Hello, hello, and welcome to the Borealis

experience. I'm your host Aurora. And I'm very happy and

excited delighted to have Christian McCoy with me today,

we met a couple weeks ago, over a Facebook group called the

convict connection. Some of you might know this about me that

I'm totally passionate about talking about the Correctional

Services like in North America, I feel we all deserve a second

chance, especially people who were in jail and are being

released back into society. And we as a society, we have to make

it a little easier for people to reintroduce themselves into

society, it is hard enough to get out of jail and to go back

into this crazy, messy world. And if we could meet them with a

little bit more compassion, with more empathy, and not forgetting

that sometimes we're all just one weird decision, one step

away from being incarcerated. So I feel this is going to be a

series of episodes that we're going to do here together with

Christian and also Patrick has his partner because they started

a really neat project where they help people to find themselves

and to to feel comfortable being out there again, in society,

they're kind of the watchdogs. They are the mold in the cracks

of the system, not to say that the system is rotten and not

serving us, but I feel we as society, we can do a little

more. Christian, welcome to the show. I'm very excited to kick

start our little project here. I would love you to introduce

yourself a little bit, as much into detail as you feel

comfortable with the better people know you, the better we

can relate to you. And yeah, let's just go from there.

Thank you, Rob, how are you?

I'm very good. I'm very excited to have this conversation with

you and to share with people. Yeah, what your mission is with

Patrick and yeah, it's, it's gonna be a good good couple

hours that we spent together here in the future.

Well, I appreciate you giving us this platform to kind of speak

in in advertise where we come from as an entity and, and we,

as you stated, we do and did generate group called convict

Connect. And we started probably, I don't know, five or

six years ago, and it was more of a support group with five or

six individuals that had spent time incarcerated throughout the

prison system within the state of Nebraska. And it was just

kind of, we got together kind of as a sounding board more or less

with grew up with, like I said, five or six guys just to make

sure that we were touching base and we weren't too out there on

our thoughts or what we're trying to accomplish because as

we'll get into, hopefully, in the future episodes will

understand that there's definitely delusions of grandeur

for people they're setting out for the prison system in to

society immediately. I think it's all you know, it's all

seated with good and it started in good intent and rooted is

trying to do good things, but a lot of times I think, you know,

coming out, taking it step by step, biting off more than you

can chew to kind of sows the seeds for discouragement, and

maybe a little bit of overwhelming feelings that a lot

of these guys probably had with them before they violated or did

something where society needed to take them and separate them

for a timeout by hiring barbed wire and shotguns and you know,

30, odd sixes and so forth, as far as To protection from

society. So what we did is we sat down and we did this for it

went on for probably about a month anyway, we're all excited,

we're doing this. And we're having it in a Panera of all

places not to name drop, but it was just kind of a locale for us

to do on Saturday morning. And notice that it was kind of

growing, and everybody was getting excited and wanted to

throw in more, and we're looking forward to it. Well, it's also a

bunch of gangsters talking about gangster stuff around grandmas

and grandpa's, that are trying to have their peach cobbler or

their frittata, and coffee and so forth in the morning. So it

was a little bit of a different dialogue, probably the most

patrons of that establishment were used to having or have

around them at seven o'clock in the morning and Saturday. So and

we'll kind of go on from there. But that's initially how it

started. Speaking and, of course, the kind of the rule and

coming from this mentality, number one, I think you and I

both know that we need to number one be able to relate to them.

