Life After I Do Podcast

Hot Takes!

Life After I Do Season 1 Episode 123

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0:00 | 1:06:21

What really holds a marriage together when real life shows up? In this episode of Life After I Do Podcast, we dig into the truths couples don’t always say out loud—from financial infidelity and dead bedrooms to the quiet ways disrespect and disconnection creep in. With humor and honesty, we explore why small daily choices matter more than big gestures.

Through personal reflections and listener scenarios involving money boundaries, family expectations, and first-date red flags, this conversation offers practical insight into protecting trust, choosing each other consistently, and repairing the bond before resentment takes root. If you want real talk about love, money, and modern marriage, this episode delivers.

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Thanks for rocking with us! Don’t forget to follow Life After I Do so you never miss an episode. Got a relationship situation you want us to weigh in on? Hit us at https://beacons.ai/laidpodcast — we just might talk about it in a future episode.

Cold Open: The Crayon Box Metaphor

SPEAKER_01

The point is that it is you and I in one crayon box. Okay. And we must protect our crayon box. We can't sit up here and let all those funky colored crayons come in and like the neon greens.

SPEAKER_05

Okay.

Welcome, Vibes, And Black History Month

SPEAKER_01

And the various blues and purples. Okay. And them ugly sparkle glitters. We can't. Hold on, my baby loves a little girl sparkle, okay? Okay. We can't allow them to come into the crayon box with us. Hey everyone, and welcome back to your weekly dose of the life after I do podcast. Come in, sit down, enjoy, relax, turn us up in the car. Happy Black History Month. If you're around the house cleaning.

SPEAKER_06

Happy Black History Month.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, and happy Black History Month.

SPEAKER_06

I'm black all year, but this is when I'm blackity, black, black, black.

SPEAKER_01

Goodbye. Goodbye. I started to wear my um what? Ah my uh I just went blank. You know what I mean, though.

SPEAKER_06

And for all you fellas out don't, all you fellas out there capping talking about happy black history moment, but then you go to the party and say, excuse me, my soul, can you tap that white woman next to you?

SPEAKER_00

What? Really? It's so stupid.

SPEAKER_06

My milk of magnesia. When the devil made you, he broke the moat. That is my favorite part of that movie.

SPEAKER_01

And what movie is that for the people?

SPEAKER_06

Don't be a menace.

SPEAKER_01

So silly. Happy Black History Month to everyone. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah. We got some black history upstairs. You want to make another one? I can't. You wanna make another one?

SPEAKER_01

How are you, dear?

SPEAKER_06

You know, some days are good, some days are bad, but we keep it rolling. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

What was today?

SPEAKER_06

Today was pretty good.

SPEAKER_01

Today was good. You've been in a good mood today.

SPEAKER_06

I think it was that pre-workout. I did a line today.

SPEAKER_01

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_06

I told you. I'm in love with the cocoa.

SPEAKER_01

Is that you chopping up your pre-workout?

SPEAKER_06

Got it for the low.

SPEAKER_01

He's so stupid. Is that you breaking down your pre-workout? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

I'm a little nervous though.

Health Talk: Colonoscopy Nerves And House Maintenance

SPEAKER_01

Why?

SPEAKER_06

Because you know, you know, by the time y'all hear this, I'm preparing to get split roasted.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. He's not getting split roasted. He's getting an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. At the same time. I got mine at the same time. You're not even taking me out to eat. We're at that age now where we gotta check all the pipings. They're not even taking me out to eat. Okay. No, they told you not to eat. Right. They treat me like they picked me up on fick roll. Okay. Goodbye. Good darn bye. My whole family wife and girl darn. They treat me like a common street walker. Whatever. You're doing what I like to call house maintenance now.

SPEAKER_06

They're talking about it's gonna take 30 minutes.

SPEAKER_00

And I'm gonna quick day to that.

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Well, yeah, it takes about 30 minutes. And then you gotta kick it in the back for a little bit because they gotta make sure like you're cool, like after coming from under itself.

SPEAKER_03

I'm not gonna be cool.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Just hope they don't do you dirty like they did me where you charge it. When they put the the little thing in my mouth, they didn't realize that they had my lip clipped with the little thing. And so when I came out my lips ain't big as yours. When I came out to recovery, I was like, what the hell's going on with my lip? And my lip had swelled up. My lip ain't as big as yours. Okay, Demale. Let's just hope you never complain about better. I ain't never complained about them though. Whatever. I mean, you're not gonna here's the thing. You're not even gonna remember anything. I'm not, I've never complained about either set of your lips. Okay, stop it. Like I said, you're not gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_06

We are also approaching the day of love. But I've been in love with you for a long time. Okay, Demel. So you can you can graze over that all you want to. I know you're a grazer. Okay, I'm gonna wait till you're done. I'm gonna graze later, too.

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna wait till you're done.

SPEAKER_06

I ain't never done. This is for life.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Life after I do. This is your life because you said I do. Okay. Okay. This is your life. Ain't no different. It's like today in the gym. I went on got PJ and I was like, look, look, look, look. She's like, what? You see Mark over there? She said, yeah, so look all that ass. Because that ass was ass. You was in the RDLs. And it was ass. I said, look at that's goddamn.

SPEAKER_01

I said you don't even wear your glasses in the gym. Cut it out. Like you pull looking over your glasses. I said, Miss Parker got hella. Bye-bye. Hey, Miss Parker. He's so silly. But yeah, so like I like I was saying, you're not even gonna remember it. Okay, it don't matter. But that's you're gonna remember going in and waking up.

SPEAKER_06

Today's a good day. I had therapy um yesterday. Today's a good day, and you know, I talked some stuff out.

SPEAKER_01

You talked yourself out.

SPEAKER_06

I'll talk some stuff out.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, I was like, you tried to do that.

SPEAKER_06

We talked about you a lot yesterday.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_06

You're stressing me out. That's great.

SPEAKER_01

I'm happy I was a topic.

SPEAKER_06

We actually didn't talk about that child. But uh, you know.

SPEAKER_01

We talked about that child.

SPEAKER_06

But it's um today's a good day.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

It ain't bad.

Therapy Wins, Gym Banter, And Family Life

SPEAKER_01

It ain't bad. You did pretty good today in the gym. Yeah, I mean, it's whatever. I mean, I saw you struggling with your arm curls for a little bit, but other than that, hold up. Hold up. I think you did hold up. What? What's meant? Hold up. What? What's better? What's wrong? Huh?

SPEAKER_03

Who? Who? You're an owl now?

unknown

Who?

SPEAKER_03

What happened? Who? Who? Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_06

Easy dark chocolate. I wouldn't want you to melt.

SPEAKER_01

I saw your face. You had like a nice grimace going on when you had to make it look tough.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, okay. Like you were there.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay. Is that what it was?

SPEAKER_06

I didn't want you to feel like I wasn't. How was your week, babe?

SPEAKER_01

Shut up. It's like I wasn't getting it. My week was good.

SPEAKER_06

That's good. That's good. Why are you saying like that?

SPEAKER_01

No, come on, tell us about your week. Oh, I mean, yeah, like I said.

SPEAKER_06

Because you have been complaining about your back since Saturday.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so my well, yeah, my spider erectors were very, very on fire, very sore. Your back look good. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06

When you take that dress off. Okay. When it hit the phone.

SPEAKER_01

Um, but yeah, so I didn't.

SPEAKER_06

I did um and slip on your and don't keep me at the table.

SPEAKER_01

Did somebody asleep up you? Um, yeah, my back was hurting because I was doing my workout on Saturday and it was sore. So, I mean, I guess it's a testament to me trying to work hard. Yeah, I was trying to work hard. I didn't, I mean, I wasn't in pain. It was typical soreness. Okay, because big. It wasn't a man, but yeah, so um, but other than that, um my my beautiful angel of a child had comp this past week. So that was fun.

SPEAKER_06

Did we talk about that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so that was fun. That was fun. It's been a year. Yeah, it was good. It's good to see all the parents together in one place. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_06

Didn't want to mention that.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

You know, I know a lot of people saw my video. I I was just talking crap. I know I'm gonna be there.

SPEAKER_01

I'm just I'm just you have to vent a little bit.

SPEAKER_06

I have to vent. I have to grieve.

SPEAKER_01

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_06

Have you know, take my denial?

