0
SPEAKER_00
Hello.
0
SPEAKER_01
Hey, what s up, man?
0
SPEAKER_00
What s poppin , dude?
0
SPEAKER_01
What s your name?
0
SPEAKER_00
My name is Dusty.
0
SPEAKER_01
Are you alright, Dusty?
0
SPEAKER_00
I m alright.
0
SPEAKER_00
I like that.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m alright.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m fine.
0
SPEAKER_01
Uh, what s going on with you, man?
0
SPEAKER_01
You sound like I just woke you up.
0
SPEAKER_00
Uh, nah, nah.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m just- I m chillin .
0
SPEAKER_00
It was a long day, you know?
0
SPEAKER_00
Now we re here.
0
SPEAKER_00
But yeah, I m awake.
0
SPEAKER_01
Well dusty Tell me my my good sir.
0
SPEAKER_01
What would you like to talk to a gecko about today?
0
SPEAKER_00
Basically I like to do I like to do ketamine.
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t know if I can say that on here, but Yeah, I can say whatever you want
0
SPEAKER_00
Fuck yeah.
0
SPEAKER_00
Uh, I like doing that.
0
SPEAKER_00
And, uh, one night I ended up doing that and like drinking some alcohol, which like makes you like, kind of like blackout, but it like also makes you stay conscious.
0
SPEAKER_00
And I like had like a full on orgy with like my best friends and like our chicks.
0
SPEAKER_00
And then like, do not remember any of it was completely conscious through all of it.
0
SPEAKER_00
Woke up the next day.
0
SPEAKER_00
like laying next to like a massive dildo.
0
SPEAKER_00
And like, that s how I found out.
0
SPEAKER_00
I was like, Oh, something went down.
0
SPEAKER_00
But yeah.
0
SPEAKER_00
So you got fucked up.
0
SPEAKER_01
You got fucked up on ketamine and woke up next to a dildo.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, pretty much.
0
SPEAKER_00
And then I asked my friends because they were they were not blacked out.
0
SPEAKER_00
But I asked them and they re like, Yeah, no, we we definitely had an orgy.
0
SPEAKER_00
And I was like, Yo, was it was like, was that good?
0
SPEAKER_00
And they were like, Yeah, you re good.
0
SPEAKER_00
Like, I was, like, conscious, like, did I, like, do anything weird?
0
SPEAKER_00
They re like, no.
0
SPEAKER_00
You were, you were chillin .
0
SPEAKER_00
You did the thing.
0
SPEAKER_00
So.
0
SPEAKER_01
Okay.
0
SPEAKER_01
Well, I mean, I ll, let me ask you that.
0
SPEAKER_01
How do you, what is, how do you feel about this experience?
0
SPEAKER_01
Is this like a, uh, like, cause you sound like, you sound like you feel like, oh, this, this is sick.
0
SPEAKER_01
I had an orgy and I didn t even know it.
0
SPEAKER_01
But, uh, or is it, do you feel that way or do you feel like, oh man, I should stop, uh, getting fucked up on ketamine?
0
SPEAKER_00
you know it s kind of like a little bit of both it s like yo that was cool but at the same time it s like it would have been cooler if i could have remembered it and it probably would have still happened if i wasn t like on ketamine because it s like i don t know but yeah i do want to like not do ketamine and drink anymore but it s kind of like when i do ketamine alcohol is like already like in the premise so i feel like it s just like
0
SPEAKER_00
already gonna happen.
0
SPEAKER_00
Does that make sense?
0
SPEAKER_01
Talk to us about ketamine, for those who don t know.
0
SPEAKER_01
I feel like ketamine, and maybe it s just because I m whatever, but I feel like ketamine s been a new thing that I ve been hearing about.
0
SPEAKER_01
It seems like it s a new, new phenomenon.
0
SPEAKER_01
Tell us about it.
0
SPEAKER_00
It s honestly probably one of my favorite drugs.
0
SPEAKER_00
I wouldn t say it s my favorite one, but it s like, I call it indica cocaine because it s like,
0
SPEAKER_00
you snort it and then but instead of like getting all hyped up it s just like you chill out and it s like it can get like psychedelic if you do a lot but like for the most part it s like you re just gonna like chill out and yeah sometimes i call it like portal hopping like you re like i like you ll see shit from like third person and you re like you re like it s like the verge of the k-hope but like you ll see shit from like third person and like
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t know.
0
SPEAKER_00
It gets trippy.
0
SPEAKER_00
It gets real fucking trippy, but it s cool.
0
SPEAKER_00
And like, in a safe environment, it s like, I think it s fun.
0
SPEAKER_01
That actually is, that is, I ve never heard it described like that.
0
SPEAKER_01
I know it s, yeah, it s Indica cocaine.
0
SPEAKER_01
I know you snorted it once.
0
SPEAKER_01
I tried it once.
0
SPEAKER_01
I only tried it once and I didn t like it.
0
SPEAKER_01
It just kind of like made my heart hurt and didn t do anything.
0
SPEAKER_00
Really?
0
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_00
Huh.
0
SPEAKER_00
No, you should, you should like, well, I wouldn t say like, I m not trying to encourage you to like, try it again, but like, if you wanted to, like, don t be like, it s like, I wouldn t like fray from it, you know, like be open minded to it might ve just been like, not good stuff maybe.
0
SPEAKER_00
But yeah, I love it personally.
0
SPEAKER_01
Okay.
0
SPEAKER_01
So, uh, I mean, do you, do you feel like you have a problem with it?
0
SPEAKER_00
I d say I ve had problems with it, but at this moment, no.
0
SPEAKER_00
What classifies a problem, you know what I mean?
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t feel like I have a problem, but to a person who doesn t do ketamine, they d be like, yo, you got a little bit of a problem.
0
SPEAKER_00
But I don t think I have a problem.
0
SPEAKER_00
I think there s a lot of people who do a lot more ketamine than me.
0
SPEAKER_01
That s true.
0
SPEAKER_01
What would have to happen for you to be like, ah, that s a problem?
0
SPEAKER_01
waking up next to an even bigger dildo.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t know.
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t know.
0
SPEAKER_00
Maybe like, like if I like a near death experience or like if I like went to like jail or something over it, but like, I don t, I don t see that like happening.
0
SPEAKER_00
It s like more like, I just like to go to the rave, get fucked up and go home.
0
SPEAKER_00
But like, you know, Uber and things like that.
0
SPEAKER_00
So like,
0
SPEAKER_00
I don t, I m really like, I feel like I m pretty safe about it.
0
SPEAKER_00
But I don t know.
0
SPEAKER_01
What else has gone on in your life?
0
SPEAKER_00
Dude, honestly, you want to hear some other crazy shit that just happened?
0
SPEAKER_01
Sure.
0
SPEAKER_00
Okay.
0
SPEAKER_00
So like, uh, my ex, we ve like been broke up for like a little bit, uh, literally just like on Saturday, I went to like this really chill party.
0
SPEAKER_00
With my friends, I played some music.
0
SPEAKER_00
It was a good time.
0
SPEAKER_00
And my ex, we had the same friend group.
0
SPEAKER_00
And so she was hitting everyone up to hang out, but they didn t want to make it awkward.
0
SPEAKER_00
So they were kind of ignoring her out of respect for me.
0
SPEAKER_00
But I guess she looked up one of my friends that was there.
0
SPEAKER_00
She looked up her location on Snapchat.
