#german ron kerner

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Heroes of the Past - a Slooserole fic

While food shopping for a barbecue, Goose and Slider suggest names for theirs and Carole's baby.

~~~

For a prompt list, this was "A buying B their favourite snack"

Words: 888

"Karl?" Goose suggested, picking up a slightly green bunch of bananas.

"No, makes him sound like a communist."

"What's communism got to do with the name Karl?"

Ron stopped groping watermelons and turned to him. He picked up a stout one with brown on the ends and held it under his arm like he was trying to show off. That wasn't necessary, Goose could already see his muscles bulging in that a-bit-too small shirt.

"Karl Marx?" He said. "Wrote the communist manifesto?"

Goose shook his head, "You've lost me."

"You uncultured fuck,"

He turned around and carried on putting fruit in the shopping trolley. They were having a barbecue as a baby shower, Mav and Ice had gotten the time off, Carole's mum and sister were coming around. Apparently Ron had asked his family but his mum, being the matriarch she was, had said she didn't like the idea of their relationship, said something about sin, so she wasn’t coming, and neither of his sisters were too. He'd tried to hide it but both he and Carole knew he was heartbroken about it.

"Okay, Thomas?" Goose suggested. "Tommy for short?"

"Too formal."

"Your best friend is called Tom!"

Ron turned and threw a sack of potatoes at him. Goose just about caught them.

"And have you seen Ice? He's the most formal guy I know,"

Goose shrugged, "Fair point."

"Pete?"

"No."

"Why not? He's my best friend and it's not too formal?"

Ron rolled his eyes and placed an armful of salad stuff into the trolley, "I'm not having our kid named after that little pipsqueak."

"Pipsqueak?"

"You can't deny he's short,"

Goose tried to argue but knew he couldn’t. Maverick was short for a pilot.

They carried on around the shop, deciding what snacks they needed and stuff for Bradley's lunches. Goose stopped next to the sweets and scanned for something specific. Carole was having a major craving for chewy, gummy fish lately and could go through multiple bags in a day if left unattended. 

"There they are!" He said, spotting them and grabbing a few bags.

"What are?"

"The fish, the ones Carole likes,"

Ron stared at him for a second then said, "We're going to need more than that," before throwing a few more in the trolley.

They carried on. Because she was pregnant, Carole was nesting and had cleaned the entire house multiple times. She’d almost vacuumed Bradley as he came into the house once. So they’d run out of most of their cleaning products.

As Nick reached for the bleach, "How about Daniel?"

No reply. Ron's shoulders began to tense. 

"Aaron?"

He wasn't even turning around now. No jokes or making fun of him. Something was up.

"Michael? Joseph? Joshua?"

"What's with all the biblical names?" Ron finally spat out. 

His tone was different. The way his hand clenched the box of washing powder told him something was wrong. He approached him like he was a tetchy animal, he didn't know if he was going to blow or burst into tears.

"Can't we just stop with the names for a second?" He said. 

"Sure, but we were only having fun-" Goose placed the bleach in the trolley. "-is it not fun anymore?"

"I already have a name picked out! Okay?"

Goose stepped back, shocked. He hadn't told him nor Carole about this. They'd been good with communication so far into their relationship, why the sudden change?

"What name?" He settled on.

"Wilhelm, Will for short," he spat out then added for context. "My Opa was called Wilhelm."

All the pieces fell into place. Ron was a private man when it came to his past, a trait he'd inherited from his grandmother, from what he'd learnt.

"He's the only guy I've ever had to look up to. I mean, getting killed by Nazis to save your family because you were hiding Jews, pretty much the most heroic thing a guy can do, right?"

Goose stroked his face as his strong mask faltered. Ron tried to resist but eventually lent into his touch. Slider tried to appear tough but in reality was just a big puppy.

"Why didn't you tell us? D'ya think we'd be mad?"

"I-I'm just not used to being vulnerable, you know that,"

"Hey, you're learning," Goose assured. "And I'm sure he'd be proud of everything you've done, I know we are."

He smiled, that golden sunshine smile that was one of the reasons he and Carole fell in love with him in the first place. Trying to find things out about Ron had been tricky at first, he was a safe inside another safe, but after a few years, and a pregnancy, they were getting somewhere.

"How about we get these back to Carole?" Goose gestured to the sweets.

Ron nodded. They were past the point of him falling into puddles of tears whenever he got vulnerable but it was still a big moment for him.

As they moved towards the tills he had an idea come into his head, "Hey, we can call him Willy!"

"No we will not!"

"We could, little Willy Bradshaw-Kerner? Sounds good to me."

"You are not desecrating my grandfather's name by calling our kid Willy,"

And that’s when things fell back into place, just as they continued to bicker, all the way to the car.

German Slider! German Slider! German Slider! If you can't guess I hc Slider's of german descent. His grandma (Oma in german) came to the US after fleeing the Nazis, her and her husband, Wilhelm (Ron's Opa or grandad) died. They were helping Jews hide but got found out so fled. Ron's family learnt not to talk about the pain because it was too much which led to some communication issues, and very conservative religious views on his mum's part.

Thanks for reading!

[outalongtheedges]

Slider, about to get up: So! *claps his hands on his thighs*

Mav: ‘So’ what?

Goose: SO SO WHAT IM STILL A ROCKSTAR

Masterlist

[polar-equinoxx]

Slider has alsatians??

Slider has alsatians.

Featuring Ice’s photography skills

[localmajortom]

German!Slider when he visits grandma slider

Masterlist

[29625]

A short story—or a poetic scribble—based on my headcannon about Slider which I’m going to include in my ongoing fic at some point!

Featuring: Slider being from a troubled family. Slimav being fluffy. Maverick being slightly clueless but trying his best.

Slider was the third generation Eastern German-Russian immigrant. His nana and his mother emigrated to the US in the 30s.

Slider learned cooking from his nana, and some of his signature dishes were related to his maternal origin. Veal Orloff, Jaeger schnitzel with short pasta, hearty soup with Regensburger wurst. Slider spoke English and German, with a bit of verbal understanding of Russian (something that made he and Ice close.), which meant not only did he cook oh so well, he did that without botching the pronunciation.

His estranged mother was very unstable and had two children with two different fathers before she cut all contact with her family. Slider was ten when he started being the caregiver of his half-brother, Daniel “Danny” Kerner on behalf of their mother. Slider was twelve when his nana became their legal guardian—and moved to New York from his hometown in Orange County.

His mother was never heard again since. Slider moved on, but he still checked missing and unidentified persons reports from California State from time to time.

Danny and Slider had always been close. Danny liked dogs, dancing, and Star Wars. He proceeded to become a ER nurse, working in a hospital in New York City. Slider couldn’t be more proud of his little guy. Or not-so-little-anymore guy. Smart, handsome, practical, and kind. He attended his graduation from UC Barkley in 1991 and cried his eyes out to the point Danny just had to call Maverick (or Pete, in layman’s words—who was his big brother’s “friend”. Yeah, Ronnie, I get it. A friend to call for an emotional support and also some words of congratulations at your brother’s graduation.) to calm him down.