before we're able to help out in any capacity, I don't think we

necessarily need to go in and solve problems. But I think we

need to be validated as being trustworthy, or gone through a

certain number of steps. So these individuals that need the

help, the ones that are we're here, they're we're here for are

able to trust us or at least give us the respect of giving

some of their attention and some of their, you know, ability to

follow through on things. And so with me, to give you just a

little bit of a short synopsis on my criminal history and

background, I found out it's a little different, not better,

not worse, I think it's actually worse in most cases, people

might not look at it, but I didn't get in involved or have

any sort of infraction with the law, where I immediately went to

prison once I did. So I kind of skipped the county mistakes and

so forth that a lot of people do. And they kind of say go

through as far as grade school in high school, you get up to

the big leagues, or you go to prison. different dynamic for

each state, of course, but with me, mine was a situation with

involving embezzled, we started off as embezzlement, but it

actually turned into it was a theft by deception and just

being completely transparent. And everything it was more of a

situation of trying to keep up with the Joneses type of

mentality where there's a lot of

internal inventory and internal research that I've done on

myself to find out that it's really kind of rude and of

course, low self esteem a lot of these things that are indicative

are symbiotic with what these other guys are going through. So

we I I can appreciate that. And it was a situation to where

involve banks involve loans through banks, and it was more

or less it wasn't to fund a gambling addiction or a drug

addiction or anything like that. It was simply to fund a

lifestyle where I thought I needed to maintain a certain

level of of visual pneus where I'm perceived as having them as

much as the next door neighbor, whatever the case was anyway. So

that once we got done with and once I was able to establish

that and get out and involved in this program, then what it did

is it aligned me with like minded individuals, where I

really could kind of trust now and I think trust was a big

thing in my past where we didn't have the trust ability I didn't

trust that people would like me for not the best looking dude,

not the can't jump the highest, you know, shortcomings in myself

and, and insecurities about myself to where I thought that

people wouldn't want to hang out or do something unless I had

something to offer. So when you work in an environment like

that, or when you come through an environment it is different

and anybody that hasn't been or has been involved in the prison

system can appreciate the fact when it's a complete respect,

utopia, it is a utopia it's a completely different environment

that we live in. Once we're behind the systems, it's our own

little in the system, our own community. You know, we we eat,

we have commerce, we have trade. We have everything that goes on

in society is just the worst surrounded by, you know, barbed

wire fence. So when you get out it's much different because

having that sort of structure and sort of respect with much

dire circumstances that we do in society, it, it's a unique

experience. And that's one thing that we do have to adapt to. And

coming from individuals, a lot of times that have will say it

impulsivity is the number one thing I've seen, that has an

issue. And people that don't sit down and wait and relax and

think about their options, or think of a scenario out a lot of

times as dire circumstances, and you are exactly right, Aurora,

you know, we are, a lot of people are one decision away.

But that doesn't justify those that have gone and had

infractions or had, you know, backslides, or however you want

to term it, to go to the to be involved in the prison system.

So once you get out, we've have that get out of jail free card,

so to speak, already sent are already spending we are much

more culpable, and much more responsible for our decisions

than somebody that might not be on something as simple as a

traffic infraction or a traffic ticket. And to kind of maybe

touch base a little bit with what you were speaking about.

Kind of where we integrate with you is when you said fill in the

cracks and so forth, that's exactly it we look at ourself is

more of kind of an aggregate program, worthy individuals.

Number one, we're not affiliated in any way shape or form with

any sort of programming with any state mandated, you know,

programming system through the Department of Corrections,

parole departments, anything like that, we actually are

completely self funded. We are completely autonomous. As far as

our mission statement, what we're looking to do. And that's

not saying that we don't agree with it. You know, we're in a

state that we have a local college and not to toot anybody

else's horn, but we do have great faculties and great

resources and utilities, to help individuals almost with anything

that they would need help with. We've been accepted. Also

through the parole department in the past, where we, you know,

had the parole officers that were telling us that they were

going to, you know, drug test us and the parole officers a week

reported to, before the COVID situation happened, we're now

sending individuals that were coming out, we're in work,

release, or refresh on parole, and we're kind of intensely

supervised, we were an option

for them to come to, as far as a meeting group with them, not

programming at all, but we were accepted. And I think the reason

that part of the reason we were accepted is we offer complete

transparency, we come try to come in with the most realistic

approach of, you know, anybody that gets out of prison is going

to come out and they're going to have it already in their head

that don't do drugs, don't drink, go to work. All of these

things that most people take for granted. They're not taken for

granted because they haven't been an option. This is

sometimes very alien world that a lot of these guys are getting

out that are wholeheartedly wanting to do. But sometimes

they don't have the tools to be able to manage it. And when I

say an aggregate program, we fill in the blanks when there's

not parole officers to get ahold of the parole offices closed.

It's after your a meeting or your narcotics meeting. And it's

just you left with your thoughts. And sometimes these

individuals that's a very, very bad situation, or a very

incendiary situation, to where, you know, low culpability or how

it learning to have culpability and already trying to overcome

impulsivity issues and so forth. A lot of times it's very caustic

stew for people to get involved in bad decision making and

that's not their fault.