0
SPEAKER_00
showed up to where we re at and slashed all our tires and then get the fuck out.
0
SPEAKER_01
You actually slashed all of your tires?
0
SPEAKER_00
Yes, my tires.
0
SPEAKER_00
And then my friends, they rode there together, but she slashed their tires too.
0
SPEAKER_00
And they didn t even find out.
0
SPEAKER_00
So they were like on the freeway in Dallas and shit.
0
SPEAKER_00
And they were like, what the fuck s happening with our car?
0
SPEAKER_00
And they like sent me a Snapchat.
0
SPEAKER_00
And I was like, yo, it s crazy.
0
SPEAKER_00
I have a flat tire, too.
0
SPEAKER_00
And like, what is it?
0
SPEAKER_01
Is it is it bad to me if the the worst thing I ve heard from you so far is that you re still using Snapchat?
0
SPEAKER_01
I mean it s a classic I feel like I said like snapchats a classic I ll log into my snapchat once a year or something like that but I feel like snapchats a classic like place to buy drugs I remember like pot dealers used to like put their shit on their story I don t know you gotta get telegram now
0
SPEAKER_00
Really?
0
SPEAKER_01
Do you, do you really like the whole, the whole, I m curious about this.
0
SPEAKER_01
The whole telegram thing, like, like the whole, uh, are people actually like, is like if you organized a ketamine, uh, uh, exchange over Facebook messenger, like is anyone, do you actually think anyone s like looking at your messenger to see if you re buying ketamine?
0
SPEAKER_01
Like, does anyone actually care that much about you?
0
SPEAKER_00
Not about me, but maybe like the person selling it to me.
0
SPEAKER_01
Sure.
0
SPEAKER_00
But yeah, I mean, I m not, I m not like a very paranoid person.
0
SPEAKER_00
I just, I don t know, maybe I m, maybe that s a bad thing, you know, like maybe I was going to say that, that could, that could be the ketamine.
0
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, maybe it could be, it could be a lot of things.
0
SPEAKER_00
Honestly.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m just like, I just like, don t like the feeling of being paranoid.
0
SPEAKER_00
That s all like, don t like focus on that.
0
SPEAKER_00
Like if I see a cop, like I just like, I m like, cool, there s a cop there, but like,
0
SPEAKER_00
Is he worried about me?
0
SPEAKER_00
Probably not.
0
SPEAKER_00
Um, with like online things.
0
SPEAKER_01
So, so tell me this.
0
SPEAKER_01
Why do you think your ex girlfriend slashed your tires?
0
SPEAKER_00
Oh, she told me so, uh, like, cause I called her and I like psyched her out.
0
SPEAKER_00
I was like, I got you on a ring camera doing it.
0
SPEAKER_00
So like, I m going to call the cops on you right now.
0
SPEAKER_00
She s like, she like busted it like real fast.
0
SPEAKER_00
I had no camera evidence.
0
SPEAKER_00
Like I didn t, I don t know.
0
SPEAKER_00
Someone might ve had a ring, but I didn t have it.
0
SPEAKER_00
So she told me like she like she like told me everything she s like I just like felt like my friends told chose you over me and all this stuff and I was like Damn, that doesn t have to be like that and that s some psycho shit to like find us and then slash our tires.
0
SPEAKER_00
But yeah, I Guess it s like more like a jealousy thing because her friends chose me.
0
SPEAKER_00
I m not sure But it wasn t even like that.
0
SPEAKER_01
Are you in a new relationship?
1
SPEAKER_02
up now?
1
SPEAKER_01
No, no, not at all.
1
SPEAKER_01
I m big chillin, just being single.
1
SPEAKER_01
I m a soak it up for a minute.
1
SPEAKER_02
Very nice.
1
SPEAKER_02
Are you, so is anything, is anything good and reasonable happening in your life?
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, dude.
1
SPEAKER_01
Uh, I like pretty recently moved to like Dallas and like got a really dope ass job.
1
SPEAKER_01
I like to do music and my music is like actually doing some shit.
1
SPEAKER_01
I got booked in like Colorado and Oklahoma and Arkansas and yeah, it s like going really good.
1
SPEAKER_01
That s why I m like, honestly, like this is just like a slash my tires is like out of my life for really good.
1
SPEAKER_01
So that s a really good thing.
1
SPEAKER_01
And like, I don t know, life is a great thing and I m really happy to be here.
1
SPEAKER_02
That s good.
1
SPEAKER_02
Well, I guess you can t possibly be addicted to drugs if you feel good.
1
SPEAKER_01
Right?
1
SPEAKER_01
That s what I m saying.
1
SPEAKER_01
I don t know.
1
SPEAKER_02
Don t take anything I say seriously.
1
SPEAKER_02
I have no fucking idea.
1
SPEAKER_01
You know what I always say?
1
SPEAKER_01
It s not an addiction until it s affecting the people you love around you.
1
SPEAKER_01
If it s affecting their life, then it s an addiction.
1
SPEAKER_02
I don t know.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m not going to sit here and figure out the precise definition of what an addiction would be.
1
SPEAKER_02
You sound like you re doing cool stuff.
1
SPEAKER_02
This DJ thing seems like it s panning out.
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, I like it.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s fun.
1
SPEAKER_01
I make some weird noises and get to go cool places to show people my weird noises.
1
SPEAKER_01
So who all was in this orgy?
1
SPEAKER_01
Oh, okay.
1
SPEAKER_01
So it was this, uh, so my, I was like, uh, she s like, not my girlfriend, but like, we like hang out quite a bit.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was with her, my best friend and his fiance.
1
SPEAKER_01
And then, uh, I guess it was just a foursome, but that s like, that s enough.
1
SPEAKER_01
But, and then, yeah, but I don t remember any,
1
SPEAKER_01
of the leading up to we were like, apparently like in the back of a car in a Whataburger parking lot, like getting it on in the backseat, like going through the drive-thru.
1
SPEAKER_01
I don t remember any of it, dude.
1
SPEAKER_02
This took place in the drive-thru of a Whataburger?
1
SPEAKER_01
No, it started to take place.
1
SPEAKER_01
And then we got the food, went to my best friend s house.
1
SPEAKER_01
And then it, like, escalated from there.
1
SPEAKER_01
Like, no one even ate Whataburger.
1
SPEAKER_01
Like, I woke up to, like, completely full meals of Whataburger, like, out in front of me.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was the best thing ever, honestly.
1
SPEAKER_01
Like, if you think about it, like, hungover as fuck, you wake up and full Whataburger meal right there in front of your face.
1
SPEAKER_02
Do you have sex with your, um, friend s fiancee?
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s like, it s like, it s like, it s like a love thing, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s not like a weird thing.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s like,
1
SPEAKER_01
I don t know.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s not, you know, it s kind of weird to explain.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s more like a, like, they re polyamorous and me and my, like, lady friend are also pretty poly.
1
SPEAKER_01
So it was just like a good time, good night.
1
SPEAKER_02
You know, um, I think you re someone that we can all aspire to be like, Dusty.
1
SPEAKER_01
Hell yeah.
1
SPEAKER_01
Thanks, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
I aspire to be like you in some ways too, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
Like,
1
SPEAKER_01
You re a very inspirational person.
1
SPEAKER_02
I don t know if you re addicted to ketamine, but whenever you realize that you are, you re going to have some pretty interesting stories to tell in Narcotics Anonymous.
1
SPEAKER_02
Hell yeah.