Slider never disclosed his sexuality to his nana when she was alive. Only told Danny when he had a second boyfriend after Annapolis. Didn’t want to burden her. Didn’t want to lose her. Maybe she suspected things. Maybe she told Slider on a random day in summer of 1984, that she would always love him no matter what. But they didn’t talk about it. His nana passed away in 2000 after battling a lung disease for almost a decade. Peaceful, but it caved a big empty space in his heart.

Maverick never nudged him to come out, either. He was just happy to be with Slider. He would, though, pay visit to her grave. He told her how much he loved his Ronnie. He told her how much he was thankful that he and Ron ever met.

Slider did not know who his father was, and neither did Danny, who seemed to have some sort of middle eastern admixture. Slider knew they both inherited their physiques from their nana’s side—the Kerner blood just happened to be so tall—but other than that remained a mystery.

Maverick once told him that his hair made him look like a sculpture, like a Greek soldier carved from marble. Slider opened his eyes for a moment before chuckling.

“I like how that sounds.”

Maverick later learned Slider believed his father might have been of Greek descent. When he was a child, he read a book about Greek history and saw a picture of a curly haired men, their hair styled like his own. He looked just like his mother, or so his nana had told him. But he’d got a curly hair that nobody else in his family had. He’d got a curly hair that his nana had to learn to take care of. He believed it was the only thing that connected him with his father, no matter how ridiculous it might sound like a true childhood dream it was.

Slider would dream of his unnamed father teaching him how to drive. He would dream of his unnamed father teaching him how to shave. But more than anything, he would dream of his father teaching him how to style his hair in the morning. A secret he’d kept. An embarrassing, petty, melodramatic one—which Maverick disagreed with. He, too, knew how it felt to be deprived of his parents’ presence, and how much it meant for him to just exist as Pete Mitchell sometimes—an unyielding prove that his parents once lived.

Every time Maverick ran his fingers in his curly strands, Slider just nuzzled him as if to ask for more. He kissed Slider on the lips as the defined coil-shaped curls came loose in his hands like a ribbon on the Christmas morning.

[crazyk-imagine]

Hi I’m back again, I have a request for our dear Wolfman, again. Would you please write a 50 first dates ?

Thank you again for everything!

💛💛

Thinking of You

Pairing: (Henry Roth) Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe (Henry "Wolfman" Ruth) x (Lucy Whitmore) Fem!Reader

Characters: Fem!Reader, Leonard “Wolfman” Wolfe (Henry "Wolfman" Ruth), Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, Carol Bradshaw, Bradley Bradshaw, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Ron “Slider” Kerner, Rick “Hollywood” Neven, Marcus “Sundown” Williams, Sam “Merlin” Wells, Charles “Chipper” Piper, Mike “Viper” Metcalf, Bill “Cougar” Cortell, Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood, Penny Benjamin

Warnings: Fluff, angst, this is cute, Leonard is adorable, reader watches out for herself, everyone is protective of the reader and it's adorable, no fisherman here, only ranchers and cowboys, small town vibes, Iceman and Viper are the best, Pete can't cook for the life of his business, few funny moments, few serious moments here and there

Word Count: 5,307

A/N: I am so so sorry for taking forever with this one. I did not forget it, I promise. It was a whole thing with trying to find inspiration and rewatching the movie for research. But it... is... done!!!

Viper still refers to Bradley as a baby because he is (in his eyes)

Charlie is the horny German lady which I find hilarious

Yes, I used the TGM Squad as the kids for everyone who had children in the movie

The guys all have a work past with Viper

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He takes a seat at the counter, minding his own business as he reads a menu.

You smile as you walk inside, you always love coming here and not just because you get to see Penny and Pete, your favorite couple at the restaurant but because you get to make your waffle buildings.

‘Maybe today I’ll build a hut. Oh, and for the steam we can use coffee.’

Penny notices there’s a little pep in your step while she hands you a menu. “How are you doing, Butterfly?”

You giggle, “I’m doing just fine.”

She smiles and tells you your table is free.

He sees you enter the restaurant, sitting down in one of the empty booths in the middle of the row.

Penny turns around filling another customer’s coffee, she notices the looks he’s sending your way and needs to stop it before things can progress, you don’t need any more heartache (even if you don’t remember it today).

It would also save him from meeting your dad, who’s in charge of the port, Viper aka Mike or your cousin, Iceman aka Tom.

“I wouldn’t,” she tells him.

He furrows his brows and turns towards the waitress. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“You’ll only find yourself heartbroken if you try to pursue her.”

“What makes you say that?”

She purses her lips; she doesn’t find it necessary to tell him of your accident. But then she realizes he’s new and must be one of the few new cowboys that came into town.

“You’re gone for more than half of the year doing what you do. You’ve never met her but if you did and it was time to leave both of you would be crushed. Imagine how much that for a second.”

“Maybe she’d come with me.”

“She-” She sighs at the wound of glass breaking. “Excuse me while I go kick my husband out of the kitchen.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose, Pen.”

“Out of the kitchen, Maverick," a new voice says.

He doesn't know it, but it was the actual cook, Marcus.

He sighs, pushing the doors open, taking a seat beside the man. “Sounds like you did good there.”

The dejected man chuckles, “yeah.”

“Hey. You happen to know that girl sitting in the booth, would you?”

Pete glances over his slumped shoulder. “What’s it to you?”

“Woah. Woah. Why is everyone so aggressive? I was just asking a question.”

“A question that shouldn’t be asked.”

“Okay. Message received.”

“You seem like the type who won’t take no for an answer?”

Leonard chuckles, “am I really that transparent?” He chuckles to himself as he takes a sip of his coffee until he turns back to look at Pete and realizes how serious this whole thing is. “Oh, shit. Sorry, I just thought-”

“She wouldn’t go for a guy like you,” a voice says sitting on the other side of the rancher.

The two men angle their bodies to hear the man better.

Pete gives him a sarcastic smile. “Yeah, thanks for that, Cougar. We don’t need to give it any more ideas.”

“First off, it has a name and oh, she’s trying to make a door.”

The two look back and focus on you trying to get the finishing touches to your waffle house done.

He debates on walking over to you after hearing everyone’s warnings.

Clearly no one here wants to see anything bad happen to you if they’re this willing to stop him before he could try anything.

He pushes himself out of the chair, grabs a toothpick before heading over to you.

“Hey,” he starts off not to startle you entirely before sticking the toothpick in place, opening and closing the door to show you how well it works. “I thought this might help you a little more.”

You glance up at him, giving him a smile. “Well, then I guess the only thing I can say is thank you. To be honest, it probably would have taken me five minutes to figure it out, so again, I thank you for saving me from any potential embarrassment.”

Leonard lifts his hat, “I always do what I can to help a beautiful lady such as yourself.”

“Ah, I bet you say that to everyone you see then.”

He chuckles. This certainly isn’t what he was expecting when he walked over, it's different, nice even. “May I,” he gestures to the empty side of the booth.

“Please, I’d like to look a little less pathetic in front of, well everyone here.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“You flatter girls to get them in your bed and expect that very thing to happen, don’t you?”

“Uh- well,” he stutters.

You shrug, “doesn’t matter now. I’m just happy to have some company even if it’s just for a minute or two.”

“Well, then I’m happy to be of service.”

