Once adrift in the turbulent seas of addiction and despair, Tugboat Charlie's story is a beacon of hope for anyone struggling to navigate their own personal storms. Join us as Charlie recounts his transformative journey from the depths of a near-death experience to the vibrant shores of Humboldt County, where he discovered a new lease on life through Teen Challenge. This episode isn't just a recounting of one man's trials; it's a celebration of the human spirit's capacity for change, resilience, and redemption, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Northern California.
Charlie's metamorphosis is a powerful testament to the impact of community and the strength found in shared experiences of recovery. His candid sharing illuminates the path from a life overshadowed by mistakes to one that proudly beams with purpose and connection. You won't want to miss how Charlie, once an inmate confined by his own life choices, became the founder of Tugboat Charlie's Construction Company and a pillar of support for others. The touching tales from our Friday Nights of Encouragement at First Covenant Church in Eureka underscore the very essence of our communal journey—lifting each other up to rebuild and thrive.
Our conversation with Charlie dives deep into the currents of self-reflection, healing through writing, and the profound effects of grace, unity, and forgiveness on both personal and community levels. We swap stories of motorcycle rides that double as meditative jaunts and local culinary gems that tantalize the taste buds after a long day's ride. As we wind down, Charlie and I muse over the simple pleasure of a good cup of coffee and the tranquility found on Humboldt's beaches, leaving you with a heartwarming reminder: In life's voyage, the importance of connection and compassion can never be overstated—there's always a spot at the table for conversation, support, and a shared journey towards redemption.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Once adrift in the turbulent seas of addiction and despair, Tugboat Charlie's story is a beacon of hope for anyone struggling to navigate their own personal storms. Join us as Charlie recounts his transformative journey from the depths of a near-death experience to the vibrant shores of Humboldt County, where he discovered a new lease on life through Teen Challenge. This episode isn't just a recounting of one man's trials; it's a celebration of the human spirit's capacity for change, resilience, and redemption, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Northern California.
Charlie's metamorphosis is a powerful testament to the impact of community and the strength found in shared experiences of recovery. His candid sharing illuminates the path from a life overshadowed by mistakes to one that proudly beams with purpose and connection. You won't want to miss how Charlie, once an inmate confined by his own life choices, became the founder of Tugboat Charlie's Construction Company and a pillar of support for others. The touching tales from our Friday Nights of Encouragement at First Covenant Church in Eureka underscore the very essence of our communal journey—lifting each other up to rebuild and thrive.
Our conversation with Charlie dives deep into the currents of self-reflection, healing through writing, and the profound effects of grace, unity, and forgiveness on both personal and community levels. We swap stories of motorcycle rides that double as meditative jaunts and local culinary gems that tantalize the taste buds after a long day's ride. As we wind down, Charlie and I muse over the simple pleasure of a good cup of coffee and the tranquility found on Humboldt's beaches, leaving you with a heartwarming reminder: In life's voyage, the importance of connection and compassion can never be overstated—there's always a spot at the table for conversation, support, and a shared journey towards redemption.
Find us on Facebook at 100% Humboldt.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, 100% Humboldt presents my new best friend, the man, the myth, the legend, tugboat Charlie. Good to meet you, glad to be here, glad to have you, man, it's like you know, you're kind of semi-famous online, here locally, and you're a celebrity and you already like Nick, so that's a good sign, it is.
Speaker 2:We had a wonderful conversation a few minutes ago.
Speaker 1:He's a good guy man.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So tell me about you. I want to hear the tugboat Charlie story. How did you get to Humboldt? I know you're from Texas and so tell me, tell me from birth to today.
Speaker 2:How, what was your journey to get here? So to get here lots of mistakes.
Speaker 1:I never saw me trail.
Speaker 2:I never saw me coming to Humboldt County. You know I was down in Texas 17 years ago.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And I was tired, brought in a 150-gallon propane tank into my house and tried to blow the house up and me with it. And that didn't work. And the next morning my first wife and my girlfriend at the time put me on a plane and sent me to California. You were banned, dude. I was kicked out, escorted out. They even gave me pocket money. What part of Texas I was down in Crosby at the time, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Right outside of Houston. That's Houston. Okay, like five minutes from the OE Rays down there. I'm originally from San Antonio, okay, born and raised in San Antonio, been there and yeah, yeah, the Riverwalk.
Speaker 1:That's cool. Oh, it's great man. It's beautiful. It's getting bigger too.
Speaker 2:Oh, they've expanded, it. Yeah, it's fun. We went down there with cable. My dad says that it takes like two days now to cruise the whole river. Now They've got locks on it and, just amazing, are you a Spurs fan?
Speaker 1:By default, by default. Yeah, we got to go to Spurs game. It was fun, man I like.
Speaker 2:San Antonio. So how you got to California? You were forced here. I was forced here. Yeah, they put me on a plane. My brother was down in Fortuna I mean, not Fortuna Fontana and I reached out to him I said, hey, I need a place to crash, for the plan was 30 days, you know, sober up, clean up, and I was going to go be a truck driver. Wow, that was the goal. My mom didn't want me to be a truck driver and my brother said, hey, that sounds like a really great plan and but before we do that, you're going to go to Teen Challenge. And I was like, at this point, whatever you tell me to do is what I'm going to do. So you're like listening to people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you're desperate, you're broken, broken.
Speaker 2:I didn't have, I was done. I was done. I couldn't make decisions, obviously. Yeah, you know, I didn't even know I had a concussion when I got here. Oh really, I was tore up man.
Speaker 1:I was beat up.
Speaker 2:Drinking, you name it.
Speaker 1:That's it, you name it. So did you go to Adult Teen Challenge down in Fontana?
