WEBVTT 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:27.660 Good evening everyone and welcome to a brand 00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:30.839 new episode of live with dr. Andre Jerry You 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:33.000 know, it seems like it's been forever since we 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:35.539 were last on the air. But it's only been a month 00:00:35.539 --> 00:00:38.460 since our last show, which was our boat and water 00:00:38.460 --> 00:00:41.380 safety episode that featured survivors of that 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:43.939 horrific boating accident that happened on Lake 00:00:43.939 --> 00:00:47.020 Oconee this summer and claimed the life of a 00:00:47.020 --> 00:00:49.320 four -year -old little girl. Again, I want to 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:52.439 say our condolences are with the family as they 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:55.100 grieve their loss. And I want to say thank you 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:57.060 to the participants that joined the panel for 00:00:57.060 --> 00:01:00.310 that show. You know, we received a ton of of 00:01:00.310 --> 00:01:03.890 feedback from that episode and no doubt that 00:01:03.890 --> 00:01:06.730 show went a long way in helping to prevent a 00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:09.349 similar tragedy from happening on the water so 00:01:09.349 --> 00:01:12.370 thank you again to the panel and to my friend 00:01:12.370 --> 00:01:15.069 Jason Timothy for trusting me and the Artist 00:01:15.069 --> 00:01:18.469 First Radio Network with that sensitive but important 00:01:18.469 --> 00:01:22.950 topic. All right so you guys this year is flying 00:01:22.950 --> 00:01:26.349 right on by. We're already well into October 00:01:26.349 --> 00:01:29.379 which is my favorite month by the way but Not 00:01:29.379 --> 00:01:31.459 just because it's my birthday month, it's also 00:01:31.459 --> 00:01:35.359 because pretty much no matter where you are in 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:38.799 the world, October is known for having some really 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:42.939 gorgeous weather. The temperature is just right. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:45.760 It's not too hot. It's not too cold. Even here 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:48.340 in San Juan, the weather is perfect right now. 00:01:48.700 --> 00:01:52.079 You still get enough sun to get a great tan and 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.299 enjoy the beach without frying. And you're also 00:01:55.299 --> 00:01:57.900 getting this really nice cool breeze that sort 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:00.959 of Refreshes you throughout the day and I bet 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.359 wherever you're listening in from that you've 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:05.959 been enjoying this weather, too And you know, 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:07.640 by the way, thank you so much for tuning in for 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:09.759 tonight. So I promise I'm gonna make it worth 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:15.039 your while All right Okay, so Tonight's episode 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:17.939 was supposed to talk about the rising unemployment 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:21.699 rate of college graduates But I thought about 00:02:21.699 --> 00:02:24.039 it and I was like, you know what? No, no, no, 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:27.849 no, no, forget all of that I'm not going to regurgitate 00:02:27.849 --> 00:02:31.490 the news to you guys. We all know that the economy 00:02:31.490 --> 00:02:34.770 and the jobs market is really messed up right 00:02:34.770 --> 00:02:38.949 now. You know, whenever you have college graduates 00:02:38.949 --> 00:02:42.189 begging for work, that's when you know stuff 00:02:42.189 --> 00:02:45.129 is really messed up. You know, everybody already 00:02:45.129 --> 00:02:47.810 knows the state of our union right now. We don't 00:02:47.810 --> 00:02:49.889 need to watch the news or listen to the news 00:02:49.889 --> 00:02:52.889 to figure it out. We're all living this, right? 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:57.840 So as you No, I'm sure you know right now. We're 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.520 in the middle of a government shutdown And I 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:02.099 decided to talk about this a little bit on the 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:06.099 show. I really want to break this down in simple 00:03:06.099 --> 00:03:10.520 terms of what Exactly a government shutdown means, 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:13.479 you know in terms of its impact because I think 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:15.900 there's a lot of people out there who don't fully 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:19.379 Understand how a government shut shut down impacts 00:03:19.379 --> 00:03:22.469 all of us It doesn't just impact federal workers. 00:03:22.569 --> 00:03:24.509 So I'm going to break that down a little bit. 00:03:25.110 --> 00:03:27.490 So bear with me if you already know this stuff. 00:03:28.050 --> 00:03:31.110 But basically, a government shutdown happens 00:03:31.110 --> 00:03:34.409 whenever Congress can't come to an agreement 00:03:34.409 --> 00:03:37.349 on how to fund federal agencies ahead of the 00:03:37.349 --> 00:03:42.889 new fiscal year. No funding means that there's 00:03:42.889 --> 00:03:46.909 no operations. And that means that hundreds of 00:03:46.909 --> 00:03:50.800 thousands of federal workers get furloughed. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.199 They're basically told, all right, you guys stay 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.460 home, don't work. By the way, you're not going 00:03:57.460 --> 00:04:00.780 to get paid, at least not right now. So it's 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:04.060 really dicey for a lot of people, my former colleagues. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.340 Meanwhile, if you're considered, if you're fortunate 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:10.360 enough to be considered an essential employee, 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:14.060 those are your people like your TSA officers 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:17.620 that work at the airport, air traffic controllers. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:22.480 or a patrol, they still have to show up to work. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:25.100 But guess what? They're not getting paid. So 00:04:25.100 --> 00:04:27.500 they're showing up to work without pay because 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:30.540 they have the benefit of being classified as 00:04:30.540 --> 00:04:35.600 an essential employee. Now, here's where it gets 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:37.259 a little tricky. And this is the part that's 00:04:37.259 --> 00:04:40.959 been making headlines lately. And speaking of 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:43.240 that, I want to shout out, again, my friend Jason 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:46.019 Timothy in Macon, Georgia, who sent me this article 00:04:46.019 --> 00:04:49.399 because you guys know how I feel about the news. 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:51.019 I don't keep up with the news. I don't watch 00:04:51.019 --> 00:04:54.019 the news. As I've mentioned on this show before, 00:04:54.100 --> 00:04:57.660 I have carefully curated my timeline and my news 00:04:57.660 --> 00:05:01.000 feed across my socials to weed out anything related 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.680 to politics, government, economy, this current 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.939 administration. I don't want to hear it. You 00:05:07.939 --> 00:05:09.639 know, the only reason why I even heard about 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.620 the government shutdown is because someone within 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:15.060 earshot of me had on the news briefly before 00:05:15.060 --> 00:05:17.819 I made them turn it off. So that's how I even 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:20.560 found out about the shutdown. But like I was 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.060 saying before, this is the tricky part about 00:05:23.060 --> 00:05:28.420 this current shutdown. The OMB, also known as 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:32.399 the Office of Management and Budget, they recently 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:36.600 updated their shutdown guidance. And they quietly, 00:05:36.699 --> 00:05:40.220 on the low, deleted the key line that used to 00:05:40.220 --> 00:05:43.040 guarantee that all furloughed federal employees 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:47.089 will get back pay once the shutdown ends. You 00:05:47.089 --> 00:05:50.649 see what I mean? And just a little background 00:05:50.649 --> 00:05:52.949 on that. That guarantee came from a law that 00:05:52.949 --> 00:05:56.370 was enacted back in 2019. It's called GEFTA, 00:05:56.850 --> 00:05:59.050 which stands for the Government Employee Fair 00:05:59.050 --> 00:06:04.550 Treatment Act. GEFTA was passed after that record 00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:08.069 -breaking 35 -day shutdown that we had under 00:06:08.069 --> 00:06:11.870 Trump the first time. This was geared and put 00:06:11.870 --> 00:06:14.089 in place. It was geared towards making sure Congress 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:17.399 once they reopen the government, that everyone, 00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:20.759 whether they were furloughed or not, would eventually 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:25.019 get their back pay. But now the OMB has taken 00:06:25.019 --> 00:06:28.019 that reassurance out of their official documents. 