Hmm, no, and like another reason why I needed to contact you once

I found out what you guys are doing is that you are so

incredibly precious to society. Like the work you are doing is

so incredible, because I can totally see that when you are in

prison. It's it's not comfortable, you're not free.

You can do whatever you want, but you have structure. You have

people around you that maybe give you a sense of safety at

some point you you have kind of a brotherhood starting or like a

safe place to be where everything is orderly and then

you're being thrown out into society. And the weird things

happen. After our right, the weird things happen once we are

left alone with our thoughts, it's either suicidal or criminal

or, or whatever comes up, it is so crazy. And you don't have to

be an ex convict to have these anxious feelings and compulsive

feelings. But those people needed the most. And that's why

for me, it's so crazy to see that we know that nutrition.

Same thing in hospitals, by the way, nutrition helps you with

your mental health helps you to be stable helps you to have like

a stable sugar to not slide into depression and obesity, which

can affect your mind. And we know that Yeah, being slowly

introduced into society would be a way better approach than just

yeah, releasing them and letting them deal with all the triggers

that there is all of a son again. And my my vision is

really, that we can make people aware of this and that we don't

demand this from the system to change, but to change it in our

minds to know that you are just like me, wherever you've been

convicted, or went to jail, that system trusted, that you are

good to be released, and I fully trust them, I fully trust you.

And let's move on, let's start our journey from here. And let's

not, you know, guilt trip you or shame you for what you've done

in the past. But let's help each other because the anxieties that

you have, you know, not feeling enough having to keep up with

the neighbor. Otherwise, we don't feel worthy. We all have

that to some degree, and we all have to heal that wound and, and

to put you on a on a pedestal now and to make you the bad guy

now is is not the right way to go. And I have so much respect

for you to share your story here and to to know that you went

through so much pain, and now you want to help people to not

feel alone and to not feel desperate. And yeah, it's just

incredible what you guys are doing. And I would love you to

share a little bit more how your daily life looks like with that

mission. Do people call you in the middle of the night? Do you

meet up with with people and do kind of an informal counseling?

How can we how can we imagine your work?

We have and understand as well. You know, some of these guys

have done, you know, the horrible things are some of the

stories we hear that if you have substance abuse, addictions

going in, when people come out, they are the most sand, not

necessarily hygienic, but sanitary. They follow protocol

as far as guidelines in regards to their health and so forth.

And I'm sure he probably is, you know, being incarcerated, I

wasn't incarcerated, as long as a lot of these guys were no,

they were probably a little bit more diligent or prudent as far

as wiping hands and washing hands off and, you know, things

like that. But when we get out and the reason I'm saying this

is because COVID has, you know, basically turned everybody into

Dr. Fauci. Everybody has turned into into a situation that we

have to do this and then have to do that, which is good, but it

really does kind of it does segment you know, or

compartmentalize individuals to not have group environments. And

with us, part of the drawing part of our tackling fuel is

that group environment, you know, people you know, like

things like manipulation. manipulation isn't necessarily

always a bad thing. And I'm a huge proponent and subscriber to

it, as well. I think that you know, a lot of times

manipulation and peer pressure, when applied very appropriately,

in a good environment does allow some people to see Kind of the

error of their ways, especially if they're stuck in a thought

process where they can't get over the fact of, they might

need to absorb a little bit of culpability just a little bit.

And that's real, that's hard for us as human beings. And I think

that's one of the things that it's trying to be a hypocrite

with, with a lot of these guys saying, you know, we need to, we

need to practice culpability and self awareness and compassion,

all that stuff when we see a lot of that baking in the world

right now. And so one thing that we try to do is get them ahead

of the curve, as far as acceptability in the society and

holding doors open for people as they go through and not rushing

through or allowing someone to go in front of you in line. And

a lot of guys, I noticed do do that most guys that uh, we come

out, that we see coming out and social, you know, interactions

or occasions are perfect gentlemen. Because they know

that if you do that, in and violate that rule, while you're

in prison, it very well can end up with your head getting

slammed in a steel door as a sign of disrespect. So we

calibrated our thought process much differently. So a lot of

these guys are on board. And like I said, with a little bit

of peer pressure, and a little bit of manipulation. As far as

circumstances, you have these guys on board for doing the

right thing. And the right thing really honestly started off

before COVID happened within our meanings.