Speaker 2:I actually started in San Diego Teen Challenge. Really, is that in San Diego, in downtown Yep, downtown San Diego, right down by the college?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, did that three months.
Speaker 2:Then went to Riverside, did a year and a half for discipleship there.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:And from there I went to our Bible school, which is TCMI Teen Challenge Ministry Institute in Southgate.
Speaker 1:That's in LA, right? Yep, yeah, my friend Jeff was going to go there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, had a lot of fun there. That was a great experience. Nice Did that. From there, I got on staff with Teen Challenge for about three years Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, where did they set it that same at SoCal no.
Speaker 2:So Shafter Teen Challenge up here by Bakersfield. Oh wow, yeah, bako, yeah. So I started in San Diego and 17 years later, 17 years later, I'm in the most beautiful place in the country. Man, I don't think I've traveled a lot of places and I've done a lot of things, but Humboldt County, man, this is where I got planted, this is where I got rooted.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I call it the original God's country. There's God's country and the original God's country.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Now, if you've been to Montana, that's also that original God's country.
Speaker 1:There's God's country and the original God's country, yeah. Now if you've been to Montana, that's also that's God's country. A guy from Montana said that this week in Maui he goes. Let me tell you about Montana, oh yeah. So here's a map of the original God's country all the way from Del Norte County down and we're right here in Eureka somewhere. So I always got my map. It's my prop. Yeah, it works. Yeah, it works. I don't get lost too easily. No, if you get lost, just walk over to the studio, we'll get you located.
Speaker 1:So you just kept coming north with Teen Challenge. I kept coming north.
Speaker 2:I was just telling Nick that six years ago I was on a death mission. I was on a suicide mission with my ex-wife it's kind of weird to say that I'm a widow. I didn't finish the paperwork and she died in the process. Is that right? Yeah, she died a couple of years ago. Oh wow. And I was just telling Nick. I said you know, if I would have stayed on that track, man, I would have been dead there was no doubt First yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I made a covenant with God that night, that afternoon. You know, february 2018. You know, I said I'm done and I'll follow you whatever you want me to do from this day forward, and the only thing I came to do was just realign my spirit with him. You know, get back in his will, it's good Surrender. Oh my gosh man, it's been the most amazing journey. I tell people that today, there's a huge difference between sobriety and a healthy recovery. Yeah, tell me there's a huge difference. Tell me what that is Processing. Okay, if you're not processing the hurt, if you're not facing the pain, then all you're doing is masking it with something else. Wow, good, one of the things. Recently I guess it was last year I have a Friday night ministry that I do and I was sharing with the group that two-pound bag of corn tortilla chips. Yeah, I have about six months free from eating those Dude.
Speaker 2:I'd grab a bag and I'd, and you'd process them and I'd palm them. Dude, just drove them Two, three times a week. You call that driving that food. It was bad, so you had a corn tortilla chip.
Speaker 1:I had corn fet times a week. It was bad Driving that food. It was bad.
Speaker 2:So you had a corn tortilla chip. I had corn fetish Dude.
Speaker 1:It was bad. You knew how to process that, so what happened to that?
Speaker 2:Why'd you stop? You know, when I realized what I was doing, I was numbing my pain With food. With food, I was numbing the loneliness. I was numbing the loneliness. I was numbing other things that were happening in my life. I had some circumstances that came up that could have been handled differently, but my response was completely different from my character. But my response was completely different from my character and little by little, I started realizing that there is a difference. When you have a healthy recovery, yeah, I have probably two, three sponsors. I've got probably I don't know 30 people, that my accountability team is huge, and so it's constant processing, constant processing. And one of the things that I found with that situation that happened, like three years ago, I didn't go to the guy's house and punch him out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I didn't go. And you know, create a bigger mess, right. Make it worse, yeah. Create a bigger mess, right, make it worse, yeah. And one of the things that I recognized after that was that for the first time in my life, I was not angry. Huh, I was not angry. And to me that was like Breakthrough stuff, because I never thought I'd ever not be angry.
Speaker 2:I've got a scar that goes from this side of my forearm to this side of my forearm. There's 14 stitches inside, and for kicks and giggles we did 13 staples. Wow, you know, I lost six pints of blood. So you had that arm tore open. Yeah, what happened? I put it through a glass door. Ouch, I went to go hit the house. I was so mad, dude. I went to go hit the house and where I was walking or storming in, I hit, I missed the wall and got hung up on the frame of the puppy door, the glass patio puppy door, the dog door. I got hung up on the frame and slashed my arm. And you talk about the power of God, nothing happened.
Speaker 1:No, tendon damage Nothing.
Speaker 2:Nothing. Six pints of blood and I'll never forget. The nurse was like sir, sir, you got to get up. You got to wake up, sir, sir, if you fall asleep, you're going to die Because of the blood.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know they were trying to keep me alive. And I started laughing and I looked at her. I go God doesn't need me yet and I took a nap.
Speaker 1:I was just sleeping.
Speaker 2:I was just resting, you know, but that's the kind of stuff that got me to California, you know.
Speaker 1:So what brought you from Fontana here or from LA? So I came here from Bakersfield.
Speaker 2:Bako I I came here from Bakersfield. Bako I came here from Bako so I went to the Teen Challenge in Shafter Okay, Because I knew the guys there real well and I had a good relationship.
Speaker 1:That's out there, in nowhere it really is.
Speaker 2:Nothing but orchards. Beautiful, hot, but beautiful. I think I had a friend in prison out there Down in Tehachapi, tehachapi yeah. Yep, to Hatchby, to Hatchby, yeah, and so I went over there to go do excuse me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no problem, because that's way out in the middle of nowhere down by. Bakersfield, where it really gets hot yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I went back over there because for alumni you can go back and do a restoration, Right, and it's typically six months, nine months depending on your situation. And so I went back there and they let me in. I spent about five days there running the kitchen right off the bat. Love to cook? You're a cook. Yeah, I love to cook and eat chips. Oh yeah, you know I'm set free.
