Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Don't Fall On the Sword
12 Plays4 days ago
In this raw, slightly unfiltered episode, I'm riffing off the dome after a recording mishap forced me to start fresh. Sometimes the burnt toast theory means you just gotta make new toast.
We're diving into: • The Minnesota shooting and why "white on white crime" matters • Human Design: Why I had to stop acting like a Generator • The Two of Swords and why nobody's coming to save you • Micro states theory and the future of American politics • Metro Boomin's "Heroes & Villains" hitting different when you're going through it • Why self-improvement isn't optional when your back's against the wall
This is me being real about burnout, boundaries, and what it means to finally trust your own authority in 2025.
Follow @GatherThemPod on IG, Twitter/X, and TikTok Patreon: [link] for exclusive trauma cake content
Recommended
Transcript
Intro
Recording Mishap and Riffing Improvisation
00:00:09
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Gather Them Podcast. I'm your host Jerome, and we're back for another episode. Sorry, this episode is coming out a bit late. its Supposed to be a little earlier, but um Funny story, I recorded the episode and it every I recorded, everything was fine, but the audio was not on.
00:00:31
Speaker
So i have to re-record and I'm posting it again. And then I'm working on outline and tweak stuff because, you know, things happen during the week. And so... I was like, I'm not about to be inconsistent already. Like, we're not about to do that, like, fresh into the new year. So in order for me to get an episode out today, i am just going to riff on this podcast right now. And we will do, we will act like not on camera.
00:00:58
Speaker
and we're going to just riff and we're going just talk about what come on the dome. Um, I'm going to still try to save, um, the other episode for next week. Um, I think that that will be better because i wasn't really, i was in the headspace, but like, i feel like I could have been a little bit more,
00:01:17
Speaker
um a little bit more focused um in the headspace. I wasn't as thoughtful about um the topics. I felt like I was running through the things. um You know, I had usually give myself an hour. um i wasn't even, I hit 30 minutes and I was just like,
00:01:37
Speaker
what kind of episode is this? So I think I was just really tired.
Burnt Toast Theory and Reflections on Society
00:01:40
Speaker
And then when I saw that the audio didn't match, or well, the audio didn't come up, I was just like, well, damn, I guess that's what is that the Burt Toast theory everyone's talking about on social media, the fact that if you are a, um what is it, the theory that if you burn your toast before you leave to go to work or something like that, then that means that you, if you decide to eat it with the toast, if you decide to go ahead and scrape the, you know, the burnt stuff, because you can scrape it off or whatever. um
00:02:21
Speaker
And if you decide to throw it or if you decide to throw it away that's going to make a difference between whether or not you get into a car accident or something like that um is the theory so essentially I felt the best thing to do is to just make the toast again and so Here we are. We are making our toast again. um A lot has happened anyway over the course of the week. And I feel like I can just do general highlights or whatever.
00:02:52
Speaker
Again, um if you, i already spelled my business about what's going on in my life. So if you missed that, you're going to $9.99 Patreon for that. That is my trauma cake episode for 2025. All the things I basically went through and how it impacted me.
00:03:18
Speaker
Very live, raw, and edited. um i' be People are going to pay me for my trauma. Y'all not going to get this shit for free. um anymore that's why i deleted the old episodes those are on my patreon for 444 those episodes were so much fun i can't wait to get terrence back on the show because i really want i can't see this is my goal i really want to work myself out of being a therapist again because i was actually really fun to just be on the podcast what up blind at joe was fun as hell um
00:03:53
Speaker
But you can't do that when you're a professional. You know what mean? People can know you, but they can't know you. that They can't really get to know you. dad That's why I be like, gotta pay for stuff. um What else? What else?
00:04:07
Speaker
Oh my God. yall The woman that got shot in the face um this week, that was wild. I didn't even look into the story that deeply because there was a lot of people, I think, that didn't look that deeply into the story and it wasn't anything that was...
