In this episode of The Man Up Club Presents Podcast, host Celena Lena, along with guests Chrome and Lael, explores various facets of the holiday season. They delve into personal traditions, the importance of forgiveness, and share their goals for the upcoming year. The discussion also touches on the spiritual implications of holidays, the pressures they bring, and how to maintain a positive mindset amidst the chaos. Tune in for an enriching conversation filled with insights and encouragement for those finding this season challenging.
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[00:00:30] Welcome to the Man Up Club Presents Podcast. I'm your host, Selina Lina, aka Sis from Sis and Lo Bro. But on the business side, I am also the Youth and Program Director of the Man Up Club. Now, if you guys don't know about it, the Man Up Club is a nonprofit organization for young black males between the ages of 13 and 24. We teach them about life skills, social skills, academic discipline, and civic responsibility. We're based in Twin Cities. And if you guys want to support the efforts of getting these guys to graduate college, go onto a trade, stay out the prison pipeline.
[00:01:08] Yeah, if you guys want to support that cause, then go ahead and go to www.themanupclub.org. Okay, let's get into today's podcast episode. I have some wonderful guests with me, and we're going to have our wonderful videographer, Mr. Jake, chime in on this conversation, okay? But I have Chrome. He's been on the podcast a few times. Chrome, say what's up?
[00:01:28] What's going on? What's going on?
[00:01:29] He's 23 years old, and he is a Man Up Club member. He's an artist, and he's a mover and a shaker in the city, you feel me? Great personality. And then we have Lael Ware. Not Kevin Ware, okay? But Lael Ware. You say what's up, man?
[00:01:43] Hello.
[00:01:44] Yes, he is 25 years old. Tell the people a little bit about yourself.
[00:01:47] What aspects about myself?
[00:01:49] I mean, anything. Just a random fact, like whatever you want to let the people know, honestly.
[00:01:53] Uh, yeah. Name's Lael Ware, and I am black.
[00:01:56] Okay.
[00:01:58] I love it!
[00:01:59] I'm Jake, and I'm really white, you know?
[00:02:01] Really white, Jake.
[00:02:02] I am Selena, and I am black and Filipina.
[00:02:06] And Chrome, what about you?
[00:02:08] Just me.
[00:02:09] I know you.
[00:02:10] Say what? Say what you want me to say.
[00:02:11] He's black, and he's light-skinned.
[00:02:14] Okay, so...
[00:02:15] The lightest of skin.
[00:02:15] This is, that's giving y'all a little tidbit of what we're about to talk about today.
[00:02:18] We're going to talk about just our different perspectives, how we come from different cultures,
[00:02:23] and, you know, just how we approach the holiday season, really.
[00:02:26] So, let's kind of dive into this.
[00:02:29] Obviously, we're coming into the new year.
[00:02:31] Me, particularly, I love this season, not only because you have time to spend with your
[00:02:37] loved ones and work is lenient on letting you go home.
[00:02:39] Um, but for me, like, when I think about the new year, I'm thinking about mindset changes
[00:02:45] and everything that has to do with self-improvement because of the new year coming up.
[00:02:51] I know it's kind of cliche.
[00:02:51] I don't like to be like, oh, new year, new me, but I just do have this new feeling that
[00:02:57] comes around, you know, November, December that I always get every year, and it really
[00:03:02] feels like a rebirth for me.
[00:03:03] Um, yeah, how do you guys feel about the new year, and where are you guys at right now
[00:03:08] in this space?
[00:03:09] You want to take it off?
[00:03:10] Oh, sure.
[00:03:11] Yeah, I can do it.
[00:03:12] Um, for me, it's basically, I'm more happy about this upcoming new year than a lot of
[00:03:20] other years just because, like, it's just a continuation of what I've been doing this
[00:03:25] year.
[00:03:25] So, a lot of working with MNYC, working at the American Swedish Institute, uh, recently
[00:03:33] about to apply for honors at the UMN.
[00:03:36] So, it's just a continuation of those works.
[00:03:39] That's what's up.
[00:03:40] That's what's up.
[00:03:41] Um, what are your goal?
[00:03:42] What is your goal with working with these different local organizations?
[00:03:46] Uh, basically just to make it better.
[00:03:49] As nebulous as that sounds like, uh, throughout my life, it's been nothing but hearing how
[00:03:56] lame Minnesota is.
[00:03:58] So, I just want to change that as much as possible.
[00:04:00] That's super dope.
[00:04:01] And that's the thing, too.
[00:04:02] I mean, with being a videographer, Minnesota is about to be on the map.
[00:04:07] Like, there's so much talent.
[00:04:08] There's so many underground artists.
[00:04:09] And the hard part is most people don't actually release their music.
[00:04:13] But...
[00:04:13] You said most people don't release their music.
[00:04:15] They don't release their music.
[00:04:17] I mean, they have listeners, right?
[00:04:18] And now, personally, I don't like country music.
[00:04:21] And that's just a personal preference.
[00:04:22] But people love country music.
[00:04:23] So, the biggest thing to encourage all artists is that even if you don't like it, a lot of
[00:04:27] artists like to make their name for themselves.
[00:04:29] They might like to release things very specifically.
[00:04:31] But at the end of the day, it's about the growth.
[00:04:34] And you're going to look back on, like, a year from now, and you're going to be like,
[00:04:37] oh, that was trash.
[00:04:38] But look at how much I've grown.
[00:04:40] Yeah.
[00:04:40] One thing that I'm...
[00:04:41] When I say that I'm all about self-improvement around this time, like, as an artist, I am
[00:04:47] filling a new era.
[00:04:48] I'm filling a new era of myself.
[00:04:50] Like, I'm currently working on a solo album right now.
[00:04:54] And I'm really looking forward to 2025.
[00:04:57] And it's just optimism for me.
[00:04:59] Even though I don't know what the future holds, you know, because anything could happen.
[00:05:03] People could die.
[00:05:04] You know what I'm saying?
[00:05:05] I've had my loved one pass away before.
[00:05:07] And that stuff happens unexpected.
[00:05:12] But even though we don't know what lies ahead, I am optimistic about what I can control.
[00:05:18] So, I'm just in a good space right now.
[00:05:21] I'm feeling really, really good.
[00:05:23] What about you, Chrome?
[00:05:24] How do you feel about this time of year?
[00:05:26] This time of year?
[00:05:27] I'm feeling really good about this time of year.
[00:05:29] You know, just taking care of the things I need to take care of and creating a name and
[00:05:33] putting my name out there finally after years of planning and creating a story for the people
[00:05:39] to consume.
[00:05:41] It's just...
[00:05:42] It's a good time to be alive right now.
[00:05:43] What about personally?
[00:05:45] Like, where are you at?
[00:05:46] Personally, I feel like I'm at the top.
[00:05:48] I feel like I already made it.
[00:05:51] But to a lot of people, you know, how I feel is not how it's projected to some people.
[00:05:55] You know what I'm saying?
[00:05:55] If you see me, you might think another different way.
[00:05:58] But in my head, I'm living in fantasy world.
[00:06:00] I'm at the top.
[00:06:01] Yes, it's all about mindset.
[00:06:03] And Jake, where are you?
[00:06:05] How are you feeling about this time of the year and just approaching 2025?
[00:06:10] Yeah, I mean, this time of the year is probably one of my favorites.
[00:06:13] I mean, my favorite season is fall just because of all the memories that I've had.
[00:06:15] But like you said before, family, like being around that whole setting and just being able
[00:06:20] to connect with people on a deeper level that normally, you know, we all move on when
[00:06:24] we grow older.
[00:06:25] And, you know, obviously everybody has a New Year's resolution, right?
[00:06:29] And this season is kind of where I kind of put my ducks in row, kind of put them in order
[00:06:33] because, yeah, you can do it at any time of the year.
[00:06:35] But I see this as like the big progression.
[00:06:38] Like it's a big milestone, you know?
[00:06:40] Yeah.
[00:06:42] Do you guys think that privilege plays a part in setting goals and having like a growth
[00:06:53] mindset?
[00:06:54] What you mean by privilege?
[00:06:59] Okay, I'm privileged in certain ways.
[00:07:02] Like I've never had to worry about food running out.
[00:07:07] Like I've always been fed.
[00:07:08] I never went hungry my whole life.
[00:07:10] I've always had a place to stay because, you know, I've lived with my parents.
[00:07:15] I've always I never had to worry about getting to and from a place.
[00:07:20] Like even though I don't have a car right now, like I know I'm a get around because of the
[00:07:25] support that my parents and my family provides.
[00:07:27] Like I'm not the first to go to college.
[00:07:31] So I'm not thinking about how to eat, you know, the basics on how to survive.
[00:07:37] Like it's easier for me to focus my time and attention on goals and leveling up myself because
[00:07:45] I'm not worried about what I got to eat.
[00:07:49] You know, I'm saying so that's me.
[00:07:53] Yeah.
[00:07:54] What about you, Leo?
[00:07:55] Like what do you think about privilege and goals and where are you at with that?
[00:08:00] Yeah.
[00:08:00] I would say if we're talking about income, like of course, yeah, that always is like
[00:08:04] a leg up on things when like you look at like some of the more successful bands and
[00:08:09] stuff like that.