By saying just take one other person into consideration when

you do your decision making just one other person, meaning it

could be the person for me, it doesn't even have to do with

what you have going on. But just take or think of someone else.

Think of how it would affect someone else, even if it doesn't

affect them at all. That I think kind of sows the seeds of

compassion and empathy and things to where you're not a

you're not a sucker, you're not a punk, you're not anything,

you're just a normal effing human being that you know, I

mean, we, if we help out other people, then that's a little bit

infectious. And most of the stuff that we do, is and we're

completely fine with it is is we don't get, we don't get patted

on the back, and so forth. And the nice thing about it is

everybody that's involved with this, all five founders, none of

us are in it for the glory. I mean, for hear me being the one

that's out, I just am the one that loves to hear myself talk

the most. So the only reason that I'm in front of everybody

is and nobody else is because I don't have I don't have the

reservations or things and these guys beyond me can tell stories

for days. And hopefully we get to that point. But this is kind

of a new platform for us social media, podcasting, but it

doesn't change the message of what we've been out here doing

and grinding and helping people out and taking phone calls and

absorbing costs of getting guys to, you know, Costco, so we can

get a boxer shorts and jeans and socks and everything that they

need, because they're going out into the world and they need a

job, and they don't have the ability. And nobody cares why

they don't have that ability to fund themselves or clothe

themselves or whatever. But some of these guys just don't have

it. And that doesn't make them that doesn't make their

situation any less to succeed. And we can so if we can help out

in any way we will, will in in in more of a compassion

perspective as well. Anybody who gets on our Facebook page

fantasies, what we're about, we try to have a consistent

positivity. We just we don't like to completely come away. We

like to have some, you know that we put videos up of prison

stories and so forth, because that is polarizing. There's no

other way to get it's funny we I did a Oh a group talk about a

year and a half ago. And it was just kind of an opening for a

lunch and then so forth. And it was just the Very Vanilla

homogenized prison stories that I've accrued or seen throughout

mine. And these guys that work in the medical, like the tech

medical field. It was for a lunch and it was probably it was

only about 2025 minutes and they sat like kindergarteners, Indian

style around with their mouth wide open, just listening to how

we make prison burritos, or the process it takes to get, you

know, a cigarette or the process it takes whatever it would be in

prison. It's just it's it's completely amazed these

individuals so if we have a plan form with that and an interest

with society and where people go, then we need to get a

message across as far as how we can help these individual, if

that makes sense.

Oh, total, totally like, it makes wonderful sense. And you

just made me aware again, of the pressure that people must feel

of, of, yeah, trying to be perfect and trying to not make

any mistakes. And in jail, you function a very certain way. And

then you being released into society. And all of a sudden you

meet rude people, you meet people who yet totally trigger

you, or, you know, you hold the door, and the girl is being

like, very ungrateful. And, you know, like, it's a very weird

world that we live in at the moment. And I can can't imagine

it being very difficult. Like I noticed.

Absolutely, and not to interrupt you, I'm sorry. It just reminded

me to say the biggest trigger that a lot of these guys have

getting out and so forth, is being made to feel insignificant

or not equal. So when I say, people going in doors are not

saying thank you, that's a big turnoff, because it's not. It's

not that they have a chip on their shoulder. It's that

they're really trying hard, and harder than anybody else. And a

lot of Scituate, I can personally attest to this. Yeah,

there are a lot of guys out here that are trying with everything

they have, man, they're trying so so hard. And when somebody

comes across and does something, they don't have the faculties

yet, as far as they're generating them, and they're

exercising and growing them. But they don't have the faculties

not to see and to be I think completely civilian eyes back

into the real world. That is rude. No matter who you are, if

you walk inside of a door, I don't care in a prison or not

order and just act like you don't see someone. That's not

how not. That's how that's how scumbags act is what I think, is

just an ugly soul.

