SPEAKER_00 0:07

My name is Tim Rustin. My name is Jam Robbett. And this is Create Your Story.

unknown 0:12

Thank you for jumping. Thank you for paying. It's a beautiful. We're on. Oh, I don't even have headphones on. We're on.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

We don't have headphones on. Oh back.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Let's try. Friday morning.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

That was a Friday morning potty. Well, Friday morning's a go, but I didn't mind the Saturday either. I actually heard a bit of good feedback from the Saturday because a few people are like, oh, it's a good way to start your Monday, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 0:33

But I'm like, fuck but you can do that on the Friday. So yeah, one of my mates was like, Come on, cuz you've got to stop dropping them so late. I've got nothing to listen to on the way to work during the week. True. We'll fiddle around with it. It's kind of just whatever works for our like our week and what it looks like. So you get what you're giving. So be fucking great. Yeah, look, if it drops on a sad day and you listen to it Monday, Tuesday, if it drops on a Friday and you listen to it Wednesday, it's alright.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Unless you want to start sponsoring us and we'll we'll start doing some shit, you know? We'll start wearing your merch. Hey, give me something.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

How's your weekend, cuz?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Nah, it was good. Um she was a bit bigger than expected, actually. It was pretty flat out. Um there's a fair few beers involved if I'm honest, but it is what it is. I sort of haven't done something like that and sort of got away with a few of the boys for a while. Um and back in the day, I'll just give you a bit of a rundown on what happened, but sort of Friday, Arvo. I worked um for a few days there back into the last week, and then um sort of come to a long weekend. Um what's the footy there? Friday night, night's game. And then I'll tell you what, I I normally get Domino's pizza delivered, but we got Morpeth Wood fired. That's because of Paulay. Yeah, fuck that Paul. We've got a Domino's. No, but we got wood fired pizza at Morpeth delivered, and fuck if you haven't had that, that's a little hidden jamma. Man, so good. But then yeah, had me mate's um daughter's birthday Saturday morning there at the Royal at Morpeth, and then mate's 30th, and then sort of trekked it down to Sydney. Um the plan was to go watch the um footy. By the time we got out, but by the time we got to a um hotel and checked in, it was like 1:30, and it was like a 40-minute drive to the thing, so like fuck it, we'll go down to um the Sydney Harbour and watch it in like a mad little sports bar, which is sick.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

Where'd you go?

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Do you remember? Um fuck. You sort of go over um that Piemont what's that bridge called that you walk over? Yeah, yeah. And then it's right on the left there, near that aquarium. That's the first let that's sick bar.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Me making out I know, but um when I when I went down to the young Aboriginal Leaders program, um we went out as like a it was an optional kind of bonding session. And it was Origin 2, and we went out and we watched um Origin 2 at this bar, all of the participants, and then me, Malik, and and Dre. Um I think it was about 20 minutes to go in the origin, and we backdoored it and we went out. Oh we went to a few different bars.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

That's mad bars there. It's hectic. Yeah, the one on the corner, bro. I've been there a couple of times. Um everyone's sort of been there, but it was sick.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Well, we we got back at um because the guy that was sort of running out was like, I don't care if you go out, but we're getting on this bus at 7am, we're going to La Peruse. Yeah. I think we got the elevator back up to our rooms at about 2:33 o'clock. Wake up. Um proper.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

