Love is the Universal Answer

Join the Love Movement with Schuby

β€’ Lauren β€’ Season 2026 β€’ Episode 6

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0:00 | 26:35

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Join me as I talk with Schuby, a local photojournalist and incredible human being, about what God's love looks like to him πŸ’šβœ¨

In this episode, we talk about:
πŸ’š the power of community and people having your back
πŸ’š accepting autism and how he advocates for others
πŸ’š how comic books helped him & other children learn to read
πŸ’š how comic book heroes influenced him to look out for others with kindness & empathy
πŸ’š and so much more 🫢🏼

Shuby's story is a gift β€” one that might just shift how you see God's love in your own life πŸ’šβœ¨

βœ… Join the love movement and ask yourself "WWLD?" πŸ˜‰πŸ’œ 

πŸ”” And don't forget to subscribe, turn on notifications, and rate us for more inspiring conversations on love and personal growth πŸ’œβœ¨ 

00:00 Meet Ben Schubert
00:58 How We Met
02:24 Jax Creators Community
03:27 Feeling God Through Belonging
05:05 Faith and Superheroes
07:01 Feeling God Through Others Having Your Back
09:41 College Struggles and Triumph
12:52 Where Faith Feels Hard
13:59 Autism Spectrum Explained
15:44 Autism Advocacy
17:14 Comic Books Helped Him Read More
17:56 Accepting Autism
19:02 Being God's Love Daily
23:59 Heroes as Life Lessons
25:12 Closing
25:41 Behind The Scenes (BTS)

#LoveIsTheUniversalAnswer
#LoveMovement
#HealingJourneys
#RealConversations
#GlobalLoveMovement
#InspirationalInterviews
#SpiritualJourney
#PersonalTransformation
#LovePodcast

SPEAKER_01

My name is Ben Schubert. I go by Shubi and I am from Planet Earth. I'm a military brat. I've moved all around, but I spent most of my life in Missouri. I am a photojournalist. I hold the camera. So, you know, if you ever see a really good shot, chances are that wasn't me. Uh I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. No, I I I love my job. We go around, I work with a lot of great reporters, and I'm a journalist. I went to school for journalism. And I've even done stories in this very shop. I'm a comic book guy, uh, which is why we are here taking it to the limit at Gotham City Limit. You met the owner earlier. He was in a comic book recently. He got featured into a comic book, like an artist drew him in. So we did a story on that. It was very fun.

SPEAKER_00

That's so cool. Yeah. I actually didn't know that you're from or you spent the most of your time in Missouri. I came from St. Louis.

SPEAKER_01

So I tell people I'm from Earth, but if they need like a pinpoint of like what kind of a person are you? Like Midwestern, emo kid. Yes, that was me. And the Ozarks. How did we meet? We met at Jack's Creators, right? Thanks to Ryan. Yeah. The greatest guy in the world. Oh, you know, not trying to get that gammy. But uh, you know, I'm gonna look at that one because that one's only on me. Um I don't need it. Winkling, uh, wink wink, but we we met at Jack's Creators. It I just remember you walking in and it was just like boom, sunshine. Like, that's the energy that you bring. And I'm told the same thing. Yeah. And I know there's a photo of you and I when I was hosting, I don't know if you were hosting, but I was hosting. It was just a photo of you like and I'm just like, that's a lot, even for me. So I I knew that you and I meet instantly. We were like, okay, this is gonna be a friendship right here.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, yes, yes, yes. We both have a lot of high energy and love to connect people. I just saw that picture the other day, so I feel like I'm gonna have to drop that. It's it's such a great picture.

SPEAKER_01

That's a big candy photo of her because I'm just like, oh, hello. And you were just like, like literally, you look like you're on your toes, like like you were mid jump or something.

SPEAKER_00

Like probably was late. Uh which is very typical for me. Just yeah, uh always running late. So I'm like, hey, I'm here. I made it. I'm here. Good times, just walked in. And we love jack's creators so much. I'll I'll always shout them out every chance I get. 100%.