You dazzle him with another smile.

This is different from the other times he's gone out with girls.

You lift your watch to check the time. “Oh, looks like it's time for me to go. Sorry,” you sheepishly shrug as you reach for your bag.

“Uh- oh, okay. Yeah, I guess it’s time I went back to work.”

You get up and barely walk past him when you stop. “Is that you?”

“Is what me?”

“The farm smell?”

His mouth opens into an “o” making it obvious he now knows what you’re talking about. “Oh, yeah. Perks of being a rancher. Sorry about the smell. I didn’t realize it was so bad.”

You shake your head. “No, it’s- it’s not that. It’s just- it's more of a comfort thing. It reminds me of my family because my dad and my cousin are in the ranching business, and this is- the smell of, well the farm, is basically what I grew up with.”

He nods, “okay, good to know I don’t smell too much like shit.”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “Happy to help but I seriously have to go now.”

“Okay.”

You head over to Penny and pay her before saying bye to everyone.

Leonard shakes his head once he sees your car leave. “She sure is something else.” He then heads over to his car, sneakily watching you leave.

-

He spends the night talking to Rick, watching his kids. “So, you gonna ask her out?”

“Me?” Leonard shakes his head, pulling Rick’s youngest, Javy, away from the fence before his beloved (crazy) goat comes over and towards the edge to scare the kids.

The rancher isn't going to have his headbutting, crossed eyed goat injure another one of his friends' kids (even if it's on them because they didn't listen). “I- no.”

“You like her?”

The kids’ “ooh” at their dad’s comment.

“What? No. She’s just- she’s... busy?”

“Excuses.” He pushes himself off the fence, “come on kids. Your uncle needs alone time to process the fact that he’s a wimp.”

The kids mumble wimp under their breaths as they walk by.

He’s left alone with his thoughts.

-

“Did she get offered any drugs today?” Mike asks his nephew.

Tom shakes his head, “no and you know she wouldn’t take anything anyway.”

“She wouldn’t know.”

The blond glances over at the older man.

“Don’t give me that look boy.”

Neither of them says anything else as they go their separate ways before going out to the garage so they can repaint the wall.

Nick and Carole walk to the open space, "hey guys."

"Do you know what got her in such a happy mood today?" Mike asks.

The couple glance at one another.

"When we went to get food, Penny said that one of the new ranchers came in and talked to her, but I don't know what happened," Carole tells him.

"A new rancher?"

She nods. "Yeah, he's the only one here who wears his hat twenty-four seven."

"And you don't know anything about this?" Tom asks Nick.

The mustached man narrows his eyes at him, "if we knew anything else we would have told you."

"I'm just checking, mother Goose. No need to get your p-"

Mike smacks his nephew on the back of his head. "Stop it. Nick take another roll and again, thank you for the food, Carole. If you could just-"

"Set it on the counter for later, I'd be happy to."

"How's life been with the baby?"

"It's been great. I know it makes her sad that we can't bring him around here. All they've wanted since they were kids was for their kids to be friends and hangout all the time."

Mike sighs, "yeah."

Carole sneaks up the stairs to check on you. She barely opens the door and sees you standing there, a smile breaks across her face. She's happy to know that you're safe and sound for another day.

-

The next day is a weird one... for Leonard.

He had no idea what was going to happen when he made his way to the restaurant, and he most certainly wasn’t expecting you to not remember him (and mean it).

Sure, he’s had a few girls say they don’t remember him but after some persuading and mentions of certain clues, they break, this time with you though, not so much.

A few minutes passed after you ran out until someone explained to him why he shouldn’t continue doing what he’s doing.

“Everyone knows but,” Penny sighs. “She was in an accident that killed her mom and left her with what the doctors believe to be permanent brain damage.”

That is the last thing Leonard was expecting to learn about you. “All those light threats make sense now.”

“Now that you know, are you going to keep trying to date her?” Penny asks him. "Because if you’re not and you break her heart, you can just leave now. We won’t tolerate that kind of behavior.”

He nods and finishes his coffee, coming up with a few ideas.

-

Rick lounges on his couch, as usual, and watches as his friend jots down a few things. “You must really like this girl if you’re so willing to do just about anything for her.”

Leonard shrugs, “I don’t think that’s it.”

“Well, you’re doing something really nice for her, someone you’ve met a few times. As for me, your best friend barely gets a birthday card.”

“You’ve been giving yourself your own gift every year.”

“Oh, yeah and what’s that?”

“Your kids.”

“Damn, you’re good.”

-

He sits at the counter in front of the kitchen, waiting for you to come in so he can ask to eat with you.

You enter, at the same time as always, greeting Penny and Pete before sitting down to look at the menu.

He stands up and walks over to you, “hey, is this seat taken?”

You look up from the menu, “yeah, that’s my boyfriend's seat.”

“Oh, it is?”

You nod, “and he won’t be happy to know that some random guy sat there while talking to his girlfriend.”

“What if we say we’re just friends?”

“Are we though? I mean, I don’t even know your name.”

“Leonard.”

“I wasn’t asking. Look, I gotta go.”

Everyone hears the commotion outside and runs out to see what’s happening, Penny and Leonard being the fastest to get outside when they hear your voice.

“It’s not- it’s October thirteenth.”

Nick slams his car door closed before rushing over, wrapping his arms around you, wanting to give you some kind of protection.

Leonard takes a step forward, ready to tell the cop everything when Penny gets to him first.

Pete grabs the cowboy, “you and Goose are gonna take her home. She needs to be with her family right now. She needs comfort.”

He nods, taking his words into consideration.

The boys get you into the car, but the ride home is a blur, you don’t even know if you’ve responded to Leonard.

-

Your father and cousin are outside before you know it.

"What happened?" Mike asks, taking in your state of distress.

Nick looks up at the older man with sad eyes. "She found out again."

He closes his eyes, rubbing his chin.

Tom comes to your other side, the two men helping you inside.

The mustached man stops the rancher before he could step any further onto his front porch. "I'm gonna have to stop you right there."

Leonard furrows his brows. "What do you mean?"

"You being here isn't good for her."

"What does that mean?"

"This is something we've done before. You have never been involved."

"How would you know?"

"You don't know her, and you don't need to concern yourself with her. I'm asking you once and only once. It's time for you to go."

The man turns around, not even waiting to see if he's going to walk away.

Nick peaks through the window, whispering, "what are you doing?"

Leonard rushes closer. "He kicked me out."

"He doesn't want her to be more heartbroken than she is. Are you here for her or for you?"

"What- why are you asking?"

"If you're here because you want to date her, I'll let you in. If not, you can turn your sorry ass around."

He didn't even have to hesitate. "Open the door."

The blond smiles and lifts the windowpane higher. "You said you'd open the door."

"I'd like to not have my ass kicked too bad, thank you."

He rolls his eyes and crawls through, listening to your cries as you listen to what you went through again.

"Can we- I want to talk to the doctor." You quietly hiccup, "I'm sure I've already talked to him but let me go again. Please?" You ask your father.

He nods and you all are off to the facility you were in for some time after your accident.

-

"It's the same thing I've told you before," Dr. Simpson finishes.

