Helping Veterans, Holding Boundaries & Relationship Advice Thursday

Thursday on The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett & Best Friends brings heart, honesty, and some much-needed perspective. We open the show with an in-studio visit from Rusty of Fishers of Men for Veterans, who shares an urgent community need: three 40-foot storage units filled with medical equipment, coats, and essential supplies for veterans must be relocated by the end of the month. These units support multiple monthly outreach stops across the White Mountains, helping veterans with VA claims, Medicare and Medicaid applications, and access to mobility aids like walkers and wheelchairs. If you have secure space within about 20 miles of Show Low or Pinetop, your help could make a real difference.

We then check in with Jineane Ford before shifting into Relationship Advice Thursday, where boundaries take center stage. The main dilemma: is it inappropriate—or a red flag—when a partner allows a coworker to spoon-feed him lunch and share plates, especially when it’s kept secret? We unpack respect, trust, and why transparency matters more than technical definitions of “cheating.” Paul from Beaumont calls in with his take (and a memorable answer to whether he’s ever been spoon-fed by a coworker), before we tackle a bonus relationship question involving mixed signals, emojis, and how to seek clarity without blowing things up.

We wrap with a reminder that showing up for each other—whether for veterans, relationships, or the people who serve our communities—still matters. If you can help with storage for the veterans’ units, call 928-369-8455 and ask for Marty Jarvey, or visit fishersofmenforveterans.com.

Chapters

• 0:00 Urgent Storage Need For Veterans
• 1:02 What’s Inside The Connexes
• 2:25 Outreach Locations And Services
• 3:06 How To Help And Who To Call
• 4:00 Cupcake Drive For First Responders
• 5:14 Command Phrases And Conversation Tips
• 6:01 Relationship Dilemma: Spoon Feeding At Work
• 8:20 Paul From Beaumont Weighs In
• 10:26 Bonus Advice: Heart Emoji Confusion
• 13:20 Simple Next Steps And Sign Off

Transcript

Urgent Storage Need For Veterans

SPEAKER_02 0:00

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. I am so excited to have a guest in studio for a quick moment. It is Rusty, our best friend, over there at Fisher's A Men for Veterans, changing one heart at a time, helping out veterans here in the White Mountains. Rusty, uh, I understand uh you guys have some uh needs.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Yeah, we have a need. We have a need to move our three 40-foot connexes.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

They're out at the former uh connexes on demand. The new ownership, Big Boss Man, gave us till the end of this month to move those three connexes out of there.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

And what are in those connexes?

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Those are uh Department of Defense equipment for sold for veterans. They got we have medical equipment in there like walkers and and wheelchairs and stuff, plus we have coats and we have all our stuff that we give out to veterans.

What’s Inside The Connexes

SPEAKER_02 0:57

All the stuff that you use to help the veterans. So we're looking for a place that is gonna be able to store these uh connexes.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Yeah, those three con there's three of them.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Three of them.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

We own the connexes, right, but we don't have a place to put them now.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

And uh within maybe 20 miles of solo pine top area would be great. So we don't have to go very far.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

And if you uh yeah, they just appear like last week or so they said, hey, guess what? You have to move them.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

You you have to move them.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

And uh then if you call 928-369-8455, Miss Marty Jarvey will answer the phone and let her know you have a place that she can come and look at and see if it will work for us.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Awesome. See if they could help out you guys. Because Fisher's a man for veterans, you do amazing work for veterans all over the mountain.

Outreach Locations And Services

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Like real quick, give a uh Yeah, we have five outreaches a month. We go to Cedar Hills. In fact, last Saturday we were there. If you're a veteran, come there. It's a free breakfast on Saturday and lunch. We helped seven veterans, six of them applied for benefits. We helped them do benefits at our outreaches. Uh we have St. John's coming up next week. We have Mellon Center and Concho tomorrow. We have Holbrook coming up. So those are the places that we go once a month and to help veterans with their benefits, get in the VA, maybe Medicare, Medicaid, and uh all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Fisher's Amend for Veterans do so many amazing things uh for our veterans in need here in the White Mountains. And right now, they need our help. If you know anyone or you have space available to where they could store three conic storage units that they use to uh provide for the veterans here on the mountain, go ahead and give them a call. What's that number?

SPEAKER_01 2:50

928-369-8455.

SPEAKER_02 2:54

That's right. Or for more information, you could also go to their website at Fishers of MenforVeterans.com.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Awesome Rusty.

How To Help And Who To Call

SPEAKER_01 3:02

And last thing, next month, February's coming up, right? Right? We do our annual cupcake giveaway to vet to uh first responders.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Perfect. Okay, and when and where is that good?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

That'll be uh bring them if you want to volunteer and donate cupcakes to our cause, you can bring them to the community center at 301 McNeil here in Sholow. And before eight o'clock on the 13th. All right. You can bring them the day before, and a senior center will hold them for us. And that day, the Friday the 13th, we will be giving out cupcakes. So if you'd like to volunteer, it's gonna few dozen. I don't care. It can be 20 dozen, it could be three dozen. Right. Doesn't matter. Right. Okay, that's it. That's all I wanted to say.

