What it’s like…. With Bull & J-Roc
Haven't you ever seen a veteran and wondered about them and their past? Who they are as a person? What they have done and where they have been, to what they've been through that brings them to the nexus in life they are at? Two vets coming together talking about what it’s like to be a veteran and the struggles we deal with that aren’t commonly known. Also occasional interviews to reach out and get to know veterans from great stories to weird quirks or abilities. Hear veteran stories from their own mouth and in their own words unfiltered and with all the fun that comes with getting to know any veteran. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, but its a journey we've taken and we welcome you along for the ride. And of course learn all the crazy jokes and lines we enjoy that give us direction in our lives.
What it’s like…. With Bull & J-Roc
Interview with Billy Duckworth Part 2
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Learn more than most about Billy Duckworth and the trials and tribulations of his life. Some truly amazing things went down and i bet only a few know about it....until now.
If you would like to talk to us, good we would appreciate hearing from listeners as we grow and change. Contact us at bullandjroc@gmail.com
Hey everyone and welcome back to what it's like with Bull and J-Rock. Now let's get right back into the me of part two of Billy's interview.
SPEAKER_02Oh shit, I made a decision when I was there in the in in the hospital. It was like a year later. To do the other one. Yeah, that's totally just uh any work in, you know. Just go ahead and take it off.
SPEAKER_03And so for you, uh let's just in general, how would you say that your disabilities change or affect your daily life?
SPEAKER_02Oh wow, man. Uh how did it change my life? Well changed my life where you know I'm not as active as I used to be. Uh I can't do the things I I used to do, I love to do, but you know, I'm making it.
SPEAKER_03So would you say that with your disabilities and learning how to do it?
SPEAKER_02Learn how to deal with it?
SPEAKER_03Well, I don't it not so much learning how to deal with it, but learning how to restructure and uh change the routine of your life.
SPEAKER_02Uh see how I mean because it changes all the hobbies that you had, so at that point you had to restructure how you lived your life because the basically the things that you did before didn't weren't possible anymore. Yeah, yeah, no, it wasn't, it's it's not possible, but I find ways to try to to try to get there, you know, to try to do the things that I love to do. And tell you the truth, sometimes it hurts that I can't do the things that I I used to do, I love to do.
SPEAKER_03Because you know that before you were capable of it and you knew what you could and couldn't do. Right. Right. It's it's crazy. So when it comes down to it, I know that we had talked previously. Me and you are actually a little bit more friends than people would know, because we've had multiple of these um rec therapy situations together. Um which isn't it interesting? I mean, this is a little off topic, but isn't it so interesting that they want they in the very beginning they tell you to make friends, but then right at the end they tell you everybody's gonna go in a different place. Right. Why would you then what's the point of telling everyone to make friends? Because everyone's gonna separate. It's really weird, and they won't do like um a directory or something like that. So if you have met someone that you got along with, you could like call them for you know, oh hey, I'm gonna go bowling or you know, whatever it would be, you know. But when it comes down to it, you know, we've talked and you said that you were into movies and stuff, so this is something that should be interesting for you. So if your life were a movie, how would the synopsis for that movie read?
SPEAKER_02I would read the life the life and time of Billy Dougwell.
SPEAKER_03But the description for it, the the synopsis for it. So the title would be that okay, but what would the synopsis be?
SPEAKER_02What do you mean? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Like kind of like you know, when you uh uh turn over a DVD on the back, it gives you like a little paragraph about what it's about.
SPEAKER_01Oh how okay. I how a kid. I how a kid grew up.
SPEAKER_03So you're kind of like the wise old man to sit down and trade stories with.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah. Yeah, and I don't sugarcoat, I don't sugarcoat my story, but I tell you the real level. You know, I'm not gonna lie about it, I'm not glorifying it, I'm just telling you how, you know, how it was, how it is.
SPEAKER_03Well, when it comes down to it, would you advise other people that they should join the military?
SPEAKER_02Oh yes, I I would.
SPEAKER_03I mean what's going on now.
SPEAKER_02Well, because I feel that going to a military would help you mature. You know, help you get your independence, you know, and helps you decide which way you want to go in life. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So for I don't I would I wouldn't necessarily say excuse me, I wouldn't necessarily for a like requirement situation, but what would you say um or who would you say you would want to if there was a book about you, who would you want to narrate that audiobook? If it were someone famous or whatever, who would you choose to narrate the life of Billy Duckworth?
