Interviews with Dads - Ep. 4 - Shawn Morris

Hey, this is Townsend Russell with 100% Dad. On today's episode, we've got Shawn Morris of Hick Life fame. We're going to talk a lot about hunting. We're going to talk a little bit of a tragedy and sadness and, and what the month of September represents that I had no idea, and we need to make sure Everybody knows.

Here it goes.

Alright, so why don't you introduce yourself. Name, occupation, anything relevant to your life.

Uh, my name's Shawn and I am founder and creator of HickLife.com. Uh, we are an outdoor lifestyle brand that is geared towards all the stuff we love to do— hunting and fishing and muddin' and shootin' and outdoor country livin'. I personally am biased. I feel we got the hottest stuff on the planet.

And, uh, so do you sell like outdoor gear?

Yeah, just shirts. Yeah, shirts, hats. Yeah, just normal clothes, shirts, hats, decals, pop sockets. These just came in today. Um, pretty much just had an idea. You know, just, I mean, wanted to create something that gave us an opportunity to express how we love to live. You know, just had an epiphany and all that.

You were this way before the Hick Life brand?

Oh yeah, yeah.

And you just built the business around it?

Correct.

You didn't think of the business like, "Oh, I should probably live what I preach." No, no, no.

I was, I've been in the lifestyle, well, I always grew up like fishing and hunting with my granddad. My grandparents on my dad's side were from West Point, Virginia. Small town. West Point, Georgia.

Okay.

Yeah, West Point, Georgia. Real small town. And I spent a couple years with them as a kid, and they lived the lifestyle of necessity. You know, I remember going fishing if we weren't fishing the dam or wherever we were going out in the woods or whatever. I remember one day Granddad hit a jackrabbit, you know, with his car on purpose. Went in the trunk, we ate it, you know. Possum, same thing. Raccoon, all that stuff, because meat was expensive. And I hear like a dog sounds like it's running through my yard. I guess one of them must have went too far or whatever they're training or whatever, you know. And, um, so I sent my wife a message. I'm like, hey man, somebody, somebody there, you know. I mean, of course I didn't see anything for like 2 days after that, you know. Now, I mean, but she did, but not at the new spot. Um, she hasn't yet, but where I used to hunt in Hazelhurst. Yeah, okay. Yeah, you know, but actually, believe it or not, it's a house. It's a 3/2 house. Um, it's on 5 acres in the middle of 250 acres. That's the middle of 3,000 acres.

So you just kind of set up a feed spot on your 5 acres?

Oh, I got, I got the 3,000 acres is all planted pines. My spot's all hardwoods, so they're low and they're It's— I have about a 40-yard shot, which is— I've never shot, you know, never hunted that close at all. I'm all used to hunting soybean and cotton, which is like, you know, 200-yard, 250-yard shots, you know. So you can— we can sit here and have a conversation while we're hunting, you know. I mean, because there's so— I mean, you're such a far deal. And, um, so it's a different experience, like, you know, being that close, man. It's almost like bow hunting. It's perfect for bow hunting. I mean, because it's so close, but Like if you breathe wrong, you know, oh my God. I mean, if you— I mean, yeah, I mean, it's a whole different experience for me.

For some reason, you know, so much like the bighorn ones. Yeah, they are so much more aware.

Oh yeah, they don't get big by being— yeah, right.

Yeah, I mean, the does and the spikes and everything, like they'll eat in front of me, right? And it's like, I still itch my nose a little bit as long as I'm like— yeah, I have a leafy suit so I can— right, some movements. But like, they're staring at me the whole time, then they'll go down, eat, right? Because they know something's off, right? You know, and understand. But yeah. Bucks. I had one the other day. Like I said, I'm still learning hunting. So I heard something behind me. It's all hardwoods behind me. I got like kind of a cleared spot. Let's put it back in front of me. So I'm standing because the day's ending, so it's getting dark. So I go into a stand because I'm like, it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen the next 15 minutes. So I hear something in front of me, something behind me. So I turned around, I'm like looking behind me, trying to like listen real intent, and then freaking buck like 20 yards in front of me sneezes real loud. Oh, I didn't know they did that.

Oh, he— no, he probably winded you.

So I whipped my head around real quick. Of course, that movement, I just see a whitetail and his horns.