1
SPEAKER_02
Um, stay, stay, stay okay, alright?
1
SPEAKER_02
Just, uh, don t... I mean, I don t, I don t know, man.
1
SPEAKER_02
I... Just don t, don t go too crazy.
1
SPEAKER_02
Don t, like, uh... Don t black out in, in, uh... Be, just be careful who you re with whenever you black out in, uh, the drive-thru of a, of a fast food restaurant.
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, yeah.
1
SPEAKER_01
Absolutely.
1
SPEAKER_02
Alright.
1
SPEAKER_01
Hey, man.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was dope, uh, it was dope as hell talking to you, dude.
1
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, it was cool talking to you, too, man.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m deciding I m not worried about you.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m deciding you re going to be fine.
1
SPEAKER_01
Oh, no, don t be.
1
SPEAKER_01
Not at all.
1
SPEAKER_01
I feel like I don t have a problem, and I got things going, you know?
1
SPEAKER_01
I keep things together in my life, for the most part.
1
SPEAKER_02
Dusty, is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?
1
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, absolutely.
1
SPEAKER_01
Love everybody, for real.
1
SPEAKER_01
Show love, spread love.
1
SPEAKER_02
Hey, what s your Snapchat?
1
SPEAKER_01
My Snapchat?
1
SPEAKER_02
No, don t, don t give it, don t give it, don t, don t give us your Snapchat.
1
SPEAKER_02
Alright, thank you Dusty, have a good night.
1
SPEAKER_01
Alright, bye.
1
SPEAKER_02
I agree with him, there is something kinda awesome about waking up to, um, old Whataburger that you can eat.
1
SPEAKER_02
Hey folks, this is Lyle.
1
SPEAKER_02
I am very excited to announce that I am going back on tour in 2024 to do Therapy Gecko Live all across the country.
1
SPEAKER_02
If you ve never been to one of my live shows before, they re basically like giant group gecko therapy sessions where people from the audience come on stage to talk to a gecko about whatever they want, just like we do right here on the podcast.
1
SPEAKER_02
Plus,
1
SPEAKER_02
I mix in a few stories and presentations and little tidbits from my own life.
1
SPEAKER_02
Tickets are available right now at therapygeckotour.com or you can find the link in the episode description.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m announcing many more cities in the second half of the year, but right now, tickets are on sale for Phoenix, Arizona, Louisville, Kentucky, St.
1
SPEAKER_02
Louis, Missouri, Orlando, Florida, Tampa, Florida, Miami, Florida,
1
SPEAKER_02
Boston, Massachusetts, Denver, Colorado, Syracuse, New York, Albany, New York, Hartford, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Nevada, Salt Lake City, Utah, Nashville, Tennessee, Huntsville, Alabama, Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, San Jose, California, San Francisco, California,
1
SPEAKER_02
Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.
1
SPEAKER_02
And you can get tickets for all of those cities at TherapyGeckoTour.com.
1
SPEAKER_02
If you didn t hear me say your city, you can still go to the link and hit the RSVP button to get notified for when I do come to your city in the second half of the year.
1
SPEAKER_02
This is my third tour so far, and I think it s gonna be sick.
1
SPEAKER_02
So I hope to see you there.
1
SPEAKER_02
Thanks.
1
SPEAKER_02
Hello?
1
SPEAKER_02
Oh, Jesus, where are you, man?
1
SPEAKER_00
I m at work right now.
1
SPEAKER_02
Oh, well, I want to talk to you, but there s so many things going on in the background.
1
SPEAKER_00
Hang on, is that better?
1
SPEAKER_02
No, no.
1
SPEAKER_00
Where do you work?
1
SPEAKER_00
I work at sort of like an amusing place, kind of like a Dave and Buster s, but it s called Whirly Balls.
1
SPEAKER_02
Can you take me off of the speakerphone?
1
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, you re not on speakerphone right now, man.
1
SPEAKER_02
So, Whirly Balls.
1
SPEAKER_02
What is Whirly Balls?
1
SPEAKER_00
Um, it s a place that s got, like, laser tag and their signature game, Whirly Ball, which is, like, basketball and lacrosse, but you re in a little bumper car and shit.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s pretty cool.
1
SPEAKER_02
That actually sounds... Do they just have that or do they have that plus, like, uh, different, like, arcade games and shit?
1
SPEAKER_00
Uh, well, I mean, it s kind of, like, their main thing is their game Whirly Ball, but they have bowling alleys.
1
SPEAKER_00
And they have laser tag.
1
SPEAKER_00
They have like a two story laser tag every night here.
1
SPEAKER_02
That sounds sick.
1
SPEAKER_02
How, how many whirly balls are there around the world?
1
SPEAKER_02
I ve never, I, we had a place called, uh, players, which is a similar, similar stick, but, um, I ve never heard of a whirly ball.
1
SPEAKER_00
Uh, I mean, there s, there s like five on five, you know, that s like the max we allow.
1
SPEAKER_00
And, um,
1
SPEAKER_00
You have like a little like plastic racket, you scoop up a wiffle ball and you pass it to your teammates and you score off the backboard and whatnot.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s pretty cool.
1
SPEAKER_00
I just got done with the party because I m a referee.
1
SPEAKER_02
Do people ever get mad at you for bullshit calls?
1
SPEAKER_00
Yes.
1
SPEAKER_00
Yes, they do.
1
SPEAKER_00
And I tell them, don t argue with the ref or I m kicking you out.
1
SPEAKER_02
That s awesome, that must feel so good.
1
SPEAKER_02
That must feel like you run a country or something.
1
SPEAKER_00
It is, it is.
1
SPEAKER_00
It s my favorite part of the job, is calling people out and then making fun of them when they miss wide open shots.
1
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
1
SPEAKER_02
So, Xavier, what town are you in, Xavier?
1
SPEAKER_02
Where is this whirly ball at?
1
SPEAKER_00
It is in Naperville, Illinois.
1
SPEAKER_02
Naperville, Illinois.
1
SPEAKER_02
What time is it there?
1
SPEAKER_00
It is, let me see.
1
SPEAKER_00
It is just about 830 here.
1
SPEAKER_02
Wow.
1
SPEAKER_02
Okay.
1
SPEAKER_02
So, so club going up on a Tuesday in Naperville, Illinois.
1
SPEAKER_00
Yes, sir.
1
SPEAKER_00
Yes, sir.
1
SPEAKER_00
And I m here talking to a wonderful gecko.
1
SPEAKER_00
I ve been a fan for years, man.
1
SPEAKER_02
Well, thank you.
2
SPEAKER_00
I just have to ask, is anyone pissed off that you re on the phone right now instead of doing shit?
2
SPEAKER_01
No, I mean, it s very slow right now.
2
SPEAKER_01
I just got done with the party and I have like two hours to close up shop, so.
2
SPEAKER_00
Okay, great.
2
SPEAKER_00
Great.
2
SPEAKER_00
Well, Xavier, I saw you texted something you wanted to talk about, but I ll just, I ll ask you, what did you want to talk about?
2
SPEAKER_01
Well, I had wanted to talk to you about being a black kid in a white town raised by white parents.
2
SPEAKER_01
He s been like one of the only ones out there.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes they did.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes they did.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_00
Is there any way we you re gonna like we re his thing we re gonna get we re gonna get into like a really serious part of this conversation and you re gonna be talking about a revelation you had in your youth and um You know how you want to repair your relationship with your father and then someone gets a strike Yeah, um, i m running to the breaker network right now.
