Full Transcript for The Master Sergeant: A Lifetime of Annihilating Stereotypes

00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:52.639 My mom had been married before. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:55.920 So because oh my gosh, that adds another layer to that. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:00.800 So your two older brothers are half-brothers to your one full brother. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:01.279 Okay. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.399 And then my special brother was my half-brother. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:09.199 I found out later when I was a teenager, I had two more brothers than a sister, but that's that's a whole nother story. 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:10.560 Oh, we'll so get into that. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:12.639 Fascinating. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.120 Okay, give me the lineup because now I'm confused. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:16.720 So mom and dad are married. 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:18.720 You have two older brothers that you grew up with. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:19.279 Right. 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:20.879 And then you, right? 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:24.639 What are the ages of these brothers and which one was your bestie brother? 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:27.120 My bestie brother was my brother Dan. 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.560 He was the third child. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.680 And who were all of these extras from? 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:35.360 My dad was married before. 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:36.639 And you didn't know that? 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:37.199 No. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:37.759 Oh. 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:43.199 Well, his ex-wife hid them from him for years, so he couldn't find them. 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:45.279 But he just decided not to tell you guys? 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:46.240 Did his wife know? 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:46.879 Did your mom know? 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:47.600 Oh absolutely. 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:47.839 Oh. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:48.720 Oh, absolutely. 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:52.800 It just wasn't anything, you know, growing up, I'm eight years old. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:57.839 Hey, you have a two brothers and a sister, but I can't tell you anything about them. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:05:58.319 Sure. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:05:59.920 So it just never came up. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:01.839 So how old were you when you found that out? 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:07.279 I was about 15, I think. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.040 Oh, so you're a teenager. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:09.600 Yes. 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:12.720 What do you remember about finding out? 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:16.480 I was like, well, at first I was like, oh come on, that's not funny. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:18.879 You know, you don't just throw that on a kid. 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:22.720 But when I found out, I was like, wait a minute, I have a sister. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:24.000 Oh, yeah. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:25.360 And I love her. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:25.680 Yeah. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.519 She's wonderful, and we get together whenever we can. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.399 And but I was really close. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:37.519 Both of my older brothers were in the military. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:39.759 One was in the Marines, one was in the army. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.240 But I was closer to my brother that was in the Marines. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:42.959 Really? 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:43.360 Yeah. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:46.560 I was I was dead set that you were gonna say army. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:47.839 Are we talking about the same brother? 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.360 My brother Dan was in the Navy. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:51.920 Okay. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:52.720 For a while. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:56.240 God see so much military in your family. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:56.639 Oh yes. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:57.680 A way of life. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.560 My brother Michael was in the Marines. 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:02.639 We did three tours in Vietnam. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:03.519 Wow. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:04.480 Yeah. 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:13.600 But my brother Michael, and we we because we both deployed so much and went to so many different places. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:33.920 Like one year I was in Honduras the same time he was in Honduras, and I was on a peacekeeping mission, and he was doing the whole Sandinista and Contra shooting war thing, and we didn't know that we were both in the same country at the same time. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:35.199 Oh wow. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:41.120 Okay, so with all of these siblings, your mom was married before two. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:41.680 Yes. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.839 And that's where brother Dan comes from? 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:44.480 Correct. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:50.240 But brother Dan wasn't the oldest out of y'all, or he was out of the three that in the household that you were raised. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:52.160 Out of the three in the household, he was the oldest. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:58.639 And it's like if you didn't know he was gay, you would never know he was gay. 00:07:58.879 --> 00:07:59.360 Sure. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:05.839 Because I mean, he wasn't feminine, he was he was just a regular guy. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:07.600 He was a good Christian. 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:11.199 He would give you the shirt off his back. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.360 He helped so many people. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:24.240 And uh I can remember after my son was born, everybody thought that my brother Dan was my son's father because he was always around. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:32.159 And when my son was, I think about seven, my brother sat down with me and he was just distraught. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:33.919 And I was like, What's the matter? 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:38.480 He goes, What's gonna happen when he finds out that I'm gay? 00:08:38.639 --> 00:08:41.679 I went, Oh Hun, he's always known. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:45.519 I said, He's always known you're gay, he doesn't care. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:46.399 Oh man. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:51.840 And I mean, he was carrying this burden that I didn't know he was carrying. 00:08:52.080

--> 00:08:54.639 And I was like, oh hun, he doesn't care. 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:56.080 I raised him. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:57.679 Right, exactly. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:00.240 Wow. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.879 Wow. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:04.480 All right. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:06.480 Shut up. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:08.559 Episode over, guys. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:10.960 That already explains everything I can do here to find out. 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:12.879 I'm like, holy crap. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:20.960 I am like, I've known you for eight years, didn't know any of that, but that all makes so much sense about you. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:24.720 The hair, the attitude, all of it. 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:26.720 Yeah, really attitude. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:27.279 Okay. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:29.200 So strong military family. 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.039 Were all your brothers in the service? 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.240 No, my brother Rick did not join the military. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:36.240 He chose a different path, and that's fine. 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:38.000 Okay, but the rest of them all did. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.000 Yeah, my sister did not, my brother did not. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:41.600 And it almost every branch. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:42.080 Yes. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:43.600 Well, my dad was Air Force. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:44.240 There you go. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:44.639 Yeah. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:51.279 And when I came home and told my dad that I joined the army, he said, Why didn't you join the Air Force? 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.759 Because that was his alma mater or whatever. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:57.200 And I said, Well, I said in the army, they told me I could blow shit up. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:09:59.360 Yes! And I did. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.759 What was your job in the army? 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:05.519 I had several jobs. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:14.399 When I first joined, if you ever watched MASH, you see them running up to the helicopter, and there's that poor chick carrying a clipboard. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:14.799 Yeah. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:15.759 I was that chick. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.279 I was patient administration. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:18.320 Oh wow. 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:20.720 So that's what I did most of my career. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:28.240 But I also got an additional, it's called an MOS, additional MOS of communication. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:36.639 So when I would go to South America on missions, I would be their communication specialist. 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.480 I worked with some guy named Blackjack. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:39.519 That was his codename. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:40.559 So I worked with him. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:42.080 Very all cool. 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:48.240 And uh we were in the Amazon, and I would give daily reports from what we did every day. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:56.000 I would get daily reports from them, what was basically going on in the rest of the world, because we didn't have that much communication where we were. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:01.440 And because I liked my bosses, I got them the results of the boxing matches. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:03.120 So they were happy. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:07.279 How old were you when you decided you want to go to the military when you were a kid? 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.960 I was 20. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:12.720 Oh, whoa, hold on. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:14.799 So you didn't go straight out of high school. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:15.600 You waited a little bit. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:22.000 No, I I screwed around after high school and was kind of just floating. 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:34.000 And I knew that by 20, that things weren't really like progressing. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:40.879 You know, I had gotten a partial scholarship after school, but my dad said I didn't need to go to college because he didn't. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:42.000 I know. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:49.519 And I was like, okay, and I just really kind of floated around for a couple of years, had an apartment, dated, yada yada, yada. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:12:04.080 And then one okay, one night one of my girlfriends and I had a little too much tequila, and we thought it would be a great idea to join the army on the buddy system. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:05.360 No, you did not. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.720 Oh, yes, we did. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:09.360 And I was like, that's a great idea. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.559 Let's meet at the recruiter at nine o'clock in the morning. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:16.000 So she said, Yeah, I went to the recruiter. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:17.279 She never showed up. 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:18.480 Oh no way. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:26.480 So I was going to leave, but then the recruiter saw me, and I was like, Well, he's already seen me. 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:28.240 It can't hurt to go talk to him. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:32.480 And I told him if he could ship me out in three weeks, I would join. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:34.320 But if three weeks? 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:37.600 But if it was any more than that, then I would change my mind. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:39.919 Because I was 20, it's what you did. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.960 And uh he got me out in two weeks. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:45.519 Fort Jackson, South Carolina. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:46.879 Oh my gosh. 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:56.159 So you were a tomboy when you were younger, but like what what was your what was your personality and stuff like as like a teenager? 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:05.120 My junior high years, I know you're never gonna believe this, but I was kind of withdrawn a little bit. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:10.639 I had a small group of friends, but I didn't like socialize with everybody. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:15.120 And then my freshman year in high school, I was watching everybody have all this fun. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:21.360 And I was not because I had limited

myself so much with just a few people. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.159 And I was like, well, that's gotta change. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:33.519 So starting my sophomore year, I started hanging around with this group and then this group and this group, and I probably shouldn't hung out with that group, but I did. 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:41.919 And uh so yeah, high school was, I mean, I passed, I didn't fail anything, but it was pretty much a social event for me. 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.519 Now, why do you think that it changed so drastically? 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.559 Why are you reserved and then all of a sudden you're outgoing? 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.799 I didn't want to be left out. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:52.320 Everybody was having a good time. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:56.080 I wanted to have a good time, I wanted to be with people. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:58.799 Did you play any sports? 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.799 I played volleyball my freshman year. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:02.080 I could still see you playing volleyball. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:05.919 But then I played, I was in auto mechanics my senior year. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:09.200 I was the first girl in Taipei High School to go to auto mechanics. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:11.200 What do you think that was about for you? 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.919 It was about proving a point. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:19.039 It was absolutely about proving a point to myself, my parents. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:21.679 What did your my brother who said I couldn't do it? 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:24.159 Ah, there was no which brother. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:25.360 Oh, my brother Rick. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:25.840 Okay. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:33.600 He was in auto mechanics for two years, and I wanted to join my junior year, but that was his senior year, and he was like, no, da da da, don't do it. 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:41.919 I said, Okay, but I'm joining my senior year, and I did, and I stood, this was when you actually registered for class in person. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:53.759 So I went to um register, I was first person in line, like the first person in line, because I knew I was going to be up against a lot of chauvinism. 00:14:54.240 --> 00:15:01.039 And at first, the instructor told me to just get out of line and I couldn't do this. 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:05.519 And and I said, There's nothing that says that I can't do this, and I'm not leaving. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:09.440 Yes, you're going to sign me up for a class, yes. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.720 And he, I said, I want the morning class. 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:14.159 He goes, The morning class is full. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:17.919 I said, but there's nobody in the afternoon class, so you can just sign me up for that. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.240 Because and he goes, There's people in line behind you. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:21.519 I said, they can wait. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:25.679 Who did you learn to talk to adults like this from? 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:27.039 Probably my dad. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:28.000 Really? 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.360 I would have been just petrified. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:34.080 I was pissed. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:36.240 Because I'm like, no, I can do this. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:36.960 Wow. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:41.279 Okay, so here you are going into a predominantly male thing, right? 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:42.559 That's right. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.600 And then you go into the army, which is predominantly a male. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:49.279 Tell me more things that you've done like that to prove a point. 00:15:53.200 --> 00:16:10.000 Well, those are my two biggest rebellions going into an well, I mean, staying in and achieving the rank of master sergeant in an all-male, mostly male-dominated, and then working at the medical command, which is to me almost the top of the puzzle palace. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.799 But um later in my career is where that came. 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:19.279 And well, when I was deployed to the Middle East, I was in charge of my section. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:31.039 I was still patient administration, and I would find out things before my hospital commander would find them out because I knew people, because you have to know people. 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:32.080 Right. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:39.120 And um we were putting together packets because what you did when patients come in. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:44.720 And the night before the ground war started, my commander came in and he says, What are you doing? 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:47.279 I said, Well, we're preparing for the ground war. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:49.840 He goes, Well, nobody knows when that's gonna start. 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.320 I looked at my trusty little army watch. 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:55.120 I said, It's gonna start at 516 in the morning. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:56.960 He goes, You don't know that. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:57.840 I said, Yes, I do. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:58.960 He goes, How do you know that? 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.840 I said, I'm an NCO, it's my job to know these things. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:03.919 He hated that answer. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:05.119 Wow. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.720 Because that was always my answer. 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:08.079 Did you say Master Sergeant? 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:08.559 Yes. 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:11.039 I'm so glad I didn't know that when I met you. 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:14.079 Such a scary title. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:15.519 That, there's that. 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:25.839 There were many times when I was in the army, I had to explain to colonels not to confuse my rank with my position. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:27.359 What do you mean by that? 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:33.119 I worked at the medical command, which is the highest in the medical field. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:37.359 Okay, G357 Plans and Operations Directorate. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:45.359 And I helped put