[00:08:10] They had like that ease of like not having to worry about where like their next meal was
[00:08:15] coming from, like the Katy Perry's Maroon 5s.
[00:08:18] And who was that other guy?
[00:08:21] Like Joy Division, like them two.
[00:08:24] Like they always had like that safety net of like, okay, I can just focus purely on my
[00:08:31] art and like.
[00:08:33] Yeah.
[00:08:34] So no, I feel that.
[00:08:36] What about you, Chrome?
[00:08:41] I don't know.
[00:08:42] I mean, I didn't have to do a lot of things that my family members had to do or anybody
[00:08:45] else that I know.
[00:08:46] I started off in a good place.
[00:08:48] My mom moved us out, moved herself out of the hood and placed us in a suburb.
[00:08:53] And that's where I, that's where I came about.
[00:08:54] You know, I don't know anything else, but you know, she also placed us in a church that's
[00:08:59] in the ghetto and I get to see and feel a lot of things that, you know what I'm saying?
[00:09:05] People go through.
[00:09:06] I never had to have a starving meal, but I mean, my mom did, she didn't have it all
[00:09:10] the time.
[00:09:10] Like we're in a nice position, a nice place, but she didn't have it all the time.
[00:09:15] You know what I'm saying?
[00:09:15] How people assume.
[00:09:17] She struggled as well.
[00:09:18] You know what I'm saying?
[00:09:19] Yeah.
[00:09:20] Everybody has their own struggles.
[00:09:22] I have my own struggles.
[00:09:23] It's not the same.
[00:09:24] It might not be, it might not be the same to your ears, but the feeling for real, it for
[00:09:30] sure is.
[00:09:31] The feeling is, the feeling is the same.
[00:09:34] When it comes to holidays and stuff, like you said, you know, you, you've experienced
[00:09:38] some struggle before, obviously the, obviously the holiday time is, you know, for me, like
[00:09:45] I'm always expecting Thanksgiving to be a table full of food and some until next week.
[00:09:52] And when it comes to like Christmas time, Christmas time, I mean, I do expect like my, growing
[00:10:00] up with my family, like I've always expected some sort of gifts, but I do remember like
[00:10:06] there were some Christmases where you would get less gifts than another Christmas, you
[00:10:10] know?
[00:10:10] You guys understand like, well, I've thought about this recently a lot too, is like holidays
[00:10:15] are the hardest times for people because like you lose people around the hall and then you
[00:10:19] miss them when you have the family together and they're not there.
[00:10:23] That's, that's another thing that I've really tried to not take for granted is like, you
[00:10:26] know, my, my parents are, I'm 23 years old and they're on the older side for, you know,
[00:10:31] a kid like, like me.
[00:10:32] But I always, I try not to take that for granted because they're not always going to be there.
[00:10:36] And that's just like, I'm so blessed and I'm so graciously grateful that God has provided
[00:10:42] me with the family that I have and the longevity of that relationship.
[00:10:46] But a lot of people don't have that.
[00:10:47] And that, you know, it really is sad.
[00:10:49] And that's something that a lot of people don't really realize because, oh yeah, Merry
[00:10:53] Christmas or like, yeah, but it's not always like the happy holidays.
[00:10:58] Yeah.
[00:10:58] It's not always merry.
[00:10:59] I mean, okay.
[00:11:00] So speaking on that, when it comes to mental health during the holidays, what's
[00:11:06] I will say, you know what?
[00:11:08] Like this holiday season, it, I have a kind of like a, um, a heavy heart, but at the same
[00:11:17] time, I'm grateful, but there is like a kind of a pain that I'm always carrying.
[00:11:21] And it's because I've lost someone, you know?
[00:11:24] So, um, and then like my people on my mom's side and on my dad's side too, they're getting
[00:11:29] older.
[00:11:30] So it's like the older folks in your family.
[00:11:31] Um, once you lose somebody, at least for me, when I, when I lose somebody, I'm thinking
[00:11:37] in the back of my head, like, okay, well, I wonder how many more, uh, Christmases or
[00:11:41] Thanksgivings, like I have left with, uh, you know, the ones that are still here, but,
[00:11:47] um, I'm just learning to make the best memories with the ones that are still alive.
[00:11:52] And that's all you can do.
[00:11:53] Um, but as far as mental health around the holidays, like I'm, I'm, I'm very overjoyed.
[00:12:00] I just love being around family.
[00:12:02] And like I said, I like the fact that jobs let you have that time off.
[00:12:07] It should be like that more throughout the whole year.
[00:12:09] But, um, yeah.
[00:12:10] Where are you guys at with mental health and holidays?
[00:12:13] Is there like a shift that you guys experienced?
[00:12:15] Cause I know that there's a lot of people that experience this thing.
[00:12:18] Seasonal depression.
[00:12:18] Yeah.
[00:12:19] And I never, I don't, I never experienced that.
[00:12:22] Yeah.
[00:12:22] I was going to say, I'm like, man, it's somber episodes today.
[00:12:26] But, uh, uh, yeah, I can't say like my mental health has been like bad or anything.
[00:12:33] I did get, um, diagnosed with anxiety disorder and a couple other things not too long ago.
[00:12:39] So they put me on a generic Lexapro.
[00:12:42] But since then, like I've been real Gucci.
[00:12:46] Like I haven't like had like a panic attack in like almost a year now.
[00:12:50] Oh, wow.
[00:12:51] That's good.
[00:12:52] That's good.
[00:12:53] Congratulations on that.
[00:12:54] That's, that's the, that's a good thing.
[00:12:56] That's another thing.
[00:12:57] People, I don't understand.
[00:12:58] Like if you've never had a panic attack, it's very hard to describe to somebody.
[00:13:02] Like that thing will like drop you to the floor if you're not careful.
[00:13:05] Like it's very, very interesting how that, how the body actually works that way.
[00:13:08] Uh, what about you, Chrome?
[00:13:10] Like, do you have, um, certain emotions that come around the holidays or no?
[00:13:13] No, I don't think I have any certain emotions that come around the holidays.
[00:13:16] Just, just more so that everybody's buying.
[00:13:19] Yeah.
[00:13:20] I need a product that I can sell.
[00:13:21] I can get some of that money.
[00:13:22] You know what I'm saying?
[00:13:24] Yeah.
[00:13:24] That's just really it.
[00:13:25] You know, I, there's, I'm not mad.
[00:13:26] I'm not sad.
[00:13:27] You know what I'm saying?
[00:13:28] There's probably not some family members that aren't there that were there last year.
[00:13:32] But, you know, I just got to believe that they're sitting up with God and it's all good.
[00:13:37] Yeah.
[00:13:37] Can I ask a question actually?
[00:13:39] Yeah.
[00:13:39] So like, what's, what's all y'all's faith if you don't mind me asking?
[00:13:44] So I'm a Christian.
[00:13:45] The biggest thing about faith, I don't always put my trust in, faith in Christianity because
[00:13:49] first of all, the Christianity has been used for the Salem witch trials and all the just
[00:13:53] whatever debauchery.
[00:13:54] But I put my faith in Jesus Christ because I know that he came down and he saved me and
[00:13:58] that there's no other way than through Jesus Christ to be saved.
[00:14:01] And that's, that's what I believe.
[00:14:03] Yeah, for sure.
[00:14:04] And then it's super simple.
[00:14:05] You know what I'm saying?
[00:14:06] Exactly what Jake said.
[00:14:07] Yeah.
[00:14:08] Yeah.
[00:14:08] Dang.
[00:14:08] No, I get, I get where y'all coming from.
[00:14:10] It kind of makes me want to take it back.
[00:14:12] No, I'm just playing.
[00:14:14] No, I'm just playing.
[00:14:15] I don't got no shame in saying I'm a Christian.
[00:14:17] But what about you, Leo?
[00:14:21] Uh, I know we talked on the phone about it.
[00:14:23] It's, I'm, I'm agnostic at the current time.
[00:14:27] I, I'm studying a lot of religions and stuff like that.
[00:14:30] I have for a while now.
[00:14:31] It's been very interesting and it has like affected how like I view the world and everything.
[00:14:37] But I don't technically have like a Lord or anything at the moment.
[00:14:42] Okay.
[00:14:42] Okay.
[00:14:42] That's interesting.
[00:14:43] He's like, I don't have a Lord.
[00:14:45] Okay.
[00:14:45] That's interesting.
[00:14:46] And agnostic.
[00:14:46] Can you define the term agnostic for, uh, you know, those who want to know?
[00:14:50] So at agnostic, it's basically like, uh, I don't know.
[00:14:55] So I'm not going to make a definitive claim one way or another.
[00:14:58] It's usually used in juxtaposition with like an atheist where it's like, uh, I don't believe.
[00:15:04] So for me, I'm not saying I believe one thing one way or another.
[00:15:08] I, I'm just being more honest with myself where it's like, I'm, I'm not sure.
[00:15:12] I got you.
[00:15:13] I got you.
[00:15:14] Um, you know, bringing up the spiritual aspect is actually an interesting point.
[00:15:18] Um, there's a few, there's a few things I want to touch on.
[00:15:23] So one is there, there is a, um, Christian belief.
[00:15:31] It's, it's, uh, it's not popular, but there are a lot of Christians that do believe this,
[00:15:36] um, that the holidays, you know, uh, Halloween, Valentine's day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, just
[00:15:44] all the holidays.