SPEAKER_02Wow, that as a as a good one right there. Who would I want to narrate that?
SPEAKER_03Because I mean you gotta have somebody that you know is gonna have the uh infliction or whatever in their voice, you know, for different stories, sad, happy, all that, you know, but you gotta have somebody that has a good voice, too. You don't want to come out of somebody that's all squeaky.
SPEAKER_02I know I'm I'm I'm I'm thinking wow, you don't want to have a good voice. So many people out there. What about uh you? For me, I mean, no, narrated mine.
SPEAKER_03Who who would be a good person to narrate yours? What about you? I would be.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think so.
SPEAKER_03Oh, wow, okay. Well, thank you. Oh, okay, so now put me to work. Oh, okay, so it wasn't just the okay here. Here's a nice narration you do good. Is I'm gonna put you to work.
SPEAKER_02No, I think you do good. No, seriously. I think you have the next word. Well, thank you very much.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and when it comes down to your life, obviously you're gonna have, you know, the major points in your life and everything like that. For your life, whether it be book, movie, whatever, how many chapters do you think would be in it?
SPEAKER_02Uh let me see. Uh, I think it'd be about seven, maybe eight chapters. Okay.
SPEAKER_03So a lot of detail, but you know, not a whole lot of different storylines going on at once. Okay, I like it. More a little bit more old school. So yeah. What would you say is the uh I don't want to say the problem, but okay. Well, we'll start with this. What have been your experiences with the VA? What have your experiences been like?
SPEAKER_02Uh I've had a good experience with the VA. I think I had one bad experience with the VA, whereas I was I went, I was hurt that sometime I went there, and I was I felt like I wasn't getting the proper service that I deserved. So I'm talking to the ladies. Well, I'm not talking to a nurse, I'm just talking, and she's always in my conversation, and so when I'm talking to her, and she asks me questions, and I'm telling her that you know how I'm hurting carrying on, and uh she's like take what I said and ran with it, you know, and you know, cause me problems and what ended up happening to her. Uh she ended up getting moved somewhere else from where we were at.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So what would you say are the things that you would want to that that you think need to change in the VA system?
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_02Whereas I think what needs to change is you have to go through so much to get service, get proper service. Uh whereas like I'm trying to get my uh my leg looked at uh far as my hip. Uh they have me going to physical therapy first for my hip. You know, why is all that? You know, why do I need to go? Why do I need to go there first?
SPEAKER_03Well, the person that you talked to and everything, and you went to see, did they explain everything to you?
SPEAKER_02No.
SPEAKER_03No.
SPEAKER_02So they just you know how you you you go to the VA and you go in there and you talk to a nurse or whoever, and you tell them, hey, I wanna see this, I need this done.
SPEAKER_03And you don't even get a chance to see a doctor.
SPEAKER_02No.
SPEAKER_03Okay. No. So for you, what you would like to have changed at the VA is kind of more like not so much, I don't want to say so much things that are so much that things are slowed down, but you want everyone to be able to have access to a doctor and it not necessarily be determined or like a it's not like a triage situation with a nurse. You want to be able to actually go to the doctor.
SPEAKER_02Right. Yeah, I think it's I think it's mainly the VA down here because when I go up to San Diego to the VA for my yearly review, it's a whole different setup. Whereas, you know, if I need to see a doctor about something or need something, I don't have to go through a whole hurry up and wait thing. You know, I get in there and they see me, and if I need, they handle it, they handle it instead of and so send me here, send me there.
SPEAKER_03And so when it comes down to all the facilities that you've been to uh for over you know your entire life, where would you say is the hospital or doctor or whatever that you've liked the most? Uh like I said, it could have been a doctor that you liked when you were younger, or maybe it was you know, a hospital that you knew that you had been to when you were in your twenties or anything.
SPEAKER_02Well, to tell you the truth, this is just the month that was spent at the hospital at the doctor. Uh I would I would say the VA yeah.
SPEAKER_03What what would be a um not a not a job I can't what's the word? Oh what would be a program that you w wish the VA offered that speaks to you? Because one of the things that I look at is the programs aren't very I mean they look at them as being universal, but they put younger people with older people and I mean all sorts of other stuff, so it's not. So what would be a program that you would say this is what I would want the VA to give me or offer me? Uh I mean, I know you're an avid uh chess player and things like that, but you know, just in general. I mean, what what would be the thing that you wish the VA would pick up the slack on in your life?
