What If

In this episode of They Call Me Daddy, Mack, Mondo, and Torrean process a tragic local school shooting and the fears every parent carries when sending kids back to class. They delve into safety policies, mental health, and the tension between faith, love, and action—concluding with a call for parents and communities to come together.

Transcript

Torrean: 0:00
Yo, yo, yo, yo. What's good y'all? Welcome to another episode of the they Call Me Daddy Parents Podcast. Let me introduce my co-host. We got Mac and we got Mondo. My name is Torrean, aka Daddy. What's going on y'all? How y'all doing today? What's up, fellas?
Mondo 0:16
What it do, man, we out here, we out here, we out here.
Mack: 0:21
Yes, September 2nd, kids are officially back in school. Had a little bit of a busy morning dropping the boys off. Uh, three or four are at school. I got a little one in the house. He's still waiting to start school on thursday, so I apologize for any interruptions early, it's all good all good how are you, how are you feeling, though?
Mack: 0:44
like you got, you got a day to yourself, or you got a whole bunch of tasks now oh man, I got the day to myself, which still full of tasks, but I don't have to stop and make lunch and get snacks every 10, 20 minutes, so that feels good. I'm just hoping that all the kids are, you know, happy to be back at school, and I know we're getting to the topic a little later of why some kids are a little hesitant and some parents are hesitant to feel in a certain way. But I'm just hoping and praying for a good school year For all the kids.
Mondo 1:13
Yeah for sure. Well, now that we're talking about school and the impact of school and like how Learning and education and all that Like it's so instrumental, like what happened in our community last week was I don't know it's like words can't quite grasp it Right Like the shooting at the church injuring, I think, 17 kids, two kids dying. Church injuring I think 17 kids, two kids dying. Like it's a huge, just strike to the morale, to families, to community, and now there are a lot of humans in distress saying things out loud. I'm like what should happen next or actions that should have been taken prior to, and so I think it's important for us to just lean in and just share some things out loud.
Mondo 2:09
Not that any one of us is right or wrong, but as a parent, as a dad both being in proximity to this how are you feeling? How are you showing up? What are some conversations you may have had with others? Like let's just have an open dialogue and maybe somebody listening to this podcast hears something that they didn't hear before and they lean in a little bit more. So anybody got some thoughts that they just want to share out loud?
Torrean: 2:37
first, yeah, I'd like to go, man. So just for context for everybody listening Annunciation Catholic School. There was a school shooting last week in Minneapolis and I didn't go to the private school but I drove by it almost every day going to school on the city bus to Richfield, so it's not too far from where I grew up in South Minneapolis and just hearing that like first thing I think about is Columbine, right Like Mondo, we were in high school or junior high at the time and it's just like how is this still happening? You're also very thankful that it didn't happen to your own kid, right Like that. Your own kid wasn't there.
Torrean: 3:29
I didn't really put two and two together and where the school was located or anything like that, anything else. I kind of had a lot going on and I'm on social media late at night on Facebook and I'm seeing these posts from people I went to high school with and I'm seeing these posts from people I went to high school with and I realized that two people I went to high school with I wasn't very close to them or anything like that, but I do know who they are. Their daughter was injured in the school shooting and it's like yo, that hit different, that hit way different and so like, obviously, thoughts and prayers, like to all of them, for sure, but it's just like I feel like we got to change something up, we got to do something different because, you know, we can't keep doing this. Today, rainy School, they basically said parents can't enter the school anymore before it starts. Our tradition is we always walk her to class. They basically said no, you can't do it. We got in there today, but going forward we can't do that anymore.
Mack: 4:46
Go ahead, mike, and that's something that bothers me, Because it wasn't a parent that was involved in this mass shooting, right, and if something were to go bad? Because we experienced this ourselves. You know, sometimes you just want to check on your kid but then they're like, oh no, no phone policy now. So as a parent, I feel a little vulnerable, like dang well, I can't contact my son if something goes bad, knowing that this just happened. So what am I supposed to do? You know what I'm saying. I don't know if you felt that way, Torrean, dropping Rainey off, but it bothers me. I don't feel like that helps the situation at all. It just makes me a little more anxious knowing that if something were to happen, my kid can't contact me, and or even they give me a hassle if I just want to go check on my kid at the school, see how their day's going. So like I feel like it's a little unfair. I don't feel like that's the solution. Um, but I'll let you carry on. I just want to know how you felt about that.
