Latest / RealTalkwithMikeD / Episode 65 - Fall Nights and Fire Pits

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Episode 65 - Fall Nights and Fire Pits · RealTalkwithMikeD

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Real Talk with Mike D. Alright, welcome back
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: to Real Talk with Mike D, the place where we
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: say what we mean, we mean what we say, and
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: we keep it real every single day. I am your host,
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Mike D, and today we're talking about something a lot
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: of us can appreciate. Fall nights. Excuse me while I
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: clear my throat. You know, that cool autumn air, the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: smell of burning wood, a fire pit glowing in the backyard.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: And that feeling you get when you finally sit down, relax,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: and forget about the craziness of the world just for
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: a little bit. Is there anything better than a crisp
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: fall evening? Maybe a comfortable chair, a warm fire, and
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: absolutely nowhere you need to be for the next couple
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: of hours. Think about that. You've worked all day, you've
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: dealt with people, you've answered questions and handled responsibilities. Maybe
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: you've had a stressful day, maybe it was a great day,
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: or maybe it was one of those days where you
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: wanted to look at everybody and say, please, don't ask
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: me to do one more thing. I have had those days,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: and they suck. Then, the evening arrives. You step outside,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: feel that cold air on your face, grab a sweatshirt,
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  Speaker 1: light the fire, and settle into your chair. You hear
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: the wood crackling, you watch the flames dance, you look
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: up at the sky, and for a little while, everything
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: feels right. That is what we're talking about today. So
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: grab your favorite drink, get comfortable, and let's talk about
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: why fall nights and fire pits are one of the
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: best combinations there are. And if you're listening while sitting
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: beside your own fire pit, congratulations, you already know exactly
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: what I'm talking about. So ladies and gentlemen, let's get
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: into it. Now, let's start with summer, winter, spring, and fall.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Because every one of those seasons has something going for it.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Summer has the beach. Vacations, cookouts, and those long days
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: where the sun refuses to go down. Winter has the holidays.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Snow-covered landscapes and the perfect excuse to stay inside, wearing
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: sweatpants while pretending you're going to be productive. And spring?
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Spring brings flowers, warmer weather, and the excitement of finally
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: putting away the heavy winter coat. But fall? Fall has
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: a personality all its own. There's something about the air
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: when autumn arrives. The mornings get cooler, the evenings get
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  Speaker 1: darker earlier, the leaves start changing, and suddenly the world
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: looks like somebody went wild with a paintbrush. There's reds, oranges, yellows,
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: and golds everywhere. You walk outside, look at the trees,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: and think, wow, that is beautiful. And honestly, I love
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: that time of year. There's a peacefulness that comes with autumn.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: The pace of life seems to slow down a little.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: The days aren't as hot, and the evenings invite you
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: to take your time. You start thinking about warm hoodies,
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: comfortable blankets, hot coffee, and spending more time at home.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Then comes that first chilly evening. The one that tells
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: you that summer is officially behind you. You step outside
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: wearing shorts because you refuse to admit the temperature has changed.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: And five minutes later, you're running back inside for a sweatshirt.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: You know you have. We've all been there. We've all
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: done that. That is part of the charm. Fall reminds
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: us that change doesn't always have to be something we fear.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Sometimes change brings something beautiful. The trees let go their leaves.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: The weather shifts. The world moves into another season. And
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: maybe we can learn something from that. Maybe fall reminds
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: us that it's okay to slow down. Let go of
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: a few things and make room for what matters most.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: For me, one of the best ways to enjoy that
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: season is sitting outside beside a fire pit. Now, let's
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: talk about the fire pit for just one moment. There
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: is something magical about sitting around a fire. It doesn't
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: have to be fancy. You don't need a massive outdoor kitchen,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: a swimming pool, expensive patio furniture, or a backyard that
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: looks like it belongs in a home improvement magazine. No.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: You don't need a television mounted on the side of
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: your house. And you definitely don't need a professional landscaper
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: telling you that your yard needs another $ 12, 000 worth of work. Seriously,
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: that's ridiculous. And sometimes all you need is a fire pit,
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: a couple of chairs, and a little wood. That is it.