SPEAKER_02Wow. Yeah, it could be something concerning more housing. Housing? Yeah, yeah. Okay, the availability for uh for housing for veterans. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there's a lot of red tape. And what's something that you would say that the VA does for you or provides that you think is pointless?
SPEAKER_02Is what pointless?
SPEAKER_03It's pointless. It's useless. I mean, if you agree with what the VA's doing, that's fine. I mean, some people agree, some people won't. It's not not everyone's gonna be on the same page, it's just a question.
SPEAKER_02Uh VA is alright. I mean, I ain't get like I'm saying I ain't got too many complaints about it. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Well, now we're gonna have a little bit of fun. Okay. Well, we have some interesting questions. So when it comes to this, I mean, this isn't really applied necessarily to you, they're just questions in general. So look, like I'll give you one of the ones that I was given on my own interview. So uh, is violence ever justified? Yeah, yes, and and when do you think violence is justified?
SPEAKER_02Well let's save your life, let's say we are when you're loved with I said that was an example. That's that's that's when I think how well let's say if someone's gonna harm if someone's gonna harm your family or you, then yeah, you gotta do what you gotta do. You know? True. You might hate it, but you know, true, yeah, but you have to do what you gotta do.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So what for you, what would you say is the best way to go about improving the world today?
SPEAKER_02Um that we listen and pay attention to what the next individual is saying, you know, kind of just slow things down a little respect. Yeah, you gotta have you gotta have that that respect and just listen. Listen to what's going on, listen to what someone's saying, you know.
SPEAKER_03Okay, yeah. Throughout your life, King, what public figure or famous celebrity do you find to be the best influence on you throughout your whole life? I mean, if you want to turn around and say Elmo was your greatest influence, go for it. You know, if it's Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was your greatest influence. Mm-hmm. Okay, well, I mean, it makes sense. You you know, you did boxing and stuff like that. Now, would you say what?
SPEAKER_02No, it was more, but it was more than just the boxing. It was what he was standing up for.
SPEAKER_03Well, I mean, but what what I'm saying is there's all everything about him. He also had all of his his um not boxing career, um his boxing notoriety. And so I'm I was just referring that it would make sense that he would be someone that you could easily relate to because you're already kind of relating to him on another level.
SPEAKER_02Right, of boxing, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so somebody you're kind of already it'd be like you're already halfway there, so it's that's why I was like, okay, yeah, it makes sense because you know you're already on the way there. So um, do you believe that people today, just on average, do you believe that people are usually good, or do you believe that people these days are usually bad?
SPEAKER_02Uh I think people these days usually good. Usually good?
SPEAKER_03Okay. What achievement in your life has made you feel the most powerful? What achievement. Yeah, what's something that you've done where after you did that and you made that achievement, you never felt you've never felt powerful, more powerful in your life than that moment.
SPEAKER_02Wow, there's so many things, I think. Well, if you had to choose. I can't well it's crazy that I can't even think of I can't even think of one right now. I know I got some.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Well, what achievement are you most proud of? Where at you know, in the end or whatever, when everything comes out about you and everything like that, it's one of your achievements where you're like, I that one I want to make sure you put in there.
SPEAKER_02Uh wow, I'm so dumbfounded right now. What achievement would I want you to know about me right now?
SPEAKER_03Because if people were gonna know something career, your boxing career.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Well, I mean that yeah, it's definitely an achievement. You said uh what a hundred and twelve matches and only ten losses.
SPEAKER_02That's right, amateur. Well, like I said, yes, that's quite an achievement. And and I've met some I've met a lot of famous people, so-called famous people. I've met a lot.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So then with your boxing and your different jobs, so you've obviously helped a lot of people, and then being in the Marine Corps and everything like that, what would you say is the um best compliment you've ever received?
SPEAKER_01The best compliment.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, where someone thanked you for something or gave you some sort of gratitude, and that one made you feel better than every other compliment you'd ever gotten in your life.
SPEAKER_02Wow. I'm telling you, man, for real. What are you most things I'm proud of? Well, my one of my company speak on. I can't even think of none. And I know there's some.
SPEAKER_03Look at that, everybody. Look at how humble Billy is after so much. He is so humble. He can beat the living piss out of you, yet he's so humble.
SPEAKER_02But you know, that's that's been that's been one of my things, whereas I was all I'm I'm good at fighting in front of a bunch of people as far as getting up speaking to a bunch of people, I have a problem with that.