together like FAST teams and hospital units for three different theaters of operation. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:55.279 And we also helped with backfills from hospitals in the United States and specific uh entities that we staff. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:01.279 And colonels would come to me and they would tell me what I was going to do. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.960 How did that work out for them? 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:06.960 Not well for them. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:11.759 Because they were asking for things they weren't authorized. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:16.000 Now, if they were authorized and they truly needed it, I would break my back to get it for them. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:17.359 Because I get that. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:22.240 But I had a general uh colonel come up and tell me that he needed an aid. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:24.480 And I said, For what? 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.000 He said, uh well, well, I just need one. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.720 I said, Well, you don't get one. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:32.559 It's not authorized. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:34.240 Who's your commander? 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:36.079 And I gave him my colonel's name. 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:38.000 I said, here's his phone number. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:44.400 And he hung up and I went to my colonel's office and I said, This is what he's asking for, yada yada, yada. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:48.160 And sure enough, his phone rang while I was in there, and I just kind of stood there. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:50.319 He picked it up, he goes, uh-huh, uh-huh. 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:54.160 Well, what did Master Sergeant Bridges tell you? 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:54.960 Uh-huh. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:01.680 Well, she's right, and you should probably be nicer to her if you want something. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.680 Well, he had your back. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.119 Oh, he always did. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:06.319 He always did. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:07.920 So yeah. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:14.559 One thing I have always admired about you is the fact that you're just not scared. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:15.920 Like you're just not. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:16.480 Yeah. 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:17.920 Where does it come from? 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:19.359 Oh man. 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:22.640 Um I don't know. 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.960 I just, well, I mean, when I joined the army, that that cured a lot of it. 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:32.319 But even as a teenager, you're sitting here telling me that you're telling this teacher, like, you're gonna put me in that class, right? 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:33.359 Like that took something like that. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:36.400 I think a lot of it, I think a lot of it was my dad. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:41.599 He was a very strong-willed person, a very strong-mannered person. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.400 And I'm a lot like him. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:45.119 Wow. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:50.960 And he always told me growing up, you know, because people get in fights at school. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:51.759 That's what happens. 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:54.400 He goes, I don't ever want you to start a fight. 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:55.279 Ever. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.119 I want you to walk away as much as you can walk away. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.960 But when you can't walk away, you better win that fight. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:05.119 And did you ever get into a fight in school? 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:05.599 I did. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:06.640 And what happened? 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:08.720 I sent her to the hospital. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:10.960 She pulled my hair. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:12.480 No, no, not the hair. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:14.319 She pulled my hair. 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:17.279 Oh my gosh. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:20.000 My dad was gonna take me out to dinner. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:20.880 Oh, I'm sure. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:22.000 Oh, he was very proud. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:24.960 Dude, I had something like that with my son Austin. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.440 He was in middle school. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.160 And I don't like bullies. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:30.880 I just don't. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:31.920 I don't either. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.839 And I I know that you don't. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:34.960 I know this. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:40.079 My son was in middle school, and they had there's video footage of this, right? 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:45.680 And he's like walking into the cafeteria and some kid behind him like grabs his backpack, pulls him back, and pushes him down. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.400 My son clocked him, right? 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:49.839 Yeah, that's what I said. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.480 And the school calls me, and you know, they're like, hey, ma'am, so this is what happened. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.880 We're gonna have to suspend him. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:03.200 And I'm like, oh well, just so you know, when he gets home, I'm taking him out for ice cream. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:04.799 Oh yeah, absolutely. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:06.480 Like you can suspend him, cool. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.279 He can have three days of ice cream at home for my care. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:13.279 But like this kid shoved him to the ground. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:16.799 Like you're you want me to teach my son not to stick up for himself. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:19.039 I'm actually curious what your opinion is on stuff like that. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:20.160 What's your opinion on that? 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:43.519 I think bullies are small-minded weak people who try to use their size and their buddies to prey on somebody who's probably nicer and sometimes weaker, yes, but somebody who doesn't push back. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.759 That's that's their prey. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:48.400 And I've got no tolerance for that. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:49.839 Were you ever bullied as a kid? 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:50.480 Oh yes.

00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:51.359 For what? 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:54.000 Um Okay. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:58.319 When I I forget about these things till you bring them up. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.680 So when I was in fourth grade. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.759 When I was in school, you had to wear dresses in elementary school. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:06.880 You had to. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:16.640 So I would wear shorts under my dresses because I would be on the monkey bars and doing things, and you don't want to because that would be bad. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:17.200 Yeah. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:19.039 And never loved that one though. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:20.079 No, never. 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:30.799 And I would uh I was playing on the monkey bars, and these two boys came up and they lifted up my skirts. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:34.319 I beat them both up. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.440 Good for you. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:40.160 And to this day they remember that, which I think is hilarious. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:48.079 But when I was in high school, this girl that I got into a fight with, she had been a friend of mine in junior high, so I don't know what happened. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.240 But she would follow me around and she would poke and poke and poke. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.640 And I would just tell her, just stop, just just go away. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:59.200 I don't want anything to do with you. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:10.720 And then after seeing that I was not responding to her, other people thought that it was okay to push me around. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:15.039 And so finally I looked at this one girl who was the instigator of it all. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.519 And I finally stopped because I had had enough. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.359 This went on for a year. 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:20.799 Just relentless. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.680 Yeah, yeah. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:27.920 And so I just looked at her and I said, Look, I said, I want you to stop because I don't want to hurt you. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:32.319 And she outweighed me by like 30 pounds, but that didn't seem to matter. 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:34.960 I said, I don't want to hurt you, so stop. 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:36.480 Please. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:37.440 And she didn't. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:40.480 And I was like, okay, meet me after school. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:42.079 So this was like planned. 00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:44.240 There was a date. 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:46.079 Meet me after school. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:47.039 Meet me outside. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:47.839 Catch me outside. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:48.880 Have a dad. 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.440 And uh, well, it was at lunch, that's when we did it. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:03.039 And uh, so I mean, it was first the you know, the the posturing, and then she pulled my hair, and I'm like, oh, we ain't having that. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:17.039 I could sit on my hair, it was gorgeous, it was

brown, and and uh I just proceeded to vindicate myself. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.720 Was there a bunch of kids watching? 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:19.680 Oh, of course there were. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:20.000 Yeah. 00:24:20.079 --> 00:24:21.440 It's high school, yeah. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:25.680 And she went to the emergency room because I mean I was raised with boys. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:26.160 Right. 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:28.559 Did your dad also teach you how to fight or no? 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.359 Kinda. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:30.559 Kinda he did. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.160 I mean, we'd wrestle around and stuff, but he didn't teach me formal moves. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:44.240 But when my my dad was home and he went to pick me up from school, so I'm sitting in the office and he walks in, and the principal's going, Oh, you know, she's been in a fight, yada yada yada. 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:46.240 My dad looked at me, he goes, Did you win? 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:47.200 I said, Yes. 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:48.079 He went, Okay. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:50.240 And the principal didn't know what to say. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:50.720 Right. 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.839 Like, what do you say to that? 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.200 He asked me, Did you start it? 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:54.319 And I said, No. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:55.759 He said, Did you win? 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:57.039 And I said, Yes. 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:58.480 Makes sense. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:24:59.119 Yeah. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:02.880 So now, what was your relationship like with your dad? 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:05.279 We had a really good relationship. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:08.960 When I was a teenager, we were very, very much alike. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:11.119 So we butted heads. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:15.119 But for the most part, I was his baby girl, you know. 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:16.240 Wow. 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:19.359 And then your mom, you said that she she's your idol? 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:20.000 Yes. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:21.519 Tell me about your mom. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:27.119 Uh, my mom is one of eight children, three remaining. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:29.279 Well, her and two more remaining. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:34.160 She had to quit school before eighth grade to help take care of her family. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:51.119 They were desperately poor in Georgia, and she went through so much as a poor, starving child, and then she married my dad and apparently immediately fell pregnant. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:54.160 So, oops, I guess that happens. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:26:11.279 And um sometimes when my dad would be a little too authoritative, she would kind of get in the middle of us, but she didn't work, she had no income except for one of my dad's, so she was kind of stuck. 00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:21.920 But then she she found her voice, and uh then she you know, she went and got her her uh cosmetology license, and I was like, okay. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:24.400 Did your parents stay together after that? 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:28.240 Oh yeah, no, like they stayed together till my dad passed. 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:29.200 Wow. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:33.359 But mom found her voice, and it wasn't always dad's word. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:37.119 After that, what what changed to make that happen? 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:40.799 Because that was around the same time that the siblings came in. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:46.720 Yeah, I it's just kind of like a weird You can't think of any event that would have occurred in that time frame? 00:26:47.200 --> 00:26:47.440 No. 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:51.039 Did it have maybe something to do with your brother? 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:53.119 No, I don't think so. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:53.680 Okay. 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:58.079 Because by that time he had left, he had joined the Navy and he had left when I was 15. 00:26:58.319 --> 00:26:59.599 Ooh, and that was your person. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:01.519 How did you take that? 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:05.839 I knew why he left. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:08.160 So I mean I wasn't mad at him. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:11.839 Now, when you were younger, did he did he protect you? 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:20.319 He was just always there, and he would do my hair, and you know, help me pick out clothes, and and he was just always there. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:24.720 Did you guys have lots of conversations and oh yeah, all the time. 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:25.359 Really? 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:27.200 And how far apart in age were you? 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:28.240 Ten years. 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:30.640 He was 10 years older than you. 00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:32.079 Oh wow. 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:34.079 That's a totally different dynamic. 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:38.640 Like he remembers you being born, and he's a teenager when you're just a little toddler. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:39.279 Right. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:43.359 I really want to understand what it was about him specifically. 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:44.400 Why him? 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:46.240 What did he do? 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:51.200 He was just always there. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:54.880 I mean, I could count on him for anything if I needed anything. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:55.920 He was there. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:12.000 And even when I came back from being deployed to the Middle East when my son was seven years old, we um we were staying at mom's house for a little while because I was going through divorce. 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:20.640 And on Christmas morning, he got up on the roof and pretended to be Sancho's reindeer. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:27.119 And my son woke up to that and he's like, Mommy, mommy, listen, it's the reindeer on the roof. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:29.599 And then he got down really quick and he ran in. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:30.799 He goes, Did you hear that? 00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:31.680 Did you hear that? 00:28:31.839 -->

