Coming out of addiction a winner, and never looking back.

Mario and Wayne sit down with this week's special guest Miya Ashby, to talk about rebuilding life after prison. Miya shares how incarceration impacted her life and her bout with breast cancer. Join us for a powerful conversation about her new path, loving herself and finding love.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Reformed and Real, where we take a journey with our people fresh out of prison and we want to know how the community around them really feels. My name is Mario Hernandez, and I'm one of the afflicted people that got released back into the community here to try and figure out how this looks.

SPEAKER_02 0:14

And I'm Wayne Burt, curious onlooker who wants to know about our prison system, get to know the stories beyond the stigma of incarceration, because like Mario, I believe all stories count.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Uh yeah, they do. We agree every week. Every week it's the same thing, yep. Uh, we got uh somebody with us today, Wayne. Who is it? We do. We have Maya Ashby. Hi, Maya. Hello, thanks for coming in.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

Thanks for coming in, Maya. Uh just so everybody knows, she we just got in touch with her a couple of days ago. So it was a last-minute deal. She's gracious enough to be here with us. Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Thanks for the pivot. Of course.

SPEAKER_01 0:50

Yeah, yeah. And uh Maya, just to give you a quick idea of what we're talking about here, we want the community out there, and for those of you listening, uh, we want people to know out there what we go through when we get out of prison. You know, first of all, what we go through in prison, you know, that transformation that happens to a lot of us, um, and I'm gonna say most of us in that case. Um and then uh how we get when we get out, how people look at us and how you know what what what we go through, um what we need and and where we go to get it. And uh I think the the the gist of it is we want people to just know what we're going through because we're human beings, aren't we? Yeah. Yeah. I mean and we need air too, right? And food and water and a place to live. And yeah, so uh um just tell me a little bit about yourself. Uh let's go back a few years.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

A few years. Okay. So, I mean, a few years ago I was in prison, and um I mean, it was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me at the time. Um, I was just just running and gunning. I lost my mom and a couple grandmas and a couple aunts um previously to my incarceration this time, and um, that was really hard. So, of course I used um just to kind of stay numb and to not feel anything. And uh yeah, it was literally the best thing that could happen to me. I remember the day of it happening. Um I went to go help a friend and was giving him a ride. Well, anyways, on the way back, uh I was in Oregon and a state cop um pulled me over for a broken windshield and I brought I got brought to jail. And I mean, right before that, I was literally like crying in the shower, and I was like crying, like wishing that like all this would end and like something would happen, and like I would just, you know, just be separated from the lifestyle and the life and the people that I was with um to end. And well it did. Literally like an hour and a half later, and I went to prison, or went to jail, of course, and then went back to prison, and it was so weird because they uh they say, like, you know, just be careful what you ask for. You'll you you're probably gonna get it. And I definitely got it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:09

W when did the lifestyle begin? How old were you?

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Um, I was 14 when that lifestyle began.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Yeah, and what were the circumstances at the time, home life, all that stuff?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

No, I had a really good home life. I lived with my dad in San Diego, and he just um well, he had a choice either stay home and babysit and not make money and not be able to provide, or he could go to work every day and provide. And um, I just ran amok, you know, I just did whatever I wanted. And I mean, his hands were kind of tied behind his back, you know, like he had to go to work, you know, he had to do what was right, and well, and I did what was not right.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

So you had a lot of free time, you spent that time out.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Oh yeah, oh yeah, lots of free time. Um, I would like not go to school when he um would go to work, and I would just run around and hang around people that were way older than me and just got caught up in a bad lifestyle, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Yeah, and so that went on for a while, huh?

SPEAKER_00 4:16

Oh yeah, I mean years. I mean, I was in and out of the um juvenile system, you know, there in San Diego, and um, yeah, it was just a nightmare. I mean, my poor my poor dad, you know, like there's nothing he can do. I got taken out of the home, you know, a couple times, like, well, I mean, not a couple times, but a lot of times. Juvenile Hall, group home, and so Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

So when when did you make the trek to Idaho? When did that happen?

