The Iron Table
The Iron Table
Make Holiday Memories, Not Minimum Payments
The holidays can bring out the best in us—and the worst in our budgets. Around the Iron Table, we get real about why so many men overspend this time of year, how social media and buy-now-pay-later schemes crank up the pressure, and what to do when you’re tempted to prove love with a receipt. We shift the focus toward intentional giving, clear boundaries, and the kind of everyday consistency that keeps December from becoming a high-stakes exam.
We share honest stories: dental chairs and car repair surprises, the quiet win of a truly helpful gift, and the deep satisfaction of planning experiences that become family lore. Think candle-making dates, racetrack laps, and a professional stretch session for the back that’s been hurting for months. If money is tight, we talk about turning intention up—free rituals, thoughtful notes, favorite meals, or asking a trusted friend for intel instead of guessing. Listening is a gift; follow-through is love.
Nostalgia weaves through the conversation—Temptations’ Rudolph, the Vince Guaraldi Trio, the plastic-scent memory of a first Nintendo, the soul-shaking tug of Polar Express. We explore how kids today face an abundance of information but a shortage of surprise, and how we can bring back a little magic with traditions that last longer than the wrapping. We also set healthy lines at home: agreeing on spending caps, naming non-negotiables (even about pets), and resisting the urge to start fights as an escape hatch from expectations.
Pull up a chair for laughs, practical tools, and a reset on what makes this season meaningful. If this conversation helps you breathe a little easier and give a little wiser. Tap subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your most meaningful low-cost gift idea.
Welcome to the Iron Table, where iron sharpens iron, so should men sharpen men. I'm your host, Bryant, and I'm joined by my boys Keith, Danny, and Steve. We are bringing you truth with a side of humor, loaded with accountability and thought. We now bring you to our program, Already in progress. Well, it's the iron table. Iron sharpens iron, so should men sharpen men. Um, this is our this is our holiday episode because this might be the last episode for 2025. I was about to say 2026, but 2025, um, as we usher into 2026. As always, um, I'm Bryant, Brian Gadine, uh brought to the table. Um, just three of my brothers, the fourth one, we don't know where he is right now. But we pray that he gets back where from every wherever he is from safely. Uh, so we got uh Bishop Jones and the right Reverend Steve. I'm here to just to just throw out some questions and see what the fellas uh what they've been up to and see how we can respond in order to to help some brother out there and maybe even some sister understand, you know, from a male's point of view, just uh everyday life. Um, so before we get into that, we always like to kind of check in and see what has transpired since the last time we um met. So I'll I'll give it up to Keith and Steve and see who wants to go first. And of course, I'll always end and uh we'll just go right into those questions. So um, Reverend Bishop, you know what's been going on? I've been blessed, man.
SPEAKER_05:God is good, but no complaints.
SPEAKER_07:The snows the snow is what's been going on, just trying to fight that good fight against uh Mother Nature. Mother Nature laughs at you, you know, just when you think you're putting a dent into the snow, Mother Nature just they laugh at you, just show you consistency.
SPEAKER_08:So, what you use in the um to get your snow up. Like I have a snowblower.
SPEAKER_07:Um I got a cup, cup cadet, uh you got a uh 28-inch um tires. Um, but you know what, honestly, what can really help her? Oh, that's not even the that's not even well, I think it's 28 inches. And it's the size of a car. I think it's maybe it's okay. Wait a minute. It's 28 inch 28 something.
SPEAKER_08:Oh, you mean 28 inch wide uh in order to uh okay. I'm gonna say 20 inch tires.
SPEAKER_07:No, no, no, no, no, no, no, the wheels. It's 28 something, so I know it's not inch, it can't be inch, because that'd be too big, but it's 28 something because the next size level's 30 or whatnot. Um what I've really been using just two-stage, the three-stage is is just it's a gimmick at this point. You know what I mean? It it doesn't really, it really don't do much. You know what I mean? You're paying for something that's kind of really a gimmick. The two stage, two-stage gets you where you need to go. But what's really been working out is um, remember that that that uh leaf blower that I showed you guys, the world's most powerful leaf blower? That has been doing wonders on the snow. It's weird. It I'm telling you, I it has been blowing.
SPEAKER_08:Fresh snow or like the day after. Fresh snow.
SPEAKER_07:Fresh snow. Fresh snow. Fresh snow, that has been doing good, as well as that that that um that torch slash flamethrower. Ooh, we. Oh yeah, when that thing light up, it sounds like you sound like you in a video game. So that that that's been it, you know what I mean? And then you got to, you know, you start to realize, you know, you get it, you start to get excited when you, you know, you're getting Ryobi batteries, you know, to the house, you know, the big capacitators or what. Now that's when you know, I guess I'm officially old now, you know what I mean. I get excited about you know going to Home Depot every day, all day. And you know, this is this is why I can't play video games anymore. You know, because I gotta you know tend to the to the field, as they say.
SPEAKER_01:It's not fair. All right, it's not fair.
SPEAKER_08:And that's what my life is. That's it. Just I'm not gonna complain. Um it's been a month since uh think we've we've met, and you're saying nothing has happened since that or too much has happened to fit in two minutes, but God is good.
SPEAKER_05:That part, that part all right.
SPEAKER_08:Well, as I show share with y'all earlier this week, uh, I'm going through uh a dental journey. Um and I had an extraction on on Monday. Um, and it was it was tough. I've had one before. Um, so I'll tell I told my son, I was like, Man, take care of them now, because even though they won't fall out now, someone might have to take them out later. And it was weird. I mean, I I got cold, I was shaking. I mean, I'll be honest, I they were patting me on the back saying, You doing good, you doing good. I'm like, Lord, take this, take this pain away. It was about, yeah, they they gave me as much as they could, and then two days later, I had to get a root canal. Um, so but that was actually enjoyable. I I told them they did a phenomenal job, phenomenal.
SPEAKER_05:And then my mechanic they got to that point where you needed more pain medicine, and they said, due to the new the new laws of the nation, we cannot give you any more. Like we only have this allotted amount, and that is all we can give you for your teeth. Because that has happened. That has happened for uh for the other doctors, uh, other paint doctors.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah. Well, um, I believe that the first uh the first dentist gave me as much as they could. Um and there was a point where I know they we were at a point of no return. I heard the crack, I heard they was just she was just wiggling around. I'm like, is I needed arm rest. I I said y'all might need to strap me down because I was I felt like I was about to flip out the chair, but I was like, we gotta, we gotta push through, we gotta push through. So, you know, with flaws, water pick, you know, do whatever you need to do. Young people, young men, don't don't neglect it. Yes, it's cheaper to pull, but there's a reason why it's cheaper to pull. Which tooth which tooth was it? Um, it's not in the front, so it's like near the back. Yeah, so I I I can still smile. Mashed potatoes.