Torrean: 5:51
Nah, I mean, I agree with you a hundred percent. Uh, I agree with you a hundred percent because it's well, after we, you know, kiss rainy, goodbye. She went on and I'm walking through these empty halls, uh, or, you know, that's starting to get filled up with students coming in, because we were there right as they opened the doors and we're walking out and I'm like I have no protection, I have no insight of what goes on in this school when I leave, and that in itself is scary, especially like this is the first year that Rene has a male teacher, and it's like man. I got to think about that too, like yo. What happens, what's the? What's the bathroom protocol with him? What's all these things Right, and it's like I don't know man's. I see more and more people talk about homeschooling, but I think it's just even deeper than just like the, the mass shooting element of things. It's just like the whole. It's hard to trust anybody and school should have been as a safe space, so yeah it's heavy, and then also with them.
Mack: 7:07
Here in Minnesota, at least, I know that they voted to not have police officers inside the school buildings. Right, there has to be something alternative to that. It just can't be we lock our doors and that's it. I feel like we have to come up with something else to keep these kids protected while they're at school, whether it's just securing the perimeters or something Even. I feel like policemen should do that on their own, just them being that being their jobs. Like to protect civilians, like they can at least secure the perimeters. Like you see policemen sitting on a freeway waiting trying to pull somebody over, when really they could be active and doing something else protecting these kids, I feel like anyway.
Torrean: 7:51
Yeah, I mean, you know, mac, obviously you worked in. You were an educator at one point, worked in the school Mondo, your former educator, mondo. What are your initial thoughts?
Mondo 8:02
Yeah, I'm trying to like reflect on when Cadence was younger and how I felt when, like, certain things like this would happen or would come up, or when it would be a topic of conversation. Because mentally, I kind of had to like switch gears, right, because you're saying, hey, I went and dropped my kid off at school and I left, and now I feel powerless because of all these different barriers that are now presented and for me, dropping Kate and Solve a thousand miles away. I kind of had to reconcile that right, because it's just like it doesn't matter if she can call me or not, I can't get there in an instant, and so there's just a different mindset that I have to have to show up to Max point, like, hey, there's a certain type of anxiety, yes, there is. So, like, how are we handling that anxiety? Right, like. But then that also then goes to the humans who are, like, really struggling with anxiety and depression and things like that. Right, like, like they're put in a situation where they're trying to handle those things and they don't have the right tools, they're not equipped with the right humans around them to lean on, or they're not loved enough, or whatever. Because to me, as simple as this sounds and like I've never experienced anybody that committed suicide, like I've never had a close relationship with a human that has committed suicide. But to me I'm like this dude went in, shot up the school and to me, just had to have it in his mind, like after I do this, like it's going to be a wrap for myself, right. Like like committing suicide just had to be part of the plan, potentially.
Mondo 10:00
And when I just reflect on that, I'm like I'm loved so much and the people around me I feel like I love so much that, as they think through how do I handle this anxiety or this uncomfortable season of my life, they're always going to choose a path where they're like well, whatever it is, I'm going to do something to. Where I'm still here. Like, well, whatever it is, I'm going to do something to. Where I'm still here, right, just as they like think about all the pathways, I'm going to go make this choice. But I really love Mac and Mac really loves me. So I got to make sure that I get out on the other side and so, for some reason, this young man, along with a lot of other people, like they're going through their process of like what choice am I going to make next and for some reason there's not a human that they're like. I love this person so much and they love me so much that I want to be here.
Mondo 10:51
And so humans are making choices to me because somewhere there's a lack of love right, somewhere they don't feel a connection to where it's important enough for their life to continue moving forward in relationship with that person.