[00:15:46] Um, they're, they're not good to celebrate.
[00:15:48] They're pagan, like paganism, you know, they're pagan holidays.
[00:15:53] Um, I wasn't exposed to this until, um, of a friend of mine who is a Christian told me
[00:16:00] about this because that's what she believes in.
[00:16:01] Now we're both Christians, but she's like anti-holidays because she's like, no, like I
[00:16:08] had to do my own research.
[00:16:09] And, you know, at the end of the day, like Thanksgiving, like these holidays aren't even
[00:16:14] what they're, what they're really, these holidays aren't even what they really say that they are
[00:16:19] about.
[00:16:20] Like Thanksgiving was really when, um, the, some, some, a group of people had came.
[00:16:26] Um, I think like, you know, some people from Europe had came and like slaughtered the Native
[00:16:31] Americans, you know?
[00:16:33] And then, you know, St. Claus, Santa Claus, I say St. Claus, Santa Claus is just a, just
[00:16:39] a figure and it takes away from God and stuff like that.
[00:16:44] It made me think, you feel me?
[00:16:46] Cause I've been celebrating the holidays my whole life.
[00:16:48] You know, it made me think a lot.
[00:16:49] Like I was even doing my own research and stuff.
[00:16:51] Um, but yeah, where are you guys at spiritually with like the holidays, whether you're a Christian
[00:16:57] or not?
[00:16:57] Like, you know, like this is a question for everybody.
[00:16:59] Like where do you think that the holidays have a spiritual implication to them?
[00:17:07] Oh, you can go, you can take it on.
[00:17:10] Yeah.
[00:17:10] They do.
[00:17:11] They do.
[00:17:12] A lot of things mean meanings.
[00:17:13] You know what I'm saying?
[00:17:13] Um, like Sunday, Sunday is the day of the sun and everybody goes to church on Sunday.
[00:17:17] So if you, and Saturday is supposed to be the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week.
[00:17:21] So, um, there's something there.
[00:17:26] So you believe that?
[00:17:27] Yeah, I believe that, man.
[00:17:29] I mean, if it's on Sunday and they're calling Sunday the day of the sun, but it's really
[00:17:32] supposed to be on Saturday, which is the seventh day of the week.
[00:17:35] I mean, why are we going to church on Sunday?
[00:17:38] We're celebrating the sun.
[00:17:39] I got a question.
[00:17:40] I got a question.
[00:17:40] See, I'm glad you brought that up Chrome because you know what?
[00:17:45] There's a thought that I have and it's like, when you think about time, right?
[00:17:52] Like, okay, now we have the days of the week.
[00:17:54] It's normal.
[00:17:54] Monday through Saturday.
[00:17:56] But when you go back to the stone ages, they didn't have a calendar.
[00:18:01] Yeah, the Mayan calendar, but that's still, I don't know.
[00:18:05] Like they didn't, you're right.
[00:18:06] They didn't have.
[00:18:06] They didn't have a calendar.
[00:18:07] And so what I'm saying is like, okay, spiritually, like time has been what it's been.
[00:18:12] But I, but I don't know.
[00:18:14] I guess what I'm trying to say is like, I personally, for me, I don't get caught up
[00:18:19] in like, oh, you need to go to church on Sunday specifically because, you know, that's the
[00:18:26] day like Sunday.
[00:18:27] It's like, okay, but there wasn't a Sunday.
[00:18:30] It wasn't called Sunday before.
[00:18:31] It was just a day.
[00:18:32] You feel me?
[00:18:33] Like as long as you have a, as long as you have a regular time period that you're, you
[00:18:38] know, spiritually tending to yourself and worshiping God, like that's what matters as a Christian.
[00:18:43] Yeah.
[00:18:43] Even in like the Christian faith, there's like scripture that backs up that claim of yours
[00:18:48] where it was like, what was it?
[00:18:50] It was like, if more than two people are in a room and God is mentioned, I am with you
[00:18:57] or some, something like that.
[00:18:59] So it's like, technically speaking, we're in church right now because we brought up God's
[00:19:03] name and there's more than two of us.
[00:19:04] Short.
[00:19:05] Short.
[00:19:06] No, he said that.
[00:19:08] I'll tell you.
[00:19:08] He said that.
[00:19:09] No, he said that.
[00:19:10] That's because that's what it is though.
[00:19:12] Yeah.
[00:19:12] It is.
[00:19:13] No, that's the same thing.
[00:19:14] Like it doesn't, the church itself is not the building.
[00:19:17] It's the people that are in it.
[00:19:18] Yeah.
[00:19:18] He, from what I, from what I read from the Bible, he never mentioned like, I need a building
[00:19:23] with like stainless steel windows.
[00:19:25] Stainless steel windows, stained glass windows.
[00:19:27] Yes.
[00:19:28] The two people, the presence of two with, with God, it's, it's more powerful in a certain
[00:19:33] and of course I'm going to butcher it, but it's exactly what you're saying.
[00:19:36] I remember that too.
[00:19:36] Yeah.
[00:19:38] Yeah.
[00:19:38] There's actually Christianity.
[00:19:39] Christianity, the more I've like read about it and researched it, the more interesting
[00:19:43] it becomes where it's like, there's a lot of like stuff we associate with it.
[00:19:49] That's a modern either interpretation or if you want to get more controversial, a modern
[00:19:56] exploitation of people's faith and stuff like that, like the whole tithing and things of
[00:20:02] that nature where from what I read about it, God wants you to give that to like the people
[00:20:09] directly, not necessarily give it to a church.
[00:20:12] Like that's not in the Bible.
[00:20:14] That was a modern invention to like, and the idea was that like you give it to us and then
[00:20:20] we'll make good use of it as opposed to you giving like 20 or $30 to like a homeless man.
[00:20:25] If you give us the 20 and 30 and like you give a 20, 30, you give 20, 30, then we got
[00:20:29] like a thousand dollars.
[00:20:30] Then we can like do like various projects with it.
[00:20:32] And for that, I think that's a good idea.
[00:20:35] It's just when you get into like the TD Jakes of the world and things of that nature where
[00:20:39] he's swallowing it up and then making jets and all that.
[00:20:43] But respect to, I want to, I just want to say respect to TD Jakes though.
[00:20:48] He, he just, he just had a, a health scare incident that happened very recently before
[00:20:55] Thanksgiving.
[00:20:55] And I just want to say that, you know, I'm, I'm praying for him and his family.
[00:20:59] So yeah.
[00:21:00] And I wanted to touch on too, like, you know, God set that day aside Sunday, right?
[00:21:04] This is a day of rest, but you got to think, I keep this in perspective.
[00:21:06] Like the creator of the universe crafted our reality in six days.
[00:21:12] What?
[00:21:13] Like that, that to me blows my mind.
[00:21:14] You know what I mean?
[00:21:15] But of every, everything is possible within God.
[00:21:17] But I feel it as somewhat disrespectful that he is, if I use that day to like mow the lawn
[00:21:23] or if I do work on that day, because that is the day of rest.
[00:21:26] And I feel like me personally, I want to work around God's plan.
[00:21:30] I mean, I could be living for myself, but then I know all the next moves and the steps that
[00:21:34] I have to take.
[00:21:35] If it's God's plan, I don't know.
[00:21:36] And it's all a surprise, but it comes with, you know, the knowledge of patience and it
[00:21:41] comes with trust and faith.
[00:21:42] But with that Sunday, that day set apart, I'm not saying everybody should stick with it,
[00:21:47] you know, but I personally believe that that it's just a little disrespectful because he
[00:21:51] made that for us to rest.
[00:21:53] You know what I mean?
[00:21:54] But does it have to be on a Sunday though?
[00:21:56] Yeah.
[00:21:57] Well, Sunday's the first day of the week.
[00:21:59] I'm not sure where the history exactly goes when the day of the weeks were created, right?
[00:22:03] But on the seventh day, which is the seventh day of the week that we have in our modern
[00:22:07] calendar, that, so that correlates to me.
[00:22:10] So it doesn't have to be a Sunday, but that's just our culture now, you know?
[00:22:13] Yeah, I see what you're saying.
[00:22:15] Definitely.
[00:22:15] The cultural aspect of it.
[00:22:17] It also gets complicated, especially if you're like a follower of Jesus, because even Jesus
[00:22:22] himself, like, what was it?
[00:22:24] He like gathered sticks on the Sabbath and then someone was like, why are you gathering
[00:22:27] sticks?
[00:22:27] You're supposed to be resting.
[00:22:28] I forgot like his exact wording, but he was like, oh, because like I need them to like
[00:22:33] help somebody do something.
[00:22:36] And so it was like the idea became like, okay, well, if the son of God is willing to like,
[00:22:42] you know, give himself like an exception, like break the rule, then like clearly this like
[00:22:49] strict following of the rule might not be what God intended.
[00:22:55] Absolutely.
[00:22:55] If you're looking at it through like a Christian lens.
[00:22:57] No, I 100% agree.
[00:22:59] Like what you're describing is when people do, when people follow religion over relationship
[00:23:07] and treating people with a good heart, you know what I'm saying?