Speaker 1:Free to have chips.
Speaker 2:And I remember they called me back into the office and they said, hey, we're not going to do restorations here. So Eureka, teen Challenge, or what are your options? And I said, well, eureka, teen Challenge, nice. And that's how I got here. Friends of mine were the directors here Still are Tom Throssell, josh Living, challenge, nice. And that's how I got here. Friends of mine were the directors here still are Tom Throssell, josh Livinggood. Okay, I met Tom afterwards, but Josh and his wife I always misspell her name Tamara, tamara, anyways but they were here and we went through the program together 11, 12 years ago or something like that.
Speaker 1:Oh, so you knew him yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So I came up here and did my restoration, did a apprenticeship, which is another three months, and I loved it. Had nowhere else to go, it's a great program.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, tom was a guest.
Speaker 2:Oh was he, yeah yeah, great guy, great people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh yeah, tom was a guest. Oh was he. Yeah, yeah, great guy, great people. Yeah, oh man, he's great, yeah. So what's your job? What do you do so?
Speaker 2:technically, I do home construction, remodeling. I have my contractor's license now. Oh cool, yeah, yeah, I got that and then I have fun. My job is to have fun. My job is to have fun.
Speaker 2:I want that job I get to help people. Man, that's cool. I love what I do. I like putting it this way I love to salvage structures. I love to salvage them. You're in the right county. I've suspended roofs, taken the frames out and rebuilt them. Oh wow, you know, as long as you got some bones to work with, you can— Got to keep the walls on. Yeah, Well, taking the walls out.
Speaker 1:How did you become?
Speaker 2:Tugboat Charlie. So Tugboat Charlie came about 17 years ago, san Diego Teen Challenge. It was a family day. My kid brother, his family, came to visit me and at the time I felt like God had put two guys for me to guide them, because the decisions, the choices and decisions they were making inside the program, they were going to get kicked out.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:And I knew this and I was telling my brother. I said it's kind of like when the ships come into port, the tugboats lasso them to guide them. Yeah, Speed them up, slow them down. Sure, the main purpose is so they don't crash.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they avoid, they stay in the channel. Exactly, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And so my brother slams the table. He's like dude, that's your nickname. I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like Tugboat Charlie and I'm like, okay, whatever, and that's how the name came about, and it took a lot of years for me to own it and to really embrace it, and over the last few years I've really the name really means more, because I love to help people generally, and so it made sense to me. It's like yeah, so that's the name of my company, tugboat Charlie's Construction Company. I'm on Facebook Tugboat Charlie and yeah, let's plug it, man.
Speaker 1:Facebook Tugboat Charlie, when else Are you on TikTok? You do TikTok too right? Instagram, yeah.
Speaker 2:We're working on getting on YouTube next and some of the other platforms. Hey, I know somebody on YouTube. Who do you know on YouTube?
Speaker 1:This guy? Well, I am a little bit Scott Hammond. Yeah, 100%, 100%. There's a lot of Scott Hammonds. There's Scott Hammond. He's a drummer for Jethro Tull, the rock band.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember that guy.
Speaker 1:And there's a Scott Hammond. He's a Nevada state senator.
Speaker 2:Oh really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no relation. Go figure. Probably a good thing, too, probably good. So what's your social media? I know it's kind of really positive stuff. What do you accomplish? What do you hope to—what's your purpose on social media?
Speaker 2:So part of it goes back to the healthy recovery. Friday Nights of Encouragement is my alternative recovery ministry. I do at First Covenant Church here in Eureka on J Street. Great church and we get together on.
Speaker 2:Friday nights, 7 to 9. I've put out about 230 videos. The whole thing behind it is we are having the conversations, nobody else is. You can go to AANACR. They're all wonderful programs, sure, but there's some of us that we want to talk about other stuff, and we're talking about everything from. And you know, standing in the living room looking out the window and watching your parents leave, and you're sitting there sobbing, and that's where your abandonment issue started.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And nobody's talking about that stuff. Yeah, the deeper stuff. You know what I mean? The counseling stuff. The counseling stuff, and the root of the problem is in the heart. It's nowhere else. That's right, it is in the heart, it's nowhere else. It's in the heart. And once I start targeting the heart, then we can move forward. But until you're willing to sit down and really examine yourself, because I don't tell you what to do, these are all suggestions. This is what worked for me. Sure, you know, one of the biggest tools that I give people today and they use them. Great, start writing. Take a piece of paper and a pen, and I'll never forget. When I first started doing this, I grabbed a pen, like a fist, and I had a notebook and I just started scribbling because I was so angry, so hurt, so broken, and little by little, like it, became profanity. After that, they became sentences. Over time, words started coming out Chapters, paragraphs, and little by little, like it, became profanity. After that, they became sentences.
Speaker 1:Over time, words started coming out Chapters and all that stuff. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then there were times where I just had to burn them and sometimes, in my anger, just shred it up. You know, and when I started looking at me, when I really really started, you know, when people came around and really put me in check, the important part was that they didn't let me go. They saw me struggle, They'd back off and then they'd come back. You know, I have a I call her my life coach now, you know, she went from my pastor to my financial manager, to my sponsor. Now she's just my life coach. You know, a wonderful lady that the Lord put in my heart to my sponsor. Now she's just my life coach. You know, a wonderful lady that the Lord put in my heart in my life and because of her relentlessness I am where I am today. That's cool, you know, and so I give that back.
Speaker 1:I'll be curious after the show to find out who that is.