Oh no, yeah, he didn't sneeze. He winded you.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, so they blow when that happens. When they catch your scent, they'll blow or they'll snort. Yeah, I mean, they'll—

I mean, is that a warning to others?

Yeah, and then when they— if they throw their tail up too, flagging, you know. So yeah, yeah, it's to warn whoever, you know. Those will do it too and stuff like that. But yeah, yeah, if they catch you, yeah, they'll warn everybody sometimes. I mean, there's times where you— I won't see anything, I'll just hear pshh, you'll hear them, and then you'll hear them stomping, you know, and stuff. Yeah, yeah.

So yeah, so this weekend's last weekend of bow season.

Okay, I don't even know what's up with Florida. I've only hunted Florida like once.

So I've heard that Florida, like, if you can hunt deer in Florida, you can hunt deer anywhere because deer in Florida, well, hey, they're tiny, but they're super sensitive, I guess, to—

Yeah, I don't, I don't know. I think it depends on where you're at. I mean, if you're, if you're somewhere where they're accustomed to sound, that's fine. If you're somewhere where they're not accustomed, it's probably, you know, circumstantial based on their environment.

We're out in Bunnell, so we have a 12,000-acre tract, but we're surrounded by 15,000-acre St. Johns Water Management tract and like a whole bunch. I mean, you know, Bunnell, it's Yeah, that whole area is, um, if you take 11 down—

yeah, I had a place out in the Mondex for a while, uh, Daytona North.

Okay. Yeah, um, so it's out in that area, which is just all wilderness. I mean, right, probably 100,000 acres out there. Yeah, so that's where we're at. But, um, hey, I mean, camera catches them all the time, right? Me Like this weekend I went out every evening and I mean every single evening, like right as it gets dark, the big bucks come out.

How soon before dark do you go out?

So I get out there usually around 5:00 if I'm gonna hunt.

Okay. So you get like 2, 3 hours in.

Yeah. So once I went out there, like, cause they, I've gotten them on camera like at noon, at 4:00, at like all these different times. But so once I got out there like 3:30 and sat, Well, you know, it was a little hot, so, right, I think I'll just wait because I didn't see anything till like 6:00. Um, so yeah, so now I just get out there at 5:00.

What about in the morning?

Um, I've done some mornings. I don't see as much action in the morning. Oh really? Yeah, the cameras will catch them, but, um, so I'm this weekend, I'm gonna, I guess, as much as, uh, Ryan will let me, right? Uh, my wife. So we'll see. They were out of town this one. They were up in, uh North Carolina, uh, start to the P. I have crap, I can't remember. Whatever national forest, they're scattering her grandma's ashes.

Oh, okay.

So I stayed behind and we had a weekend of hunting in.

Right.

I almost stepped on a massive water moccasin.

Oh, really?

Like 7 foot long. Like, wow, massive. Like, I mean, the thickness was like my forearm. Oh yeah, like If it wanted, it could have eaten me, right? And it was right behind my stand because I decided instead of walking in front, I decided to kind of sneak behind in the woods and come through. That way I didn't leave a scent trail, right? See how that played out. So I take a step and I see something move like within probably 2 feet of me. Well, see something big kind of go away just a little bit. It moves like a foot or two and stops. I'm like, that is a big Wow. Snake. He clear mouthed. I got pictures of it.

He's, uh, snake boots and stuff.

I did after that. Yeah. So I don't have the snake boots. I have regular like, um, Ariat boots. And I, a lot of times when I'm out there because it's a little wet, it hasn't been raining lately, it's dried out, but I would wear like the knee-high rubber boots. But I got some snake shin guards.

So when you walk out, what are you walking out in, these Ariats? Uh, see, the Ariats or the black rubber boots, like the leather Ariats and stuff.

Yeah, leather, they have rubber bottoms.

Okay. Yeah, it's leaving scent everywhere.

Is it?

Yeah. What happens is it comes through everything that goes, and it's— black rubber or some— yeah, some good hunting boots. It's, um, you know, they're like Snakebite boots. They're just usually rubber-lined. Yeah, they're like a thick material.

Like canvas?

No, they're like a, like almost like a neoprene, like a wetsuit type material. Oh really? Yeah, yeah, they're thick. Academy has them, probably Dick's would probably have them. I think I got mine from Academy. They'll ask like—

I'm not allowed to shop at Dick's, they don't sell guns anymore.

I know, that's crazy. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, Academy has them for sure.