SPEAKER_00 4:45

Um, yeah, so I came back to Idaho. Um I was in juvenile probation and I was in ju juvenile drug court and uh um then they put me in um a group home and they're like, oh yeah, well, you know, if we'll let you leave and go back to Idaho, or I went to Ontario where my grandma was. Um if um you go, you know, if you go over there and you start, um, so I didn't graduate from high school. So they're like, I told them I was like, I'll go get I'll go get my GED in Ontario where my grandma was, you know. And so they're like, okay, cool. So well they let me go. Um, so I I came to Ontario and um started going to the TVCC um to s get my GED. And um, of course I didn't get my GED. I just I got involved with a couple people there and started using there and um yeah, and all and then I came, I went to McCall, because that's where my mom was, and I went there and um got picked up a couple like drinking underage tickets and in and out of jail there, and then I picked up my felony. Um one of my you know, my first felony as an adult there.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

So you and where was your daddy? He was back in San Diego at that time? Yeah. How did how did he feel about all that happening?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

I mean, of course he was sad, just like any other parent, you know. Um I mean, but I I my my dad he knows like there's only so much you can do, you know. Um and he could just stand there and answer my collect calls when I called and tell me how much he loved me.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

So Yeah, that's that's the the the support from a parent is that's can't touch that. Yeah. You can't touch it.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

It means a lot. Well, well, when you circle back too, it's good to have the memory of that, huh?

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah, oh yeah. I mean, my mom and my dad, you know, they were just both really s I mean they always answer my calls. Well, my whole family, you know. Um, they always answer answer my calls and they were there when I got out, and they were there when I got out and there when I got out, you know. I mean, every time.

SPEAKER_01 6:59

So, uh, can I ask you a question? Yeah. So if you had to think about what was probably the worst time in your addiction when you could if you could think back at one time, the d the whatever it is that kicked that thought into your head that day when you're like, gosh, I wanna want I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired of this life.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

It was then. It was the time. Um, yeah, I was living a super bad lifestyle, just um super bad. Um and that that was the time. Um, it was a couple years, few years in between um my last prison stay um and this last prison stay, uh, that I haven't gone back. So, but yeah, it was then. It was then, it was just the worst um super bad time.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Was prison fun? No. No, I just want the reason I say that is because I think people when uh the community doesn't really know that they that we don't think it's fun, they think that oh, they just want to keep going back. And it's really not about that, right? It's about we're you're damaged, right? You're hurt and um addiction, uh active use, over abuse of alcohol, drugs, uh being around people that don't care uh is the best way to go. So um I guess uh when we think about that, what I mean, do you feel like when you had that moment was was that like what exactly where were you?

SPEAKER_00 8:24

No, so I was right before that, I was literally in the shower, just like crying out loud, like you know, like I just want all this to end, you know. Like I was actually telling I was actually, I mean, my mom passed away, but I was actually like, Mom, like I do do something, like whatever's meant to happen, do something. I was just kind of like talking to her out loud, um, because I know that she's there, you know. I just do.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Like in spirit, of course, you know, but um, yeah, it was not um what was it that was going on that made you feel that there were because I I can think of a bunch of things like when I had that thought, I I'll never forget it. I was in a room and and somebody had taken the dang keys to my motorcycle, right? And we all know what that's like in that world, right? And uh it just he kept happening, just things like that over and over and over. And uh I started crying in my room too. And uh that's the situation. Like somebody had finally pushed me over the edge, and I was like, man, I can't do this anymore. And I was busted the next day.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yeah, no, I don't remember anything specifically, honestly. Um, I just remember just being done. Just with the people that it was around me, um just everything that had to do with my life at that time, I was just done. And I already knew I whatever needed to happen was gonna happen. It wasn't more than an probably a little bit more than an hour, and I was in the back of a cop car.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Amazing. How old were you at the time?

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Uh I think I was 39 38. Yeah, I was 38.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

38, yeah. So that was a long period of time cycling in and out of um a lifestyle that you've since escaped, huh?

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Yeah, actually I was 36, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Gotcha. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

But yeah, oh yeah, it's been a super, super long time. Um kind of a bummer that it, you know, it took me this long. But honestly, everything like to be honest, when you were talking, Mario, I was thinking, like, um, I used to want to go back um just so I could get away from what, you know, um, what was going on in my life when I was out there in my addiction, all that stuff. So when I the few times that I have been to prison, I was like, oh, you know, kind of like a vacation, you know, from just that running and gunning and um just a bad lifestyle. So um, but this time I knew, like, this time I knew something was different. Like it just you could you feel it inside. Um, and I knew I wasn't going back to that same lifestyle or those kind of people, and um I don't know, you just know it. Mm-hmm. And I knew it.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

Do you say to yourself, whatever it takes, I'm gonna change this? I mean, do you kind of make that pledge to yourself or how's that work?