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:30.519 And like I said, they did this on the low, or 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:34.319 at least tried to. And according to a report 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:38.300 by GovExec, that change signals a possible new 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:41.720 interpretation of Gefta. And it's one that says 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:44.829 that, you know what? Actually, back pay isn't 00:06:44.829 --> 00:06:49.209 automatic, guys. Congress might have to explicitly 00:06:49.209 --> 00:06:54.050 approve it each time. And that's huge, because 00:06:54.050 --> 00:06:58.910 if this interpretation holds, if it holds up, 00:06:59.029 --> 00:07:03.610 that means that roughly 620 ,000 -plus workers 00:07:03.610 --> 00:07:07.689 who are furloughed right now might not get paid 00:07:07.689 --> 00:07:09.589 for the time that they've already missed from 00:07:09.589 --> 00:07:13.490 work. that is unless Congress specifically writes 00:07:13.490 --> 00:07:17.589 it into law later. And you have, you know, lawmakers 00:07:17.589 --> 00:07:20.550 who are, you know, making a fuss about this. 00:07:20.730 --> 00:07:23.470 Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, he's 00:07:23.470 --> 00:07:26.189 calling foul. He said basically that, look, this 00:07:26.189 --> 00:07:28.990 is the law. There's nothing that this current 00:07:28.990 --> 00:07:32.410 administration can do to change that. Senator 00:07:32.410 --> 00:07:36.790 Tim Kaine from, what state is he? Virginia. He 00:07:36.790 --> 00:07:39.889 even spoke out. He hinted that there'd be some 00:07:39.889 --> 00:07:44.170 possible legal action if OMB continues with this 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:46.629 new stance that they're taking and that, you 00:07:46.629 --> 00:07:49.829 know, if that continues to stand. So the good 00:07:49.829 --> 00:07:51.889 thing is that there are at least some lawmakers 00:07:51.889 --> 00:07:56.029 out there who are advocating for federal workers 00:07:56.029 --> 00:07:58.269 in this environment. And kudos to them because 00:07:58.269 --> 00:08:01.569 this is a difficult environment to speak out 00:08:01.569 --> 00:08:05.189 and hold truth to power. So definitely appreciate 00:08:05.189 --> 00:08:10.579 Tim Kaine speaking out, Senator Van Hollen. Now, 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:13.019 I wanted to say this too, for the everyday citizen, 00:08:14.459 --> 00:08:17.600 I know you guys may think, well, listen, I hate 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:19.839 that, you know, we're in a shutdown, I get it, 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:22.240 but I'm not a federal employee, so this really 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:27.379 doesn't impact me. Oh, but it does. And let me 00:08:27.379 --> 00:08:31.180 explain to you why, because all those federal 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:34.659 employees, they're the same people who are processing 00:08:34.659 --> 00:08:39.000 your passport. your social security claims, your 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.740 federal loans. All these people are stuck at 00:08:41.740 --> 00:08:43.460 home waiting. They're just waiting. They're sitting 00:08:43.460 --> 00:08:47.320 this out. And when they stop working, it slows 00:08:47.320 --> 00:08:51.539 down everything for everybody. And think about 00:08:51.539 --> 00:08:54.899 all of the local businesses that are near military 00:08:54.899 --> 00:08:57.919 bases and federal offices. They're taking a hit 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:03.340 too. The restaurants, the dry cleaners, the coffee 00:09:03.340 --> 00:09:07.419 shops. Because fewer people are around, you know, 00:09:07.419 --> 00:09:10.120 they're not at work There's no one around to 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:12.740 spend money to go to lunch to run errands on 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:15.240 their lunch break So local businesses are feeling 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:19.299 the pinch for this too And the longer this shutdown 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:24.379 drags on The more is going to chip away at people's 00:09:24.379 --> 00:09:28.139 trust We're already have basically lost trust 00:09:28.139 --> 00:09:31.080 in the government. Anyway, we lost trust in the 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:34.450 government. We've lost trust in democracy And, 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:38.850 you know, in this system as a whole, you know, 00:09:38.889 --> 00:09:40.850 so even if you're playing by the rules, trying 00:09:40.850 --> 00:09:43.870 to do the right thing, things just don't seem 00:09:43.870 --> 00:09:47.649 to be really fair anymore. So the bottom line 00:09:47.649 --> 00:09:50.049 about all this government shutdown stuff is this 00:09:50.049 --> 00:09:54.129 just isn't about politics. This is about people's 00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:56.730 lives. Real families are trying to figure out 00:09:56.730 --> 00:09:58.190 how are we going to pay the rent? How are we 00:09:58.190 --> 00:10:00.529 going to pay our mortgage? How are we going to 00:10:00.529 --> 00:10:03.429 keep groceries in the refrigerator? while Washington 00:10:03.429 --> 00:10:06.110 argues over all this mess and over all this budget 00:10:06.110 --> 00:10:10.190 stuff. And now, even the guarantee and the promise 00:10:10.190 --> 00:10:12.409 that the federal employees will eventually get 00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:15.330 their back pay for all of their lost time, now 00:10:15.330 --> 00:10:19.309 that's on shaky ground. So it's just, there's 00:10:19.309 --> 00:10:22.330 a lot going on, and here's the real question. 00:10:23.309 --> 00:10:25.789 If government workers can't count on getting 00:10:25.789 --> 00:10:29.090 paid for doing their jobs, And they're being 00:10:29.090 --> 00:10:31.629 forced to stay home without pay until all this 00:10:31.629 --> 00:10:34.289 stuff is sorted out. What does that really say 00:10:34.289 --> 00:10:37.710 about how we value public service in this country? 00:10:39.809 --> 00:10:42.110 Do y 'all understand now why I got the hill on 00:10:42.110 --> 00:10:46.309 and why I retire early? Who has time for this? 00:10:47.309 --> 00:10:50.250 Playing these types of political games, messing 00:10:50.250 --> 00:10:52.549 with people's livelihoods and families. Nobody 00:10:52.549 --> 00:10:57.450 has time for that. It's crazy. Y 'all re - Okay, 00:10:57.450 --> 00:10:59.870 so do y 'all remember the show from back in the 00:10:59.870 --> 00:11:03.690 70s, Good Times? I know my people do. I don't 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:05.830 know of white folks and Hispanic people who watched 00:11:05.830 --> 00:11:08.450 Good Times, but that was my show. It was one 00:11:08.450 --> 00:11:12.909 of my favorite shows growing up. Okay, so America 00:11:12.909 --> 00:11:18.730 as a whole now is Good Times. There's a lot of 00:11:18.730 --> 00:11:21.269 people who are scratching and surviving right 00:11:21.269 --> 00:11:24.029 now. There's a lot of people who are experiencing 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:27.059 temporary layoffs. There's a lot of people who 00:11:27.059 --> 00:11:32.100 are hanging in a child line. I'm serious. Thanks 00:11:32.100 --> 00:11:35.340 to this billionaire's economy that we're in currently. 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:37.279 And you know that's what they're calling it, 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.899 right? They're calling it a billionaire's economy 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:42.899 because that's about the only class of people 00:11:42.899 --> 00:11:47.200 who are really thriving right now. The elite 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.279 and the ultra wealthy, they have an advocate 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:53.899 in the White House. So they're good. Trust me, 00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:58.960 they're good. even better. But if you're an average 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:01.340 family, an average middle class family, maybe 00:12:01.340 --> 00:12:05.220 even upper middle class in some cases, you're 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:08.720 really feeling the pinch right now. You're probably 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:13.299 struggling a little bit right now. And I hate 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:18.940 to sound pessimistic, but things are probably 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:23.039 going to get much worse before they get better. 