The Aftermath: Reflections on Loss and the Impact of Our Choices

Sobriety isn't just about abstaining from alcohol—it's a transformative lens through which I now view my past and my future. Unfortunately, alcohol still plays a major role in many lives. Lives like the intoxicated driver who killed #DJSickness (Chris VanZant) just hours after he left the studios. 

Listen to my candid reflections on the profound impact of our decisions and the importance of cherishing every fleeting moment. Whether it’s editing photos on lonely Saturday nights or grappling with the emotional aftermath of see lives end too soon, this episode is an unvarnished look at the life-altering consequences of our actions. Tune in for an honest conversation about vulnerability, the power of making better choices, and the hope that sharing this story might help others navigate their own struggles.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Life Inscripted, with Kevin Shook talking about the time that we were at birdies and I was drunk spilling my nachos on the DJ booth. So I quit drinking 438 days ago. So I haven't really like been into the bars and one bar that he DJed I was actually barred from alcohol. That he DJ'd had alcohol. I was actually barred from alcohol, acting fucking stupid, doing dumb shit years ago. And what's crazy is you know I've driven drunk before. You know I feel like if you say you haven't, you're lying unless you just never drank, which gosh. I wish I could say that I don't know where I'd be if I never drank.

Speaker 1: 1:11

But he was like sitting right here, kind of you know we were just talking about making some content for his DJ business, talking about making some content for his DJ business, and then had some cool ideas about daytime parties and stuff like that. It was crazy. We were talking shit. I recorded the video, you know, because we were just setting cameras up in here and we were recording video but we weren't recording audio. We were just messing around. And I'll kick myself in the ass every day now for not recording that audio Because it was cool. You know passionate creators and you know we kind of grew apart since I wasn't in the bar all the time. But he would livestream sometimes from the bar and DJing and I would put it up on one of my computer monitors and watch it while I was editing photos at home. You know, Saturday nights editing photos Life of sobriety, I guess.

Speaker 1: 2:37

But it's like a few hours later he got hit by a fucking drunk driver. I can't, I can stand that. Most likely if you've ever been to Richmond, indiana, and you've ever been to a bar with a DJ, it was Chris Jay, it was Chris. He just threw down the beach, you know. But he was up here Friday. We were just talking some cool stuff. He left the family, my wife and kids behind.

Speaker 1: 3:27

You know, like decisions we make in life are so profound and we don't, we don't always understand the circumstances and until sometimes it's too late. You know I've made a lot of bad decisions, I've said a lot of bad things to people and I'm really fucking sorry. And this I don't know. It's just really, really, really, really, really fucking weird that that was the last person that sat in this chair playing with this microphone and it got killed by a drunk driver. I have a hard time doing this by myself. This is like uncomfortable shit for me, but a lot of emotions going down. This is like uncomfortable bullshit for me, but a lot of emotions going down. You know about a lot of things, not just that.

Speaker 1: 4:33

And then someone else I knew on Facebook died as well, you know, over a tragic accident. He was like probably younger than me, you know, over a tragic accident. He was like probably younger than me. He was in his 30s, maybe late, yeah, probably mid-30s. But people are dying and it's like like way too early, like they're not even living a life yet. You know they're just getting started.

Speaker 1: 5:15

All I know is life is so fucking short. Like we gotta quit taking things for granted. You know, everyone works to be the best at everything the best realtor, the best this, the best that and it's like what's that doing to us overall? You know, like who are we becoming? We've lost track of who we really are.

Speaker 1: 5:48

That's kind of like why I wanted to start this podcast, life Unscripted, about the power of vulnerability and sharing my stories and all my fuck ups. Hopefully, like other people, don't go do the same stuff, you know, and end up driving drunk. This is fucking hard. I can't like articulate a whole welcome to life. I can't do that shit. I'm by myself, one camera. I got so many things to do, but I thought I would sit here and just share some thoughts.

Speaker 1: 6:31

You know, 438 days sober, it's fucking hard. It's hard not drinking and not masking feelings. I live in a lot of regret. Okay, miss, regret that I'll probably take with me, but drinking and partying, that was that's my biggest regret. Relationships, you know wasting away all kinds of relationships, whether you know wasting away all kinds of relationships, whether you know friends or whatnot. But it's life's. Life's just real fucking hard, especially when you don't mask it. I'm trying really not to, because I know I you got to sit there with your feelings. You can't run from your feelings. I don't. I don't know what to say. I usually have like guests in here and we have conversations. Sometimes it's animals, legit animals, but everyone was kind of busy and I just I got a lot on my mind, you know. So doing this, it's like they're puny shit. You know whether, like one person watches, you know one person watch, that's cool, that's cool. Hopefully, like you, can join me in not taking life for granted anymore. You know it's wild love, you guys.