SPEAKER_01

Take your what?

SPEAKER_06

My denial. You know, I have to go through the whole process, but I'm gonna be there.

SPEAKER_01

I obviously you're gonna be there because how will we get there?

SPEAKER_06

You would drive.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, like I said, how would we get there? You would be a whole adult. Uh I don't feel like pro maxing.

SPEAKER_06

Uh slide your the pen off and put the bigger pin.

SPEAKER_01

Bye. Out of here. Um, no, but yeah, like I said, this is a crazy. We had um, we had uh first count of the season, which was really fun. It was nice to see all the parents. It was really, it was actually really cool to see the reaction of all the first time parents like going through it and experiencing, you know, everything. And it's we and the um, me and my friend Julie, we were like, oh dang, now we're the now we're yeah, we're the veteran parents now, you know what I mean? Like trying to walk through trying to walk the new parents through it all.

SPEAKER_06

So the one dad asked me, so how is it? I said, we bought the Dia for four hours, so you can watch your daughter for three minutes. And then we're gonna then it's gonna take another 45 minutes at award, and then they're gonna be starving. You gotta feed them immediately immediately after. Like if you gotta show up to rewards with a snack.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, you gotta show up with a snack. And that's the only thing. I mom failed that day because I didn't.

SPEAKER_06

Because I came through.

SPEAKER_01

You did you can't you did not?

SPEAKER_06

I came through. You did not, I got her on time.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, I'm talking about the snack part. I forgot her snack. I forgot her snack. Okay, whatever. But anyway. She didn't care. The way she was eating that mac and cheese afterwards, she didn't care. Because she was hungry, the baby was starving. You sit up there and and do a square for four hours at 6 a.m. and see how you feel.

SPEAKER_06

What took me out is like, she said, Dad, you know what I'm you know my order. Calm down.

SPEAKER_01

You too.

SPEAKER_06

We get it.

SPEAKER_01

Every time we sit down somewhere, you know my order.

SPEAKER_06

I know that you want mac and cheese and fries. That's what you want, but then you can eat off everybody else's plate.

SPEAKER_01

Well, yeah, because she doesn't exactly know what to order. And so I feel like she she has to see what everybody else is ordering. And then when she sees their food, she's like, Oh, you know what? That would have been good, and it's gonna go great with my fries and mac and cheese. So go ahead and slide some of that on over here.

SPEAKER_06

That's just like when we took her to reference, she was like, Dad, did you order my potatoes? Did it come with your meal? Because you normally order potatoes on side for me.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because I don't really get potatoes. Did you get my potatoes?

SPEAKER_06

Yes, I got your potatoes. Oh, thank you.

unknown

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01

And then the way she eats her bacon, oh my gosh, the way that girl eats bacon is hilarious. Fat first. She loves like any type of fat on meat, she loves the fat. If it's chicken, if it's beef, it doesn't matter. She eats the fat first and then she thinks about eating the meat. I'd be like, girl, you can't keep eating the fat off of the meat and then thinking about the meat second. Uh but yeah, other than that, I had a really good week. Um, I don't have any complaints. I felt like I was a little low energy this week, though. Why are you looking at me like that? You had no complaints. I don't have any complaints. You've been complaining all week. About what? Me. Oh, well, that's different. That's and I, ooh, that's different.

SPEAKER_06

And I, you know, I'm a good man, Savannah. That's just I'm a good man.

SPEAKER_01

That's a part of daily living, you know?

SPEAKER_06

I'm a good man, Savannah. Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, okay. I'm a good man, Savannah.

SPEAKER_01

Bye-bye. Uh, but like I said, it was a good week. I do feel like, I do feel like I was a little low energy for the gym, you know, except for uh yesterday. Yesterday was a really good day, I think.

SPEAKER_06

You know what? You had a really good bench day. I did. You phoned it in. You could have that last room you had it. I feel like you had it. I feel like you gave up. I felt like you like I felt like I didn't give up.

SPEAKER_01

I was trying to prevent myself from hurting my damn neck.

SPEAKER_06

I felt like you had past trauma of me not supporting you properly.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely, because like I said, I was trying not to hurt my damn neck. Once you get burned, once.

SPEAKER_06

And shout out, shout out to our friend uh the the Mr. Uh CPA himself, Mr. Fitzhugh. He said uh he was like, it looks like Mo waiting for her to hit the two plates. And I'm coming.

SPEAKER_01

I ain't gonna be like bullshit. If y'all just patiently wait, I'm gonna tell y'all right now, though, she patiently wait.

SPEAKER_06

She hit these two plates, y'all gotta address her. Y'all look here. She's gonna change, she might change her whole moniker on her.

SPEAKER_01

No, you just gotta address me as big ma'am.

SPEAKER_06

Big ma'am is wild. Big ma'am is wild.

SPEAKER_01

You're just gonna have to address me as big ma'am for like a week.

SPEAKER_06

Not big.

SPEAKER_01

That's it. And I told you, you're gonna have to at least give me a week.

SPEAKER_06

I gotta be like Until you hear that shit outside the gym, you're gonna be like, oh, big ma'am?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

You're like, ooh, relax. You already uh a little hurt when they call you Miss Nisha.

SPEAKER_01

Wait, what's the other guy's name? Every time I see him, like when before I walk up to him, he like, he, he like bows to me like that. You do a one? Yeah, he bows to me, and I'm like, don't do that.

SPEAKER_00

You gotta go.

SPEAKER_01

Relax. Uh but yeah, so when I when I hit my two plates.

SPEAKER_06

I like when you say win. When I hit my two plates on squat, I'm gonna let you know.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. You did hit your two plates on squat.

SPEAKER_06

Nah, not like you do.

SPEAKER_01

Well, babe, we don't we don't compare ourselves to others.

SPEAKER_06

We do. We do. We do.

SPEAKER_01

We do. We don't compare ourselves to others.

SPEAKER_06

Somebody asked me, I said, I am confident that I can outlift my wife in every lift. You can. Except for a squat.

SPEAKER_01

Well, if you work at it, you can.

SPEAKER_06

I don't have the core strength she has, and I don't have uh the the knees she has. She got knees like Maya.

SPEAKER_01

You know what?

Parenting, Competitions, And Feeding A Hungry Teen

SPEAKER_06

But it's something it's funny that you had I got I got knees like Forrest before he before he really embraces off.

SPEAKER_02

Goodbye. You stuff.

SPEAKER_01

Um, you said the core strength, and um, that's why I wanted to say I did conquer a I don't want to say a fear. It was just like in an uncomfortable, an uncomfortable situation I had to redeem myself from. So about what was it, maybe three or four years ago, um, when I was with my first trainer, she had put me on the decline for abs. And when I got on there, this was when I was like 70 pounds heavier. And she was like, um, she was like, okay, now sit up. And I was like, girl. She was like, sit up. And I was like, It ain't happening, girl, it's not even gonna happen. And I I remember being at the gym and she Molly girl, right, Molly girl, you in danger. And she was just literally looking at me like, all you have to do is sit up. And I just laid there and I was like, but you really don't understand. Like, I really can't just sit up like that.

SPEAKER_06

She sounded like me when I tell PJ, just push it.

SPEAKER_01

Just push it. Like, it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_06

She's like, you can't, no, you got it, push it.

SPEAKER_01

So um, you know, I I I nor I do, you know, I do planks, I do my uh weighted crunches and all that stuff, but I still never went back to that decline. And then it just made me think because I decline bench sometimes, right? And I was like, I'm on a decline and I get up and down it like without even thinking about it. That's what made me dawn on it.

SPEAKER_06

But you're not there to sit up.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, well, but but I sit up because I have to sit up when I'm done decline benching and I have to lay down. So then it made me think, okay, well, I should be able to do the decline like crunches again, you know, and really and really replace the old memory of myself with a more suitable one. And so anyway, long story short, I got on there.

SPEAKER_06

You did it.

SPEAKER_01

And I did it for reps.

SPEAKER_06

And I was like, oh, I was like, okay. You look good.

SPEAKER_01

I was like, okay, core strength come through.

SPEAKER_06

Them girls will stay.

SPEAKER_01

Core strength come through. I was like, okay, core strength come through, come through. But then I did rediscover something else. Like, you know, I've been trying to like find my weak points, you know, in my in my okay, yeah, tell me.