I think we have one of those in Jacksonville somewhere.

Yeah, there is. But yeah, that, that's, that definitely helps if you walk out there and, and boot, because, you know, I mean, as you come down, you're— the air, it just, it just leaves a trail.

I'm just thinking about the snake now. So I went in there with a mower. I cleared some wide paths for myself just because I'm like, right, that's the second time I almost stepped on a snake, and that thing was—

yeah, I almost killed—

I was thinking about kill it. I'm like, if I'm gonna hunt this area, right, I'm not sure I want that thing living.

But yeah, I talked to it.

I just— we made an agreement. I'm like, listen, you don't kill me, I don't kill you.

Yeah, they don't bother you unless you— because they know they can't eat you. Yeah, you know, if you step on them, they'll probably hit you. But you know, definitely snake boots are important for that reason. But also, but also, you know, scent-wise, because you're leaving a trail, you're leaving a footprint everywhere you go if you're wearing Ariats.

I thought because I had the rubber soles, I mean, can I spray down with, um, that field spray?

Yeah, no, that stuff helps but they can smell it. They can smell it. Rubber boot would be better than—

I think that's what I was wearing, those boots. Yeah, because for a while I had to wear those rubber boots because that, like, there was some wetland that I go through, um, and I mean, like, I mean, it'd go like high ankle on me, right? Sit down, sit down in some spots. Yeah. So like, boots weren't an option.

Those are better. Yeah. And I still spray down.

But even then, my jeans and my, you know, my leafy— so I wear like jeans and a leafy suit over that, like a—

right. Now what do you do for prepping of your clothes?

I've got some like dryer set things, right? And then I spray the hell out of it.

But do you, you wash them in your normal washing machine? They use the scented stuff?

Yeah, I don't know if we use scented stuff or not, but yes, it's actually like the honey and stuff. I don't think I've washed it all season. I just—

yeah, you're better off like like either hand washing or just hanging it outside or sticking in the freezer. Just like dedicate those pair of jeans because, you know, freezer kills out all bacteria. I'm just saying, I'm just saying this is for cleanliness purposes.

I'm not gonna be married. Um, does not kill germs.

Huh?

Freezer doesn't kill germs.

Yeah, it'll help like bacteria and stuff.

Oh, you know, that's why you still have to wrap all your meats and everything separate because germs will survive.

What? I don't know.

Freeze. They slow down.

Yeah.

They're not active, not breeding, but—

I feel like my role as a dad is to kind of provide, you know, provide knowledge for my kids best I can while they're young. And, um, they're still relatively young.

You're getting to the older ages where you're really— I feel like, at least, I don't know how I'm going to be then, but we'll figure it out then. But like, it's less— like, you're more controlling in the beginning, then you have to start to kind of like release some freedom and more guidance than like dictatorship.

Yeah, it's still a dictatorship though. Yeah, my house, my rules. But yeah, you're right.

I feel like, go out and do some stupid—

like my older daughter, she used to tell me, because I'm— I mean, I know I'm repeating myself several times, but we used to bump heads quite a bit.

And, uh, we don't know how much of this audio we recorded, so this might be fresh, right?

Okay. But yeah, we used to bump heads quite a bit, so She used to tell me, she's like, "Daddy, you won't be able to handle when I'm 18 and I move out." You know, and I was like, "Oh, you don't understand. Like, I want you to go." Not that I want you to go, but I said, "You need to go out and get your nose bloodied," you know, and that sort of thing, and take the hits on the chin to understand, so you understand what, you know, that your parents are your own true allies in life. You know, I mean, I feel like as Parents, you know, like, you know, we're the ones that will take the bat for our kids and take that bullet for our kids, and we just want nothing but the best for your kids. That doesn't always mean giving it to them, but it means teaching them how to fish versus giving them a fish. So with my boys, I'm trying to teach them how to fish.

Let them experience consequences.

Right, yes, yeah. But most people that get breast cancer are older.

Yeah.

Prostate cancer, definitely, that only affects guys.

Yeah.

You know, and most guys don't get it until their 40s or 50s. Right. You know, and I would trade my life at 45 right now to save my daughter's life for sure, in a heartbeat, you know, and feel like I've had a good life even though I've never— I haven't accomplished anything I want to. But she didn't even get a fraction of what, right, we've experienced in life, you know. I mean, so, you know, I think there needs to be more awareness for that. And what happens on social media, myself included, before we started donating to St. Jude's, even though they turned her down, they would not take—

so I've heard St. Jude's a lot, and they're— are they kids only?