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  Speaker 1: Get the fire going, watch the flames rise, and suddenly
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: the backyard becomes your favorite room in the house. There's
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: something about the sound of burning wood that I find relaxing.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: There's something about the smell of burning wood that I
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: find relaxing. The little crackle, the occasional pop, the way
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  Speaker 1: the flames move and change shape. You can sit there
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: watching the fire and before you know it, 20 minutes
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: have passed. You're not answering emails. You're not checking your
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: bank account. You're not trying to figure out why your
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: phone needs another update. You're just sitting there. And sometimes
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: that is exactly what you need. You become so used
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: to constant stimulation that sitting quietly can feel strange. We're
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: always looking at a screen, listening to something, responding to somebody,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: or thinking about what we have to do next. But
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  Speaker 1: a fire pit gives you a reason to stop. You
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: can watch the flames, listen to the sounds around you,
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: let your mind wander. You can enjoy a moment without
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: feeling like you have to accomplish something. That's a pretty
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: wonderful thing in today's world. Now, I'm not saying a
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: fire pit would solve all your problems. However, if it did,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: I'd be sitting outside with a pile of bills and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: throw them into the flame one at a time. But,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: you know, while the fire pit can't solve your problems,
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: it can give you a little bit of breathing room.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: And sometimes breathing room is more than what we realize.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: It's more important than we actually realize. It means everything. Now,
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: ladies and gentlemen, I want to paint a picture just
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: for a few moments. It's a Saturday evening, which it
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: is tonight. It'll be Saturday evening in October. And it
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: is October. The sun is setting and the sky is
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: turning all kinds of different colors. It's turning orange, purple, pink.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: There's a little chill in the air. Maybe you walk outside,
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: take a deep breath and smell the unmistakable autumn scent.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: Maybe it's fallen leaves. Maybe it's the cool air. Maybe
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: somebody down the street is making dinner and suddenly you
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: realize you're hungry. Even though you ate just an hour ago.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: That's another thing about fall. You can be completely full,
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: but the smell of food makes you feel like you
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: haven't eaten in a week. Ain't that the truth? Anyway,
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: you head over to the fire pit. You get everything ready.
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  Speaker 1: You light your fire. You pull up your favorite chair.
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  Speaker 1: You've got a warm sweatshirt. Maybe a blanket over your legs.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: Your favorite drink is sitting beside you. The point is
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: that you're comfortable. The fire begins to glow and the
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: temperature feels just right. It's not too hot. It's not
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: too cold. Just enough of a chill to make the
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: fire feel even better. You lean back and look around
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: and maybe you can see the trees changing colors. Maybe
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: you hear crickets or wind moving through the branches. Maybe
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the neighborhood is getting quieter as people settle in for
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: the evening. And for once, you don't feel the need
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: to rush anywhere. You're not thinking about tomorrow morning's alarm.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: You're not worrying about what somebody posted online. You're not
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: comparing your life to somebody else's life. You're just enjoying
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: where you are. I think that's something we don't do
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: often enough. always looking ahead to the next thing, the
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: next paycheck, the next vacation, the next big purchase, the
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: next goal. And believe me, goals matter. Responsibilities matter. Working
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: hard matters. But if we're always waiting for the next
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: big thing to make us happy, we can miss the
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: little things that already make us happy in front of us.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes a beautiful fall evening is enough. Sometimes sitting beside
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: a fire with a peaceful mind is enough. And sometimes
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: the best part of your day is the moment you
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: stop running around and allowing yourself to enjoy just being alive.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: That's a feeling worth appreciating. But you know what else
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: is worth appreciating? Having good friends sitting around a fire pit.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: Maybe it's the quiet atmosphere. Maybe it's because everyone is
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: looking at the flames instead of staring directly at each
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: other like they're conducting a job interview. Whatever the reason is,
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: A fire pit creates the perfect setting for a good conversation.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: You may start with something ordinary. How was your day?
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: What's going on at work? Did you see what happened
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: on the news? And before you know it, you're talking
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: about life. You're talking about your dreams, your regrets, the
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: things you're proud of, the things you're still trying to
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: figure out. You start remembering old stories, laughing about things
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: that happened years ago, and talking about the people who
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: made a difference in your life. Sometimes you have conversations
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: around a fire that you might never have had inside
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: a house. Think about that. When was the last time
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: you sat down with somebody without having distractions and genuinely talked?
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: You didn't check your phone. TV wasn't on. You're just talking.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: You're really listening. You're giving somebody your attention. Essentially. simple,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: but it can be surprisingly rare. We can spend an
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: entire evening sitting in the same room with someone without
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: having one meaningful conversation. Why? Because everybody has a screen
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: in front of them. And the only thing we say is, Hey,
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: did you see that video? Ladies and gentlemen, there is
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: more to life than watching videos. Sometimes people need to
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: hear that somebody cares. Sometimes they need to talk about
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: what's bothering them. And sometimes they just need someone to
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: sit beside them and let them be themselves. A fall
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: evening around a fire can be a wonderful place for that.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: You don't need to have all the answers. You don't
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  Speaker 1: have to solve all the problems. Sometimes listening is all
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  Speaker 1: you need to do. And if you're lucky, the conversation
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: turns into the kind of laughter that makes your stomach hurt.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: You know what I'm talking about. You're sitting there having
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: a conversation. Somebody says something funny. And you're laughing so
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: hard your stomach hurts. And you say, all right, all right,
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  Speaker 1: I can't take it anymore. Those are the moments you remember.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: Not necessarily the expensive dinners or the fancy nights out.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes it's the simple evening where everybody was relaxed, the
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  Speaker 1: fire was burning, and nobody wanted the night to end.
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  Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, that is going to do it for
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  Speaker 1: today's episode. I greatly appreciate you being here. I appreciate
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: you listening. Go outside tonight. Start a fire. Have your
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: friends over. Have a couple drinks. And just laugh. because
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: we all need a little bit of laughter, we all
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: need a little bit of humor, and we all need
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: to smile. Anyhow, hope you all have a great night,
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: and I'll see you all in the next episode.