But did that, and then um we went and saw a DJ on the Sunday night, which was sick. Like, I like that sort of music. Um and I haven't done that in a while. Like, I haven't been out to a club or anything for over a year. Like, you know what I mean? It was good just to get out with the boys, me, Corey, and Samo um did that, sort of was wounded there the next day. But um it was a mad weekend, it was good to let the hair down a bit, but um still put that work in this week, and we're here now, been up since 3:30, boy. Well, you're just sleeping. I've been up getting after it.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Hey, that was yours. What'd you get up to? Uh we went down to the entrance there for a little getaway, a couple of nights. It was actually mad because we um we I said to Riley, I was like, they want 150 bucks extra for Ocean View. I said, I didn't even like the ocean boy. Nah. Oh the river. Yeah, so we um I didn't pay it, but we actually got a mad view. Like it was true. So I don't know what you give it. Um but it was mad, yeah. Just went down there for a couple days and it was good, bruh. Like I think we just kicked back. It was just mad to kind of see a few different things. Went over to Terigal and did a little bit over there. Um fishing ships on the water. Um I actually had there was one negative from the whole trip. Um, but we were travelling to the footy, like to watch her brother play at the entrance, and um there was like a general duties police guy, like not a highway patrol, just like your kind of like. Do you know those um they're not paddy wagons, but they're like youths, yeah, and they like barely even have police stuff on the side. Like um one of them pulled in behind me, followed me for a little bit, put his lights on, then turned them off. I'm like, bruh, do you want to pull me over or not? Put them back on again. So I pulled over, he pulls in behind me, gets out of the car, he's like six-year-old white dude. Yeah, um, walks up to the window, he's in a tie, um, no body worn camera, no gun, no taser, no pepper spray, no badge, police uniform in a tie. Look, looks like he just left the office or caught or something. So I got my license out, and I'm thinking, like, I haven't done anything. Like, not speeding, I didn't swerve, I didn't pull out, I've used my indicators, like you know, general duty's pulling over, like thread out. Like, usually it's because you've done something, and then he gets to the window. I'd like to give him my licence, and he doesn't take it, and he's like, just count to ten in this, maybe count to ten all the way. Like, usually they cut you off at that, sorry. He's like, No, you're right to leave and walked away, didn't even look at my licence, and I'm just like do your job. I was like, Carlos, I don't want to be this guy, right? Does that have anything to do with the big Aboriginal flag I got on the back of the car? Like, I don't know, it was a spin out A. I just sat there for a bit and I'm like, that was so bizarre. So then um I let him pull out and I followed him, and then I pulled him over. No, but my lights on A. No, I follow I followed him because I was just kind of like, I want to see if he does this to anyone else, and um he didn't, he turned off eventually, but I was just spinning out over there. Was his name Paul? No, yeah, look at coming after me, hey.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Fuck, I got pulled over. Bruh, this time last year, or that would have been the start of last year, I had four points, like all my points, and I hadn't been done for ages. And I was working out in Maury, um, doing a little project out there. Um, and because it's such a trek, and I'd drive home on the Friday, and I mean you're driving along straight roads out there, and you you tend to speed a little bit, yeah, and it was like 110. Um, and then because there was driveways, it dropped to 80 for like 200 metres, and I didn't even fucking realise I was just in your potty, and a car was a cop car was coming the other day, either way, and he's pulled me over. I'm like, fuck me. Double demerits too. And he's like, he was just from the get-go, bro, I was just so rude. Yeah. And I'm like, I'm usually one that'd be like, nah, it's all good, but I'm like, no, fuck this. I'm like, I just want to know, like, you're coming that at that speed, and so am I. How can you get an accurate reading? Yeah. And he goes, Do you think I'm lying? I'm like, no, I'm not saying that. I just want to like want to learn, yeah. Wanna know? And he's like, Well, it sounds like you're being cheeky. I'm like, Yeah, right I mate, and I sort of just laughed it off. And I said, Um, no, Monday, and I said, No, one do you get a bad rap? Like the way you speak to us, but you know what I mean? And like, lucky you I've I'm able to sort of shut your mouth a little bit. Yeah, but no, I'm not getting in the cops, but love you, love your work. Yeah, a bunch of tops, but it's just like Yeah, yeah. Nah, fuck it, fuck it, fuck it.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Um, no, it was yeah, it was mad actually. So Central Coast is such a big spot, eh? You don't realise how fucking big the joint is. Yeah, yeah, and just all spread out and different, like a few different mad little things and stuff. So um, and we we did have the challenge, so was um around talking to three strangers. We'll pick another one a bit later in the episode, but I probably only spoke to one stranger and I gotta yarn about it because it's it's a crack up. So um on the Friday we like on the Saturday night, we went up and we're like we'll go slash this spa and like pull out, like it's like a public one at the at the uh um hotel. Yeah. Went and had a look, and there's like a mad steamy, like a mad steam like spa and like heaps hot, and I was like, that'll be hectic. Yeah, yeah. And then there's like a heated pool. Um we walk in, it's pro we tried to get in firstly, and it was like 8 30, and it wasn't like our card wasn't working. So I was like, maybe they've closed it early, and like there was another couple there trying to get in. I'm like, I'm not getting in this bar with anyone. Like, so I rang old mate from down the bottom who like I'd been kind of just saying hello to every every day, you know. And I said, Right, like the card's not working. He's like, I'll come up. So we scanned it and he let us through, and like we've walked up, and I'm like, Matt, there's gonna be no one here. There wasn't two cut, like there was a couple in this bar, like 40s or whatever, um, drinking out of pump water bottles that clearly had alcohol in it. And then they're like, Oh, you can come get in here if you want, we're friendly. I was like, Hell no. So we went and jumped in like the heated pool. They're actually swingers, yeah. Probably bra. We went and jumped in the heated pool and it was like freezing because like it's such a bigger body of water, and we're kind of just waiting it out, and it would have got to, and it was meant to close at 9 30, like the whole thing. It got to like 9 10. I'm like, surely they understand that we want to get in there, and like surely they leave soon. Like, and we're kind of just waiting it out, and then they eventually get out. And they're like, Oh, I I don't know why you don't want to get in there, like it's heat's better. I'm like, Yeah, we do close. Well we'll suss it out now. Yeah, so they get and that's what I said. I was like, Yeah, right, I'll come have a look. And I'm thinking, like, oh, you better not say, Yeah, we'll get back in. Anyways, they leave, so then we get in there and like we're swimming around and shit, and like Riley, I guess we've been raised differently, like, so she's like panicking, like, oh like keep checking the time. Like, I don't want to be here past 9.30. I'm like, it's fine. Like, they don't expect you to know when the time's up, like they're just gonna come up and say, Hey guys, like it's 9.30. She's like, Oh, what if we get in trouble? I'm like, trouble, like it's fine, relax. Anyway, so we're sitting around doing our thing, and then um she's like, he's here, he's here. I was like, Right, oh Matt. Like he comes up and he's like, Oh, it's it's past 9.30. I was like, Oh, all goods, like I wasn't on my phone. Um, we'll jump out. So we turn it off, we jump out, get our towers around us, whatever. He's like, Look at all these people down there fishing on the bridge. I was like, bruh, I was actually looking at that last night. When I drove past there today, it says like you're not allowed to, and he's like, Yeah, I know, but they just do it. And I'm yarning to him, I'm like, How how long she shifts here? And he's like, Oh, probably about eight hours. I was like, You been up Central Coast Long? He's like, Yeah, for a fair while. I was like, Oh, yeah, true. Do you like it here? And having this full yarn with him about like his work and shit, and Riley's just waiting to leave. Then we walk down into the elevator and he and she goes, Um, were you panicking that we're gonna get in trouble? So you're yarning to him. I was like, No, I've got a challenge on the podcast where I've got to talk to three strangers, so I was trying to knock one out. Sitting there. Yeah, thinking I'm sucking up to him, mate.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

