Fractured
Fractured, embracing our imperfections.
We all are fractured one way or another mentally or physically.I want this to be a away of coming together and embracing each other through telling my story, there stories , speakers , interviews and so on.
Fractured
Defining Heroes: A Personal Journey
Ever wondered what it truly means to be a hero? Join me on a journey through history and personal reflection as we recount a day spent at the Titanic exhibit in Orlando, where I was captivated by the bravery of the ship's musicians. We use this experience as a lens to explore heroism, examining the complex nature of admiration and the pitfalls of putting people on pedestals. From childhood memories of idolizing an abusive father to redefining what makes someone a hero, this episode covers the gamut of human resilience and courage.
We'll also dive into the story of Joby Thomas, a man known for leading a double life as a long-distance truck driver. Through his tale and my personal experiences, we uncover the essence of true heroism, celebrating the often-overlooked strength and resilience of the women in our lives. As we approach a milestone of 500 downloads, I’m thrilled to announce an exciting giveaway of merchandise, including hats, patches, and even little green aliens. Let’s connect and make this happen together, and remember, always be good to one another.
Remember, be good to one another
Hey folks, this is your host, patrick, the green chubby alien, you know, the one with brain trauma. This is where we confront the ups and downs of life. It's like therapy, without all those silly licenses and certifications. Well, guys, I thought we'd do something a bit different today and not follow the script as much. I wanted to tell you about our day trip that wife and I took the other day in Orlando. I don't get out that much anymore because of the mobility problems since the accident with the head problems and the neck and the leg I don't get to do much. But we were able to go into Orlando and do a bit of a day trip on iDrive to the Titanic exhibit. It was worth the time. For us it was $24. It took about two hours to see everything. I believe they said they brought up about 300 pieces from the ocean floor. I'll be posting pictures on my Facebook page. I don't want to post all of them because I don't want. I mean, I want to make it worth your visit if you're able to make it over there. So once again, if you're in the area, I do encourage you to get over there. I know you're probably wondering what I'm trying to get at. It's a couple things. When you go there you're going to hear a few stories about bravery and heroism that were not mentioned in that big movie or any of the documentaries Some of them were. One of them is worth retelling because it's true that one about the orchestra playing until the ship went down is true, they did play, unfortunately, you know, until the ship went down is true, they did play, unfortunately, you know, until the ship went down. Little did you know they were not employed by White Star Line, but they were employed by the passengers of the second tier, the passengers of second class. And on display is a clarinet, some sheet music and a little leather pouch with six reeds that were found at the bottom of the ocean. I don't know if you know how small a reed is, but it's not much bigger than a toothpick and they found six of them at the bottom of the ocean. Simply amazing. This and so many other small artifacts are on display there. I really believe you're going to enjoy seeing this and some of the stories that are told and the pictures and stuff. You're really going to enjoy. I believe it's going to be worth you visiting. Again. I don't get paid for telling you this, but I hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Today I've decided to touch on heroism, hero worship, putting people up on pedestals and the repercussions of that behavior. But before I do that, I'd kind of like to share a little bit about me as a small boy and my hero. It's probably going to sound crazy to you, knowing what you know about me so far, but the only hero I ever had as a boy was my dad. I idolized that guy. I used to try and comb my hair like him. I used to try and dress like him. I only listened to the music that he listened to, which, by the way, was either Elvis or truck drive music. And yes, of course my dad was abusive. Of course my dad was abusive. We've gone over that. But my dad had some kind of magical power about him.
Speaker 1:This guy could really end like a largemouth bass. He had a smile and he had charisma. I mean, it was like Jim Jones. This guy had a charisma about him. He had to. He was married eight times. That I knew about. He had something about him. Jovi is what people called him Jovi Thomas. He was a long-distance truck driver. He had jet black hair, slick back. He wore dress clothes when he drove truck. I could never figure that out when I was a kid until I got older and then I realized he had other families on the road. Well, that's just a little taste of the fugitive for now. Fugitive, that was a CB handle and from now on that's what he'll be called on this podcast.