00:12:24.590 --> 00:12:26.649 If you read your Bible, you know what I'm talking 00:12:26.649 --> 00:12:30.730 about. If these aren't the last days, I don't 00:12:30.730 --> 00:12:37.590 know what is. Let me tell you something. I was 00:12:37.590 --> 00:12:41.049 on a walk last week with my friend. This is right 00:12:41.049 --> 00:12:45.549 here in San Juan. And we saw on our way back 00:12:45.549 --> 00:12:48.909 home where there was one of those pop -up vaccination 00:12:48.909 --> 00:12:52.700 centers. that had been erected. It was near one 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:55.919 of the hospitals in the neighborhood. You know, 00:12:55.940 --> 00:12:58.139 it's like those popular centers are like a big 00:12:58.139 --> 00:13:01.139 white tent. You know that they have the a bunch 00:13:01.139 --> 00:13:03.480 of tables inside and stuff like that chairs, 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:06.139 but this one was still empty and you could tell 00:13:06.139 --> 00:13:09.940 that they had just put it up. And my friend said, 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:13.299 you know, these are the same kinds of vaccination 00:13:13.299 --> 00:13:17.059 centers that were around during COVID. When the 00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:19.759 the vaccine started to come out. And I remember 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:22.279 seeing some of those same type of, you know, 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.320 pop -up vaccination centers in Saudi when the 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:31.519 Moderna vaccines were being made available. I 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:35.679 don't want this to be true, but I really feel 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:39.600 like there's another pandemic on the horizon. 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:45.779 And if that's true, it's likely going to be much 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:50.169 worse than it was last time. Because think about 00:13:50.169 --> 00:13:54.710 it, there's not exactly, and I'm trying to be 00:13:54.710 --> 00:13:57.669 kind here, there's not exactly a great history 00:13:57.669 --> 00:14:02.590 of this current administration's coordination 00:14:02.590 --> 00:14:08.330 as it relates to disaster preparedness. So what 00:14:08.330 --> 00:14:12.269 I would offer to you is to make sure that you 00:14:12.269 --> 00:14:15.429 and your family and your household have your 00:14:15.429 --> 00:14:18.909 own disaster plan in place. You know, right now 00:14:18.909 --> 00:14:20.909 while everyone is distracted with other things 00:14:20.909 --> 00:14:24.009 and other stuff, right now where everything is 00:14:24.009 --> 00:14:27.830 okay, relatively, go ahead and make sure you 00:14:27.830 --> 00:14:31.570 guys are stocked up on things that you know you're 00:14:31.570 --> 00:14:34.649 gonna need in the event of a shortage. Bottle 00:14:34.649 --> 00:14:40.029 water, radios, batteries, canned goods, non -perishable, 00:14:40.129 --> 00:14:44.350 stuff like that. First aid kits, toilet paper, 00:14:44.710 --> 00:14:48.000 ammunition. You know, all the things that you 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.840 think you're going to need if there's some type 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:54.919 of shortage. Just remember, just re -jog in your 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:57.519 mind what happened last time and what you could 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.340 have done better because we're likely going to 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:02.519 face that type of situation again. Have a plan 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:07.440 in place in the event of a sudden emergency and 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.559 loss of communication. The cell phone towers 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:11.919 are down or something like that and you're separated 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:14.340 from your loved ones. You know, your spouse may 00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:16.639 be at work. Your children may be at school. Have 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:20.139 a plan in place. For you, heads of household, 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:26.700 have a conversation with your family about contingency 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:29.940 plans and what stance you're going to take about 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:33.379 the vaccine in the wake of, you know, another 00:15:33.379 --> 00:15:36.360 pandemic. Are you in your household going to 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.419 take the vaccine? Are you going to not take the 00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:41.840 vaccine? Go ahead and have those conversations 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:48.220 now. I'll be honest with you. If it comes down 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.840 to that, I likely will not accept any more vaccinations. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:57.340 The only reason why I took the vaccination the 00:15:57.340 --> 00:15:59.539 first time was because I had just lost my mother 00:15:59.539 --> 00:16:03.559 to COVID. And this was early in the pandemic. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.480 She wasn't able to get the vaccine because it 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.440 was still in development. And also because I 00:16:10.440 --> 00:16:14.100 was a federal employee. And I was gearing up, 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:16.059 at that time I was gearing up for my very first 00:16:16.059 --> 00:16:20.440 diplomatic assignment to Saudi Arabia. And by 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:22.500 not getting the vaccine, I would be putting my 00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:25.820 career and everything I had worked for up to 00:16:25.820 --> 00:16:31.080 that point at risk. So I made a calculated decision 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:36.080 to get the jab as my friend Craig would say. 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:39.220 I need to call Craig too, I haven't talked to 00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:42.659 him in a while. But yeah, if - If I'm being honest, 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:49.500 I also took that vaccine because back then, at 00:16:49.500 --> 00:16:53.559 that phase, COVID was still so new. No one knew 00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:55.860 what was really going on. There wasn't a lot 00:16:55.860 --> 00:17:01.299 of credible resources for solid data and information. 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:06.079 We were all scared of being infected, especially 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:09.700 those of us who lost loved ones. So it was just 00:17:09.700 --> 00:17:16.130 a lot going on. I don't regret it, but like I 00:17:16.130 --> 00:17:18.930 said, I seriously doubt that I'll be taking another 00:17:18.930 --> 00:17:23.250 vaccine if it comes to that. I'm just gonna pass 00:17:23.250 --> 00:17:28.430 on that. So anyway, if you recall in one of my 00:17:28.430 --> 00:17:34.269 previous episodes, I'm pivoting. In one of my 00:17:34.269 --> 00:17:38.410 previous episodes, I encouraged people to apply 00:17:38.410 --> 00:17:41.609 for their passports. if they don't already have 00:17:41.609 --> 00:17:46.650 one. And if you do have one, definitely make 00:17:46.650 --> 00:17:50.230 sure it's good for, I would say at least the 00:17:50.230 --> 00:17:55.630 next two or three years. Really two years, now 00:17:55.630 --> 00:17:58.089 that I think about it, two years is kind of pushing 00:17:58.089 --> 00:18:01.289 it. You know, passports are good for 10 years 00:18:01.289 --> 00:18:04.410 when you get them. So if your current passport 00:18:04.410 --> 00:18:11.259 expires before 2028, I would go ahead and get 00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:14.900 that renewed ASAP. Hopefully you're not in that 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:20.019 situation, but you see how things are trending 00:18:20.019 --> 00:18:24.460 just 10 months into this new administration. 00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:29.259 So I would strongly recommend making sure that 00:18:29.259 --> 00:18:31.599 you're squared away in all your documents and 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.640 your passports for yourself and for your household. 