SPEAKER_01

We just had Creator Verse 2, such a fantastic turnout. You know, Jax Creators for me was probably one of the best things that it happened to me. You know, like when I first moved here, I knew nobody. Yeah, and they were setting up holiday nerd market, and I was on that story. And that's how I met Ryan. And I was like, dude, I'm into this nerdy stuff. I want in. He was like, You're in. And here we are.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and that's why I love Jax Creators too, just the community there. And everyone wants everyone to win and connect. And I have made some of my closest friends in Jacksonville through that community, and I am eternally grateful to everything that Ryan and the Jax Creators community does. Ryan owes me an interview, and he knows this. Right. Uh he's been booking, so I've given him a pass. You know, I I'm super busy.

SPEAKER_01

I got work, we're making time for it. I love Ryan. I won't. No, no, I'll share him. I'll do it. I'll let you. I have nothing to lose here.

SPEAKER_00

Nothing. We love you, Ryan. We love you. Yes. What is the most beautiful way that you have felt or experienced the love of God?

SPEAKER_01

Well, you know, like I said, I mean, you were we were just talking about it. You know, Jack's Creators and the community here in Jacksonville, you know, I was just talking about how I've lived all over the world. But you know, I was on the phone with my dad the other day, and I told him, I was like, Dad, I've lived in so many different places. I've never felt more at home than I have here. And that's because of places like Jack's Creators, Draw Draw Draw Together. You know, I I just recently joined Jacksonville Run Club. They accepted me immediately. I've never ran a day in my life. And here we are to JRC. 100%. I don't run, but I love what they do. You should come. It's great. But you know, I I hadn't run a day in my life. And I went in there and they opened arms, you know, and and and now I go every week. I might have to change it every week because like like because now they have draw together at after hours uh on Tuesdays, and that's when they meet. So I'm like, I gotta choose between running five miles or going to Wanibana and and drinking a smoothie and drawing. Man, that's kind of hard. But not hard for me. Yeah, no, it's it's not hard for me either. Now I have so many plans and things that I'm involved with that they're now overlapping, and I have to choose now, and it's that's never been a thing in my life.

SPEAKER_00

I I love that. So if if I'm understanding correctly, just the community that you have built here locally since you've been in Jacksonville is really just feels like that present.

SPEAKER_01

Like, okay, so I'll I told you earlier that I'm a Christian, is the way I like to say it. You know, I I don't like to talk about like I'm very to myself about it. So when I think of God, I think about somebody that's there. And when it comes to like values and stuff, like obviously God and Jesus, but you know, we're sitting in here in this comic book store. Superman is somebody I always look up to. Obviously, I think of the teachings of Jesus, but Superman has been somebody that's in my life. This is a world where bullies don't exist, you know, and as somebody who was picked on his whole life, you know, this is where my escapism, you know. So yeah, and I can always feel like like maybe God is in the form of Superman to me. You know, maybe like when it comes to team building, you know, Power Rangers was my jam and it still is. I've read every comic book with my shirt right now. Like, you know, shout out to Billy, that's my favorite. But um, yeah, you know, so it, you know, like I kind of like to intertwine these things, but I kind of want to go back to my original point. You know, the community here.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like someone's always got my back here. Whether it be Ryan, whether it be you, whether it be Ricky, whether it be anybody from Jack's Creators, I know someone's got my back.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know? And it's just the the the feeling of having that. Yeah, that's kind of how I I I feel got it around me.