Yeah, kids only. Okay. But they turned her down.

Really?

Yes.

Yeah.

Because I— and I was very mad at St. Jude's.

That I've heard. Because they get funded well, I would assume.

Yeah.

Because that's a popular name.

Yeah. And I can't—

I can't— are they like— I can't agree with all of 4%.

I can't agree with, um, you know, some of their narrative either, from being on the inside looking out. Um, I don't know if I have any factual evidence. I feel like I do. Um, but I mean, you know, their commercials are geared towards more towards, you know, they don't—

well, they're fundraising.

Yeah, they don't take— they don't tell you that, you know, the image we got is that everybody's accepted. Well, we applied So sorry, you're not acceptable. What do you mean? Well, we don't have anything for your daughter. What do you mean? You guys do all kinds of stuff. Well, you know, she's too high risk. But, but you guys say in your ads that no one's ever turned away. No, no, we say no one's ever turned away for the inability to pay, you know. So it's kind of shitty. That's all I mean. Yeah, you know, that's, that's how I feel. I'm not— and they've done a lot of good, don't get me wrong.

Yeah. You know, I see it from both sides.

The other option is— other thing I noticed, they say, you know, 1 in 5 kids won't make it. The number is much higher than that.

Really?

Yes. Because what happens is we had one that's unfortunately— because like the little boy Wyatt, which my wife and her mom became really good friends at the hospital. He was 4 years old, passed away. Well, because he didn't die from AML, he died from complications fighting for his life. They don't count that as dying from cancer, so it doesn't count. But that's a, that's a weighted average. I mean, so that's not fair. Yeah, no, because that's— I mean, if you're not— so if you're fine, if, if that caused the illness and the treatment is what kills you, but if you never had the illness, the treatment wouldn't— and so it's like chicken or egg. So why can't we be transparent with that? So I think they want to show that we're making progress, but really we're not making as much progress as we're needing. So they want the people to feel that their donations are making, yeah, making a big difference. And I'm not saying they're not, but you know, because you still want that fundraising because it does, right, assist, right? I mean, so, you know, I mean, and I, you know, I, I just, it's, it's frustrating from this perspective. But yeah, our goal is to do a lot more. We want to raise awareness, eventually get to a point where we can cover funeral expenses, and then get to a point where maybe we can even lobby for more money, you know, for awareness. Because I mean, shit, we all were kids. Why can't, why can't kids get more than less than 4%?

Remind me next September, like send me a message or something.

Okay, well, she has a fan page too. We posted on there.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, literally never heard that before.

Yeah, I had no idea. I mean, so I did that up in, up in Pennsylvania. We had a group of people that came up, they all had their pink ribbons on and stuff, or one was purple for autism and stuff. I thought, that's cool. I said, do you know what this month is? They're like, September, Fair Week. Yeah, I was like, yeah, it is cool. I said, but you know, so you see that girl in that shirt right there? That was my daughter. So she passed away. Says child cancer awareness. And I'm not doing that to make you guys feel bad or anything like that, but it's a You know, it's real. I said, but you know, I feel like as a parent we need to— we need more people to realize what September is and that kids are out there dying and fighting.

I'm surprised St. Jude hasn't taken advantage of that, like had huge campaigns.

Well, I mean, but the problem is, and we were guilty of it, commercials would come on TV and change the channel because, oh man, I can't watch that, it's so hard. But you know what, we gotta watch it because just because you change the channel doesn't mean it doesn't happen. So when you're scrolling through that feed and you see a little bald-headed kid, it's fighting for their life. Don't be like, oh shit, I can't look at that. No, read that story. Hey, it is super sad, you know.

I mean, especially if you have kids, because you just don't want to think about it.