00:04:27
Speaker
Hmm. How can I say that? It wasn't to be ignorant or to not be in the know, but I think I didn't really look myself because I felt it was another thing. um And not another thing to to make it, you know, to desensitize, but it is kind of getting to point. What are we going to do? I don't even know anymore what we're going to do. I don't know what the answer is.
Future of American States and Tragic Events
00:04:54
Speaker
um I think that i agree with, um and I keep telling people this, um my theory is literally that we're going to end up having micro states at some point because what's going to end up happening is, you
00:05:11
Speaker
I think states, Minnesota or um New York is, ah I think, a really great example where they are doing trying to do um universal childcare. And um that's actually a really good idea to eventually do things. where We don't want you know the federal government to be our thing. We want to fund our own economy.
00:05:37
Speaker
inside of the state. You know what I mean? And we're not going to really, we'll be part of this, but of the United States. We're in the United States, but we do our own rules, which is why everybody can't live the same. If that makes, I don't know if that makes sense.
00:05:53
Speaker
And so states that are red states that really don't, that are not rubbing shoulders with Trump or whatever, I think that those states will probably be the ones that will just be still under the United States law or whatever. And I just felt anything's possible at this point because we have the the our Hunger Games now coming. So I am.
00:06:17
Speaker
not so I'm interested to see what happens because um this is just becoming too much where it's actually becoming an issue where our politicians are even, yeah, we're doing what we want and y'all gonna get out. Like y'all not gonna be posted up in here just shooting everybody.
00:06:36
Speaker
um But definitely rest in peace to her. I should actually look her name up right now. Let's do that. That's what i mean. I'm going to like riff with you guys right now. This is the rift of me doing the thing.
00:06:49
Speaker
um Let me think. I saw the video, though. The video was terrible. I... And they said that she was like threatening or something. There was nothing I saw like with my eyes that looked threatening to me.
00:07:07
Speaker
was like she was just pulling off. um
00:07:20
Speaker
She said, oh, wow, the wife of the Minnesota wife. What? Don't tell me she was family too. Oh shit. Fuck.
00:07:36
Speaker
I mean, not that that, you know, it wouldn't have mattered any different, but it's like, damn, what the fuck? Renee Goode is her name. So we know, wow, that was so wild. And then the fact like she also slammed into all those other cars and it just wasn't the shooting in the air. There was just no regard for anyone else's safety. It was the...
00:07:59
Speaker
wildest thing I've ever seen. so I think there's been things that I feel like because I've been going through a lot of stuff lately and I've been working and doing multiple things, I've been a little checked out.
00:08:12
Speaker
um But I've been trying to catch some of the the big things. um It just is like, it's wild to see. And I think it's going to make um just this year even more impactful because of how I think people are starting to really wake up from the idea that we are just going to somehow just come out of this or like we're just going to like
00:08:44
Speaker
Like that this isn't as serious as it it actually is. Um, cause it really is. So I'm really glad to see at least that the sentiment is still there and like people aren't like desensitized.
00:09:00
Speaker
Um, I didn't think i was going to see the video. I was not looking for the video. I heard about it and I was just like shocked. I was like surprised it happened.
00:09:10
Speaker
Um, This was actually something I was surprised about, um especially because I'm just going to say it, but like to always hear white people say that white on white crime doesn't exist. And the fact that like this is literally an example of white on white crime, like. So that's what we talk about when we say Black-owned Black crime doesn't exist because people murder people. Like, people harm people.
00:09:39
Speaker
So it's very stigmatizing to say something like, you know, Black-owned Black crime is like so, you know, out of control and da-da-da-da-da. I'm like, white people have been killing people, like, everybody. So it doesn't make sense to just, um like, everybody is killing everybody. So unfortunately, it is another just senseless death.