SPEAKER_03That's interesting. So you can get up and f and whoop somebody's ass in front of a group of people, and but you can't get up and talk in front of a group of people. That's a very interesting one.
SPEAKER_02But you know the crazy part about it?
SPEAKER_03What?
SPEAKER_02After I have a couple of drinks, I'll be in, you know, I'll talk to anybody. I'll talk, you know, after a few drinks. I mean, it just and like it loosens you up. It does. Well, it does me, but I've always been like that, you know.
SPEAKER_03Well, I think it's like that for everybody, honestly. So yeah. But I don't usually talk though. So if you had if you had total control over the situation, uh and you can choose one era of time, any era of time, going back, you know, twelve thousand years, what it doesn't matter. Choose any era of time, and you could go back to that time and live. What era of time would you want to go back and live in, and why?
SPEAKER_02Oh I like to go back to my childhood.
SPEAKER_03So that what you said that was like the early 80s, right? Or no? Because you joined in the 70s, you joined in the 70s, so that was 70s. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, 79 I went in. Yeah, so no, it's before I like to go back further than that.
SPEAKER_03So what year would you be going back to? Go back to go back to 75. 75? So 75 was a good year.
SPEAKER_02A good year?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02No, 75 wasn't a good year.
SPEAKER_03Well then why would you go back to 75?
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, I like to 75 would be like I'm starting it, you know, going back and starting back.
SPEAKER_03So you wanna be able to you want a chance to start from scratch over.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah. Alright. I was a lot smarter. I was a lot smarter than our uh trade that led on.
SPEAKER_03So when it comes down to it, I know we have our uh rec therapy and everything that we go to and everything. What do you think of how rec therapy is, like what it achieves and everything like that? I mean, I know the rec therapists work really hard and do everything they can with what they got, but how do how does the class or however you would put it, how does it work for you? Does it is it something that works well, is it or is it something that you wish there was more to it?
SPEAKER_02Well it it works okay, and I wish it was a little bit more to it, you know. Uh yeah, I wish it was a little bit more to it.
SPEAKER_03And what was it that you wished and what was the what would be the part that you'd wish that they uh would add to it?
SPEAKER_02Well, you know, for a little bit more time and conversation wise, you know. Yeah. Not all that easy for me to get loose and talk.
SPEAKER_03Well, I mean, when it comes down to it, um I know we would definitely like to be able to schedule another time where we could actually have you in studio or something like that. You know, I mean, I know we do call-ins with people and stuff like that, because you know, um schedule restraints and everything, and this interview was kind of you know put together towards the end, but you know, it it's definitely something uh we'd really like to have you on again. Um I know uh J-Rock would definitely love to. Um you two can talk about Marines eating crayons. Is the fact crayons Well that's well that's that that was what he said that you know you give Marines anything and they'll you know achieve achieve the mission, get it done, whatever. You know, so it was like I don't know. He was saying something about you know, if it came down to it, if all there was to eat was crayons or whatever, you guys would just eat crayons and go about it.
SPEAKER_02And so I was like so uh see that's that uh they say Marines, but see that's that grunt.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_02They're talking about the grunt.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_02You know, see I I wasn't a grunt.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but you still you still know what it's like to fight because you got uh damn good boxing record.
SPEAKER_02When we was in uh boot camp, you know, we had the little Pugle Pugle sticks, yep. Yeah, I won that. Yeah, I won that too. Yeah, I mean I did pretty good and all that. You know. I should have I should have had uh I should have gone for uh the tune.
SPEAKER_03When it comes down to it, I had fun with the bugle sticks too. Although it was funny because when it came to that and hand-to-hand combat and all that different stuff, um they that's where I ended up, that's when I got my nickname. Um, because I it wasn't referred to as anything before that, you know, in particular. But when it came to that, they called me the flea because I never gave up and I never let go. So when it came down to it, I wasn't necessarily talented enough to where I was gonna beat you. It was the point that you were gonna get so tired that eventually I would just win. And so they nicknamed me the flea. So, yeah, all sorts of stuff always comes like that. So the flea, huh? Well, yeah, because I didn't let go. It couldn't get me off. You slam me into the ground, you push back, you slam back, whatever. It it was like it didn't affect me. And eventually they get too tired and they don't have any energy, and then it didn't matter. Because for me, I got short arms and legs. I'm not gonna win those.
SPEAKER_02Well, how'd you get the bull?