SPEAKER_07:You gonna get an implant? You're gonna get an implant for five thousand dollars for one tooth is well, we could talk about that, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_08:I'm I'm I'm gonna be like uh Michael Strayhan. If these part and they go this way and that way, I'm good with that. Yeah, I already already got my my forever person, so she she remembered how I was. I just just grow a little bit older. Uh but then my mechanic, as soon as I walked out from feeling all great about the root canal, called me and was like, uh, yeah, it's gonna be about 3K. I was like, what? I was like, that's as much as I pay for this car. But it's my daily driver. Yes, there'll be no trifold in my life. I'm gonna have to stick with the dual fold. Yeah, but I'm thankful. I'm thankful that we've made um made shrewd decisions, shrewd purchases in order to be able to cover stuff like this. It's not it's not enjoyable, but I'm I'm thankful and blessed that um I'm in a position where I I can do stuff like this and I can absorb it. Just means that less brown boxes come into the house, less less random Facebook marketplace meets. It'd be one of those I'm gonna have to live through some of y'all. Like, oh man, y'all got y'all got ketchup to go on your fries. Man, that is awesome.
SPEAKER_01:That is cool. Yep, you're still gonna get Amazon drop-offs. You're gonna still see the drones coming to your house. They still come. With draws. Man, I said drones, drones, drones.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, I said draws. It sounded like he said draws.
SPEAKER_08:It did. So we're not gonna, we're not gonna end the year like that. It's have certainly have you seen those drones? Have you seen them? No, I'm in an area where drones are um I've seen them prohibited.
SPEAKER_01:Online. Oh, they not, they they not they not are they no regular consumer break. Them things is huge.
SPEAKER_07:They're huge.
SPEAKER_08:Nah, we I still get the old it kind of it kind of scares you at first.
SPEAKER_07:It kind of scares you at first. You're like, what is that? It because it's so big. It's a mini helicopter.
SPEAKER_08:Okay. Well, I don't have that. Well, this is a holiday season, and so we hear at Iron Table for those that believe in the season, you know, we want to talk a little bit about it. So we just got I just got three questions. I told these guys I had nothing, and then I faked the technical difficulties in order to bring something up. So we're gonna start this off like, and given that uh um Bishop Jones gotta uh sing tomorrow, which will not be live streamed, so you're gonna have to go to church. Um what is why why is it only showing for 10 seconds? Oh, it's it's new technology. Okay, what is your number one holiday song of all time? Of all time, it's about to go away.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so temptation versus oh, so we singing it, okay.
SPEAKER_07:But see, I only remember that because there used to be this thing in um that used to come on ABC back in the day in the 90s. And it was the uh it was a California Raisin Christmas special. And at the end of that, it was like claymation type of thing, you know, like kind of like how the uh the PJs, kind of like how the claymation was with that. But that was the last segment. They had a California raisin singing that old temptation Christmas song or whatnot, but that's that's the one that stuck with me.
SPEAKER_08:So weren't they basically the temptations? About five of them, right?
SPEAKER_05:Remember, well, but remember they had the you couldn't tell you couldn't tell me they weren't the temptations because that's who I saw, and that's who I knew sing those songs.
SPEAKER_08:You couldn't tell me California Racing and the Temptation for the same year.
SPEAKER_06:Do you remember they had a they had a Michael Jackson California race? Vaguely, wow. There's a commercial they got the commercial on YouTube, and when you because you don't remember it until you see it again, they had a California Rings that was Michael Jackson going to town.
SPEAKER_07:I mean all the Michael Jackson moves, man. It was nuts.
SPEAKER_08:Oh, well, you know, I've got I forgot some some housekeeping stuff. All right, let me make sure I show this. All right, so we don't own and write any music during any segments, and we appreciate the talents and crafts of musicians and only use the music to honor their gifts. You can find us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube, which you're probably watching right now. And if you like audio only, you can find us on Buzz Browse. Now, also, I need to beg and say, please like, share, subscribe. I've failed to say that, and we barely got subscribers. We got likes, but I need you to like, subscribe, share. What did I say? Like, subscribe, share. Because I'm tired of my son asking me, Dad, you have a YouTube channel, but ain't nobody watching. Well, son, someone will watch. All right, brother Jones. You heard uh Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer from The Temptations. Uh, what is your all-time number one holiday song?
SPEAKER_05:I'm supposed to say This Christmas by Donnie Hathaway, but I'm not. That's probably like if I had to say it, like, because it is, but it isn't. Um, I got the one I because I'm so when it comes to holiday music, I'm so it's been it's been done. Everybody sings the same songs over and over and over again, and they just we all be getting the same redundant. Um, so but the one I like, it's actually a Jasmine edition of a song called uh I think it's called My Favorite Things. Um, it might be even from Sound of Music, but a lot of times people play it around Christmas. Um, so there's a couple of people who've redone that too. And so I like I don't I would say I can listen to that any time of year, but I know it's played around the holidays, so I don't get offended. And then the other song is the Grinch song. I love the Grinch song. Oh, you're right. And then the instrumental with Charlie Brown. Like, that's my thing.
SPEAKER_08:That's not a Christmas song, though.
SPEAKER_05:Yes, it is. Charlie Brown Christmas got it. But it's played the Venus theme song at Charlie Brown Christmas.
SPEAKER_07:So I got that, I got that album, which it's a uh it's a uh trio of uh the jazz musicians or whatnot. And it's on that it's on the album.
SPEAKER_08:Yeah, Vince Geroldi.
SPEAKER_07:I'm sorry, for me. Oh, you know what? That'd be I would say, you know, let me take that back. Well, I can't pinpoint one song, so I'll still stick in my one. But number two would be that whole album. That defines Christmas. That whole entire album is is so good.
SPEAKER_08:It's just so good. Yeah, Vince Giroldi. Um the Vince Girodi. What's that? Yeah, I listen, I actually so good.
SPEAKER_01:Mm-hmm. Yeah, it is so good.
SPEAKER_08:All right, so just like Die Hard is a Christmas movie, I guess. The penis theme song is a holiday classic.
SPEAKER_10:Okay.
SPEAKER_08:So um, I'm gonna rattle off some honorable mentions before I get to number one. Um I gotta put uh what's her name? Um All I Want for Christmas. Uh what's it? Oh, I forgot her name. Let me look it up. Let's see. All I want. Mariah Carey. Her All I Want for Christmas. That that's in my honorable mention. Um, there's this guy called Nick Hustles. There's it says, I caught Santa Claus sniffing cocaine. It has a soul to it. I'm gonna tell y'all to look it up. I don't agree with you know taking illicit drugs, but that one was hilarious. I was like, when did this come out? And I saw it was just somebody who had some money, went into a studio, cut a track. But I will say that this Christmas by Donnie Hathaway is is my and I think for me it was more of the video that came with it. It it had that old school kind of cartoonish type thing, kind of reminded me of like uh a fat Albert cartoon type type reel. And so I was like, you know, it was just nostalgic for me. So uh Donnie Hathaway, um, this Christmas. That would be my my number one. I'm glad Keith didn't say it because he I was worried that he would take my stuff. So thank you, thank you, Jones, for having a collective palette and just reaching out. So, you know, stick with your jazz guy. All right, so I had a feeling you won't say it.