00:10:05
Speaker
And it's really sad. i feel I've had to really pull back. from the news a lot. I've been in a space where I've been going through just so much and it's been a lot to just take on what's happening right now because I know it's bad. I work in the systems that are impacted by Medicaid, by I work Medicare, Social Security. I work in um you know, therapy, which, again, I hear people talk about the things that they go through and the things that um are really impact, like impacting their lives. So I think for me, it's just a matter of, you know,
00:10:49
Speaker
Now that I feel like I've kind of accepted and surrendered a bit more to certain things that have been going on in my life, I feel like I'm in a better state to be more present and to show up a little bit more um for other people um as and also trust in my own authority, um which we should do an episode
Human Design and Personal Reflections
00:11:16
Speaker
on that. like We should talk about um human design. That would be so cool. im Talking about authority and talking about the way in which you can overcome struggle. Like when you find out like what you're really like, what your purpose is or like what you're supposed to be doing.
00:11:42
Speaker
Like I'll give an example, like just really quickly. So I am a projector. I am someone that has a five one line. So, or that's a five yeah five one is the profile. And so that's heretic the heretic investigator. essentially that's someone that is I'm going to do the research I'm really curious I'm going to try to get to the bottom of things I'm going to keep trying to push figure things out I don't really quit i just keep going but I realized that I'm a projector so I can't be pushing myself to the max all of the time like I have to be There have to be periods of lull. I have to be able to just lay and rest and like take those moments, incorporate rest, um going to bed early on time, making sure, like, um eating um like the foods that are good for me, the foods that I like. um
00:12:47
Speaker
that I can digest well and not just really eat the things that like people maybe tell me I should eat because sometimes I've noticed when I do that I'll have certain reactions to things so like there's different things I've learned about um human design which is a little bit deeper than astrology it's like a little more like it's a little bit more on the nose like it feels like once you start realizing that like
00:13:15
Speaker
Because my thing is that like I went through life acting like a generator. Like a generator is somebody that can just work tirering tirelessly and just keep churning out things. I'm the person that comes up with the idea and then I have to be the one a kind of like delegate to people that are the generator so that they can get the work done. But I'm also like
00:13:44
Speaker
An Aquarius, so I'm someone that's thinking about the group. I'm thinking about things being fair. I'm thinking about equitability across the group. And then I'm thinking about the individual of like, okay, so someone can't like do something. Is there some way that I can jump in to motivate them or like.
00:14:02
Speaker
Is there something that I could do to maybe take it off their plate or make it simpler for them or explain something that's a little bit simpler? So it's a little bit, it's really deep. And I really, taught all this to say that like, it started to make me think about even the field of social work and like psychology differently.
00:14:23
Speaker
um And I know this is like a sidebar or whatever, but like we riffed in on this episode, but yeah, I think that taking that space in 2025 to really do some reflection and really do some thinking about like what it is I really want or like what it is I miss or what it is that I really um enjoy um or need in my life i've realized that um i need to think about those things like i need security i need stability i need to know that like the shit's gonna be handled or i'm gonna have to get up and do it like because if i don't know what's handled then i'm have to just do it like that's the kind of person i am i'm very i'm not so much type a but like
00:15:14
Speaker
Because I'm kind of the person where I'm like, I expect that perfection is not going to be perfect or you're not going perfect. But I also like expect that things are going to like run like shit's going to like you're going to have hiccups like that's not like we're not robots, but like we're like it the ship is going to run um like we don't want to have holes in the ship. That's basically my my approach. And if there is, then we're going to have to plug the hole.
00:15:41
Speaker
um No pun intended. it But, um, that's needless to say that, like, ah yeah, I'm feeling more locked in. Um, I feel like a little bit more locked in, I think, too, because of the, uh, fact that I'm hearing other people say that they're feeling more locked in. I feel a little bit more encouraged, I think, too, by the collective right now.
00:16:03
Speaker
Um, And I feel like because I'm in a space where I can like hear people a little bit better, I'm like, this sounds like it's going to be, um, a really great just kind of opportunity to, uh, practice what I preach and give back more. Cause I feel like, and receive because I feel like I don't receive enough.
00:16:29
Speaker
Um, Because I'm always trying to like figure it out or like work it out. And I'm like, okay, well, if I let other people figure it out, then that's less I have to think about. Oh my God, y'all. I've been listening to... What am I been listening to? i started... I had this like... Before I even sat down here, I was like, I have...