So we don't get in trouble.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Nah, mine was the same. My week has been so weird, but like um, obviously down in Sydney, but then I was meant to go to Dubbo for work, drove out there Wednesday morning, um, and then something happened with work, and I had to actually drive back Wednesday night. I I had the opportunity to stay there, but I'm the type of person, bruh, that if I can be in my own bed, I'd rather just push it out. It was only four hours, it was a bit sketchy. I had to drive a bit slower because it is sketchy on that back road from Dubbo bar. Um but um so I guess I was waiting to go to Dubbo so I can meet new people and get yarned and stuff like that. But when I was in Sydney, and this is a this is a a go at a certain person too, is we're at this bar and the line was massive. I think they only had two bar staff on, and this joint was parked, and you had to order food and drinks at this one little fucking bar, right? And this bloke rocks up and um this young girl's just running frantically, and he's rocked up to order, and he has a notes thing about this fucking long ordering all food, and then he's asking so many questions, oh, what comes with that, this and that, bruh. He was there for like 10 minutes, and I'm looking at everyone behind me, and I'm like, fuck this. Anyway, so the bloke behind me, um, I was like, Where are you from, bruh? And he's like, Oh, from Melbourne, um, because the AFL was on the same night. I didn't realise how big the AFL is, like, even in Sydney, bro. Like when we're driving around, when the swans are playing, yeah, bro, it was packed. But I just got yarned to him and um the the footy was on, a different game was on, and I'm like, Oh, because I everyone was cheering, I'm like, Oh, is Essendon meant to be winning this? He's like, nah, bro, they're going shit or something like that. Um, but I guess we sort of bonded over the fact that our mate's taking fucking 15 minutes to order three drinks and a bit of food. Um, and we're sort of sitting around looking around, he's like, fuck. I said, Don't be this bloke. If you go into the fucking bar and know what you want, yeah, hundreds. Yeah. I'm the type of person that if I see people behind me, I just freak out and just order. I'm like, yeah, I'll just put it in the back. I'm like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Like, I'll go somewhere and I'm like, this is what I want. I'll walk up there, I look at the special, I'm like, pumpkin soup, pumpkin, I don't eat soup. But yeah, yeah, like you get up and just freak out.

SPEAKER_01 13:00

Yeah, I do it all the time, and I'm like sometimes I even have to hype myself up in the light of like, yep, steak, steak, steak, steak, steak, fucking prawn linguini.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Holy God, you don't even like prawns. Pine nut pine nut thai salad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Nah. Fuck them blokes. If you know what you're gonna if you're going up to order. Seriously, but and that's another thing. Yeah. But I walk around here, walk around anywhere. First thing I do is make eye contact with someone say how they're on. Walk into Sydney, bro, everyone is just looking at the ground.

SPEAKER_00 13:27

I remember when I worked down there, I was down there every week, and you'd walk through, and I remember the first sort of time I went down there, I was um I had this like real awkward encounter where I rocked up to the lights at the same time as someone, and we both went and touched the button together. And um you do that here, and you're like, Oh, you can touch it if you want, brother, and we'll have a bit of a laugh. And um, I looked at OMAT and I said something, and he took his airpod out, and he's like, What? I was like, nah, all good. No worry, bro. Um, but I won't say it's all people. Like, I met like one of the one of the best people that I used to work with, she doesn't work at that company now. She actually she used to always say, like, I've always wanted to be a flight attendant, and she just decided to just go through the training, and now she's she's doing that. Um, Angela, she had out because she lives in Sydney, and like we used to I used to go down there and like work with her and then we would have lunch or something after it. True. And um, she would always be like, Oh, like she would always say, like, I will never move out of the city, like I love this life. And I was like, That's so crazy how we're we we get along so well and we have a lot of good um I guess things in common, but we're so different in that. Like, I like it it fatigues me um to have them down there for a bit. Bad draining, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

And he is sick just walking around because there's so much shit going on. I do enjoy that.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

I love the idea of people just down there hustling, but like I don't know, it's just if you if you've got to go down there for work or for an opportunity, I'm exit planning that two years and I'm done. Yeah, no, my fucking stress levels are just at an all-time high.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

There's like fucking cun's beeping there, bang, bang.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Oh bro, like if the lights go green and they honky, it's like I'm sorry I can't process colours as quick as you. Like I thought the gun was red. Yeah, dead set. But and even just like I feel like um me as a person and some of these listening might be the same, like when you're just getting around the town and that, um bumping into people you haven't seen for a bit or that you know and having a yarn, like that's refreshing. Like I went down for a meeting um there just down that end of Maitland, like down that end of Maitland near the sports ground, and I was about to go into this meeting and I ran into like someone that I used to work for with when I was like 18, and she was like my boss, and like we had the deadliest yarn. And I think if you're in those spaces, um I guess this is my little tip, right? So the meeting was scheduled for 11 o'clock, it was like 10 55. Um, and then I realized it was the where I had to go was all the way around the back side of the buildings, but I stayed parking there because I was like, I'll get the steps in, like I'm happy to do that. Yeah, ran into her and it was like 10:58, and I hate being late. I'm talking to her and I'm thinking, oh, I've got to go, but then I'm like, you know what? I don't know when I'm gonna see this person. Yeah, we don't talk that much, but we have a lot of respect for each other. Yeah, I don't care if I'm late, I'll understand, and I just yarned to her for like 10 minutes. That's mad and then cruise. So I think um that's something that I've been working on because I feel like I get stuck in this rat race sometimes where my whole life is revolving around meeting a time. So gotta get into bed before this time, gotta get up at this time, gotta you know, go to the gym at this time, finish the gym and have a shower at this time, get to work at this time. Obviously, the time that it's at work and then get home from work, go to training at this time, like everything kind you can kind of get stuck in always racing the clock.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