[00:23:11] When you're just overly religious and you can be overly, this don't got to be in the
[00:23:15] Christian context, like being religious about something, you can do that with anything.
[00:23:21] Like, for example, like people can say when it comes to my morning routine, I follow a
[00:23:26] certain routine religiously.
[00:23:28] That means that they follow it to a T.
[00:23:30] They don't break it.
[00:23:31] I make my bed first.
[00:23:33] Then second, I brush my teeth.
[00:23:34] Then third, I comb my hair every single day.
[00:23:36] Um, but yeah, like when it, when it comes to this season and everything, um, I've kind
[00:23:43] of evolved when it comes to, to celebrating the seasons and how I think about them.
[00:23:49] Like for me, I, when I celebrate like Thanksgiving, I'm not thinking of like, oh, you know, I'm
[00:23:56] doing this in remembrance of like the pilgrims and how they had like the first peaceful dinner
[00:24:02] with the foreigners.
[00:24:04] I don't, I'm not thinking about that.
[00:24:05] That's not why I do Thanksgiving.
[00:24:07] For me, for me, I do Thanksgiving and celebrate it because of the gathering of friends and
[00:24:15] family and just good food, period.
[00:24:18] Like I just, that's, that's my, that's why, that's my Thanksgiving, um, reason, I guess.
[00:24:24] And that's like an interesting thing, but like when it comes to like stuff like that, like
[00:24:28] rituals and things of that nature, like intention is like the thing that like makes a ritual
[00:24:35] a ritual.
[00:24:36] So it's like, for instance, like if you're like doing Christmas, but you're like thinking
[00:24:40] about God and stuff like that, can the pagan roots of it really like corrupt it to that
[00:24:47] level?
[00:24:47] I think there's a worthy debate there in that.
[00:24:50] Sorry, Chrome, you sound like you got an idea.
[00:24:52] Oh no, man.
[00:24:53] I just agree with what you were just saying.
[00:24:55] You know what I mean?
[00:24:56] It's all about belief.
[00:24:57] If you don't believe in it, then can it really work?
[00:24:59] Like if I don't believe that I'm celebrating Christmas, I believe that I'm with my family
[00:25:05] and that I'm celebrating Jesus Christ.
[00:25:08] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:08] Just remembering his boring day with my family.
[00:25:11] I mean, really nobody's talking about Santa.
[00:25:13] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:14] My mom always told me that she's buying these gifts and y'all ain't really getting none this
[00:25:17] year.
[00:25:17] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:18] That's what she's telling me.
[00:25:19] You know what I'm saying?
[00:25:20] Like y'all ain't getting none this year.
[00:25:21] The whole meeting was like, I know I wasn't going to get you nothing.
[00:25:24] Right.
[00:25:25] Right.
[00:25:25] You already knew.
[00:25:26] So exactly what you said, man.
[00:25:27] It's all about belief.
[00:25:28] We're going to get into some more cultural differences and thoughts and perspectives around
[00:25:33] the holidays and just have a simple conversation.
[00:25:36] This is just a free space, y'all.
[00:25:38] So we're here and we talking.
[00:25:40] So what are your goals specifically going into 2025 Chrome?
[00:25:47] So specific goals is just, I guess, just creating a name for myself.
[00:25:54] That's really one of the biggest things.
[00:25:56] Creating a name for myself on social media as well as in the streets.
[00:26:00] It's also just getting better with my talent.
[00:26:04] You know what I'm saying?
[00:26:05] Get better or get more consistent.
[00:26:08] Consistency.
[00:26:09] Let's say that.
[00:26:09] Consistency is the top goal that I want to perform in 2025.
[00:26:13] Consistency.
[00:26:14] Consistency.
[00:26:14] Yeah, I really like that.
[00:26:16] When you say making a name for yourself, here's the question.
[00:26:22] Do you think that you already have a name?
[00:26:28] You just need to learn how to package it and present it to the world?
[00:26:31] Or do you actually have to create who you are?
[00:26:36] Oh, yeah.
[00:26:37] The hard parts out of the way, the creating the story, everything, that's all out of the
[00:26:40] way.
[00:26:41] That's already been formed and created.
[00:26:42] Now it's just getting people to know the name Chrome.
[00:26:45] You know what I mean?
[00:26:46] Who is that?
[00:26:47] And get people curious about that and just keep that name popping up here and there.
[00:26:53] Like, who is this guy?
[00:26:54] Who is that guy?
[00:26:55] You know what I mean?
[00:26:55] And I think the name will take care of itself as well as my ideas and people hear my ideology
[00:27:01] and what I stand for.
[00:27:02] I think they'll just rock with it way harder.
[00:27:04] You know what I mean?
[00:27:05] Yeah, that's dope.
[00:27:06] That's super dope.
[00:27:08] Leo, what about you?
[00:27:10] Do you have specific goals for 2025?
[00:27:12] Uh, yeah, I guess you could say I got specific goals like trying to make sure I get into the
[00:27:20] honors program, continuing on learning Somali and Hmong, making sure it's because right
[00:27:27] now I'm at an intermediate level with Somali and a beginner of Hmong.
[00:27:30] So I want to be fluent in Somali by the end of next year and then be intermediate in Hmong.
[00:27:36] By the end, helping one of my friends out with their podcast because that's one of their lights.
[00:27:46] And then helping Yanni, I should mention.
[00:27:50] And then helping out my other homegirl, Sharon, help her with her singing career, producing an album for her so she doesn't squander her talents.
[00:27:59] Like, I really, really, really dislike when people squander what has been given to them or that they've worked hard for.
[00:28:08] Like, I feel like, especially if you believe in, like, a higher deity, I feel like that's kind of disrespectful to them.
[00:28:13] Not necessarily, like, if you say, like, if you're, like, a singer that you need to necessarily, like, sing.
[00:28:19] But, like, for whatever thing you want to do, I feel like you should incorporate your talents into that.
[00:28:25] I really feel that a lot because I've struggled with that before.
[00:28:30] You know, just being a Christian creative, I've always felt a divine pressure.
[00:28:37] You know, there's this regular pressure of being successful, but it's a divine pressure.
[00:28:41] And someone said something to me.
[00:28:43] Shout out Damani from Ujama Place.
[00:28:45] But he was speaking facts to me this one day.
[00:28:48] And he was saying that he said something profound.
[00:28:52] It was kind of controversial.
[00:28:53] But he was talking about a situation in the Bible where God cuts off or kills a tree that's not producing fruit.
[00:29:07] And it's like, we can think of ourselves as those trees.
[00:29:12] Like, what happens to trees that don't produce fruit?
[00:29:16] They die.
[00:29:17] And the other thing, too, is this is in the Bible.
[00:29:19] I'm going to butcher it.
[00:29:20] But it says it's better to cut off your right hand if it's causing sin than to keep it.
[00:29:24] You know what I mean?
[00:29:24] Like, it's that detriment of, first of all, dying to yourself and being reborn again.
[00:29:28] But also, like, if that temptation comes into bay, it's better to just completely cut off your hand if it's causing you sin.
[00:29:36] Yeah.
[00:29:37] So so the creativity like that, that is super key.
[00:29:40] It's like now whenever.
[00:29:41] Plus, we just we get one life, you know, we get one life and.
[00:29:46] And.
[00:29:46] We have to put everything out there like and, Leo, I love how supportive you are as a friend.
[00:29:54] Like, you are so like just the way that that just rolled off your tongue to just be like, oh, I want like part of your goals is to help your friend do her podcast and help your friend produce this music.
[00:30:05] Like, that is so real.
[00:30:07] And honestly, people who are friends with you, they should just keep you around because no, for real, like they should keep you around because that's the type of people you need to be successful.
[00:30:15] Um, and then you also made me think of another thing, too.
[00:30:18] I also want to be fluent in Tagalog.
[00:30:22] So that's my my country's main language.
[00:30:27] I mean, it's Tagalog and English, but I'm really working on cultivating my culture and a big part of culture is language.
[00:30:35] So I'm working on my Tagalog and I want to be fluent by the end of 2025.
[00:30:40] So, guys, please stay tuned with me.
[00:30:42] So that's dope, though.
[00:30:43] I never knew that you're, um, you know, speaking Somali.
[00:30:46] Can you say some things?
[00:30:47] Uh, I can say like really basic things like there's the greeting, like, wawawakasan.
[00:30:53] There's like, how are you?
[00:30:55] Well, it's not necessarily how are you?
[00:30:57] It's more like tell your story, which is kind of like, how are you?
[00:31:00] You know, siddetai.
[00:31:02] There's, uh, there's like little things here and there, like, uh, phone isi, which is like, oh, bring me the phone.
[00:31:09] You know, there's stuff like that.
[00:31:11] Okay.
[00:31:11] Um, but I want to hear more.
[00:31:13] Okay.
[00:31:14] And you said Hmong too, right?
[00:31:15] Yeah.
[00:31:16] Hmong.
[00:31:16] I'm not gonna lie.
[00:31:17] I will butcher it if I have to speak in Hmong right now.
[00:31:21] Like I can read it pretty decently.
[00:31:24] But once it's like, cause right now I'm still learning like tones and stuff like that.
[00:31:29] It's like, is, if there's any Hmong listeners, if she gets me to say some Hmong stuff, blame her, not me.