You nod, "I'm sure you have, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me again."

Leonard and Nick were stuck talking to one of the patients, (ten second) Sam.

"Hi, I'm Sam."

They nod and introduce themselves to him and continue to do so until Tom grabs them by their collars, hauling them out of the building.

"You two idiots wanted to stay. Stop getting distracted."

-

Once you got home, you decided to go to your room and write in your journal, needing to process everything.

"Would it- could I go talk to her?"

Mike silently nods.

"Go get 'em, tiger."

Nick averts his gaze your dad's stern look.

-

He knocks on the door, waiting for you to answer as he removes his hat.

The door swings open.

You stare at him through your lashes. "What do you want?"

"To talk. Check on you."

"I'm fine. Go home. I'd say I'll talk to you tomorrow, but I'll forget you by midnight." You walk back into your room, leaving the door open.

He takes that as an invitation and enters. "I- uh-"

"I don't want you to feel like you have to stay after everything you’ve learned. I would understand if you didn't want to talk anymore."

"No!" He nearly screams before realizing his mistake and sits down. "I mean, I don't mind it. This- your twenty-four-hour memory is no problem. I- I actually think you're worth getting to know, every day."

You don't give him a verbal response as you nod, unsure of how to respond.

As you two bask in the silence, the other's downstairs are preparing for the next day.

-

“You coming to the garage or are you going to call Carole?” Tom asks him after his uncle walks out of the room.

“What do you think?”

Your cousin rolls his eyes, “still as lazy as the day I met you.”

“Hey, I am offended.”

“Good.”

Nick shakes his head, mumbling a variety of comebacks that he would never say out loud because he values his life.

-

Leonard reaches around, rubbing your shoulder, not realizing the time or what’s about to happen.

You wake, opening your eyes and start screaming, alerting everyone in the house.

Tom and Mike make it to your room in no time.

The older man hauls the rancher out of your room and out of the house. “I thought I told you to stay away.”

“You might have.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

“Sir, I really care about your daughter and honestly, the thought of showing her how much I care about her everyday sounds-”

“Like you’ve got some kind of ulterior motive.”

“That hurts. No, I mean, telling her every day that I care for her and making her fall for me again and again. I can’t explain it but, I know I’m the right guy for her. Everyone here cares for her and I’d like to count myself lucky enough to be a part of that community. I know you think I’m messing with her but that’s not true and even if you push me away, I will still be here and continue to stand by her.”

Mike has a lot to think about now.

He nods, “don’t come around today. She needs time to heal and take it all in, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m sure I'll hear from you later. Now go.”

Leonard smiles as he leaves. He spends the day making a gift, as a precaution he doesn’t come by for a couple of days.

Leonard has a lot of things to think about.

If he stays and builds a relationship with you, he’s going to be putting his dreams on the back burner; something he’s had his mind set on for a long, long time now.

Can he, do it?

Is it worth it?

As much as it hurts him to think about, he needs to. But then he thinks of you again and it is.

He makes a mental note to email his response.

-

He knocks on the door and Tom answers it. “You’re back? I thought you decided to leave.”

The rancher shakes his head, “nope. Can’t get rid of me that easily. I- uh- I actually made something and I want to play it for her. I don’t know if it’ll help but, you never know.”

He steps aside, giving Leonard enough room to walk by.

“Thanks.”

You and your father enter the living room, seeing him placing the tape in the VHS player.

The tape plays before either of you could ask what's going on.

Your name flashes across the screen, drawing your attention along with mentions of the accident and Bradley, Carole and Nick's son who's four now.

You touch the scar hidden by your hair.

Tom stands back, waiting for what you decide to do.

Mike rubs his hand across his face. "Did you do this?"

He nods. "I did."

You take a deep breath and grab his arm, bringing him with you.

-

"Where are we going?"

You don't answer him.

"Should I be worried?"

You stop in front of your car. "Do you ever shut up?"

"I could."

"Do it now."

"Stop being mean to me or I swear I'm gonna fall in love with you."

You roll your eyes. "I need to talk to you, and I don't want to do it with my guard dogs nearby."

"Oh, sure."

He opens the door for you, earning a furrowed brow look from you.

You don't say anything as you drive to the one place no one knows about.

"Are we-"

"The accident site, yeah. I didn’t know that at the time but now that I do, it doesn't change the special value it holds."

"That's good." He turns to you, seeing the way you're staring at him. "What?"

"We need to end this."

"End what?"

"You know what."

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Leonard-"

He cuts you off before you can continue. "You remember my name?"

"If you'd let me get a word in, you'd know that the only reason I know of you is because I have a journal. I've been keeping notes of everything, I just- I never realized it."

"And that means we need to not see each other anymore?"

"Exactly."

"Why?"

"You."

"I'm not following."

"You," you close your eyes, huffing through your nose. "You're so sweet and have been since we first met but you're going to get hurt."

"What makes you think that?"

"You've stayed longer than any guy ever has but to do this every day is just- I know it's a lot."

"It's nothing."

"See, that!" You point at him. "That right there is exactly why I'm ending this. You've got such a pure heart and I can't be the reason it breaks when you realize it's not worth it to stay."

"Who's to say that I'll stop feeling what I do?"

You avoid eye contact as your tears blur your vision. "You will, just like I know how my father and Tom are tired of it. They'll never admit it, but everyone has their breaking point and I think us meeting and seeing each other has pushed theirs. I'm really sorry, I like you. I do but I'm doing this to protect us."

You offer him a weak smile as the tears spill from your eyes and down your cheeks.

Before you leave to go back inside, you hand him your journal.

He pulls you back and kisses you.

Your first kiss with one another and it's amazing but can't last forever.

You pull away, walking inside with heavy steps; barely able to keep yourself together.

Tom nor Mike stops you, but they do make sure to call Nick and Carole, knowing you'll need a good day tomorrow even if you don't remember it.

-

Leonard doesn't come into the diner for a few days.

Carole sits with you at your job while Rick, Nick, and Pete drive Mike and Tom to see him off.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye," Rick tells him.

"That's nice but how do you know these guys?" Leonard points between the guys in the group.

"We used to work together before I decided to settle down," his friend explains.

"Is that what you've been telling people?" Pete asks, staring at the man with a confused expression.

Rick glances at the man, "what are you talking about? Of course, that's what I've been telling people. It's the truth."

Pete shrugs, "I just thought-"

"Thought what?"

Nick smacks the two across the back of their heads. "Alright you idiots, there's a time and a place to talk about this. Now is not it."

The two grumbled, rubbing the now sore spot.

"We came here to talk to Wolfman before he left."

"You told them?"

"We all worked for him," Rick points to Mike. "Of course, I'm going to tell them."

"Anyway," the oldest chimes in. "We're here to send you off but not before giving you this." He hands him a CD.

"Really?" The rancher asks, not understanding the sentimental thought behind it just yet.

Mike nods, "I think you'll like it. Check side B, song four. Everything will make sense after that." The older man walks away, letting the others take their time in following.

Nick pats Leonard on the back, saluting him before wishing him luck. "I wish you luck, my friend."