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Oh yeah, 100%. Um, not in those words, you know, but just with everything that I do. You know, like whatever it takes, I'm doing it, you know what I mean? So and and and different things work different for different people, you know. So so I mean, one way it's it's like one way it's it works for me, and then the other people it just doesn't work for, you know? Um it took um a lot.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

How many times did you go back to prison?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Um I think this was my fifth and last.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Good. Good. And uh how much did you do on the last one?

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Um a little r right under three.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

Three years is a long time. Yeah. Is that a three-piece? That's a three-piece. Three piece. Three piece. Wayne's learning that he's learning the the word H. Yeah. So uh in those three years, uh uh did what did you do in there?

SPEAKER_00 12:26

A lot. A lot. A lot. Um well I mean, I just worked on me like I did so much self-reflection and um I just I did a lot. Um, I uh well, I mean, anybody that they used to, if they knew me, um, they are like, oh my God, if Maya can do it, anybody can, you know. Um I just did a lot, you know. Um I just surrounded myself with different kind of people. Um, a lot of self-reflection. Um I cut everybody off that I used to know. Um I just I did a lot, you know. Um, I didn't make promises to my family. I didn't call them and tell them, you know what, this is who I'm gonna be. This is what I'm not gonna do. No. I just was living it, you know. Um, I just took one day at a time. One day at a time. I met um my girlfriend, that super, super good um relationship, healthy relationship, healthiest re healthiest relationship I've ever been in. Um just yeah, it's just it's just my life has changed so much.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Yeah. You're worthy of that, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Of course. A good relationship. Absolutely are, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Part of it's believing you're worthy of it, isn't it? It is.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Right. And I didn't think that for a while. And I'm sure, you know, um, she's had a lot adjusting to. Um, I I'm, you know, I I automatically we don't live a health an unhealthy relationship at all. Um, but it took like a lot like to make me, not to make me, but to help me believe that um I was worthy of it, and she's not an unhealthy partner that I've been with before, and it's taken a lot. Um I've been out um well, uh not quite three years, so uh a little uh over two years, so and it's taken us a while, you know, and we were together for a little over two years anyways, you know, when you know, we both, you know, she she was released, and she was released for a year until I got out, so but it's taken a little bit, you know, for she stuck it out for you. Yeah, for sure. Awesome. Yeah, super good lady, super good lady.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

So she's done some of the work to break break the cycle for herself, too.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh, she's done a lot of work, you know, and and she was in the same kind of lifestyle I was in, you know.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

So we're here talking with Maya. We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_02 15:07

All right, welcome back to Reform the Real here on Radio Boise. I'm Wayne Burt, joined by Mario Hernandez, my co-host, and our guest, Maya Ashby. Yeah. Thanks for telling your story.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Of course, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Yeah, it's always good to get it out, right? I I as many times as you can tell it, right? Yeah, for sure. I I I love to tell people what it's what I did and what I was about and how I've changed because it makes it more real, right? When you can when you talk about uh what would be a ghost now, you know, uh that person that doesn't exist anymore. Like I I remember when when I was running the streets and uh you know, when I think about it now, I'm like gosh, I can't believe that that was me today. You ever feel like that?

SPEAKER_00 15:50

Oh yeah. Like, I mean, I think about it all the time because you know, you can never forget where you came from, you know, and who reformed like you of who you are, you know. But yeah, oh yeah, I think about it all the time. People are like, oh, I just you know, they I see their stuff, you know, like and I'm like, they're like, oh, I just don't know how some people just get sober. And I'm like, I don't even honestly, I don't even think about getting, you know, I don't even think about using or anything anymore. I think about like times that I was using before, and I'm like, God, I can't imagine like if I still lived like that. It's crazy. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

So uh what do you can I ask you what you do for work today? What do you do?

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Yeah, I work for T Mobile now at a at a call center. First time I've ever worked inside, other than when you know I was incarcerated. I worked as a cook, but yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 16:43

How are you taken to it?