2
SPEAKER_01
Um, okay All right, i m walking through the kitchen About to take the elevator
2
SPEAKER_00
So, um, you said that you were, you were, uh, raised by white parents in an all white town.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_00
Are you, are, are you adopted?
2
SPEAKER_01
Yes, I am.
2
SPEAKER_00
Um, well, I ll, I ll, I ll let you start, uh, uh, telling me about this, however you would like to start.
2
SPEAKER_01
Um, well, it all kind of started when I was like really little, actually.
2
SPEAKER_01
So I have two other siblings, one older and one younger.
2
SPEAKER_01
So we were all put in foster care pretty young.
2
SPEAKER_01
And my sister was too old.
2
SPEAKER_01
So like me and my younger brother were really ones that were like, you know, sought after.
2
SPEAKER_01
And we were actually kind of lucky because we were with the first families that took us in, you know, which doesn t really ever happen.
2
SPEAKER_01
because the adoption system is fucked and traumatizes kids beyond belief.
2
SPEAKER_01
So it s kind of a shitty experience as a whole.
2
SPEAKER_01
But me and my younger brother were lucky ones.
2
SPEAKER_01
My sister wasn t so lucky.
2
SPEAKER_01
She didn t end up getting adopted by a family.
2
SPEAKER_01
But she s all right.
2
SPEAKER_00
Wait a minute.
2
SPEAKER_00
So you got separated from your siblings?
2
SPEAKER_01
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_00
Really?
2
SPEAKER_00
They do that?
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, it s not as bad as it wasn t as bad as like it could have been, you know, because what do you mean?
2
SPEAKER_00
It could have it was as bad as it could have been.
2
SPEAKER_01
So actually, it ended up that the family that adopted me and the family that adopted my younger brother, they know they knew each other.
2
SPEAKER_01
Whoa.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
So like we were we and my younger brother would stay in touch.
2
SPEAKER_00
And you re like my older your family friends with your brother.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, which was really nice.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s fascinating.
2
SPEAKER_01
My other sister actually got taken in by my biological grandma, but she wasn t very fond of the families that took me or my younger brother in, so it was kind of hard to stay in contact with her during our younger years.
2
SPEAKER_00
By the way, I try not to read the comments, but people are talking a lot of shit about Naperville in the chat.
2
SPEAKER_01
Oh, yeah, it s horrible.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s horrible.
2
SPEAKER_01
Thankfully, I don t live out here.
2
SPEAKER_01
What makes it so horrible?
2
SPEAKER_01
It s so, fun story actually.
2
SPEAKER_01
So I used to date a girl out in Naperville, right?
2
SPEAKER_01
And I used to live about half an hour south of Naperville.
2
SPEAKER_01
I would, every time I d leave her neighborhood, I d get followed by a car to the highway.
2
SPEAKER_01
It was the same car every time.
2
SPEAKER_01
And like, it s, there s a bunch of, like, there s a bunch of rich preppy racist white people out here, you know?
2
SPEAKER_01
So like, it s, it s not, it s not a great place.
2
SPEAKER_01
And a lot of them, like a lot of like their kids, like their teenagers, their children, especially their sons like to put on a performative act of like being gangster almost or acting hood in a way.
2
SPEAKER_01
And it s, it s, it s almost idiotic.
2
SPEAKER_01
It is idiotic.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s idiotic.
2
SPEAKER_01
And really stupid.
2
SPEAKER_00
And so, uh, how long, how long have you, did you, when, what age were you at when you were adopted?
2
SPEAKER_01
I was adopted at five.
2
SPEAKER_00
Okay.
2
SPEAKER_00
And how old are you now?
2
SPEAKER_01
I am 22.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m about to be 23 in March.
2
SPEAKER_00
Okay.
2
SPEAKER_00
So you, you basically lived your whole life, uh, with this family and in this neighborhood.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_00
And what was it like growing up?
2
SPEAKER_01
Um, it was weird.
2
SPEAKER_01
It was weird because there was like one other black kid down the street, but he moved away when I was really young.
2
SPEAKER_01
Uh, shout out to that man, Justin Smith.
2
SPEAKER_01
I miss you every day, bro.
2
SPEAKER_01
But, um, yeah, after once he moved, I was, I was like flying solo.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s like the only black kid in my grade or in my school for the longest time.
2
SPEAKER_01
And, um, it was, it was weird and I didn t really understand it until a little bit later.
2
SPEAKER_01
Like you ever heard of the, you know, the rapper Earl Sweatshirt.
2
SPEAKER_00
Uh, yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
He said in the song that he was, uh, he said in the song, it was, uh, too black for the white kids and too white for the blacks, you know?
2
SPEAKER_01
And at that point it, it kind of clicked.
2
SPEAKER_01
Cause I heard that when I was like, when it was like early off future days.
2
SPEAKER_01
So I was, I ve been like a fan since like day one.
2
SPEAKER_01
So like when I heard that it clicked, you know, and like, it kind of made sense, but it still left me feeling alienated, you know?
2
SPEAKER_01
But like, it also let me know, it was like that whole lot of future collective kind of let me know that it s okay to not follow the
2
SPEAKER_01
you know, the normal African American stereotype, you know, because I m far from it.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m far from it.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, like, I don t I m not big on sports.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, I m not a violent person.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, I m not.
2
SPEAKER_01
You know, I m very far from, like, the stereotypical archetype of a black man.
2
SPEAKER_00
Mm hmm.
2
SPEAKER_00
You know, like, do you do now as an adult?
2
SPEAKER_00
Do you do you now have black friends?
2
SPEAKER_01
Um, that s the thing.
2
SPEAKER_01
It s really, it s, I ve been having like, that s, that s one thing I ve been striving to have.
2
SPEAKER_01
I ve been struggling to find it.
2
SPEAKER_00
Can you go, can you like meet, is there like, you know how there s black people meet.com, right?
2
SPEAKER_00
Can you go on there for friends?
2
SPEAKER_01
I don t know.
2
SPEAKER_01
I don t think so.
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
Like I have a girlfriend, you know, and she s mixed, but like, well, she has,
2
SPEAKER_01
She doesn t really identify as a white person because she doesn t like all the negative connotations that come with white people, and she doesn t act like a stereotypical white person.
2
SPEAKER_01
So it s like, we jokingly classify her as a person who happens to be white.
2
SPEAKER_00
Mm-hmm.
2
SPEAKER_00
Does she say the word?
2
SPEAKER_00
No.
2
SPEAKER_00
No.
2
SPEAKER_01
No, she does not.
2
SPEAKER_01
No.
2
SPEAKER_01
No.
2
SPEAKER_01
OK.
2
SPEAKER_01
No, but she is very understanding of black culture, which is wonderful.
2
SPEAKER_00
Mm-hmm.
2
SPEAKER_01
Very, very supportive.
2
SPEAKER_00
And so, like, when you were growing up as a kid, like middle school, high school, are you still friends with those folks?
2
SPEAKER_01
Oh, yeah.
2
SPEAKER_01
I didn t have very many friends.
2
SPEAKER_01
I had, like, one.
2
SPEAKER_01
So my best friend, Colton,
2
SPEAKER_01
So as you know, I m 22 by 23.
2
SPEAKER_01
This man has been my friend for 20 years.
2
SPEAKER_01
And our dads were friends and our friends were friends in middle school.
