down here and give it a try and win and you
32:39
win for yourself. You win for yourself.
32:42
And that's like what happens here after you leave.
32:46
It's all the relationships that you've built that you keep in
32:49
touch throughout the year. Just like last last week when we
32:51
were at the National Veterans Golden Games, you know, we met
32:56
so many people that we're still in touch with, you know, and
32:58
we're looking forward to. Yeah, I have.
33:00
I have a look at texting me. She's keeping me informed.
33:04
And and that's because I think we had a really great connection
33:08
and I think it's what we're planning on doing with a lot of
33:12
the participants that we've had this week, you know, even though
33:15
you already knew one of them. Oh, that's it's, it's OK, Don't
33:19
worry about that. But what what we're telling you,
33:21
family, is that for those in the Army, you know, the model for
33:28
Missouri, show me state, we're not telling you something we
33:31
haven't done, that we haven't experienced, you know?
33:34
And look, these are like true, genuine smiles, yes?
33:39
Yes, I. Mean joy.
33:40
Joy, right? I know I need to get a haircut,
33:43
but other than that, we are just having a good time, you know,
33:46
and, and it carries on till next year for so many reasons.
33:49
There's so many things out there for us and we're trying to, you
33:52
know, breach that new boundaries that we've been so used to not
33:57
having, you know, work. Put your head down.
33:59
Do you work? Come on now, Eva still working.
34:02
I just recently retired and we're doing the same thing.
34:05
So you can't say, oh, you know, I'm working.
34:07
No, it's nothing like that, man. You know, take time for
34:11
yourself. You know, you take time for a
34:13
vacation in the islands or whatever.
34:15
Take time for you. So I, I call this
34:19
affectionately. This is an adult camp.
34:22
Yes, that's right. And you know, I didn't ever get
34:26
to go to camps when I was growing up, not to church camps
34:30
or anything. Now I did take my kids to a
34:34
couple of the camp corral. That's something, you know, that
34:38
is pretty interesting to share for folks at a different time.
34:43
But Camp Corral is really neat for the youth of families that
34:48
have, you know, military and veteran who have younger kids.
34:52
Camp Corral. But I'd never put into context
34:56
what was out there for us as adult veterans especially, but
35:00
to have this kind of fun and explore these many different
35:04
things in a day. And don't think that you, you
35:08
know what? Listen, if you were tired, skip
35:11
a class and go take a go take a nap or do all the classes, skip
35:15
the concerts and go rest. I mean, I'm still been nursing
35:20
my ankle injury from last week. And believe me, I have taken my
35:25
naps in the evenings this week as I needed to because I'm, I
35:30
know I'm still healing and recovery from all that we did
35:33
last year in the last week in the driving.
35:37
So, you know, this isn't valuable, but it is doing
35:42
something for me. It's a different kind of
35:44
investment for personal self. And that is really, I think for
35:50
me, it's kind of akin to, you know, you put the oxygen mask.
35:54
Absolutely, yes. Right.
35:55
We're doing this in a different way, in a fun, non judgmental
36:01
way that, you know, it's learning, but it's, it's not
36:09
like it's, I'm, I'm not getting a degree in anything.
36:13
I'm not, it's not like I'm working on my, it's not the same
36:16
as working on my PhD is what I'm getting at right?
36:19
There's no right or wrong for this stuff.
36:21
If I make a misstep and you know, like Celtic dancing, oh,
36:26
there is no wrong answer in the wine tasting.
36:29
You know, that's right. So it's just a lot of fun and I,
36:35
you know, grateful for the opportunity.
36:39
The the other class, we really ought to talk about it too, the
36:42
Veterans Initiative class itself.
36:45
Semi did a really good job of kind of laying out a foundation.
36:50
What is Veterans Initiative about?
36:53
He had some really deep personal reflections that brought out, I
36:58
think some great conversation. And I don't mean in the bitchy,
37:02
you know, the bitch session kind of things, because those things
37:07
are not comfortable, really thought provoking, I think was
37:10
the intention and, and because if yes, we can have all this fun
37:16
in the world. But if you're not having at
37:19
least some seriousness and, and searching for the healing side,
37:25
we all have experienced, probably to, to some degree, the
37:28
trauma from the military, but this is that healing contact
37:33
side. Now you have a fun thing that
37:37
you found you like doing and you know, whether it's the jewelry
37:41
making or whatever, you can go back home and repeat, learn more
37:47
and do that and just can keep doing it and fill some of that
37:52
time that you got too much of back at back at home.