Mondo 11:07
And so I know I'm simplifying it because it could be a lot deeper than that. But just as I'm reflecting right now, I'm just like yo, like humans as a whole, we're lacking in the love that we have for each other. And that could be just close relationships, or it could be that stranger up the street Because, like, if I'm being 100, outside of one house on the block that I live on, I don't have a relationship with any of my neighbors you know what I'm saying Like somebody could be going through something traumatic or hard to handle right now, living two houses down, and because there's just not enough love on the block, like that person just feels isolated and they don't know what to do, they don't know where to turn to do, they don't know where to turn, and so, yeah, man, like there are a lot of different things we can do, but just as a community, we need more love yo.
Mack: 12:11
So no 100%. And I, from what I've seen, I think the kid did battle or struggle with mental stuff, which is normally the case, um, but the ripple effect that we, that happens right. So now you have all these different communities. I went to a youth led rally yesterday which ended up being a gun prevention. You know, take the guns away. The trans community showed up because I believe that, and some sexuality things as well. I just don't believe.
Mack: 12:49
Of course he's lacking in love. Of course, but for somebody to go and do something like that and then I don't know if you guys seen the photos of his ammunition when he wrote all these messages and stuff on there, are you guys familiar? You see it at all? That's some deep hate, man, because you're thinking about this and you're not empathetic or sympathetic. Like these are little children. He didn't care about that at all. So it's hard for me to empathize with him. Like, oh yeah, I feel bad. He needed love. When it's like as a human we know right and wrong, you know what I mean. Like it's just hard for me to feel bad for him or his situation when you can go and do something like that horrific.
Mondo 13:32
no, you're spot on. Clearly he he was filled with a lot of hate for whatever reason. He felt like an outcast or he felt invisible, or he was bullied at a certain season in his life. All those things played a role for him to reach that level of hate or disdain from others. But still it's hard for me to believe that I've been like we're doing a parent podcast because as dads we show up right for our kids in the in a way that I feel like is extremely loving.
Mondo 14:06
My belief is, if a young man struggling like that had a human like myself, like Torrean or like you in that household as present as we are as fathers, showing that level of love, those seeds of hate just can't grow to that level. Like I have to choose to believe that because, like there's a whole bunch of laws that we can put in place and then a whole bunch of laws that people 10 years later can change right, like those things can consistently come and go, but the one thing that we can do, that we have control over, is to fill our homes with pure love, present love, unapologetic love, and I just have to believe if we do that with fidelity, kids are going to do some goofy stuff, but not to the level of that hate. Kids are going to do some goofy stuff, but not to the level of that hate Cause that, that's just wild.
Mack: 15:07
And do any of you know his background? As far as parents I know, there's been speculation that his dad was a CIA, part of the CIA in some shape way or form.
Torrean: 15:18
And no, I don't know anything about it at all.
Mondo 15:21
But even my bad my bad for interrupting T. I just think about Mac and his boys. If Mac goes into his boys' room and sees all this ammo and sees the stuff written on the ammo, bruh. It just ain't never getting that far right there are signs right.
Mack: 15:40
There had to be some type of signs.
Mondo 15:43
If a person was present, right. But if you're just leaving that human to discern, I don't know how to handle his challenges independently. Again, this is no excuse to Buddy. Like, not at all Right. I am not saying anything. That he did was OK, but what I am saying is what is one thing that we can do to prevent this from happening again? And my answer is love.
Torrean: 16:19
I think the problem with that is is not everybody knows what love means, or love may look different to everybody, and so it's just like some people never, they're never told they're loved. Their parent never says I love you because that parent was never taught love. You know, some people were a B every day or told they're absolutely nothing from their parent because their parent was struggling from things. So like I love the fact that you leave with love and that's the solution. But then that gets into a little bit deeper, because some people have never been loved a day in their life, or they they're only shown love through material things, or they're only you know, or they think they're being loved, but then they're being sexually abused at home while being told I love you. So I think it's like it's one of the things where I feel like we have to approach it from a, from a community standpoint, and I want to share a story with y'all like kind of getting out subject, Go ahead Mondo.