[00:31:38] Okay.
[00:31:39] Um, say, how are you in Hmong?
[00:31:43] How are you?
[00:31:45] How are you doing?
[00:31:49] Turn him on the spot.
[00:31:50] Or if they say.
[00:31:51] I'm trying to think, cause I'm trying to think like, there's a couple of different ways you could say it.
[00:31:55] There's like the green version and the white version.
[00:31:58] Um.
[00:31:58] Yeah, I heard that there's certain.
[00:31:59] Yeah, there's like a bunch of different dialects.
[00:32:02] Um.
[00:32:05] Oh my God.
[00:32:06] I'm really blanking right now.
[00:32:08] I will come back to him.
[00:32:09] On the next episode.
[00:32:10] Right.
[00:32:11] On the next episode.
[00:32:12] It's like, I got it this time.
[00:32:14] Right.
[00:32:14] There's like things I can say in Hmong, like there's cool and stuff like that.
[00:32:18] But, cool just means like I.
[00:32:21] But, as far as like a full on sentence, I'm still like working on that.
[00:32:25] I got you, I got you.
[00:32:27] Um.
[00:32:28] Jake, specific goals.
[00:32:31] Where do I start?
[00:32:33] Well, I mean.
[00:32:34] A big long-term goal that I've had.
[00:32:36] That I think that I'm finally in the position where I could potentially make that happen.
[00:32:39] This fiscal year.
[00:32:40] Would be hire somebody.
[00:32:42] So, I run Madhouse Media.
[00:32:43] But, it's a media company.
[00:32:45] It's just in the startups.
[00:32:46] But, you know, the end goal for this year is to.
[00:32:49] I know it's a big dream.
[00:32:50] Make enough to start an S-corp.
[00:32:52] Which is around 60,000 annually.
[00:32:54] But, again, within the state of Minnesota.
[00:32:56] The taxes of an LLC.
[00:32:58] Is like 40%.
[00:32:59] So, if I have.
[00:33:00] If you have a partner.
[00:33:01] Right?
[00:33:02] As I do.
[00:33:03] It's.
[00:33:03] We each get 50-50.
[00:33:05] But, that's the 50-50.
[00:33:07] The 100% is split up into 40.
[00:33:09] So, that's a struggle.
[00:33:10] I want to, you know, kind of be financially stable.
[00:33:13] You know?
[00:33:14] At the end of this year.
[00:33:15] For sure.
[00:33:15] And, not have to worry too much about that.
[00:33:17] And, again, that comes with great responsibilities.
[00:33:19] And, great effort.
[00:33:20] But, that's probably my main goal.
[00:33:22] Is to really get this started off.
[00:33:24] And, actually.
[00:33:25] Not necessarily make a name for myself.
[00:33:26] But, because God has given me this gift.
[00:33:28] And, you know.
[00:33:29] I used to think way back when.
[00:33:31] What am I going to do for the rest of my life?
[00:33:33] Where am I going to go?
[00:33:34] Like, oh.
[00:33:34] How am I going to do this?
[00:33:35] Because, I never had a passion for anything.
[00:33:37] But, then as soon as I got.
[00:33:38] Like, the first camera.
[00:33:39] I was like, dude.
[00:33:40] This is it.
[00:33:41] This is what I.
[00:33:41] God willing.
[00:33:42] This is what I will do for the rest of my life.
[00:33:44] So, my biggest goals are just.
[00:33:46] Really pursue videography.
[00:33:48] Really create the brand that I'm trying to.
[00:33:51] Put out there.
[00:33:52] And, the biggest thing is.
[00:33:53] Within our media company.
[00:33:54] Madhouse Media MN.
[00:33:56] Is we don't want to just.
[00:33:57] Give people media.
[00:33:58] We want to make sure that it's intimate.
[00:34:00] And, it relates to their audience.
[00:34:02] And, so we try to create packages.
[00:34:04] Relative and tailored made to the client.
[00:34:06] Because a lot of people.
[00:34:06] They just go out and they take videos.
[00:34:07] And, they give it to the client.
[00:34:08] And, they're like.
[00:34:09] Oh yeah.
[00:34:09] Here you go.
[00:34:09] That's a thousand bucks.
[00:34:11] No.
[00:34:11] I mean.
[00:34:11] That's not business.
[00:34:12] Right?
[00:34:12] It's a grow.
[00:34:13] So, we're trying to come up with the processes.
[00:34:16] So, process and planning is a huge goal for me.
[00:34:19] And, like one of you said.
[00:34:20] Is the scheduling.
[00:34:21] Like, waking up at a certain time.
[00:34:24] Like, 7 o'clock in the morning.
[00:34:25] No matter what.
[00:34:26] Going to bed at 10 o'clock.
[00:34:27] No matter what.
[00:34:28] Putting down my phone is a big thing too.
[00:34:30] Like, I want to put locks on my phone.
[00:34:31] Like, there's a couple apps that you have.
[00:34:33] And, so it'll put locks.
[00:34:34] But, again.
[00:34:35] That also makes you responsible.
[00:34:36] Because, you can take down those locks.
[00:34:39] So, discipline is a big gulf of mine.
[00:34:41] Discipline.
[00:34:42] Self-growth.
[00:34:42] Growth.
[00:34:43] And, just entrepreneurship.
[00:34:45] I think.
[00:34:45] That's super dope.
[00:34:46] That's super dope.
[00:34:47] Yeah.
[00:34:47] It's an interesting time.
[00:34:49] You know.
[00:34:51] Also, as a society.
[00:34:53] It's an interesting time.
[00:34:54] Like, coming into 2025.
[00:34:56] Like, we're post-COVID.
[00:35:00] You know.
[00:35:00] Trump is elected president.
[00:35:02] I don't have.
[00:35:03] I'm not going to say any opinions about that.
[00:35:05] I'm just.
[00:35:05] I'm just.
[00:35:05] I'm just saying.
[00:35:07] I'm stating facts.
[00:35:08] Sounding kind of sad there, buddy.
[00:35:10] No, listen.
[00:35:11] All I said was Trump.
[00:35:12] That's a fact.
[00:35:13] I didn't say anything.
[00:35:17] I didn't say anything.
[00:35:35] No.
[00:35:36] Fresh one.
[00:35:37] No.
[00:35:38] No.
[00:35:38] No.
[00:35:39] No.
[00:35:40] No.
[00:35:40] Oh, you know.
[00:35:41] He just in there now, I guess.
[00:35:43] But.
[00:35:43] There.
[00:35:44] No.
[00:35:45] Okay.
[00:35:45] I guess that's what we doing.
[00:35:49] No.
[00:35:50] Yeah.
[00:35:50] So, we got some things going on.
[00:35:55] There's talks about war.
[00:35:58] But there's, you know.
[00:35:59] And then.
[00:35:59] Such a chaotic world.
[00:36:00] And, like.
[00:36:01] Yeah.
[00:36:01] Even within the book of Revelations.
[00:36:03] It's like.
[00:36:04] The Tigris and the Euphrates have dried up.
[00:36:08] Like, that's in the Bible.
[00:36:09] That's a prophecy.
[00:36:10] I didn't even pay attention to that.
[00:36:11] For the.
[00:36:12] So, the reason.
[00:36:13] It says somewhere in the Bible that.
[00:36:14] It's in Revelations.
[00:36:17] Where the Tigris and the Euphrates will dry up.
[00:36:18] I'm going to butcher it.
[00:36:19] Like, they'll dry up so that the army of 200 million.
[00:36:22] And across that land.
[00:36:24] That plot of land.
[00:36:25] Now, up in.
[00:36:25] The craziest part.
[00:36:26] Up until the last.
[00:36:28] Maybe five, ten years.
[00:36:30] There was not a population growth.
[00:36:32] Enough to create an army.
[00:36:34] From a certain country.
[00:36:35] Like, one specific army of 200 million people.
[00:36:37] Up until.
[00:36:39] China.
[00:36:39] Now has.
[00:36:40] They even announced it publicly.
[00:36:42] They said.
[00:36:43] Very specifically.
[00:36:44] They have an army of 200 million.
[00:36:47] And that just to me is crazy.
[00:36:48] Because, like.
[00:36:48] That's a very specific number.
[00:36:50] Right?
[00:36:51] They could say 100 million.
[00:36:52] They could say 150 million.
[00:36:54] But no.
[00:36:54] They chose to come out and say 200 million.
[00:36:57] And I just think back into the book of Revelations.
[00:36:59] Because, like.
[00:36:59] It's a chaotic world.
[00:37:01] Times are coming.
[00:37:02] You know.
[00:37:02] It's.
[00:37:02] Getting close.
[00:37:03] Yeah.
[00:37:04] It's pretty.
[00:37:04] It's pretty.
[00:37:05] Insane.
[00:37:08] Do you guys believe in the whole new year.
[00:37:10] New me thing?
[00:37:11] Not.
[00:37:12] Not really.
[00:37:13] I feel like if you want to do that.
[00:37:14] Like.
[00:37:15] More power to you.
[00:37:16] But I feel like.
[00:37:17] That type of work.
[00:37:19] Is something.
[00:37:20] You do like.
[00:37:21] On like.
[00:37:21] A random Tuesday.
[00:37:23] Where you decide like.