"I'm pretty sure you just jinxed me."

"That's for the theater and you're going to need it one way or another."

The rancher frowns.

Pete chuckles, "you really leaving?"

The blond shrugs. "What else can I do? She told me she doesn't want me, and I can't force myself into her life, you know. Whether she remembers me or not. I'm going to respect her decision."

"That's really nice of you, not everyone would do that."

"I keep telling you I'm not like everyone."

"And I understand why. You're going to do great, kid."

The man in the cowboy hat purses his lips as his brows knit together in confusion. "If I'm not mistaken, we're the same age."

"Potato, potahtoe."

"Not the same."

Pete smirks and slaps his arm before jogging to Mike's car.

"You really want to leave?" Rick asks, standing beside him, resting his arms on the fence. "Because I'm not buying this whole "I can do this" thing. I mean, from what I've heard it sounds like you love her but who am I to assume."

Leonard shakes his head, "you heard wrong."

"That's a load of bull and you know it."

"You'll never know."

"The kids are going to miss you."

"They'll find something else to occupy them."

“You know they won’t.”

“Whatever you say, man.”

Rick’s hand hovers over his friend’s shoulder, he doesn’t pat him like everyone else had (knowing he’ll be back in no time). “You’re an idiot.”

Leonard lets out a dry, “thanks.”

Tom gives him a knowing look, “you know I’m right.”

“If you’re just going to be a jerk, leave with the others. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“You said you were going to stay by her side no matter what. What happened to that guy?”

“She made the decision. She doesn’t want me around; thinks she’s going to save me from heartache or something.”

“You’re an idiot.” Tom walks away, leaving him with his thoughts.

Leonard shakes his head, not understanding half of what just happened; all he knows is that he’s offended. He hops in his truck, his heart heavy and mind full of useless thoughts; he places the CD in the car player.

Half forgetting he’s had the damn thing this whole time and never once thought to use it. He skips to the song Mike told him to play.

He’s barely on the road for ten minutes and gets out of his thoughts, his fingers stop tapping along to the beat on the steering wheel when he slams on the brakes. “Holy shit! Holy- no way. No way!”

His smile is as wide as can be. “I knew the old man liked me.”

He turns the car around and heads towards the office you visited when you were told about the accident again.

-

He runs through the door, trying to sneak in by the security guards before anyone can kick him out.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” He turns to face them, removing his hat.

He shrugs, not saying a word.

Maybe playing dumb would be easier?

The taller of the two stares at him with raised brows as his partner takes in Leonard’s appearance. “Go on in.”

Ron turns to Charles, “what’s wrong with you? What if he was a murderer or some psycho?”

“Did he look like a psycho to you?”

“No but-”

“But nothing. I got good vibes from him.”

“What did you smoke for breakfast?”

“I’m not answering that,” Charles says, checking the computer for today’s schedule.

“If someone gets murdered, I’m not protecting you.”

“Dick move.”

“Cya, man.”

“What?”

Ron pats his shoulder, “cover your ass. I’d remember that if I were you.”

-

Leonard runs into the room, eyes scanning all around and over anyone in the room, only to not find you, for the moment.

He wanders further into the room, tempted to ask around when he sees ten second Sam and decides not to, there’s too much time that could be wasted and he can’t waste a second right now.

You turn the corner, not noticing him as you help someone outline the outline of their sketch.

A voice calls out to you, and you turn, finding him.

“Hi? Do you- nevermind, stupid question. Could I- uh- could I talk to you for a minute?” He asks.

You know everyone here will be fine for a few minutes. You hesitate to answer him. “I- we can- just- just follow me.”

-

You two stand in your special art room. “Have we met before?”

His chin juts out. “What?” His eyes wander around the room, finally understanding.

“As you can see, I’ve seen you before. I mean, I know I’ve talked to you, but I don’t remember it. You- you haunt my dreams. I’ve seen us in my favorite restaurant, as if we were on a date and- and I don’t know if it was real or not.” He can see how it’s wracking your brain to try and remember something that won’t be there.

He nods, “we have. We’ve met a few times.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

He holds a journal in front of you, “if you really want to find out, read this. It’ll tell you everything.”

You stare at the cover, wondering if you should read it or not.

You hold it close to your chest and stretch your hand out for him. “Hi.”

He raises his brow but shakes your hand. “Hi?”

“We’re starting over.”

“Oh, that makes more sense.”

The door opens, “Hi, “I’m Sam.”

You purse your lips, trying to hold in your laughter.

“And our special moment has a little twist.”

“Leave Sam out?”

He nods, “we’re leaving him out.”

You nod and slowly remove your hand from his. “Hi, I’m Sam.”

“I swear to-”

-

You push open the door and cover your eyes when the sun hits you. Leonard turns around and smiles at the sight of you looking as beautiful as always. “Hey, you’re up.”

You nod, your eyes landing on your precious baby boy, Jake, pretending to be like his dad with ranching.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

Your daughter, Natasha, runs over to you with her arms open for a hug.

Everyone always says that a mother and her child share a special bond, in this case it’s true because you open your arms and scoop her up, holding her close to you, even if it is a little strange just finding out she’s your daughter after watching the video Leonard made for you.

“I’m okay, a little weird this morning.”

“I don’t blame you.”

You tilt your head up at him, staring at him like you’re trying to memorize his face. “I think Tom’s doing things he shouldn’t.”

He turns around, finding your cousin doing the exact opposite of what he told him to and hands Jake to your father so he can help your cousin from messing up his ranch (any more than he already has). “Son of a-”

“Language!” You and Mike shout.

“I wasn’t going to actually say it,” Leonard tells you two.

You and your dad share a look. “He’s your husband, you take care of it.” And he walks away.

“So rude,” you mumble to yourself.

“Hey guys!” Nick and Carole wave as Bradley runs towards Natasha (who hasn’t left your side until this moment).

You smile and wave back, hugging Carole tightly.

“Let's go inside and see what you have in your kitchen for breakfast.”

You lean in closer to her, whispering, “does he ever eat? I swear he is always raiding my pantry.”

“Fast metabolism.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“Can I tell you something?” She asks.

You nod.

“Neither do I.”

-

You, Carole, and Nick grimace at the sight of Leonard's friend and his coworker-

"Can they eat each other's faces somewhere else?" Nick mumbles. "I'm trying to eat here."

You and her share a look.

"You're still eating," his wife points out.

He shrugs. "I can't pass up when Sundown cooks. That'd be like disrespecting Penny."

Leonard walks through the door and grimaces. "You two need to stop trying to eat each other and enjoy breakfast. This is not what I imagined when I suggested you two go out."

Charlotte and Rick part from one another, offering weak apologies.

You and Carole can't help but laugh.

The rancher turns around at the sound of your laughter and knows that he wouldn’t trade this for the world.

[pollyna]

Based on this song here. It's cross posted but not exactly the same.

Tags: Nick "Goose" Bradshaw/Ron "Slider" Kerner, past relationships, MCD, a book no one of them could read and a story Tom shares after Ron says he can, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky/Pete "Maverick" Mitchell developing relationship.