Exactly. And but the problem with people who just got out of

jail is that they make it about themselves, they think, Oh,

yeah, I'm still not worthy, I still feel so much guilt and

shame. This is why the person is treating me that way. And it is

wrong, it is because the person is a jerk from the get go, and

he would have treated me the same way he would have treated

you. It has nothing to do with your worth. But this is what

you're trying to make people aware of. And I have a feeling

that you're going to turn people into mindfulness warriors, and

heart driven leaders, because you're going to give them tools,

that the normal person who never went to jail, who lives a very

ignorant life embedded in society will never have access

to because they didn't have to go through this intense pain.

Not to say that we have to go. People have to go through

intense pain. But sometimes the beauty of it is that we learn

tools on how to live a more meaningful life, purposeful

life, more simple life. I only met Patrick once, but he gives

me like the vibe that he's a very content person with, with

not much like he seems very humble about it, at least, or

intimidating. Very maddening. Yeah, it's somebody that

balanced.

Yeah, but he is not the threatening or aggressive in any

way. He's just very confident. And maybe he wouldn't have this

confidence. If he didn't have to go through health first, do you

do know what I'm trying to say?

I do. And I think you know, and that's a good point, or is that

we learn as much from these gentlemen coming out. Or as much

as sponges, they are probably even more so because we're

learning to have a diet we're needing to. We're learning about

a dynamic or a twist on a dynamic or behavioral, you know,

personality type that we need to utilize and be able to help

future ones we're not maybe necessarily trying to, to find

the right path are finding the right way to do things as much

disease individuals that are getting out although we are, you

know, in the same breath, but the number one thing is that

these guys a lot of times, we'll see People coming out that are

extremely seasoned, that come out and don't get upset and say

when they something goes wrong. And you know, someone does

something that we perceive as an infraction, and it might even

upset me, you find guys that are still in that are getting out or

just freshly got out. That said, you don't know what that

person's going through, or I'm going to pray for that person,

or whatever it is. And that's a very, that's something that I

don't have yet still. And I'm trying very hard to do it. And

it's funny, because maybe that's, you know, whether or not

they're saying the right thing they knew, and it was very

effective and tactical that they said it right there. And right

at that specific point. And, you know, I think a lot of these

individuals that are getting out and we're trying to help, we're

not trying to do anything other than perpetuate the greater

good. Yeah. So when we do things, you know, we're all

we're completely self funded. We're not privately funded

through anybody. We help out in areas where we know that they

can help out we did as these on our website gave away 10 free

dinners during when COVID first shut the world down, shut the

world, the world was shut down. Completely weird dynamic for

these gentlemen that are stepping out into an

environment. I've never seen anything like it at the time, my

92 year old grandfather, asking me through points of lucidity,

if he's ever seen anything like this, He neither has either. So

that's another variable in the equation that these guys have to

put in to figure out the solution. So we also, you know,

I mean, just to say that we're empathized in the greater good

as far as what people need, people need for immediate help.

And that allows them to not have to worry because like I said, a

lot of times, little things will take you off your main goal. So

if we can kind of aggregate we fill in the cracks, you know,

we'd be able to hopefully, allow these people to stay on the path

where they can get back, get the momentum going. So they can, you

know, remove the training wheels and just let momentum carry on

them in a decent direction and in the right direction. And it's

a, I was trying, I wanted to have another lady throughout

this, this interview, introduce her because it puts us in

contact with other groups, other groups that now we're working

with the lady who is telling lady, her husband, and they have

a organization or foundation that they deal with helping out

an inmate or certainly inmates, through private funding for

basic necessities, and then kind of doing a think tank and so

forth. A lot of times and using social media, if you're really

doing the right thing, it does allow us kind of an engine to

where we can highlight or we can feature an individual that is on

all paper doing the right things. And I don't you know,

one thing about us is we we practice complete transparency.