Mondo 17:38
Before you lean into that story. I just feel like it's important for me to say this, because I used to not say this, right, like I used to not be the guy on the podcast or in the room that brings Jesus into every story. Like that was never my role ever. That brings Jesus into every story, like that was never my role, ever. However, even though I was wrapped with so much love from my family, from my dad, from my mom, when she was alive over the past few years, like really just studying the story of Jesus and how selfless he was. Like, if you study that life and say, like yo, this story of this human has transcended for over 2000 years, right, just the story. Right, so there is something that Godated through. Jesus was the model.
Mondo 18:40
So if you juxtapose, like I'm experiencing this conflict and really like the 1990s, like what would Jesus do?
Mondo 18:51
Nowhere on the sheet of paper does it say let me go get locked and loaded with this ammo.
Mondo 18:58
Right, just like nowhere in the story it's actually the exact opposite, which is like surrender.
Mondo 19:06
And so, even though there are humans who have horrific lived experiences and may not understand what love is like leaning into that word and being like I just got to have faith that this is the truth and if I walk on this straight line, like I will be delivered, I will be redeemed. Like choosing to believe that has to be the path, because everything else I just feel like is a band-aid. So like sorry to hop on that soapbox in this moment, but being that I've been loved so much and then recognizing that, like, the love of God is a hundred fold more powerful than even the love of humans around me, it's, it's transcendent and it's beyond words. And there has been a lot of pushback on people who are saying, like thoughts and prayers and it's like, but the humans who believe in that, all in, like a hundred percent, that, like, thoughts and prayers is the foundation, I believe those humans are onto something and so it's not to say other things aren't supposed to happen, but thoughts and prayers have to be the foundation.
Torrean: 20:19
So like, sorry for that leads into my story. That leads into my story so I'm going to share. So I have a profile picture that shows a cycle of mass shootings. I've used it for last three or four years now. But it's mass shooting which causes a media extra. Extravaganza. People want thoughts and prayers, social media debate, gun debates no one actually does anything and back to normal and this cycle continues to happen. It's been happening since Columbine. That's the earliest I remember used to happen. It's been happening since Columbine. That's the earliest I remember.
Torrean: 20:59
I have that as my Facebook post, as my profile picture on Facebook. It used to be all through all my social media platforms. But anyway, a guy I know yesterday decides that he wants to come on my page and give me a rant about how this is all liberal and this is all bullshit and how it's a trans problem and everything else, and I shouldn't be posting this propaganda on my page and everything else. Ot would have handled him right. Ot would have nipped that in the bud real quick and checked them. But Newtie was like man, I'm going to just cut you off. I'm going to block you and delete these posts, because I didn't post this to choose a side of liberal or conservative. I didn't choose. I chose this post as a damn parent, as a parent that's sick of this shit happening, as a parent that does not feel comfortable sending their kids to schools. It's like. I love the thoughts and prayers for those that believe in it. Like you said, mondo, that's great. But when are we, as parents, as people, actually gonna cut the the side shit off and saying it's guns, it's, it's guns, it's people, it's mental health, and pointing all the fingers and everything else and start debating this shit? And when are we going to actually start putting some action into place? Right, because I'm always going to pray every single day, but until our lawmakers, until us as a community, say it's enough, we've had enough of it to actually put effort into changing things. Because, at the end of the day, it's probably. It's a combination, everything. Right, it's a combination of mental health, it's a combination of the fact that people can get access to guns. It's a combination to uh, to everything. But we're sitting there stuck on the debate. We're sitting there stuck on the on. We're sitting there stuck on the finger pointing. I'm trying this thing where I'm not cussing on the podcast, but in this case, man, it's just straight bullshit.
Torrean: 23:06
I'm somebody that is very strong in my faith. I always have been. I believe prayer needs to be action for things to happen, even those that are not religious or not a believer in any higher power that could be an atheist, for that matter. They have an opinion on these things too, because some of these people are at the rally that Mac went to. These people have to send their kids to school, and so we all are aligned to say enough is enough. We're the problem. It's the people with enough sense that want to sit there and debate shit instead of getting things done. We're the problem.