SPEAKER_00

Oh you know. I I love that. And I I think that that's such an incredible way of encountering that and just uh feeling that supernatural love to your point. Like whatever that looks like to someone, but just that community and feeling like you're surrounded by love.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and that's that's what it is, and that's what the feeling of of God is, in my personal opinion. Yeah, yes, agreed, I agreed. I love that. Yeah, no, I'm trying to keep it like because I because you know, like I'm trying to keep it the God thing, but I also don't want people to think that I think Superman is God. Like that is not what I think. What does God's love look or feel like to you? We were just talking about it, just the feeling of somebody having your back. You know, somebody having your back, whether it be Ryan at Jack's Creators, whether it be the people at Draw Together, Reek and all them at at Jacksonville Run Club. I know they got my back if I, you know, like if I was having a problem at anywhere, if they were there, they'd be like, Ben, you good? They check in. Actually, at Creator Conference, right before the second day, my dad called me to tell me that my grandmother was in the hospital. She had broken, oh, she's okay now. She she was in the ICU though, but it was right before creator conference started. Like we were just we were just getting ready to open the doors, and I get a call from my dad. He's like, Hey, I gotta tell you something. I'm like, but I remember Ricky, Naraya, you know, Ryan. I was sitting next to all of them and they started talking about comic books with me. I got up and I walked up to Ryan and I was like, I needed that so bad.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I got a call later that day. She's okay. She's gonna be okay. Yeah, but yeah, having having my back. Yeah, you know, they had my back. And that's that's kind of how God feels to me. That's kind of how it is. Just have it, somebody have it on your back, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. I I agree that. Well, first off, I'm glad that you have that in general. I'm glad that your grandma's okay.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, she is she's a tough cookie. She almost didn't get in the ambulance, is what my mom said. She said she wasn't gonna get in the ambulance, but then they offered her payments. I'm like, that's my grandma right there. No, I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_00

But my grandma I'm giving you good content right now.

SPEAKER_01

I know I want you to know that, really.

SPEAKER_00

Well, like I said, I'm I'm I'm so glad that you have that community. I I definitely agree, and I can empathize with that a lot. I think that just that community, feeling like people have your back, being surrounded by love to me feels like you know what I imagine God's love to be like. Feeling like you're surrounded by love, I think is so incredibly crucial.

SPEAKER_01

That means the world to me.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. Yeah, to to be known by people, to for people to care about you, remember you, remember little things about you that are important to you is such an incredible aspect of community and just feeling loved. So I'm so glad that you have that here. I'm glad that you have that uh through Jack's Creators and just in Jacksonville. I'm glad that this place feels loved.

SPEAKER_01

That's always the hardest thing for me because like I said, I'm a military kid, I had to move around a whole lot.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, what is the hardest challenge that you've been through and how did God's love help you get through it?

SPEAKER_01

College. You know, when I graduated high school, my guidance counselor at my graduation walked up to my dad and told him, Don't bother sending him to college. I have autism and ADHD. And at the time I was undiagnosed, nobody knew, and neither did I. And my dad, I'm so glad that he didn't listen. I messed up my first couple of years. I went to OTC Ozark Technical Community College, shout out, go Eagles. I went there and I messed up my first two years. I had to restart essentially, and that's why my sister, who was two years younger than me, got her master's degree a year before I graduated with my bachelor's. But I did the thing, yeah. And I was just telling you, I I submitted for three Emmys, and I was part of an Emmy Award-winning project last year. I didn't put my name on it because I didn't feel like I did enough work to be able to like put my name on it, but my name is in the credits. I was part of an Emmy Award-winning project, yeah, you know, but I was told not to be sent there because they didn't think I could do it. It was a hard eight years, eight years just to get a four-year degree. Yeah, it took me a long time and I needed all the help I could get. I'm glad my little sister was there. I'm glad my my boy Devin, he was my best friend in college. He still is my best friend. I was in college for two years before I made that friend. You know, I was in college for two years at the University of Tennessee, and I was just sitting there, but then he comes up to me. I was wearing my Japanese Spider-Man hat and he looks at me and he goes, Hey, cool hat. He was sitting behind me in Econ 201. And then I talked to him, I was like, You like it? And he's like, I'm really into like kaijus and stuff, like Godzilla is my is my jam. And at the time, Godzilla and Power Rangers were crossing over, so he he's my boy, but it was hard to make that friendship. He had to talk to me first. I was always afraid to walk up to people and talk to them, that which is crazy to think about now.

SPEAKER_00

I literally can't even imagine that. But yeah, because I like the hostess with the most us.