SPEAKER_06

I off camera, I don't want to.

SPEAKER_01

But what I've determined is that my left, I feel like my left glute is more dominant than my right glute, but then my right quad is more dominant than my left quad. That makes sense. Conversational. Crazy though.

SPEAKER_06

It's crazy work.

SPEAKER_01

It's crazy work.

SPEAKER_06

I will say this. Uh, someone today told me that I look swole, uh-huh, and I said, ma'am, I'm married.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. She's your gym daughter for crying out loud.

SPEAKER_06

I'm married. Calm down.

SPEAKER_01

Cut it out.

SPEAKER_06

I say, I say, calm down, you go hiking.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Calm down.

SPEAKER_01

I can't with you. Okay. Anyways. Anyways. What do we got today, booster? Hot takes. We got hot takes. Uh, marino hot takes.

SPEAKER_06

Is it hot take or hot shit?

SPEAKER_01

Hot shit.

SPEAKER_06

Ooh, I'm going down, down, baby. Your street in the range. Street sweeper, baby. Oh, we can't. Oh, that's right. What's it, Nellie Maggie? Oh, never mind. Hot takes.

SPEAKER_01

Hot takes. Okay, so it's um apparently everything I say is a hot take. So, you know, with all of the all of the hoopla and videos and everything. Yeah, you know, I'm getting old. Um, all the okay. Really? Hoopla.

SPEAKER_06

Really? What did you call me jackneck? Look here, sucker. Listen, Ingrid. Right, right. Roberta. Right. That's wild.

SPEAKER_01

He was like, why do you have such an old ass? See, that was old ass. Um, so it's it's based off of you know a lot of viral moments and things that are happening in the relationship space. All right, let's talk about it. So I'm gonna give you a couple of scenarios. You give me a couple of scenarios or our hot takes on them.

SPEAKER_06

All right. Are we gonna we're gonna give our hot takes on each one? Are we gonna just we're gonna alternate?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we'll alternate.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

I'll give you a hot take, you give me a hot take. So just a you know, a statement and then elaborate, okay?

SPEAKER_05

All right, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01

All right, here we go. Um Is financial infidelity is uh is it as serious as physical cheating?

SPEAKER_06

Financial infidelity?

SPEAKER_01

Financial infidelity, is that as serious as physical cheating?

SPEAKER_06

Like if he's spending money on somebody else?

SPEAKER_01

Um, or if you are covertly mismanaging funds or I feel that's worse than cheating. Look here.

SPEAKER_06

Let me say why.

SPEAKER_01

I feel like that's worse than cheating.

SPEAKER_06

That's worse than cheating because now you're fucking with the future.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. You're fucking with somebody's livelihood.

SPEAKER_06

Cheating.

SPEAKER_01

But you can be fucking with somebody's future too by cheating.

SPEAKER_06

But hold on. But see, with cheating, some people can go over it. I can't.

SPEAKER_01

Some people can. I can't.

SPEAKER_06

You gotta leave.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

I'm not going up that mountain to save my marriage.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Bye, Maurice. Bye.

SPEAKER_06

I'm not going up the mountain.

SPEAKER_02

Whatever.

SPEAKER_06

FY, I'm I'm making references to black movie uh all month. Um but but you can mess up the future. And not only, but not only the future for you, but also for your children.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

And so that that has more implications. Because now, if you cheat, you might mess up the stableness of your future, uh, of your children's future, but you you can still provide for them financially. Okay. I mean, you it might be worse, you might mess them up mentally, but you can still give them leader for the money. Now, you'll need that money now. That's that's I think you gotta do it.

SPEAKER_01

Cause then what if I what if I tried to leave and you'd have fucked over the money so much I ain't even got nothing to run away with?

SPEAKER_06

Look here, I could be heartbroken. I'm not gonna be heartbroken anymore.

SPEAKER_02

I gotta pick the struggle, and I can't do it both at the same time.

SPEAKER_00

I gotta choose me first, Lucius. I gotta choose me first. I gotta choose me first. I gotta choose me first.

SPEAKER_06

Okay, um hot tank.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Marriage requires sacrificing personal happiness at times.

SPEAKER_01

It does. What the fuck are you sacrificing? Really? Really? Don't cut me. Don't cut me. Yes, it absolutely requires personal sacrifice at times. Yeah, because you're not the thing is that you're not doing life alone. You're not doing life by yourself. You have someone tethered to you. Well, I mean, the prisoner.

SPEAKER_06

And you're in the what? The prisons are full.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, bye, Maurice. You've agreed to do life with somebody else.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, marriage really is. You just agreed to be incarcerated with that person and you signed that signed of paper with you. Sure. That's sure. You're doing your bid with it.

SPEAKER_01

It's like a legal document. You're doing your bid with there. You have to do your bid with somebody else. Yeah, so absolutely.

SPEAKER_06

You're and that's gonna require some because a man has a finance.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and that, and that you're gonna have to self-sacrifice. Yes, absolutely. If you want, if you want to have any type of chance at having um, you know, an enjoyable life, like a happy life, at some point you're gonna have to make a sacrifice. Especially if it's especially if it's going to um give you something greater.

SPEAKER_06

This is just wild coming from you. Okay. Why? Because I feel like I'm making all the sacrifices.

SPEAKER_01

That's fine. How you listen, your feelings, right? Your feelings are valid because they're yours. Do you like surprises? Do you like surprises? I do. Go ahead. Um, a dead bedroom is a sign of deeper marital issues, not just stress. Facts. Then what's our issues?

SPEAKER_06

Facts. Joke. Our bedroom ain't dead. Look here. Look here. I said it was just because we do cardio after the cardio. Okay. Okay, move on. You hear me? Move on. Okay, anybody who works out know. When you work out, you get that that gym or you get that when that adrenaline hit your body. That gym adrenaline. I'm gonna call it gym adrenaline. And then you be like, it's just you get you be hyped up. You'll stack, you're peaking. So when you we come home, boys, get into the money.

SPEAKER_03

I'll be getting to the money.

SPEAKER_06

Hey, everybody. Hey, okay, you're doing too much.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, you're whatever.

SPEAKER_06

But it is now it can it, you know what, it could be uh because stress can lead to so many things. Being serious now.

SPEAKER_01

No, for real.

SPEAKER_06

Stress can lead to so many things. Stress can you it can it starts off as stress, it stress can lead to into depression.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. Um depression definitely is a mood killer, right?

SPEAKER_06

Depression can can can move into isolation, yep. Mood killer, right? And and the and the further you go down that rabbit hole, the less ass you're gonna get. And the less because because because the less connected. Connected you are, yes. And because you know, there needs to be some type of, you know. Um I mean, for me personally, I can't just I've never been the type to just go through the motions and go through the motions. Yeah, like I don't, I don't want no pity ass.

SPEAKER_01

I know I've tried to give you some.

SPEAKER_06

I don't do pity ass. Now, now if you ain't if you ain't if you ain't willing to toss it up.

Lifting Goals, Core Confidence, And Imbalances

SPEAKER_01

Listen, I but that and that's the thing. We've had this, we've had this discussion. We've had this discussion so many times. And it's like, I but I still like I even if I'm not a hundred percent enthusiastic about it at the time, but I know it's like it's either been a couple of days or I feel like you know you might be a little edgy. I'm like, okay. Well, let me tell you right now, the way I the last like the last question must take a sacrifice.

SPEAKER_06

Okay. I'm telling you right now, the way I've been working out, I need every couple hours.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Because I look here. I've been waking up sweating.

SPEAKER_01

Oh. You've been taking magnesium at night.

SPEAKER_06

You ain't been waking up. And I've been waking up hard as a rock. Okay. With the bed last night, hard as a rock.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. No one needed to know that. No one needed to know that.

SPEAKER_06

Real life discussions. But yeah, no, it's a fine different issue. And that, but that may just be a personal issue on one side. Yeah. Because you could have it could be a situation in which the your the one partner don't know how to address what's going on. Because I everyone's not in tune mentally of exactly what they partner needs to get out of whatever what.

SPEAKER_01

Hell, the partner may not be in tune what it is they need. Speak now. Right?

SPEAKER_06

Hold up. Wait a minute. It's a chopper. That's a chopper. So yeah, I mean, it is a sign. It's a sign of a much deeper problem.