2
SPEAKER_01
And because of that, we met each other and we ve been friends since we were two.
2
SPEAKER_01
And that is something I can proudly say, because I know that not very many people within my age range can say they ve had a friend for 20 years.
2
SPEAKER_00
Hmm.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_00
So you have a brother and a sister, and your brother was adopted by a family that is friends with the family that you were adopted by.
2
SPEAKER_00
Yes.
2
SPEAKER_00
Are you still cool with that brother?
2
SPEAKER_00
Are you still hanging with him?
2
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, it s harder now because I m working full-time and he s in college.
2
SPEAKER_01
And so it s hard to find time, but like, we, it s all love, you know, we still look after each other.
2
SPEAKER_01
We still like hang out whenever we can, you know.
2
SPEAKER_01
And, uh, our older sister is more in our lives now, you know.
2
SPEAKER_01
Interesting.
2
SPEAKER_00
Where did, where did she go?
2
SPEAKER_00
Is it hard to find her?
2
SPEAKER_01
No, she s ex.
2
SPEAKER_01
So, um, I was in my hometown and we were actually like, we were,
2
SPEAKER_01
each in a town over from each other.
2
SPEAKER_01
I was in the middle town.
2
SPEAKER_01
My brother was in the eastern town right next to me and my sister was in the western town right next to me.
2
SPEAKER_01
She still is there.
2
SPEAKER_01
I ve moved far.
2
SPEAKER_01
I m almost an hour away from my hometown right now.
2
SPEAKER_01
because I live with my girlfriend.
2
SPEAKER_00
So you work at an entertainment center in Naperville, but you live an hour out.
3
SPEAKER_02
I live half an hour out.
3
SPEAKER_01
Why do you still work?
3
SPEAKER_01
Why do you still work there?
3
SPEAKER_02
Job market is horrible.
3
SPEAKER_02
Job market is horrible.
3
SPEAKER_02
Job market is horrible.
3
SPEAKER_02
I used to do warehouse work but just ever since I moved it s been terrible to find like warehouse work that s willing like they re hiring but they won t hire anybody.
3
Hmm.
3
SPEAKER_01
And are you, um, uh, are you, are you a lifelong Floridian?
3
SPEAKER_01
Would you ever move anywhere else?
3
SPEAKER_02
Um, I do want to move to Virginia.
3
SPEAKER_01
What s going on in Virginia?
3
SPEAKER_02
Um, I went out, so in August I went out to one of my really good friends weddings with a couple of my buddies.
3
SPEAKER_02
We took a road trip there.
3
SPEAKER_02
It was like 2000 miles round trip from like from,
3
SPEAKER_02
because they went to Western Michigan at the time.
3
SPEAKER_02
I drove from Chicago to Western Michigan University, all the way to Virginia Beach.
3
SPEAKER_02
So it was like a thousand miles just in one direction.
3
SPEAKER_02
But it was, Virginia Beach is a beautiful area.
3
SPEAKER_02
It was beautiful from what I saw.
3
SPEAKER_02
It was warm.
3
SPEAKER_02
There was a very diverse crowd.
3
SPEAKER_02
You had very small town vibes in certain areas, but it was also like a whole big, it s a big area.
3
SPEAKER_02
You know, you have the ocean right there.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s just, from what I witnessed, it s a beautiful place.
3
SPEAKER_01
What would you do there?
3
SPEAKER_02
Honestly, I d find work.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, right now I m taking classes for user experience design.
3
SPEAKER_02
Which is, I m not sure if you re aware of what that is.
3
SPEAKER_02
UX design?
3
SPEAKER_01
It s like, you make apps hard to use.
3
SPEAKER_02
No, you actually make them easier to use.
3
SPEAKER_02
If something s ever really hard to use, and it s confusing, that usually means they only had one designer within their team.
3
SPEAKER_02
Or they didn t have any designers and they just kind of threw it together.
3
SPEAKER_01
Um, I want to know this and if you want to talk about it, did you ever get to, uh, like back into contact?
3
SPEAKER_01
Cause it s interesting because so you re in contact with your, your biological grandma.
3
SPEAKER_01
Were you ever in contact with your mom or dad or any of your other biological family?
3
SPEAKER_02
Uh, no, no, I have not seen my biological mother since I was four and I ve never seen my biological father.
3
SPEAKER_01
So then it does your, are you still cool with, uh, the grandma?
3
SPEAKER_02
She lives in Texas and I never really got any way to contact her.
3
SPEAKER_02
You know, so when she, when she s around, it s all love, you know, but like, I don t really ever communicate with her.
3
SPEAKER_01
What about any of your other siblings?
3
SPEAKER_01
Do they, do they communicate with them?
3
SPEAKER_02
Um, my sister, my older sister is that s cause that s like basically her mom.
3
SPEAKER_02
My grandma, my biological grandma raised my older sister.
3
SPEAKER_02
So like my older sister loves my grandma.
3
SPEAKER_00
Hmm.
3
SPEAKER_01
And, um, what else was I going to say?
3
SPEAKER_01
Are you still, so like your, your adopted parents, what s their deal?
3
SPEAKER_01
Who are they?
3
SPEAKER_02
Um, they were, I was actually the first child they adopted.
3
SPEAKER_02
They, they re wonderful people.
3
SPEAKER_02
They re wonderful people.
3
SPEAKER_02
They ve given me a life more than I could even ask for, you know, they ve, they ve set me up in the, within their best abilities, you know?
3
SPEAKER_02
They ve bent over backwards time and time again to give me the best life that I could possibly have.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I m forever grateful for that.
3
SPEAKER_01
That s awesome.
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, there s ups and downs, you know, like, there s no right way to parent a kid.
3
SPEAKER_02
There s no like, you know, I wasn t a perfect kid.
3
SPEAKER_02
So like, obviously, there s ups and downs, you know, and there s some things we still don t see eye to eye on, you know, even though I m grown, you know, and there s still like some bad, there s still some issues.
3
SPEAKER_02
But like, at the end of the day, I mean, I love them dearly, you know, they ve done more for me than I could ever ask.
3
SPEAKER_01
You know, do you, um, do you, are you still close with them now that you, uh, live an hour out?
3
SPEAKER_02
Uh, yeah, honestly, like at first it was like the relationship with my, my foster mom was a bit rocky towards the end of like me moving out.
3
SPEAKER_02
But ever since I moved out, it s gotten better.
3
SPEAKER_02
I think it was at that point where I was like, we just kind of needed space from each other.
3
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, totally.
3
SPEAKER_02
You know?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
3
SPEAKER_02
And on top of that, like a bunch of my other foster siblings have moved out, you know,
3
SPEAKER_02
So, I mean, it s really just a lot of the birds are leaving the nest, so to speak, right now.
3
SPEAKER_01
So what s your ultimate goal here, then, UX designing?
3
SPEAKER_01
If you could wave a magic wand, what would your life be?
3
SPEAKER_02
If I could wave a magic wand and have my life be perfect?
3
SPEAKER_02
If it was actually perfect and everything like was like my way, I d probably, I d end up owning three different like clothing brands.
3
SPEAKER_02
I have like my three favorite cars, live in a good house with my girlfriend and we d be married and she d be having the best barbering career of her life.
3
SPEAKER_01
Barbering career?
3
SPEAKER_01
Like she cuts hair?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yes.
3
SPEAKER_02
My girlfriend s a barber, cosmetologist and braider.