So for every good one that gets out and speaking the right word

about what he or she is going to do. There's also another one

that is saying exactly what everybody wants to hear. And

when they step out, their actions do not mimic their

words, and they end up you know, re offending and going back. And

that doesn't mean that they're not any less important. But with

the greater good and what we're doing we're trying to align

ourselves with, with programs that will help out and give the

initiative to the people that everything that they've shown us

is that they do want to change you know, we're not a we're

definitely not officiating, that we don't catch everything that

comes in and love professionally, we have respect

for everybody. And we have everything you know, in line and

in place online to where we can you know, individuals that are

struggling, we can point them in the right direction as far as

assistance through programming, or housing or job placement or

certification for job pantries, things like that we have other

avenues and other resources that we're familiar with and we can

send them but as far as the personal decisions and you know

the the personal fortitude to want to change yourself. That's

really where we're kind of programmed as far as being or

where our program is, is is rooted in as far as our business

model and our mission statement of where we want to go and what

we want to do. Now this is because everybody does make

everybody does make decisions and everybody might be one step

away but you know, there are some agree Just steps along the

process. A lot of times it's knucklehead decision making. And

I think anybody will tell you that civilians are the ones that

have done things right their entire lives. There is honorable

to us as maybe workers, some people that have gotten out and

turn their lives around this perceived other people, just

because people that have done the right thing. And you know, a

lot of these people have thoughts like my great

grandfather, where you just go to work because you have to, and

you just do everything you do for the family, and you're not

special. You're not a snowflake, you do what the next door

neighbor does, because that's what everybody does for the

greater good. And I, I do like that. I do like that approach,

because it offers a very humble, you know, very humble sort of

identity as individuals to do it the right way. And do it the not

trying to reinvent the wheel.

Mm hmm. No, I totally. I totally agree with that, Kristen. I just

would like people to see that we can approach this more with a

healing attitude and compassionate attitude. And and

know that, yeah, people, some people just were led astray. But

they have value, they have extreme value. They're so

precious, we can learn from from everybody around us. And we need

to do this together, we can just keep people separated, and think

that they're going to function because as soon as there is

separation, there is sickness. Because we're all meant to be

connected. We're meant to work together to heal together, to

grow together. And I get it, the system is how it is we separate

people who have done something wrong. But if we have the

intention to release them back to society, we have to do a

better job at reintroducing them. And yeah, once again, I

have so much respect for the work you're doing. Because I can

see now maybe during COVID, even more people are are rising up to

their purpose. It is not any more about well, do you have

that degree? Did you actually study this because otherwise,

I'm not going to believe you, Christian, I don't care what

degree you have. I know you're doing such an awesome job.

Because you approach it with your heart. you approach it

from, from your perspective, from your experiences, and you

have the empathy to understand what other people might need.

And this is so much more valuable than any degree that

you could get through books. I want to ask you one.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, I wanted to say that that's, and I

think, you know, just to tell your, your audience and so

forth, and educate them, that's where we kind of aligned with

each other. Because what you bring to the table is that you

know, that that transcendental kind of approach to mental

healing or personal mental healing? The application can be

throughout the day, however it is, but it does. And I think it

keeps people in touch, and it keeps people connected. Because

the one you know, one of the things that we look at as

triggers is when people start to isolate, once they start to

isolate, it doesn't necessarily always mean that it's bad

things. But usually all bad things, start with isolation or

isolating yourself from individuals because you feel

guilty or whatever the case is.

Yeah, yeah. And another thing I want to add to that is that

people who have been in this protected environments have to

say, Now out in society sometimes maybe feel

overstimulated and just think, Oh my god, what is all this

craziness? And it is exactly those people who can make me

aware of the crazy life I'm living and then I can make sense

of why do I have insomnia? Why do I have headaches all the

time? Well, yeah, because we all run around like chickens with

chopped of heads and a person who has been removed for a

certain time and let's say after 20 years comes back can really

make us aware of where have we come to and where do we need to

go back to because it is all going in into very weird

directions now.

Well, absolutely in like you had said to, you know, getting out I

referred to it as kind of delay legions of grantor and that's,

that's your you're preaching from that book that's exactly

right, we get out and we get overwhelmed because we've been

psyching ourselves up to this time when we get out, we get

out, I'm going to do things different, I'm going to run for

mayor and I'm going to be governor and then I'm gonna

become president, the United States and I'm going to be

Superman, I'm gonna get a cape on the can fly and I can do and

it's, it's your intention, probably, you know, you have

good intention, and I come from the same subscription, but then

you get out and you find out that we don't live on Mars, and

there's only 24 hours in a day to be able to do these things.