00:18:38.809 --> 00:18:41.769 Now, here's a question a lot of folks are wondering 00:18:41.769 --> 00:18:45.509 and asking about right now. Can I still get a 00:18:45.509 --> 00:18:50.069 passport during the government shutdown right 00:18:50.069 --> 00:18:54.170 now? The short answer to that is yes. Yes, you 00:18:54.170 --> 00:18:58.829 can. Passport services are still running, and 00:18:58.829 --> 00:19:02.450 that's because they're mostly funded by fees, 00:19:02.970 --> 00:19:06.369 not by this regular federal budget that Congress 00:19:06.369 --> 00:19:10.279 failed to pass. In other words, like, when you 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.839 pay for your passport and you pay those fees 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:15.339 or what have you, that money is what's keeping 00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:20.460 that system moving. So the State Department has 00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:26.000 said that both passport and visa operations are 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.299 still going here in the U .S., at the embassies, 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:33.160 overseas. All of those operations are continuing 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:36.180 as long as there's enough fee money in the reserve. 00:19:36.750 --> 00:19:39.769 But here's the catch, though. There are some 00:19:39.769 --> 00:19:43.329 locations that may face more delays than others 00:19:43.329 --> 00:19:47.930 because of reduced staffing or some type of limited 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:54.009 building access, especially if those particular 00:19:54.009 --> 00:19:57.589 offices are inside federal facilities that are 00:19:57.589 --> 00:19:59.990 closed down by the shutdown. So it just depends 00:19:59.990 --> 00:20:03.250 on the location. But largely, if you're traveling 00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:06.009 soon, you don't have to panic. routine application 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:08.349 of the steel beam process, you just have to plan 00:20:08.349 --> 00:20:11.809 ahead and just expect a lower turnaround time 00:20:11.809 --> 00:20:15.509 than normal. All right? So the bottom line is 00:20:15.509 --> 00:20:18.630 passport offices are still open, but, you know, 00:20:18.690 --> 00:20:21.549 like I said, things might move a little slower 00:20:21.549 --> 00:20:25.930 until Washington gets back, you know, solid and 00:20:25.930 --> 00:20:30.589 get their act together. All right. What else? 00:20:30.890 --> 00:20:33.440 I'm pivoting from that. Oh, I want to tell you 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.079 guys, I have a theory about something. This one 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:38.119 might give me a little trouble, but you know 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:42.180 me. I tend to connect dots that folks just, you 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:44.000 know, make folks just a little bit uncomfortable. 00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:48.819 So I have a theory that the main reason why the 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:51.700 United States still doesn't have universal healthcare 00:20:51.700 --> 00:20:54.980 or free healthcare, despite being one of the 00:20:54.980 --> 00:20:59.049 wealthiest nations on earth, I feel like that 00:20:59.049 --> 00:21:02.869 has less to do with politics and more to do with 00:21:02.869 --> 00:21:09.589 control. Think about the U .S. labor market. 00:21:10.970 --> 00:21:16.029 They need workers. And nothing keeps people tied 00:21:16.029 --> 00:21:20.210 to a job quite like the fear of losing their 00:21:20.210 --> 00:21:22.910 healthcare. Because think about it, there are 00:21:22.910 --> 00:21:27.140 millions of Americans who are out there working, 00:21:27.339 --> 00:21:30.619 a job they can't stand, and they're not doing 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:32.420 it for the paycheck. They're doing it for the 00:21:32.420 --> 00:21:36.819 insurance card. They're clocking in every day, 00:21:38.359 --> 00:21:40.559 not out of passion, but out of necessity, and 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:44.299 it's not even about the paycheck, really, because 00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:47.039 heaven forbid that they have a child that needs 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:50.599 an ER visit or, you know, even worse, around 00:21:50.599 --> 00:21:52.839 a chemo or something like that, and trying to... 00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:55.779 Deal with that without any type of medical coverage 00:21:55.779 --> 00:22:01.480 could be detrimental to a family's finances Now 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:06.220 imagine if health care were free Imagine if it 00:22:06.220 --> 00:22:09.220 were free and it was universal and available 00:22:09.220 --> 00:22:13.200 to everyone Like it is in most industrialized 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:17.720 nations. I Think you'd have a massive wave of 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:21.019 people just quitting their jobs quitting their 00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:25.299 jobs and starting businesses, launching non -profits, 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:30.500 writing books, painting murals, actually pursuing 00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:33.900 things that they love. That's what I think. I 00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:39.559 think you see an explosion of innovation, creativity, 00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:43.880 a lot of small business growth. I really do, 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:47.440 but that's too much like, right, we couldn't 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:51.930 have that. We couldn't have that, could we? No, 00:22:51.930 --> 00:22:56.490 no, no. That's just too much. That would disrupt 00:22:56.490 --> 00:23:01.130 our status quo that we're used to. Because that 00:23:01.130 --> 00:23:03.269 would mean fewer people are depending on these 00:23:03.269 --> 00:23:06.809 corporate jobs. There are fewer people to fill 00:23:06.809 --> 00:23:11.690 these cubicles. And you got a lot more people 00:23:11.690 --> 00:23:15.690 empowered to work for themselves. And if the 00:23:15.690 --> 00:23:19.329 people are empowered, That just might threaten 00:23:19.329 --> 00:23:23.529 the big guys all the corporations the pharmaceuticals 00:23:23.529 --> 00:23:25.490 Even a lot of government structures all that 00:23:25.490 --> 00:23:32.089 stuff that the thrives on dependency So that's 00:23:32.089 --> 00:23:34.329 my theory I just call it like it is I think the 00:23:34.329 --> 00:23:38.170 system needs workers. I think it needs consumers. 00:23:38.170 --> 00:23:42.930 I think it needs patients like hospital patients 00:23:42.930 --> 00:23:48.880 I This economy the way it is it Runs on people 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.440 just being comfortable enough to survive but 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.299 too afraid to leave the safety net of employer 00:23:56.299 --> 00:24:00.759 provided health care benefits That's what I think 00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:06.380 that's my opinion Now I'm not saying be a revolutionary 00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:08.940 and then you know quit your jobs and all of that. 00:24:08.940 --> 00:24:12.779 That's not what I'm saying I'm just asking you 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:16.579 to think about who really benefits from keeping 00:24:16.779 --> 00:24:21.819 healthcare locked behind employment. The closest 00:24:21.819 --> 00:24:24.920 we ever got to something even resembling universal 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:27.779 healthcare was the Affordable Care Act, which 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:31.519 they love to call Obamacare, to scare people 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:36.500 and to, you know, just be fucked up. And, you 00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:39.740 know, people still act a fool about the Affordable 00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:42.160 Care Act today. I think it's on its last leg. 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:44.000 I think it's still in place. I don't know how 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:49.069 much longer it will be. I hope it continues. 00:24:49.250 --> 00:24:51.309 There's a lot of people that's relying on that 00:24:51.309 --> 00:24:53.789 coverage. But yeah, a lot of people still act 00:24:53.789 --> 00:24:58.869 a fool about Obamacare to this day. And whenever 00:24:58.869 --> 00:25:00.609 I reference it, I try to make a point to call 00:25:00.609 --> 00:25:05.769 it the Affordable Care Act. Yes, it was enacted 00:25:05.769 --> 00:25:08.390 into law when President Obama was president, 00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:13.410 but I think to call it Obamacare is to just make 00:25:13.410 --> 00:25:15.569 people feel some type of way, unnecessarily. 