SPEAKER_05:That's why I said I'm not gonna say it.
SPEAKER_08:Because I'm so limited. I'll own it, I'll own it. All right, so just two questions. We're gonna try to keep this um keep this simple. Um all right, let's see. I don't know what order I want to go to. All right, we'll go with this. What are some of the reasons men overgive during the holiday season? Overgive. Like, you know, we can have a budget. Say our budget's like five, six hundred dollars, and then we just blow right through it.
SPEAKER_05:Our men overgive it. I mean that's what I was just about to say too.
SPEAKER_08:I mean, I'm the type that gives throughout the year, and you know, I recognize birthdays and Valentine's Day and um anniversaries and Christmas, but I also like to, hey, I thought of you, let me give this. But there's sometimes where when I say overgiving, I'll say that say you have a budget, and your budget says, you know,$500, and if I spend over that, I don't eat. But then men are willing to, you know, some people are willing to just spend over that, blow through it, and try to catch up on the back end, and then they struggle financially in order to make ends meet. So what are some of the, you know, y'all have talked to a lot of people in your practices about people, you know, and their financial spending and maybe even their thought process of why they do things. But for, you know, men, men who are normally providers, you know, having to take care of, you know, the sum of the household, you know, um, or you know, provide for, if you're a single father, um, provide, you know, child support, spousal support, you know, you're you're constantly providing. But when it comes to like this holiday, why does it seem like, you know, what would be some of the reasons that men would, what are some of the traps that men fall into which would cause them to overspend?
SPEAKER_07:I mean, I think maybe social media, maybe social media. Social media. Social media, seeing what other people are you're doing, or they're having their wife, girl, or whoever show them, oh, look what they're doing, look what you know, I mean, and sometimes having to say people keep up.
SPEAKER_10:Up with the Joneses, the pressure to keep up, the pressure to impress, the pressure to fit in.
SPEAKER_05:Um, and it's not, and again, spending or getting you know, with it doesn't even have to be Christmas, it could be anytime. Spending isn't wrong when you have it to spend. Um, it's there, but when you don't have it, and the the the thing about this holiday is a lot of people are willing to go into stupid debt for stupid things, and that becomes a problem because now the holiday's gone, and you start the new year, try to figure out how to catch up. And this is a season where so many people are getting laid off, so many people are quit, just quitting, quitting their jobs, they're not even being fired, they're quitting and being laid off. So um caution a lot of people be careful how you spend because don't like you said, don't overspend to the point where if you lost your job tomorrow, it's all gonna fall apart. Um, because that it does happen.
SPEAKER_08:So, how so as men, how can we express that to our partners? You know, that hey, I because I'm not spending this amount on you doesn't mean I don't love you, doesn't mean I don't value you, doesn't mean I don't, you know, see social media saying that that's not true.
SPEAKER_05:If you don't spend a million dollars on me, you hate me. But uh if a man has been given throughout the year, you know what don't matter, it don't matter Janet down the street, got flowers and a car and some jewelry, and I need that too, even though you gave it to me all year. Part of it is the commercial commercialization of all these holidays, like some of it we we're set up to fail, we're doomed because even if we've given all year, the the premises because we're what what holiday is right after Christmas?
SPEAKER_08:Holiday?
SPEAKER_05:New Year's for couples, a big one for couples. Oh Valentine's Valentine's again, same cycle. You just December, the end of December was Christmas. Valentine's Day is not even a full is it is it a full 60 days away?
SPEAKER_08:And we're expecting 54, right?
SPEAKER_05:So but you're expected to still go out the way it's set up with with these companies and how they commercialize everything. We're still expected not even not even 60 days to go out and do it again.
SPEAKER_07:The real part is interesting is that wait wait no go on asking the real the real question is why do so many men start arguments around this time of year? I'm telling you, I'm telling you, the I will see men start arguments around this time of year and keep it up until after Valentine's Day. I'm telling you.
SPEAKER_08:Are you believing men's secrets right now? Yeah, no secret.
SPEAKER_07:If that's a secret, then look.
SPEAKER_08:So so should women so women and partners be like, you know what? I know what you're trying to do. I'm not gonna fall into this trap. I love you, and we are going to work this out. I'm not gonna be mad at you, be mad at yourself. I'm waiting.
SPEAKER_07:It's not an A DNA to do that, bro.
SPEAKER_06:Not an A DNA.
SPEAKER_08:Remember when when Black Friday was like a big event? I mean, people would be eating and then they would go stand in line. Now Black Friday is you're having Black Friday sales before Thanksgiving. Yes, two weeks before week. And then you have Cyber Monday, just in case you missed out, like lately missed out on Black Friday, and it some of the deals look exactly the same. Then after you missed Cyber Monday, we just said, you know what, we got Cyber Week. I remember I ordered something, I just wanted a vacuum cleaner from Best Buy, and it was definitely after Black Friday, after Cyber Week. I walked in, there was a line. I'm like, for what?
SPEAKER_10:How you think I got that snubbler?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, I ordered my snubbler online, and it was it was a deal. It was a I guess the thanks, it was a Black Friday deal that they just extended, just kept it going.
SPEAKER_08:Stores are making sure that there's no excuse not to get something.
SPEAKER_06:It's easy too. Too easy.
SPEAKER_08:So again, how what can a man do in order to set the the right tone for this season of the season of expectation?
SPEAKER_03:Start an argument.
SPEAKER_05:That's one I gotta have something more than that. I got you. A man needs to fake a heart attack.
SPEAKER_10:All right, there's a lot of brothers paying on the floor.
SPEAKER_05:He needs to fake a heart attack, he's gonna need to go ahead and stay in the hospital for a couple of days, just let's come through.
SPEAKER_08:That's wow. It's gonna be about the same difference. The medical bill is all gifts. Wow. It's about right. Well, could we bring back layaway or something?
SPEAKER_07:It went somewhere, they don't got that Lamar.
SPEAKER_08:I don't know. I bought all my stuff online. I try not to go into the store.
SPEAKER_07:Well, you know, the new layaway is what? Clark Clarner. That's the new layaway. What's the referral?
SPEAKER_08:Well, lay away used to mean you you didn't get it until you paid for it. Now you get it that you're you're making consistent payments.
SPEAKER_05:Because people fall, it seems like because again, it's psychologically, you have it now. So it's like but when you sometimes, okay, if it's one payment, maybe two for most people. You know, okay, it's 20 20 bucks a month every two weeks. I can do that, but when you have eight of those or ten of those, you're gonna feel that there's no way around and miss one.
SPEAKER_08:Well, you can't even miss one of those payments because they tie it to your bank account, then that's gonna be a problem. Then you get an overdraft pay, and we know banks like that, or now banks they won't even do an uh you can have the money in your account, like say you have it in your savings, they will charge just to transfer it, so they charge like two dollars, three dollars in order to do an electronic transfer for the amount that you're short. So it's like we won't charge 25. There's money to be made everywhere. So I'm I'm hearing fake a heart attack, I'm hearing start an argument. I'm not hearing have a conversation.