[00:37:23] Okay.
[00:37:24] I'm gonna.
[00:37:25] I'm gonna work.
[00:37:25] I'm gonna work on myself.
[00:37:27] Instead of being like.
[00:37:27] Let me wait until like.
[00:37:28] The last day.
[00:37:29] Of the last year.
[00:37:31] Of the last year.
[00:37:32] Of the.
[00:37:33] The last day of this year.
[00:37:34] Before I just start.
[00:37:35] You know.
[00:37:36] Changing myself.
[00:37:36] I feel like that's like.
[00:37:38] More random.
[00:37:39] I feel that.
[00:37:40] Yeah.
[00:37:40] I.
[00:37:41] I let go.
[00:37:41] I think it's a cheesy statement.
[00:37:43] I just.
[00:37:43] People who really do that.
[00:37:45] Like.
[00:37:45] New year.
[00:37:45] New me.
[00:37:46] It's.
[00:37:46] No.
[00:37:46] It's really new year.
[00:37:47] New me.
[00:37:48] I'm just like.
[00:37:48] Okay.
[00:37:49] Like.
[00:37:49] Just.
[00:37:50] Go somewhere else.
[00:37:51] But if that's what you want to do.
[00:37:52] Do it.
[00:37:52] Like.
[00:37:52] Like.
[00:37:53] Prove me wrong.
[00:37:53] Please.
[00:37:54] Yeah.
[00:37:54] It's an everyday thing.
[00:37:55] It's an everyday thing.
[00:37:56] And when we get back on this next segment.
[00:37:58] We'll.
[00:37:59] Ask Chrome.
[00:38:00] If he makes any New Year's resolutions.
[00:38:02] Will you tune in to Holy Culture Radio.
[00:38:04] This is the Man Up Club.
[00:38:05] We'll be right back.
[00:38:06] We're back on the Man Up Club Presents podcast.
[00:38:08] Talking about the holiday season.
[00:38:10] Also discussing different.
[00:38:12] Perspectives and thoughts.
[00:38:13] Around this time.
[00:38:14] And just getting into some great conversations.
[00:38:16] So.
[00:38:17] We're going to continue on.
[00:38:18] I'm going to throw a whole bunch of phrases at you guys.
[00:38:21] And you guys just give me your first thoughts about that.
[00:38:23] How does that sound?
[00:38:24] Okay.
[00:38:25] Okay.
[00:38:26] There's a lot of phrases that come up during this time.
[00:38:28] So.
[00:38:29] Just let me know what you think about them.
[00:38:30] What y'all think about.
[00:38:34] Give a little.
[00:38:35] Get a lot.
[00:38:37] Never even heard it before.
[00:38:38] Give a little.
[00:38:40] Get a lot.
[00:38:41] For some reason I think about just a guy named Nicholas.
[00:38:44] It's like.
[00:38:45] I feel like Nicholas is the type of person that gives a little.
[00:38:47] Yeah.
[00:38:48] It takes a lot.
[00:38:49] Oh.
[00:38:50] Then yeah.
[00:38:50] You must not be talking about Saint Nick.
[00:38:52] Pretty stereotypical.
[00:38:53] Yeah.
[00:38:55] Pretty specific.
[00:38:56] Say the same thing about Tyrone.
[00:38:59] Oh my gosh.
[00:39:01] What about.
[00:39:04] Sharing is caring.
[00:39:07] Some chips that I want.
[00:39:09] Do you believe that sharing is caring?
[00:39:11] Oh my bad.
[00:39:11] Wait.
[00:39:12] Are we supposed to give like full flush ideas?
[00:39:13] Is it like that one where it's like.
[00:39:15] Like piano.
[00:39:16] Black white.
[00:39:18] Like.
[00:39:18] Oh.
[00:39:19] Which thing.
[00:39:20] I would put the answers.
[00:39:21] Yeah.
[00:39:21] It was full fledged.
[00:39:22] Oh.
[00:39:23] Thoughts.
[00:39:23] Yeah.
[00:39:24] You're caring is caring.
[00:39:25] But I don't care.
[00:39:25] Yeah.
[00:39:26] Right.
[00:39:26] I don't care to share.
[00:39:28] Oh.
[00:39:29] But I think.
[00:39:30] I think.
[00:39:30] I mean it's true.
[00:39:32] Like I feel like if I care about someone.
[00:39:34] I would be willing to share things.
[00:39:36] Whether it be like time.
[00:39:38] Resources.
[00:39:39] Respect.
[00:39:40] I don't know.
[00:39:41] Is.
[00:39:41] Do you think that.
[00:39:43] Society as a whole is more caring during the holidays.
[00:39:46] Or do you think it's just commercialized?
[00:39:48] No.
[00:39:49] I know it sounds like a stupid question.
[00:39:51] But.
[00:39:51] No.
[00:39:52] It's not stupid.
[00:39:52] But it's just.
[00:39:53] No.
[00:39:53] They don't.
[00:39:54] The way.
[00:39:54] No.
[00:39:54] But here's the thing though.
[00:39:56] The way that our society.
[00:39:59] Commercializes the holidays.
[00:40:01] Like Chrome mentioned earlier.
[00:40:02] You feel me.
[00:40:03] It's.
[00:40:03] That's why.
[00:40:04] It's.
[00:40:04] The holidays is a money grab for retail.
[00:40:06] You feel me.
[00:40:07] Black Friday.
[00:40:07] Cyber Monday.
[00:40:08] Like.
[00:40:09] Gift given.
[00:40:10] Disney.
[00:40:11] You know.
[00:40:11] All the decorations.
[00:40:12] Everything turns into glitter and gold.
[00:40:14] During.
[00:40:16] The holidays.
[00:40:17] So.
[00:40:18] There's.
[00:40:19] I feel like there's.
[00:40:20] Sometimes like an illusion that.
[00:40:22] People are.
[00:40:23] Kinder.
[00:40:24] Or people are just.
[00:40:25] Oh.
[00:40:26] It's the holiday season.
[00:40:27] Or.
[00:40:28] So you said.
[00:40:28] Leo.
[00:40:29] You're like.
[00:40:29] No.
[00:40:29] It's just.
[00:40:30] It's just a facade.
[00:40:31] Oh yeah.
[00:40:31] I definitely think it's a facade.
[00:40:33] Like.
[00:40:33] I mean.
[00:40:34] I.
[00:40:34] There.
[00:40:35] I think there could be like.
[00:40:36] One off.
[00:40:36] Like individual things.
[00:40:38] Where like.
[00:40:38] People are like.
[00:40:39] It is Christmas.
[00:40:40] But I feel like.
[00:40:42] As far as like.
[00:40:43] Systemic things.
[00:40:44] No.
[00:40:44] It's the same old.
[00:40:45] Not Karen.
[00:40:47] See.
[00:40:47] We're in a world of marketing.
[00:40:48] Now.
[00:40:48] That's kind of my job.
[00:40:49] And it's.
[00:40:50] It's terrible.
[00:40:51] You see so much.
[00:40:52] Fake stuff.
[00:40:53] Like.
[00:40:55] Green screen.
[00:40:56] Like everything that you see online.
[00:40:58] There's.
[00:40:58] It's there for a reason.
[00:40:59] You know what I mean.
[00:40:59] Like.
[00:41:00] Commercials.
[00:41:01] Advertisement.
[00:41:02] It's just.
[00:41:02] It's all a scam.
[00:41:03] Yeah.
[00:41:04] I mean.
[00:41:04] I wouldn't say scam.
[00:41:06] But.
[00:41:07] Yeah.
[00:41:08] Yeah.
[00:41:08] It's definitely a scheme.
[00:41:09] Scheme.
[00:41:10] Plotting it.
[00:41:11] Machinations.
[00:41:12] Yeah.
[00:41:12] The holiday season.
[00:41:13] I mean.
[00:41:13] I do.
[00:41:14] I will say this.
[00:41:14] I respect the.
[00:41:15] I respect.
[00:41:16] And appreciate.
[00:41:18] And admire.
[00:41:18] What the holiday season is about.
[00:41:20] It's about.
[00:41:22] Giving.
[00:41:22] Caring.
[00:41:23] Sharing.
[00:41:24] Like.
[00:41:24] Eating together.
[00:41:26] I have a friend of mine.
[00:41:28] And she's like.
[00:41:28] I can't stand the holidays.
[00:41:31] She said something along this line.
[00:41:32] But she was like.
[00:41:33] I can't stand.
[00:41:33] I can't stand.
[00:41:34] What I don't like about it.
[00:41:35] Is that.
[00:41:36] You know.
[00:41:37] We should be doing this every day.
[00:41:40] We should.
[00:41:41] We should do.
[00:41:41] We should be doing this every day.
[00:41:43] We should be.
[00:41:44] You know.
[00:41:44] Spending time with our family.
[00:41:45] And making more of an effort.
[00:41:46] To go see each other.
[00:41:47] And stuff like that.
[00:41:48] Every day.
[00:41:48] We should be.
[00:41:49] You know.
[00:41:50] Forgiving.
[00:41:50] And stuff like that.
[00:41:51] Every day.
[00:41:53] Around my family.
[00:41:54] Every day though.
[00:41:55] Well.
[00:41:56] Yeah.
[00:41:56] I mean.