00:25:16.069 --> 00:25:19.170 if you happen to not support him and all of that. 00:25:20.029 --> 00:25:22.670 Anyway, I'm gonna move on. This is why I shouldn't 00:25:22.670 --> 00:25:25.210 watch the news. This is why I don't watch the 00:25:25.210 --> 00:25:27.609 news. It gets me started. It gets me on these 00:25:27.609 --> 00:25:30.349 tangents. And the next thing you know, I'm just 00:25:30.349 --> 00:25:32.930 talking shit about the whole system on live radio. 00:25:33.730 --> 00:25:35.690 Okay, so before I say something that makes me 00:25:35.690 --> 00:25:39.809 just kinda like mysteriously disappear, I'm just 00:25:39.809 --> 00:25:43.680 gonna hush. We're gonna take a quick break. When 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.400 we come back, I'm going to tell you what life's 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:49.019 really been like since early retirement. So stay 00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:51.440 tuned. You're listening to Live with Dr. Andre 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:54.839 Jerry. Hi, I'm James Baller of Artists First 00:25:54.839 --> 00:25:57.039 Radio, and I would like to tell you about a fascinating 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.259 new book from Crime Beach, Ron Cepsik and co 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:02.759 -author Mike Rowe. It's titled Robin Hood of 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:05.400 the Hood, The Life and Times of Teddy Rowe, Policy 00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:08.140 Kingpin, and it's published by Strategic Media 00:26:08.140 --> 00:26:11.329 Books. The book is a historical account of Theodore 00:26:11.329 --> 00:26:13.549 Teddy Rowe who courageously fought the Chicago 00:26:13.549 --> 00:26:16.309 Mafia, more commonly known as the Outfit, for 00:26:16.309 --> 00:26:18.630 control of the lucrative policy racket in the 00:26:18.630 --> 00:26:21.289 Windy City. Policy, often called the numbers, 00:26:21.329 --> 00:26:23.990 is a form of illegal gambling or illegal lottery 00:26:23.990 --> 00:26:26.470 played mostly in poor and working class neighborhoods 00:26:26.470 --> 00:26:29.430 in the United States. In policy, a better attempts 00:26:29.430 --> 00:26:31.470 to pick three digits to match those that will 00:26:31.470 --> 00:26:34.930 be randomly drawn the following day. For decades, 00:26:35.190 --> 00:26:37.230 policy had been a staple in the black community. 00:26:37.480 --> 00:26:39.720 But when the white mob flexed its power in the 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:42.359 late 1940s, many policy kings knuckled under 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:46.000 the pressure. Not Teddy Roe. Roe famously told 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:48.160 mob bosses that he'd rather die than give up 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:51.160 control of his operation. Robin Hood of the Hood 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:53.640 chronicles an exciting chapter of Chicago history. 00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:56.440 Go to the Kindle store at Amazon and buy it for 00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:59.680 just $2 .99. For information about this book 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:02.799 and other titles, please go to strategicmediabooks 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:08.119 .com. That's strategicmediabooks .com. Looking 00:27:08.119 --> 00:27:11.180 for your next car? Amazon Autos has you covered. 00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:14.420 With just a few clicks, you can shop a wide selection 00:27:14.420 --> 00:27:17.380 of new vehicles, compare prices, read reviews, 00:27:17.599 --> 00:27:20.079 and even arrange pickup or delivery, just like 00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:22.819 ordering anything else on Amazon. It's the future 00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:26.299 of car buying, simple, transparent, and all online. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.200 Backed by Amazon's trusted network and partnering 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:32.220 with local dealerships, Amazon Autos is redefining 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:35.720 how we shop for cars. visit amazon .com forward 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:39.000 slash autos and drive into the future today. 00:27:40.940 --> 00:27:43.019 Welcome to another broadcast of Spiritual Concerns, 00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:45.119 the Deborah Ruffini Show on Artists First Radio 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:47.859 Network. We're live from England on Saturdays 00:27:47.859 --> 00:27:51.500 and Sundays, 3pm New York, 8pm London. All past 00:27:51.500 --> 00:27:53.539 shows or podcasts, find them at artistsfirst 00:27:53.539 --> 00:27:56.400 .com. I'll be your host where issues relating 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:58.940 to the spiritual matters of concern will be largely 00:27:58.940 --> 00:28:03.910 examined and discussed. Enjoy the show. You're 00:28:03.910 --> 00:28:09.829 back live with Dr. Andre Jerry. All right, welcome 00:28:09.829 --> 00:28:11.809 back, guys. Just still tuned in to Live with 00:28:11.809 --> 00:28:15.349 Dr. Andre Jerry, broadcasting worldwide on the 00:28:15.349 --> 00:28:18.269 Artists First Radio Network. Hey, thanks for 00:28:18.269 --> 00:28:21.269 sticking with us through the break. If you're 00:28:21.269 --> 00:28:23.150 just joining us before the break, I share my 00:28:23.150 --> 00:28:26.950 little theory, and I use that word loosely, but 00:28:26.950 --> 00:28:29.829 I share my little theory about why Universal 00:28:29.829 --> 00:28:32.869 Healthcare in America is still sitting in the 00:28:32.859 --> 00:28:36.299 Maybe one day pile and let's just say I may have 00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:38.619 rough with a few corporate feathers with that 00:28:38.619 --> 00:28:41.920 one, but I don't care. Hey, you look somebody's 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:45.799 got to tell the truth, right? Alright, so we're 00:28:45.799 --> 00:28:49.960 going to shift gears a bit and dive into what's 00:28:49.960 --> 00:28:52.680 life been like since I stepped away from the 00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:56.900 nine to five grind. We're talking early retirement 00:28:56.900 --> 00:29:00.240 freedom and. what it really means to wake up 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:02.559 on your own terms. So I want to share some lessons, 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:06.339 a few surprises, and talk about some of the things 00:29:06.339 --> 00:29:09.000 that no one warns you about when you make this 00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:14.339 type of move. So earlier, I talked about how 00:29:14.339 --> 00:29:18.119 a lot of people stay in jobs primarily for the 00:29:18.119 --> 00:29:22.140 health care benefits, but people also stay in 00:29:22.140 --> 00:29:28.140 jobs for many other reasons. You know, I I never 00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:32.740 dreamed about being a logistician or working 00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:37.740 for the federal government. I didn't. I'm a creative 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:43.220 person. I love to write. I love to sing. I love 00:29:43.220 --> 00:29:49.220 to perform. I love to take ideas from an intangible 00:29:49.220 --> 00:29:53.779 form, like in your thoughts, and bring it to 00:29:53.779 --> 00:29:59.930 life on a page. as a script, as a story, as a 00:29:59.930 --> 00:30:03.650 poem, as a song. I love to make people laugh. 00:30:04.730 --> 00:30:09.890 I like to entertain. I used to indulge in these 00:30:09.890 --> 00:30:14.269 passions of mine when I was younger. Somewhere 00:30:14.269 --> 00:30:21.490 along the way, growing up and dating, being a 00:30:21.490 --> 00:30:24.369 young adult, finding my way, I just eventually 00:30:24.369 --> 00:30:28.539 stopped. pursuing my passions, my gifts. And 00:30:28.539 --> 00:30:32.339 I started doing other things. And those other 00:30:32.339 --> 00:30:34.660 things weren't necessarily passions of mine, 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:41.059 but looking back, they were things that were 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:43.579 necessary as part of my growth and development. 