I mean, I mean, you know, kids, my kids included, I want to be a firefighter, a doctor, a police officer, all this stuff, you know. McKinley told me, she's like, Daddy, I just want to live. Yeah, you know. I mean, so it's just like, I mean You know, I mean, it's just, you know, it's different on this perspective. I do have to— I don't know if this will be in your— in the podcast, but I do have to give a huge thank you, uh, to Tom Coughlin. You know, uh, he consults with the Jaguars. He used to manage the Jaguars, but he has a thing called the J Fund, which we're a part of, and he invites people in this area that lost children to Childhood Cancer, and, you know, they do a thing, you know, they help us out paying our bills during this time, you know, they cover a couple mortgage payments for us. So, I mean, such a great, amazing person, what he's done. And he created that because one of his students when he coached high school football died from leukemia, Jay McGillis, and he created a thing called J Fund based off that, you know. So, um, we go up there once a year and we're around other families that have lost kids to cancer. They do got a dad's group and a mom's group, and it's, uh, we're part of a club that no one ever wants to be a part of. Yeah, but you know, it really helps for coping.

And I would assume that's really tough on a marriage.

Oh man, it's, um, if you have any—

yeah, I'd be surprised if like most marriages make it through that.

Most of them don't. Um, but like what we talked about this in the guys group this time was that, um, what some of the guys said, if you have any, any inkling— I don't know what's the real word— but any, any, um, any issues of a not strong marriage, you definitely, you definitely won't make it, you know. And one of the guys' whole thought process is that Well, most of the people I talked to were having issues beforehand anyway, so if you're not strong beforehand, is it really, you know, that? And I said, well, I'll tell you what, I mean, you can make it if you have issues, if you work it out, but I can tell you, I think this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back, you know. I mean, for sure, because the stress level is just ridiculous, and it's no one's fault.

That— no, just in the coping. Yeah, like, because I can imagine, like, it You obviously, you don't want that to happen, but if that were to happen, like, I would probably bury myself at work. Yeah. And my wife would want me there just holding her all day long.

Yeah.

And I would not want to do that.

Yeah, my wife's a little different. She doesn't talk about it much. Uh, we talk occasionally, but there's times, man, there's like times where, you know, I'll just— I'll be having a crappy day and just, you know, you're just crying for— I mean, obviously for obvious reasons, but it's just like, you know, and I could tell she doesn't know what to do and that sort of thing, and there's nothing that fixes the situation, you know. So it's challenging, it's very taxing, you know, when having, you know, probably like I said earlier, ADD type deal. Even, even when I sleep, it's hard to get rest sometimes because your mind's always racing and, you know, it's just, oh, it's, you know, it's, uh, 4 years, that's still super fresh, you know, that. But then you have to shift gears I mean, it's like being bipolar too, because I have to be— I have to be a parent to my other kids.

Sarah was 17. Yeah, I mean, yeah, 9 and 6 or something.

Yeah, I mean, so you still have to go through the motions of somewhat normal parenting, because if you're always in that funk, even though you are inside— so even though we suffered in silence with her being sick, with her not here, we're still suffering at least I'm still suffering in silence because you have to be that, you know, the kids, let's go to skate park type deal. Unless, you know, you can't always be mopey because then all you're doing is breeding depression on your kids, you know. I mean, it's, man, it's a lot of weight.

Uh, I guess for a question with before and after, like, were you Christian before or after? Were you like Jewish or, I don't know, um, I don't know, you're—

if you're— yeah, I mean, God or anything. I mean, I was, I was raised religious.

Um, what's your religion? Southern Baptist, I assume? Southern Baptist, because you're in the South.

Yeah, non-denominational. Okay, it'll be easier that way. Um, but I, I would say I'm, I'm probably in limbo with stuff because I assume an event like that just really causing the question. Yeah, it caused you to question everything. And what irks me the most, and I don't know how much of my Facebook you've seen or on her page or any of that stuff. What gets me the most, and I don't know whoever this may hit home to, or even if it makes the cut, if it doesn't, it's fine too. But you know, if you know somebody that's lost a loved one, a child, especially a child to cancer or whatever, I personally feel the worst thing to ever tell somebody is that God need another angel angel, you know. Um, I've heard that so many times it makes me want to vomit, you know. And if you're a believer, if you've ever seen your child suffer through cancer, you would know that there is no way that that was done because they needed another angel. There's no— there's no way on this face.

I don't think a lot of them— they don't know what to say. I mean, I'm sitting here with you, I don't know what to say.