Speaker 1:Heroes what makes a hero? What would you consider to be a hero? I find that to be a good question. I mean, what was the hero you had as a child? What's the hero you have now? Has it changed over time? That's a question I've asked myself so many times. I've spent quite a bit of time researching this before this podcast and during this podcast. I wanted this podcast to be special because it's on my birthday and this subject matter has been near and dear to me, because it's changed so many times over the years to me. My opinion has changed so many times. Uh well, let's just put it in perspective. 10 years ago, I was such an angry person, I was so bitter at the world, mainly because of my daughter's health situation, I guess.
Speaker 1:Uh, that word hero it gets used way too often. I feel this to me, that word hero, in my eyes it's like a platinum edition word. It should be wrapped in cellophane, put in a box and only pulled out on super rare occasions. And only pulled out on super rare occasions. In my mind it's like a visitor from another planet should be pulling it out. But that's me, you know, that's my opinion. This word should be reserved for people like those who managed to walk out of those horrible death camps run by Nazis in World War II, or maybe a woman who was soaked in gasoline, set on fire, then managed to stay alive for months to testify against her boyfriend, who could not do, you know. So this person couldn't do it to anybody else again.
Speaker 1:That's a hero, not a guy taking steroids and breaking baseball records. You know that's not a hero. Certainly not John Wayne who don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the guy's movies, loved his movies. But this man didn't serve one day in the military movies. But this man didn't serve one day in the military. Heroes to me are guys like Audie Murphy, most decorated soldier in World War II, you know, battlefield commissions. Guys like Ted Williams, who left a stoic baseball career to fight in World War II and then come back to his career to fight in World War II and then come back to his career. Men like Jimmy Stewart, great actors who went on to military careers and then back to his acting career, lee Marvin, who was there at D-Day, charles Bronson, who flew over Europe. It goes on and on. Those were heroes.
Speaker 1:We got to be careful about idol worship. We need to be careful, you know, who we idolize. Certainly about religious leaders we have to be careful about. You know, sooner or later they'll let us down. You know why. They're human. That's why, looking back at my childhood now, I think I'm guilty of looking through rose-colored glasses, just like the song says. I never thought too much about my mom and her role.
Speaker 1:If anything, I stayed mad at my mom after my dad left. I probably blamed her for him leaving. I know that's pretty stupid of me now, but that was my world back then. My dad left us. He came in and out of our life periodically, dropping $20 or $30 on a little kid, and that would pretty much make us forget about what mom was doing on a daily basis for us. You know, pretty stupid. All we do is think about. You know, dad, this was the 70s. Mom was raising four boys on her own. You know dad would show up once or twice a year, drop 20 or 30 bucks and we'd get that gleam in our eye and that was all it took. A lot of times we were on our own because she worked multiple jobs. Things were rough. I hated it, I, I hated her, and it's fair to say now that feeling probably stayed in my belly for years. Even though I had a relationship with my mom, it wasn't much of a relationship. It certainly wasn't nurturing.
Speaker 1:Years later, after raising two kids of my own, one of them being very ill, my mother and I became closer, I can say, especially once we moved back from Florida, from New Hampshire. We shared this odd, strange sense of humor. Heck, my brothers do as well. My older brother, andy God rest his soul was the strangest of humor. Heck, my brothers do as well. My older brother, andy God rest his soul was the strangest of all. But Jack and I and Richie and I, we all have the same twisted sense of humor.
Speaker 1:Mom has passed on now and I would have never imagined it. It was going to hurt this bad and last this long, but it does and I imagine it's going to continue. I guess, looking at it now, all my heroes have always been the women of my life my daughter for the way she carries herself through her battle with cystic fibrosis and cancer. My buddy, my sister in New Hampshire. The giver that's all I have to say about this woman. My wife, who somehow manages all my and my daughter's worlds the rock. My mother-in-law Babs Somehow manages all my and my daughter's worlds the Rock. My mother-in-law Babs who ironed out all the dents and made me a man. And, of course, my mother. I'm still crazy. I love you, ma.