00:16:52
Speaker
episodes I need to make for there's a couple episodes I'm gonna make for um the media review let me know how you thought what you thought about the media review from the last time I think I'm gonna do a little bit more casual and just I don't know i might riff off the dome a little bit with some notes I have a tactic of what I'm trying to do if that makes sense um but I just need some more i need to test it first I
00:17:21
Speaker
But I'm excited to test it.
Innovative Ideas: Gaming and Podcasting
00:17:23
Speaker
What else is going on? Y'all? It's a lot going on. um
00:17:37
Speaker
I was going to do some other stuff. Oh, I had a really cool idea. You guys that I was like, what if I did a podcast episode where I literally just decided to um
00:17:54
Speaker
What if I had a podcast episode where I decided that I was going to just play The Sims? Wouldn't that be fun? Y'all can just watch me on YouTube because I've realized how I can do the screen um share a thing. i just got to make sure my computer don't blow up and I'm have to make sure it's like on a day as cold as hell and not turn the heater on in my office and just like.
00:18:18
Speaker
play the sims but i gotta pick up where i left off the sims i don't remember where i left off and i gotta get all my mods updated but that would be really fun um and i gotta make sure i update some like do some stuff in there because i gotta make sure my um households together um i couldn't make a new sim that actually could be fun i could make a new sim I don't have to keep playing that that one.
00:18:47
Speaker
That's true. That's a good point. I should do that. But I thought about it. I was I could do a media review, media reviews, but I can also play games because I i was telling you guys, I was like, I like doing the PC games. So i was like, OK, well, I can this way do like some gaming here and there. You guys can just like tune in on the um on youtube like it'll probably be things that i just post exclusively to youtube i don't think it's gonna like go well for like watching mean listening to it on the podcast um that might just be like a regular regular like review thing but i think that that would be really cool to just like play video games and like
00:19:35
Speaker
have people and then even eventually when the community grows or whatever, just go live. Because the goal is honestly, like, I really want to live a life that's pretty easy. You know, like, i don't want to live a life where I'm like, going to work every day doing i want to do both. Like, I want to do things on my terms. Like, and my God, I have so many ideas, but i want to talk about them.
00:20:00
Speaker
um I want to do life on my terms, but I also want to have like fun. So yeah, like i don't want to wake up at like, who wants to wake up at like six zero in the morning every day and then like go to a job that like you just, you know,
00:20:19
Speaker
it's okay. It's not like the worst thing. Like it really isn't the worst thing, but it's the getting there. It's the Septa. Like that's the other part. Like even in the new year, it's like Septa still has like not gotten any shit together. And it's like, maybe when the students come back, I don't know.
00:20:38
Speaker
The trolley divergent is supposed to end. Um,
00:20:47
Speaker
I don't know. um But i will say that if I don't leave work at a certain time, I'm just going to late coming home um and going.
00:20:58
Speaker
If I'm like leaving home, I'm just going to be late. um I just had a scatter of thoughts in there. But going back really quickly to initially, because I have it on here, on my computer, I just went through a flight of thoughts.
Music Exploration and Playlist Management
00:21:17
Speaker
But on my computer, I was going to say I've been listening to a bunch of different things.
00:21:25
Speaker
um songs lately and so one of the songs or one of the um things I was like well let me go through my list since it's 2026 now I downloaded so many albums i have not listened to um that I was supposed to listen to and so i was like well let me go through and listen to these albums so that I can like review them and talk about them and stuff one of the albums I was like let me like listen to this album because I like the song but I don't how can I say this It was like i liked um this song by i like the song All Around Me by Metro Boomin.
00:22:01
Speaker
um And so i was like, let me listen to the album. And all the reason I even heard the song was because it came, because I listened to Weeknd. So it came on shuffle um or whatever, on my Apple Music thing. on my, yeah what's that thing called? Like your radio station. And so I ended up playing that album.