Mondo 23:52
So let me start with us.
Torrean: 23:53
Let it start with us, because, hey, you know what? Let's just say the person that's heavy on prayer or on love has no mental health issues. Let's just say that's, that's the example. Let's just say the person that is an atheist, that does not believe, has no mental health issues. We are seeing a lot more clear than the people that do have mental health issues, and so it's our responsibility to do something and then start to love and then start to heal and stop finger pointing. But until we do that, ain't shit going to change man.
Mondo 24:35
Like. You said something to me that was so important, one. Like. You said a lot of yes and statements, right, like I, Torrean, am deep in my faith and I pray often. So when I said, like thoughts and prayers, like it has to be the foundation, and then you were like and we need to take action? No-transcript, you responded in a way that was more in alignment with a believer.
Mondo 25:34
But if you hadn't been praying frequently and leaning into your faith, you would have responded in a different way and you would have went down this cycle of frustration or disdain for another or whatever, right. And then, like, mentally, you're pissed off for the next three days because you've been arguing back and forth with this person who ended up calling you out of your name or something. Right, so like, because you are so grounded in your faith, and somebody that comes to you with that type of hate or negative energy because you're unwilling to even comment on it or put it in your backpack and carry or debate. Because of that, you're a person who should be in the room when different decisions are being made, because you have a level of discipline and discernment to make a choice that's not coming from a place of anger or hate or frustration. That is because, as a human, you're centered in your faith. However, somebody who is onboarding those things, right, who is not pure in heart and this is not a knock on anybody, right, we're all humans growing, trying to become a better version of ourselves but somebody who's walking around already carrying a lot of non-open belief in somebody who is trans or gay or of a different race, right?
Mondo 26:52
If you're already carrying those things, then when you're in a room trying to write a law, like you're going to write a law that is not of love you know what I'm saying? Like it's going to be leaning in a way that is not in love because, like it's just an expression of who you are. And so to me, man, it just goes back to like you are. And so to me, man, it just goes back to like Torraine, yes, you are right, but you said, like we got to heal and like, of all the characters in any story, everywhere, as a human, as a superhero, as a fantasy film, like Jesus Christ is the healer, right? So if we have to heal and Jesus is not at the center of the story, like like where does the healing come from? Go ahead, both of y'all like want to hop in, go for it.
Mack: 27:46
I don't know how deep y'all want to get. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead All right.
Torrean: 27:51
So, respectfully, mondo, I appreciate, I appreciate your take on that. So, respectfully, mondo, I appreciate your take on that and I'm a believer as well. But I think the issue is is, when we say thoughts and prayers we talk about, you know, it's mainly Christians, right, but what about Muslims? What about Hindus? What about Buddhists? What about atheists? What about Jewish people? What about other people of other faiths? Because now we then get into a religious debate and nothing else gets done.
Mondo 28:19
I said Christ Correct. I said believer in Christ. I didn't say anything about religion. I said believer in Christ.
Torrean: 28:27
As soon as you say that, then the person is going to say Allah, right, or something else, they can think about that. And so, right, or something else they could, they can think about that. And so you know that is going to spark then that religious debate side. Right and like.
Torrean: 28:42
My whole thing is is we need to like we're all our kids. The schools are a melting pot, right, but but, mac, I'll let you chime in after I say this but the voice unheard is going to look for alternative methods to be heard, and I think that's what gets missed in all these debates. It's like the person that you know that people may do it or whatever we're talking about mental health issues or whatever it's because their voice isn't being heard. So now they feel like they got to do extreme measures to get it heard. And so if we can't find that way to respect each other's and I'm not saying, mondo, you weren't respecting anybody, that's not what I'm saying at all, but I'm just saying if we can't get to the point where we can't respect everybody at the table, then that voice unheard is going to find other measures. Yeah, go ahead, mac, what you think.