SPEAKER_07:Why why should we first and foremost? Do we really need again? But this goes with anything. Like why why are we doing this for this particular day every single day? It's gonna be the same thing next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Why are we putting an emphasis on this as well as uh you know looking at what other people are doing at X, Y, Z. And to be honest with you, Christmas really should just be for kids, to be honest with you. You know what I mean? It should be for kids. That's it. We as adults can go and get anything we want to, anytime during the year, with if whatever we want to. This should be for kids. This should be for kids. And my thing is, you know, just like me and my girl, we get whatever we want every single day. So, you know, definitely having that understanding. Like, I'm not, you know, if you don't, okay. If you do, okay. That don't change how I feel about you, and how I know that throughout the the rest of the year we always do something or we get something for each other. And sometimes it's the little things of like, hey, maybe you do need to. Sometimes it's it's we're putting, I guess I could answer that question then, honestly. Sometimes men feel like they need to do these particular things because they're not doing the consistent thing throughout the year, they're not getting a flower here and there, they're not doing this, they're not doing that throughout the whole year. So, okay, yeah, this is crunch time. Let me okay, I got to do this, I got to do that, or whatnot. You know, this crunch time because we're not consistently doing it throughout the rest of the year. So that that that could be possibly an answer. We we're not consistent.
SPEAKER_08:I'm gonna flip that. All right, I get that, and I agree. I am definitely uh throughout, like I said earlier, throughout the year. If I see something, this is for you, I wanted you to have it because you know that's just who I am, so that I don't have to hit a home run on these big days. All I gotta do is get on dates. But the flip side, do you think that men should also receive throughout the year? Or we should just kind of hold out to those big days like uh birthday, father's day, Christmas?
SPEAKER_01:Not at all. We should same thing. They they should be consistent with us too. Not you know, all right.
SPEAKER_08:So, how do we express that? Another heart attack.
SPEAKER_07:Sometimes you gotta be sometimes you gotta know your audience too, man. You know, and again, if you if you know who who this person is, it's like, hey, you you know how she is. You think she really gonna buy what you're saying? You know what I mean? And if you don't like it, this is what this is what this is the type of person you're choosing at this point in time. At any point in time, I could sit here and have a conversation with my girl and you know have an understanding about stuff because I know her. But if you are expecting something that this other person is incapable of doing, that's your fault for sticking around for something that's you're not compatible with. Point one.
SPEAKER_08:As far as you're able to take care of it yourself. Now, I'm I like watermelon juice. Uh my wife will will go to the grocery store and get watermelon juice, and I'm like, oh, cool. Now the my clone likes it too. So if I don't get that first cup, I ain't gonna get a cup. So she has to buy two.
SPEAKER_05:Why you like why do you like watermelon juice? Because I don't know. Why do you stand it to the world? I'm not eating.
SPEAKER_06:You could have said any juice. Why wait? It's that feeling that you get when you at this at a store and you you pick it up a watermelon, and white people you can feel like white people just looking at you. I mean, I like the juice. What's wrong with the juice? Well, yeah, you can like it. It's like the same as I like, I like chicken juice too, honey. You like chicken juice too?
SPEAKER_08:No, I don't like that. No, I like fried juice.
SPEAKER_05:You can get it watermelon juice. No, watermelon is delicious. Yes, asking for what you want can be hard based on your audience. I know some people who there are some men who do. There are some women who want to give nice gifts. So there are some men who do ask and they do receive, but then some um, like you kind of alluded to, if they do get something, it has to be anniversary, birthday, Christmas. Um, and then even then, still, you know, if I may go there, some men have complained about the gift they get because it's the is it's the same thing they got last year or for their last birthday and for the last Christmas. So, you know, some men say again, giving people both men and women need help figure out options of what are good, better, best gifts to buy. Because you got some sneaker heads out there. There's a man who likes shoes, there's a man who like games, there's a man who who like who like weapons and guns, ammo. I don't know. But it doesn't I I think a lot of men, when they uh speak honestly, don't want the same cliche active sex every single time.
SPEAKER_08:Like, I mean, in addition to, but not he wants extra, you know what I'm saying? Something a little different, something a little different.
SPEAKER_05:I get it. There's a guy who's um I talked to a guy the other day, he's he's a truck driver. His wife got him a massage for an hour, and you would have thought he won the lottery because it was it was a special, like like the stones, like it wasn't just a like the like he he really appreciated because it was something he didn't ask for, and she saw the need. He'd been on the road all week or uh for a few days, he came back tired, back hurting. She saw the need. She she met it, and he he appreciated it.
SPEAKER_08:So now who did the massage? Was it his wife, or was it did he did she send him someplace?
SPEAKER_05:No, she sent him someplace. Okay, because she uh spent some good money. She she said, I'm glad she's honest. She said, because a lot of a lot of people need to be honest about the massages. They're they're not good.
SPEAKER_08:She said, she's going to ease. Wow. It's like you don't really want to touch me. Or just get too hot.
SPEAKER_05:Shut up. So no. No, no. So she got a massage to go to someplace, and he went and they, I think she went with him, but it was great. And he got a massage, got oh, stretched. Oh, it was a stretch and a massage, two different places. So he may say he, I think he got some other lower lumbar issues going on, but in the meantime, while he's at home, he's gonna be all right. And so heating pad and ice pack, uh she took care of him. So some gifts don't have to be the a lot of times, they just have to be thoughtful, and I think that's what most of us struggle with sometimes to get is we get what we think is thoughtful, and sometimes that backfires too, because this is what we want you to have, and sometimes we meant a very clear this is what I want this one, yeah. I want this for my birthday, and this year's model. So now you handed me this pink shirt. So I thought this would look nice on you. I don't want that. I said, give me this over here. I ain't waiting for no weekend. You can't say I'm ungrateful when I don't say thank you.