SPEAKER_00 16:44

I love it. Good, honestly, I I love it. Um the the great customers definitely outweigh the upset customers, which I understand an upset customer as well, you know. So yeah, super, super good job, um, super good boss, just a good environment to be in.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Cool, cool. Describe like how you live your life.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Um, well, I go to bed super early. For one, I'm kind of old. That's a great thing, right? And for two, um, I just have no reason to stay up. Um, so I go to bed super early. Um, I wake up, I literally just feed, you know, I hang out with my dog for a little bit, drink coffee, go to work, um, stay at work till seven o'clock, and then I come home and I take a shower and I hang out with my girlfriend and my dog, and I go to bed.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

Oh, normal life. Backbone of America. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yeah. The thing that we used to think was impossible, right? Weird. Yeah. Like, what a square.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

Yeah. That's it. I was gonna use that word square. I'm glad we're of the same generation.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

I had somebody come in here and tell me that one day. Are you square or what? I'm like, that's the first time I've ever had anybody call me a square. What? Because man, I used to be an idiot. You know, I mean, uh the last thing, I mean, the people I used to hang out with, right? They wouldn't think we were a square. But now kids are like, Man, you're a square. You just sit home all the time all the time.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Yeah, you're boring. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Your life's boring. Yeah. Being happy. Yeah. So that that's a great thing, right? Um uh what do you do for fun? Like just say that you uh what what are your hobbies?

SPEAKER_00 18:20

I don't know. When it's cold, I just like hanging out with my dog and my girlfriend, honestly. Um, I really honestly I don't do much like we go and like ride scooters. I I do like to longboard. I haven't longboard for a while, but um, I do like to longboard. Um, I do like to spend time outside, go fishing, um, swim, just do all kinds of things outside, honestly. I've been an outside person my whole life.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Yeah, and then being in a call center makes that doubly important, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 18:51

Right. Yeah, and this is my first year. Um, I've done landscaping and just like outside work my whole life. So I had plenty of time outside, you know. But this is my first time being in a call center, so um, I'm definitely gonna be outside a lot this summer.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

Yeah, you'll know that it's warming up. It's real nice out there today, in fact.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Yeah, hopefully it stays. It's supposed to stay in the 70s this week, so it'll be nice.

SPEAKER_02 19:16

That's great. Besides your uh girlfriend, do you have other points of support? Do you have other people you talk to?

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Um I mean, I have other sober friends that I mean I talk to on a normal basis, I I should say, but I also have like my sister uh over in Tennessee, and I do speak to my dad. My dad, we he messaged me every every day. We don't message back and forth often, but I I like to call him every couple weeks so often. It was like ever you know, every other day, every week, you know. But I know he has his life too, so is he proud of you? I think so. I would like to think so. Um it'd be weird if he wasn't.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

You know he is. Yeah, at this point for sure. Yeah, you know he is. Yeah, wonderful, wonderful. It's a it's great to be able to think about them and know that they don't have to worry about you no more.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

Oh yeah, he's he's said that. Um, well, I know other people have said that too. They're like, it's just such a relief. I think he just doesn't speak about it a lot just because he's probably like, I don't want to jinx myself.

SPEAKER_02 20:19

It's too good to be true.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, but I know that he's I mean, he can send me money, you know, now and and know that it's going somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

Um not to the bar, not to some uh to some dope.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

Yeah, yeah. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, uh he he yeah, I'm sure he can go to bed at night and he knows that I'm good, you know.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

It's a good feeling, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Our parents they they go through a lot. You know, my mom used to cry all the time. I can't tell you, and probably your dad too, how many times in courtrooms bawling. My son's not a bad boy. He's just, you know, he's just just it was his dad, and this, you know, it's uh, you know, but I think when we feel like we don't put that stress on people, uh it's it's it it makes our lives easier too, right? Because then that's that last thing, you know. If you're in relapse, you're always worried about your family just like being mad at you or upset at you. And um, you know, I I I spent a lot of time tripping on that. Yeah, you know, and uh my family would call me. My sister would call me like two in the morning. What are you doing? I'm like, what are you doing? You're calling me at two in the morning. Why are you awake? She's like, Well, I had a nightmare about you. And uh, you know, you what are you doing? I'm like, I'm just sitting here, I'm all right. And uh she would cry, you know, because and my mom too, they would just be just freaked out, wondering what day I was gonna overdose. So, you know, that that day that you know that you got clean, your dad's life probably changed a lot.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Oh yeah, oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I just can't imagine just because of all the stress that I put 'em on, you know, put them both through, sorry. Um, and just my whole family, you know. Um Or the p anybody that cared, you know what I mean? Just I just yeah. Just it's a good feeling.