So yeah, I'm the same too, and I've been like with that as well, you're sort of you're not present because you're always thinking about the next thing. Yeah, so you sort of like say, I'm here at the potty, I'm like, fuck, what am I doing next? It's like, no, fucking just relax. Yeah, I don't know. You can do it. Um, and I've been struggling with that, obviously being sort of out of whacking routine with not that full-time work schedule. Um, because I used to go to the gym at like 6 a.m. It's like sometimes I'll go a bit later and then I'll be looking at the clock, I'm like, fuck, I need to be finished by this time. It's like brah, relax, yeah, chill. So that's my TV out there is just to be present, what you're doing, whether it's just a conversation where you just sit with yourself in the moment, just take a breath, relax. Yeah, honey. It's all good. If you're late, you're late.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Even like even in the day, even with the days and stuff, like and I and I'm I'll always check myself doing this, but you'd be like, oh Monday, I hate Tuesday. Like and you wish the days away. But then it's Friday. Like, then it's like you're gonna get to a point in your life where you'll you'd prefer to have every day a Monday if it means that you could get that time back. 100%. Um, and there's a quote that I'll we'll read out eventually that kind of nails that on the head. And uh we've been doing like a few of these activations in schools and stuff, and um the guy that runs it, Corey, he was like saying to the kids compared to me and and the adults in this room, you are the richest people here, and they're like, No, I'm not like five bucks in my bank, it's like but you have more time if you use it wisely. Yeah, like it was mad.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

So have you seen that movie with Justin Timberlake in it? Uh um with time? No. Right. If anyone out there's what seen it or have haven't seen it, fucking watch it. It's about um money's not a thing, but time is.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

So you Ah bro, I've seen shorts of it, and it's like um they'll go like they'll go gambling and that, and then you've got to pay time and then like obviously the I'm gonna watch it. I'm gonna try and watch it before next week. Bro, it's it's so I was saying to Riley the other day, like, I really want to start watching. In time, I think. Um yeah, because I'm I I don't watch movies, bra, and I don't watch TV shows. Like I'll watch the footy, I'll watch every game of footy every weekend, and I won't really do much outside of that. So like n not necessarily that it's a good thing to always be watching stuff, but I want to just kind of watch more things and kind of have that release or that break. Like um, we watched a documentary the other day on Netflix called The Crash. Yeah, that's what I was talking about. You've seen it wild hectic A. Oh, that's what you told me to watch. Yeah, yeah. I didn't realise that until now that you told me to watch it. But it was like because we always go on Netflix and spend like 20 minutes finding something and then we run out of time. Yeah, it's the first thing it's the first thing that came up, and I was like, Oh, I seen something on um TikTok about this, and she's like, Yeah, so did I. I was like, You want to watch it? Yeah, bang, bro.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

You didn't say, Oh Jib told me to watch it, nah, I forgot, yeah. Nah, it that's it's so wild. Um that yeah, that I wasn't expecting I wasn't about it off off potty, but no, it was good, but um, yeah, nah, I think be present. Uh it's something that I struggle with, and it's I think it's sort of my anxiety builds up, and I'm like, fuck, I've got to do this, I've got to be there. Just relax. Yeah, people wait with you, wait for you.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Yeah, just run your own.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Even though I've got to be 20 minutes early to everything, but just relax.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Um I'm one of them guys that'll get there and I'm like, Am I too early? And I'll wait in the car for five or something, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Work it, walk in right at the same time. Even like Zoom meetings and shit. I I sit there in the fucking thing. Wait for someone else to jump in.

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Sometimes I'll jump in and jump back out because I'm like, that's a bit red order there.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

Yeah. Sometimes I do that. Jump in, no one's hear jump out. Yeah, yeah. Just kick back. Uh what's on for the weekend?

SPEAKER_01 20:06

Uh this weekend, well working tomorrow, um, all day tomorrow. And then probably hopefully have um be doing stuff with my nephews tomorrow night. Yeah. If not, I was gonna suss out that thing. We'll probably speak about that too. And then Sunday we got Step and Connect in the morning. Um, then I think I'm going for lunch with family. I haven't seen mum and dad for a bit, eh? Which is weird. Like, I usually see him, but I've just been sort of here there and everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