Speaker 1:You know, on Facebook you get these little reminders past memories. Well, I have one pop-up from May 24th of 2016 I'd like to share with you. I'm so thankful for being raised by parents who taught us the value and importance of everything us the value and importance of everything. I'm so thankful for being raised by parents who taught us the value. I'm repeating myself, I apologize.
Speaker 1:Today, I went out to my humble little garden and I picked some beautiful red tomatoes. I'll make a nice tomato and mayonnaise sandwich Plus. I cut up some collard greens and I tossed them in a pot with some leftover ham and some chicken stock. When this is done, I shall feast like a king and possibly even shed a tear, remembering our gardens from when we were much younger and had to do it Collard greens and cornbread in a cast iron skillet and a dab or two of hot sauce, and the world is right again. I don't think anything could be more true than that statement. Today, I can guarantee you this my next move, I'll have a field out back and the first thing I'll do once I'm settled is till up some land and plant a garden and it'll be mama's garden and plant a garden, and it'll be Mama's garden.
Speaker 1:Now, moving on to dealing with some baggage, I had a conversation this week with Brother Goose. It was a good conversation. We try to touch base as often as we can. We actually had a conversation just a few minutes ago. He was wishing me a happy birthday. We go out to dinner about once a month. The last conversation we had we were discussing the podcast, how it was going.
Speaker 1:We try not to get too personal. We agree we both take responsibility for the men. We are now Not my mom or dad that take for the men. We are now Not my mom or our dad that take control of who we are now. And of course, we have character traits and still have monsters under the bed. But we talk about it and deal with it and our. You know the monsters that are in our past. He's three and a half years younger than me and he sees things a little bit different than me and we love and support each other, just like my older brother. We all agree on that. We all miss our older brother, andy, who's gone way too soon and Lord knows, he had his own monsters that he had to deal with.
Speaker 1:I have good days. I have bad days. Lucky for me, the good days are more often now. Psychologically, I know I'm not healed, probably never will be. I suffer from a chemical imbalance and my accident made that situation much worse. But I'm getting there. I'd love to know who your heroes are people. Please share your stories with me. I'd also love to know what works for you. What calms a savage beast, helps you find your middle ground? In news closer to home, this alien will be transported again to Area 51 soon. They're going to be removing some of the hardware they put in this alien last year and they'll be pulling the muscles together that they apparently torn away from the metal structure in my neck. It sounds like a good time and a possible podcast from the facility if it works out right. This is all tentative, scheduled for the end of June, but I'll keep you updated on social media.
Speaker 1:This episode has been structured or should I say deliberately unstructured as a bit of an experiment. I'm trying to loosen things up a little bit, not necessarily always have things exactly the same way. I would like to leave you with a few alien jokes, if you don't mind. What did the alien say to the garden? Well, of course, take me to your weeder. The aliens say to the garden Well, of course, take me to your weeder. What Jedi can you eat? Well, of course it's Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know they're terrible, but you know you got to start somewhere.
Speaker 1:I want to tell you, folks, that this was my birthday podcast. Yes, it's different from others. I don't know if you enjoyed it or not. I just wanted to change the structure up. I did start a new group on Facebook, friends of a Fractured with Patrick the Alien. Feel free to join that group. There'll be polls on there. You can let me know if you like the way it's going. You can let me know if you don't.
Speaker 1:I'm going to try and make this thing work the best I can. Once I hit 500 downloads, I'm going to start giving things away. I think we're almost at 200 right now, so the faster we get there, the faster I start giving stuff away. I have a lot of stuff coming in. I've got hats, I've got aliens, I've got patches, I've got cups, tumblers, little green aliens. I've got all kinds of stuff to give away away and I'm dying to give it to you. So let's work on this stuff together. Uh, you can reach me at uh link tree l-i-n-k-t-r. Slash patrick daly. Slash Patrick Daly. You know all the media spots, so let's stay in contact, download and share, let me know what you think and, like always, folks, be good to one another Till next time. This is Patrick A Lynn Bye.