SPEAKER_02 22:06

Are there any of those relationships that you don't feel you've completely recovered or from all your time, you know?

SPEAKER_00 22:14

No.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

No? Oh, they've all come back? It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

Well, and I don't have a lot of um I mean, like I mean, I I only have one sister, you know what I mean? And she's been there, you know, through and through. Um, of course, and then my dad, but my mom passed away, and then both my aunts and both my grandmas. So I mean, really, that's all the the family that I have. Um, well, blood family, you know what I mean? So, um, no, everybody's all came back like Wow. Yeah, su super, you know, super acceptable, you know. So they just, I don't know, just stood by me.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Cool. What uh you know, you know Danielle, and Danielle's uh all obviously a big part of my life and our life here at learning how to live, and she's a good friend of yours and she told me that you had a pretty good comeback story. And you know, I I think that uh what can you tell somebody with what you've learned in your life about yourself, about recovery? Uh what can you tell somebody that's out there struggling right now?

SPEAKER_00 23:15

I mean, you can do it. I promise you, you can do it. You just you really have to want to. Um there has to be just I mean, you your core, like everything in you, like you have to want it, or you won't. Um, I wanted it before, but I didn't want it bad enough. Um I mean your whole heart and soul has to be in it, or you just you know, you won't you just won't, um you won't do it. You won't recover. You will not. Um you you'll you might for a little bit, but it you it doesn't stay, you know, because you um you just don't want it bad enough. So when you really want it, you you'll get it.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Yeah, that's exactly it. You know, I was speaking with somebody today, came in here to the office and and uh he was sad, you know, he was crying and he's like, you know, I just don't know what to do. I feel like I want to use today. And uh that's a sad place to be. Um what I tell people and what I like to people to hear is that you know, this is a this is about you. It's not about what everybody else is doing.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

But uh when you start worrying about you and taking care of you, then all the noise stops. And that's what we want. We've been we've been through a lot and we don't want to drag ourselves through anymore. And there's a lot of support out there, isn't there?

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Oh yeah. Um if you if you're willing to reach out and get that support, like honestly, um I mean, of course, my girl my girlfriend is great support, and so is my family. But sometimes when she was at work when I first got out, um I mean anything when I wasn't like I mean I spent a lot of time on FaceTime to my family, and I spent a lot of time at the CRC just hanging out, going, seeing, you know, people that I built some relationship and bonds with for, you know, a couple, you know, almost two years. Um I went there and just hung out there for a while. Like, and I went through a lot when I was in there. I mean, I I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in there and um got out and had a double mastectomy. And of course they gave me some um, you know, some narcotics. They wasn't a lot. They gave me like a band that wasn't a narcotic. And I know my girlfriend was like, you know, you really, you know, I I could tell that she um didn't, she didn't express it out loud. She has a she has a good way of holding some things, you know, inside and just kind of dealing with it. You can tell that maybe she was kind of freaking out for me, you know, by taking these narcotics. Um when I got out um with the with the surgery, you know, and she would like be like, you know, you just, you know, only take them at night or when you absolutely have to, you know, but but because an addict is an addict, it doesn't, they'll cling to anything. Sure, you know, so I could tell that worry was there. Like even now, sometimes when I tell her that the doctor's giving me um this for that, you know, like a beta blocker, for instance, um to help, like this menopause thing, because after that cancer, um they put me on this uh like an estrogen blocker, basically. So no estrogen is being produced. And so yeah, it's super weird um stuff, but makes it to where I um I can't sleep sometimes at night. I have these weird wake ups. Sometimes I don't go back to sleep. So I was telling her about that. She's like, looking into this natural stuff, because I I know that she's trying to point you in this direction, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:55

Right, and I totally get that.