SPEAKER_01

Like, what did what did I say even earlier today? Like, I was just having one of those days today, and I was like, I really can't, I really wish I can just get my head straight. Like my head just wasn't straight today.

SPEAKER_05

I thought I'm not gonna say that.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, stop it. You know, you know, you was gonna say something inappropriate.

SPEAKER_05

I was.

SPEAKER_01

I know you were. I stopped. Um I think it's my turn. It's my turn. Okay, go ahead.

SPEAKER_06

A spouse who embarrasses you in public doesn't respect you privately.

SPEAKER_01

Ooh, I'm gonna I'm gonna probably say that's true. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06

Because talk about it. Why would you say you say I embarrass you all the time. So I don't know. No, but I don't mean like in a sense where I don't mean in a sense Okay, embarrass- Okay, so then uh I mean like clarify what you deem as embarrassing in public.

SPEAKER_01

Like if your intent if your intentions is to make your spouse the butting end of a joke or gang up on like if you're an old boy that said that his wife trapped him.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah. Well he had nothing to be trapped.

SPEAKER_01

Ivory. When he had nothing to trap, he had no funds, no job, no future.

SPEAKER_06

Looking for food.

SPEAKER_01

But he was trapped. He was trapped. Like a squirrel. Um yeah, but I mean it, I mean it in a like a malicious way. You know, like if you are trying to make your espouse the butt in um of a joke, or if you are thinking that you're trying to teach them a lesson by throwing something in their face to embarrass them in front of others so that the others could see what you see, like in that type of way, then obviously, yes, I feel like behind closed doors, if you're willing to do that in front of people and not try to stand next to me but make me the laughing matter, then most likely behind closed doors, there's a little disrespect happening.

SPEAKER_06

Just saying Tebo, she does not respect me.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

I'm just playing. She loves me. Okay. She definitely wanted the mountain saver marriage.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. I don't know about that.

SPEAKER_06

You did.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. Because I wouldn't know how to get there.

SPEAKER_06

You're right.

SPEAKER_01

And the last and last time I got caught on a snowy mountain, I panicked. Right.

SPEAKER_06

I said Laura.

SPEAKER_01

And I put my life in danger by busting a U-turn on a two-lane highway next to a cliff. So that's a good idea for me.

SPEAKER_06

Good thing the tanker wasn't coming down.

SPEAKER_01

That's all I kept thinking about. I was like, because if a big rig comes hauling his ass down here, I am going off the cliff.

SPEAKER_04

That's a right.

SPEAKER_01

Um, let's see. Um, if your spouse cheats once, but it's truly remorseful, can the marriage still work? Not mine.

SPEAKER_06

I hope the dick was good enough. Because you ain't coming back here.

SPEAKER_01

Not mine. You're not gonna embark me. Maybe somebody else's.

SPEAKER_06

This going back to the last one. You're not gonna embarrass me publicly. Because you didn't respect me privately. You hear me?

SPEAKER_01

Oh man, not yours.

SPEAKER_06

Not mine.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, some people may. Some people, you know. Some people got look, oh babe, it can't go either way. It can't go either way. No, it's not going either way. It's going one way.

SPEAKER_06

I don't know. You know? I mean, for my mine wouldn't work.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06

Okay. So people romanticizing weddings more than marriage. And that part, is that part of the problem?

SPEAKER_01

Yes. Yes. Because you're thinking more about the day than like the actual future. Okay. But I can also see how that would be like possible. I mean, it's an exciting thing, especially if marriage is something you've been waiting for. Like there are some women who grow up and having that fairy tale thought. So by the time they get proposed to, it's not difficult to think. You know what I mean? It's not. But in also in the same sense, no, I don't, I believe no one goes into marriage thinking that our life wouldn't resemble somewhat what it does now. Like the happiness, the love, all the giddy feels that we feel. Like nobody, I don't think anybody goes into marriage thinking, like, damn, at some point, I'm gonna, you're gonna fucking get on my nerves to the point that I'm gonna reconsider. No one goes into marriage thinking that. And if you do, you really should.

SPEAKER_06

I never thought that I never thought I could re-reconsider, but I knew you would piss me off.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, well, I mean, that's natural. But I feel as though when going into a marriage, especially after like the proposal and you're planning a wedding and like all the feels are there, you're so focused on like the happiness, the joy that you're experiencing, the, you know, even the frustrations that you're going through trying to plan a wedding, and you kind of think like, ugh, like this is what life is gonna be. I got my person, he loves me, she loves me. Like, we're in this, we're in this really good spot. You know, it's almost like it's like, hold on. It's like when you're planning a baby, right? Oh, I feel like that's the next level. Like after you get married and then you start like considering a family, I feel as though that time is a time where you just, it's the fun time because we're we're really connected because we have a goal. And so, like and we in it, you know, and so that all the feels that come with being intimate like that and trying to like work on something because you're trying to start a family. Stop doing it. It's hard, it's hard for you to think that at some point down the line, like, damn, I may not even feel like that.

SPEAKER_06

How many of you stop doing your shows like that?

SPEAKER_01

What later?

SPEAKER_06

Stop it. Because we're going in this early.

SPEAKER_01

Over my shoulders? That's crazy work. I like everything about you. I'm I listen, your chess ain't bad.

SPEAKER_06

What? Go ahead, reword.

SPEAKER_01

It's your turn, I think. Or is it?

SPEAKER_06

I just read it. Your happy ass hands.

SPEAKER_01

Wait, and then did you hear my callus?

SPEAKER_06

Yes, it's crazy work. Electromagnetic.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, whatever. I shaved it down today. It's not even there. My puppy's head needed a shaving. That's a good one. Go ahead and rework. That's what my daughter calls my calluses. She looks at them, she goes, Oh, your puppies need a shaving.

SPEAKER_06

Go ahead and rework.

SPEAKER_01

I love her. Um, a spouse who stops trying physically after marriage is breaking an unspoken vow.

SPEAKER_06

Physically, how?

SPEAKER_01

I'm a I'm gonna assume sex.

SPEAKER_06

Oh yeah. Yeah, I agree with that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Because if I'm only supposed to get it from you, but you don't want to participate, and I keep bringing it to your attention, don't be mad.

SPEAKER_01

I have to call Stacy.

SPEAKER_03

Me and Mrs. Jones. Okay, okay, goodbye.

SPEAKER_06

We meet every day. You meet every day at the same cafe 6:30. And I know she, I know she knows, but she'll be there. Holding hands, making all types of plans as the jukebox plays our favorite song.

SPEAKER_01

Not the jukebox.

SPEAKER_06

I told you I'm an old nigga.

SPEAKER_01

Not the jubox.

SPEAKER_06

I like all songs. Yeah. Um some couples mistake comfort for love. Yeah. Do tell me because you do seem comfortable. Okay.

SPEAKER_01

You know what? Do tell I don't like you.

SPEAKER_03

But you love me. I don't like you.

SPEAKER_01

Do tell. Um, I I think I can I can see how that could happen to some people because it's always easier to it's always easier to go to what's easiest, right? So if you know that you could still have companionship with as little effort as possible and you're comfortable with that, okay. And then people also people allow time to dictate what they think is love. Okay. Because people feel, some people feel like if they've been together for so long, some people trump bonded. Yeah. Just keep it above. Yeah, yeah. But and that's what I'm saying. Time will do, I feel like time over time, that will do it too, because you've been in it for so long and you're like, oh yeah, no, but like we're in love. No, you've just been together a really long time and you haven't tried to do anything like, you know, to move the relationship forward. You're not progressing in any way. So therefore, you are comfortable and you're allowing time to essentially dictate your love. Okay. Does that make sense? Mm-hmm. Okay. All right. Um, let's see. A spouse should never vet about their marriage to friends of the opposite sex.

SPEAKER_06

Facts. I'm big on that. I'm not finna tell another bra nothing about my wife.

SPEAKER_01

Another bra?

Launching Hot Takes: Relationship Reality Checks

SPEAKER_06

I'm not finna get this bitch the playbook. That's all you're doing. Yeah. You're just giving them look here. I've had in the past, I've had like um women like complain about stuff. And it's in past, and I'm like, you really shouldn't do that. Because now I know exactly what to do. What to say, yeah, and what not to say.