00:30:45.220 --> 00:30:49.200 I remember how the federal job came about. I 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:53.930 remember how that all worked out. I was... Working 00:30:53.930 --> 00:30:58.150 on my MBA at Mercer University and I was like 00:30:58.150 --> 00:31:00.630 just a few months shy of graduating I was almost 00:31:00.630 --> 00:31:05.569 done and By that time in my life I had become 00:31:05.569 --> 00:31:10.009 pretty good at Networking and I had a pretty 00:31:10.009 --> 00:31:16.470 extensive social network The assistant director 00:31:16.470 --> 00:31:19.710 I think she was either the assistant director 00:31:19.710 --> 00:31:27.490 or the director She reached out to me and she 00:31:27.490 --> 00:31:30.250 told me that some hiring managers from the Department 00:31:30.250 --> 00:31:33.829 of Defense, they were planning to come to the 00:31:33.829 --> 00:31:36.190 campus soon and they wanted to set up interviews 00:31:36.190 --> 00:31:39.910 with a few of Mercer's top students in the MBA 00:31:39.910 --> 00:31:44.470 program. So, you know, given my reputation and 00:31:44.470 --> 00:31:49.869 my GPA, she encouraged me to interview. I'll 00:31:49.869 --> 00:31:52.170 be honest, at first I wasn't really excited about 00:31:52.170 --> 00:31:56.450 it. I remember it. I was like, I don't want no 00:31:56.450 --> 00:32:02.849 federal job. And at that time, I remember I had 00:32:02.849 --> 00:32:06.529 aspirations to be a corporate executive at a 00:32:06.529 --> 00:32:11.210 Fortune 500 company. I just didn't see working 00:32:11.210 --> 00:32:13.670 a federal job. That never crossed my mind. It 00:32:13.670 --> 00:32:18.509 was never an aspiration. So I was kind of a snob 00:32:18.509 --> 00:32:25.240 about it at first. But the director... She was 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:28.140 like, no, look, you definitely want to interview 00:32:28.140 --> 00:32:33.220 with them. This is for a three -year internship 00:32:33.220 --> 00:32:37.200 with tiered promotions and raises. And this is 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:38.720 something that's going to set you up for a great 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.519 career with the DOD. So I listened to her. I 00:32:41.519 --> 00:32:44.099 had a sense. I was very opinionated, but I had 00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:48.720 some sense. And I told her I'd interview. And 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:52.910 ever since that interview, Jehovah has blessed 00:32:52.910 --> 00:32:57.849 my career. They loved me at the interview. They 00:32:57.849 --> 00:32:59.970 said, we definitely want to hire you. Let us 00:32:59.970 --> 00:33:02.609 know when you'll be graduating with your MBA. 00:33:02.769 --> 00:33:05.349 We can't bring you on until you have your MBA 00:33:05.349 --> 00:33:08.990 degree conferred. So that was like two, three 00:33:08.990 --> 00:33:12.710 months away. But yeah, I had a blessed career. 00:33:12.869 --> 00:33:17.430 I was fast -tracked. I out -promoted all of my 00:33:17.430 --> 00:33:20.549 peers, all of whom were more knowledgeable than 00:33:20.549 --> 00:33:23.440 me. Seriously, they were more knowledgeable to 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:25.740 me about logistics and about program management 00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:30.740 to this day But I was the one that went up the 00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:34.680 ladder and You know, I was grateful for that 00:33:34.680 --> 00:33:43.640 You know A lot of black folks Kind of viewed 00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:50.140 their ethnicity as an obstacle or hurdle And 00:33:50.140 --> 00:33:54.740 I understand why. I really do. Just because of 00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:59.980 the way the country is set up. So I get it, but 00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:06.460 I had parents who didn't raise me to have that 00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:08.880 point of view. I was always taught to embrace 00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:12.940 my difference and to make it work for me, not 00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:17.099 against me. I remember with my mom, always said 00:34:17.099 --> 00:34:19.139 to me she said they want to make you a token 00:34:19.139 --> 00:34:23.159 in she said they want to make your token in make 00:34:23.159 --> 00:34:27.480 sure you get paid damn good for it and um so 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:31.059 that was you know that was just my approach and 00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:34.539 uh honestly i think my ethnicity had a lot to 00:34:34.539 --> 00:34:39.440 do with my promotions and you know that and my 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:43.519 ability to navigate politically um how i present 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:49.219 myself You know, I looked the part. Being handsome 00:34:49.219 --> 00:34:51.539 and looking good in the suit certainly didn't 00:34:51.539 --> 00:34:56.320 hurt. You know, how I conduct myself in meetings 00:34:56.320 --> 00:34:59.320 and in board rooms. I remember something else 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:02.739 my mom said. My mom was a very wise woman, just 00:35:02.739 --> 00:35:07.860 very, very common sage wise sense. She said, 00:35:08.780 --> 00:35:11.400 and the way I say this is gonna sound, this is 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:13.480 just how she said it, but I know what she meant 00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:15.760 and I... But I know how it could sound to other 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:17.940 people. But anyway, she said, no one will ever 00:35:17.940 --> 00:35:21.599 know how stupid you are if you learn how to shut 00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:28.320 up and just smile. And that took me a long way 00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:30.699 because there were many a times I was in board 00:35:30.699 --> 00:35:32.440 rooms. I didn't know what the hell was going 00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:37.820 on. I just looked the part and I sat there and 00:35:37.820 --> 00:35:40.760 I looked handsome in my suit and I smiled and 00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:44.480 nodded. And sometimes you have to do that. until 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:47.340 you can get your bearings, until you can prove 00:35:47.340 --> 00:35:50.780 yourself and get up to par with the things you 00:35:50.780 --> 00:35:56.480 need to be up to par on. But yeah, so I had a 00:35:56.480 --> 00:36:00.739 lot working for me in my career. And I was able 00:36:00.739 --> 00:36:05.480 to enjoy a lot of success. But despite all of 00:36:05.480 --> 00:36:10.320 that, there was always this one thing that followed 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:13.940 me in every position. every promotion, every 00:36:13.940 --> 00:36:18.719 pay raise. And that was the fact that I was not 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:25.719 happy. Not really, I wasn't really happy. I wasn't 00:36:25.719 --> 00:36:27.800 happy because I didn't really enjoy my work. 00:36:30.139 --> 00:36:34.840 I wasn't even always the best at it, but I knew 00:36:34.840 --> 00:36:39.500 how to maneuver corporate terrain. It doesn't 00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:41.599 matter if it was domestically here in the states 00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:44.159 or internationally. I knew how to maneuver that 00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:47.860 corporate terrain You could place me anywhere 00:36:47.860 --> 00:36:52.760 and I could just adapt Remember at heart I'm 00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:55.579 a performer. I know how to look the part. I know 00:36:55.579 --> 00:36:59.079 how to act the part Even when I don't know what 00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:03.780 the hell is going on There's a scripture in Proverbs 00:37:03.780 --> 00:37:08.969 that says your gift will make room for you Your 00:37:08.969 --> 00:37:12.070 gift will place you in front of great people 00:37:12.070 --> 00:37:16.750 something to that effect So all this time While 00:37:16.750 --> 00:37:21.110 I was progressing in my career Doing work that 00:37:21.110 --> 00:37:23.690 Didn't really move me. It was important work, 00:37:23.710 --> 00:37:27.550 but it didn't move me But nonetheless, I was 00:37:27.550 --> 00:37:30.150 progressing I just kept progressing I didn't 00:37:30.150 --> 00:37:32.969 know it but I was operating in my gift. I didn't 00:37:32.969 --> 00:37:36.889 even realize it Excuse me. I didn't even realize 00:37:36.889 --> 00:37:42.809 it But I always felt empty and always felt like 00:37:42.809 --> 00:37:49.869 an imposter and I Didn't really fully understand 00:37:49.869 --> 00:37:54.250 why I felt that way At the time in retrospect 00:37:54.250 --> 00:37:57.449 that you know things become clearer, but I had 00:37:57.449 --> 00:38:02.110 the status I had the lifestyle I Made the six 00:38:02.110 --> 00:38:05.789 figures. I had all of that. Why wasn't I happy? 00:38:07.239 --> 00:38:11.860 I thought maybe the imposter syndrome was the 00:38:11.860 --> 00:38:15.219 culprit. Maybe it was some sort of success guilt 00:38:15.219 --> 00:38:18.159 from knowing that there were other people much 00:38:18.159 --> 00:38:23.059 more knowledgeable, not more qualified, more 00:38:23.059 --> 00:38:26.400 knowledgeable than I was in these positions. 00:38:28.860 --> 00:38:34.039 But looking back, it wasn't that. It was that 00:38:34.039 --> 00:38:37.559 creative side of me that authentic part of me. 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:41.780 It just, it wasn't being nurtured. I had kind 00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:45.079 of sidelined it. Not even kind of. I did sideline 00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:48.460 it. I wasn't writing my poems. I wasn't writing 00:38:48.460 --> 00:38:52.960 music. I wasn't writing my stories. I used to 00:38:52.960 --> 00:38:57.420 write these really intense erotic short stories. 