Speaker 2:Oh, I'll tell you. Is it somebody local? Yeah, still, okay, wonderful lady? Yeah, that's cool and but but that's. You know, that's where it's at. If it's in the heart, if you can deal with it, if you can honestly, if you honestly can look at it, there really is change, you know, and it goes back to the, the healthy recovery, because now we're really working on stuff.
Speaker 2:You're processing, you're processing it, you're processing it, you're working it and you're actually doing something about it. There's a scripture that I absolutely love because it really helped me a lot was when the disciples in Christ are walking and the disciples are like, hey, there's some people over here that are sick, that they need our help, and Jesus turns around and says, hey, let the dead bury the dead. You and I got things to do, and that's when I started realizing, hey, your past is your past. It's time to. You got to hash that, you got to let it go, and so when I started looking and reflecting on that scripture, it really made a lot of sense because I was able to honestly put people in the ground where they belonged, and not in the physical sense. I didn't kill anybody, just for the record. Yeah, that's good, but you know. Disclaimer.
Speaker 1:We thought about it, though we thought about it a couple hundred.
Speaker 2:You know so, but when I started looking at my past and some of the hurts and actually being able to write it down, burn it, shred it, whatever it took, well, that's what you're doing. You're actually, you're burying something. You're actually leaving it behind. It's forgiveness.
Speaker 1:And it's done.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know. And that brings me to another thing. A couple of years ago I went to Oregon, went up to Elevation Worship and went to church the next day and this little old lady just took my hand and greeted me. You know, and right before the service starts, the pastor has us turn around and greet somebody and the lady grabs me and she goes. I see so much love in you. Why is there so much love in you? He goes. I see so much love in you. Wow, why is there so much love in you? And the only response was grace. Huh, I am so full of grace from giving it to receiving it.
Speaker 2:Because that's what love is. Love is grace and I don't care what relationship it is. Your dog, dude. If you don't have grace for your dog, you're constantly kicking them and shouting at them and where's the grace? There's no grace, grace in your kids. You know what I mean? I do. Yeah, I don't have kids, so, dog, there's probably some kids in your life somewhere. You know I have such an amazing spiritual family. A couple of weeks ago I recognized that well, I have grandchildren now.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know that, and I'm like dude, this is so cool. I got spiritual grandchildren, you know, and I was like dude, what a treat, what a blessing. You know, and ever since I started looking at things from the perspective of this is a God moment. It's not chance, it's not coincidence by design, it's design. But if you do not recognize it as a God moment, then it's just another moment, it's just random.
Speaker 1:You see what I'm saying? Yeah, totally.
Speaker 2:So if you can call it a God moment, then that's what it is. Until you have that experience, then you will never know God. It's a mindset, you know. Yeah, and everything is perspective, Everything, everything is perspective, everything the most.
Speaker 2:For instance, that incident I had a couple of years ago when I started looking at from something good is going to come out of this, because it started helping me because I was making mistakes with my business. I was making mistakes with my business and it had to come to a halt and it took that situation to bring me to a stop. And it was painful, it was brutal, it took the wind out of my sails, I lost my confidence. But I started looking at it from the perspective of something good is absolutely going to come out of it. Nice, and I didn't kill anybody, I didn't chase anybody, I didn't do any of the things that I was doing, I didn't numb myself with substances or beverages, you know, and so, like when I started looking at everything from that perspective, I'm like I'm going to be okay, nice, you know. And then processing man, processing and processing, sometimes, processing is stopping.
Speaker 1:It is being checked up. Stop, mm-hmm. You know it really is. You blew it, you made a mistake, yeah, and I love that. So processing and being skilled at that and being aware of that is not is, is is the most replete form of recovery.
Speaker 2:It is. Yeah, I like that. I had to accept it and then I had to let it go. Yes, I have mild depression. Yes, it is affecting me. Time to move on. How do I move on? What do I need to do? Because I was getting stuck, I had to get home. As active and as busy as I am in the community and in public, I was scared of people.
Speaker 2:I was deathly afraid of women and anytime I start feeling like uncomfortable dude, I had to. I felt like I had to be home and it's the ugliest feeling in the world till I started understanding what I was going through. And then I started reaching out to different people and going through. And then I started reaching out to different people and processing with them hey, this is what I'm experiencing, why, you know and so you were vulnerable. Yeah, you have to. I mean, I wouldn't be where I'm at today if I didn't. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 1:I like it and I think men, specifically, are not vulnerable, because vulnerability creates intimacy, in the best sense of that word, to be real, you know, right now it does, you know, and having a conversation that's real and vulnerable and it's about the real stuff, man, this is not the green Martian, exactly Backyard. This is like I'm having God moments, man, yeah, all the time. Yeah, it's good and this stuff has purpose. This is like I'm having God moments, man, all the time. It's good and this stuff has purpose, even the bad stuff it does.
Speaker 2:It really does. One of the things that I had a friend of mine, we ran into each other at one of the hardware stores and bright, cheery conversation. Not two seconds later he comes in just storming. You know, somebody did, said something, and he started mouthing off and just kind of started hitting things. And I'm like see, see the difference. You got in the flesh, you reacted, you flipped out, you reacted. Had you responded, you'd be in the spirit. You're grounded, you're at peace. You're grounded, you're at peace, you're rational, you're thinking. The minute you reacted and you went and hit something, doesn't matter what it was. Everything that we just talked about had no value, right, right. And those are the things that I help people understand that if I, who put a hand through a glass door out of anger today, does not experience that anger, then there is hope for you, absolutely. And how do we get you there?