Mondo 29:42
No, I'm going to let Mondo respond Go ahead, have a we all have had mentors or we have had a human or like some idea of a human, like somebody above us, who have become our role model. Right, rather that as a parent at one time, or rather, you're like, I want to be like the president of the United States, obama or Trump, whatever, right? Like there's a role model who many people aspire to be like at certain seasons in their life, and then some people hit that ceiling, ring the bell and they're just like, oh okay, this is what life is like as this type of person, this archetype, with the modeling, these behaviors. All right, bet I can go past that. Let me hit this next level.
Mondo 30:36
For me and my lived experience, I felt like as a character, like the attributes that I embodied, like I kept climbing the ladder of what I just call like a good guy in the story, and I got to a point where there was no other role model for me to look at that I could strive to be like. The only role model left was Jesus Christ and so somebody else who is of a different religion. Great. But my ask then becomes who is your role model Like? What role model are you looking to? To be like man. When I'm at this crossroads and I have this challenge, I reflect on this moment and like for me there is not a better role model than Christ. And so if you present Christ as a role model in every single situation and you say contrast the decision that you're about to make with the decision that you believe Christ would make in this moment, given the circumstances, if you always do that, 100 percent of the time, no matter what your religion is, I imagine we will get in alignment and so, like it's not a knock on other people's religion, it's just like yo. When things get tough and challenging, how are you going to respond? And knowing that there was a human or God in human form who walked this earth at a time when, like life was more challenging than it was today, but that human was still able to walk a perfect walk his entire life, that's a role model to look towards and it's the hardest role model to follow, hardest role model to follow. And that's where, like when I really like zoom out, I'm just like yo. There are so many different paths where we can go to war, or we can go be an officer and pull out our guns, or we can go and like write certain laws, like all those things are necessary, but the most challenging, most disciplined role in the story is to follow in the footsteps of Christ.
Mondo 32:54
Today, like, like, if you really reflect in every single moment, like man, what I'm doing is it Christ-like? We can never meet that standard, it's impossible. But if you consistently reflect on that and that becomes your role model, like yo, you become the light to everybody around you. And that person then cross paths with that next human who is really struggling with life, who's at the bottom pits, and they're like, dang, like.
Mondo 33:25
I just met this dude named torrin today and there was something about him, bro, he had the light right, he had the glow, and he just sat and talked to me. And something about, something about him, bro, he had the light right, he had the glow and he just sat and talked to me and something about what he said. Man, like the thing that I was about to do, I'm not going to do it no more, simply because this stranger sat with me and had a conversation Like those moments of care and kindness and generosity, if they happen over and over and over and over and over, the community is going to change more than if somebody downtown saint paul changes six laws like it's it's humans.
Torrean: 34:01
So that glow, that light.
Mondo 34:03
That's why they call me daddy baby hey, I, I man, I went on, I went on a tangent man, Torrean yo, that's a good response, but I, I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave. Mac on the edge, man like man.
Mack: 34:20
I don't even know if I want to hop in, to be honest, because, mondo, you 100 right, but there are people to Torrean's point that he might be atheist. So all of that doesn't exist to him. All he knows is hate. Maybe some people worship hate. I mean, we watch all these superhero movies and people's favorite is always a villain. Right, my name going to live forever if I go do this tragic thing. So I agree with you 100%, but it's just. How do we get other people to get there? I think that's where the disconnect is, because you're 100 right, but everybody's not there, right?
Mondo 34:57
so we're all growing, yeah, we're all growing. And man like, just for the audience show. I want to like, like, really take this moment to be like. I was never this human to say these type of words. But I am the type of dude who, no matter what I do, I go all in on the thing. Right, I'm talking about somebody. Be like man. Is Mondo the type of dude that's going to jump out of an airplane and try to put the parachute together while he's falling? Absolutely, I am always that dude.
Mondo 35:26
And so when I reached this intersection in life where I was like, oh, jesus, right Like I was like, oh, like that's supposed to be part of my identity, like I just went all in from that point. So I'm so late to the game, like 37 to 40 of like leaning into this relationship with Christ. But just the way my personality is, it's like doing my best to go all in, to be the best version of whatever thing that I opt into. And so I speak with so much passion about this because I've grown so much over the last three years and I didn't even know like this type of lived experience was even possible. Right, like I already thought my life was dope and fire and everything about me was on point, like I was arrogant and many people would call me conceited behind closed doors, right, but I love my life.