00:28:33.119 Little things like that. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:33.680 Yeah. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:39.119 You know, he was just a good person, and you can tell. 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:40.240 Yeah. 00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:43.920 So how old was he when he came out? 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:52.880 He was in his early to mid-20s. 00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:55.440 And I'm guessing you already knew. 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:56.640 Yeah, kinda. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:28:58.720 Oh, so he didn't come out until you first? 00:28:58.960 --> 00:28:59.279 No. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:04.880 He actually I didn't find out until I was in California. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:08.720 And my cousin said something about him being gay. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:10.799 That was your response to that. 00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:12.400 And I was like, what? 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:14.640 And he was like, yeah, didn't you know? 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:15.839 I said, no. 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:20.640 And then he came down and I didn't care. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:22.480 Because he was still my brother. 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:25.359 I mean, he didn't that didn't change who he was. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:29.920 Was your family really big on loyalty? 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:31.279 Yeah, and no. 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:38.079 I mean, it it wasn't, you know, my dad wasn't, well, you can't be loyal to him and be loyal to me. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:43.680 But he was just never really accepting of my brother. 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:45.039 And my brother tried. 00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:46.480 What did that look like? 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:56.319 It looked like my brother, like when he went to prom with a woman, and you know, he was trying so hard to be straight. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:05.839 And he had a prom date, and he was getting to want to take her, but he didn't have a car. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:09.039 And my dad refused to let him use the car to take her to prom. 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:12.880 So one of our neighbors said, just come get my car, honey. 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:21.279 You know, and he would like deny him things, which I never understood. 00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:25.119 And you're watching, I'm watching this happen, yeah, in real life. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:29.599 How do you think that impacted the way that you feel about bullying and inclusion now? 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:35.839 It I think it made a a really lasting effect because I'm like, this is wrong. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.799 You you this this is your son. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:42.480 I mean, almost, you know, should be your child. 00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:43.599 And he raised him. 00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:44.079 Right. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:45.839 And and you're doing this. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:48.799 And I'm like, no, I know. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:50.319 You know. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:54.079 And you're young when you're watching this. 00:30:54.240 --> 00:30:54.480 Right. 00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:58.960 So this definitely made a huge

imprint on who you grew up to be. 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:01.599 And it's your person. 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:09.039 Like if it was just like another one of your million brothers, you know, it's still present to be a thing, but this is like the one that saw you. 00:31:09.359 --> 00:31:09.599 Right. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:10.880 The one that would listen. 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:18.720 And then what really broke me was I lived in Newport, Rhode Island for a while. 00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:21.519 And I moved back to Kerrville in 2015. 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.799 In 2015, my brother was diagnosed with liver cancer. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:29.599 And he passed. 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:35.200 But I moved back home to help because he was living with my mom. 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.960 But he would take care of my mom, and I never had to worry about mom. 00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:46.799 And um yeah, he didn't even know he was sick. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:50.160 How long did you have after he got the diagnosis? 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:54.960 I had him from May through October. 00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:57.680 Oh man, that was fast. 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:01.200 He didn't know how sick he was. 00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:03.519 He did, it was stage four when they found it. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:07.279 And he had noticed that he was a little tired. 00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:12.079 So, but really no other symptoms. 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:17.119 And they found it by accident on an X-ray when it went to the ER. 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:19.680 It was an accident that they found it. 00:32:20.160 --> 00:32:21.200 Oh man. 00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:28.160 How was life after you know he went into the Navy, right? 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:32.799 And so then you did you still have your other brother still in the house after he went to the Navy? 00:32:33.119 --> 00:32:35.920 So it was a two of you, and then eventually it was just you, right? 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:37.920 Right for the last little bit of high school? 00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:40.480 And what were the dynamics like then? 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:49.200 Um I honestly used to kid around and say that by the time my parents had me, they retired. 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:49.920 Really? 00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:50.720 You know. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:55.599 You know, you can only have so many kids before you're like, eh, you know, she'll be aight. 00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:00.799 But um, I mean, I had a lot of freedom. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:03.359 And yeah, I did typical kid stuff. 00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:04.640 I used to sneak out of the house. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:06.319 I know what a big surprise. 00:33:06.640 --> 00:33:09.440 But, you know, I'd I'd sneak out of the house and go to the disco. 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:10.640 Ooh, the disco. 00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:13.599 Disco, I know, way bet back in the day. 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:25.759 And uh I mean, it was just see, Kerval back then, you could do almost anything and not have to worry about trouble from the law. 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:35.519 I mean, we were we were rambunctious and and we got into mischief, but we were never malicious, and we never got into like bad trouble. 00:33:36.720 --> 00:33:50.960 And uh so you could pretty much go and do and not have to worry, and my parents didn't have to worry that I was gonna be kidnapped or drugged or anything like that. 00:33:51.359 --> 00:33:54.720 So it was it was pretty easy, it was a pretty light life. 00:33:55.279 --> 00:33:56.799 But I had no direction. 00:33:57.039 --> 00:33:58.400 Why do you think that was? 00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:03.519 Well, my I wanted to go to college, but my dad said that I didn't need to go to college. 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:05.680 I'm surprised that you didn't just say, watch this. 00:34:05.759 --> 00:34:06.960 I mean, I know you did eventually. 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:08.320 I did eventually. 00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:15.199 Well, because I it never at that point occurred to me that I could apply for grants and scholarships. 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:19.280 My high school counselor was less than enthusiastic. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:22.559 So what did you want to go to college for back then? 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:24.960 I was going to go to college for automechanics. 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:26.639 I was going to become a mechanic. 00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:30.000 What was it about mechanics that interested you other than proving it? 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:37.760 Things, fixing things, making things run that people said, oh, that'll never work, and making it work. 00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:42.320 And there's a little bit of a theme going on there. 00:34:42.559 --> 00:34:43.199 I know. 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:45.039 I want to know where that started. 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:46.719 I'm gonna dig until I find it too. 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:49.280 Like, give me the excavators coming out, right? 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:56.639 Like this whole they said I couldn't, so I did saying is very prominent. 00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:58.719 That is that is kind of my mantra. 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:01.360 Would you dad say things like she's a girl, she can't do that? 00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:02.079 Oh, never. 00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:02.800 Really? 00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:03.280 Never. 00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:05.280 Did he say the opposite? 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:09.599 Like, would would somebody make a comment about oh well she's a girl, she can't go climb the trees? 00:35:09.679 --> 00:35:10.079 Yes, she can. 00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:10.800 Yes, she can. 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:11.599 He would say that. 00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:12.079 Yeah. 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:13.679 He was like, Yes, she can. 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:15.599 What what's stopping her? 00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:18.079 And then he would go, I can't stop her. 00:35:18.320 --> 00:35:20.639 So oh yeah, he knew very young, I'm sure. 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:20.960 Oh, yeah. 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:22.639 It's just who you were. 00:35:22.880