SPEAKER_01

Seriously, like it was funny. One of my coworkers came to Jack's creators and he was just like, it's weird you being the cool kid. I was like, dude, like he meant it in a funny life. And I was just like, dude, I was literally just thinking that. I am not used to everyone knowing me. But yeah, it's so cool. It's such a blessing. But that was probably one of the hardest things, you know, making friends, going through college, and and and making those memories, because I definitely missed out on things in college, but I would never change a thing because everything I did, I I loved what I did. You know, I will always have those memories that I will keep and cherish forever.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, well, I am I'm so grateful that your dad did not listen. Yeah. And that, you know, your family and you decided to persevere and press on uh and continue. And then that you had, even though it took two years, I'm so grateful that you found someone that you not only were able to have such an incredible relationship with them, but that has continued even as you've moved away. Where are you currently struggling to feel the love of God in your life?

SPEAKER_01

Oh man, that was the one question that I saw that it was probably the hardest for me to think about because I was just talking about how I know everybody's got my back, and that's kind of how I feel like God's got my back. But you know, there are things like I have anxiety and depression, I have OCD, and you know, my autism, there there are dark sides to it that I have to mask sometimes because you know society won't accept them, not right now. But you know, at work the other day, my boss he actually asked me because the 4th of July is coming up, he was just like, Hey, we're gonna put you on the fireworks show. I know at the Christmas, the Christmas show when they did the fireworks, you got a little overstimulated. Are you gonna be okay at the fireworks show? And the fact that he even asked, oh my god, I felt so seen. But you know, and that's when I realized I was like, This is how I I've had a lot of bosses. I worked at comic shops, I've worked as a mechanic, I've worked as a dishwasher, I've been a pizza guy. Never has a boss ever taken my disability into account. Yeah, and that was so, so nice. I know I'm quote unquote high functioning. We don't really use that term anymore, but just for the sake of, you know, for the people watching, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Don't tell me about that later because I did not know that. Yeah, I always understand.

SPEAKER_01

It's like it's a spectrum and high functioning, it it makes it sound like it's like on a line, kind of. So it's like it's not like, oh, are you this autistic or are you this autistic? It's more like, are you this autistic? Or it's like, are you, you know, it's a spectrum, you know. Okay. So the autism is if you've met one autistic person, congratulations, you've met one autistic person. We're all different, but we're all the same at the same time. Does that make sense? Yeah, so yeah, that's kind of what I mean. What like high functioning and low functioning, it's kind of there's a difference. But just for the sake, like, I I don't need my mom and dad to you know pay my bills or whatever. I do need a little bit of accommodation at work, but that's really it, you know. But there are things at the end of the day, I have a disability being autistic, you know, it's I know I'm different. Heck, all these questions that you've been asking me, I've been going off on eight different things. I practiced all of these in the mirror, by the way. And this is how I'm out. I practiced these all day. I was like, all right, how am I gonna answer this one? And then I'm like, you know, this is where the ADHD at autism. I like to say I have two different people living in my brain. One's making all the plans, and the other one's just canceling them last minute. The autistic guy walked in here, had every answer planned out, and then the ADHD said, nah, bro, we're gonna talk about Godzilla for a minute and Power Rangers for a minute. Okay, because it is amazing. But yeah, it's it is a struggle, but I I try my best to get around it, and I try to be an advocate. There's autistic schools here in Jacksonville. I've done stories with them. I offered to come in and talk to the kids because, to my knowledge, I am the only autistic journalist that's diagnosed at least. I'm not some of the people I work with, but uh I'm the only diagnosed autistic journalist in Jacksonville.

SPEAKER_00

Wow.

SPEAKER_01

That's a big deal.

