Suicide Prevention Sat - How a pair of shoes can change your life

Oh, poof, it says I am live. Normally I like— I'm waiting for the thing to go, but no, not today. Um, all right, so I really don't know which clock I should believe because I had one that told me it was 11:59 or 8:59. Yeah, okay, I know what time frame I'm in. Not really, apparently. All right, so hi everyone, how are you? It is Saturday night, which means it is Suicide Prevention Saturday. Um, The Real Matt Murdock, verified user, um, cracks me up. Said, you said shoes, where, where is all the chicks? And it is sort of funny because like, you know, um, shoes, chicks often this is what happens is women talk about shoes. We love our shoes, all that fun stuff. And DJ, I apologize, I am not gonna use that link right now because I am a shiny squirrel. I'm in shiny squirrel mode. Um, all right, so yeah, so shoes, that is actually what I named this. And why did I name that? Well, because shoes are very important in the world, and I am trying to open up all the windows I was supposed to open up before I hit the go live button that I did not do. So there is also that as well. Um, and there we go. All right, so now I've got everything that I need because I can see all you on— where are we? Um, oh look, Carrie Anne is here. Um, I was just talking to Carrie Anne for real on live. Um, so say what To Live Moo says, I say shoes. Make all the difference. So where are we? Suicide Prevention Saturday. Why? Because as a gun owner, it's very important— yes, it is very important for us to know as gun owners that when people talk about gun deaths, 2 out of every 3 gun deaths are suicides. So if we actually want to save lives, we need to stop talking about guns and start talking about mental health. So that is it. Uh, yes, Mr. Ballinger is here, uh, as always. Uh, DJ, of course, uh, The Moog, which we already said. Tara Smith. Um, I know I don't sound as sexy as DJ when I say these things, but I'm trying, man. Uh, I'm trying to learn the proper, uh, what is this, uh, etiquette, YouTube etiquette. Uh, Mr. Krabby Turtle in here, uh, for, uh, 8:40. He's been sitting around for a long time. Um, so shoes— why are shoes life-changing? Well, I got a shoe story for you because I'm a girl, right? All right, so here's the deal. Um, I learned something new about 2 weeks ago. I finally went to the shoe store that my orthopedic surgeon said that I should go to. It is the Connecticut um, it's actually called the Connecticut Boot Company, I believe, and it's here right around the corner. I've probably been meaning to go there for close to a year, possibly more, because last year around this time I was on crutches still, and, um, my orthopedic surgeon had suggested this shoe place because he— she had gotten really good results there. Like, everyone who went there enjoyed the insoles that she— he would sell and that sort of stuff. So finally I went and I walk it. Now, for those of you know, I am in EMT training, so one of the things I have to do is go ride ambulances. And so I had to have boots for riding ambulances because I didn't have the proper boots. Uh, I had bought boots, but they seemed like they were too big for me, uh, 9.5. And when I went back to the place I bought them, they didn't have any other sizes. So I went to the boot company and I said to him, the boots I got are too big. I keep tripping over the toes and I need the right size boots. So he measures my feet and lo and behold, he believes I have the correct size boots. So he's like, I'm not going to sell you another pair of boots. I'm like, okay. He's like, you really do have the right size boots. I'm like, okay, but I'm tripping over the toes. And he tells me that so many people are wearing the wrong size shoes. So many people are going through life with their feet squished up, tiny, and uncomfortable, and they think it's because shoes are uncomfortable, when in actuality someone just gave them the wrong size shoes. So all my life I had thought I was a 9.5 women's. Turns out, no, this is not so. I am a 9.5 in men's, which makes me an 11 or 11.5 in women's. So how does knowing the right size shoe make a difference in my life? How does knowing the right size shoe make a difference in your life? Well, let's talk about the story just a little bit. Because there's more to it. I'm going to break this first part down. Having thought and tried to buy 9 or 9.5 women's shoes and always being uncomfortable in said shoes that as far as I knew were the right size has made shoe shopping a horrible experience for all of my life because I have hated it with a passion. So to have this man tell me that no, the 11s or the 9.5 men's are actually the correct size. And he's like, you just have to get used to it. So funny thing, all he had to do is tell me to get used to it, like the length of the shoe, and I'm not tripping up the stairs like I was originally. They're the same shoe, but someone else gave me information that made me think about something differently., and all of a sudden I can go shoe shopping and enjoy it. So how does that apply to mental health? I'm hoping you guys kind of are following what I'm putting down here, but it is amazing how many things we think we know, how many things we think are the normal, how