3
SPEAKER_02
Oh, very cool.
3
SPEAKER_02
My girlfriend s fucking awesome.
3
SPEAKER_02
I love my girlfriend so much.
3
SPEAKER_01
That s very sweet, man.
3
SPEAKER_01
How d you guys meet?
3
SPEAKER_02
So, funny story actually, we met through two people.
3
SPEAKER_02
So like, I used to be kind of like a bar junkie.
3
SPEAKER_02
So I used to go to bars all the time, like when I was like 21.
3
SPEAKER_02
I just got it out of my system early.
3
SPEAKER_02
I don t really drink anymore.
3
SPEAKER_01
You re 22, right?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yes.
3
SPEAKER_01
So you re talking about this like it was 10 years ago.
3
SPEAKER_02
No, I know it s weird.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s weird when I say it, but like, it s true.
3
SPEAKER_02
Like I just, I got bored of it really fucking quick.
3
SPEAKER_02
I don t do it anymore.
3
SPEAKER_02
But, um, so I had this drinking partner, right.
3
SPEAKER_02
At the time who was a 48 year old lesbian mom.
3
SPEAKER_02
She ended up, she s like, not like a godmother figure to me, but she was dating somebody who knew my girlfriend through like a similar circle.
3
SPEAKER_02
Right.
3
SPEAKER_02
And we both met, we both ended up running into each other because we both, we were both invited out.
3
SPEAKER_02
um, to his karaoke bar, right?
3
SPEAKER_02
And I m outside and I see her and I go, Hey, I like your outfit.
3
SPEAKER_02
And she says, Hey, I like yours too.
3
SPEAKER_02
Cause that s just how I am.
3
SPEAKER_02
Like, if I see somebody with a nice outfit, I m gonna tell him that like, you know, it s not that deep.
3
SPEAKER_02
I m just going to say it, you know?
3
SPEAKER_02
But, um, I ve thought nothing of it.
3
SPEAKER_02
I was like, I m probably never going to see this person again.
3
SPEAKER_02
And then I go back inside to sit down and we see each other.
3
SPEAKER_02
And it was like the Spider-Man meme.
3
SPEAKER_02
When we re pointing at each other, we both looked at each other.
3
SPEAKER_02
And immediately, we just started hitting it off.
3
SPEAKER_02
And in my mind, the whole time I m talking to her, I m like, this person is the coolest fucking person ever.
3
SPEAKER_02
This person s amazing, right?
3
SPEAKER_02
And I end up getting her Snapchat, and I find out she s a barber.
3
SPEAKER_02
I m like, well, next time I get a haircut, I m coming to you.
3
SPEAKER_02
And if you do a great job, you re the only person I m seeing for my hair.
3
SPEAKER_02
She goes, all right, cool.
3
SPEAKER_02
But I never got the information on how to book an appointment, and I never asked where she worked.
3
SPEAKER_02
So, like, six months later, after I finally built up enough courage to, like, reach out to her, because I m, like, this person s too fucking cool, I asked, like, hey, how do I book an appointment?
3
SPEAKER_02
She sends me the link.
3
SPEAKER_02
I m, like, oh, damn, okay.
3
SPEAKER_02
So, I book an appointment anyway.
3
SPEAKER_02
Two months later, I come in, and she s, like, ecstatic to see me after, like, so long.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I m, like, holy shit, yes.
3
SPEAKER_02
So, I sit down.
3
SPEAKER_02
We start, she starts cutting my hair, and it was, like, we never missed a beat.
3
SPEAKER_02
It was, and then,
3
SPEAKER_02
We started actually communicating and Snapchatting, you know, like actually like, you know, talking to her like friends.
3
SPEAKER_02
And then after that, we kind of realized, well, holy shit, we have a lot of stuff in common, right?
3
SPEAKER_02
And we re like, did we just become best friends?
3
SPEAKER_02
She s like, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_02
And then we started hanging out more.
3
SPEAKER_02
And the next thing you know, we kind of catch feelings for each other and now we re dating.
3
SPEAKER_01
And now that s very sweet.
3
SPEAKER_01
How long has he been dating for?
3
SPEAKER_02
We re approaching seven months now.
3
SPEAKER_01
Very sweet.
3
SPEAKER_01
Very sweet.
3
SPEAKER_02
Seven months together.
3
SPEAKER_02
almost a year of like, you know, just like talking on a romantic way.
3
SPEAKER_01
Well, you know, I guess before we go, I ll ask you, I mean, the original subject that you wanted to talk about was like specifically the experience of, uh, of being the only black guy, uh, in town.
3
SPEAKER_01
Um, and I, I don t know, do you, do you, was there anything else that like about that subject specifically that you wanted to, to, to share or do you feel like we covered it?
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, there s there s a hell of a lot more, but I ll leave it with this.
3
SPEAKER_02
My message to the people of the computer, if you ever feel like an outcast, just know there s other people who feel the same way.
3
SPEAKER_02
You are not alone in your feelings.
3
SPEAKER_02
Embrace your true self.
3
SPEAKER_01
What s the absolute worst part of Naperville?
3
SPEAKER_01
Like give us the reason not like the biggest reason not to go.
4
SPEAKER_01
to Naperville, Florida.
4
SPEAKER_01
Oh, this is Naperville, Illinois.
4
SPEAKER_01
This is Naperville, Illinois.
4
SPEAKER_02
Oh, why the fuck did I think it was Florida?
4
SPEAKER_02
I thought this was Florida the whole fucking time.
4
SPEAKER_01
No, this is Illinois.
4
SPEAKER_02
It just sounds like a place in Florida.
4
SPEAKER_02
Okay, tell us why not to go to Naperville, Illinois.
4
SPEAKER_01
It s fucking horrible.
4
SPEAKER_01
It s a bunch of snobby-nosed white people.
4
SPEAKER_01
There s no diversity of culture.
4
SPEAKER_01
It s like, if you saw a cornfield and was like, a Starbucks, it ll look really fucking nice here.
4
SPEAKER_01
That s basically the embodiment of Naperville.
4
SPEAKER_01
It s like Naperville wants to be Chicago so bad, you know?
4
SPEAKER_02
At the very least, they have a bumper car basketball facility?
4
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, it s a pretty decent way to describe it.
4
SPEAKER_02
Well, I guess you already said it, but is there any final thing you want to say to the people at the computer before we go?
4
SPEAKER_01
Um, stay true to yourself.
4
SPEAKER_01
Don t change for other people.
4
SPEAKER_01
Let your- let your life decide who you re supposed to be.
4
SPEAKER_01
Follow your gut and stay true.
4
SPEAKER_02
Thanks for the, uh, the- the- the kind words, Xavier.
4
SPEAKER_02
Now, go yell at some kids to stop running.
4
SPEAKER_02
I will.
4
SPEAKER_02
Gek bless.
4
SPEAKER_02
Gek bless.
4
SPEAKER_02
Take care.
4
SPEAKER_02
Take care, man.
4
SPEAKER_02
Thank you.
4
SPEAKER_02
Dude, does anyone remember, I m trying to remember, there was a place called Jeepers.
4
SPEAKER_02
There was a place called Jeepers, they had this like banana ride, and it was kind of half rides, half arcade.
4
SPEAKER_02
There was a place called Jeepers, I think there was a few Jeepers.
4
SPEAKER_02
Shout out to Jeepers.