SPEAKER_03Bulls because I'm so headfast and I'm a pain in the ass and I'm stubborn, and something comes up, and I mean, when it comes down to making a plan for something, I'm like, okay, I'll do this and this, and I'll do it now, or I'll do it tomorrow. And you know, mo usually it's other people that are like, oh well, we got to schedule out this for a certain time, and you know, they schedule it out days and days and days. Usually nine times out of ten when something comes up, unless it's something that's based around uh monetary, you know, it's finances or whatever. Nine times out of ten, I'm like, all right, and within 48 hours, I'm like, yeah, let's do that. A lot of times I'm like, yeah, we can do it right now, sure. You know, so it's just because I charge right into stuff and get things done. Just like when it came to doing the podcast, I talked to J-Rock about that a week later. I called him and I was like, hey, we gotta do a recording. He was like, for what? And I was like, because we have a podcast now, so we gotta do a recording for it. He was like, what? And I was like, yeah, we have a podcast now. And I like I did the did the cover art, I did um all the setup for it, did the uh equipment, like everything. Like I was ready to go, and he was like, I like I thought you were just talking about it and thinking it over and whatever, and the whole talk, think it over, do it, that whole concept for me can transpire in an hour.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I hear when you talk about the podcast, I hear like uh a voice raised up with excitement, enjoyment, you know. So it's actually fun.
SPEAKER_03Haven't you had a good time?
SPEAKER_02Oh, yes, it's been enjoyable for me as well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, see, so it's nice, you know, and uh everyone comments that it's very therapeutic to be able to talk and express themselves and just you know let anything out, and there's no it not only is there not any criticism, I mean, if anything, there's jokes about it and you laugh together and everything like that. And I mean, I guess for a lot of people, they don't have a lot of other outlets where they can do that. Uh-huh. You know, but I'm hope hopefully we can get more people from like even like the rec therapy classes and stuff like that. Because yeah, we get to know each other a little bit for like not even I don't I wouldn't even want to say an hour, even though it's scheduled for an hour, because in all reality, after you get done with the therapist doing their thing and whatever, you only actually get to talk to each other for maybe about 20 minutes. Yeah. So unless you show up early before rec therapy, then you're not gonna get a chance to talk to the other people because when you are talking to them, you're gonna be talking to talk the you're gonna be talking to them about the game that's going on or the activity or whatever it is. There isn't really conversation time.
SPEAKER_02Right, right.
SPEAKER_03And when it comes down to it, I think a lot of vets do the rec therapy so they can get out and do something, they have something to do when in reality the rec therapy not only can it do that, but it can foster these relationships where people can build friendships and things like that over you know common interest, but it's not something that rec therapy helps to foster beyond the class. Once that class ends, rec therapy is just kind of like, all right, cool, we did our part. Do you need another class? Oh, you need another one? All right, well, we'll hook you up with another one, right? You know, and then they and then they say, Oh, we don't ever do a class over again. So then they're all new. It's like because I've been presented with the same options multiple times, and if you don't do a class over again, then how can someone be presented be presented with the same option again later on if they took an a different option previously when they're not done over? I don't know, it's just really weird. Because some of them, like the one that was game the games in the park one, I thought that one did really good. We we were outside, we were you know being active, joking around. I half of us arrived early because we had to be outside, so we were able to talk to each other and everything like that, and then like a good third to half of us would talk afterward, and then everyone hung out because I brought brownies for people, you know, so everyone had something to munch on and they were talking, and we played these weird games that we had never heard of before.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, no, connected, you know, yeah connected, you know. Yeah, even old people with the young.
SPEAKER_03Yep, you know, but they're not doing that act, but they say they don't do that activity anymore. So I mean, it is what it is. I mean, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I would like to do that again, right?
SPEAKER_03That would be one that I would continue to do, even if it was kind of hot outside. I'd probably still do that one. I'd be like, it's an hour, it's not that bad. You know, if you're gonna go do something for your average everyday life, you're gonna spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour outside. Yeah, you know, I mean when I do my landscaping at the house, I'm outside for that. I can't not landscape during the time that it's hot, that's like six months. You know, so I still have to go out and do that, and it's hot, so I don't fully understand why, you know, for them, they're like, oh, well, you know, that's not something that we can do right now.
SPEAKER_02You know, by this side.