--> 00:35:31.840 I would say that that's like probably the most common theme about Annette Bridges. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.239 Yeah. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:33.599 Is that why can't you? 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:39.519 I had a an ex-boyfriend who said that I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to do basic training because I was a girl. 00:35:39.679 --> 00:35:40.800 I wasn't strong enough. 00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:43.199 So I was like, oh, okay. 00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:45.840 He had gone to basic training the year before. 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:50.719 So I not only went to basic training, all of my scores beat his. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:51.679 Of course they did. 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:52.480 Of course they did. 00:35:52.719 --> 00:35:54.400 Underestimate me, that'll be fun. 00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:55.280 That'll be fun. 00:35:55.440 --> 00:35:59.280 What is it about people underestimating you that gets you so fired up? 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:14.239 You know, I don't like when anybody is underestimated because there's always, always that person inside them that you either never want to see or you want to come out. 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:21.840 Do you think that that's what happened with you when you went from being this shy little meeker kid? 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:22.480 I think so. 00:36:22.639 --> 00:36:30.239 And in the army, it was always, you know, you're this rank, you're, you know, be happier at this rank. 00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:33.280 And I'm like, no, thank you. 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:35.119 I want this rank. 00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:42.400 And then in my unit that I was in, I had gotten to the highest rank that I could. 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:44.559 There was there was no place for me to go up. 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:45.440 Shocker. 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:46.239 Oh, I know. 00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:56.239 So I was like, okay, so I went, that's when I went transferred to the medical command and basically wrote my own ticket. 00:36:57.119 --> 00:36:57.920 Shocker again. 00:36:58.079 --> 00:36:58.400 I know. 00:36:58.480 --> 00:36:58.880 Who knows? 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:01.119 Like, that doesn't surprise me one bit. 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:03.440 Like, that's just how you operate. 00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:04.159 Right. 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:05.440 Like, where's the ceiling? 00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:08.159 There is no ceiling. 00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.559 Right. 00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:10.239 There should be no ceiling. 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:14.079 Tell me more about there shouldn't be a ceiling. 00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:16.159 What is it about limits in you? 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:17.199 That's what I'm trying to dig. 00:37:17.679 --> 00:37:18.000 Limits. 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:19.519 Don't don't put me in a box. 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:22.400 Who gave you limits as a kid? 00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:25.440 Um, well, my parents did, school did. 00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:28.880 I mean, you had all the the specific limits of things you could do. 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:37.039 And but I mean, when when I was a kid, when we would we had PE as children, I know, what a shocker. 00:37:37.599 --> 00:37:40.719 And the girls had to do exactly what the boys did. 00:37:40.880 --> 00:37:48.000 The girls didn't get the like lower graded, you know, if you climb up the rope, you only have to go halfway. 00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:49.679 No, we had to go all the way. 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:56.800 So going through school, I never had the you can't do this because you're a girl. 00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:58.559 I had this, he did it. 00:37:58.719 --> 00:37:59.920 Why can't you do it? 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:00.800 You know? 00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:04.239 And so that I think was a lot of it. 00:38:05.760 --> 00:38:08.480 Was nobody told me I couldn't. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:10.880 Well, and you had dad telling you you could. 00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:12.320 That was another part of it, right? 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:14.400 Like dad was like, Yeah, why can't you? 00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:17.840 And my mom was like, you can do anything a man can do. 00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:21.920 See, uh that right there, I think became your mantra. 00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:22.400 Yeah. 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:28.480 Because you grew up to be the woman that does all the things that the men can think that they can only do sometimes, and do it better. 00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:29.280 That's true. 00:38:29.519 --> 00:38:31.679 I mean, that's just what I've always seen you do. 00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:33.440 I've had to give it my best shot. 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:36.719 And your best shot's always you don't ever half-ass anything. 00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:54.480 Well, when when I became an adult, like when I decided to go to college, as in my 40s, I decided to go to college, and I would not accept a B. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:58.079 I became OCD about my grades. 00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:07.519 And I graduated cum lauda with my bachelors and my associates at the same time. 00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:29.119 And I I wouldn't accept less because if I had slacking grades and I didn't do well, I couldn't tell my kids, because I had my son and then multiple other children who called me mom, I couldn't tell them to do well if I didn't lead by example. 00:39:30.639 --> 00:39:33.199 Yeah, I'd be a hypocrite, and like I just not gonna do that. 00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:41.760 Was your dad the type of dad that really did he have high expectations of you? 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:42.400 No. 00:39:42.880 --> 00:39:43.519 Really? 00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:46.000 How about out of your brothers? 00:39:46.320 --> 00:39:48.400 Oh, always, but not out of you. 00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:49.039 Right. 00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:52.079 I was a girl, I was supposed to get married, have babies. 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:53.280 Let's go there. 00:39:53.599 --> 00:39:54.639 Let's come on. 00:39:56.719 --> 00:39:57.760 I didn't want to. 00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:01.760 Well, that's I joined the army. 00:40:01.920 -->

00:40:02.960 But that's fascinating. 00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:10.000 Think about it, because here you are saying your dad was like, oh, you can do anything a boy can do, type of an attitude, just like your mom, right? 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.320 But still had the stereotypes. 00:40:12.559 --> 00:40:13.920 Talk to me about those stereotypes. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:16.480 What did that sound like, look like in your house? 00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:25.519 I well, I wanted to, you know, do the girl things and go to prom. 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:35.760 And I found out years later that my dad canceled my order for my prom dress and kept telling him that was lost, so I didn't go to prom. 00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.159 That's okay, I went to the drags. 00:40:39.519 --> 00:40:41.039 So I had more fun. 00:40:41.440 --> 00:40:44.800 But um why didn't he want you to go to prom? 00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:46.320 Boys? 00:40:46.719 --> 00:40:48.320 He was trying to keep you away from boys? 00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:49.519 I guess. 00:40:50.480 --> 00:40:51.519 It I don't know. 00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:59.440 But then when I joined the army, my dad was very proud of me for joining the army, so he was a bit of a conundrum, you know. 00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:05.679 So he, you know, felt this way about this, but then this way about this, and he was really happy and proud of me. 00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:09.599 Every time I gained rank in the army, he was just like so excited. 00:41:09.920 --> 00:41:17.199 And so on one hand, it was like get married and have babies, and on the other hand, it's like look what my baby did. 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:18.800 Interesting. 00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:20.320 I mean, but you did both. 00:41:20.559 --> 00:41:21.679 I did, right? 00:41:22.079 --> 00:41:26.880 You did, and so you were already in the army when you had your son? 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:27.519 Yes. 00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.000 How how old were you when you had him? 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:31.920 I was 24 when he was born. 00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:34.800 So you'd already been in for four years by the time he was born. 00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:36.400 Talk to me about how that works. 00:41:36.480 --> 00:41:37.519 I'm always curious. 00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:40.159 Like, as a mom, you deployed, you left your kid. 00:41:40.239 --> 00:41:41.840 How well I kind of had to. 00:41:41.920 --> 00:41:42.079 Yes. 00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:44.960 Um I was in the reserves. 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:48.960 So I only had to go like one week in a month and then two weeks during the year. 00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:53.119 It was great because and my husband would take care of our son while I was gone. 00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:54.880 So he was not military? 00:41:55.119 --> 00:41:55.360 No. 00:41:55.519 --> 00:42:01.039 Well, he had done he had done his tour in the Navy as a weatherman in Monterey. 00:42:01.360 --> 00:42:07.519 We had gotten divorced when I was called up for Desert Shield Desert Storm. 00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:08.800 How old was your son? 00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:09.679 Six. 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:10.960 Oh man. 00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:13.920 How did it feel leaving your six-year-old to go? 00:42:14.159 --> 00:42:15.519 Oh, it was gut-wrenching. 00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:16.239 I hated it. 00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:18.960 I hated it more than anything in the world. 00:42:19.760 --> 00:42:41.360 And the things that kept me going were I would get up in the middle of the night in the Middle East and check out a deuce and a half truck and load up all my friends who wanted to go, and we would go across post because they had these great big tents that were nothing but phone banks. 00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:45.679 And I waited till the middle of the night because bombing would stop. 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:49.760 And so I wouldn't have to, he wouldn't have to hear that. 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:55.119 And I would call home and talk to him. 00:43:03.199 --> 00:43:07.360 And then you deployed again when how old was he the second time? 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:09.760 Oh, he was older then. 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:12.719 I mean, he was a teenager and he was living with my mom. 00:43:13.199 --> 00:43:16.079 Now, okay, so we have something in common. 00:43:17.039 --> 00:43:22.239 Uh we are uh we'll just say fluent in divorce. 00:43:22.480 --> 00:43:23.519 Yes, yes, we are. 00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:25.119 How many times have you been married? 00:43:25.840 --> 00:43:28.000 I don't choose to discuss that. 00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:31.280 Aren't you you mean me beat by one, right? 00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:32.480 I think so, yeah. 00:43:32.719 --> 00:43:33.360 Yeah, yeah. 00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:35.119 Yeah, I think I beat you by one. 00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:37.840 Wanna talk about why you think that is? 00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:42.320 I oh I know now. 00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:52.639 I mean, looking back, I would get with these people who were fascinating and energetic and broken. 00:43:53.840 --> 00:43:57.840 And I was sure that if I loved them enough, I could fix them. 00:43:58.719 --> 00:43:59.199 You can. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:01.920 You just can't. 00:44:02.559 --> 00:44:07.519 And I kept giving and giving, and they kept taking and taking. 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:13.599 And then finally, I would just pull myself up by my ovaries and go, I've had enough. 00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:17.440 And when I've had enough, I never look back. 00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:20.960 How long did each one of your marriages last on average? 00:44:21.280 --> 00:44:25.920 Um four years, maybe. 00:44:26.559 --> 00:44:30.000 I mean, because it it didn't take them long to show their true selves. 00:44:30.400 --> 00:44:46.400 You know, they were great in the in the honeymoon, I love you phase, but then certain habits would start coming out and things they wouldn't change and isolationism and look drugs that I didn't know about. 00:44:46.639 --> 00:44:49.920 Did they have anything else in common that you noticed?

00:44:54.800 --> 00:44:58.880 No, because they were physically completely different from each other. 00:44:59.119 --> 00:45:00.960 But I'm just saying, like internally. 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:03.840 Uh internally they were broken. 00:45:03.920 --> 00:45:05.119 They like how so? 00:45:05.280 --> 00:45:08.400 To get it, was there like there were common denominators in there with them? 00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:11.760 Uh narcissism was one. 00:45:12.239 --> 00:45:17.440 Um they wanted somebody to take care of them. 00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:23.360 Not necessarily a wife, but somebody to take care of them so they could go do what they wanted. 00:45:24.639 --> 00:45:30.159 And I'm not about that. 00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:34.239 Not about cheating and you know. 00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:36.880 How did you handle it when you got cheated on? 00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:44.719 Well, my last husband, when I found out he cheated, on a trip that I sent him on. 00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:45.840 Of course. 00:45:46.079 --> 00:45:46.800 Of course. 00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:50.800 Um I threw things at him. 00:45:50.880 --> 00:45:51.840 I was really mad. 00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:58.159 How many of the three three of them cheated on you? 00:45:58.400 --> 00:46:05.440 And I walked away from the last one, and I don't date anymore. 00:46:05.840 --> 00:46:06.880 How long ago was that? 00:46:07.119 --> 00:46:08.079 2014. 00:46:09.119 --> 00:46:12.480 Girl, you haven't dated in 12 years? 00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:15.519 I know for a minute you're interested in my grandpa. 00:46:15.599 --> 00:46:16.079 I'm just saying. 00:46:16.320 --> 00:46:18.000 I mean, he's awful cute. 00:46:18.639 --> 00:46:21.199 Not saying I'm not still interested in grandpa. 00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:23.360 Oh my god. 00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:33.519 But I mean, I have surrounded myself with people who matter and who matter to me and respect me. 00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:36.639 And are true friends. 00:46:36.880 --> 00:46:38.079 What's a true friend? 00:46:38.320 --> 00:46:46.400 It's someone has who has my back, who doesn't talk down to me, you know, respects my opinion. 00:46:46.639 --> 00:46:53.519 We can go do things, and there's just like an easy camaraderie, and you never have to watch yourself around them. 00:46:53.599 --> 00:46:55.599 You can be your authentic self. 00:46:56.000 --> 00:46:56.639 You know? 00:46:57.119 --> 00:47:00.480 And I have friends from my army days that I go on vacation with. 00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:02.719 I vacation with them literally every year. 00:47:02.880 --> 00:47:05.039 I'm always checking this year cruise countdowns. 00:47:05.679 --> 00:47:07.039 I'm always going on a cruise. 00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:08.559 I'm like, this girl lives on the boat. 00:47:08.719 --> 00:47:11.679 You think we're in the navy with as much as she's been on the boat. 00:47:12.079 --> 00:47:12.559 Too much water. 00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:13.119 Too much water. 00:47:13.440 --> 00:47:14.800 She's like, no, I like getting off.