Yeah. And that's what me and my wife talk about that sometimes. And I think it's just people just want to show that they care, but those words, man, are super important just because of the fact that it's such a sensitive issue for most, and it is for me. But I mean, it's just, you know, I mean, it's just, I don't know, it's hard. It's challenging. Or the other one we get is, "Oh, we know how you feel. I lost my grandfather." Are you serious? Like, I mean, like, seriously? Like, you know how it is? Because your grandfather was 98 and my daughter was 13, right? You know, where she looks at you and says, Daddy, I don't want to die. And it's like, okay, we got this kid, you know? And like, I mean, I don't know, and I hate to be cynical about it, but there's truth to it. There is truth to it, you know?

I'm just being, you know, like I said, that's probably that dad group, like you said, the J Fund, like that dad's group and that mom's group.

Oh yeah, and we talk about, then it comes up, and I'm not just the only parent that feels that way. It's just like, you know, it's just, I mean, and I think it's, I think part of it's the connection. People are trying to connect, they want to show you that they care, that sort of thing.

But, and legitimately, just talking about it, because I mean, like, we kind of, I don't know if it got cut out or not, um, uh, you don't even know if you want to talk about it. Like, do we ignore it? Do we talk about it? Do we cry with you? Do we just focus on the positive? Do we focus on the negative?

Like, I mean, I talk, you know, I don't mind sharing it because that's the only way we're ever going to make a difference. Um, everybody's different. Some people are more reserved. Yeah, you know, I mean, um, you know, there's times I can talk about like this where I feel okay. There's times where I talk about it and I'm just like, you know, where it's, you know, not now. Probably feel bad like the next couple of days because the emotional roller coaster.

Like, I'm like getting close to like— I never cried. I'm getting like close to tears. I didn't even know your family.

It's I mean, it's just, it's sad, you know. It's awful. I mean, it's an awful thing. But, you know, it's just not her. But there's kids that are, you know, there was one of the parents, I mean, had lost a child to leukemia. Now they lost— they've lost two, and they have two more kids. It's genetic in their family. And so now they're worrying about their other two kids. They've lost two. I'm sure they get those kids tested, like, you know. I mean, but, but it's like, so it's not just her. It's not just my kid is what I'm saying, right? You know, it's, it's all kids that are— yeah, I mean, and that's what, that's what you realize, I guess, how it is. Because, you know, the selfish part of me will say, you know, it's my— I lost my, my kid. But there's not just Wyatt, it's other kids that have lost that, you know, that we've, we've seen come and go through this process, you know, where they need more than 3.85% 75%. Yeah, you know, I mean, why is breast cancer number one and prostate cancer number two? You know, I mean, well, guess who's in Congress? Most older males. Yeah, I mean, so it's unfortunate.

Maybe I'm wrong for saying that, but that's the way I view it because, you know, I mean, so that's the goal of the, uh, the Kelly Rainey Foundation is to bring awareness to the fact that there is childhood There's fundraising for childhood cancer.

That exists. Some things need to be changed.

It's just a not talked about thing.

Yeah, we push for T-cell therapy and stuff now. T-cells becoming more, more of a— I don't want to say mainstream, but more accepted. Um, it's where they use your own cells, uh, to fight against it, or they, they actually use HIV to fight it. They reprogram the HIV virus so you never get AIDS. You know, um, where it fights and eliminates all cancer. That's interesting. Oh yeah, oh yeah, this is where it's amazing. But it's— yeah, uh, is leukemia a kid thing?

Like, do adults get it?

Yeah, adults get it, but usually it's CHL in adults, which is chronic leukemia, which it means long-term, you know. So usually in adults it's CHL.

Okay, you know, so like you're a carrier for that, like he's gonna hit early.

They say it's not genetic, but Then they have that one, but both their kids. So supposedly it's not genetic, you know, but as parents, when our kids get sick, they don't know. They know pesticides cause it, uh, they know fluoride. I think fluoride might be linked to it, possibly, um, fluoride, possibly, maybe, um, but I know pesticides.

Like, I remember my sister, like my little sister, I didn't get them for summer.

Oh, I got fluoride as a kid.

Yeah, fluoride. Yeah, because we had well water. Yeah, they're like, oh, you're not getting enough.

South Florida, we used to get Florida every week in school.

Yeah, we got it.

It was like $7 for the whole year or something.

No, wait, my sister got it. I don't think I got it. There's a little purple pill.