SPEAKER_01

All I gotta do is do the opposite of what you're complaining about him about.

SPEAKER_06

I'm gonna be the best thing in the world.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And you're gonna you're gonna look at me like I'm a diamond.

SPEAKER_06

Boy, if I was a hot dog, ditty dog.

SPEAKER_02

My Mickey Mouse. Hot dog.

SPEAKER_06

But here's the other thing, too. This is why I feel like I tell people, when you cook when you start going to therapy, you have to be, you have to be, you have to be protective over the power you gain. Because the more you learn about yourself, the more you are you are able to identify things in others. Right?

SPEAKER_01

So what I always tell you, you're only able to identify things in others because it is also of you. Right.

SPEAKER_06

So when you when you start to be able to identify stuff, it's like as a as a man, yeah, right now, knowing how I am and the things I've gone I've gone through and my what I've experienced through therapy and like the conversation we've had, we have like like our some of our free friends like we're talking about our other female friends, uh, when I what I mentioned you the other day, right? I can now look at like females I'm closer with and that I've had like conversations with, like our mutual friends, and like if I was a dog, I could play her like a dog. But I know I I know I don't I don't even need I don't even need to know I know what to say for her to tell me everything else I need to know to get exactly what I want. Yeah, if I was that kind of guy. Yeah, and that's because I always said therapy can be dangerous. I said, because the more self-aware I become with myself, and the more I can I can pick up the more that you can identify the more I can identify my old patterns and how how that made me feel, I can kind of diagnose what's going on. I said, this is dangerous.

SPEAKER_01

So you feel like you're psychoanalyzing people when you talk to them.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, sometimes I am. That's what I get it from you.

SPEAKER_01

That's what happens.

SPEAKER_06

You know why? Because I all them goddamn years of hearing dun dun dun dun while I'm trying to sleep.

SPEAKER_02

How did you tie that back to law and order?

SPEAKER_06

3 a.m.

SPEAKER_02

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_06

3 a.m. in the morning in the criminal justice system. I'm like, girl, go to bed. Now here it is 4:30. Like, ooh, that's a good case.

SPEAKER_01

They're all good cases.

SPEAKER_06

No, they're not.

Financial Infidelity, Sacrifice, And Dead Bedrooms

SPEAKER_01

Every episode. Never watch the bad one. Never watch the bad episode of all normal.

SPEAKER_06

Being a great parent doesn't automatically make you a great spouse. I agree. Oh, girl, I'm happy you do because I have I have some notes for you. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01

Leave them on the fridge. Okay.

SPEAKER_06

You can't see them. Joe short ass.

SPEAKER_01

Wow. That was low. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

SPEAKER_06

Shut up. That's why we work together, baby. We're good.

SPEAKER_01

Um, yes, I I completely, I completely agree. Um, what's funny is you you brought that up, and the first thing I thought about is one of the skits that I saw on uh Facebook. I cannot remember the couple, but they are hilarious. But they just recently had a baby, and so like a lot of their content is centered around like, you know, life as new parents. And one of the skits was she wakes up in the morning and he was like, How your mornings used to be before the baby, and she would always give him kisses and stuff. And now that they have a baby, she walks right past him when he's trying to get a morning kiss and gives the baby all the kisses. And he was like, I'm your husband. And he was like, You've given the dog more kisses than you've given me. That's crazy. And then the baby, and then he pretends back the day kissing dogs that you know what I'm saying. He pretends to be the baby and he's like speaking as the baby, he was like, Yeah, she gives me like 30 before she feeds me, like 60 kisses, like after he was like, And then she does this little thing where she like takes my feet and she like kisses my feet. I kind of like it, but weird and then he looks at his wife and he was like, We used to make love, right? And she was like, Fine, I'll give you a kiss. And then she was like, but after you brush your teeth, because you have more morning breath.

SPEAKER_06

Right. No one talks about how dad gets forgotten. What no one talks about how dad gets forgotten. Oh gosh. Now, I'm not downplaying pregnancy and all y'all go through.

SPEAKER_01

Sounds like it.

SPEAKER_06

I'm not. I'm not down the burping process, the healing, all that. All that's important. However, how however, however, sometime us as men by trying to do right by you guys, you get left in the dirt. You get left in mind because because it it I'm gonna spot to talk about us. It immediately went from something where it was it was it was Maurice and Kynisha. Yeah, it was just us, yeah, right. And that was the order.

SPEAKER_01

That was the order.

SPEAKER_06

Kinesha and Maurice, because I put you first, you my wife, right? And then the little one came out.

SPEAKER_01

First the dog. We got a dog.

SPEAKER_06

The dogs did they the dogs went before us. We would lead them dogs at home at any time. We'll take them to a center and leave. She ain't never been to a center.

SPEAKER_03

Right.

SPEAKER_06

Um, you know what I mean? Yeah. But when she came, now it was Phoenix, Kynisha, Maurice. And at the same time, I had to balance Phoenix and Kinesha. Because Kine, because Phoenix was stressed and Kynisha out. And Kinesha was stressed and Phoenix out.

SPEAKER_02

Really? Whatever. And here I am.

SPEAKER_06

And here I am coming home from work, you saying, get your daughter. Your daughter saying she's tripping.

SPEAKER_01

Really?

SPEAKER_06

I've been crying for three minutes. She can't figure out why I'm crying.

SPEAKER_01

What's wrong with her? Because I've done everything. Right. I fed you, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_06

So and then in the whole process of being concerned about you, that I think that's one thing. We talked about this one time in my dad group. That's one thing that never doesn't really get spoken about. Sometimes as as dads, we feel forgotten because in that need, and in those moments, we're just so focused on what the family needs. Right. That we don't, we don't, we don't get a chance to pour into ourselves. But that's neither here or there. Let's get back.

SPEAKER_01

But yeah, but to answer your question, um, I do not think that being a good parent automatically quantifies you as a good spouse. Oh, but I know a couple. Yeah. Bye to male. You militable? No, I don't. That's that's okay. You sure? That's okay. However, being a good parent, I feel as though should be a good um, for lack of better verbiage, like you should be giving yourself a pat on the back because you chose that person for your kid. So that means you got good decision-making skills.

SPEAKER_05

Go ahead and rewind.

SPEAKER_01

You got good to know? That still means you got good decision-making skills. It could be me. Yes, subjective. Okay, whatever. Um, emotional neglect can be just as damaging as cheating.

SPEAKER_06

Did we worry? I guess, you know, if you're an emotional person.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's right. That's right. You didn't agree. I get I do remember emotional damage. He didn't you didn't agree. Unless, unless, um, unless I used uh tug.

SPEAKER_06

Um but the thing is like, um, read again.

SPEAKER_01

Emotional neglect can be just as damaging as physical cheating. No, as cheating.

SPEAKER_06

I I don't because I feel like I feel like that the physical act of cheating, there's a physical act there. Emotional neglect could just be that the stress and the own personal dynamic of that person, the stress, the anxiety, the depression, whatever, is so heavy on them, they're not realizing that they're neglecting you emotionally because they're fighting the demons inside. Sometimes they're not aware of that. When you're cheating, you're aware that you're physically cheating. You know that okay, you know, okay, go bust it open. You're gonna know you're busting that shit open. Come on now.

SPEAKER_01

No, I'm not talking about the physical act, I'm talking about the intentions behind it. Like you may not know why you're doing it. I'm listening, I'm just saying shit.

SPEAKER_06

I was about to hit the button on your ass. I was about to hit the button.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, a couple more.

SPEAKER_06

Oh Lord.

SPEAKER_03

Let's do a couple more.

SPEAKER_06

People don't fall out of love, they stop choosing each other. Yep. I disagree with that.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's fine. We could agree to disagree.

SPEAKER_06

I do it can go both ways.

SPEAKER_01

Actually, it can go either way, it can go either way.

SPEAKER_06

I think that I I think that you do fall out of love because love, because love is an emotion, and emotions change. Sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're sad, sometimes you're glad, sometimes you're not glad. You know what I'm saying? Emotion, the emotion emotions are are are waves. So I do think that you fall in love. When when times get hard, you may not you may not necessarily love that person, and that, but when the love is when the love is um fading, that's when the loyalty kicks in. That's why I always say love and loyalty is what's important. You got you gotta have both for it to be successful because love is an emotion. Okay, like when you at it, I'm pretty sure at a young age there was something you loved. You love this color, you love this band, you love this drink, and then you got older. I should I I used to love spicy. Not no more.