Speaker 1:If you could do it, I could do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely yeah, there's no doubt in my mind. Yeah, I'm just a poor boy from San Antonio, texas. Yeah, that's all. You know what I mean. I'm just a guy from Iowa, texas. Yeah, you know what I mean. I'm just a guy from Iowa, you know. I'm just a poor boy from San Antonio. I've seen the world. Yeah, I was a flight attendant for eight years oh really. Oh yeah, what airline? Continental Airlines.
Speaker 1:That's funny, you were an attendant, I was a flight attendant, so you were a good looking young man. I was man.
Speaker 2:What happened? They said I was cuter with not wearing the apron. Yeah, I bet you were. You know it was a great life. It was a great experience. How about that? To see the world and to be where I'm at today and to tell people that you can honestly enjoy an amazing life. You really can. You know, there's days that I have money, there's days that I don't have money, and yet you have joy. I'm having the greatest time of my life.
Speaker 1:Awesome, yeah, have money and yet you have joy. I'm having the greatest time of my life, awesome. Yeah, I um I liked what you put up on facebook a couple weeks ago, because so people that know this, that live here and I'm going to tell you you what you know.
Speaker 1:It's been a long winter, dude yeah, it's like the windiest, wettest, darkest and, uh, I might add, spiritually dark in many ways. What's going on nationally and what's going on whatever, and it's easy to feed that and drink that and stort that and smoke that and eat that and pretty soon you're going. I can't process it anymore. To your words. But you came online and you said I forgot how you said it. You said hey, man, it's normal, it's a gray day, it's normal to have a little depression. I, you said it. He said hey, man, it's normal, it's a great day, it's normal to have a little depression. I deal with it and I go wow, man, the guy gave me permission to process, yeah, and to recognize, like you said, and to own it and to process it and move through it, and I thought that was good. So what was that? Do you remember what you said?
Speaker 2:So my favorite line out of that one, do you remember that one? Yeah, okay, this is what depression looks like. This is what it looks like Functioning, functioning, depressionist Function. That was it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know because it work, serving, doing everything, but inside just miserable. Yeah, you know I was telling Nick, you know that one got so many responses. It's very humbling what I get to do today, but I had so many people reach out and just thank me and others just poured their heart out. I had a friend of mine who I was working out with him one morning. He goes hey man, I know we're working out, but I got to confess and I'm like what's up, bro? He goes right now I just don't know whether to cry or just hug you, you know, because he said that's me, that's me, that's me, you know.
Speaker 2:And when I get those responses, when I get those reactions and those, I don't like the word confessions. But when people come up and say that I know that it's helping, that's good, I know that it's helping. You know, because my motto is don't do life alone. Amen, no matter what. The minute you start isolating, the minute you start shutting yourself off, the minute you start running back inside the house and turning the TV on, it's all bad.
Speaker 1:You run away, man, you know exactly. Yeah, now we have a dentist friend. He goes. You know you can't live independently, man. It's a lie, it's an American, western lie. And you know, the Lone Ranger's independent, he's got arrows all over his back. He does His cars, you know. So we need to be dependent on each other, yeah, on God, and then on an interdependent. Interdependent, which is is really the next level, next level stuff which I like to think about. But, yeah, I think that was inspired and timely. It was kind of like thank you, you, you had, um, you were tracking, and then you, you put that out there and it was, you know, for those who saw it pretty good. So tugboat, so Tugboat, charlie, on Facebook, on Facebook, yeah, and yeah, at the website, you have a website too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're getting ready to fix it. Plug it, plug it. What's the website? Called Tugboatcharliescom S with an S.
Speaker 1:I don't remember. It might be you can. Hey man, like my kids say Google it, google it, google it.
Speaker 2:I just Google. I don't know. I can't remember if I have an S on there or not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's all right.
Speaker 2:But yeah.
Speaker 1:Find you? Yeah, you're easy to find and that's 100% Humboldt by Scott Hammond. It's really hard to find. I don't know why People are needed to find it. So what do you see the issues for Humboldt around. Maybe you want to talk about recovery some more or celebrate recovery.
Speaker 2:What do you see, are our main issues that you want to see change?
Speaker 1:Hey, nick, interesting question, we were just having that.
Speaker 2:You want to know. Yeah, absolutely the truth. Sure, separation, separation. Everywhere you go, man, we're creating separation. It's crazy.
Speaker 2:I don't care if it's in the church, body recovery, work, family, even in families, man, I'm getting ready to officiate a wedding in a couple of weeks and they're two very different people and there's an age difference, there's a culture difference, there's a ethnicity difference, and the word that I have for them is separation. Everybody wants to come to separate that instead of coming together to unite it and actually celebrate it. And in our lives in general, that's what we're creating. I don't care if it's in recovery, I don't care what group it is, you have these cliques and, for whatever reasons, we can't come together. You know, that's why I love Friday Nights of Encouragement. We're not sanctioned by anyone. We're doing something completely different. We use a little bit of AA and NA and CR and everything else, because that's what it's taken to get where I'm at and all these things work together. You know, one of our models is hey, it's bring a friend night, yep. Or you know what's bring a friend night, yep. Or you know what? Just bring a stranger.
Speaker 2:What's the address? On First Cover? It is 2526 J Street J and Eureka Every Friday. Every Friday, what time? 7 pm, 7 to 9 on Fridays. So you're thinking about going out? Go out to this Friday nights and encouragement, live music, food, nice, I love to cook Chips. No chips, I love to cook. That's cool, but we're doing it together and it's the whole family, it's not the kids in one room getting one education. No man, we got kids running around One night. We had like 10, 15 kids running around, because that's the family. You know, we destroyed the family and where's the separation start? It started there, yeah, you know, and then you took it to church and then you took it to the workforce and then constant, just and political on TV, all the time you know what I mean, and we're not.