[podcastdx]

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone or posture. It's caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain as it develops, most often before birth.  

Our guest today is Zain Bando, a Chicago area, 21-year-old college student and is studying journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a junior. He hopes to pursue a career in broadcasting after graduation and currently resides in Downers Grove, IL with his family.

  TRANSCRIPT:

  S8E2 Cerebral palsy

Lita T  00:08

Hello, and welcome to another episode of podcast dx, the show that brings you interviews with people just like you, whose lives were forever changed by a medical diagnosis. I'm Lita

Ron  00:20

And I'm Ron.

Jean  00:21

And I'm Jean Marie.

Lita T  00:22

Collectively, we're the host of podcast dx. On today's show. We're speaking with Zain about cerebral palsy. Good morning, Zain. And could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Zain  00:32

Sure. So, um, good morning. My name is Zain Bando And I am a 21 year old college student who's currently studying journalism at the University of Illinois in Champaign. And  after graduation, um I hope to pursue a career in, in broadcasting or as a writer for a sports team. I don't know, I don't know what sports team that would be at. But it's something that I've always been interested in. And it's just a passion that I've always had, and I'm very glad to be pursuing it. So thank you again, for having me on today. I really appreciate it. And sorry, my, my pronunciation is actually "Zain", I know, I know that there's I in my name, but it actually isn't for now, literally. So if you think of the word "van", that's how my name is pronounced.

Lita T  01:18

We will take that that I out, thank you very much.

Ron  01:22

Yeah I don't know. We appreciate that. Zain. Can you send us out by actually telling us and our listeners what actually is? cerebral palsy?

Zain  01:33

Sure, so that's a great question. So according to the Mayo Clinic, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect muscle control, movement, muscle tone, or posture, by injury or malformation, which occurs to the brain as it develops more often before birth during the birthing process, or just after birth. There are two main forms of CP, continental and acquired.

Lita T  01:58

Right, right that I've got also in the Center for Disease Control here in the United States. That the risk factors for cerebral palsy, and I'm going to abbreviate it as CP is that it's important to know the risk factors. Some of the risk factors for congenital CP are a low birth weight. So children who weigh less than five and a half pounds at birth, or that's 2500 grams, and especially those who weigh less than three pounds at birth, so that's about 1500 grams, they have a greater chance of having CP, a child that is prematurely born. And that's children that are born before the 37th week of pregnancy, and especially if they're born before the 32nd week of pregnancy, they have a higher chance of having CP intensive care for premature infants has improved a lot over the past several decades. And babies that are born very early are more likely to live now. But many have medical problems that can put them at risk for CP. Another risk factor is multiple births, twins, triplets, and other multiple births have a higher risk for CP, especially if a baby's twin or triplet dies before birth, or shortly after birth. I don't know why that would be but that's what they're saying. some but not all of this increased risk is due to the fact that children born from multiple pregnancies are often born early or with low birth weight, or both children that are conceived with artificial reproductive technology, abbreviated as ART in fertility treatments. Those pregnancies that result have a higher risk of CP. Most of the increased risk is explained by preterm delivery or multiple births or both. And both preterm delivery and multiple births are increased with children conceived with ART infertility treatments. Another risk would be infections that the mother might get during pregnancy infections can lead to increased certain proteins called Cytokines and that circulates in the brain and the blood of the baby during pregnancy. Cytokines cause inflammation, which can lead to brain damage in the baby. A fever in the mother during pregnancy or delivery can also cause this problem. Some types of infections that have been linked to CP include viruses such as chicken pox, rubella, German, which is also German measles, and also Sue-to

Jean  04:50

Cytomegalovirus

Lita T  04:52

Oh cytomegalovirus Thank you, Jean. And bacterial infections such as infections of the placenta or fetal membranes, And maternal pelvic infec, infections can cause it. jaundice or Jean?

Jean  05:09

Nope, I don't know this one.

Lita T  05:10

Okay, Ron,

Ron  05:12

What are you looking at me for?

Jean  05:15

Zain,

Lita T  05:16

(laughter) Zain? Karen neck care neck and neck terrorists? Okay,

Zain  05:21

I would see. I would say it's um Kernic Esrest, but I'm not sure

Jean  05:26

 That sounds good.

Lita T  05:27

That sounds good.

Ron  05:28

That's what we're going with today

Lita T  05:29

We're going to go with that  KernicTetris is the yellow color scene in the skin of many newborns. jaundice happens when a chemical called bilirubin builds in the baby's blood. When too much of this bilirubin builds up in the baby's blood the skin in the whites of the eyes might look yellow. This yellow coloring is called jaundice. And when severe jaundice goes untreated for too long, it can cause their condition that Zain pronounced properly and it can cause CP and other conditions. By the way, that condition is spelled k e r n i c. t e r us,  Kernest..

Ron  06:07

I'm going to go with Kerner, Nick terus

Lita T  06:10

Kernicterus,

Jean  06:11

We're going to have a link on our...

Lita T  06:13

Website

Jean  06:13

Yes, yeah,

Lita T  06:14

That's the best way to go sometimes Kernicterus results from Abo and Rh blood type differences between the mother and the baby. This causes the red blood cells in the baby to break down too fast resulting in severe jaundice. medical conditions of the mother, such as mothers with thyroid problems, intellectual disability, or seizures have a slightly higher risk of having a child with CP, and other birth complications such as detachment of the placenta, a uterine rupture, or problems with the umbilical cord during birth, can disrupt oxygen supply to the baby, and result in CP.

Zain  06:55

Well, while that's all true, a small percentage of CP is caused by brain damage that occurs more than 28 days after birth. This is called the acquired CP and usually associated with infection, such as meningitis and head injury, or a problem with blood flow to the brain. cerebral vascular accidents for example, stroke or or bleeding in the brain associated with the blood clotting problem, blood vessels that didn't form properly, or heart defect that was present at birth or sickle cell disease,

Jean  07:28

Zain, what are some of the symptoms for cerebral palsy?

Zain  07:33

Sure, so because this condition begins to show signs and symptoms at a very early age, and individuals, parents or health care providers typically notice the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy. The symptoms and effects of cerebral palsy vary depending on the location and extent of the injury to the brain, your child might normal intelligence or have learning difficulties or learning difficulties, your child might have mild difficulties with movement or be unable to control their limbs, despite the variations in symptoms of certain effects are common among people with cerebral palsy.

Ron  08:07

Wouldn't you say that it's kind of like a spectrum from mild to severe? Right?

Zain  08:12

Absolutely. 100 100%. Right. There's definitely there's definitely a spectrum.

Ron  08:18

Yeah, the CD says I'm sorry, the CDC says that in many cases, the cause or causes of congenital CP aren't fully known, which means that currently little can be done to prevent it. CP related to genetics is not preventable. But can acquired CP be prevented? And

Zain  08:41

It's a very good, it's a very good question. While there are actions people can take before and during pregnancy, as well as after birth, that might, excuse me, that might help reduce the risk of develop, of developmental problems, including CP, taking steps to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and to help prevent development. developmental problems, including CP acquired CP is often related to infection, or injury, and some of those cases can be prevented, but again, as as it stated, some of those cases just simply are impossible

Ron  09:21

 Right

Zain  09:21

And cannot and cannot be prevented, so

Ron  09:24

 Right, right.