Mondo 36:26
Stubborn, stubborn, right, but now like hard-headed. But now I'm stubborn and hard-headed for christ, right. If somebody's just like, oh yeah, but it can't just be god, I'm stubborn, oh yeah, it can't just be jesus. Hard-headed, right, like I'm the cat that, like there's just no way you can knock me off of that now, and so I'm always gonna be that dude in the room and then I'm gonna be the cat that you know I make my own mistake and somebody going to be like ah, I thought she was the one who and I'm going to be like yo, forgive me, right, so like, it's not about being perfect, but it is about doing your best in every single moment and then, when you fall short, just get up and do your best the next day.
Mack: 37:18
I think I just want to say this me praying and me having my relationship with God, like I am humble enough to know that I am just a servant and I know nothing. He knows. All right, so me having that mentality is yeah, mondo was saying something.
Mondo 37:49
He probably is right. You're saying something, you're probably right. Somebody else saying something. They probably are right, but right doesn't really matter, because we have to learn to live amongst one another. So I know nothing. I'm just here to listen. I'm just here to learn from everybody. That's just the mentality that I have. No, I'm with you. I mean, when I have conversations, I no longer debate. To be right.
Mondo 37:59
I feel like my call to action is to have a conversation and just to create pause, like if I say something and then somebody pause and they ponder something that I said for just a minute. Like I feel like that's a seed. That then is just like a good loving word, that down the line, somebody be like man. I remember when I was listening to his podcast and this thing was said but I don't think I've ever been in a debate with somebody and they agreed with the opposite thing that I agreed with, and at the end of that conversation they were like man, you right, bro, I was wrong the whole time. It ain't never happened in no conversation ever.
Mondo 38:43
And so I just tried to say something that creates pause and reflection, and maybe in that pause and reflection a human chooses to pivot, and they don't even have to pivot all the way in my direction, they just make a small pivot and they just go like read some different material or consider some different choices or go have a conversation with a new human right. It's all a journey. And to Mac's point, like I always say, I know, I don't know, like I 100% know that I don't know, but I do believe in certain things with extreme conviction, and so the things that I believe in, I like walk with those things on my shoulder but like, am I right for somebody else? No, but in that moment, the thing that I am supposed to say out loud, with the passion in which I say it out loud, I do feel like God is calling me to do that, because if I don't say the thing out loud, then I'm not being in service to the loving plan.
Mack: 39:46
Mm-hmm.
Torrean: 39:47
Today is September 2nd 2025, at 1106 am. I'm here to testify that I've never heard Mondo say I don't know.
Mack: 40:00
Oh, come on, I have. I never heard Mondo say that, you know what I'm saying, I know, I don't know.
Mack: 40:12
Just off of what we talked about today, I think that the main thing that came out of today was loving other people around you. If you're going through any problems, you have anything going on mentally, always reach out, try to talk to somebody about your problems, meditate, get spiritually aligned. Put that number one on your list, um, but yeah, man, love on your neighbors, love on the people around you, love on your community and uh, yeah, hopefully, uh, you say some nice encouraging words to somebody that you may not know. Or if you see somebody that looks like they're having a rough day, just greet them. You never know, it could, uh, make the world difference to somebody that's may not know. Or if you see somebody that looks like they're having a rough day, just greet them. You never know, it could make the world difference to somebody. That's all I got.
Mondo 40:57
Torrean, you want to wrap it up?
Torrean: 41:00
Yeah, I'll wrap it up for sure. My thoughts are we just got to start listening to each other and start taking action. It's a heavy topic today on the podcast. If you made it this far, we appreciate it for sure, but it's one of those things where we got to take action as parents. As a dad, I'm sick of seeing this shit, sick of hearing this shit, and I feel like that's the case for moms as well. I think that's the case for all parents.
Mondo 41:34
Peace.
Torrean: 41:36
That being said, for my co-host Mac and my co-host Mondo. My name is Torrean, aka Daddy we out.