SPEAKER_07:But you but you know what? I think you know what? I think one year, didn't my girl call you or ask you? She was like, what what what thing he'd been wanting? What thing he what thing he uh what it was something the uh the um the star uh photograph thing. She she called you, you know what I mean? It's things like that. It's like it's it's I look at that like it's not even about the gift at this point. I appreciate you being able to call somebody to like make sure that this is something that I want and whatnot. You know, so you know, even for me, that's good. But I think that a lot of times we again, sometimes we do get, when we're talking about gifts, we need to start thinking about, especially we're talking about like our spouse or significant other, instead of getting something, like an actual thing, start thinking about getting experiences that either that person can have or you can have together. You know what I mean? Because that's more memorable sometimes than just some, like say for all, I want this video game system. Okay, oh, cool. Here, I got you the video game system. Okay, that's great, whatever. You know what I mean? But being able to have an experience with your significant other actually sets the tone for just, you know, life. You know what I mean? So I think that building on experiences is is much better than than like a specific gift. That at the end of the day, we can all buy this almost almost cuss. We can all buy this, we can all buy this stuff ourselves. You know what I mean? We can do we we grown here, we can buy all this stuff ourselves, but being able to have an experience that you share with your significant other is is really good. I think um uh, you know, me, me and my girl, we we made um, did we make candles? We made we think we did candles and some other like things and whatnot um together. I mean that was cool. You know what I mean? I think Keith, you did something with your wife, something like to that effect, or something creative, um, with like uh sneakers or something like that. That's an experience that you'll never forget. Versus, like, say for instance, if you just bought her some shoes. Okay, oh, cool, she'd probably like them, but I don't think that she would like that as much as that experience that she had with you know what you guys did. You know, so I think that's gonna be good. Channeling, speaking for the ladies. How much did they take you? Uh no, I'm speaking for us too. My girl took me to go to a racetrack one day. So I can I'll never forget that. You see what I'm saying? It wasn't even just about the racetrack. See, it's that's what I'm talking about. It's not even about that she took me to the racetrack. It's I mean that that I was at a racetrack in this in this performance vehicle. It was that she was thoughtful enough that she knew that's something I like, and we did this and we shared that together. You know what I mean? It was the experience that I I value way more than just being in the car. I mean, that more than that, that's the car itself. It was the experience that we shared together. That means more to me than anybody anything else, you know.
SPEAKER_08:So okay. Yeah, my wife is about experiences now.
SPEAKER_05:Um I'm asked couples who like each other because that means y'all can be close for my god. If you want to those couples that don't like each other, you're almost like oh my god, Keith.
SPEAKER_07:Do you know how how how much cold water hurts coming up those esophagus? Oh my god.
SPEAKER_05:I'm glad I'm glad. Because that's so true. Experience up. I love experience. But I'm gonna tell you, there are some couples that do not like each other. Don't do it. Why they still together? Don't do it, don't do it. What's what's the one they lock you in the room until you do the mysteries? Oh, escape room.
SPEAKER_10:I've done that before.
SPEAKER_08:If you we locked in here together, don't do that. So if you don't like each other, that that should get you uber focused in order to get out that room, right?
SPEAKER_07:Or you might it might go upside, go upside somebody's head. I think you're high. Let me out because we about to kill each other. I see I see couples going on cruises together that don't like each other. It's like, you know, you're on a ship and you can't really leave or anything like that. At all.
SPEAKER_00:At all.
SPEAKER_08:Well, that's interesting. But I'm I'm glad to hear that. Well, this the theme I'll say is that you gotta be observant. You got to, and if you don't know, ask a friend of your partner, bounce off some ideas. Just like, do you think she would like this? Do you think he would like that? You know, don't don't just go in it blindsided. We're we're too old to not utilize the resources that we have available. You've got watching them and observing. You've got, you can, I mean, if our phones are are tracking our every move, you can probably look at their search history history. Um, you can probably find out their their wish list. You can talk to their family, you can talk to their best friends, you can there's ways to find out that it's very hard not to be able to find something that your your partner likes. Now, if you can afford it, that's a different question. But like what we've heard is you know, things don't have to be expensive, it can be intentional. When the money is low, the intention needs to be high. And experiences, there's certain memories outlast the the initial price. You know, go for that wow factor, especially as we get older. Like we said, we can we're old enough to get our own things, we're old enough to, and if we ask you know, our partners to get something, it's not because we can't get it. It might just be we just want you to to see if you're willing to do something for us as we vaxed and how we vaxed. And you know, that's that's real, you know. So I know a lot of a lot of women will hear, well, I heard that, but I want to get them that. Ah, if a man tells you this is what he wants, try it, see what happens. I'm pretty sure he'd be like, What? Wow, and then he'll do some extra stuff that you've been asking him to do. You know, that honeydew list will get shorter, the honey do intentionality will grow higher. You know, it's but just no, this is a season of you know, smart giving. No, so don't don't overextend yourself. True, you know, reconnect, touch base, you know, touch and agree. You know, don't if you don't like each other, maybe uh maybe fake it until until you get past those 60 days or something. But I don't know, but this, you know, guys, just really think about this season, reevaluate your motives and and why you're doing something, and make sure you're doing it because you want to, not because you feel guilty or you feel like you have to, you know, spread it out throughout the year.
SPEAKER_07:So let's be consistent, yeah, be consistent throughout the year on the little things too. Because uh hold on make sure she can't hear me. Um, you know, my girl faithfully cooks for me every single every three, she do three square meals. Like, I don't have to ask. And she'll just say, you want, you want, you want. Doing that throughout the year makes me not really want things like that makes me not really want to ask for like big things, you know, on holidays or birthdays or anything like that, because you've been so consistent with this that I I cherish that. And those things, which those things that are big are nice, but this consistent thing that you provide for me throughout the year um means that much more to me, even if when I don't want to eat, it just means more to me. So that way I'm not looking at, oh, you gotta get me something on my birthday or you gotta give me something for Christmas. You know, that's why I say just being consistent throughout the year on little things and being appreciative and act like you still in a, you know, this is like a new marriage or new or new relationship or whatnot. We put on our we put our best foot forward when we first meet somebody all the time. But you know, that dies off or whatnot. But if we can keep that consistency going or what throughout the relationship, man, that's that's what helps people last, man.
SPEAKER_08:Let me ask you this. What if your your girl wants something that you don't want, like another dog? I'm just putting it out there.
SPEAKER_10:I don't know how you feel making we hold on, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_08:Do it. Hold on. I don't even know where I done changed my setup. I don't even know if I have a mute button. I'm gonna do it.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, you gotta put your foot down on things like that. There's some not No, but see, here's the thing. Before you get married or have an eight-inter relationship or all that stuff, you gotta talk about your non-negotiables. You gotta think you talk about the things that I am not compromising on. And that might and if dogs are one of those things, absolutely not. You gotta let somebody know up front they can't do this. No, not at all. If you if there's no wiggle room on both sides, then y'all ain't gonna be compatible together. So you should know this going in. You know, um, but no.
SPEAKER_08:Are you saying that if after after years of marriage, they bring home a dog, you're like, that's it? Nah, this was a non-negotiable dog go, I go.
SPEAKER_07:That should be an already talk talked about. It's like it's like just bringing home a kid, just like saying, you know, saying like, you know, hey, I just I adopted another kid. No, you didn't. I'm out of here. That's it. I didn't you knew my you knew my non-negotiables at this point.
SPEAKER_08:No, no, you're just going out just picking up random kids. Hey, you want to come on?
SPEAKER_05:That's creepy. Well, you know, you can't hey.
SPEAKER_06:I'm not taking no dogs out. I don't, not me. It's not my responsibility.
SPEAKER_08:I said there's a dog, right? Didn't you install? I'm sure you've done something for these dogs.