00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:15.840 I like the land. 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:16.800 I like the land. 00:47:16.960 --> 00:47:17.840 I like the beach. 00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:18.639 Do you really? 00:47:18.719 --> 00:47:19.360 Oh, I love the beach. 00:47:19.599 --> 00:47:20.159 Is that your favorite place? 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:21.599 Oh, yeah. 00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:22.719 Belize. 00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:24.079 Oh, I love Belize. 00:47:24.320 --> 00:47:25.519 It's my favorite country. 00:47:25.760 --> 00:47:28.000 What about Belize is it that you like so much? 00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:32.639 It's just the culture is so laid back and it's so authentic. 00:47:33.440 --> 00:47:38.000 And when I go, I immerse myself in their culture. 00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:44.960 I feel like you've always been like you're really good at honoring cultures. 00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:45.920 Yes. 00:47:46.400 --> 00:47:51.280 And I think that kind of ties back to inclusion in your brother, right? 00:47:51.440 --> 00:47:51.599 Yes. 00:47:51.840 --> 00:47:53.039 And loving everybody. 00:47:53.920 --> 00:47:58.480 Honoring other cultures is important because it exists for a reason. 00:47:58.559 --> 00:48:00.719 And I'm a history nerd, you know that. 00:48:00.960 --> 00:48:11.280 And to be able to go into their history and dig into their history and find out the whys is incredible because you learn so much. 00:48:11.679 --> 00:48:14.880 When did you get so into history? 00:48:15.840 --> 00:48:20.400 Um, I got into geography, which is why I traveled. 00:48:20.639 --> 00:48:21.360 When was that? 00:48:21.599 --> 00:48:23.280 Uh my sophomore year in high school. 00:48:23.519 --> 00:48:25.039 What was it about geography that you liked? 00:48:25.360 --> 00:48:26.880 I had my teacher. 00:48:27.039 --> 00:48:31.360 She was a geography teacher and she was Austrian, I believe. 00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:40.079 And she came over, and then, like I did in my history classes, she would come in and she would start talking about this country and this country. 00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:43.519 And then she would say, What was the hook to me? 00:48:43.679 --> 00:48:49.519 Well, when I was there, which made it real and not just pages. 00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:53.599 And she would bring in things from her travels and show them to the class. 00:48:53.679 --> 00:48:55.840 And it was kind of like a show and tell. 00:48:55.920 --> 00:48:57.360 And I was like, okay. 00:48:57.840 --> 00:49:04.880 But I really got into history when I was getting my uh bachelor's degree. 00:49:05.360 --> 00:49:16.159 I had a professor who was just passionate about history, and he made it come alive, he made it main sense because history can be very dull. 00:49:17.199 --> 00:49:19.280 What did those two teachers have in common? 00:49:19.519 --> 00:49:30.400 Not only their love of history, their love of the culture of history, and what history should mean to you. 00:49:32.079 --> 00:49:34.480 Was your dad racist? 00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:35.440

Yes. 00:49:35.760 --> 00:49:37.360 He was very racist. 00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:45.679 Was and obviously there was some sexism going on too because you were supposed to be the wife and the mom and do the girl things. 00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:46.480 Right. 00:49:46.960 --> 00:49:50.960 I think it's so awesome that you were like, nope, nope. 00:49:52.000 --> 00:49:53.599 Nope, right out of that. 00:49:54.559 --> 00:50:16.880 Can you think of a moment or a time or anything back when you were super young and you just specifically remember being either like othered or not allowed to participate, pushed to the side, not allowed to do what everybody else was doing, maybe because you were too young or too little or too or a girl. 00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:19.360 They wouldn't let me join Boy Scouts. 00:50:22.559 --> 00:50:23.519 Keep going. 00:50:23.760 --> 00:50:27.039 Well, I mean, they wouldn't, because it was boys only, which made sense. 00:50:27.519 --> 00:50:28.480 How old were you at this point? 00:50:28.719 --> 00:50:30.400 Oh, I was six or seven. 00:50:30.480 --> 00:50:40.719 My brother was eight or nine, and I mean he went on to get his Eagle Scout, so I was always involved in it, but I just couldn't be in it. 00:50:40.880 --> 00:50:44.079 And I tried Girl Scouts for a year, and that was just really boring. 00:50:44.480 --> 00:50:48.239 And what do you remember about being told you couldn't do Boy Scouts? 00:50:48.639 --> 00:50:50.400 Well, my first question was why. 00:50:50.639 --> 00:50:51.039 Of course. 00:50:51.280 --> 00:50:52.239 I mean, yeah. 00:50:52.480 --> 00:50:56.320 But when they said that, well, it's boys only, I was like, well, okay. 00:50:56.480 --> 00:50:57.840 I mean, I get that. 00:50:59.280 --> 00:51:04.880 But I mean, we'd always go to the meetings because it was a family thing, and I'd have to go sit through all of that. 00:51:05.039 --> 00:51:09.199 I could probably do the, you know, all the merit badge things. 00:51:09.599 --> 00:51:15.679 But it was just, you know, that was the one thing I couldn't do. 00:51:15.840 --> 00:51:18.960 But I was okay with it because it was for boys, and I got that. 00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:25.039 Oh, and my brother played sports, played baseball, but they didn't have sports for girls back then. 00:51:25.679 --> 00:51:28.320 There was no softball, no soccer. 00:51:28.639 --> 00:51:31.840 So you're watching your brothers do all this cool shit and you're not allowed to do it because you're a girl. 00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:32.400 Right. 00:51:32.639 --> 00:51:38.159 Well, because but it wasn't because I was a girl, it was because there was no programs for girls. 00:51:38.400 --> 00:51:38.639 Right. 00:51:38.800 --> 00:51:43.119 Yeah, but that's still like as a little girl who's watching and wants to be included. 00:51:44.159 --> 00:51:52.960 I was very athletic and I would always, you know, when they'd go hit, you know, go practice and hit balls, I'd go hit with them and I'd play basketball. 00:51:53.119

--> 00:52:02.639 We had a basketball goal in our in our driveway, and you know, I was always doing that, but there wasn't there wasn't anything organized. 00:52:02.880 --> 00:52:04.400 I was kind of like Uncle Fred, right? 00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:09.360 Like Uncle Fred was a black boy, so they didn't have he wasn't allowed to play. 00:52:09.679 --> 00:52:14.639 I remember integration when integration happened in our school. 00:52:14.880 --> 00:52:17.280 And that had to be something for you. 00:52:17.599 --> 00:52:19.199 You know, it really wasn't. 00:52:19.360 --> 00:52:26.400 No, meaning like that, you're the perfect person to be there for something like that because you're the person that's like, come on, friends, let's go! And that was it. 00:52:26.639 --> 00:52:27.280 That was it. 00:52:27.519 --> 00:52:41.760 I mean, it was like one year we were this little all-white class, and the next year we had like eight or ten African-American students, and my attitude was cool, more people to play with, right? 00:52:41.920 --> 00:52:44.400 And and that's the way we went about it. 00:52:44.559 --> 00:52:48.719 And nobody, you know, nobody was like, oh, what are they doing here? 00:52:49.119 --> 00:52:52.880 You know, it was no us and them, it was just all of us together. 00:52:53.119 --> 00:52:55.360 Did you ever date any African-American boys? 00:52:55.599 --> 00:52:56.000 Yes. 00:52:56.239 --> 00:52:57.840 How did your dad handle that one? 00:52:58.079 --> 00:52:58.960 He didn't know. 00:52:59.199 --> 00:53:01.119 Oh, okay. 00:53:01.760 --> 00:53:02.400 All right. 00:53:04.000 --> 00:53:06.800 I have a great question for you of all people, I think. 00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:13.519 With all of your years in the military, I think people sometimes confuse protection and control. 00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:14.400 Yes. 00:53:14.639 --> 00:53:23.599 I would love to hear you explain what you think the difference is and where the line sometimes gets blurred between protection and control. 00:53:26.159 --> 00:53:31.440 I was very protective of my soldiers when I deployed. 00:53:32.239 --> 00:53:33.840 Very protective. 00:53:34.400 --> 00:53:49.519 Um, because our first sergeant was he wasn't bad, but he felt like he could just pull from my section for any, because we had to do duties because we were a hospital unit. 00:53:49.679 --> 00:53:53.760 So we had, you know, KP and guard duty and things like that. 00:53:54.159 --> 00:54:02.400 And he kept pulling my soldiers, and he would pull my young soldiers because they were young and they were hardy and da-da-da. 00:54:03.199 --> 00:54:08.000 And I'm like, nope, not gonna happen. 00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:13.119 And so he was trying to control the narrative. 00:54:13.920 --> 00:54:19.519 And one morning, one of my soldiers had just gotten off 24-hour guard duty. 00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:31.840 He was exhausted, and he came into our section and he to looked at me and he goes, Sergeant Bridges. 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:33.199 I said, Yeah, I said, What's going on? 00:54:33.360 --> 00:54:36.000 I said, You should be racking right about now. 00:54:36.159 --> 00:54:38.320 He said, First sergeant put me on KP. 00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:39.840 I looked at him and went, What? 00:54:40.559 --> 00:54:42.559 He said, First sergeant, put me on KP. 00:54:42.880 --> 00:54:46.000 I said, because somebody else couldn't do it. 00:54:46.159 --> 00:54:49.599 And I went, you go rack up, I got this. 00:54:49.920 --> 00:54:54.159 And he looked at me, goes, okay, because he knew I did. 00:54:54.639 --> 00:54:58.559 So I made sure everybody was doing what they're supposed to be doing. 00:54:58.719 --> 00:55:07.360 And I made my way through camp and I went to his tent, and his little secretary person dude was sitting there, his clerk. 00:55:07.599 --> 00:55:08.719 And I said, ZN. 00:55:08.880 --> 00:55:21.760 He goes, yes, but he's I went and I walked by by him and I walked in and I looked at him, I said, You put my soldier on KP after he did 24 hours guard duty. 00:55:21.920 --> 00:55:23.360 He was like, Well, I didn't have a choice. 00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:24.719 I said, No, you do. 00:55:24.960 --> 00:55:27.760 I said, Let me tell you how it's going to go. 00:55:28.320 --> 00:55:31.599 I put him up, he's sleeping right now. 00:55:32.159 --> 00:55:36.480 If you move him, touch him, try to pull him out of his bunk. 00:55:36.719 --> 00:55:38.800 I said, You're not gonna like it. 00:55:39.039 --> 00:55:48.559 I said, I can go to the commander and explain how important my section is, and I will get us exempt from every duty. 00:55:48.800 --> 00:55:50.800 Question, you were sergeant at this point? 00:55:50.960 --> 00:55:51.119 Yes. 00:55:51.280 --> 00:55:52.960 So that's E what in the army? 00:55:53.119 --> 00:55:54.079 I was in E6. 00:55:54.400 --> 00:55:55.519 And what was this guy? 00:55:55.679 --> 00:55:56.559 He was in E8. 00:55:56.960 --> 00:55:58.639 See, this is what blows my mind. 00:55:58.719 --> 00:56:02.400 You just like oh, like you continue these are my people. 00:56:02.800 --> 00:56:05.840 Where does that protective mama bear energy come from? 00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:07.360 Is it because of the brother, maybe? 00:56:07.440 --> 00:56:10.800 Like, where's Probably Did you stand up for him like that? 00:56:11.039 --> 00:56:11.280 Yeah. 00:56:11.519 --> 00:56:14.239 I don't like, well, to me, that was bullying. 00:56:15.119 --> 00:56:23.760 And and I don't tolerate bullying, so I explained to him, I said, you will not overuse my soldiers. 00:56:24.079 --> 00:56:32.239 When you were young and you were watching your dad basically bully your brother, right? 00:56:33.679 --> 00:56:35.920 Did you say anything or did you feel like you couldn't say anything? 00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:36.559 Did you feel helpless? 00:56:36.800 --> 00:56:37.760 Well, I was too young. 00:56:37.840 --> 00:56:38.079 Yeah. 00:56:38.559 --> 00:56:40.960 You know, who would listen to an eight-year-old? 00:56:41.199 -->