SPEAKER_00 26:57

Yeah, I totally get that. But when it comes to like stuff like that, you know, and I am on a sleep medication right now, and I know she doesn't like it, but I mean, there's nights that I just spent hours and hours and hours, and I had a physical demanding job that I was out there like just walking miles and miles and miles where I had to get some sleep, you know. So uh I mean, if I can help it, you know, I I won't take it, but it it's gotten to where like I've had to take it, you know. So, and she's just like, uh I know she I know she's just like probably like whatever, you know, but but I mean you I mean you gotta do what you gotta do, you know, but sleep is important.

SPEAKER_01 27:39

Yeah, it really is.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

But she's like, do this and this and this, you know, this worked for me. And I'm like, well, it didn't work for me.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

You know, so counting's cheap, that don't work.

SPEAKER_00 27:48

But yeah, and a lot of people, you know, that kind of stuff will bring them back to using, you know, and back to the street drugs because you know, the doctor cut their prescription or something like that. But um, everything seems to to be fine. I I don't find myself wanting to use um to go get street drugs. Um and also that's good.

SPEAKER_02 28:11

It all seems like it's they're just stuff to help you be a productive person, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

Yeah, along with the double massectomy, that's uh and then the the uh emotional trauma, the PTSD, all the stuff that you're recovering from, the mental uh damage you cause yourself, the physical damage you cause your body on top of what's going on naturally.

SPEAKER_03 28:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Um, I mean, it's all it's tough. And uh but you've you've uh withstood, and that's a that's a great place to be.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

You must walk down the street some days and go, you know what? I'm really damn strong.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

I mean, I mean, there I I just like to think about it, honestly, is so many people out there are going through a lot more than what I've even ever gone through. Like we had to bring somebody to the emergency room the other night, and um, well, not the other night, it was a few weeks back, and I was just seeing these people come and go, come and go, and I was like, this could be us, you know, w you know, so much worse could be happening to us, and you know, like I could have I could have maybe not made it through, you know, all that stuff, and I would couldn't have been really lucky where I didn't have to go to key I didn't have to go through chemo or radiation um or anything, you know, and just so many people have it worse, and I'm like, God, we have it so good. Well, I know I have it so good right now, you know what I mean? Um, and it could have been a lot worse. So just kind of got to keep your head up and gratitude.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Good old gratitude.

SPEAKER_01 29:41

Yeah, yeah. Well, cool, man. Um, you have anything else you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_00 29:47

No, I mean, life is good. Life is good, can't complain, you know. Super lucky to have the people that I do in my life. Um, super good, super lucky to have the support group, you know, like when I do choose to reach out or when I need you know, it's it's just super good to have these people in my life, you know.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

Yeah, the story of uh of the comeback and uh and you're part of it. Uh and you know, for everybody that's listening out there, there's like so many people like you, Maya, that are that went through it, um, like us and came out the other side. And I just want everybody to know out there that's listening that uh we're all worthy, right? You're worthy, I'm worthy. Everybody getting out of prison's worthy. So let's give them a leg up, right? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and and and please uh you know support uh somebody, one of your family members if they're incarcerated or getting out of incarceration, and that's the worst place to be in, is when you're incarcerated, even though you know families go through a lot when somebody's an an addict. Um we still need people, we still need our people to love us. And uh that's how people get passed to to the other side is uh with love. And uh that's that's just that's my last message.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

So it's a good one. Yeah, that's a good closing statement. I like it. And CRC for listeners is community resource center, correct? Reentry. Re-entry. Community reenter. Gosh, I'm getting all this terminology down. Wayne's almost got it down. I'm getting close. You'll get it. I got three-piece right.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

He did get the three-piece right. That surprised me.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

Yeah. There's a little slang in there, you know. Oh sweet. Yeah, yeah. I know what a biker is now.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

So we had that conversation. I'll tell you about it later. Well, no, we can't. Uh I told him we were talking about the people that don't take showers. We call them bikers, right? They stink. They stink.

SPEAKER_00 31:37

Nothing worse than a stinky person in there. Close quarters, man.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, everything's magnified. I get it. Well, it's been a pleasure having you on, Maya.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

You're welcome. And uh we'll uh be back next week. This was our guest, Maya Ashby, on behalf of Mario Hernandez. I'm Wayne Burt, the episode of Reformed and Real. Thanks for listening.