Jean  09:26

Thank you. before pregnancy, it's a good idea to be as healthy as possible. I think that's what a lot of people strive for. And make sure that any infections that you might have are treated in any healthcare conditions that you might have like diabetes are under control. And ideally, they should be under control before you. You will conceive if if  assistive reproductive technology or ART infertility treatments are being used to get pregnant, consider ways to reduce the chance of multiple pregnancies, twins, triplets, or more. I think some people think Up to like 1213 children at a time, such as transferring only one embryo at a time. And then having multiple pregnancies. It's also important to get vaccinated for certain diseases as Lita had mentioned, such as the chicken pox or rubella. And that could, those if you should contract those illnesses while  pregnant, that could be harmful to the developing baby. It's also important to have many of these vaccinations before you become pregnant. And as we've learned Also, before you have an organ transplant, or any of those things as well, for undertaking any major life changes,

Lita T  10:38

Right. And during pregnancy, you should have early and regular prenatal care, both for your health and for the end of your developing baby. You should wash your hands often with soap and water to help reduce the risk of infections that might cause harm to your developing baby. Contact your health care provider if you get sick, have a fever or have other signs of infection during pregnancy. a flu shot is your best protection in our in our opinion, against serious illness from the flu, or flu shot can protect pregnant women and their unborn babies, both before and after birth. flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies. If there is a difference in the blood type, or the Rh in compatibility between the mother and the baby, like we said it can cause jaundice and Kernicterus. I'm not going to get that one

Ron  11:32

(laughter)

Jean  11:32

Nope  We'll hear about that later.

Lita T  11:34

Yep, women should know their blood type and talk to their doctor about ways to prevent problems. And also you should talk to your doctor about ways to prevent problems if you are at risk for preterm delivery, such as if you have multiple embryos. Research has shown that taking magnesium sulfate before anticipated early preterm birth reduces the risk of CP among surviving infants.

Zain  12:00

And in addition to that, it also leaves reducing risks after the baby's born, because any baby can get jaun jaundice severe jaundice that is not treated, can cause brain damage. Just like the mom before pregnancy makes sure your child has vaccines against infections that can cause meningitis. And with it, we'll see if I can get this one, um encephalitis   Buckling their child in the car. Buckling their child in the car using an infant or child car seat, booster seat or seat belt according to the child's height, weight and age. Again, this is just our opinion of recommendations that should be done. Make living area safe. Make living areas safer for children by using window guards. Keep young children from falling from falling out of open windows and using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Make sure make sure the surface of your child's playground is made of a shock absorbing material such as hardwood mulch or sand, carefully watching children at the time. At all times are in bathtubs swimming or wading pools, and natural bodies of water that should that should just go for any young child in general disability or not. Adults watching kids in the water should avoid distracting activities like using a computer or a mobile device reading or taking or talking on the phone. Talking on the phone might be the most dangerous one, in my opinion.

Jean  12:24

Yep right on Yeah,

Zain  12:52

Make sure your child wears a helmet. For activities like riding a bike. That's an obvious one. And of course, never hit, throw, shake or hurt a child. I know the sound like common sense things, but some young mothers may not know how dangerous life is for a very young child.  That's right. Great advice  Zain. As a matter of fact, I just heard on the news that they they are trying to reach out to very young mothers mothers that really don't have perhaps a mentor. They might be on their own. They don't have the the background and those type of mothers. They just might not have all of these tools at their disposal. So hopefully this episode will help them

Jean  14:14

Yeah, not everyone's been you know babysitting. Yeah,

Lita T  14:17

Yeah. Great. Zain. What treatments are available for somebody that's been diagnosed with CP ?

Zain  14:24

For sure, um, There are medications that can help with the muscle spasticity. In July of this year, the FDA has approved an expanded use of Dysport to treat upper and lower limbs spasticity which I actually did not know about, including that caused by CP for patients as young as two years and older. Overtime, CP might cause problems with muscles, bones and joints in your child might need surgery to address these issues or concerns.

Ron  14:54

Right Right, Zain. What tips do you have for someone whose child has recently been diagnosed with CP

Zain  15:01

um while there's still an ongoing education process to be have to be had just from my own personal experience, I would not recommend panicking. If you can find the right resources available to parents out there today. them from when I was born 21 years ago that I think that's key just because the world is evolved so much in that time. I see having a trustworthy doctor and focusing on the things that the child can do is a key to begin a positive outlook on life. For sure.

Ron  15:32

 Right.

Lita T  15:33

That's great advice. And what would you What have you found to be the most common misconception about CP?

Zain  15:42

I've noticed that a lot of people think that the people were born with CP are born exactly the same way. So I would say every person is born with it. So I would say the biggest misconception that people have is every person born with it as the same journey of life. While in actuality, people want to live with the condition and focus on the things they can control.

Ron  16:05

I like this kid.

Lita T  16:07

He's got a good he's got a good future ahead of him

Ron  16:10

Got a good outlook. Yeah, I mean, that's exactly we focus on what we can do not what is difficult or what we can't do.

Lita T  16:16

Right.

Ron  16:16

 So I love the way you view that. Your outlook, Zain, um, how about your friends and family? What kind of role have they played in your life? And do you have any other support systems that you found to be helpful?

Zain  16:30

Yes, um thankfully, I have a good support system, both from friends and family. They've been extremely supportive in all my endeavors. Anything for me, scuba diving over a decade ago to participating in athletics as a social media manager in high school, or for the football and basketball teams, they've always been there. I also think that surrounding yourself with positive people will only make life more fun. And I've also recognized that focusing on your inner self motivation, working out meditation, any of those things, is also a good way to reset and focus on your whole self too. Because at the end of the day, what's inside you, in my opinion is most important. So

Jean  17:13

That's, that's fantastic. And I have a question. You're a Downers Grove North grad. Is that correct?

Zain  17:19

I sure I sure am absolutely.

Jean  17:22

We have three my my Lita's three grandsons all went to Downers Grove north too so you guys are all in good company.  all, Alumns. Yes, all Alumns, I have a question. So what first interested you in journalism? And then what drew you specifically to sports journalism? Because I hear we actually read some of your some of your articles for Downers Grove North? And I'm just curious what first inspired that? Do you have like a favorite journalist?

Zain  17:49

Sure. So um, I mean, when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to do something. um in sports. Because um in middle school, I had been a public address announcer for the middle school basketball teams. And I knew I wanted to do something similar in high school, because of course, I can't physically play organized athletics. And when I was a junior in high school, I took a intro to journalism class. And thankfully, the teacher who's actually the current head softball coach, there was really big into sports and kind of drew me into the entire industry,

Jean  18:26

 Okay,

Zain  18:27

 And I took in all and I took in all the knowledge, and I just knew  that's the path I wanted to pursue myself on. And, you know, thankfully, I was able to be given all these wonderful opportunities, and I owe a lot to him and, and of course, I owe a lot to, to my head coaches, that I was able to help out as a manager for varsity football, varsity basketball my final two years there, and you know that North's a place that's always going to be it's always going to be with me for a very long time. And I'm always going to consider Downers Grove home. So it's been a it's been a wonderful experience and a very, very good question.