00:56:41.440 Wow. 00:56:41.599 --> 00:56:46.239 What do you think you would have said in that time if you could have? 00:56:46.559 --> 00:56:48.639 Oh, I'd have told him to leave my brother alone. 00:56:48.719 --> 00:56:50.320 There's nothing wrong with him. 00:56:50.880 --> 00:56:54.079 That he's mean, he's bullying him. 00:56:54.639 --> 00:56:55.920 Why can't he love him? 00:56:56.159 --> 00:56:57.599 Well, what did he need to hear? 00:56:57.679 --> 00:56:58.480 Do you think? 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:02.880 I would think that he is good enough. 00:57:03.360 --> 00:57:06.320 That the only person that can make you feel small is you. 00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:09.199 That those are only words. 00:57:09.519 --> 00:57:13.119 They're hurtful words, but those words will go away. 00:57:14.719 --> 00:57:16.320 And there are people who love you. 00:57:17.119 --> 00:57:19.679 More people who love you than this person. 00:57:21.119 --> 00:57:22.880 And people who will always stand by you. 00:57:23.679 --> 00:57:25.199 I think he would need to know that. 00:57:26.239 --> 00:57:27.679 I'm sure he felt all by himself. 00:57:28.079 --> 00:57:30.800 Because neither my brother and I were old enough to do anything. 00:57:31.760 --> 00:57:33.840 That'd be such a helpless feeling for you. 00:57:34.079 --> 00:57:34.719 Right. 00:57:36.239 --> 00:57:36.639 Right. 00:57:36.800 --> 00:57:40.000 I mean, like, you want to protect him. 00:57:40.159 --> 00:57:40.639 Yeah. 00:57:40.960 --> 00:57:42.320 And you're too little. 00:57:43.039 --> 00:57:50.480 I can see where that could have a potential trajectory of being the girl that nobody gets to deny. 00:57:50.639 --> 00:57:51.199 That's it. 00:57:51.360 --> 00:57:52.159 That's it. 00:57:53.760 --> 00:57:54.800 That's it. 00:57:56.000 --> 00:57:58.719 You have become undeniable. 00:57:59.039 --> 00:57:59.679 That's it. 00:57:59.840 --> 00:58:00.480 Yeah. 00:58:02.400 --> 00:58:04.960 I I don't like taking no for an answer. 00:58:05.199 --> 00:58:05.519 Right. 00:58:05.760 --> 00:58:06.960 If I can fix it. 00:58:07.440 --> 00:58:08.639 Undeniable. 00:58:08.880 --> 00:58:09.840 Oh, you think this? 00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:10.960 Watch me prove you wrong. 00:58:11.119 --> 00:58:12.400 Underestimate me what? 00:58:12.559 --> 00:58:13.039 Watch this. 00:58:13.599 --> 00:58:14.159 Hold my beer. 00:58:14.320 --> 00:58:14.559 Right. 00:58:14.719 --> 00:58:15.519 Hold my beer. 00:58:15.679 --> 00:58:18.079 Like, that's absolutely you. 00:58:18.639 --> 00:58:28.880 And honestly, since I've retired, I have, you know, dialed back on the a little bit, you know, hold my beer, watch this. 00:58:29.199 --> 00:58:35.840 But it's like, and because I'm an old broke soldier, there are some things I can't do. 00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:39.760 But there are some things I'm like, I can just still do that. 00:58:40.079 --> 00:58:41.519 I can still do that. 00:58:41.840 --> 00:58:49.199 Like when I was in Mexico and I jumped into a cenote that was like 30 feet

down. 00:58:49.840 --> 00:58:51.760 Just because that surprised me. 00:58:52.079 --> 00:58:52.400 Yeah. 00:58:52.719 --> 00:58:53.760 Because I could. 00:58:54.320 --> 00:58:58.400 And I usually zip line in every country I go to because I can. 00:58:58.960 --> 00:59:00.639 And I don't like heights. 00:59:00.960 --> 00:59:02.880 Was your dad controlling? 00:59:04.800 --> 00:59:10.079 He wasn't really around along and you know, often enough to be controlling. 00:59:10.880 --> 00:59:12.320 He was gone a lot. 00:59:13.440 --> 00:59:15.599 Like I'm hearing like limits, right? 00:59:15.679 --> 00:59:19.519 And I'm like, where did the box start that she broke out of? 00:59:20.400 --> 00:59:21.360 Couldn't tell you. 00:59:22.000 --> 00:59:26.079 So if dad wasn't there a whole lot, so he was in the military and then he became a truck driver? 00:59:26.239 --> 00:59:26.639 Yes. 00:59:27.440 --> 00:59:29.679 Was he a truck driver all the way till he retired or what? 00:59:29.840 --> 00:59:30.239 Yes. 00:59:32.000 --> 00:59:33.360 Was mom controlling? 00:59:34.000 --> 00:59:34.320 No. 00:59:34.719 --> 00:59:36.000 She was just cool, whatever. 00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:36.880 She was protective. 00:59:37.679 --> 00:59:38.159 Protective. 00:59:38.239 --> 00:59:38.400 Yeah. 00:59:38.719 --> 00:59:39.440 Back to that. 00:59:40.159 --> 00:59:43.360 What's the difference between protection and control? 00:59:43.679 --> 00:59:52.400 When you control something, you try to form it into a box that you have the key for. 00:59:54.639 --> 00:59:59.519 And you control the narrative and you control how it goes and you control how it flows. 00:59:59.840 --> 01:00:04.079 And there is no allowance to get outside of that. 01:00:05.760 --> 01:00:09.280 And if you protect somebody, you're protecting them from harm. 01:00:09.760 --> 01:00:12.000 You're protecting them from danger. 01:00:12.800 --> 01:00:15.039 Sometimes you're protecting them from their own self. 01:00:16.239 --> 01:00:19.519 But you don't lock them in a box. 01:00:24.079 --> 01:00:27.360 How do you define the word respect? 01:00:27.599 --> 01:00:29.199 That's actually harder than you think. 01:00:29.760 --> 01:00:42.079 Um respect is when you are able to look someone in the eye and have a conversation as equals. 01:00:43.280 --> 01:00:50.159 Respect is when you value someone's opinion and they value yours. 01:00:50.559 --> 01:00:58.639 Respect is also if they have a difference of opinion, you can still have a conversation without having a fight. 01:00:59.199 --> 01:01:05.280 You can still respect their identity without trying to control their identity. 01:01:15.199 --> 01:01:17.280 Master Sergeant Bridges over there. 01:01:18.079 --> 01:01:22.480 Okay, but freedom is a big one for you. 01:01:22.719 --> 01:01:23.280 It is. 01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:26.320 And autonomy is a big one for you. 01:01:27.039 --> 01:01:29.840 Agency over self is a big one for you. 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:33.039 Don't box me, don't label me, don't cage me in. 01:01:33.199 --> 01:01:37.760 And I'm gonna tell y'all from personal experience, you don't back her into a corner. 01:01:38.079 --> 01:01:40.880 Not figuratively, not physically. 01:01:41.360 --> 01:01:43.039 That's not something you do with her. 01:01:43.199 --> 01:01:44.719 No, that's all related, right? 01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:47.360 So it's like let me ask you. 01:01:48.079 --> 01:01:51.440 What do you sit up for this one? 01:01:52.960 --> 01:01:56.079 What's the worst way to die, in your opinion? 01:01:57.519 --> 01:01:59.039 The worst way to die? 01:01:59.760 --> 01:02:01.679 Oh, for me, it'd be drowning. 01:02:01.840 --> 01:02:02.159 I know. 01:02:02.320 --> 01:02:04.159 You know what's interesting about that? 01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:07.840 It's the suffocation, right? 01:02:08.079 --> 01:02:09.360 And it's you can't stand that. 01:02:09.519 --> 01:02:11.199 Right, because you also don't like being trapped. 01:02:11.360 --> 01:02:14.880 You don't feel like being, you know, backed into a corner. 01:02:15.039 --> 01:02:15.280 Right. 01:02:15.679 --> 01:02:16.880 It's it's all related. 01:02:17.199 --> 01:02:17.440 Oh, yeah. 01:02:17.599 --> 01:02:18.159 I'm the same way. 01:02:18.239 --> 01:02:19.599 That's why we get along so well. 01:02:19.840 --> 01:02:23.679 Because like we are like, you're over there and I'm right here, but we're still busties, you know. 01:02:23.760 --> 01:02:25.760 We can do our thing, but we can still love each other, right? 01:02:26.239 --> 01:02:26.800 Absolutely. 01:02:27.039 --> 01:02:32.400 And I can almost spot almost every time when I ask somebody, like, what's the worst way to die? 01:02:32.559 --> 01:02:36.239 I already know they're gonna say drowning because they all talk about freedom, right? 01:02:36.320 --> 01:02:44.719 They'll talk about autonomy and agency and not liking rules or not liking to be put into a box or not liking being labeled. 01:02:44.880 --> 01:02:48.480 You ask them what party they are in, they're like my own party, right? 01:02:48.639 --> 01:02:54.000 Like, or I'm independent or whatever, like they're not part of your group. 01:02:54.159 --> 01:02:56.239 Like that's just not it. 01:02:56.880 --> 01:03:04.960 But there's kind of like an interesting thing with you because you are extremely autonomous. 01:03:05.280 --> 01:03:07.920 You like giving choice and having choice, like very much. 01:03:08.320 --> 01:03:09.119 Oh, absolutely. 01:03:09.519 --> 01:03:15.039 But at the same time, you're so inclusive, right? 01:03:15.199 --> 01:03:28.960 Like you're the person that I can honestly say from personal experience and knowing you as long as I've known you, is like you go out of your way to make sure everybody feels like they are a part of the group. 01:03:29.039 --> 01:03:31.440 Yeah, like that's just absolutely who you are as a human. 01:03:31.760 --> 01:03:32.079 Absolutely. 01:03:32.239 --> 01:03:34.719 I've watched that, I've watched you demonstrate that for years.