00:22:28
Speaker
it ended up playing that song. And so I ended up like being like, Oh, this song is actually really good because it was describing where I was at the time. And so, um, one of the things that I just kind of, um, had noticed, I was like, well, let me listen to her album. But I was also like, I'm not, I was like, I need to get some work done. Like I need to do some notes. I need to do some, um, billing like did-h-dah-dahdeh like X, Y, Z. And I was just like, let me listen to this album. And I was like,
00:22:59
Speaker
Let me just kind of read, you know, because sometimes what, you know, um trap, you don't really and, you know, with the auto tune, don't really be hearing like what the words are and all that. But I was like, let me like listen to this album because I was like.
00:23:13
Speaker
i don't want the album to be like too ratchet to where I'm like, oh, damn, I can't focus. But like. i feel like I need like sometimes the albums that are.
00:23:26
Speaker
Like I needed to tell a story or I needed to tell, um relate to me on some level. And I did not think that Heroes and Villains by Metro Boomin was going to hit the way it hit.
00:23:41
Speaker
And I know I'm late, like, and this is what I mean. Like, there's so much stuff in my, like, backlog that even in my YouTube, like my YouTube is crazy um with how much stuff does there.
00:23:54
Speaker
But there's just so much stuff that like I've just saved over time because I was working on this journey of like trying to like get my life together.
00:24:06
Speaker
So, you know, I have time now to be like, OK, I can kind of like show up, do this thing and like, you know, x Y, Z and just kind of be a little bit more in the moment. So, um I'm really excited. But I was listening to this album. I'm like, okay, listen. i was like, this joint really popping. Especially when you come off a um you come off your job and they didn't tell you, you know...
00:24:32
Speaker
Oh, you know, we don't need you and did and that that that you do great work. It's like, okay, well, great. Like, you know, it really fits the mood. Like, real shit. But anyway, i want to take this thing to Colby A test, but I have to pay for It's $55.
00:24:54
Speaker
um fifty five hours Let me see. Answer by asking yourself. Okay, there's some free things on here where you can ask yourself some questions.
00:25:11
Speaker
um Oh, but you could take, i think that's what it is is. You could take this test and then two responses required for each question.
00:25:22
Speaker
Okay. I believe something. Okay. This interesting. i'm going to have to sit down and take this. um Essentially, as supposed to, um it doesn't measure your intelligence or personality or social style. It measures the instinctive ways you take action when you strive. The results will describe your natural strengths, your modus operandi, your MO, your That's really interesting.
00:25:55
Speaker
There are two responses for each question. then you have to pick either one at your most, one at your least. And it says, if you're not sure which option to choose, ask yourself, what would you do if free to be myself? Okay.
00:26:15
Speaker
Okay. Listen, I'm going to take that. And it's $50 to $5. So like, you know, I mean, I already kind of know, but I think it's just going to be helpful just have pen to paper. That's why I do stuff like this sometimes because it's just like,
00:26:31
Speaker
You just want to know, you know, like I'm always about a good self improvement moment. Like people don't. um I don't think people value that enough.
00:26:42
Speaker
That's just me. You really got to like because it's really only you. Like, I don't know how to make that any clearer to people. that like when you are when your back is up against the wall like it's only you because unfortunately like nobody just is coming to save you that's what i also realized i'm like the um card and tarot it is the two of swords And that card is like really interesting because, well, I know it is like a card of thought where you have, um, it's the card suit and, uh, not the card suit. It's the, um,
00:27:29
Speaker
sword suit. So the sword suit is the thinking it's the, like, thought like you have and two is you know the choices so when you look at the card it's like you know blonde like the person's blind or blindfolded and they have like two swords in their hand um and it's like okay well which one are you going to choose like which path do you choose And you have to pick because like at the end of the day, like you don't like no one comes to save you. So I love like all of that stuff. Like I really do because I feel like it's all connected. Like it feels like anyone can like argue me on that. I don't know how to describe it
00:28:14
Speaker
um I mean, science is um where it's at, but I think belief-wise for me, it's just something about the way in which all of this stuff connects.