I remember that. Oh, we get it. This was, uh, like a little can of a little cup of those, like, Swish. Yeah, like mouthwash. We, we know that what we went through, and I'll tell you what, the day-to-day struggles of being a parent to multiple kids, to having your kids sick to life still goes on. I had the IRS come visit me, Florida State Revenue, for not paying my quarterly taxes because I didn't, I didn't give a shit. I cared about her surviving. That was not priority. So they sent their nasty grams and calls and all the stuff, and I just, it just, it wasn't, it just never registered, you know. And I get a— they actually sent somebody to the house, you know, and I think I ran, ran to pick up her prescriptions or something And then I called when I got back because McKinley was there, and, um, and I said, oh, well, we see that you're going through some stuff. Yeah, I told you guys that. And it took them seeing her without her hair, you know.

Oh, so you had told them?

Yeah.

Okay.

You know, and all that stuff. And, you know, it was just like, I mean, and they, they did a forbearance and all that stuff, and it was just, you know, I mean, you talk to the mortgage companies and say, hey, you know, like We lost half our income and now my wife's not working and all this stuff, and they don't— their life goes on. Yeah, you know, I mean, so we understand what other parents are having to deal with, you know.

Well, then like, you think like your friends and other family, they have to continue their lives as well.

Yeah, I mean, so it's, you know, it's multifaceted. Um, like I said, you know, if I can leverage my Hicklife company to do a lot of exposure, which I do. I do tie it in there as well. It's a, it's a win-win. Um, I look at, you know, that sort of thing. Um, that's why I do the, the little, uh, I don't know if you've seen the promotions we do on Facebook, the little people can donate their birthday to a foundation on Facebook.

I see little bits here and there.

Yeah, on somebody's birthday it says, you know, would you like to donate your birthdays to a foundation if you Oh yeah, yeah.

See, I've seen a couple people do that.

Type in like McKinley Rain, M-A-K-I-N-L-E-Y, it comes— it's 501, so it comes up, you know. So we get people that donate that way. So we get checks in the mail, which is cool, goes right to their, to their foundation account. And, you know, TDC— or not TDC, but the bank by, by Steve Collins, TD Bank. TD Bank. Yeah, I was going to call it TDC. Um, now You know, we have a little bit of money in there, you know, so we're trying to slowly, well, or quickly grow it to do more, you know.

Um, so yeah, yeah, it's probably gonna take some, some big corporate sponsorships to really get like national awareness.

Yeah.

I mean, for awareness-wise, but I think, you know, I think we can, I mean, like breast cancer was able to do with the NFL, like wearing the pink gloves like that, that brought so much because then everyone started asking why they were people are allowed to wear pink now, right? Um, like, I remember my father-in-law— well, my son-in-law— that was for Breast Awareness Month, and everyone just kind of sat around for a little bit like, what? Yeah, there's Cancer Awareness Month.

Yeah. So I mean, that's, that's the goal, is to, you know, try to do something big on that because, you know, I mean, I don't know, if we can make this world a little bit better than how we found it, it's a beautiful thing.

It's nice to have an impact.

Yeah, it really is. You know, we're here for just a flicker, you know, when you think about it.

So I think, is there anything else you want to throw out there, dad related?

I would like to say there, if anybody wants to check it out, uh, if they type in McKinley Rain, that's M-A-K-I-N-L-E-Y Rain on YouTube, we have a documentary video that was shot by Nicolette Productions, which is my niece. She's a film major from Flagler. But, um, it's a very hard video to watch. But it's truth. You know, it's truth. You know, um, so yeah, check it out. And, um, you know, so yeah. Alright, cool.

You guys check out Hick Life.

Yeah, if you get a chance, check out hicklife.com.

Now you gotta tell me how to get a big buck, 'cause that's what we get left with.

You gotta get some rubber boots.

I can wear my like, my $20 waders, what do you call those?

Yeah.

Okay, well that's a wrap. That was Shawn Morris of Hick Life and Townsend Russell of 100% Dad, of course, because it's my podcast. Listen guys, I want everyone to know September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It's something I didn't know before. I talked to Sean, uh, it definitely doesn't get the publicity of other cancers, uh, and, and, and that's a big deal. Um, so let's let everyone we know know that September is in fact Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. If you're able to support the Mikaylee Rain Foundation, uh, and you can find Sean Morrison, HIC Life, and that foundation of course online, uh, uh, Facebook, I think they have a big presence on. So, uh, again, thanks for tuning in. This is Townsend Russell with 100% Dad.