SPEAKER_01

No, you still do, you just know that it's not a good idea to have. Look, we fell out. Yeah. We fell out. It's just not a good idea. It don't work together.

Respect In Public, Cheating Lines, And Wedding Vs Marriage

SPEAKER_06

We don't look. My body's like, look here, player. You're about to be following.

SPEAKER_01

But um, so being in love, yes, is an emotion, but it's a state, it's a state of being.

SPEAKER_06

But but saying, but that's why, that's why the choosing each other, the loyalty part, is just as important as a love.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, but that's just like the question that you just said, but you just said you disagree.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so reach a question again. I agree about the people fall out of love. Uh-huh. Do you think they fall out of love, or do you think they just stop choosing each other? Okay, that's not what you said before.

SPEAKER_06

They stop choosing each other. Okay, you know what?

SPEAKER_01

But if you stop okay, but isn't it easier to fall out of love when you stop choosing each other? If I stop choosing you, then I eventually for me personally, I'm a great compartmentalizer. If I stop choosing you and I start compartmentalizing things in my head, I can I can emotionally detach from you.

SPEAKER_06

Because when you start when you stop choosing me, now you're allowing the space for someone or something else.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because I can put I can put it in a little box in my head and then I can close it.

SPEAKER_06

That's crazy. And then find that box and put your password in it.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, can't do that. That's not how my brain works.

SPEAKER_06

You can't remember those at all. That's not how my brain works. The way you be fighting with serious, I said my face. My face.

SPEAKER_01

And then when when my face ID don't be working, I'll be I stress out. I'd be like, girl. And then be smile into your password.

unknown

What?

SPEAKER_06

Your face ID don't work because you're black and you always change your face.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

You know, black when y'all change your hair every no say. Oh, it's my turn.

SPEAKER_02

No, it isn't.

SPEAKER_06

It is you just read that. No, it's you did.

SPEAKER_02

Babe, you just read that.

SPEAKER_06

Babe, you read that and I answered it.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

Run it back, people. This is what I deal with, people. This is why I say it's hard. It's hard.

SPEAKER_03

I like very crazy.

SPEAKER_06

It doesn't eliminate loneliness, it just changes it. I agree. That's a fact. I agree. I could be in a room with you and feel lonely.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_06

I could be right next to you and feel like I'm by my shit. Shit, I feel like that a couple days ago.

SPEAKER_01

Yep, I feel like that right now.

SPEAKER_06

I'm sitting right next to you, and then I'm you ain't about shit. I was sitting right next to you. Was I reading? You was it don't matter what you was doing. I was so in my thoughts. I was by myself. Yeah. That's true. That is so true. Yeah, it just changes it. I was I'm you over. You I think you were reading, and I'm you reading. I was in my own world and we were in yours. And I'm worried about this bill, how she's gonna get the practice.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm over there solving cases.

SPEAKER_06

Right. She need look, she needs clothes, right? We need clothes, shoes. I I gotta get my eight hours of sleep. I need to drink my water, I gotta eat my protein, and I'm this is all everything.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like, God, and I'm and I was over there solving a case with Titus about the guy who slit the back the back guy open and took out his lungs and made angel wings and put uh me and Titus is solving this case right now. So that's what I was reading about. You want to be Olivia so much. Shouts out to Marissa Hergerty. I love you, girl.

SPEAKER_06

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01

Uh let's see, last one. Um marriage success depends more on daily habits than big romantic gestures.

SPEAKER_06

That's a motherfucking fact. That's a fact.

SPEAKER_01

Is it a fact?

SPEAKER_06

Because if you live in your marriage also off the big gestures, the big gestures ain't gonna come often.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, unless you unless you got it like that to do big gestures every day.

SPEAKER_06

But it don't matter because the big gestures gotta get they gotta get grander and grander and grander.

SPEAKER_01

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_06

Grander because you're like if I if I if I start showing up every Friday with a Chanel bag or whatever kind of bag, I don't it don't matter what the bag is. Like bags. If I start showing up every Friday with a at some point, you're gonna expect, oh, it's Friday, I get a bag today.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Well, lucky for you, I don't like bags.

SPEAKER_06

And that's not gonna happen. So it don't matter.

SPEAKER_03

Lucky for you, I don't like bags.

SPEAKER_06

For me personally, I believe it's the little things that you do consistently throughout the day. The small things, the small things that equal big things. Yeah, the things that let me the things that remind you that I'm thinking of you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

That I'm here for you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That part.

SPEAKER_06

And that ass.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_06

I'm gonna read one more. Okay, you go ahead. A healthy marriage requires boundaries with friends and family.

SPEAKER_01

A healthy marriage, what?

SPEAKER_06

Requires boundaries with friends and family.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. Absolutely. What? You talking crap? Why are you gonna talk crap? Why are you just gonna talk crap? I know, yeah, absolutely. You have to set boundaries. Not only is boundaries uh important with uh just like life, right? Especially friends and family for your marriage, because your marriage, like they say, what do people say? It's an institution. Uh it's you and I in a jack in a box together. Not a jack in a box. And we gotta we gotta protect. We can be in a Simon. Okay. If that's where you want to be.

SPEAKER_06

A light bright or something else.

SPEAKER_01

We can be in a light bright too. The point is that it is you and I in one crayon box. Okay. And we must protect our crayon box. We can't sit up here and let all those funky colored crayons come in and like the neon greens and the various blues and purples. Okay, and them ugly sparkle glitters. We can't hold on, my baby loves glue glitter sparkle, okay? Okay. We can't allow them to come into the crayon box with us. But yes, in all seriousness, I agree. Yes, the boundaries. All right, guys. That was fun. All right.

SPEAKER_06

Yo, take the end, they ain't that hot.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. I can't stand you.

SPEAKER_06

But you can stand on me.

SPEAKER_01

Well, okay. We're gonna just go ahead and hop right on into the comment of the week.

SPEAKER_06

Okay, do you? The comment of the week. Okay, do you? Here we go. Now, people, I don't know how many we got today. I'm gonna just read how many I won't.

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna just read how many I won't.

SPEAKER_06

Uh um I almost didn't read this one because of her name triggered me, and I'll explain that later. But the first comment comes from Harriet's Okra Patch. I can't stand okra.

SPEAKER_01

Okra aspire. Pickled okra. Speaking of which, I'm gonna need uh Tabitha to bring the pickled okra back. Okay. Because that was great.

SPEAKER_06

So it this comes from Harriet's okra, uh, Harriet's okra patch, and this is in regards to this, it's in regards to the the post, the comment about, oh no, the the post about the the um the father spending his money since they said on the boat, since they said he wasn't even gonna go to the boat.

SPEAKER_01

Well he spent his grand his future grandkids' educational fund on his boat, but then his kids told them, told him that they didn't plan on having kids, so he bought himself a boat.

SPEAKER_06

So Harriet said, keep kids outgrown folks' business. After this nonsense, I'm calling my trust attorney and getting things squared away.

SPEAKER_03

Right. Facts.

SPEAKER_06

So so since y'all was praying on getting my money, I'm gonna make sure that y'all don't get no money.

SPEAKER_01

Since y'all praying on my down front.

SPEAKER_06

And I think the rest of these are from the um the post about um the the klepto stepdaughter.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, the 16-year-old daughter. Oh, yes, okay, yes, I have an update.

SPEAKER_06

This first one, this one, this first one comes from La Toya.

SPEAKER_01

Uh, this comes from LaToya.

SPEAKER_06

She says the fact that he left and didn't take his bio children is crazy work.

SPEAKER_01

It is.

SPEAKER_06

Come get your three kids, sir. It is. Get all of them. It is because how the hell you got somewhere to go for two days without your kids and you a whole married man.

SPEAKER_01

The fact that you left your household for two days as a married man.

SPEAKER_06

This comes from the same post. Shout out to the original black coffee. This shit had me in tears when I read it. You gotta sing it. You gotta sing it.

SPEAKER_00

He said, Come pick up your kids.

SPEAKER_02

I have deafed. Meet you at the door. Wow, still open.