So I I can resonate with that. Like I um I don't really get to Dungog that much, so one of the um one of the girls from Pickers, she coaches a league tag side, Lacey, and she asked me if I could blue shirt for her, and I originally was like, Yeah, mad, like where's it at? She's like, it's at Dungog against Dungog. Well, Ace Maitland? Yeah. Yeah. Um public enemy number one tomorrow. Yeah, so that that'll be mad, but I said yes because I was like, I'll go down there and it'll be a good reason to visit visit um my mum and um I got a FaceTime from my nephew the other night, and I guess because I used to live with him, like like they they used to live, we used to live together um at mum's there, and then you'd kind of see him every day, and then now I don't see him as often. Yeah. Um and he facetimed me, he's only like four, I think, turn to four next year. But um, he facetimed me and we were talking and we were at a team bond at night for footy, and I was kind of talking to him, and I said to my sister, I was like, Oh, I'm out of footy, like I gotta go, I'll call you later, and he was like, No, no, like and I ended up hanging up and I it just broke my heart a bit. We we talk about time and stuff, like this kid's gonna be six or you know, seven or eight soon, and he's not gonna have this kind of loving nature in a way. He will, but do you know what I mean? Like he's not gonna be this clingy. Yeah, um so that's probably something that I wanna focus on the back end of this year. Like, we're six months into the year already, bro. Like and that's Something that I want to focus on is probably just trying to spend a little bit more time with them, even if it's just picking them up and taking them to do something, you know. Yeah, I think what I'm getting out of this is time is everything. Time, time's the positive, time is positive and negative. Yeah, time is the theme, boy. Um, so I'll go out there tonight, and then yeah, tomorrow tomorrow night we've got um this event, which like I've been sort of supporting a little bit. Like I'm on the committee for the um It Takes a Community, and what what it like the purpose of it is is to bring all the services in the Dungog area together um to try and provide for their community because what happens is um you get services from the Maitland region that that tie Dungog in to their funding better, obviously more funds and stuff, um more likely to win tenders when you have a an area like that, um, and then they they deliver for a little bit and realize like it's not really viable for them, and then they they cut their delivery. And look, um that's no disrespect to to those services. I understand how hard it is to travel out there and stuff, but then you've got like not much support out there, so um, like there's no PCYC, there's no like no Aboriginal focused business or service in that space. Um, there's like yeah, so that there's no community hub as a sense, there's a community centre, but there's no youth centre, there's like anything like that. So we want to create, we want to raise funds. Um we're gonna raise money for a bus that can just be kept probably at the police station or in the community. Anyone can borrow the bus to like take people to events in Newie, Maitland, whatever it might be. Um it won't be used for like bucks parties or anything like that, it's strictly for community events. Engagement, yep. Um, and then also we're raising money for young people that we can identify as disadvantaged and we can pay regros so they can play sport, essentially. Um because like that area has had a lot of bad mental health. Um and I think I think they're actually the highest represented suicides in the last ten years. Really? Um like per capita. Per capita, yeah. So um I think there's been I I know of five um since like 2015. So um yeah, I think it'll be good. Um there's uh Professor Norrell Eta, who um I've kind of tried my hardest to not research because I want to hear a story a little bit in in real time, and then Keith Lonzo's doing a bit, um Lindsay and and Vic are gonna come out and have a bit of a yarn about you, Matter and um just the connection between like um sport and good mental health. Yeah, and then um they'll they've donated a pack and stuff, which is mad. There's mad raffle like prizes and stuff, heaps of good auction prizes. So if you uh $40 tickets, $40 tickets, yeah. You shared it to your story, didn't you? Yeah, you get an entree as well. You get an entree in like a Chinese small sport. Succulate Chinese meal.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

Hey, cold. Holy flah. That sounds mad. It's and it's crazy because Dungog's only what 40 40 minutes from Maitland. Yeah. And I sit here and born and bred in Maitland and complain about not that there's many services here, but like you go a bit further to say Singleton and stuff, which is way bigger than Dungog. Um, you sort of forget about these little to towns and stuff like that that has been affected so heavily. Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

And I'll just like I'll just say um I'm just gonna name drop a few a few things because like the reason what kind of motivated this was because there's clearly some kind of talent from that area, or there is clearly some kind of like when young people out there are resilient and their parents work really hard to get them into sport, um, like it's not like they're it's kind of like a dead area. Like, if you have a look at some of the people that have come through there and what they're doing today, um, like we've had Spencer Turrens from Dungog, so he won a gold medal in the Olympics for rowing, I think 2014 maybe. True. Um used to row Dungog River. Um but he went to school at All Saints here. So he um and he donated some rowing gear as well as a raffle a raffle prize. You got Talas Duncan um plays for Rabbits, who my favourite footy player like he went to school out there for a bit, and then um he also played for for the Warriors like Dunglock Juniors, and then you've got Tommy Hudson, um who was a couple years younger than me, but he's like on the PBR stage in the bull riding, sure. Um and he just like represented New South Wales in that state of origin series they did. Yeah, um, and then you've got like Ben Osmond who was in my year at school, um and he's like like he's a good top apprentice jockey coming through, so he's riding in group runs and stuff around Australia, which is mad to see and like winning a few races lately. Um and like there's gonna be a lot more that I've sort of missed as well. Um there was a girl at the Dungog High School who um just got um asked to come and compete and qualify for the COM games. She's 17 um for swimming, like madness, like wild. So you think about those people that I've just mentioned, and how do you go from Dungog, where there's not a Woolies or a Coles or anything, to ANZ Stadium, the world stage, to the best bull bull riding stages in the world or in Australia to like Ramwick racetrack to like the massive state swimming carnivals, and like it's hectic, bro. Like I I can guarantee these these people would just be spinning out because like it's nothing. We talk about the Sydney connection and how weird it is down there compared to what we're used to. In Dungog, you know everyone. If you don't stop and talk to someone down the street, they'll put you on blast, right? Yeah, so um it's actually mad. Like I'm I'm excited to see what the night night is, and I know that um there's a lot of good locals in that area that have done a lot of hard work, um, and we're looking at trying to create something similar in the Sesnock region too.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