00:38:57.480 --> 00:39:01.159 I wasn't doing any of my artistry. I just sort 00:39:01.159 --> 00:39:05.170 of subverted all of that. creativity to become 00:39:05.170 --> 00:39:10.869 this corporate person. And my goals had started 00:39:10.869 --> 00:39:15.110 to become centered around career progression. 00:39:16.429 --> 00:39:19.230 You know, it started to become an addiction. 00:39:19.610 --> 00:39:21.949 Like, how high can I go? Like, I want to go to 00:39:21.949 --> 00:39:26.469 the top. I remember one of my last goals, and 00:39:26.469 --> 00:39:29.269 this is a goal I had at the start of this year. 00:39:29.469 --> 00:39:31.829 I wanted to make it to senior executive service. 00:39:32.760 --> 00:39:37.260 highest civilian level in federal employment. 00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:40.559 And I was about two, two and a half, three steps 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:44.039 away from achieving that. And I wasn't going 00:39:44.039 --> 00:39:48.099 to stop until I got it. All in the name of ambition 00:39:48.099 --> 00:39:53.119 and chasing titles and more promotions and all 00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:58.400 that stuff. Meanwhile, I'm noticing my stress 00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:04.860 level changing. Looking at my body. I always 00:40:04.860 --> 00:40:07.019 had a hot body. I was a little skinny when I 00:40:07.019 --> 00:40:13.099 was younger, but you know once I got 24 25 hot 00:40:13.099 --> 00:40:16.139 body and So I just became accustomed to that 00:40:16.139 --> 00:40:19.199 was starting to lose my toneness. Where is this? 00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:24.820 Dead by coming from why is my stomach doing this 00:40:24.820 --> 00:40:27.940 when I sit down? I don't understand what's happening 00:40:27.940 --> 00:40:32.320 Clothes are starting to get tighter And I'm starting 00:40:32.320 --> 00:40:35.840 to get these weird aches in my body out of nowhere 00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:40.900 Not to mention this was around the time Trump 00:40:40.900 --> 00:40:43.460 got re -elected the second time and he started 00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:46.300 with his bullshit with doge and all the layoffs 00:40:46.300 --> 00:40:50.400 and all I just Remember taking a long look at 00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:53.139 myself in the mirror now. I was like Andre first 00:40:53.139 --> 00:40:56.900 of all Fix your body because this is not gonna 00:40:56.900 --> 00:41:01.579 work fix your body We don't do this And then 00:41:01.579 --> 00:41:05.079 second of all, what are you even doing? All money 00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:09.900 ain't good money. So I made a decision to walk 00:41:09.900 --> 00:41:16.699 away and pursue a more purpose driven life. Now 00:41:16.699 --> 00:41:20.719 only do what my spirit leads me to do. I've been 00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:24.579 joined being a radio host of an international 00:41:24.579 --> 00:41:30.300 radio show. I've written two books. Since retiring, 00:41:30.519 --> 00:41:34.019 I'm now working on my fifth book, my fifth publication, 00:41:35.019 --> 00:41:38.880 and some accompanying digital content to go along 00:41:38.880 --> 00:41:41.679 with that, which should be available before the 00:41:41.679 --> 00:41:45.460 end of the year, if I don't procrastinate. So 00:41:45.460 --> 00:41:48.639 I'm really enjoying all of this. You know, I 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:51.320 enjoy being a recording artist. I've released 00:41:51.320 --> 00:41:56.809 two albums and numerous singles. And I'm working 00:41:56.809 --> 00:42:01.710 on a comedy album about my life that will probably 00:42:01.710 --> 00:42:07.230 be out sometime next year And I'm quietly and 00:42:07.230 --> 00:42:10.429 stealthily becoming a YouTube sensation don't 00:42:10.429 --> 00:42:14.309 kill anybody But I don't say any of that to boast 00:42:14.309 --> 00:42:17.090 I really don't it's just to make the point that 00:42:17.090 --> 00:42:21.889 it took me 46 years But I'm finally living in 00:42:21.889 --> 00:42:25.440 my purpose And in my passion, and I'm enjoying 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:31.400 the journey along the way. I've chased the vain 00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:35.820 ambitions like promotions and paycheck. None 00:42:35.820 --> 00:42:39.619 of that stuff moves me anymore. What I chase 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:45.480 now is impact. What impact am I having on people's 00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:51.099 lives? Who am I inspiring? Whose lives am I improving? 00:42:51.519 --> 00:42:58.840 That's the stuff that's important to me now Now 00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:04.079 Don't get me wrong. It's not all glamorous and 00:43:04.079 --> 00:43:09.500 I miss the six -figure check I do And it can 00:43:09.500 --> 00:43:11.900 get a little scary at times in this climate not 00:43:11.900 --> 00:43:14.980 having the security of a six -figure income and 00:43:14.980 --> 00:43:17.639 being responsible for making your own six -figure 00:43:17.639 --> 00:43:21.230 living and using your own ingenuity and manage 00:43:21.230 --> 00:43:24.469 your own healthcare insurance options and your 00:43:24.469 --> 00:43:28.630 own retirement strategy options. But like anything 00:43:28.630 --> 00:43:34.550 else, you make adjustments and you adapt accordingly. 00:43:36.050 --> 00:43:39.869 Even before I retired, I was slowly adopting 00:43:39.869 --> 00:43:45.809 a minimalist lifestyle. I was slowly starting 00:43:45.809 --> 00:43:50.219 to purge myself of unnecessary material things 00:43:50.219 --> 00:43:54.579 and plus you know once you've had all the things 00:43:54.579 --> 00:43:58.139 the cars the condos the name brand this the name 00:43:58.139 --> 00:44:01.599 brand that it's all nice to have I'm not gonna 00:44:01.599 --> 00:44:04.539 lie it's nice to have it but none of it really 00:44:04.539 --> 00:44:08.659 at the end of the day makes you happy not really 00:44:08.659 --> 00:44:15.000 what really makes you happy is peace and stability 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:21.119 having your health Having a sound mind Having 00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:23.820 people in your life, even if it's just one or 00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:29.099 two Who truly care about you who love you unconditionally? 00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:30.980 They want the best for you. They want to see 00:44:30.980 --> 00:44:34.860 you happy Doing what you love every day waking 00:44:34.860 --> 00:44:38.179 up and being excited To get your day started 00:44:38.179 --> 00:44:42.059 not waking up in me. Oh You know this shit, you 00:44:42.059 --> 00:44:44.079 know who wants to wake up dealing with okay? 00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:46.099 How much money you make who wants to wake up? 00:44:46.010 --> 00:44:48.469 Saying I don't feel like dealing with this shit 00:44:48.469 --> 00:44:54.690 who wants to wake up saying that? You know um, 00:44:54.849 --> 00:44:58.110 but yeah, just Having people in your life that 00:44:58.110 --> 00:45:00.349 truly care about you and want the best for you 00:45:00.349 --> 00:45:02.769 They want to see you happy and doing the things 00:45:02.769 --> 00:45:06.449 you love and being excited when you wake up being 00:45:06.449 --> 00:45:12.030 in love Whatever form that takes for you that 00:45:12.030 --> 00:45:16.119 makes sense for you and feels good to you Being 00:45:16.119 --> 00:45:20.119 kind to other people being kind to yourself Being 00:45:20.119 --> 00:45:24.059 able to say I'm sorry to someone without it tasting 00:45:24.059 --> 00:45:28.420 like poison in your mouth Having enough humility 00:45:28.420 --> 00:45:33.940 to say to someone that you hurt that Look I wish 00:45:33.940 --> 00:45:37.400 I had handled that better. I'm sorry. I hurt 00:45:37.400 --> 00:45:41.760 you You know when you're having a disagreement 00:45:41.760 --> 00:45:45.679 or a breakdown in communication with someone 00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:50.019 and you say some really awful things to them 00:45:50.019 --> 00:45:52.780 but then somehow you come to your senses and 00:45:52.780 --> 00:45:55.599 you realize that you really hurt the other person 00:45:55.599 --> 00:45:59.679 by what you said. A lot of times we end up saying 00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:02.360 something like oh I was really upset I didn't 00:46:02.360 --> 00:46:05.360 mean what I said or I was really drunk I didn't 00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:08.980 mean that or I was in a really dark place back 00:46:08.980 --> 00:46:11.380 then I don't know why I said that I didn't mean 00:46:11.380 --> 00:46:16.739 it. What I've learned over the years is that 00:46:16.739 --> 00:46:20.360 regardless of what emotional state We may have 00:46:20.360 --> 00:46:26.260 been in at the time. We did mean it we did When 00:46:26.260 --> 00:46:31.699 it comes to our families and people who we are 00:46:31.699 --> 00:46:35.800 intimately connected with a Lot of times we know 00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:39.440 exactly What to say to bring them to their knees? 