many things we think are the way that it should be. And sometimes someone saying something to us makes us think about it, and then maybe we apply the thing that they told us. So I thought I had the wrong size shoes. He says, no, you have the right size shoes. I'm like, okay. And so I didn't really pay that much attention, but I wore the boots and I realized I'm not tripping up every single set of stairs. And so maybe because he told me that they are the right size I was able to understand that they were the right size. So guess what happened next? This is how one little thing can make a difference down the road. So that was about 2 weeks ago. Last weekend, a week ago, I was at Foxwoods Casino with my mom and my girlfriend Becky, and I went shoe shopping. It was amazing. When you actually look for the correct size shoe that you actually are supposed to wear, shoe shopping is so much easier. It's like I went to the ladies area, I picked out the 11s, and they fit. And I don't know, but I will have to say, never in my life has anything been as easy as shoe shopping last weekend? Because someone gave me something to think about, I applied what they told me to think about, I checked it out, and it did work. And yet I had hated shoe shopping all of my life because I was trying to fit myself into something that did not actually fit. And having that piece of information, I applying that piece of information and then working. Oh wait, hold on, ready? Hold on. I got my first set of cute shoes, right? They're fuzzy and stuff. And I'm super happy because they're cute and they're girly and I can wear them in different ways. All right, dudes, you can all just look away. But anyway, so I think they're adorable. You don't have to like them. But it's one of those things where the shoes and the knowledge of the person who knew more about my feet than I did, even though you would think since they're my feet, I would know, but I did not. So yes, they are cute and fluffy. Thank you, Mario. So wait, oh, sorry, wrong one. That's the one that says cute and fluffy. They are cute and fluffy and I love cute and fluffy. Who else did I miss? All right, I saw Barbecue say hi and he's fit thumbs up. Thank you for that. I do forget to ask for thumbs up. Oh, speaking of things I forget to do, hold on. Uh, ta-da! Since I don't have DJ in here— I mean, in here, in here. But anyway, so here's the deal: mental health and shoes. What? How do these cross over? I hope it's sort of obvious, but in case it's not, because things that you think are obvious to others are definitely not obvious to others, even though we think because they were obvious to us. All of my life I've struggled with something, the size of my feet. I thought I knew the size of my feet, and I did. I made many decisions based on what I thought. And here I have someone else who is a coach, I will call them that, who says, nope, that is incorrect. You've been living by a fallacy, a lie your entire life, and here's the truth. You're a size 11, not a size 9. And I took that and I made— it made such a huge difference. It was one little thing, one simple little thing where now I walk into the, the shoe store, I tried on one pair of sneakers and I bought that pair of sneakers. I walked into the boot store, I tried on one pair of boots and I walked out with that pair of boots. And it's how there are so many things in our life. It doesn't have to be your feet, but there are things that we think we know about ourselves. We think we know what is best for us. We think we know this is just how we are. And this is why two most powerful words in the world are "I am," because anything you say after I am is your truth. So this was not going to sound right when I say this. I am a women's size 9 was the lie that I didn't know was a lie. So this is also giving yourself the ability to understand that just because you think it's right and then you find it's right, you can still have grace for yourself, right? So I am a women's size 9 was the lie that I learned and taught myself. Because as far as I knew, that was the truth. Then I have a coach come in and say, hey, you're actually a size 11. And so now that I have that piece of information that I'm being able to apply to my life, something as simple or something that was as horrible for me as shoe shopping is now a blessing and spectacular and super duper easy. So That is how suicide prevention, mental health come together with shoe shopping, because you never know where your lessons are going to come from. Tara, for example, she's out on the road all the time. She gets to stop places, listen to people's conversations, all of these things. You never know what she's going to hear as she's going. DJ concerts all the time, music, Oh gosh, I know when I'm listening to music and lyrics and stuff, there's all sorts of little snippets that we will like, we'll catch, and it'll mean something different to me than it'll mean to you. But if we notice the things that happen around us and realize that life is happening for us, not to us, and we take the clues that come along, these are the things that make a difference in our lives. These are how we can get those little snippets that may make a big stinking difference, because going from 9 to 11 made my life