SPEAKER_07:No, not no, they have their own room. They have a room, they have their own room. It was gonna be the uh wine. Is there gonna be the wine? Yeah, I've done that. Yeah, I've done it. I'll buy I'll I'll buy the dog food and carry the dog food in. That's it. That's it. Everything else.
SPEAKER_08:So you never scooped, you never scooped dog food into a bowl.
SPEAKER_07:Never. Come on. Never promise you. I promise you. Promise you. Okay, no, not at all. She wipes their butt. She wipes their butt. The butt like with the little wiper. It's a thing. It's a it's a butt. Never. Come on, go on and wipe Scooby's butt. Never. Scooby is crappy.
SPEAKER_00:Wait a minute. Hold on.
SPEAKER_07:Hold on, Brian. Scooby, scrabbit, no, no, the neuro, the neurodiverse one.
SPEAKER_06:He got a neurodiverse dog. He got medicine too.
SPEAKER_07:But hold on. Hold on, Brian. You should be we should be asking you that question. What happens if if the missus brings another dog in the house?
SPEAKER_08:Oh, it got real, didn't it? Got real. No, it got real. Oh, I know who I live with. That dog will stay. There's no answer. No, there's no answer. No, but I I have said at this point, we both have we've both had dogs. We both had to take care of. And last year, our dog passed away. Um, sad moment. We told the little guy, you know, he was like, I want another dog. I was like, yes. Because I'm the one that took the dog. Yes, actually, I recorded it. I'm the only one that's watched it, and it was it was definitely a lot sadder than what I thought it was gonna be. You know, I was just like, and that's only because she she developed cancer. So um, and we got a lot of videos because she was here for was it 13 years? Yeah, it was a while. Oh Jesus, yeah, three years before for our son. Um, so yeah, so there's a lot of videos.
SPEAKER_05:Um, dogs live that long. Yeah, I told you that the dogs will be here.
SPEAKER_07:Wait a minute, you said the smaller they are, the longer they live.
SPEAKER_08:Yes, so like great dangers average like nine years, but when you get the small little toy dogs, this isn't this isn't fair.
SPEAKER_05:This isn't fair. They do start having joint problems and teeth problems. So, someone check out a little earlier, but not a lot of them. Yeah, y'all got cameras. Oh they're not out there hunting and doing stuff, so yeah, they're gonna be around a good 12 to 14, man.
SPEAKER_08:Depending on the type of dogs you have, the hips are probably the first thing, you know, especially if they're the ones that joints, but the hip joints first, and then the rest of the joints, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:As they get older, they start having some issues.
SPEAKER_07:But only had like a good, I thought I only had like another two, three years of this. What you mean?
SPEAKER_08:Oh, yeah. Get a red dot.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, they no, they go like it's like I've done that. I got the red dot and the green dot. They go, they go haywire for the green dots. That is, but I I guess it's a thing now. You're really not supposed to do that for animals because they they they it does something to them like they just can't stop.
SPEAKER_08:Oh, I thought they just wanted to, you know, try to get it. That's okay.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, yeah, no, but it it's like it it like overstimulate animals.
SPEAKER_08:Make sure we say that.
SPEAKER_07:Okay, well, yeah, yeah. I've had to set up cameras to see to see who's been pooping on the stairs. I've I've set up the cameras. She thought that I was being mean, saying that you you just blaming him because he's a little slow. I said, no, I know it's him. It's not the other one. And the camera shows every single time. It's him. It's him. It's him. Okay.
SPEAKER_08:And have they gone to have they gone to like obedient school?
SPEAKER_07:Oh no, they they're they're fine otherwise. It's just I don't I don't know. It's this one spot on the stairs. It's this one spot. And God forbid, if I ever have to go through the experience of having the poop squished between my toes because I did not look down.
SPEAKER_08:It's not good.
SPEAKER_07:And walking through.
SPEAKER_08:I you gotta wear shoes in the house, man.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_08:All right. I just hate a bill. He's like, no, I just stop. You you will not, I've learned you will not win against an animal, especially when the other person loves it. Just accept it.
SPEAKER_03:You're right. You're right. You're right. You never want to win. You're right. You're right. You're right.
unknown:All right.
SPEAKER_08:I mean, we've we're near the time of wrapping up. I'm gonna ask y'all this question. I don't even have it, and it just hit me. Like, what is your most memorable gift that you receive during this season? Now, it can be from any point in your life, so you don't have to think of something that your girl just did now, but it could be something you got from your parents, grandparents, you know, maybe a uh white elephant, you know, just something like that.
SPEAKER_07:Got it. I got it. When uh Nintendo came out, I had it. Um, I remember distinctively um opening up the the uh the box in my grandparents' house. It came with uh Mario Brothers and the Duck Hunt Um on, I think it was on the same cartridge. It had the zapper. Um what's weird about this is that I can still smell how the Nintendo smells. It's it's it's the weirdest. It's like the plastic, the type of plastic that it was. I can still smell it to this day. Like right now, I can smell it. So that's that's the most, and I think that probably like started just my whole you know thing with video games and whatnot, you know. Yeah, yeah. So that for me, that was it.
SPEAKER_08:I still have a original Nintendo. Um still have that that was in the 80s. Oh, everybody knows they they've already done some fact check. How long did you um that first night? How long did you play it?
SPEAKER_07:That I don't remember. I I I just remember opening it. I just remember opening it, the smell of it, just uh, you know, um I I just think I'm looking I'm thinking I'm looking at it right now, just in my grandparents' house in the in near the kitchen area or whatnot. I had it there, just looking at it and yeah, I can't remember how old I was, but it was in the 80s, so I had to be yeah, very, very, very young. But it was when it first came out, so I had it. That was the only game I had, but I had it. Okay.
SPEAKER_05:Nope, that was something else. I have to think about Christmas.
SPEAKER_08:I know you want me to go when you make it come back to you.
SPEAKER_05:No, I was gonna say I remember Ninja Turtles, fourth grade. Not all of them Christmas, all at one time, all at one time.
SPEAKER_07:Oh, you you you just triggered a memory, bro. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_05:I don't know why that is and oh no, that was it later. But no, I got it.
SPEAKER_08:That was probably what like they were pretty expensive, like 10, 10, 16, and you got them all at one time.
SPEAKER_05:I thought they were like five, I don't know. They were in that they were in a 60 penny box, and they were like next to like next to each other, like not.
SPEAKER_08:Oh, so it was a pack.
SPEAKER_05:Well no, it was they were just put in there. My mother's gonna be mad because she's like, What about the time I can't but right now crazy? Right now, that's what comes to mind. Like I said, I mean uh later on I'll probably think of something else that was probably even more pivotal than that. But I remember being being a kid, the the uh I just the excitement of it not sleeping to me. It I don't even remember it was not sleeping the night before or trying to sleep, but being excited, having something to look forward to. I think, like you said, for kids, this is why I think adults kind of need it too sometimes, because sometimes even adults need something to look forward to. Because in my house, the kids get all year long, they get all year long, all year, everything, all year. I need Christmas for me, no, you know, I'm good, but that's just it. I'm good too. Like I don't I don't need a lot of things. I don't, and then even the want list is short, and then the things I do want to God be glory, I've you know, it's uh within time and reason it's I acquire so but I'm I'm thinking was Santa Claus big in y'all, y'all.