Lita T  19:05

That's great. Yeah, I have another follow up. I'm sorry.

Ron  19:09

And I have a follow up your follow up.

Jean  19:10

 (laughter)

Lita T  19:10

Ok alright

Ron  19:11

(laughter)

Jean  19:11

And then I have a follow up

Lita T  19:12

Alright Zain, You got us going here. Do you have a podcast yet?

Zain  19:17

Um, I did a very long time ago. At the moment. I have one right now. It's called Sports. Talk From A to Z. It's a podcast with me and my college roommate. Um, you can find it on YouTube by searching Sports Talk From A to Z, we talk about everything from sports, to social justice issues to things that we don't like with commissioners. It's pretty it's pretty interesting.

Ron  19:42

(Laughter) Sorry to laugh.

Zain  19:45

Yeah, we have. There's a lot there's a lot packed into it. We have about like 17 episodes or so.

Lita T  19:51

That's great.

Zain  19:52

We took a break for we took a break from it for a little bit. We're hoping it start it up again in the next couple weeks. Because of we really like doing it. And then I'm also a freelance writer for Insider.com I cover Illini-athletics and mixed martial arts. So if anything from the UFC Bellator and numerous other MMA organizations, I write about them as well. So I'm around, kind of in a couple of different media spaces, and I'm pretty easy to reach to. And we'll get to that near the end of the episode.

Lita T  20:24

Right, right, right, I just, you're just the way you're carrying the way you're carrying us through this episode. I wish you were running our pockets. (laughter)

Ron  20:33

I told you I like this kid.

Lita T  20:34

Ohhhh

Ron  20:35

So, you know what, I'm gonna probably show some of my ignorance over here. You're from Downers Grove. And we are basically in the Chicago region. I'm not a huge follower of follower of the White Sox. But I do know that the Chicago White Sox baseball team has an announcer that has CP I don't recall the gentleman's name, but have you ever reached out to him for any advice?

Zain  21:01

It's a very good question, as his name is Jason Benetti. He's a wonderful announcer. Unfortunately, I've tried reaching out to him multiple times. But um, you guys may not know this. He's a very, very busy person. Not only does he do White Sox baseball, he does college football and during his, big time college basketball games, through the winter months. I've tried a couple of times, things just haven't worked out. But I'm very hopeful that we can cross paths. And some day because he does have the same disability. I do. And he does tremendous work. And he's just somebody that I think a lot of people in the sports industry should continue to work up to, because he's going to be either the next generation of people that are going to be coming through the pipeline. So thank you again, for for mentioning that. Yes. I'm very well aware of who Jason Benetti is.

Ron  21:53

Okay. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.

Jean  21:54

And then I have another question. He had several questions. I try to limit it. Sorry.

Ron  21:58

(laughter) Um, he's like, are these people done yet?

Jean  22:01

Um, so Zain, what is it been like, at the university with COVID? And everything? And how is learning changed?

Zain  22:09

Um, I mean, it's been interesting. I actually decided to stay home for the semester because of COVID. But I think overall, the university has done a tremendous job with the revolutionary saliva test, they've been able to make it through the entire semester. And I'm looking forward to going back in the spring and just seeing what a COVID semester is going to be like, because I think we're going to be with this virus for a little bit. And, yeah, I think, I think it's just one of those things that where we kind of all have to get through it and stay positive and again, like, kind of the theme of this episode has been, we need to control what we can control at this point. And yeah, absolutely.

Ron  22:48

Okay. Speaking of control, I'm going to take control the mics right now I'm gonna cut off Jean and Lita, we're gonna wrap this up. And we do appreciate your time. But one thing I did want to talk about, I think somebody earlier mentioned something about water, or Dive or Dive Heart. But I know, you've been with an organization called Dive Heart that does scuba diving for children, adults and veterans with disabilities. But is it more than just jumping in the water or breathing underwater, does it? How much more does that affect you doing that sport?

Zain  23:31

Well, I mean, that's a great, that's a great question. First off, they've always been in tremendous organization. They, they, they gave me You know, they give people opportunities where they don't feel like they have kind of an avenue to go through. And that's one of the things that I felt when I was younger when I did it. So the freedom of movement underwater is one of the most satisfying things you could ever have. I think scuba is less about the act of getting underwater, and feeling relaxed, and more about all the prep stuff, the teamwork, the communication associated with being able to work with a group of experienced divers being able to learn all the different equipment and kind of what the kind of what the rules and regulations are and just being with people who are going to be there that are going to be able to support you as you kind of feel the freedom underneath underneath the water. And for some it's an exhilarating feeling because when they're out of the water they don't they either they either don't feel that movement or sensation or it's very difficult for them. So that's something that's something that I've noticed, just simply doing the sport and being a part of it for for as long as I was.

Ron  24:50

That's great. That's absolutely great. Thank you. Thanks so much for that.

Jean  24:54

And Zain. How can our listeners learn more about you, um, you were talking about how you have a you know, there's a Spots Talk From A to Z on YouTube. Do you have any other social media accounts?

Zain  25:06

Oh yeah, you can find me everywhere on all the major social media platforms from our Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, or my handle was @ZainBando99 that's  Z A I N B A N D O nine, nine. You can follow me on all of those. My DMS are always open. If anyone would like to talk, I'm always active via all those all the time. I'm actually a huge social media junkie so you can find me uhh you can find me anywhere.

Jean  25:36

So I want to put them in charge of the podcast. (laughter) Yeah. And, and our social media. Yes.

Ron  25:41

And my archery website.

Lita T  25:42

 Right, right. Right, we're gonna get you going,

Jean  25:44

You're gonna be busier than, than Jason,

Lita T  25:47

Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us today's Zain we really appreciate it.

Zain  25:52

Oh, you're welcome. Thank you guys for having me on. Again. I was really happy that we were able to do this. And you go, I think you guys will continue. And you are continuing to do a good job of giving another platform for people to listen to before they can go out and make their own make their own decisions on what's best for them medically. So kudos to you guys for that and thank you again, you guys did a tremendous job and kept me entertained the whole time so thank you

Lita T  26:20

(laughter)

Ron  26:20

We're nothing if not entertaining.

Lita T  26:21

 Oh yeah. We don't charge extra. If you have any questions or comments related to today's show, you could drop us a line at podcast dx@yahoo.com through our website, podcast dx.com and Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

Ron  26:38

And if you have a moment to spare, please give us a five star review wherever you get your podcast. As always, please keep in mind that this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment, and before undertaking a new health care regime, and never disregard professional medical advice, or delaine. Taking it because of something you've heard on this podcast

Jean  27:09

Till next week.

Check out this episode!

[outalongtheedges]

Slider talking to Ice about Bradley’s little crush that he’s teaching at the academy

Slider: on October third he asked me what day it was

Hangman: what day is it?

Slider: it’s October third. The day of German unity!

Ice: you’re an idiot Slider

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[localmajortom]

Mav: *puts down a mug on Sliders desk*

Slider: What’s this?

Mav: I made that for you in the burnout clinic

Slider: is it dishwasher-safe

Mav: You think its shit, or something?

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