SPEAKER_00

That's right.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I remember there's this there's this thing called Field of Dreams. I don't know if you've heard of I'm sure you've heard of the movie, but there there's a place called Field of Dreams where they let kids with Down syndrome or autism or a disability of some sort play baseball. They don't play by the rules, they just like they throw the ball, they hit the wall, and they can run to the other end and play in the dirt if they want to. And then they'll if they want to go roll around in the dirt, they'll just let the next kid come up and they'll just play. They're having fun. Yeah, that's what they're doing. But it it gives them the chance, they'll have helpers with them. Like they have like high school football teams come out and they're like the little helper and they run with them, you know. And I was talking one of the kids, and one of the kids heard that I was autistic. He came up, he was like, excuse me, you can do this with autism. I almost broke down immediately right there. Because the fact that I'm doing something like these kids were told they couldn't do things like that. Just like my dad was told not to send me to college. They can. Do they need a little help? Is it gonna be hard? 100%. It's gonna be harder. Life is gonna be harder for all of them. Like that that's a given, even if you don't want to do this. I I want to be a good advocate. Like reading, you know, I'm a journalist. Reading and writing is the fundamentals of everything that I do. When I was in tenth grade, I was reading in a fourth grade reading level. But then my teacher gave me a comic book, and it was The New Teen Titans, written by George Perez and Marv Wolfman. I read all of the New Teen Titans, and that's where Beast Boy came in, you know. You know, that's why he's my favorite. And I went from a fourth grade reading level to a seventh grade reading level in six months because of comic books. That's another reason why I love this medium so much. Sure, it's not your typical reading format, but it it got me reading. And the amount of times like I I make comic book content online, the amount of times I've gotten messages from moms telling me thank you for getting my kid into reading, sure, it's a comic book, but the reading struggling with my disabilities was probably the hardest part because I felt I felt like an alien. I felt like an outsider. You know, I was never accepted by groups growing up. That's why I hung out with my sister all the time. You know, but when I met Devin and when I met Ryan, I I immediately just like felt this this this like feeling, it's like, oh, you're like me, you know. But that was probably one of the hardest things I had to go through was conquering. I won't I don't want to say conquering, but accepting my disability as a disability, not as a struggle. Like I know it's kind of like an oxymoron to say that it's not a struggle, it's a disability, but it's a it's like a super ability in a way. You know, I know a lot of things, but then when you ask me to open up this door, it's like, how do you do that? So I you know, I'm like pulling a push door here. You know, that that and that that's what it's like for relationships too. It's like, you know, I got as much pull as a push door. So it's like all right, we'll just cut the cameras down.

SPEAKER_00

Please keep that in. Oh, this is gonna be so bad.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my gosh, the clips, you're gonna get out of this, you'll be good for the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_00

How can you be God's love to someone today?

SPEAKER_01

Just be nice, just be nice. Yeah, support them. You know, I was talking about Orion's creator verse, you know. I supported him. The second he told me, I was like, dude, I'm in. You know, I have friends at work who want to be filmmakers. I'm always hyping them up every second. There are there's people who are singers at work, and every time I go to Jack's Creators, if I meet someone who's in that area, I'm like, dude, follow this guy right here. You know, because unfortunately, news doesn't sleep. We got people working late nights, and they can't make it to stuff like Jack Creators. That's why I'm here. I'm here to be the wind beneath your wings, and I'm here to make people happy. That's my goal in life. Make people happy.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, should be. I love that. And and you really are incredible at that. You you have such an incredible heart to connect people, help people to champion people. You champion people very well. Everyone I see you around, you are cheering them on. So I love, I love hearing that. That is something you absolutely do so well.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and it sadly the reason why I do that is because I know what it's like to be told you can't do something because of whatever. You know, I know what it's like to be told comic books won't get you anywhere. I I know what it's like to be told that's a dumb idea. But you know what? You'll never know if it's a good idea or a bad idea unless you do it. And until I started actually putting my foot out there, I didn't feel like I was accepted anywhere until I genuinely started making connections. I remember my first Jax Creators event, and I've told Ryan this many times. My first Jax Creators, I sat in my car for an hour and a half, hyping myself up to go inside. Because I was scared no one would accept me. But I walked in and I was open arms. They were all like, I remember Ryan grabbed me and he was just like, I saw a guy wearing a Batman jacket. You should go talk to him. So it's classic Ryan. And this is why we love Ryan. And I talked to them, and that and I remember after that, I was like, okay, now I gotta introduce myself to everybody in this room because now I got hyped up.