So and I I think what's massive there, bro, is like you're mentioning those names, and um most of them are currently doing that, or it's been in the last 10 years, right? Um and you give them or or you get that community engagement and and you sort of bring community together, which can show these young people that are coming through that might think, fuck, I'm never gonna make that, I'm from Dungog. I don't I can't do it. But it's like, yeah, you can. Yeah, that's true. You know what I mean? So it creates that platform to be like, fuck bruh. If they can do it, I can do it. Yeah. Um, but yeah, at the end of the day, community empowers community, and and if community come together um for the right reason, it's so powerful. Um, but no, that's mad. No, it's good. I'm kidding. Hectic, hectic, hectic. Get into some quotes. Yeah, we'll get into some quotes. We'll get into some quotes. They're on my phone. Yeah, I'll go I'll go mine first. Mine's a bit. I'll just go the old threads. Yeah, you've got about a hundred there. Um, my quote is one day you'll tell the story of how you overcame what you're going through, and it will become part of someone else's survival guide. Wait, go again. Yeah, you've got to listen to me, boy. One day you will tell the story of how you overcame what you're currently going through, and it will become part of someone else's survival guide. Um I was gonna chat I I had survival guide, but which is a bit of a I don't know, it was a weird sort of one. Um But I guess for me is like things that you go through or you're currently going through, you've been through before. People experience similar stuff in in different sort of um in different ways, but the way that you come out of it, you can either um take it on board and and sort of um deliver it to people and how you how you overcame that, or you can sort of take that other way. And that's what we're talking about is that two different um sort of pathways you can go. You can sort of sit with it and let that over over sort of take you, or you can use those the strengths and the and the I guess the integrity that you've built from those struggles um to sort of deliver that to other people. And um, I guess that's what I try and do with some of the things that I've been through is like fuck bro, I went through that, or and this is how um what worked for me, but you can either sit with it, and and it's the importance of of telling stories and connecting, sharing your story, bro.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

You share your story, create your story, then share it. Create your story, share the story. Alright, mine is um the person that you spend the most time with is yourself, the person that you talk to the most is yourself, the person that knows every situation you've been through, thought through, felt through is yourself. Put yourself first. It's vital we do the work mentally so our self-talk isn't damaging and our initial thought response is positive. Love it. That's him. That's him right there. Yeah, I think that I think for me, like um the way you the way you respond to stuff without thinking is important. If someone says something to you and you're like, oh like it's very hard to then turn that around into a positive. So um when yeah, and at the end of the day, like I know a lot of people that go to the gym and and they work hard and they eat clean and they go for a run, but their mental health isn't isn't it like in check. So do the work that you gotta do, um, whatever that looks like for you. And I think like understanding that self-talk because it's it's the biggest thing that is hurting young people at the moment. Um, and I know like even just it it's not a bad thing. Like, I'm not sitting there saying that people walk around going like I hate myself, um, but just second guessing themselves or um and these are people that are in good roles and these are people that are like um doing mad, yeah, but then they have this kind of imposter syndrome where they second guess themselves where they think like, Am I good enough? Yeah, right, like we we we gotta be confident and and just and I do it, I'm bad for it.

SPEAKER_01 31:57

But I'm so bad for it. So I think yeah, yeah, that imposter syndrome. And I think another thing is like um what I I struggle, but I work on now is like um like speaking positively about yourself in front of others too. It's like nah I wouldn't be able to do that. Fuck me, I'll fuck that up. Yeah, you know what I mean? I do it all the time. It's like or someone gives me a compliment and I'm the I'm the worst at taking compliments. But I was just gonna sit there like that. I was at the gym and seen a fellow I haven't seen in ages, and he's like, it would have been like four or five, probably three years. And he's like, You're looking good. Like I've seen all the stuff you're doing on um on Instagram and stuff like that. And I'm like, and I just clicked and I'm like, oh bruh, you look you look mad. Yeah, true. Um but with that, oh no, I'll touch on something after we do these quotes.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

We haven't even yarned about the the quote of the week yet. So um No, we haven't. I'm just gonna pick one that I'm gonna read out. Go on, Brick. You're him nice and simple, like this one. If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. Um we had something similar, I think, first episode. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

And that's one of my best mates, actually. I can tell you yarn about that. That's Nick Phil. Um, that's his business account, actually, Full Scape Coastal. Um you know those mates, like I sort of been through there thick and thin, but he's one of the mates that will tell he'll tell you how it is, like and you don't want to hear it. Like if I'm fucking up or something, he's just like he'll tell you, and we do the same thing to each other. Yeah. Um at the time, we sort of don't hate each other for it, but it's like fuck you. But we know we're right, and we sort of challenge ourselves in that way. But I lived with him all last year, and that's what we'd always say to each other. Yeah, it's funny that you picked that one out first up, but um yeah, nah. Mad Um, do you want to read one? Yeah, I got it. Right here. I got one um that's simple, um, but I I really thought it was really powerful. Um and it's it's okay to be okay. Um and I sort of had a yarn, I don't want to go into too much detail, um but speaking to um Nicole, um, she went through a few things and um people sort of ask her how she's okay, if she's okay or how she is. Um, and when she says okay, she sort of feels um like she shouldn't be feeling okay. And when she says she's feeling okay, people are like sort of thrown back from that, and she's almost feels guilty that she feels okay. Um which is tough. And sort of just reading that, I broke it down. It's like you always say it's okay to to not be okay, right? But it's like um when you're going through something, um, and you obviously because it's such a roller coaster and you you have those up and down emotions, it's okay to to have be having a good day and sort of sit with that um yeah, mad without feeling guilty about it, you know what I mean? Um embrace those good times because like I said, it's such a roller coaster and they're up and down. Um sit with that.