37:56
And and you know, The thing is, it's about community, you know,
37:59
being in a place where you can say what you need to say and I
38:02
be judged, you know, and, and knowing that just like life,
38:06
that's people at different stages of healing.
38:09
So you may need somebody say, I've been there, whether it's in
38:11
Group or one-on-one, say, Hey, hey, John or Sally, whatever,
38:15
I've been there. This is and that's how we form
38:17
these bond. That's how we heal, because many
38:19
of us here who have PTSD when we first were diagnosed, like, no,
38:24
I don't, I don't have that. Nothing wrong with me until you
38:26
find out there's others like that and then the healing
38:28
process begin that we all have to take that first step.
38:30
Is it easy? Absolutely not.
38:32
It is not. Easy and Jerry Hill.
38:34
Jerry Hill's teaching, he taught a class on memoirs, making a
38:39
memoir. I didn't get a chance to talk to
38:41
her again. I saw her earlier this week.
38:44
And shout out to Jerry, Thank you so much for the book that
38:48
you gave me. I really appreciate you.
38:50
So thank you so much, you know, but it's those connections
38:54
because I hadn't ever met her before.
38:57
We were supposed to teach together last year and we were
39:01
allowed to evolve the class this year with what we presented.
39:05
So I don't know, I, I, how do you top this other than, OK, now
39:12
I've got 1000 miles to drive back and it's back to reality.
39:17
So. The the way we honor, you know,
39:20
the time 'cause I know she said it, but Walt, Michael, Maria,
39:24
Juan, all the, the volunteers that you know, like the Wizard
39:28
of Oz. The donations.
39:30
For us to. Be here to begin with.
39:32
You know, all the people that have worked hard to get this
39:34
ready, we want to thank them, you know, 'cause without them we
39:38
wouldn't be here, you know, so. The other students would not be.
39:42
That's right. That's right.
39:43
So it's important that we support.
39:47
The community giving back to us as a community.
39:51
So how do we honor them by you coming to things like this so
39:56
they know, you know what our hard work paid off and that
39:58
thing that Eva said, we can save one.
40:00
If we can have one person get something out of this, then
40:04
we've done our job, you know, so.
40:07
You know we we can't stress it enough throughout the year, even
40:09
I if we're talking about it, we will be doing videos, pictures,
40:12
ground. Hey check it out, call us DM.
40:15
You know how to get ahold of us. Yep, you know, and don't say
40:18
y'all think about it, no. Like follow Cher.
40:21
There you go. Like follow Cher.
40:23
That's right. Like follow Cher.
40:25
Yeah, absolutely. And we're gonna, we're, we're
40:28
happy to help teach you to crawl, walk and run.
40:31
That's right. You're not getting through this
40:33
by yourself. And guess what?
40:36
You know, we're pretty experienced if even if you have
40:39
a bad day while you're here, we're here to support you every
40:44
which way. OK, so anyways, I think it's a
40:48
wrap up this week show. Thank you guys so much.
40:51
I am traveling back. So this was recorded and is
41:00
there's this spot there's like. This one, the one for sleeping.
41:06
Yeah. The sleeping one.
41:07
Oh yeah. That.
41:09
Was that class will be available next year guys?
41:12
Yeah, Dean family, there we go. Ladies and gentlemen.
41:15
It's like this. It's.
41:17
Yeah. It is stupendous, so yeah.
41:18
Hopefully good tonight. I'm gonna step out.
41:21
I love you people. Well.
41:22
Thank you all everybody. I'll let you finish.
41:26
Yeah. Thank you.
41:28
I hope you all have a great, fantastic week.
41:31
I think I do have I have a guest that is on tap for the following
41:36
week. So this will, I think we're
41:40
talking about, you know, small business veteran, small business
41:45
initiative. And I look forward to that
41:48
guest. I'm trying to I don't think I
41:51
was able to pull it back up. Let's see her name is Keani
41:58
Shelbon. I hope I'm pronouncing that
42:00
right. So that will be my guest on the
42:03
18th. And if you want to be on my
42:04
show, feel free to reach out to me.
42:06
Eva at MB Radio dot US. Y'all have a fantastic week and
42:13
I'll catch you back live on the Revivalist Radio show on Monday.
42:17
Remember, like, follow, share. Thank you for watching the From
42:22
Paint to Purpose radio show on military broadcast radio giving
42:26
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42:32
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42:36
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