SPEAKER_00

I love that. Well, I I'm mad. I can't even imagine you having to hype yourself up, but I'm so glad that Ryan, he's he's so wonderful at at just grabbing people and connecting. Oh, yes, and and he connects everybody. So I'm so glad that he brought you in, but I'm also glad that you were able to take the very thing that weaponize might be too strong of a word, but you know, something that was such a struggle and a hurdle for you in your life, not feeling like you were accepted, feeling like yes, yes, yes, and turning that around to actually help others and to pour into others and bless others.

SPEAKER_01

It's a lot like parents, you know. Parents don't want their kids to go, like let's say a parent grew up in a crappy childhood, you know, they don't want Their kids to go through that.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I don't want other people to know what it's like to not feel accepted or supported. Yeah. I don't want people to be told that's a stupid idea. That's really it. Just support everybody.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Well, you you you do that so well. And while I am so sorry to hear that you have had a lot of your life where you have been unsupported. And I'll say by the majority, I'm glad to hear that throughout your life there have always been these glimmers of hope. There have been these family, you've had friends throughout your life, you know, that have supported you and got behind you. And and thank God for that. And now you're able to take the very thing that has been kind of the struggle of not feeling that support. And now, like you said, make sure other people, as far as you can help it, other people will not feel that around you. And I think I mean not to make, but I literally feel like that's doing God's work, you know, like in a like honestly. And it's and but that's actually what I think it's about. I think sometimes we overcomplicate it, but that's really what love just is the right thing.

SPEAKER_01

You see someone hurt, help them up. Yeah, that's that's the kind of person I am, or at least I try to be. Yeah, and that's the kind of person my dad raised me to be, and I know that he's proud of me, and I because he tells me.

SPEAKER_00

Well, thank you. Thank you so much. No problem. Thank you so much for your assignment. Thank you. Just just for who you are. Thank you for your heart. Thank you for taking your pain and struggles and turning them into something beautiful, turning them around to help others. Yeah because that's that's really what this is about, right? Yeah, that's that's really the point of it all, especially when you do have support of loved ones, even though it might not be across the board, channeling that love and that support, and then saying, How can I turn that around towards others? So thank you for being that.

SPEAKER_01

But that's kind of the message that these books give me. You know, Superman is a man that could do anything, yet he chooses to be a journalist because he stands for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow. You know, he came from a planet that was going to explode, he's a refugee, but he and he could do anything. But he chooses to be a journalist because that's the right thing to do. Because he wants people to know the truth. Batman, you know, he had a dark past, but he uses that to help people. People think about the Joker and the Riddler and all of them. They're sick. They're sick. That's how he sees them. He doesn't see them as villains, as maniacs. He sees them as people who are hurting and need to be helped. That's why Batman doesn't kill. Because he thinks that everyone has a good side in them. Yeah, I mean, it's just on it's those are the types of lessons that I get from these books here.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And like those are just few of the many. You know, Beast Boy is the one I relate to the most because he has a long history of trauma. Beast Boy is the comedic relief. He's always making jokes, but he's the one who's hurting the most. And a lot of people, and that I related to that, you know, but it's because he doesn't want people to feel the way that he ever felt.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Kind of where I stand on things. Beast Boy is my man. Yellow. Love Beast Boy. But thank you so much for having me on.

SPEAKER_00

I wanted to do it because you have a good heart. Yes, thank you. So thank you, thank you, thank you for having a heart that cares for others. And I am so glad to know that you are also being cared for and surrounded by love in this community. So I love that for you.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, you are lovely. Yeah, it's because what's up?

SPEAKER_00

I just noticed this. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

All the posters on the on the or the lights, the hands. Oh, the hands and the head and the light. Oh yeah, it's it's it looks like somebody. I love this shop so much. Actually, I didn't notice that until a few weeks because he has one right above the count uh above the uh above the uh catch, too. I actually I never look it up often, so you know I should probably do that more. That's crazy. I was like, Yeah, but I noticed that for the first time, maybe a few weeks ago, and I've been coming here for two years. I was like, why are there hands up there? Who is up there? I uh it's probably Doug, and the other one is Carol. Um yeah, uh they they they know what they did.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Oh I'm not gonna ask. I don't want to find out. Not that I'm gonna say on record, that's for sure. Uh