SPEAKER_03Well, it's also something that I think that because we have enough vets and enough interest, that some of them, if like if they don't want to do games in the park again, and that's one where they're like, that was a lot of work, they should let us do it, and then just have one therapist around to kind of monitor us to make sure things don't get out of hand. Right. And that would work fine. And then there they don't have to use as many therapists for a class because it's not as much interaction for them, it's more observation, and we're just taking the same activities that they've taught us and doing them again. But they won't do that. Doesn't make sense at all.
SPEAKER_02I know.
SPEAKER_03But when it comes down to it, we're gonna close it out. I got some other stuff that I gotta work on, and I'm sure you know you have your own daily stuff that you have to do. So definitely um I wanna thank you. You know, not everyone always wants to come on and you know, talk about things, and especially when it involves themselves and the not not always the pleasant parts of their life, you know.
SPEAKER_02Some of the times those I thank you for having me on. You know, I mean, I think there's a lot of things I forg I didn't cover or I forgot to talk about. I'm sure you have me on again. Oh, definitely. I think I'd be a little bit more prepared, you know, and have my notes down of things that I want to share. You know, I think that uh something that someone from here that I've been through or or done might be able to uh use in their life, you know, help them maybe.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, stuff that can help other people, but then again, you also, you know, it's you're documenting you, you know. Not everybody has someone that goes around and documents their life or writes it down or whatever, and that's what you're doing. You're documenting who you are and what you've done. And yes, of course, uh definitely gonna have you on for another. Huh?
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, have me on for another, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely, because uh JJ was or I mean sorry, J Rock was actually really upset that uh he wasn't able to do the interview with you. Um it was something J Rock was very excited that uh um marine to marine part didn't go as planned. That was something that he wanted. And I agree. I mean, you guys have different lingo and stuff that you understand, you know, so at certain parts of it it's kind of like you know, it's not really uh a generational thing, it's uh I'm army, he's marine. You know, different lingo, you know. If I were navy or something like that, I'd might I'd probably be a little bit closer or things like that. But I just thought having two marines being able to have a uh uh discussion like that would have been good. But like I said, we'll have you back, and then the next one, then you for sure are gonna talk with him. Okay, and yeah, if you have certain things that you want to talk about, yeah, write them down. Then when you come on, yeah, you can bring up and you can talk about it. You know?
SPEAKER_02If you have and and uh another thing, I really appreciate it that uh chess board.
SPEAKER_03Well, when it comes down to it We want the people that come on and to share not to feel like they were used or like it was just a story that we needed, you know, because not only is this something that we're sharing with other people, you're sharing, you know, and it's getting us to know, or it's getting everyone to know who veterans are. And when it comes down to it, yes, we know each other, but telling our stories is gonna get other people involved in knowing what's going on. And the the swag bag concept or you know, whatever, you know, it's just one of those things, you know, over time, you know, how people are and everything, you know, knowing you and knowing that you're like really into chess and things like that, you know, here at what it's like, you know, the the crew just kind of we just kind of thought that it'd be better to do the the chess for you than uh a t-shirt or something like that. Something that you know in a couple years you probably wouldn't even have anymore or may not care about because the chess set or whatever, that's something that I mean you're gonna you'll have that, you'll be using that for probably ten plus years. Yeah, you know, and then it has the the letter and number to the side so that you can teach your grandkids and stuff and work with them on it, you know, or if you you know work on starting a chess club and stuff like that, the people that go to play aren't necessarily always gonna know how to play. And so when they go to play, they're gonna be learning, and so having the ability to teach them, but still having your own personal board that's not like plastic or rubber, it's it's you have it there's its own, it's not elegance, it's not the word I want to use, but it you have your like your own style to it. Because like for me, I have a very large, very, very large chest set. Um, the pieces are about two to three inches tall, and um they're it's a Chinese style, they're terracotta warriors and stuff like that. So it's really old, it's really, really cool. Um I have I have different ones that I've looked at that I've wanted to get and things like that, but like I said, I just um thought it would be able to help you, you know, if you wanted to teach people and stuff like that. And then I don't know, magnet the with the pieces and the magnetized for the pieces and stuff. I just thought, you know, if you're doing stuff and you're waiting on the VA or whatever and you wanted to, you know, play a little bit and you're in the car, you can play and you don't have to worry about you know stuff falling and then going, okay, how am I gonna reach it and stuff like that, everything will stay there for you. But when it comes down to it, I won't be there this week for rec therapy because I'm busy. So but you'll be able to talk to everyone and tell them how you did your interview and uh you know see if they'll you know, you know, you can entice them into it. Oh yeah. But yes, from all of us here at what it's like, we thank you very much.