00:46:40.139 --> 00:46:45.719 We know their weakness. We know their kryptonite 00:46:45.719 --> 00:46:49.699 True love is being able to disagree with someone 00:46:49.699 --> 00:46:55.340 vehemiently to have a knockdown drag out and 00:46:55.340 --> 00:47:01.820 still not go there to not exploit their vulnerable 00:47:01.820 --> 00:47:05.559 places or Go for the juggler all in the name 00:47:05.559 --> 00:47:08.519 of trying to win an argument That's when you 00:47:08.519 --> 00:47:12.239 know you really truly love someone. That's when 00:47:12.239 --> 00:47:15.139 you know you love yourself, because really it 00:47:15.139 --> 00:47:19.980 takes a level of self -mastery to refrain from 00:47:19.980 --> 00:47:25.539 that type of emotional warfare. This is all stuff 00:47:25.539 --> 00:47:29.119 I wish I knew earlier in life, but you know that's 00:47:29.119 --> 00:47:34.460 just not how life goes. We're here to learn, 00:47:34.519 --> 00:47:37.980 we're here to grow, we're here to evolve spiritually. 00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:42.039 And the way we do that is by going through some 00:47:42.039 --> 00:47:46.159 really harsh and difficult things sometimes. 00:47:46.820 --> 00:47:49.219 Yes, God puts us here to enjoy life and have 00:47:49.219 --> 00:47:53.260 life and all of that. But in this journey, we 00:47:53.260 --> 00:47:56.760 also got to learn what it is to suffer and to 00:47:56.760 --> 00:48:01.019 be broken and to be hurt by people we love and 00:48:01.019 --> 00:48:07.320 to feel the sting of betrayal, to experience 00:48:07.320 --> 00:48:11.800 loss. the struggle sometimes and a want to give 00:48:11.800 --> 00:48:18.260 up and to be tested as far as we could bear and 00:48:18.260 --> 00:48:22.119 have our faith tested beyond comprehension and 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:24.639 at the end of the day and at the end of it all 00:48:24.639 --> 00:48:27.460 still give glory to god and still be able to 00:48:27.460 --> 00:48:30.800 say god is good still be able to say god i trust 00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:35.599 you though he slay me i would still wait i will 00:48:35.599 --> 00:48:39.750 argue my case before his face He would then become 00:48:39.750 --> 00:48:43.329 my salvation for no godless person may come in 00:48:43.329 --> 00:48:47.210 before him Y 'all remember the story of Job? 00:48:48.909 --> 00:48:51.750 All the things that befell him he lost his children 00:48:51.750 --> 00:48:56.769 lost his livelihood. He lost his health Even 00:48:56.769 --> 00:49:00.489 his wife was acting a fool he went through it 00:49:00.489 --> 00:49:02.690 and He went through his moments where he was 00:49:02.690 --> 00:49:04.809 bitter and he was angry just like anyone else 00:49:04.809 --> 00:49:07.349 would be he went through all of those changes 00:49:08.150 --> 00:49:10.929 But at the end of it, he humbled himself before 00:49:10.929 --> 00:49:14.050 the Lord He praised him in the middle of his 00:49:14.050 --> 00:49:16.889 suffering with balls all over his body after 00:49:16.889 --> 00:49:18.789 having lost his children his wife packing the 00:49:18.789 --> 00:49:22.809 food And remember when his wife told him? His 00:49:22.809 --> 00:49:27.530 wife said Are you still holding firmly to your 00:49:27.530 --> 00:49:33.630 integrity? curse God and die And I love what 00:49:33.630 --> 00:49:35.449 Joe said to her he said you were talking like 00:49:35.449 --> 00:49:38.820 one of the senseless women Should we accept only 00:49:38.820 --> 00:49:43.280 what is good from the true God and not also accept 00:49:43.280 --> 00:49:47.199 what is bad? And in all of this, Job did not 00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:51.519 sin with his lips. Now, I know it may not be 00:49:51.519 --> 00:49:55.519 to the extent that Job was tested. That's a lot. 00:49:55.719 --> 00:49:58.780 I don't know many people who could withstand 00:49:58.780 --> 00:50:02.199 those type of blows that Job took, but we all 00:50:02.199 --> 00:50:04.940 have to face our own unique trials and tribulations. 00:50:05.670 --> 00:50:11.289 That saying what God has for you People always 00:50:11.289 --> 00:50:14.250 try to attribute that to just material stuff 00:50:14.250 --> 00:50:17.070 and worldly things and accomplishments But it 00:50:17.070 --> 00:50:20.429 also means trials and challenges, too. We all 00:50:20.429 --> 00:50:24.730 have to come here with something Some people 00:50:24.730 --> 00:50:28.949 it may be cancer some people it may Be really 00:50:28.949 --> 00:50:33.050 really really really challenging parents or no 00:50:33.050 --> 00:50:40.650 parents One of mine is being gay I So wish I 00:50:40.650 --> 00:50:42.449 was not gay. I don't want to be gay. I think 00:50:42.449 --> 00:50:45.849 the lifestyle is stupid but that was what God 00:50:45.849 --> 00:50:50.329 sent me here to bear and to make peace with and 00:50:50.329 --> 00:50:53.630 to embrace and learn to love myself even though 00:50:53.630 --> 00:50:56.550 That's not what I want to be. We all have to 00:50:56.550 --> 00:50:58.429 come here with something. Thank God It was just 00:50:58.429 --> 00:51:00.989 being gay you imagine if I was an amputee or 00:51:00.989 --> 00:51:03.889 had cancer or leukemia or just it could have 00:51:03.889 --> 00:51:06.460 been a whole lot of stuff and i'm gonna complain 00:51:06.460 --> 00:51:10.679 about being gay is my cross to bear please i'll 00:51:10.679 --> 00:51:13.679 bear it all day long all day it could have been 00:51:13.679 --> 00:51:19.980 a number of things you know so it wasn't my intention 00:51:19.980 --> 00:51:23.159 it wasn't my intention to preach today you know 00:51:23.159 --> 00:51:26.400 but uh with that scripture out of the out of 00:51:26.400 --> 00:51:28.860 the heart flow of the issues of life you have 00:51:28.860 --> 00:51:33.940 to be obedient to the spirit you know um god's 00:51:33.940 --> 00:51:36.949 word never returns So, you know, just let God 00:51:36.949 --> 00:51:39.250 have his way. He's the one who gave me this platform 00:51:39.250 --> 00:51:42.190 in the first place. Let him have his way. And 00:51:42.190 --> 00:51:46.349 just be kind to people, even the assholes. We're 00:51:46.349 --> 00:51:49.849 all carrying something. You just never know how 00:51:49.849 --> 00:51:51.929 far a little bit of kindness or a little smile 00:51:51.929 --> 00:51:54.449 can, you know how far they can go in someone's 00:51:54.449 --> 00:51:57.750 life. It doesn't cost anything. We're living 00:51:57.750 --> 00:52:00.030 in a time right now where being mean and being 00:52:00.030 --> 00:52:04.070 involved, you know, being mean is just like regular 00:52:04.070 --> 00:52:07.840 now. It's just like, yeah, be mean, be a dick. 00:52:08.480 --> 00:52:10.139 You know, it's looked upon as strength, but it's 00:52:10.139 --> 00:52:14.119 not really strength, it's weakness. It's weakness, 00:52:14.139 --> 00:52:17.760 so don't fall for that. There's one more thing 00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:22.699 I wanna say before I end tonight's show. If there's 00:52:22.699 --> 00:52:25.940 someone in your life that you've not forgiven 00:52:25.940 --> 00:52:32.980 for hurting you, let the shit go. Seriously, 00:52:33.079 --> 00:52:37.679 let it go. It's been long enough. How has holding 00:52:37.679 --> 00:52:40.519 on to all of that served you? Do you feel better? 00:52:41.260 --> 00:52:45.519 Your health is good? Let it go. Let the shit 00:52:45.519 --> 00:52:47.440 go. I promise you, you're gonna feel so much 00:52:47.440 --> 00:52:49.260 better once you let all that go. And that don't 00:52:49.260 --> 00:52:50.739 mean you have to call them and say, I forgive 00:52:50.739 --> 00:52:53.280 you, and da da da. You don't even have to talk 00:52:53.280 --> 00:52:57.079 to them. Forgive them in your heart. Forgive 00:52:57.079 --> 00:53:00.420 them in your mind and in your body. Talk to God 00:53:00.420 --> 00:53:02.300 about it saying Lord. I don't want to carry this 00:53:02.300 --> 00:53:05.639 no more here. You take it You you carry my burdens. 00:53:05.639 --> 00:53:07.679 It says that in your word. So here I'm giving 00:53:07.679 --> 00:53:10.559 this to you. I don't want it I'm not gonna get 00:53:10.559 --> 00:53:12.760 cancer for nobody. I'm not gonna get all these 00:53:12.760 --> 00:53:14.940 illnesses for nobody for holding on to grudges 00:53:14.940 --> 00:53:18.099 and Unforgiveness and all of that. It's not worth 00:53:18.099 --> 00:53:21.920 it. It's just toxic emotions If you leave toxic 00:53:21.920 --> 00:53:24.519 emotions in your body for too long, it is going 00:53:24.519 --> 00:53:28.639 to turn into sickness Do you understand that? 00:53:30.279 --> 00:53:32.900 So I really hope you hear me on that. All right, 00:53:32.940 --> 00:53:35.599 listen. That's our show for tonight. I'm not 00:53:35.599 --> 00:53:39.019 gonna go on and on. I appreciate you guys spending 00:53:39.019 --> 00:53:40.920 some time with me this evening. I really do. 00:53:41.119 --> 00:53:43.019 I told you I was gonna make it worth your while. 00:53:44.659 --> 00:53:47.139 Be sure to tune into our next episode of Live 00:53:47.139 --> 00:53:50.760 with Dr. Andre Jerry. My show airs every second 00:53:50.760 --> 00:53:54.360 Wednesday of the month at 6 p .m. Eastern, okay? 00:53:54.500 --> 00:53:56.880 Right here on the Artist First Radio Network. 00:53:57.320 --> 00:53:59.619 So thank you for listening and good night, everybody.