[00:41:56] I don't know if I can do all that.
[00:41:57] Practice what Jesus preaches.
[00:41:58] You know.
[00:41:59] What would Jesus do?
[00:42:00] That thing.
[00:42:01] Jesus could walk on water though.
[00:42:02] I can't do none of that.
[00:42:03] Okay.
[00:42:04] All right.
[00:42:04] Now we're getting technical.
[00:42:05] But yeah.
[00:42:05] Like.
[00:42:06] You know.
[00:42:06] He.
[00:42:06] He came to this earth.
[00:42:08] And he gave us.
[00:42:09] The greatest gift.
[00:42:10] Or God gave us the greatest gift.
[00:42:11] He sacrificed.
[00:42:12] His son.
[00:42:13] Like.
[00:42:13] And he.
[00:42:14] Like.
[00:42:14] To me.
[00:42:15] Again.
[00:42:15] Everybody.
[00:42:16] You know.
[00:42:16] Has the realization.
[00:42:17] Like.
[00:42:17] Jesus came down.
[00:42:18] Saved us for our sins.
[00:42:19] But like.
[00:42:20] He really.
[00:42:22] Put himself in our shoes.
[00:42:23] Like.
[00:42:24] That means that he can actually.
[00:42:26] Fully say.
[00:42:27] Like.
[00:42:28] I know what it's like to be human.
[00:42:29] Because like.
[00:42:30] He's not just God.
[00:42:31] He was put down on the earth.
[00:42:32] You know what I mean?
[00:42:33] You're saying that's.
[00:42:34] That's the greatest gift.
[00:42:35] It's the greatest gift.
[00:42:36] That we can.
[00:42:37] And we should practice that.
[00:42:39] Like daily.
[00:42:40] You know.
[00:42:40] Giving.
[00:42:41] Like being gracious.
[00:42:42] You know.
[00:42:42] Exactly what she said.
[00:42:43] Yeah.
[00:42:45] Do you think.
[00:42:45] Do y'all think that society would be better off without the holiday season?
[00:42:49] No.
[00:42:50] Nah.
[00:42:51] I think people need like.
[00:42:53] Complete chaos.
[00:42:53] Yeah.
[00:42:54] Why?
[00:42:54] Just because you know.
[00:42:57] People don't have nothing to do.
[00:42:58] I mean.
[00:43:00] They gonna work.
[00:43:01] If we.
[00:43:01] If we didn't have holiday season.
[00:43:03] You would just be.
[00:43:04] It's gonna be boring.
[00:43:05] You know what I mean?
[00:43:06] Like when Christmas comes around.
[00:43:07] Everybody's like.
[00:43:08] Oh yeah.
[00:43:08] Let me.
[00:43:08] I'm putting my Christmas lights up.
[00:43:10] Put my Christmas tree up.
[00:43:11] Get my house looking right.
[00:43:12] Halloween.
[00:43:13] I'm gonna put.
[00:43:13] Get my pumpkin in front of the door.
[00:43:15] Whatever you do on Halloween.
[00:43:17] Thanksgiving.
[00:43:17] You know.
[00:43:18] Bust the turkey out.
[00:43:19] Yeah.
[00:43:20] There's just things for people to do.
[00:43:21] If you just don't have anything going on.
[00:43:23] Okay.
[00:43:23] You got a couple things.
[00:43:25] Throughout the year.
[00:43:25] That everybody's gonna do.
[00:43:27] At the same time.
[00:43:28] You know what I'm saying?
[00:43:28] And gives it.
[00:43:29] A sense of community.
[00:43:31] Mm-hmm.
[00:43:31] To people who don't have a community.
[00:43:32] And anything else.
[00:43:33] Right.
[00:43:33] You feel what I'm saying?
[00:43:34] Right.
[00:43:35] Yeah.
[00:43:35] Yeah.
[00:43:36] Yeah.
[00:43:36] You speak.
[00:43:37] I agree with that.
[00:43:39] People need their rituals.
[00:43:40] I feel like that.
[00:43:41] That's what I was about to say.
[00:43:42] You do.
[00:43:42] Keep tradition.
[00:43:43] Yeah.
[00:43:44] I was gonna say.
[00:43:44] I think that the human race.
[00:43:45] It's inevitable for us to.
[00:43:47] Have traditions.
[00:43:48] And do rituals.
[00:43:49] If we.
[00:43:50] Let's just say.
[00:43:50] We didn't have Christmas.
[00:43:51] Let's just say.
[00:43:51] We didn't have Thanksgiving.
[00:43:53] Or Halloween.
[00:43:54] Like.
[00:43:55] It would be something.
[00:43:56] It would be something.
[00:43:58] You know.
[00:43:58] And people make their own traditions.
[00:44:00] And their own.
[00:44:02] Rituals.
[00:44:03] And things like that.
[00:44:03] Speaking of.
[00:44:04] Do you guys have your own traditions?
[00:44:05] Or rituals?
[00:44:07] Or.
[00:44:07] You know.
[00:44:07] Things that you do.
[00:44:08] Like.
[00:44:08] Is there a thing that you do every year?
[00:44:10] Is there.
[00:44:11] A thing that you do every month?
[00:44:14] Uh.
[00:44:15] Yeah.
[00:44:16] To an extent.
[00:44:17] Like.
[00:44:17] To play off Jake.
[00:44:19] Right?
[00:44:19] To play off Jake's point.
[00:44:20] Like.
[00:44:21] I use.
[00:44:22] Like.
[00:44:23] My own personal traditions.
[00:44:24] To like.
[00:44:25] Help me with like.
[00:44:26] Discipline.
[00:44:26] And stuff like that.
[00:44:27] Because like.
[00:44:28] I'm the type of person.
[00:44:29] Where if I put locks on my phone.
[00:44:31] I'm just gonna take them off.
[00:44:32] Because I'm like.
[00:44:33] Hey.
[00:44:33] Why am I doing this?
[00:44:34] This is dumb.
[00:44:35] So like.
[00:44:36] I'll put.
[00:44:36] I'll.
[00:44:37] Give myself certain rituals.
[00:44:39] Where it's like.
[00:44:40] Okay.
[00:44:40] If I.
[00:44:42] You know.
[00:44:43] Get these different tasks done.
[00:44:45] Then I can like.
[00:44:46] Listen to rap music today.
[00:44:48] And stuff like that.
[00:44:49] Okay.
[00:44:50] Okay.
[00:44:50] So it's like a discipline thing.
[00:44:51] Yeah.
[00:44:53] Yeah.
[00:44:53] For me.
[00:44:54] One thing that I always try to do every year.
[00:44:56] Is write down.
[00:44:57] Goals.
[00:44:58] For 2024.
[00:45:00] Uh.
[00:45:00] I actually wrote down my goals.
[00:45:03] I think like the last day.
[00:45:04] Of 2023.
[00:45:05] Or something like that.
[00:45:06] But.
[00:45:06] I was like.
[00:45:07] Russian.
[00:45:07] And it was like.
[00:45:08] Already.
[00:45:08] It was already.
[00:45:09] 2024.
[00:45:10] And I.
[00:45:11] I had to write down my goals and stuff.
[00:45:13] But.
[00:45:13] I do make it a point.
[00:45:15] To write down.
[00:45:16] My goals.
[00:45:17] For the year.
[00:45:17] Um.
[00:45:18] But I will say like.
[00:45:19] I'm still developing a system.
[00:45:20] In order to make sure.
[00:45:21] That I develop those goals.
[00:45:23] And turn them into.
[00:45:24] Reality.
[00:45:26] Um.
[00:45:28] What.
[00:45:29] Do you have.
[00:45:29] You guys have encouragement.
[00:45:30] For people who are going through.
[00:45:31] A really hard time right now.
[00:45:33] Um.
[00:45:34] Just.
[00:45:35] You know.
[00:45:36] With holiday season.
[00:45:37] And.
[00:45:37] What I find is that.
[00:45:39] During the holiday season.
[00:45:40] Lots of drama pops off.
[00:45:42] You know.
[00:45:42] And it's because.
[00:45:44] Yeah.
[00:45:45] Society as a whole.
[00:45:46] We're not.
[00:45:48] Called.
[00:45:49] To go out of our way.
[00:45:50] Or take off work.
[00:45:51] Until.
[00:45:52] The holiday season.
[00:45:53] Comes around.
[00:45:55] And then that's the time.
[00:45:56] You return home.
[00:45:57] Uh.
[00:45:57] You feel the pressure.
[00:45:58] Of going home.
[00:45:59] Maybe you don't get along.
[00:46:00] With your parents.
[00:46:01] Um.
[00:46:01] So you go home.
[00:46:02] And then the trauma.
[00:46:04] Or the issues.
[00:46:05] That you've been dealing with.
[00:46:06] That haven't been dealt with.
[00:46:08] They.
[00:46:08] They just kind of show up.
[00:46:10] Or give you awkward vibes.
[00:46:11] During the holidays.
[00:46:12] Do you guys have any advice.
[00:46:13] For people who are just like.
[00:46:15] Dreading.
[00:46:16] Christmas.
[00:46:16] Because they're being around.
[00:46:18] A whole bunch of people.
[00:46:18] That are toxic.
[00:46:19] Or maybe they don't even have.