And that's where it we do try to help out. And I like working

with that demographic of individuals because that they

can become discouraged really quick. And like I said, the

impulsivity and sometimes we see, you know, whether it's

society based or within the individual or pharmacology or

whatever the thing is, it's a different mentality now in the

civilian world and within the incarcerated world, to where I

heard a convenient, say, at one time is that people to eat, they

go to the Abyss really quick now. And what I mean is that

sometimes you just shake your head, as far as the logic behind

some of this decision making, meaning that if you got your, if

you got your shifts canceled at McDonald's, that's a reason to

run out and run a kick door robbery on somebody, because

you're not feeling good. And you're like, we're like, Whoa,

whoa, whoa, whoa, where did we get into that line of thinking,

well, that's a herd mentality. That's someone that hasn't had

probably anybody really give a damn about him to look at him.

And through manipulation, and through peer pressure, say that

is the dumbest thing I said, dumbest thing that's ever come

out of your mouth, that I've heard you saying a lot of guys,

that helps out because what it proves is there's someone out

there that does, that might not care about him his foot, you

know, may not I'm not gonna move you into my house. But I am in a

situation to where it shows that someone does care, it shows that

someone is looking out for me to say, don't do that, instead of

well then hit me up when you're done. And, you know, whatever

the case is, it's just a situation to see that someone is

taking time out of their day, even if it's through chastising,

to say, why what is going on, like, let's, let's sit down for

a sec, and rethink this evaluation of what exactly you

want to come out of this situation. And it's, it's, it's

ramping, unfortunately, now, and I think it's number one, it

plays into no culpability, and I hate to keep beating. But if you

notice, there's kind of a trend or a pattern, as far as things

that we utilize within our, our group, and, and words and

terminology that will keep coming up. And that's important

culpability, self respect. You know, having a thought process

where you think of someone else, one thing that I'm trying one

thing I'm trying to do now and it's we're trying to formulate

clothing while I'm trying to deal with all sorts of things,

delusions of grandeur, like I just got out. But just a simple

thing of wait five years, we are looking at starting just kind of

a clothing line. And that's the name of like hats and shirts

that just say wait five, and it's like, it's just it stabs

right at the heart of impulsivity? Yeah, wait five

minutes. You think you got it all figured out? Sit down, wait

five and reevaluate. Because we're not day traders. We all

have felonies, we can't be day traders. So you don't need to

make you know, tactical financial decisions now within

the next five minutes. Yeah, whatever you're worried about or

stressed about moving on right now. It's probably going to be

there in five minutes from now. Yeah. Yeah. And that just gives

a different perspective. Yeah,

no, totally and, and what comes to mind when when I listened to

you is that you are not your impulsivity you are not your

thoughts. Your thoughts are there. And you can observe them,

but you don't have to act upon them. They are there and you can

just let them float by and like you say, can't tell five,

sometimes even 10 but but, you know, let it let it happen and

don't act upon it. And we can all learn about it. Because look

at the here. Traffic rage, road rage people wrote. They could

totally Yeah, I can see them by by your T shirts, too. And I

want one to please

what they have the road rage is they have some of the best

videos out on Tiktok road rage video so let's not completely

you know, as long as no state laws are, you know, are broken.

Oh, keep in mind it's not I am the worst one. So, you know,

this is the I didn't this didn't come out of his beautiful mug

didn't come out of the box like this. Everything that we say and

everything that we try to be very casual with a very

professional line. I am worse than anybody when it comes to

impulsivity. And it's just an issue to where, if you know that

there are still impulsive things or or what do they call it was

the corniest thing I've ever heard stinking thinking,

stinking Fang. So if you have any part of that in your head,

yeah, what you need to do is surround yourself or make sure

that you have a good environment with family, children, friends,

co workers, whatever the case would be that do care and do

kind of hold you accountable. And I think for all of us, Pat

is definitely that polarizing member with us. Like I'd spoke

to you before, Pat, I can't say enough about the guy. And a lot

of times it's, it feels like you're telling your uncle or

your dad something to where you feel like if you want to include

them or haven't helped you with a problem. Sometimes you're

free, like you're feeling like you're going to let him down, or

he's going to be disappointed in you. And that's i i think that's

very integral as well that I think that's very important.