SPEAKER_06

Shout out to Yaniani with her beautiful ass.

SPEAKER_02

That was hilarious.

SPEAKER_06

Mr. Coffee, that's hilarious. That was hilarious. Okay. And the last one, uh, this is there was no clip to this one. You had to watch the whole episode to get this reference. But I know I did put this about the music. So last week's episode, I said that sometimes I list in my daughter's playlist in the gym.

SPEAKER_04

Oh.

SPEAKER_06

And so one of the songs, uh TOW Lewis on YouTube said, I agree, cakey go off on sprinkle party because sprinkle party is a slap.

Comfort Vs Love, Venting Across Genders, Therapy Power

SPEAKER_01

Sprinkle party is uh a song from Gabby's Dollhouse.

SPEAKER_06

I don't care. Cupcake, bacon, gobbling, come on.

SPEAKER_02

Every day it's a sprinkle party. Tree yourself to the sweet sunshine.

SPEAKER_00

Come on in, it's a sprinkle party. Help yourself to anything.

SPEAKER_06

Wait, that one's mine. Shout out to Gabby's dolls. I'm just a girl dad. Oh gosh, that's hilarious.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so um the update to the update to um am I the asshole for not letting my stepdaughter share a room with my daughter. That one has the uh stepdaughter who's a klepto and who always starts arguments and stuff with her little sisters and pretty much everybody in the house. So everyone was concerned as to where the mother of her stepchildren are. Uh-huh. So she said, Everyone keeps asking about their mom. And here's the answer. She left them two years ago with her foreign husband to his home country. Oh shit. Okay. She talks to the girls via social media and video calls, but does not play a major role in their life and doesn't seem to care as long as the girls are taken care of. And she also thinks that they're fighting and her daughter stealing is not a big deal.

SPEAKER_06

It sounds like she acting out because her mom ain't there.

SPEAKER_01

Could be.

SPEAKER_06

That's all I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_01

Well, not only that, her mom is not even close. She's in a different country, and she's a 16-year-old girl.

SPEAKER_06

And I keep telling y'all that dadbeat moms is a thing. Okay, Maurice. Stop coming for us, dads.

SPEAKER_01

No one's no one said deadbeat moms.

SPEAKER_06

Dead beat mamas is a thing.

SPEAKER_01

No one said dadbeat moms didn't uh didn't exist.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, y'all, y'all be y'all, women be going hard for women, but for no reason.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, but no one said they didn't exist.

SPEAKER_06

Deadbeat ass.

SPEAKER_01

Um, okay, here we go. Am I the jerk for walking out when my date showed up with his friend?

SPEAKER_05

Nope.

SPEAKER_01

Let's see. So I'm a 25-year-old female and I matched with a guy who's 26 on a dating app, and we'll just call him Mark. We talked for about a week, and honestly, everything seemed normal. He was funny, polite, and consistent, not overly flirty, not too weird, not one of those guys who sends one-worded replies and disappears for two days. So when he asked me out for dinner, I said yes. Of course. All right. We picked a casual restaurant, not too expensive, not too formal, just something easy for a first date. I got there first, grabbed a table, and I waited. About 10 minutes later, Mark walks in, but he wasn't alone.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, shit.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. He comes in with another guy around the same age, his friend. At first, I thought maybe they ran into each other outside and that his friend was just walking him to the table like they were about to, you know, split up. Nope. The friend sits down. Oh, hell no. Right across from me. Mark smiles like everything is normal and goes, Oh yeah, this is my friend Josh. He was bored, so I brought him with me.

SPEAKER_06

This is weird.

SPEAKER_01

I just stared at him. I genuinely thought he was joking. Like maybe Josh would leave after saying hi. But then John, Josh starts talking, asking me where I was from, what I do for work, if I date a lot. Like he's interviewing me. I was so uncomfortable. It felt like I was being watched. I tried to keep it polite, but my brain was screaming. This was supposed to be a date, not a group hangout, not a test, not some weird two-on-one situation where I'm the entertainment. So I asked Mark quietly, why did you bring him? Mark laughed and said he didn't want it to be awkward, which made no sense because now it was 10 times more awkward. I told him that I came here to meet him, not his friend, and that I was uncomfortable with this. Mark immediately got defensive and said Josh is basically like a brother to him and that I shouldn't make a big deal about it. Then Josh jumps in and says, Yeah, chill. It's just dinner. That annoyed me even more because now I'm being told to chill by a random guy that I didn't even agree to meet. So I stood up, put cash down for my drink, and I said, I'm leaving. Mark looked shocked and said that I was being rude and dramatic. Fuck Mark. He said I embarrassed him and made it seem like he did something wrong. I told him he did do something wrong. He changed the whole plan without telling me and put me in an uncomfortable position. As I walked out, Josh literally laughed and said, Guess she can't hang. Now Mark has been texting me saying that I overreacted, that his friend was only there because he gets nervous on first dates, and that I could have at least stayed to be nice. But I feel like I'm not crazy for thinking this was weird. If he was nervous, he could have told me beforehand, or even chosen a less intense date or met in a public coffee shop or anything. Am I being the ass mob?

SPEAKER_06

This is weird. No, no. Fuck Mark, fuck Josh. Um, that shit is weird. And if he had trouble meeting people solo Why is he on a dating app? Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

To meet people. Right. And then you initiated the hangout. You asked me to come with you. Look here.

SPEAKER_06

To come meet with you. You're ma'am, you're miss. You sound like a miss, not a ma'am. Miss, you're um you're not an an a-ho at all. Um, I'm happy you follow your intuition. Uh leave leave the the strange people where they belong by themselves.

SPEAKER_01

Yes, because that that's weird. You didn't do anything wrong. Like, as soon as I would have found out that uh Josh was staying, yeah, and I'm out, and you and Josh enjoy lunch. How about that? Enjoy your time together.

SPEAKER_06

Does Josh live with you? Do y'all share a bed too?

SPEAKER_01

Or maybe, maybe they thought they was gonna get a free meal.

SPEAKER_06

I mean, apparently these men want to be women now, so it could have been.

SPEAKER_01

It could have been.

SPEAKER_06

You gotta pay for my friend too. Bye to me.

SPEAKER_01

All right. Am I the asshole for moving my paycheck into a separate account after my partner kept quote unquote accidentally overdrawing our joint?

SPEAKER_06

Nope. Then you gotta read it.

Parenting Doesn’t Equal Partnering, Dad Gets Forgotten

SPEAKER_01

I'm a 34-year-old male living with my girlfriend who's 31 for a bit over a year. We're not married. When we moved in together, we agreed to use one joint checking account for shared stuff: rent, utilities, groceries, cat food, the boring adult things. We both earn decent money, not rich, but stable. The agreement was simple. We each transfer a set amount on payday, and whatever's left in our personal accounts is ours. She suggested the joint account idea first because she said it would reduce stress and prevent arguments. I liked it. For the first few months, it worked fine. Okay. Uh then the small accidents started. The joint account would dip lower than expected. Then she says she forgot she used the joint account for a personal thing. The first time it was a pharmacy run and I didn't care. The second time it was dinner with friends, and she said that she grabbed the wrong card. After that, it became a pattern. Random charges, clothes returns, rebuys, salon payments, concert tickets, streaming trials that turned into monthly charges. I asked her to please stop using the joint card unless it's shared because it messes up the budgeting. She got annoyed and said that I was being weird about the money and that she'd fix it. She did repay a couple of charges, but didn't always, but doesn't always, and it turned into a conversation about how I'm making her feel judged. Last month, the joint account overdrafted. Rent still went through, but we got hit with a fee. She swore she didn't know that it was that low, and she only used the joint card for a few things because her personal account was too tight for that week. I asked her account, um, I asked why her account was tight, and she said it's none of my business. Okay. Which fine, but then why is the joint account covering it? All right. I told her that we need to pause and reset because it's not what we agreed. She says that I'm acting like her father and that she shouldn't have to ask permission to use our money. All right. This week it happened again, but worse. I got an email alert that the account was under$200, which makes no sense because we just transferred money and the bills weren't due yet. I checked and saw a$480 charge from a furniture store. I asked her about it and she said that she ordered a small desk for our place because she wants to start doing yoga videos at home and needs a spot for her laptop. I said that might be for her apartment, but it's still a non-urgent purchase and you didn't need to mention it to me. She snapped and said that I'm controlling and treating her like a thief. We argued and she told me she feels financially unsafe with me because I track everything. I told her I only track the joint account because it's literally shared for bills. After that, I changed my direct deposit. So my paycheck goes into my personal account again, and I said an automatic transfer to the joint account for my half of the expenses, plus a small buffer. I also moved the joint card to a drawer and told her that I'm not using it day to day anymore and only for bills. She called it a betrayal and said that I'm sabotaging the relationship over a couple of mistakes. Now she's telling friends that I cut her off and they're looking at me like I'm some stingy villain. Am I the asshole for separating my money again? Or is this a normal boundary when someone keeps blurring the lines?