4
SPEAKER_02
Just wanted to end this call by saying shout out to Jeepers.
4
SPEAKER_02
Shout out to Players in Maryland.
4
SPEAKER_02
Shout out to Chuck E. Cheese.
4
SPEAKER_02
Can you still get into Chuck E. Cheese?
4
SPEAKER_02
Can you get into Chuck E. Cheese without an adult?
4
SPEAKER_02
They have the best pizza, dude.
4
SPEAKER_02
They have the best pizza.
4
SPEAKER_02
There was this thing where they ran a ghost kitchen where you could order Chuck E. Cheese pizza like just from Uber Eats or whatever the fuck and I never did it but I wish I did because they have the best pizza.
4
SPEAKER_02
I went to Italy a while ago and I had pizza and it wasn t as good as the Chuck E. Cheese pizza.
4
SPEAKER_02
So yeah.
4
SPEAKER_02
Hello?
4
SPEAKER_00
Hello?
4
SPEAKER_02
Hi, what is your name?
4
SPEAKER_00
Oh my god, my name is Scarlett.
4
SPEAKER_02
Scarlett, what s going on?
4
SPEAKER_02
How s life?
4
SPEAKER_00
It s great.
4
SPEAKER_00
How are you?
4
SPEAKER_02
Um, I m a gecko on the computer.
4
SPEAKER_02
And, uh, I m actually having a pretty... I m having a pretty nice night.
4
SPEAKER_02
I m having a pretty good recording session.
4
SPEAKER_02
I m, uh, enjoying talking to people.
4
SPEAKER_02
I m enjoying being alive.
4
SPEAKER_02
I m feeling like a real person.
4
SPEAKER_02
Slowly but surely.
4
SPEAKER_00
I m feeling like a real person too.
4
SPEAKER_00
I was watching the stream and I kind of gave up on calling.
4
SPEAKER_00
So I was watching videos on cats and trapped, neutered, returned.
4
SPEAKER_00
Do you know about that?
4
SPEAKER_02
Trapped, neutered, returned?
4
SPEAKER_02
What is that?
4
SPEAKER_00
It s a program.
4
SPEAKER_00
You know how there s like so many feral cats on the street?
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SPEAKER_00
It s a program where you go and
4
SPEAKER_00
You trap cats and you take them so that way they don t have babies anymore and then you put them back in the community.
4
SPEAKER_00
It s the only way to decrease the cat population.
4
SPEAKER_02
Is that a good thing to cut off cat cocks?
4
SPEAKER_00
Yes, it is actually.
4
SPEAKER_00
So that way they don t have babies and then there s not like thousands of kittens on the street without a home.
4
SPEAKER_02
Because I feel like if aliens came down to Earth and they were like, hey, we re going to help solve the human population by cutting guys  cocks off, I think a few of us would probably be like, I don t know about that.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
4
SPEAKER_00
I mean, it s a thing.
4
SPEAKER_00
But I have a colony of cats that live outside my house.
4
SPEAKER_00
Did you assemble this colony?
4
SPEAKER_02
Did you assemble this colony or did this colony just come?
4
SPEAKER_00
Well, I mean, we kind of did, because we fed them.
4
SPEAKER_00
So they were like, oh, you have food?
4
SPEAKER_00
Let me come over.
4
SPEAKER_00
So now we have like six cats living in our backyard.
4
SPEAKER_02
That s pretty cool.
4
SPEAKER_00
But I love cats, so all is good.
4
SPEAKER_02
Well, here s why.
4
SPEAKER_02
OK, you re a contradiction, Scarlet, because if you love cats so much, why don t you want more of them running around?
4
SPEAKER_02
Why are you trying to curb the population?
4
SPEAKER_00
OK, you see, I m an opera singer.
4
SPEAKER_00
Um, and my boyfriend s an opera singer and we move around a lot.
4
SPEAKER_00
So we can only really have like one or two cats.
4
SPEAKER_00
If I had like a stationary job and I could like live in one place forever, I d have like a colony of cats.
4
SPEAKER_00
I d have like 30 cats.
4
SPEAKER_02
Hmm.
4
SPEAKER_02
What, uh, are, so you guys are always on tour doing the opera?
4
SPEAKER_00
Um, no, we re not on tour.
4
SPEAKER_00
We re,
4
SPEAKER_00
pretty young and being opera singers is tough.
4
SPEAKER_00
I mean, do you know anybody that s an opera singer?
4
SPEAKER_02
How old are you guys?
4
SPEAKER_00
I m 26 and he s 24.
4
25.
4
SPEAKER_02
Nice.
4
SPEAKER_02
Did you guys meet at the opera?
4
SPEAKER_00
We met in school and university.
4
SPEAKER_02
Okay.
4
SPEAKER_02
Very cool.
4
SPEAKER_02
Very cool.
4
SPEAKER_02
It s that you sound like you guys have a good life.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, we re good.
4
SPEAKER_00
We live in South Florida now.
4
SPEAKER_00
I m from South Florida.
4
SPEAKER_00
So it s nice to be close to home.
4
SPEAKER_00
But I d love to move to Europe, if I m being completely honest.
4
SPEAKER_00
That s like the dream.
4
SPEAKER_02
So what s the worst thing about being an opera singer?
4
SPEAKER_00
The worst thing about being an opera singer?
4
SPEAKER_00
Well, okay.
4
SPEAKER_00
I m an opera singer, but I m also like a marketer.
4
SPEAKER_00
I m a social media girly and I work in social media.
4
SPEAKER_00
So I kind of do both things.
4
SPEAKER_00
And I would say the worst thing about being an opera singer is like a lot of people don t understand what you do.
4
SPEAKER_00
So it s like hard to find like a community that loves opera, if that makes sense.
4
SPEAKER_00
Or like people appreciating like what you do and like
4
SPEAKER_00
the work that goes behind it, and I guess you could say that for any artist, like a visual artist or a dancer, like, the amount of time and effort that goes into, like, the art that you re doing is, like, astounding.
4
SPEAKER_00
And unless you re an artist, you, like, can t really comprehend.
4
SPEAKER_00
Does that make sense?
4
SPEAKER_02
You, uh, just a general feeling of being unappreciated.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
4
SPEAKER_02
That s how I feel like the folks who do those special effects on those Marvel movies must feel, right?
4
SPEAKER_02
Because they spend... Oh my god.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, they spend like their whole life.
4
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, they spend like eight hours a day for about seven years just on Adobe whatever, clicking and dragging keyframes around.
4
SPEAKER_02
And then Robert Downey Jr.
4
SPEAKER_02
shows up for like two days, and then it s Robert Downey Jr.
4
SPEAKER_02
 s fucking Iron Man.
4
SPEAKER_02
You know, it should be Mark Finnegan s Iron Man.
4
SPEAKER_00
You re absolutely right, and then you go to the theater one day of your life,
4
SPEAKER_00
For like an hour and a half, two hours, you watch the movie and then that s it.
4
SPEAKER_02
No, not even Scarlet, not even Scarlet.
4
SPEAKER_02
You have the movie in the background while you are on your phone doing something in a different room.
4
SPEAKER_00
Before that, yeah, you re like, or yeah, you re talking to Therapy Gecko.
4
SPEAKER_02
Mm-hmm.
4
SPEAKER_02
So I guess I guess at the very not to make this say it could be worse But you know, it could be worse.