Yeah, because that means you still have a little bit of human

blood pumping through your body, and you still have that

connection to emotion and hurt and, you know, pride and

everything, all the good stuff that comes with it.

Yeah, no, absolutely. Very, very well said. We are running out of

time here. Christ. This is crazy. Good. Okay, that's okay.

Now, I also just want Yeah, no, go ahead. No, one thing I would

just like to do is anybody that has any questions, we would like

to, you know, obviously doing this but convict connection on

Facebook, I don't know how we would like to kind of interface

a website with it, I would like to do it only for validity

reasons. But that is coming online, there's a bunch of

things we're doing, I talked a little bit about an individual,

a lady that we're working with, it's in her husband that are

helping out, sending some funds in, we've actually expanded

beyond that, and seeing if we can turn it in and get some

follows and get some success and, and attention to this cause

it would also allow us to really step up and help individuals

stepping out where they don't have help. So if we can involve

this, you know, throughout the United States and get

incorporated with helping these individuals coming out, showing

that they're doing their thing that also gives us a lot of data

to be able to share with employers and state agencies and

everything to give these guys kind of a little bit of a push

once they get out into society, because I noticed that that is

that would be something else that we would be able to help

out. Because that's makes a lot of people stumble, that's

hurdles that those aren't easy things to accomplish. And if you

get a wrong answer, and things and so forth, you have to live

with it. Or you don't have something happen for you right

away, you have the frustration. Yeah, we can kind of help those

people coming out. We know we know what it's like on the other

side of the fence. And we know that when you do hit the

streets, there's a reason like we feel like we've paid our debt

to society, because it's consistently it's consistently

living in a different environment. Yeah, nonstop from

when you wake up to when you go to bed. So anything we can do to

help kind of get them back to where they need to be. That's

our that's our, that's our responsibility.

Yeah, no, I see it the same way and I would feel so honored if I

could be part of this. And helping out as much as I can to

give people a platform where they can pour out their heart

and tell us Hey, you guys are being rude. You guys are being

so insensitive and like appealing to our compassion and

empathy because we all need more of us.

Absolutely, and you can't help what you don't know about it. So

learning from us, like Like I said, you know, seeing the just

the stories how it's absorbed. And eaten and how people just

want more information on that. Because a lot of it, it's it's

like Outer Space living, they don't know anything about it. So

everything is fascinating to them. And if we can do that it

will offer kind of nothing, but I just, you know, knowledge is

power. All the old cliches are true, the more you know, the

more powerful and the more empowered you feel. So you're

absolutely a catalyst in that I appreciate everything that we've

done together. And I know for a fact that there is definitely

you're definitely a part of the puzzle, as far as what we need

to do and help out and so forth. So I think I appreciate

everything that you've done. And like I said, I look forward to

working with you in the future. Hopefully, we can get some cases

coming out and individuals that you can speak with as well. And

other kinds of foundations and organizations that are on the

same page as us.

Yeah, no, I would love that so much. And yeah, we are connected

now. I will make sure to give people the possibility to

contact you if they have any questions, or they can contact

me. And yeah, we go from here. first episode and this

done? Absolutely. And we will be reflected just like on yours.

Will we, you know, like will reflect you and advertise you on

our, on our I think my like my parents says, we'll put you on

the Facebook's with arms on our side. Yeah, facebook, facebook.

Yeah. Well, I'll put on that in the Twitter chat. I'll put you

on all

that. Yeah, put me on that.

Stamp, Twitter and face chat.

Yeah. I love it so much. Thank you so much for your time,

Kristen. That was lovely kickstart of our collaboration

here.

I appreciate it or be well.

Well, thank you, everybody, for listening to this interview. It

is dear to my heart, to have these conversations and to cut

through people's prejudice. And to show people that it doesn't

matter where you come from, you can create great things, you can

have a mission that is life changing for people and for

society. And I'm just Yeah, very blessed and feel very honored to

be working with Kristian and Patrick in the future and to

keep to keep this work up. Thank you so much for your support.

Make sure that you're subscribed on Apple podcast, Spotify,

Deezer, Stitcher, wherever you can find podcasts. And if you

want to send me a tap on the shoulder, leave me a review on

Apple podcasts. Thank you so much. I will be out there very

soon. Again.