01:03:34.880 --> 01:03:35.599 Oh, yeah, right. 01:03:36.320 --> 01:03:37.679 Even in class, yeah. 01:03:37.760 --> 01:03:38.880 Oh, I know, I know. 01:03:39.039 --> 01:03:44.719 So although I did want to, there were times I wanted to duct tape some of my kids to the wall. 01:03:45.840 --> 01:03:55.679 Babies, our babies, I know, and they're all big now and doing big kid stuff and having babies, get married and child. 01:03:55.920 --> 01:03:56.800 Who would have dude? 01:03:57.280 --> 01:03:57.760 Oh no. 01:03:58.159 --> 01:03:59.840 Tangent for a second. 01:04:00.159 --> 01:04:03.920 Okay, how hilarious is it? 01:04:05.199 --> 01:04:08.400 My daughter is marrying one of our former students. 01:04:08.800 --> 01:04:10.480 Is that not hilarious? 01:04:10.800 --> 01:04:13.599 Oh, but you can kind of see it in school for sure. 01:04:13.840 --> 01:04:15.920 Oh, yeah, they were like dusty and still. 01:04:16.400 --> 01:04:16.480 Right. 01:04:16.559 --> 01:04:18.079 And they picked at each other and stuff each other. 01:04:18.239 --> 01:04:18.559 Oh, yeah. 01:04:18.719 --> 01:04:20.559 And I made a comment way back then. 01:04:20.800 --> 01:04:21.840 You were standing right there. 01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:24.400 Yeah, you were standing right there, and I'm like, wouldn't it be funny? 01:04:24.480 --> 01:04:24.719 Yeah. 01:04:24.960 --> 01:04:26.639 And then there they are. 01:04:27.280 --> 01:04:28.400 Y'all owe me for that, by the way. 01:04:28.559 --> 01:04:29.679 Just saying, if you watch this. 01:04:29.760 --> 01:04:29.920 Yeah. 01:04:30.239 --> 01:04:33.199 Roman, we set you all up, just saying. 01:04:33.280 --> 01:04:33.760 We called it. 01:04:33.920 --> 01:04:34.320 Back in school. 01:04:34.400 --> 01:04:35.920 Yeah, we called it when you were in seventh grade. 01:04:36.079 --> 01:04:36.960 Okay, eighth grade. 01:04:37.039 --> 01:04:37.760 Yeah, eighth grade. 01:04:38.000 --> 01:04:43.679 It's so funny because it's like all my students were like, you were so hard on me, but you learned. 01:04:44.239 --> 01:04:46.159 Did you did you not like me? 01:04:46.320 --> 01:04:50.800 I said, no, I adored all of you, but I had to treat you all the same. 01:04:51.119 --> 01:04:53.840 Like I said, you're so big on that fairness. 01:04:54.000 --> 01:04:57.119 Like that's that's big for you. 01:04:57.440 --> 01:05:02.559 When it comes to like group stuff for you, when you go to a party, do you go to parties? 01:05:02.800 --> 01:05:03.280 Sometimes. 01:05:03.519 --> 01:05:03.840 Sometimes? 01:05:04.000 --> 01:05:07.280 If you do go to a party, who do you tend to hang out with? 01:05:07.440 --> 01:05:09.519 Like, what happens if you don't know anybody at the party? 01:05:09.599 --> 01:05:10.079 And what? 01:05:10.239 --> 01:05:11.119 Are you not going? 01:05:11.679 --> 01:05:16.639 I will kind of watch the crowd for a while. 01:05:17.679 --> 01:05:23.119 And then I will find a person, and I will go talk to that person. 01:05:23.199 --> 01:05:25.039 It's usually somebody that's not talking to anybody else. 01:05:25.199 --> 01:05:27.280 No, I knew it! That's what I was waiting for. 01:05:27.599 --> 01:05:28.719 That's what I was looking for. 01:05:28.880 --> 01:05:37.760 You just, oh yeah, you find the person that feels like they're not a part of it, and you go make that person feel wanted by someone. 01:05:38.400 --> 01:05:38.960 Absolutely. 01:05:39.519 --> 01:05:42.400 I was talking to, and I know this is gonna surprise you. 01:05:42.639 --> 01:05:44.320 I just totally surprised you. 01:05:44.480 --> 01:05:50.320 I was talking to a friend of mine who's actually a social worker, and we weren't talking on an official basis. 01:05:50.400 --> 01:05:51.440 We were drinking wine. 01:05:51.599 --> 01:05:52.800 I know that surprises you too. 01:05:53.039 --> 01:05:53.440 Shocker. 01:05:53.760 --> 01:05:54.639 I know, shocker. 01:05:55.039 --> 01:05:58.480 And we were talking about something, and she looked at me and she goes, You're a fixer. 01:05:58.880 --> 01:05:59.760 That's what you do. 01:06:00.960 --> 01:06:02.239 And I was like, no what? 01:06:03.199 --> 01:06:03.519 Okay. 01:06:05.039 --> 01:06:06.719 Because I do, I fix things. 01:06:07.039 --> 01:06:11.440 Is it about fixing for you, or is it about proving for you? 01:06:11.760 --> 01:06:13.280 It's about fixing for me. 01:06:13.519 --> 01:06:14.000 Why? 01:06:14.239 --> 01:06:15.440 Because it's giving. 01:06:15.599 --> 01:06:17.039 It's one of my love languages. 01:06:17.199 --> 01:06:20.559 Giving to others is like service to others. 01:06:20.719 --> 01:06:36.400 If I can help somebody and make their life easier, or if they're having a problem and I can find a way to fix it, or if they're looking for something in particular, like an item, and I can find it for them, then I'm happy. 01:06:49.039 --> 01:06:49.280 Right. 01:06:49.440 --> 01:06:57.119 And I think for me, a lot of it was like if I could just love them enough. 01:06:57.280 --> 01:06:57.599 Right. 01:06:57.760 --> 01:07:01.599 Or if I could just, you know, help them enough. 01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:05.760 And then they could like actually prove to everybody else that they weren't so bad. 01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:11.039 Or, you know, if lots of times that comes from like a bad relationship with their father or somebody, right? 01:07:11.119 --> 01:07:13.280 And then they're just like, oh, I can't do it. 01:07:14.079 --> 01:07:15.440 I'm a piece of shit, that kind of thing. 01:07:15.599 --> 01:07:16.639 And then you're like, no, you're not. 01:07:16.719 --> 01:07:18.320 And you're like in the background, yeah. 01:07:18.400 --> 01:07:19.360 I'm gonna be your cheerleader. 01:07:19.440 --> 01:07:19.519 Right. 01:07:19.599 --> 01:07:24.239 And you're like, I can help this person, and then they're gonna be great, and they're gonna show them. 01:07:24.480 --> 01:07:25.440 And then they don't. 01:07:25.599 --> 01:07:32.960 And then I think that so much of that for me was like the same thing that you