so much bigger. So, um, it's one of those things. All right, so Mr. Ballinger has a question for us. Question for EMT training: scene is safe, how do I approach a suicidal person, stranger or a friend? So, so far I've gone on 2 ambulance rides, and I would say every EMT and paramedic that I have dealt with thus far treats everyone as their, as their friend. So much to the fact that when talking to the person, even though we know the person's name, they will call them by their name, my friend. So As far as I know, thus far in training, everyone's your buddy. You want that person to feel secure and calm regardless of what their issue is. Most of the stuff I've gone on so far are slips and falls. I've been to one motor vehicle accident. Yeah, there's others I'm not even gonna talk about yet. And so it, no matter which one of those things, it's just, it's okay, my friend, we will get through this. We will figure this out. We're gonna take you to the hospital. And that's how we talk to them. And for those of you who've not had EMT training, like, uh, when we're talking about scene safe, basically rule number one in EMT training is when you arrive on scene, you have to make sure you are safe. Because first, you verify that it's safe for you to enter the scene, whatever it is, whether it's the side of a road, someone's home, a park, wherever you're at. So you're being aware of what the scene looks like. I.e., if it's a motor vehicle accident and there's gas everywhere and fire, you don't go running into the fire. We leave that to the firemen to do that sort of thing. And the scene safe thing is definitely— this is where the cops come in and that sort of thing as well. You assess what's going on around you, you verify you're going to be safe before assisting someone else. So I can say for you, you verify it's safe for your partner, and voilà, that is scene safe. So, um, all right, so DJ, uh, I don't know where I was rambling when you put this. So the universal language, are we talking about— oh, music. I know, see, I don't even have to ask you. So music is the universal language because it is, because you can put a sheet of music in front of anyone who knows how to play an instrument and they can read the music. So it is really and truly, literally and figuratively, the universal music. Music is the universal language. And love, love is, is, and is not. Love is kind of funky in that the way that I love or the way that I express my love is not necessarily universal because everyone has a different way that they perceive things. It's sort of like respect in different cultures. Respect is shown differently. So there you have it, all 9 of you. Now you know what shoes, suicide, and mental health have in common. We never know where the little thing is that's going to make our life a little bit better or a little bit easier. We also have to be able to let go of anything that we believe, especially when we find out it is no longer serving us. And yes, somewhere in here, Tara, I know I saw you say that you and I have the same size feet, so you know, we'll have to do shoe collections and figure out which ones we like best. I do have some cute shoes though. Um, so I think that's everything. Uh, Mike, Carrie Anne, I think I said hi to everybody. Guns Barbecue, Tara, Too Light Moo. Did I say— wait, you wore shoes yesterday, not a fan. Well, I hope you live somewhere warm. I don't remember where everyone lives. Everyone else seems to remember where everyone lives. I'm in freezing cold— well, no, actually, I think Florida was colder than Connecticut last week or yesterday or something. We have got some crazy weather going on here, folks in America. Um, but yeah, given a choice, I definitely go barefoot as much as possible. However, to be fair, I like my new shoes. They are cute and fluffy, and I can wear them with or without socks, and it's just lovely. Um, oh yeah, and the buckle actually works so I can make them bigger and smaller. It's the little things. So, all right, so I appreciate y'all for showing up. Uh, I have no idea what next week will be. Um, gummy bears. All right, so the question is, what color— what's your favorite color gummy bear? There's so many good, good types. Um, so yes, gummy bears make some people's lives better. And that's it. Next week, I have no idea. I will post up though before— less than 3 hours before the show, because I know some of y'all love clicking that notification button so that you get notified when stuff is going up. So I will do my best to get better at that. You can thank DJ for trying to help keep me on track to actually post up because, uh, I don't know, it's been crazy. I don't know if y'all are happy that the holiday's over, but I am happy the holiday is over. December felt like whoosh and a whole lot of stuff. So, um, all right, that's it. So everybody now knows Mario likes yellow and red gummy bears. So now all I have to do is get an address for him and we'll just send them bags and bags of yellow and red gummy bears. I think that would be hysterical. And much more tasteful than a bag full of dildos, which is what happened to someone else that got doxxed. But we're not gonna go there. All right, good night all. I will see you next week as soon as I hit the end broadcast button.