Speaker 2:If we bring it together. I was sharing the story of a guy that came and spoke at one of my Friday nights and he was sharing the story of his car got stolen and and the guy that stole the car was there. That was amazing, that's cool. A couple of days later, I get a phone call. He's like guess what I'm doing? I'm like what's up, dude, I'm having lunch with the guy that stole my car. Wow, because there was forgiveness. That's cool. There was forgiveness, there was grace and there was unity. See, there wasn't separation.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We create the separation. Yeah, you know, and that is so important and that's the biggest thing that I see locally, nationally. It's if we can stop that, if we can honestly help one another, we really, really can make a difference, because Could work. I'm happy, I'm living the best life ever. I want you to have it too. Right on. It's not about oh, look at me, because people know I don't like the public eye, I don't like the spotlight. That's not what it's about.
Speaker 2:It's about let me help you get where I'm at today, because you can do it Right, and it doesn't matter whether you're in church or you're not in church, whatever it is that helps you. Because I think AA says it hey, let God express himself in a way that you understand it right, whatever your higher power is, and that begins to bring unity and we can actually move forward, we can actually get things done. And the biggest thing is, we can heal. We can heal because if I'm willing to share some of the darkest things in my heart, then my hope is that it's going to give you empower you to do that with somebody else. I'm not saying that you're going to come and do it with me. I may not be the right person for you, but if it empowers you to actually dig deep and actually pull that root out and actually let it heal, then you're going to have something that's going to grow out of that pain.
Speaker 2:That is so beautiful and you will never understand how it happened, why it happened it. Just one day it happened. Good word, and that's where I'm at right now. In my life there's things that I'm just. I got pulled over in Crescent City really nice cop. I really wanted to tell him I was just stupid happy, you know, because I was on one of those highs. I'm not high man, I'm just stupid happy.
Speaker 2:I'm just stupid happy, you know. But I had just met the guy that was walking the country and you know I kind of lost, you know, sight of the speedometer a little bit, you know.
Speaker 1:Was he cool about it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he was super chill and still gave me a ticket, still got a ticket. But the word that came after that was it's okay to be stupid happy. There's nothing wrong with being stupid happy, that's right, you know I— Does it harm you? Oh my gosh, you know, I speak on a regular basis and I had somebody come up and I was in my head, you know, thinking, dealing with stuff, and a guy comes up and he's like smile, dude, it's okay, it's not that bad, you know. And I'm like what are you talking about? I'm okay, but you know your face says it all, you know. Oh yeah, but I love to tell people man, just be stupid happy, that's good, you know, because it isn't that bad. You, that's good, you know, because it isn't that bad.
Speaker 2:You know the things that I've survived, the suicide attempts that I've overcome. I can tell you for a fact that there isn't anything that bad. That you're going to take your life, that's right, you know. It really, really isn't. It does get dark, it does get painful, it does get lonely. Yes, those things do happen, but if you're not numbing yourself, your odds of overcoming it and helping somebody else are so much greater. You know what I mean, and I'm living proof of that. I'm testimony witness, however you want to label me.
Speaker 1:I like what you said, that if you could identify it, the root, your heart issues, and then process that, then you could maybe talk about it with somebody or in a group or a friend or a safe person that you treasure and that loves you. And yeah, that's good, I like that.
Speaker 2:You know, one of my favorite things to do talk to a stranger Dude. Sit in a plane with somebody. It's good man. They're trapped dude for like an hour, two hours Five. You know they're trapped. Yeah, you're not going anywhere All they're going to do is listen yeah. And you'll never see them, ever again. Imagine the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Hey, my name's Scott.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, high five.
Speaker 2:If you're having those moments where you really don't have anybody you want to tell go sit in a bus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, take a bus ride. They can move in a bus. You know what I mean. In an airplane, you're stuck, you're assigned seating.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, but it exists, man, you know just get it off.
Speaker 1:Don't meet some people.
Speaker 2:You know, just get it off. You know I'm not talking about going and making a lifelong relationship, and people get all these things so twisted. You know, it's so simple. Just go be with somebody. Just go be with somebody, go buy them a cup of coffee or that's true, man. Or just go sit next to them and say, hi, yeah, it's funny.
Speaker 1:I just came from a place where everybody had their game face on. It was Grimjaw and they were walking around and I go, this is the happiest place in the world. And you're walking around like you're bummed out and trying to be somebody. You're not and you're uncomfortable. And when I took the time to talk to people, just hey, how's it going? Hey, oh, you're talking to me. Yeah, oh well, it's going good, thank you. And then we're off to the races and we could talk and, you know, met a few really nice people that way. Yeah, and other people, it's just like that. Now they're still awkward. It's going to be weird and that's okay too. God bless them. So what do you do to make a positive difference in Humble? What do you think is your key? You do the Friday night deal. You do your Facebook deal, your social media.
Speaker 2:You meet strangers randomly and make them uncomfortable, real uncomfortable, you know the vessel that I've been blessed with is a motorcycle.
Speaker 1:Oh, right, right, mma. I ride with CMA.
Speaker 2:I ride with CMA and I belong to United Bikers Northern California, so you know.
Speaker 1:Pierre Carbona. I do you know, pierre. Yeah, we call him Papa. Papa Pierre, yeah, he's the Papa. And then Ken Tinkham Yep, chaplain Ken Is.
Speaker 2:And then Ken Tinkham Yep. Chaplain Ken. Is Chaplain Ken part of CMU? He is yeah, he's our chaplain right now. That's right yeah.
Speaker 1:And you guys did you have a? Is there a thing they used to do in Anderson or Red Bluff? It was Jubilee, Campout, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I won't. I'll be officiating a wedding that Saturday. That's music and live. It's three days. Live music, food, fun Food. My favorite part is the Friday night and Saturday night camp out meeting. It is so cool, man Nice, so cool. Everybody's gathered around the fireplace.