[00:46:21] A family.
[00:46:22] To go to.
[00:46:23] Because they lost so many people.
[00:46:24] Like what do you do.
[00:46:25] When you're alone.
[00:46:26] You know.
[00:46:27] When everybody else is celebrating.
[00:46:30] I think.
[00:46:31] So.
[00:46:32] I lost.
[00:46:33] My.
[00:46:34] Grandfather.
[00:46:35] Like.
[00:46:36] I have multiple.
[00:46:36] But like.
[00:46:37] This was like.
[00:46:38] One of the ones where like.
[00:46:39] Oh.
[00:46:39] He was like a staple.
[00:46:40] Of my life.
[00:46:41] Of sorts.
[00:46:42] I lost him not that long ago.
[00:46:44] I'm sorry about that.
[00:46:44] And like.
[00:46:46] Um.
[00:46:46] How you say.
[00:46:48] Uh.
[00:46:49] You know.
[00:46:50] There was like.
[00:46:51] There was a lot of things.
[00:46:52] Where like.
[00:46:52] I wasn't sure.
[00:46:53] Like.
[00:46:54] Oh.
[00:46:54] Is he.
[00:46:55] Like still around.
[00:46:56] You know.
[00:46:56] Like spiritually.
[00:46:57] Like is he somewhere else.
[00:46:59] Like is he nowhere.
[00:47:00] But like.
[00:47:01] A part of me that was like.
[00:47:03] He's still here with me.
[00:47:05] In a sense.
[00:47:05] Is because like.
[00:47:06] One thing I've always realized.
[00:47:08] Is like.
[00:47:08] If you love someone.
[00:47:09] And you've known them.
[00:47:10] For like a long time.
[00:47:12] For.
[00:47:13] There's like a lot of different things.
[00:47:14] Where it's like.
[00:47:15] You know what their like.
[00:47:16] Answer for that would be like.
[00:47:18] Man would they want me to do that.
[00:47:19] If you know them.
[00:47:20] You probably have a good idea.
[00:47:22] What that would be.
[00:47:23] What their answer would be on that.
[00:47:25] Right.
[00:47:25] So I feel like with that.
[00:47:26] I was like.
[00:47:27] I know what he would.
[00:47:28] His opinion on this.
[00:47:29] And that would be.
[00:47:30] Even though I had never talked with him.
[00:47:31] On this particular subject.
[00:47:33] So I was like.
[00:47:33] In a way.
[00:47:35] He's still like.
[00:47:36] Here with me.
[00:47:36] So it.
[00:47:38] If there's like.
[00:47:39] A particular aspect of loss.
[00:47:40] I would say.
[00:47:41] To.
[00:47:41] To do that exercise.
[00:47:43] To like.
[00:47:44] Remind yourself.
[00:47:45] That like.
[00:47:46] By one way or another.
[00:47:48] The person that I'm missing right now.
[00:47:50] Is still with me.
[00:47:52] I like that.
[00:47:54] Thank you for encouraging us.
[00:47:55] With that.
[00:47:56] Because I can definitely relate to that.
[00:47:58] I mean.
[00:47:58] As you were talking.
[00:47:59] I was thinking about my.
[00:48:00] My Lula.
[00:48:01] My grandmother.
[00:48:01] And.
[00:48:02] Yeah.
[00:48:03] You're right.
[00:48:03] When you know a person.
[00:48:04] Your whole life.
[00:48:05] You know what their values are.
[00:48:07] You know.
[00:48:07] I know my Lula valued education.
[00:48:08] I know that.
[00:48:09] She wanted me to finish school.
[00:48:11] It's like.
[00:48:12] I remember she told me.
[00:48:13] She was like.
[00:48:14] She was like.
[00:48:15] You keep talking.
[00:48:15] Because I would tell her.
[00:48:16] I was like.
[00:48:17] Lula.
[00:48:18] I'm gonna.
[00:48:18] I'm gonna graduate.
[00:48:19] Like.
[00:48:19] Don't worry about me.
[00:48:20] I'm gonna graduate.
[00:48:21] She's like.
[00:48:21] And she would laugh.
[00:48:21] And be like.
[00:48:22] You always say that you're gonna graduate.
[00:48:24] But you're not making.
[00:48:25] You're not prioritizing.
[00:48:26] You're studying.
[00:48:27] Dang.
[00:48:28] What's she doing?
[00:48:29] Got roasted by granny.
[00:48:31] You got roasted by granny.
[00:48:32] And so it's like.
[00:48:33] The fact that I've.
[00:48:35] Graduated now.
[00:48:35] It's like I know she would be so proud.
[00:48:39] You know.
[00:48:40] So.
[00:48:41] I.
[00:48:41] That encourages.
[00:48:42] I believe that that encourages a lot of people out there.
[00:48:44] Like.
[00:48:45] If you're missing somebody this holiday.
[00:48:47] And you know.
[00:48:48] They have passed away.
[00:48:49] It's like.
[00:48:50] Just take time.
[00:48:51] To.
[00:48:52] Be quiet within yourself.
[00:48:54] You know.
[00:48:54] Be by yourself.
[00:48:55] And just reflect on.
[00:48:56] Who they are.
[00:48:57] The times that you've had together.
[00:48:59] The conversations that you've had.
[00:49:00] And.
[00:49:01] Just you know.
[00:49:02] Think about.
[00:49:03] What they.
[00:49:04] What their input would be.
[00:49:05] About what you're currently going through.
[00:49:07] Because it is sad.
[00:49:07] Like.
[00:49:08] We're going through life.
[00:49:09] But I.
[00:49:09] I'm not able to.
[00:49:11] Talk to my Lula.
[00:49:12] About the fact that.
[00:49:14] I'm.
[00:49:16] Working for my dad.
[00:49:18] Working for the.
[00:49:19] The organization.
[00:49:20] As a whole.
[00:49:21] Working for young.
[00:49:22] Black men.
[00:49:23] And their.
[00:49:24] Success.
[00:49:25] In.
[00:49:25] In a city.
[00:49:26] For the man up club.
[00:49:26] Like.
[00:49:27] As the youth and program director.
[00:49:28] You know.
[00:49:28] So it's like.
[00:49:30] But I know she'd be proud.
[00:49:32] You know.
[00:49:33] So.
[00:49:33] That's really good.
[00:49:35] Chrome.
[00:49:36] Do you have any other.
[00:49:37] Encouragements.
[00:49:38] For people who are going through.
[00:49:39] A hard time right now.
[00:49:41] I know you wanted to touch on.
[00:49:42] Forgiveness as well.
[00:49:44] Yeah.
[00:49:44] That's exactly what I was about to say man.
[00:49:46] Forgive your cousin.
[00:49:47] That did you wrong.
[00:49:50] Forgive.
[00:49:51] Your.
[00:49:51] Your auntie.
[00:49:52] For eating up all the cranberry.
[00:49:54] Cranberry sauce.
[00:49:56] Or.
[00:49:57] Making that whack macaroni.
[00:49:58] Right.
[00:49:59] Somebody who messed up on the black.
[00:50:01] On the macaroni.
[00:50:02] That macaroni might have been looking like some black and mild.
[00:50:05] It might.
[00:50:05] It might have been.
[00:50:07] Just forgive man.
[00:50:09] It's all good.
[00:50:13] What's making you.
[00:50:14] What's making you encourage people to say forgive.
[00:50:16] Like why.
[00:50:16] Why.
[00:50:16] Why are you making it a point to talk about forgiveness.
[00:50:18] I mean.
[00:50:19] Just like you said.
[00:50:20] At a time of holidays.
[00:50:21] People get into a lot of conflict.
[00:50:23] And a lot of drama.
[00:50:24] A lot of things get brought up.
[00:50:26] And a lot of people.
[00:50:27] You know.
[00:50:27] You might.
[00:50:29] Go over to grandma's house on a holiday.
[00:50:31] Or on Christmas.
[00:50:32] And leave.
[00:50:33] You.
[00:50:34] You came in with a cousin.
[00:50:35] And now you're leaving by yourself.
[00:50:37] If you catch my drift.
[00:50:38] You know what I'm saying.
[00:50:39] Instead of just.
[00:50:39] Just sorting it out right there.
[00:50:41] Forgiving.
[00:50:42] The person that did you wrong.
[00:50:43] Or said something wrong to you.
[00:50:44] Or made you feel offended.
[00:50:45] Forgive them on the spot.
[00:50:47] And.
[00:50:47] And.
[00:50:49] Just.
[00:50:49] Love each other on that day.
[00:50:50] That's what it's supposed to be about.
[00:50:51] You know what I mean.
[00:50:52] It's not supposed to be about drama and conflict.
[00:50:54] It's just about to be.
[00:50:55] Us coming together.
[00:50:55] Together.
[00:50:56] And.
[00:50:57] We're all still alive.
[00:50:58] We're here together.
[00:50:59] Right now.
[00:50:59] We're alive.
[00:51:00] Yeah.
[00:51:00] You know I might.
[00:51:02] Yeah.
[00:51:03] No that's.
[00:51:03] That's good.
[00:51:04] That's wonderful.
[00:51:05] This has been another episode.
[00:51:07] Of the Man Up Club Presents podcast.
[00:51:09] Tune in for the next episode.