Cupcake Drive For First Responders

SPEAKER_02 3:53

All right, best friends. It's Fisher, a men for veterans.com. If you know anyone that has space where they could store their connex units to take care of our veterans on the mountain, please give them a call. 928-3699 eight four five five.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

That's our immediate need right now.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

All right. Thank you so much, Rusty. We appreciate it. Bye-bye. Janine, you there?

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yes, I am. How are you today?

SPEAKER_02 4:16

I'm doing good on this thirsty Thursday. Thirsty Thursday. You got any uh juice for me this morning? Anything fun and interesting?

Command Phrases And Conversation Tips

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Well, I was just reading one thing that's really good because you and I do this daily, uh, except we don't pause, we talk nonstop. But from our professional talkers, I have a tip if our listeners want to, and this is basically if you want to kind of command a conversation, all right? And I know uh yeah, we're kind of experts at that here, right? Chris, yeah. Okay, a guy who teaches public speaking, he's huge, he's going viral for a tip on how to command a conversation. He says it is something the FBI teaches their agents, okay? And it prevents people from interrupting in the middle of a story. The tip is to start with something called a command phrase, and then you have to have a command pause, okay? And so you grab their attention with listen to this or check this out. It's nuts. Then you pause for a few seconds and it they lean in and you start the story. It better be good though, Chris. That's all I have to say. Yeah. You know, if somebody's doing that to me all the time, the next time they say, listen to this, or check this out, I'm just gonna ignore them.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

Yeah, then it becomes the boy who cried wolf.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I'm not gonna listen. But that command pause, I guess, it gets them to lean in. But I thought it was interesting that the FBI has taught this, you know? And I just uh my whole ploy on it is that I just talk super fast, nobody can get a word in it twice. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Me too, me too. Yeah. Well, uh, Janine, listen to this. Huh. What?

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Oh, there you go. See, very funny, very funny. I leaned, I almost hit my face on the microphone. Yeah.

Relationship Dilemma: Spoon Feeding At Work

SPEAKER_02 5:50

All right, Janine, it is Thursday, and it's time for relationship advice. That's right. You are our relationship advice expert. I'll read the story and we'll get your advice coming up next. You ready? Yes, I am. All right, here we go. Uh, this person, is it considered cheating if my 25-year-old male boyfriend is allowing his female coworker to spoon feed him during lunch and eat off the same plate? I'm 25. Exactly as the title says, I am just having a hard time processing what happened. And in the back of my mind, I'm trying to justify this behavior. He has been letting his female coworker feed him in his mouth with her spoon and hands. He told me he never told me because he didn't want me to get mad. Uh, we've been together for three and a half years. I'm so heartbroken, and I need someone to talk sense into me. Uh, I've had conversations with him before about how I felt about this particular coworker, and he's always assured me nothing ever happened between them. What do you say? What's your advice?

SPEAKER_00 6:56

I I just want to know, is he wearing a Pampers at the same time? Is he yeah, I don't I don't know. I I think there's bigger issues here. I don't know, spoon feeding him all every day from the same place. I just think he's a weirdo. Just leave him. Just oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Get those running shoes on.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

I don't know if there's anything else going on, but I'm just considering, you know, I'm thinking about your choices and what kind of guy he is.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

I think it's weird. I mean, if I went to my wife's work and one of her, yeah, does he ask you to hold him a lot, like in a fetal position? Yeah, just we're a crazy. Of course he's feeding you like a baby bird or something like that. But if I saw someone feeding my wife with like a a fork and a spoon, that would be weird. Yeah. I think I I I feel like there's some might be some fishy business going on because it seems pretty intimate to be feeding somebody.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Yeah, well that, but that, and he's yeah, just a weirdo. Yeah, that's just I just think he's yeah, he's all just m is he in in many of these things. Just move on. There's so many fish in the sea. There's other people that, yeah, I don't know, spoon feeding, and I don't know, it's just creepy.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Yeah, there's many a fish in the sea that won't have other people spoon feeding him.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

I need to be spoon fed at lunch every day by my coworker. Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

It's weird. But you don't think it's necessarily cheating, but you would just move on.

Paul From Beaumont Weighs In

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Yeah, just move on. That's just weird. It is weird. I just think that's a big old red flag. Just yeah, it's a boyfriend, get those running shoes on.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Go away.