do, which is I'm gonna show you, right? 01:07:33.039 --> 01:07:34.320 But you're you're doing it for them. 01:07:34.480 --> 01:07:36.400 You're like, I want you to feel that, right? 01:07:36.559 --> 01:07:39.519 Like, I want you to feel what it's like to prove that person wrong. 01:07:39.760 --> 01:07:46.800 But now, instead of me just like at one point, I was just like stretching myself thin. 01:07:46.880 --> 01:07:48.960 It was like everybody I needed to do, everybody. 01:07:49.119 --> 01:07:53.840 And then I realized that not everybody appreciated what I did. 01:07:55.039 --> 01:07:59.360 And most people expected me to do it. 01:07:59.440 --> 01:08:02.239 And I'm like, Can I take advantage of you? 01:08:02.400 --> 01:08:02.880 Yes. 01:08:03.199 --> 01:08:13.039 So I have dialed that back, and I have a small group of friends that I maintain, and I will do things for them if they want it. 01:08:13.199 --> 01:08:15.599 I won't, you know, go, oh, here, let me do that. 01:08:16.319 --> 01:08:22.399 And I have learned that some people are in your life for a reason. 01:08:22.720 --> 01:08:25.119 Some people are only in your life for a season. 01:08:25.279 --> 01:08:31.199 They come and go, and there's a reason that they're there, but there's also a reason that they leave. 01:08:31.359 --> 01:08:34.960 And then some people are in your life in your life for life. 01:08:35.520 --> 01:08:35.840 Yeah. 01:08:36.079 --> 01:08:39.359 So some people will simply come and go, and it's just the way it is. 01:08:39.680 --> 01:08:41.760 Some people I think are a lesson. 01:08:42.000 --> 01:08:42.479 Yes. 01:08:42.800 --> 01:08:43.680 Oh god, yes. 01:08:43.920 --> 01:08:46.560 Yeah, I can think of a few of those. 01:08:47.199 --> 01:08:50.720 What is one thing that makes you emotional? 01:08:53.279 --> 01:08:57.760 Your big, big, tough army soldier of 33 years. 01:08:57.920 --> 01:09:00.720 You've had to somewhat disassociate. 01:09:01.039 --> 01:09:01.840 Oh god, yeah. 01:09:01.920 --> 01:09:08.479 Like right now with my mom, she's 95, she's on hospice, and I'm processing through that. 01:09:08.880 --> 01:09:28.000 But also, like I did rescue for a long, long time, and you see this helpless little animal, and it's like people have been mean to them, and they've just been awful and cruel, and it just breaks my heart. 01:09:28.880 --> 01:09:34.880 I mean, it just I just can't, you know. 01:09:35.920 --> 01:09:40.399 Is there something about that animal that you feel like you identify with? 01:09:43.680 --> 01:09:51.920 With kind of, but you know, it's like they're like I would get groups of kittens. 01:09:52.000 --> 01:09:54.560 I did dogs for a while, but then I now I do cats. 01:09:54.880 --> 01:09:58.960 But they're like all by themselves. 01:09:59.119 --> 01:10:03.680 And if somebody didn't take care of them, they were going to die. 01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:13.439 And I would get kittens days old, you know, and it was always a struggle and they didn't always make

it. 01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:28.000 There's a three-week point where they would just fail your to thrive, and you know, you just you just held them and gave them the best ending you could, but it hurts and it breaks my heart every time. 01:10:28.399 --> 01:10:43.840 Why do you think that is because it's a life, it's a life that could be living, and you know, to show so much promise in being vibrant and alive, and then the next week you just fade. 01:10:47.119 --> 01:10:55.840 What do you think is like the number one thing that people misunderstand when it comes to our military? 01:10:56.079 --> 01:11:18.399 People still think that not smart people join the military, that they're grunts for a better term, and they follow orders without questioning them, and it's not true. 01:11:18.720 --> 01:11:21.840 We don't follow unlawful orders. 01:11:22.000 --> 01:11:22.880 We don't. 01:11:33.439 --> 01:11:34.000 Wow. 01:11:34.800 --> 01:11:42.720 And he was a specialist because he didn't want to be an officer, but he was smarter than anybody in the in the building. 01:11:43.840 --> 01:11:56.239 And I went in when the stereotype was when women joined in, they were either gay or trying to get pregnant. 01:11:58.239 --> 01:11:59.840 Yeah, it was neither one of those. 01:12:00.479 --> 01:12:04.239 I learned a lot about confidence in the in the military. 01:12:04.319 --> 01:12:09.279 I wasn't really confident as a child, which sounds weird, but I wasn't. 01:12:09.680 --> 01:12:17.520 And I started, I don't know, I just I just wasn't anything I felt like I needed, if that makes any sense. 01:12:17.840 --> 01:12:23.359 But being in the military and public speaking was awful. 01:12:23.600 --> 01:12:25.520 I hated public speaking. 01:12:25.840 --> 01:12:32.880 And I of course, when you're in the military, when you get to a certain rank, you have to speak to groups. 01:12:33.439 --> 01:12:42.479 And I was very grateful that one of my college professors um did a public speaking class. 01:12:42.560 --> 01:12:58.079 It was one of my electives, and I learned so much from him, you know, and I got to where I could walk into a room and without saying anything, I could command the room because of the way he did it. 01:12:58.319 --> 01:13:14.720 And I would teach classes in the military, and I would find a way to keep my students engaged, and I would have, of course, we all have those ones that are, you know, playing on their flow phones and this, that, and the other. 01:13:14.800 --> 01:13:17.760 And at this time they were blackberries because it was hilarious. 01:13:17.920 --> 01:13:19.279 I hate those things. 01:13:19.520 --> 01:13:29.760 And uh I wouldn't let them get away with it because this was my time, and I was instructing them, and they were gonna leave, and they were not gonna get the material. 01:13:30.000 --> 01:13:38.479 So I'd catch them on their phones or their blackberries, and I would just stop and I would call them out by name and go, Do you need to go outside and take a call? 01:13:40.880 --> 01:13:44.239 Put it by okay, now back to class. 01:13:46.239 --> 01:13:50.479 Talk to me about little not confident Annette. 01:13:52.479 --> 01:13:54.319 You know, I had a happy childhood. 01:13:54.479 --> 01:13:58.560 I don't remember having a bad childhood. 01:13:58.640 --> 01:14:03.680 I just I was a kid, I grew up, I walked to school every day with my brother. 01:14:05.039 --> 01:14:15.439 When when we when we first moved here, my I was disruptive in class because I was having a good time or something. 01:14:15.600 --> 01:14:17.359 My teacher put me out in the hall. 01:14:18.640 --> 01:14:22.880 And then you stood in the hall and you waited for the teacher to come out. 01:14:23.039 --> 01:14:27.840 Well, the teacher didn't come, teacher didn't come, and I was bored, so I went home. 01:14:28.880 --> 01:14:32.079 Teacher came to find me later, could not find me. 01:14:32.239 --> 01:14:41.359 Oh no, freaked out, and I had already walked home by then because I don't know if she forgot about me, I don't know. 01:14:41.840 --> 01:14:43.520 Which could have been, you know. 01:14:43.840 --> 01:14:45.359 But how sad. 01:14:45.760 --> 01:14:46.880 I know, it was sad. 01:14:47.279 --> 01:14:49.600 And I walked home, my mom goes, What are you doing here? 01:14:49.680 --> 01:14:54.319 And I told her, I said, Well, she put me out in the hall and she never came to get me, so I came home. 01:14:54.640 --> 01:14:57.920 Teacher called, she was freaking out. 01:14:58.239 --> 01:14:59.520 We can't find a net. 01:15:00.079 --> 01:15:02.079 My mom's like, she's home. 01:15:02.319 --> 01:15:03.520 How old are you? 01:15:03.840 --> 01:15:04.479 Six. 01:15:04.880 --> 01:15:06.319 Oh my gosh. 01:15:08.800 --> 01:15:11.840 I can't believe your mom didn't rip her eyeballs out of her head. 01:15:12.000 --> 01:15:12.399 I know. 01:15:12.640 --> 01:15:20.000 Well, you know, and she's well, but see, at that time it was like, but um she's like, yeah, she's here. 01:15:20.399 --> 01:15:22.399 She said you forgot about her. 01:15:23.840 --> 01:15:24.880 She was like, um. 01:15:28.960 --> 01:15:32.720 Oh no, no, no, no, which is interesting. 01:15:36.000 --> 01:15:37.199 You were six? 01:15:37.359 --> 01:15:38.000 Yeah. 01:15:38.880 --> 01:15:41.199 Do you think she actually forgot about you? 01:15:41.760 --> 01:15:42.319 I don't know. 01:15:42.399 --> 01:15:44.159 I stood out there for a long time. 01:15:44.800 --> 01:15:46.720 What do you remember like thinking? 01:15:46.880 --> 01:15:48.720 What made you make the decision to walk home? 01:15:48.960 --> 01:15:49.760 I was bored. 01:15:49.920 --> 01:15:50.560 You're just bored. 01:15:50.800 --> 01:15:51.359 I was bored. 01:15:51.600 --> 01:15:52.960 You forgot about me, I'm leaving. 01:15:53.119 --> 01:15:53.520 Yeah. 01:15:53.760 --> 01:15:56.800 No, I didn't think about opening the door and going, hey. 01:15:57.840 --> 01:15:59.520 You were like, screw this, I'm out. 01:15:59.680 --> 01:16:01.039 Yeah, screw this, I'm going home. 01:16:01.199 --> 01:16:10.880 And then, but what's great about that is like you grew up to literally be this woman that I will go ahead and coin as undeniable, unforgettable. 01:16:11.039 --> 01:16:13.039 I don't think too many people meet you and forget about it. 01:16:13.680 --> 01:16:17.279 Like maybe they don't remember your name, but they're not forgetting you. 01:16:17.439 --> 01:16:18.560 That's not gonna happen. 01:16:18.720 --> 01:16:23.439 Like you're like you leave an impression everywhere you go. 01:16:23.840 --> 01:16:27.840 Um and it's almost like nobody's gonna forget me. 01:16:28.000 --> 01:16:29.279 That'll never happen again. 01:16:29.760 --> 01:16:30.399 Watch this. 01:16:30.479 --> 01:16:35.600 I'm sure that that little secretary guy in the tent, the clerk at the tent doesn't forget you. 01:16:35.760 --> 01:16:36.560 Yeah, I'm sure. 01:16:36.720 --> 01:16:38.640 I'm sure that the sergeant remembered me. 01:16:38.800 --> 01:16:39.680 Yeah, I'm sure. 01:16:39.840 --> 01:16:45.359 And you've kind of that's kind of who you became was this person that nobody's gonna forget you, but you know. 01:16:45.520 --> 01:16:48.319 Well, no, I wasn't gonna let anybody walk over me either. 01:16:48.560 --> 01:16:50.479 Well, thanks so much for hanging out with me today. 01:16:51.039 --> 01:16:51.760 It was so much fun. 01:16:51.840 --> 01:16:52.640 Way more fun than I thought. 01:16:52.800 --> 01:16:53.199 Oh, well good. 01:16:53.359 --> 01:16:54.000 I was a little scared. 01:16:54.159 --> 01:16:54.479 Well, good. 01:16:54.560 --> 01:16:56.079 I'm glad that it wasn't too bad. 01:16:56.239 --> 01:16:57.439 It wasn't too bad. 01:16:57.680 --> 01:16:59.439 Thank you guys so much for tuning in. 01:16:59.600 --> 01:17:01.359 We will see you guys next time.