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Yeah, that's good. I'm gonna read one out from Samo um just because we did ask if you could also drop a little bit in there around um like what what what it means to you. So Smo said, if you feel like you're going through hell, keep going. Um he said, This quote to me relates to all the dark times I've been through. Something great has always followed, and I would have never experienced the shining light at the end of each tunnel if I'd given up and chase and not chase or kept moving forward. Yeah. Madness. I love it. Speaks for itself.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Speaks for itself. Keep pushing through. There's light at the end of the tunnel, and there's so many different learnings from sort of sitting in that dark place and um you learn so much not not just about yourself, but um how far you can push forward. Keep moving, boy.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

You got another one?

unknown 35:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:57

Have we done Quote of the Week yet? No.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

No, are we on the same page, Mark?

SPEAKER_01 36:01

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_00 36:02

Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to read that one? Um Yeah. Do you want to read this one? I like I want to talk about this one.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

And you can read the other one.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

Yeah. Um, shout out to Jess. Jess has sent one in every single one.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

I know, that's why I want to I want to give her a flowers, because um, they're always different sort of quotes too. She's not just the same, same ones.

SPEAKER_01 36:24

So shout out to Jess, she's probably our biggest supporter, and I love all the work that you do. And um, you're a legend. I don't know how you put up with Samo, to be honest. Um Jess's quote is sometimes you don't realize your own strength until you're face to face with your with your weakness.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

I want to double down and say, like, do the work to understand your weakness, is what I say as well, because a lot of people are like, oh, I don't know what it is, but like identify something you're avoiding, identify something that makes you feel a bit like ooh, or makes you feel uncomfortable as your weakness, and then go face to face with it. Um the more the more that you go face to face with your weakness, yeah, um, that's how you build the strength of that. And whatever you use to get through your weakness, that's your strength. And I think that's what that's the best way I I sort of sum up the quote a little bit. Um, and I feel like whilst I say that, and I say that because like um I've I've heard a lot of people sort of not like struggle with oh, what would my weakness be? Or an area I want to improve is something that it's it's always kind of um written and people struggle with that. But then the other flip side of that is if you ask anyone, you know, what's something you're bad at, they could tell you 20 things. What's something you're good at? Ooh, not sure.

SPEAKER_01 37:45

It's like you're in a um like when you're in a job interview.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

It's like tell me something good about myself.

SPEAKER_00 37:51

Yeah, that's right. Mad. I'll make mad chicken curry, that's about it. I'll make mad Johnny cakes. Oh boy, you couldn't put that down. Alright, quote of the week. I love this. There are graveyards full of people who thought they had more time. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's not working. The button's broken.

SPEAKER_01 38:18

Anyways, that's mad. I like that. We have to get our tech going to that.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Yeah, what's going on here? Nah, you didn't rock out this morning. Oh, slept in. Nah, I love that. I mean, I was saying um before. That's crazy what time like time has just come up so much. It's the most time is like the most valuable thing. 100% um because you'll never get it back. So um, and you know, not to say that you should ever regret things that you do or experiences that you have, because it will always build you up, but I think that um, you know, like it and I think even through even through loss, like you talked about before being present, like I remember when my nan passed away, I was like I should have been up there every weekend for the last five years. Yeah. Um but then I I flip that now and and I don't see my grandparents and I have now enough, and I'm like, I know it's gonna come to a point where you're gonna you're gonna regret this. So we're we're all busy lives, but um that that time is and bruh, like do you know those videos that are going around that's like um that's like 90s kids talking about what life is like today and they they they've been made or I remember there's a video of like a grandma doing it, she's saying a few things, and then she's like, I just hope they come to visit when they have their adult lives, and that nearly made me cry. Start crying, eh? Um so yeah, I think I think that's that's crazy because when when people are coming towards the end, bra, like I said before, they would they would choose to have the rest of their life as Mondays if it meant they were alive, or they would choose to have um you know a lot of hard they'll probably choose a lot of hardships that we complain about if it meant that they were still here. So um and and I'll also add to that in like don't underestimate your time as well. If someone asks you to come do something, think about the time it'll take. Like I know for me, like I'll always say yes, like particularly around like footy and things. Um, and that's more so just because like I understand the support that I can provide people in that space, but I guess in certain little things, like I've been asked to come on committees and to do things, and I've been saying like I can't, like um to do different roles and stuff because like don't don't ever under underestimate your time, and I mean that in probably more so a volunteer space as well, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Like protect your time. Um I think I get caught up in like you said, saying yes all the time or putting my effort into something that probably wouldn't put the same time back into me. Yeah, um, but I I sort of as I've got older, I've been able to like have that self-awareness of like, nah, well I can't be doing that if I want to sort of go into this avenue. Yeah, so protect your time at all costs. But Shadow India um sort of speaking to you last night there, and we've moved the camera, so hopefully you can see me without half my head being in it. Yeah. Alright, we'll get on to this challenge. Yeah, go on then. I can't even remember half the challenges that are in there, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 41:19

You don't need to remember them.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

That's it. You just need to fucking do them, boy.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Yeah, sitting there. I don't I'm gonna try and I'm gonna try and actually give this one a bit of a crack because it's struggled. This week was yeah, the last couple of weeks. But I think you know, we could sit here and say, Yeah, we did it, it was mad, but like we want to have that accountability a little bit as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:37

No, I was gonna sit here and say, Yeah, but I was speaking to this bloke and he's gonna come on the party. Alright, here we go. Number, number, number. It is number 20. Number 20, 20, 2020. Shut your lips.

SPEAKER_00 41:56

Read 30 pages of a book, no audiobooks. Yeah. Skill and focus. I like that. Facebook. Scrolling. Matt, that's good. I'm happy with that.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

You got a book?