SPEAKER_02 8:24

Another relationship advice brought to you by New Balance Shoes.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Janine says, get those shoes on and run away.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah. You're just a weirdo. And that way she doesn't have to be jealous for cheating or anything. Just tell him, yeah, you have some fetishes, some strange things going on that I don't feel comfortable with. We'll see you later.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

See you later. Bye. It's been fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Bye.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Okay. Bye, Chris. Awesome. Thank you, Janine. You're the best. See you later. Bye. Woo! And that's Bob Vlog! Kup Beaumont says so! Yee yeah! Yee yee! Everyone's favorite redneck from Beaumont, Texas. It's Paul from Beaumont. Paul, we just did our relationship advice with Janine about the uh lady wanted to know if it was considered cheating if her 25-year-old boyfriend is allowing his female co-worker to spoon feed him during lunch and eat off the same plate. What say you? Hell yeah. Yeah, yeah. What do you think Rhonda would do if she showed up to your work and you were like spoon feeding one of your coworkers?

SPEAKER_04 9:25

She flagged back one in three crime things she watched. That's what would happen.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

So your advice to this lady is hey, they're probably not just friends. You should probably leave the dude. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for real. For real, for real. Uh, well, anything uh new and juicy with you, Paul, today? Man, Rhonda got right, I got Rhonda a new 3D printer. She's doing that now, too. Heck yeah, Rhonda's creations is growing. Does she make uh a lot of stuff with your face on it? Not uh no, no. Has she ever fed a co-worker uh or spoon fed a coworker at work?

SPEAKER_04 10:08

Is she bad or not? Just cheating.

Bonus Advice: Heart Emoji Confusion

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Well, Paul, um, man, we just had relationship advice with Janine, but I'm feeling uh like uh we need some relationship advice from you. When we come back, you want to do a bonus relationship advice? Sure. We are back with Paul from Beaumont for a bonus relationship advice. Paul, I'll read the story and we'll come back. We'll get your advice for this person. Here we go. Uh, my 31-year-old male friend, 28-year-old female, uses hard emojis almost every time we text. How common is it in platonic friendships? Here's the deal. I've been friends with this woman who's 28 for a couple of years. We go to have lunch somewhat regularly because we live walking distance from each other and work from home. I do this with other uh male and female friends too because it's an easy way to connect with my friends, so it's normal for me. Yesterday, I sent her a picture of a print she had gotten me some time ago and I framed it. She reacted with a heart. I started to look back at our message history and notice she has used hearts in basically every discussion we've had since the end of November when I helped her with some renovations. What I want to know is has any of you ever had a woman who you're per purely platonic with do this? She is from a different culture, and so things might be a little different or have that effect. I have always been single and been worrying about getting prints. So it's hard to think she would be interested in me, but so excess but such excessive heart emoji use is not normal, is it? Also, it is always backfired for me to assume this kind of thing, and I don't want to ruin your friendship, uh ruin our friendship. So, what are the most heart reaction messages you have gotten from a woman? Is this normal? What should my next move be? What is your advice?

SPEAKER_04 12:02

Yeah, I I yeah, that don't sound really like normal, but she's in a different culture.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

Right?

SPEAKER_04 12:09

Um I don't know, I don't know, man. I guess when you send her another text or whatever, well, put your own little heart up in there and see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 12:19

Yeah, I know exactly where this guy's coming from because I would get so confused in junior high and high school in the yearbooks when girls would write, keep in touch, or stay sweet, or love ya. I always was like, oh dude, I had no idea that uh they had those feelings, but they were just being friendly. So uh what's your advice to him? Just send a heart and see what she does?

SPEAKER_04 12:44

Yeah, send a heart. Uh hey, you want to go eat lunch? Send a heart. You wanna ask you?

SPEAKER_02 12:50

All right, oh, Paul, that's actually pretty good. Do you want to get lunch, heart, and then see how she responds? Or what do you think about just being um uh up front and being like, hey, listen, um, I don't want to ruin our friendship, but am I sensing that you might want to be more than friends with your excessive use of the heart emoji? What about that? That's assuming that's assuming that's assuming. That's what? Assuming?

SPEAKER_03 13:17

You know who's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

Oh, okay.

Simple Next Steps And Sign Off

SPEAKER_03 13:19

I wanted to see.

SPEAKER_02 13:20

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

So you definitely want to assume unlike her, you gotta have you gotta have cold heart facts.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

You can't be assuming well, Paul's advice is respond with a heart emoji. Oh man, what a good relationship advice today. Paul, thanks for having fun with us, and uh we'll hopefully we get to talk to you tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Yeah, I'll let you know how it goes with me. So now I'm gonna send one to Rhonda for Sandy going on to the heart emoji.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Oh, with the heart, yeah, you'll have to let us know how she responds to the heart emoji. What's that?

SPEAKER_03 14:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:04

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Why are you sending me hards? Yeah, my gets some weird. Well, Paul, we love you, buddy. Drive safe out there, and we'll talk to you soon. All right, you have a great day.