4
SPEAKER_02
You could be you could do special effects for Marvel movies that people Watch well that people don t watch while they re in the bathroom in another room At least the cool thing about opera is that I guess people people are our captive audience for you, you know Yeah, yeah.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, I guess I guess so
4
SPEAKER_02
What s the best thing about being an opera singer?
4
SPEAKER_02
What do you enjoy about it?
4
SPEAKER_00
I really love
4
SPEAKER_00
learning languages.
4
SPEAKER_00
Do you like watching things in different languages?
4
SPEAKER_02
I m trying.
4
SPEAKER_02
I d like to learn.
4
SPEAKER_02
I knew a little bit of Italian, but I want to I want to Spanish seems fun.
4
SPEAKER_02
I ve been there s a few stores I ve been to around my around around the city and like they only speak Spanish.
4
SPEAKER_00
Oh, that s awesome.
4
SPEAKER_00
I love that.
4
SPEAKER_00
I really love that.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah.
4
SPEAKER_00
Learning languages is fun.
4
SPEAKER_00
And I feel like so many more things and like the world could be better if we could watch things in different languages.
4
SPEAKER_00
Like I feel like we could come to appreciate
5
SPEAKER_02
like cultures and people if we like watched more things in different languages and same thing with opera like it s it s a play there s costumes you you read subtitles the whole time but it s like there s so many things to look at it s so engrossing and it s so like opera can be so scary but I want to tell people that it s not scary just like I
5
SPEAKER_02
Literally wear a gecko suit and go to the opera.
5
SPEAKER_02
Nobody s like, nobody can tell you what to do.
5
SPEAKER_01
Somebody in the chat just said, my roommate dated an opera singer in college and it sucked because the asshole would start warming up at 9 30 a.m.
5
SPEAKER_01
9 30 a.m.
5
SPEAKER_01
is not that bad.
5
SPEAKER_01
That s like, that s the work day.
5
SPEAKER_02
True, but opera singers can be pretty loud.
5
SPEAKER_02
So it would wake everybody up.
5
SPEAKER_02
So I get where that person s coming from.
5
SPEAKER_02
Um, and that s just, that s just a rude person.
5
SPEAKER_02
That s not like an opera singer trait.
5
SPEAKER_02
That s just, that s just being rude.
5
SPEAKER_01
Well, have you ever done something like that?
5
SPEAKER_02
Um, no, because I m, I m pretty considerate.
5
SPEAKER_02
Also.
5
SPEAKER_02
I don t like, like singing in front of people when I don t have to, if that makes sense.
5
SPEAKER_01
Uh, okay.
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
5
SPEAKER_01
Some people in the chat were also saying they wanted you to belt out right now, but I, that probably would wake up, uh, neighbors.
5
SPEAKER_02
Well, I live in a house, so no, not really, but I freaking knew that would happen.
5
SPEAKER_02
Okay.
5
SPEAKER_02
One of my side projects I m gonna, I m gonna self promote here is an opera page.
5
SPEAKER_02
Um, and literally my second to last video is a meme talking about how people are like,
5
SPEAKER_02
Oh, you re an opera singer, can you sing something?
5
SPEAKER_02
And it just happened on Therapy Gecko, so thank you for affirming it.
5
SPEAKER_02
Thank you.
5
SPEAKER_02
That warms my heart.
5
SPEAKER_01
I guess this means you re not gonna do it.
5
SPEAKER_02
No, I m not.
5
SPEAKER_02
I m not.
5
SPEAKER_02
Thank you for your curiosity, but unless I m getting paid, no thank you.
5
SPEAKER_01
Well, you invited me to come to the opera in this text.
5
SPEAKER_01
Where s this opera?
5
SPEAKER_02
It s anywhere you want it to be.
5
SPEAKER_02
What does that mean?
5
SPEAKER_02
I will go to the opera with you wherever you go, I will be there.
5
SPEAKER_02
We can go to New York.
5
SPEAKER_02
We can go to South Florida.
5
SPEAKER_02
Anywhere opera s happening, I ll be there.
5
SPEAKER_01
Oh, I thought this was like your, I assumed it was like your opera.
5
SPEAKER_01
I didn t know if you just meant like the opera.
5
SPEAKER_02
No, I just mean like the opera in general.
5
SPEAKER_01
Oh, okay.
5
SPEAKER_02
I think it would be really fun for you to go to the opera because people are like, oh, opera is so like, I don t know, like when you think of the opera, you probably think of like, oh, people dressed in like really nice suits and like it s really nice and everybody s very, you know, got their noses in the air.
5
SPEAKER_01
It s very posh, yeah.
5
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, very posh, but it doesn t need to be like that.
5
SPEAKER_02
I feel like you showing up, people would be like, what s going on at the opera?
5
SPEAKER_01
No, but I see this thing.
5
SPEAKER_01
I would show up in a suit and I would just be like... No, I would be a dick to everyone.
5
SPEAKER_01
I would like... I wouldn t tip the bartender and I would send the drink back and I would fart really loudly and it would smell bad and... So you d be a bad audience member?
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, I would be bad.
5
SPEAKER_01
I would yell out lame if I didn t like one of the singers.
5
SPEAKER_01
I wouldn t be good.
5
SPEAKER_02
Honestly, please.
5
SPEAKER_02
Just yell boo.
5
SPEAKER_01
I would boo, I would boo a lot.
5
SPEAKER_02
Really loudly.
5
SPEAKER_01
I would, if somebody was good, I would boo just because I m jealous.
5
SPEAKER_01
Well, Scarlet, I appreciate you giving us this little tidbit into another portal of opera.
5
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
5
SPEAKER_01
Into the opera universe.
5
SPEAKER_01
Is there anything else that you want to say or share or express to the people at the computer before we go?
5
SPEAKER_02
Um, yeah, go follow my opera account.
5
SPEAKER_02
If you want to hear a little bit of opera music, it s, um, on Instagram at simply bell canto, simply B E L canto.
5
SPEAKER_02
C A N T O. Oh, also therapy gecko.
5
SPEAKER_02
You went to Guatemala.
5
SPEAKER_02
I m Guatemalan.
5
SPEAKER_02
I freaking love Guatemala.
5
SPEAKER_01
Very cool.
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
5
SPEAKER_01
I m, I m very fond of Guatemala.
5
SPEAKER_01
Well, some girls just died there at the same place that, uh, that I went to and I was like, damn, that sucks.
5
SPEAKER_02
Are you talking about Lake Atitlan?
5
SPEAKER_01
Yes, Lake Atitlan.
5
SPEAKER_02
Yes.
5
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, I thought that was really messed up.
5
SPEAKER_02
But it s a beautiful place.
5
SPEAKER_02
It s messed up, but Guatemala is a beautiful place, side note.
5
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, I mean, I lived in Los Angeles for a hot second and a lot of people died there, too.
5
SPEAKER_01
So people, people pretty much anywhere that there are people, those people die.
5
SPEAKER_01
So it all evens out.
5
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, that s life.
5
SPEAKER_01
Um, have a good rest of the night, Scarlet.
5
SPEAKER_02
Thank you so much for talking to me, this made my night.
5
SPEAKER_02
I hope I trap some cats tonight, in your honor.
5
SPEAKER_01
Beautiful.
5
SPEAKER_01
Bye, Scarlet.
5
SPEAKER_02
Alrighty, goodbye.
5
SPEAKER_01
I ll do- I ll sing opera right now, I don t give a fuck.
5
SPEAKER_01
I ll stop.