SPEAKER_07:Was Santa Claus big in your household for y'all?
SPEAKER_09:Or no turning on the day?
SPEAKER_05:I but we they they broke away from that, but I didn't do Santa Claus with my kids. I didn't do Santa Claus with my kids because ain't no way about to get credit. Yeah. As hard as I work every day to make the magic happen. I'm gonna go get it. But just some guy who ain't never stepped foot in our neighborhood, nothing.
SPEAKER_07:No, just uh just thinking about it as kids, you know, how magical this time of the season was for us back then. It's like we're just like you were talking about the anticipation, thinking about Santa Claus or you know, not really realizing in the reality there's no way this thing can just come down a chimley and not get killed with, you know, and then the reindeer. But as a kid, this was magical. You were thinking that these things were happening. And you know, I think I remember one time I, you know, a couple of times where you know I would set out cookies, and then, you know, of course, it was probably I mean, probably it was my mother, you know, eating the cookies and acting like you know, it actually, you know, Santa Claus. But you know, knowing now, yeah, yeah, yeah. Knowing now, but it was magical. It was like, you know, you weren't you weren't privy to all the nonsense of what the world is now, you know what I mean? And you, you know, that that was your magic for you know for your life, you know what I mean. So, you know, kids, and I don't know if kids even have that now. You know what I mean? I don't know if that is something that is because you know, everybody has access to all the information in the world. If a kid wants to look up and say, hey, you know, if kids have access to the cell phones and whatnot, they could kid just talk into the cell phone and say, hey, hey, Google, is is Santa Claus real? And then boom, you get the whole history of why Santa Claus, you you know, they it it's it's that mysterious magicalness of of being a kid, is I think it's being taken away. That's why it's scary for kids, man. You know, they they have the whole world in their hands, pretty much.
SPEAKER_08:There's no more Toys R Us, there's no more commercials of like satellites throwing the mall in their mouths.
SPEAKER_05:Yep. Yep, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:It's the one in Green Lakes Crossing.
SPEAKER_05:They're slowly making a comeback. I asked him if they I said I still have a Toys R Us gift card. I'm trying to see if I can use it. And he said I could not use it there because they're technically a satellite branch, but he told me if I go to one of the main stores, wherever they may be, that they probably will accept it there. So I meant to do that this week because I just want to know if they're gonna take it. Um, I don't even know what I would get. I think I got a$25 gift card that I still haven't used because I had it before they got before they shut down. But now that they're they might be back, what do I want?
SPEAKER_07:Bikes merchandise. I think it's I think it's either service merchandise or Megami Wards actually still exist online. You can still order stuff from one of those two. I can't remember which one it was, but you can still get it online. Okay, trade, two, three. Oh, I remember that commercial. Do you remember that commercial they had where they uh they showed they had that commercial where it was like the little kids singing that song, but then they showed the kids as they were grown up um singing the song at the same time or whatnot. Yeah, yeah, that don't exist no more.
SPEAKER_08:Well, I'll say for me, um I want to say it may have been around the same age, uh, fourth grade, could have been third grade. Um trying to remember when Transformers came out, but I got what was called Jetfire, or it could have been Skyfire, depending on licensing agreement, but it was a gift from my grandfather. And I remember I had opened us, I think I had bikes. I had you know, uh not bikes, let me take that S off. I had a bike. I had a lot of money, I had a bike. I think that bike was one of those banana seat bikes, so it was probably used. Um, but it was still a bike. But I the last gift that I opened was uh a gift from my grandfather, and I only had at the time, really all my life, I only had one grandparent that was alive. And so uh when I opened it up, I mean, I was like, whoa! I even took a Polaroid picture with it, and I was like this, yeah. And that was that was one of the most memorable times. But as I got older, I mean, Christmas, it it just wasn't the same. Um, of course, because
SPEAKER_07:our the stuff we get it get the list gets smaller because what we want costs more you know your Sega Genesis you know your video games um and there was no trains after a while I remember used to get in Legos you know Legos was a big thing just just building um but now these days these kids I don't know what they got my son said sell Roblox yeah he just wants some Robux I'm like well you want something else I want some Robux like okay wow some other stuff he doesn't know about but I mean kids but he's also 10 and he and I'm he came to me and said dad I'm 10 uh there's really not much out there that I want other than one two and maybe three it was like okay all right wow you didn't make it but again that goes back to what you're saying is that these kids have there's so much information out that there's um they're without having commercials without them watching regular TV and not being able to control it you know now that some of them got their own TV some of them you know I don't even care if he has a remote because I'm like I can look at whatever I want whenever I want it so here's your little moment that there's it's on demand television which is taking away commercials taking away the nostalgia with the internet and all that stuff they there's no more mystery there's no more you know as as we get yeah as we get smarter or have more availability to access resources our creativity and our imagination is what we're leaving at the door and at some point it's gonna be where nobody's gonna want anything except for one or two things because media is pushed this is what you gotta have so but all right fellas you know this was a a good rousing um conversation you know before we close and give out our you know final thoughts for 2025 your Christmas movie the one that you're gonna watch what is it which one there's like 20 of them now right for me it's mainly the first one probably yeah we couldn't leave our kids and can't have too many kids when you left one that's not possible and the greatest oak okay the original cartoon version or the the um both I like the cartoon I like both honestly um but I I I don't like one well I'm always gonna watch the original because that's the one I grew up on but I don't mind Jim Carrey's version either I still I can still watch that one too okay all right I'm gonna be full transparent right now to make sure she she gone and can't hear because she's all about Christmas movies but I don't think she's seen this one she can't hear me there's only two movies that I've shed a tear or two um in my life and there's and one of them is a Christmas movie it's this movie called the Polar Express oh yeah I can't watch it I'm not gonna watch it I'm not gonna watch it because if I watch it I know what's gonna happen and I'm I'm I'm not doing that in front of her on the Polar Express I can't do it if you I don't know what it is about that I don't know what it is about that movie but it gets to me every single time and if she turns it on this year I know that she heard this because she's never seen it she's never seen it but she's that would be my go-to movie but I'm she's never seen it she's seen about watch this if she likes it I walk out I walk out I walk out I will walk out and uh you know I know people probably thinking about the other movie or whatnot the other movie is it's this it's this movie I just saw this year but it's a movie called Soul and it's so good and I I I I yeah that that got to me that that that got to me it's a um it's an anime it's anime yeah it it it's I gotta watch it again because I I I I came into like maybe um maybe like a a quarter of it already gone I was locked in. I had to watch it twice oh no yeah it it it yeah those are the only two movies those only two movies that's gotten to me but for Christmas movies that that's that's that's that movie right there the polar express all right well because you you showed emotion I'm I'm gonna join you in that and I'm only gonna mention this because uh 8 Bit Christmas because that was about the um that was about a young man who wanted a Nintendo when the NES first came out he won once um it has a guy uh I can't even remember his name but 8 Bit Christmas is a is a very good Christmas movie.