SPEAKER_00 42:10

I'll get one.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

I've got a book that you can read. Alright. You give me the book, I'll read it.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

I've got a book that you I've actually I've read a couple of books recently, like lately. I did um I've done 75 Heart a few times. Yeah. Um I read a I read I'll give I'll give your book, you give me a book. Yeah, I like that. Yeah. I've got this one. What is it? What is it? Um it's on Newcastle. Yeah, right. So it's called Newcastle. Yeah. And right, it'll spin you out. So you gotta so I've got to come back and tell you tell you ten facts about Newcastle. No, but it's not just like, oh yeah. Newcastle Jets. It's like it talks about um the the city in the originals. Yeah. Like um the coal mining and what it's done, and um the earthquake and the impacts and how the city's evolved and changed, and yeah, it's um it's good actually. It's it's white. Yeah, it's good. We can start doing book swaps.

SPEAKER_01 42:58

Yeah. No, I've got one too. I've got one. I can't even remember what it's like.

SPEAKER_00 43:01

Wednesday night at the Imperial will be book club.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

Wednesday night will be State of Origin, and I'll be fucking watching it.

SPEAKER_00 43:09

Yeah, what's what's what's your book?

SPEAKER_01 43:12

Um, my book that I've got is um oh.

SPEAKER_00 43:18

What's the one you're giving to me?

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Yeah, I always get it mixed up.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Tommy Cabotts? Yeah, Tommy Cabotts. You're mad.

SPEAKER_01 43:22

Have you read it? No, I'm keen back. Yeah, Tommy Cabberts, but one of my favourite books. Um, I've read a couple of her books, and they're they're so sick. Um, and there's so many different things that you can you put you're doing that you don't even realise how important they are to what you're actually achieving. It's fucking unreal. Mad. Alright. I've got something else just to quickly add on, actually. Um, and this is me, something that I've been struggling with, and I just wanted to come out and be honest with it. Um, is sort of I guess when people see me that haven't seen me for a while, um obviously. They compare me to the person that I used to be. And people are like, oh, you're going so well now. It's always so positive. And it's like, fuck, I'm sometimes I am still sh I still struggle a little bit. Yeah. And I think it's so hard. And it sort of goes back onto what we were saying before is like people are always so like, oh, you're doing so well. You must be feeling so good. You're smashing it, this and that. And it's like, I just wanted to be straight up and say, just because some people post stuff on Instagram or they're doing this and doing that, doesn't mean they still have the same like same struggle. So if you're out there and you're thinking, fuck Jib's killing it, like he must just be, it's it's like, nah, bro, I still I still struggle. Yeah. I still struggle day to day. Um, but um I guess I I'm able to put things into place to make me not struggle. But I've had like this week's been a tough carry for me. It's probably been the last two weeks, actually. Um but I just wanted to put that out there is like you see people put posting stuff on Instagram or I think it's a good reminder that like it's just everyone's highlight reel of their life.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

100%. So no one's posting anything on their red odd or bad. And I'm thinking about something I'm thinking about doing is like putting like a pretty like raw video up around that and being like one one of the um like one of these girls that she comes to work experience with us and then um we've sort of supported her family a little bit. She's mad, but she used to um she'd post a like a um you know how they post oh what is it like a carousel or whatever, like six photos or whatever. Um yeah, she'd post that and the last photo was always like her looking rough, like silly short, or like no makeup, and that was actually wholesome.

SPEAKER_01 45:40

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 45:40

I was mad.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

No, but I just want to put that out there. So if you're seeing and I'm really bad for it comparing myself, and I had to actually get off socials for um about a day, I lasted a day, but um just for that refreshing because I'm always comparing myself to other people, and I feel like that's what a lot of people probably listening do as well. Um but I guess what the key takeout of there is like you don't realise what people go through and they might look all positive and stuff like that, but they still have struggles, so that's that's me. That's me. I just wanted to share that.

SPEAKER_00 46:10

And I'll I'll double down with like if you're looking at stories of people um and you're thinking like you're doing so well, that obviously means like they're doing something that has inspired you. Yeah, message them. Yeah, I don't care if you just message them and say, Hey, buddy, this was a mad post. 100% or even just say like hope hope like hope everything's alright, or even if you say like I want some advice around this, even if they're like um people you think that they won't reply, hey, the worst that's gonna happen is they don't reply.

SPEAKER_01 46:43

I'm bad for messaging being a people like yeah, I do it all the time.

SPEAKER_00 46:46

Like and I like even if they're they've got like a profile and I'll message them, yeah, and then they won't reply, but who cares? They wouldn't see it if they do reply and they give you advice, mad. Like, and I think that's the biggest thing is like um like shoot your shot in that sense. Like the worst that's gonna happen is they're not gonna reply. They're not gonna go around telling everyone, oh David sent me a message, how shame like no one cares about it.

SPEAKER_01 47:09

You see what David said to me? Yeah, fuck that, David. Not us. I think that's us, eh? We sort of said um we did used to have a bit of a timeline in the potty, but we're like, no, fuck this. We just like the flow, we like the flow state of everything.

SPEAKER_00 47:22

And I think I think it was getting too structured.

SPEAKER_01 47:24

Yeah, fuck that stories. Nah, and another thing is bro, this whole week I'm like, fuck, that's a mad yarn.

SPEAKER_00 47:30

Like we might even we might even drop the quotes for a bit soon and do something else. I reckon, yeah. I reckon. Mad. Um hope you have a good weekend and stay safe out there. That's hard. Look after each other and see you in the next one. Let's so.