00:28:29
Speaker
It's really interesting. Um, what else? Anything else? Um, we're 30 minutes in. Like I said, we really just try and get this, like, we're trying to keep consistency. Like, we hear bags under our eyes, we tired. But guess what?
00:28:47
Speaker
We got a plan for the next episode, um, which I got time to record this weekend. You know? Um, and what else?
00:29:02
Speaker
Oh my God, I'm watching RuPaul's Drag Race
00:29:10
Speaker
new season because shout out Mandy Mango, um, previous coworker is going to be on the show, um, and, or is on the show. And, um, we're going to, me and my old coworkers, um, slash friends are going to watch, uh, the episodes together. So I actually have to figure out what I'm going bring. Cause I actually shouldn't come and empty handed.
00:29:33
Speaker
That's a good idea. got to figure that out. Maybe I'll go to, um, I can go to Now Cafe. i can go to, because I'll be up that way. Like, in well, not to tell y'all where I'm going, because like, y'all don't really need to know that.
00:29:46
Speaker
But y'all do need to know is that it's going to be vegan and it's going to be good. And Now Cafe is is really good. um But I don't know. i always need to try other places. People be like, try this place, try that place, try this place. But that's the thing about ADHD. If I don't write it down or people don't remind me, I just don't remember.
00:30:09
Speaker
Like, it's not intentional. um
00:30:16
Speaker
It's like one of those things like I just got to go. Like, if I don't go, then like, I'm not going to. um I'm just not going to, I'm not going to do it So, but that's it for this week. Um, I will be back next week for another episode.
00:30:32
Speaker
I am looking forward to bringing a guest on. i have an idea for a guest. Cannot wait for that. So like I said, once I get my like shit together a little bit more, um I think this weekend takes some time over the next week. I'm, you know, working with some things. Um, um,
00:30:52
Speaker
I will be, i should have did that. i don't know why didn't do that. I will be in a better space to, what am I trying to do? I'll be in a better space to, the next episode will be, you know, just as good. I thought this was good.
00:31:10
Speaker
I'm not gonna lie. Like I really did. Like, I feel like i I was off the dome, but like I was still here, you know, we were very quick. We were very in river out.
00:31:21
Speaker
Um, again, looking forward to that Tinashe project. I know she in the booth. Um, shout out SZA for our girls. Shout out SZA and Dochi. That's a bop. Um, I'm just go off on my playlist real quick. I think that's gonna be a really just cool thing to do real quick.
00:31:39
Speaker
Um,
00:31:42
Speaker
Now I'm the kind of person where I'm just going to take my favorites playlist and i'm go just keep shuffling it and keep like so rotating songs in and out. But that's me. Um, I don't got time to keep making playlists. Like I really don't. I don't got that in me.
00:31:58
Speaker
Shout out Ice Spice for Tutti. Um,
00:32:05
Speaker
I really like that song. I really do. Oh, Khalid. I'm going to get into that album. That joint. I wasn't expecting to like that that much. um But I got to get into that.
00:32:18
Speaker
We got to talk about that one, especially because he's family. I got to get into that. But that's it for this week. um If you want, you follow me on the pods.
00:32:31
Speaker
No. You can follow me on the socials at GatherThemPod on Instagram and Twitter, formerly known as X, and TikTok.
00:32:44
Speaker
You can also send me a letter, listener letter, or a ah Any questions or any, you know, things that you, you guys, um, have, like, it's going to get us, it could give like, ask Wendy.
Social Media and Therapist Advice
00:33:00
Speaker
Um, but like, actually like,
00:33:08
Speaker
insight, you know? Um, I don't know if I would do it. I don't think I'm gonna... I'm kinda re-thinking about it. Like, do I wanna give you advice as a therapist, or I just wanna leave that as totally separate and just go fully into this spiritual thing? Because I like I can do both.
00:33:31
Speaker
You know what I mean? i can definitely like pull... um because people like honestly truth be told i know i keep saying my wrap up but like i keep thinking of things that's it literally the adhd um but people literally all the time will say like to me um just about how you know what never mind we forgot the id anyway it's okay we tired um that's it see y'all next week