SPEAKER_08:I like to say diehard because that is a Christmas movie. But um for me I could watch the Charlie Brown Christmas. Charlie Brown put his heart and soul yeah that that Christmas tree I think that's the best Christmas tree ever. A little limp limp Christmas tree. He did everything he could in order to you know in good old Charlie Brown fashion that's that boy must have been clinically depressed.
SPEAKER_07:He just walked around sad but um I thought that was a a a good special so that's that's one of my all-time favorites that in those uh stop animation uh stop motion uh Christmas specials Rudolph and Frost yeah sad that that doesn't come out anymore man that's what's so that's crazy man as kids we were looking forward to that you know they don't I don't even think they show Rudolph the red nosed reindeer on ABC anymore like it doesn't like it's you have to subscribe I think either Netflix or who wanted them to that you that's what that's how you see it now. It doesn't come on regular TV anymore. And that's what as kids that's what you were really looking forward to. But it's kind of uh kids are growing up too fast man they got too much knowledge of the things that maybe they shouldn't have knowledge of and not enough um magical um magic behind you know just life you know what I mean so I think you're gonna see a lot of kids are really clinically depressed as you know more and more as as they're getting older it's it sucks it it's you laugh it it sucks but you know it it just it just goes to show you man that um you know if you can as parents you know you can only control so much or whatnot but um you know if you have kids or whatnot do your best to kind of give them that same magic that you used to have when you was a kid too you know as much as you can cool all right parting words final thoughts our last episode for 2025 there'll be this we cut up in a whole bunch of old clips and stuff but what's the last thing if we don't get to say anything else and it's not just about this episode but just this year.
SPEAKER_09:What do you say?
SPEAKER_08:Well I'll start out this I'll I'll say you know I'm thankful. I am thankful for um you guys and also um a brother that's not here Danny um this has been a an interesting year. It has been a a tough year.
SPEAKER_07:Federal government worker we had some serious changes um to work-life balance um where what used to be fun has um has been a little challenging thankful that I have a job because I know there's people out there who aren't working who are still trying to find a job I know there's people that love the work that they did but didn't like the environment and left but I'm thankful for this platform I'm thankful for these guys um this is my I created this um for selfish reasons you know centering wanted to put something positive out there and uh this has been this has been a roller coaster year but I'm glad that when I wanted to jump off that y'all centered me that y'all we laughed we we didn't cry because you know we we just accepted this is what it is but y'all were very um pivotal uh along with my family to get me through to the end of this year I know next year is what next year will be um and I look forward to just other opportunities of just trying to you know share our story from our perspective um give a little truth you know have a lot of laughs and just um try to try to again put some positivity out there so I want to acknowledge you two um you know Keith if it wasn't for your your your marriage about what is that three years ago would have never met Steve um and I remember actually talking to him I think we were out by that uh what was it ice cream truck um yeah and I was talking about I think you had mentioned that you know I had this podcast and I was like yeah man you should you know come stop by for a few never knew that that one time he came to the table we we ain't let him go it's almost like we held him hostage or something like that but thankful he has brought a uh a different perspective a much needed perspective and kind of made the table you know just uh a lot stronger so just want to acknowledge you know you two um this year this season especially and also El DeBarge who's not here I'm a piggyback off of you man um I I definitely uh feel and understand what you're saying with that with that piece man because uh you definitely want to reciprocate surround yourself by like-minded people as well as people you in sp you you aspire to be for whatnot like you just said iron sharpened to iron or whatnot um you know I I look at you guys and you know see kind of the situation that's similar situations that you guys when I say situations I mean even like just marriages and your family and whatnot and you guys are very deserving of what it is that you guys have because you guys are good people. You know what I mean you are you are you're good people you guys are very very deserving of that or whatnot you know so you know I look up to you guys you know what I mean I know I'm not perfect or whatnot I try I try to be and that's impossible but um I definitely look up to you guys um as people I can rely on to count on and to talk me down off the the ledges if I do get on one too you know what I mean um so you know I I definitely hear you on that and if anybody's listening to this making sure that you surround yourself by people that are not only like minded but that are going to give you good advice sound advice and and talk you down not hype you up when you don't need to be hyped up is is is that that's life. You know as you get older your circle of friends should get smaller because you know everybody's not meant to come on the same journey that you're supposed to be on.
SPEAKER_05:But when you do find those people you lock in or whatnot you know and they might not be people I know you two guys have known each other for you know almost your whole life or whatnot but you know everything happens for a reason you know what I mean and some things that we may lack um in other what they would call um family members or whatnot you know God makes up for for that in other ways too you know what I mean so I definitely appreciate you guys 100% so I I definitely hear what you're saying bro definitely I didn't even know that's that was no I'm trying to say parting words firemen catch on fire too firemen catch on fire too so because of that there needs to be people around them to put them out when they blow up when they catch on fire when they're burning even though they know everything that the other person knows when they're in trouble they need help so I'm glad I'm thankful for this this circle that we have here because iron does shop and fires have been put out uh you know just just being that support and then hopefully mirroring what other guys hopefully can find or um even if we can support not just what not just through video but even if somebody wants to leave a comment or send us a message on just what to do to help find support or be supported because again it's this journey is not meant to be done alone or by yourself. And so uh I I appreciate the what we have going on I can I can't take credit because some days when it was like you know what I guess we are done i i'm grateful for the people who came to me and said hey when you guys put out another uh podcast or like uh again who knew people were listening as much as they are listening so like follow share keep it going but I appreciate the people who have responded and who have interacted and who have even come and asked for help based on things that we've said in a lot of these uh podcasts so um I'm thankful for you guys it it helps keep the creative juices flowing it helps keep be keep um being surrounded by positive energy keeps us I believe it keeps us all in a positive space so because there's a lot of reasons not to be like you said even just dealing with your job and the government and all like it's easy to get locked in that state of fear and just lose it like so many others have but I'm glad we have a place to sit down we have a table to sit down at and uh and and talk each other off the legit while making fun of each other's there's a whole lot of as always this has been the iron table where iron sharpens iron so should men sharpen men and you know we look forward to seeing you in 2026 um if we don't you know because anything can happen we we we hope that we've been positive to you our listeners so one thing we always ask if you can or we don't even ask but we ask in now like subscribe but ultimately share because there's you you know somebody who needs to hear stuff like this some somebody who you know may be questioning themselves their value their like where they fit in this place and we're all in the same boat we might be looking out different sides but we're all trying to get in the same direction so again just like subscribe and share this has been Brian Keith Danny Steve well Danny's not here but he's here in spirit um and so we look forward again to seeing you in twenty twenty six.
SPEAKER_08:Until then peace