SPEAKER_06

Run, nigga. Run.

SPEAKER_00

Run.

SPEAKER_06

She will have you in financial ruin. Run. How is he controlling when she did what? Look, she's a narcissist. I've never used the word. I'm gonna use it today.

SPEAKER_01

It will happen.

SPEAKER_06

No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, I'm not even about no, I can't.

SPEAKER_01

No, I ain't cutting no slag.

SPEAKER_06

How should I?

SPEAKER_01

I'm not cutting her any slag.

SPEAKER_06

Sir, sir. I'm gonna take it a step further. I'm gonna give you credit as a man for still putting money in that account.

SPEAKER_01

He don't do it no more.

SPEAKER_06

He did. He said he's he's gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, but he's oh, he only puts his half in there though.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, with a small buffer. I wouldn't do that. Yeah, sir.

SPEAKER_01

But his name's on the account, so he's trying to protect his own self, too.

SPEAKER_06

Sir, sir. I will go down there, I would have my name taken off that account. I will let her know from this starting next month. These are the bills I'm responsible for. These are the bills you're responsible for. I'll give you the half of the rent.

SPEAKER_01

Just put the rent in there. Just the joint account will solely be for the rent. And I'm only putting my half of the rent in there. So you're gonna have my half of the rent. And that is all.

SPEAKER_06

That's not even my situation.

SPEAKER_01

And if my rent don't get paid, when I know I paid half my rent, girl, we are over.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, that's not even my situation. It pissed me off. Sir, she's using you. I feel like.

SPEAKER_01

I bet you I know the mindset that she has that she's because she's she's thinking, he probably, she's probably thinking, okay, you have it, and you're my man. So just take care of me. That's the fucking problem. That's the problem.

SPEAKER_06

That's the problem. Let me tell you something right now.

SPEAKER_01

It's the problem because he's not in on it. That's the problem.

SPEAKER_06

The problem is that he's not cool with it. I wouldn't, I wouldn't have to act like your father if you wouldn't ever be acting like a child. True. You're being irresponsible. True. You're not managing your money. I can't trust you with the money because you have you have a proven record of being untrustworthy.

SPEAKER_01

And here's the thing. If she's like that now, what do you think it'd be like if you married her?

SPEAKER_06

What desk cost$420 for a laptop? It was$480. Because it couldn't have been that big.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know. It was probably an IKEA one or something.$400 for a desk? Yeah, I don't even think they have one that's IKEA's is probably wood.

SPEAKER_06

It should be$499.

SPEAKER_01

I know. I don't know. You know, the prettier they make them look, whether it's cheap or not, they want to charge high value for it.

SPEAKER_06

Do you have another one? This is this one pissed me out. I got one more for you guys. Hold on. Before you read the next one, fuck her. Okay. You're doing too much.

SPEAKER_01

Um, am I the asshole for telling my sister you are selfish and canceling her engagement dinner at my place? I have a younger sibling, and it seems like I am always helping her. In college, I would help her with her essays. I will listen to her problems. If she got stuck somewhere, I would go pick her up. She's 24 now, and it's gotten pretty clear that she doesn't reciprocate help helping out or does any favors for our family. My brother and I have both noticed it. I had a conversation with her about it, and she said that she would try to do better. Recently, she asked if she could use my house for her engagement dinner, and I agreed. It was a big favor, in my opinion, and I had been helping her plan it. My sister lives very close to my children's daycare. I left work and on my way home, there was a huge crash on the freeway. I wasn't moving at all. Took me four hours to get home. My husband was also stuck in it. The daycare called, asking where I was, and I told them that I was trying to get there. They billed an extra$100 for every 30 minutes that you're late.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, Jesus.

SPEAKER_01

I called my sister and asked her to pick up the kids and to just hold on to them for a few hours until I can come grab them. She told me no because she wanted to relax tonight. I told her that I really needed her to do me this favor because I was stuck and it didn't seem like I would be moving anytime soon. I told her that I will Venmo her the money for the daycare, but to please pick them up. She told me no again and then just hung up. I ended up calling my mother-in-law, who's an hour away, and she was able to pick up the kids, and they sat at her place until I got back around nine. I was in traffic for four hours. To be honest, I have been pissed since that happened last Thursday. I've helped her over and over again, and she couldn't do me one simple favor when it was literal when she was literally 10 minutes away from day from the daycare because she wanted to relax. I talked it over and my husband and I both agreed we were done helping her. I sent her a text that said family is supposed to help each other, and it has become clear that she only ever wants help and is never willing to give help. I told her that I will not be hosting her engagement party and I will not be doing her any more favors. She called me and got into a huge argument when I called her selfish and she called me petty. I want an outsider's opinion because I'm pissed about the whole thing. Am I being an asshole?

SPEAKER_06

No, fuck her. No, fuck her. Here, I say this is the perfect example. I say all the time. In the like it's like it's true, like they say. In the world, you have givers.

SPEAKER_01

And you have takers.

SPEAKER_06

You have takers. And takers will take as long as the hand is open.

SPEAKER_01

As long as you're willing to give it. Fuck her. Her engagement. She can figure it out. Tell her to use the the she can use whatever money she makes to go rent a venue like everybody else.

SPEAKER_06

If she needs help with money, she can talk to the girl from the last story. That oh wait, never mind. She's bad with it too.

SPEAKER_01

Shut up. Never mind. She's bad with it too. But$100 forever at$30 years. But I think they do that to drive home a point. Like, pick your children up on time. But like, she was stuck in traffic. I know. Shit happens. Ask them if they care. Because they want to go home. They don't want to sit there any longer with your kid than they have to.

SPEAKER_06

When there's a fatality on the road, like everything shuts down.

Emotional Neglect, Choosing Each Other, And Loneliness

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I know. I know. But still, yeah, but you're not being an asshole. You're not being an asshole because like you said, you and your brother have noticed her. She's always her and well, her brother before have always noticed that she's always asking for help. She must be the baby. She must be the baby. I was just gonna say, she must be the baby. Oh Lord. She must be the baby. That's exactly what I was thinking.

SPEAKER_06

She must be the baby.

SPEAKER_01

That's what I was thinking too. So I mean, it's like psychologically, she's been conditioned. She's ruined. She's been conditioned that way, guys. But for her to tell you no because she just wanted to relax, she said, listen, I don't feel like dealing with your children.

SPEAKER_06

That's fine. We're not gonna deal with you.

SPEAKER_01

We're not gonna deal with you. Because I don't want all them strangers in my house for years.

SPEAKER_06

I look here, people, I tell my daughter all the time, actions have consequences. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. Now you gotta deal with them.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, now you gotta deal with them. All right, guys. This has been another episode of the Life After I Do podcast. If you're not doing so already, don't forget to like, share, comment, do all of the fun things. Subscribe. Um, subscribe, do all the fun things that you do on social media. You can find us at Life After I Do Podcast on all the major platforms: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Life After I Do Podcast. Don't forget you can also write into the podcast at lifeafter I do podcast at gmail.com. If you are putting in submissions, we do prefer them in email. We do see the ones in the DMs sometimes, but the DMs get a little flooded sometimes, guys. So it's just easier for us to keep them organized in the email. So don't forget. To write into the email at lifeafter I do podcast at gmail.com. And until next week, we'll see you Wednesday.

SPEAKER_06

Tell a friend to tell a friend.

SPEAKER_01

Tell a friend to tell a friend to tell grandma.

SPEAKER_06

Because if grandma know, everybody will know.

SPEAKER_01

Peace Mooskies. Peace Mooskies.