Speaker 1:It's men and women, everybody.
Speaker 2:Families. Oh yeah, it's a biker event.
Speaker 1:That's cool, man? No, that's cool.
Speaker 2:No all the Amvets.
Speaker 1:They come to our Humble Heroes deal and they all support and they're always there. They're super helpful. Man Shout out to Amvets local.
Speaker 2:And again it brings us back to unity, because in the biker community, like man, you put us together, we move mountains, you know, and that's one of the things that I've been very fortunate to be a part of and that has really, really opened amazing doors in Humboldt County for me to reach people, you know, and to connect people and has really been the biggest thing for me that I never saw myself doing. I'd never owned a big bike. Oh, really, I've had a couple of bikes, you know, when I was younger, but I never owned a big bike I've had. I've had Mary Lou. Now, what? Four years? She's got a name. She's got a name, mary Lou, she's got a name. She's got a name, man, mary Lou. She's got hips too. I bet she does.
Speaker 2:And so for me riding the twisties around here, it took time, man. It took time to figure it out and get comfortable in that, and today it gives me great confidence to be able to talk to people and Icebreaker, park, a park bike anywhere. Man right, we've used her. Different functions, different events. I've been called by different uh organizations hey, can, can you come and bring your bike? It has nothing to do with me. Here's the opportunity, you know, and I saw your bike.
Speaker 2:It's a cool bike, thank, thank you. Is it an unusual Harley? It's an unusual Yamaha Harley. It's a. Yamaha, yamaha Harley I thought it was a.
Speaker 1:Harley.
Speaker 2:I just kind of glanced at it. Somebody asked me if I had tools one day and I was like I ride a Yamaha. Yeah, I never need them.
Speaker 1:Wow, After I said it, I realized what I said I'm it. I realized what I said.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh well, I can't wait to get my first one. I'll eventually get my first Harley, that's all right. But I love my girl and, yeah, she's given me so many opportunities here in Humboldt. That's cool and you guys do a lot of good deed stuff.
Speaker 1:Right, we do. Do you do the?
Speaker 2:toy run and stuff like the other guys. So we are on. This will be what our 49th 49th Toy Run. If I'm not mistaken, you guys are the Toy Run guys. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It might be longer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we go Arcata to Eureka. Yeah, but we are the longest running, we are the longest consistent running Toy Run in the country. Wow, we didn't shut down for COVID or anything. That's amazing, yeah. And then so we do that one, we do backpack for kids, we do meals, meals for seniors. That's cool, yeah. Yeah, we're big supporters of what is it? Feed the people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, food for people, thank you.
Speaker 2:Food for people here in Eureka? Yeah, the food bank, and together we support one another and it is the most unique group of people, yeah everybody would preconceive bikers as hardcore and hell's angel.
Speaker 1:Exactly. That's not even close?
Speaker 2:no, no, and I think that the media, the tv, you know, in the 70s gave the bikers that gangster thing that you know, they're all just coming in to tear things up and nationally, bikers are the most charitable people anywhere Bankers, accountants doctors, lawyers, you name them. We've got them Yep Fruit Loops in there, you know. Everybody, yeah, they let me in, they let me in.
Speaker 2:They let me in the club, you know what I mean, but it's I love to, especially when I'm speaking with the biker community. It's like all I want to do is create opportunity. What can I do to create an opportunity? Can I do to create an opportunity? You know, I don't want to say that the biker community is a dying breed, but we're phasing out the older generation, you know, and we got to keep that alive.
Speaker 1:That's true for a lot of interest in industries and hobbies.
Speaker 2:So last year I did a wedding, I think in October, and for that wedding the message that I got was four words cultivate, nourish, protect and love. So I put that message together and then I started looking at everything Everywhere I went. You have to cultivate, nourish, protect and love. It's good, and it doesn't matter what area. And so I've been applying that as I create opportunities for us to get together, for us to create more unity, you know, because that's if, if again it goes back to we can. We can do so much more if we're not nitpicking the, the differences. If we stop looking at the differences, can we look at the goal? Can we look at the heart? Can we look at, you know, in the words of John Lennon, you know peace. You know, if we can look at that stuff, if we can really put aside the stuff that's been tearing us apart Dad was a drunk, mom beat me up, whatever If we can put those things aside and come together and have a conversation, then we can actually identify with one another, we can actually have grace for one another, we can actually help one another, genuinely help one another. You know, imagine that. You know what I mean. I mean just to think about that, just the words right now, of that it's good To genuinely help one another for no reason.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not expecting anything in return. You know, I remember one of my aunts and my uncle were driving down the road and my uncle waves at somebody and the person doesn't wave back, so he got all upset. And my aunt turns around and goes did he flip you off or anything? And he goes no, oh well, it was a good day then, you know, because he was expecting Reciprocal. He was expecting yeah, reciprocal, he was expecting yeah. And I learned early on that when you go to give somebody anything, whether it's your time or a penny, and you're doing it expecting something in return, let me tell you you will be 100% disappointed and you will be butthurt every single time. And those then turn into another hurt, a resentment, resentment. And here we go again. Let me get another bag of corn tortilla chips. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:You're right about process, though If you don't learn to process, you just build that corn tortilla chip bag.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Pretty soon you got a big bag and you're walking around.
Speaker 2:Well, not only that, you got a guacamole, oh man. And Well, not only that you got a.
Speaker 1:You know guacamole, oh man, and you got a bitterness problem.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Next thing you know it's chorizo with cheese in it. You know I don't know nothing about food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can see that you know chorizo and cheese Dude, I'll corrupt you in a heartbeat. That sounds pretty good. That sounds pretty good, Nick. What do you got going over there? So what do you go on a ride? Where do you like to ride the most? At Humboldt? Oh man, If you had the choice to go for a ride.
Speaker 2:Well, so I don't know. Around here there's so many beautiful rides. I've done Highway 36 from Red Bluff. That's an amazing ride. Ida Wairika there's a road called Scott River Road. I don't recommend it unless you've had at least three months more than I did on the road.
Speaker 1:That's way up by Wichita Peck and all that way right. It has some Way up there Up in the canyon. I don't know what the summit was.
Speaker 2:the height Canyon, I don't know what the summit was, the height. But you had these roads, the road that just goes up and it like banks to the right and then it just drops like straight down and it banks to the right and to the left. And I'd only had like two, three months riding my motorcycle, mary Lou, and you had to learn it, dude. I was like five miles an hour, yeah, and I had people behind me keeping an eye on me, but that was amazing. That's how you learn. Oh my gosh, that was amazing. When I'm in the mood for oysters, I got to give my friends a plug down at the Peg House. Never Don't Stop at the Peg House. Where's the Peg House Down?
Speaker 1:in Leggett. Oh, it's down in Leggett. Yeah, yeah, yeah, never don't stop, oh my gosh dude, they're grilled.
Speaker 2:See, my mouth just gets you know.
Speaker 1:Grilled oysters are good man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that's one of my favorite rides. It Nice day. Oh man, it's beautiful. Today would be really amazing. Yeah, yeah, we're not going to talk about today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's work. Yeah, today's a work day. You're not going anywhere. So what do you want to say? What is it going to say in your tombstone? What do you want your legacy to be when we come to your celebration of life? What are we going to talk about?
Speaker 2:What are they say about tugboat Charlie?
Speaker 1:You know, that's a very good question.
Speaker 2:We'll come back to it. You know, I think if I wanted it to say anything, he helped me somehow.
Speaker 1:That's cool I like that.
Speaker 2:I would love to see that he helped me somehow.
Speaker 1:So I'll say my two questions for my recovery. Father-in-law Tom from LA. He has two questions from my recovery. Father-in-law Tom from LA. He has two questions who are you and what do you want? And we'll wrap up on that here in a minute. But who is Tugboat? Charlie and Charlie? What do you want, man? What do you want to see happen?
Speaker 2:Ah, who I am. Yeah, it wasn't until about a year, about a year and a half ago, that I realized who I am. Who are you? I'm love, nice, I am love, wow, and and that was a process, because I was. You're often asked who are you? Well, I'm a child of God, you know? Yeah, that's great. What's that mean? Who really are you? Yeah, and, and I am love. It's a good word. I am love, and, and the reason that I am love is because of grace. That's who I am.
Speaker 1:And so, what do you want?
Speaker 2:What do you want? What do you want love? What do I want Love? All you need is love. Honey, yeah, hey, love. So, man, I would love to see more unity. I honestly and again, it doesn't matter in what context and what environment if we could just see unity to really genuinely see people helping people get better, nice, you know, that would be phenomenal. That's a good word, yeah.
Speaker 1:High order right now. But yeah, before you go, the quiz show. Uh-oh, here we go, ready, and you got to think quick on your feet so there might be a prize. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:There's a prize in here available for you, charlie? I didn't see that part in the invitation. Yeah, are available for you, charlie. I didn't see that part in the invitation. Yeah, sorry, I saved this for last. Who are you? What do you want Now in a broad city? So favorite hamburger in town go? Oh my gosh, the joint. The joint, yeah, that's over. That's up at Arcata yeah. Favorite oysters the peg house.
Speaker 2:Favorite seafood. Oh man, gills, gills.
Speaker 1:Gills, yeah, gills, by the bay how?
Speaker 2:about favorite sandwich. It used to be the hole in the wall, now it's. It's called something else. Now, yeah, I can't remember. Mile high, I don't know. Maybe, yeah, something like that. Yeah, what's your favorite cup of coffee? Kona, kona, kona. Coffee, kona's good. Yeah, gotta have.
Speaker 1:Kona, I just had some yesterday. Yeah, I fresh ground it man.
Speaker 2:Oh see, that's horrible.
Speaker 1:It's light, it tastes different, it does and it's full of caffeine. It's so good.
Speaker 2:I was talking really quick man.
Speaker 1:I was like hey, everybody, what's your favorite beach?
Speaker 2:Oh man, my favorite beach, the lagoon area, patrick's Point, what is it now? Megpeg? It's called Sumeg Sumeg. Thank you, sumeg.
Speaker 1:State Park. Yeah, yeah, I love it right in there. It's amazing yeah.
Speaker 2:That's where I go for a walk sometimes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's beautiful, just commune.
Speaker 2:And there's somebody there. I saw a bald eagle.
Speaker 1:Did you really A couple times ago? Yeah, did you really A couple times ago? Yeah, I was like whoa, you never see those. No, it was cool. So, hey, thanks for being here, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:man, Appreciate it, man. What an honor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I'm super honored. And yeah, any parting shots, anything. We want to talk about your website again. No, talk about charliecom, don't do life alone Don't do life alone Don't do life alone. It's about connection and relationship.
Speaker 2:Connection relationship. My phone's always on. You can find me Facebook, YouTube, whatever you're comfortable, whatever medium you're comfortable using. Holler at me, man.
Speaker 1:Man, that's a big open invite. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. Somebody did it for me so somebody could reach out to you and go hey, I saw your show, I heard your show, here's my deal and you would talk to them Sometimes believe it or not.
Speaker 2:I don't have anything to say, but listen. Yeah, that's good, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sometimes it's just an arm around a shoulder Just to listen. Yeah, I love it. Hey, thanks for being here, man, I appreciate you Very welcome. Thank you for having me. Thanks for coming.