2026 Update: Brandon

Pushkin. Little pieces of yolk that are stuck all over your beard. Nothing. That's total circumstantial evidence. You can't hang someone for circumstantial evidence. I did see Malcolm Gladwell exiting the studio strutting around with an egg salad sandwich poking out of his fanny pack like he owned the joint. So there's some circumstantial evidence you might want to investigate, you intrepid reporter, you. So hello, Stevie. Elaine, producer. Yes, of the episode that we're about to listen to. Brandon. Yeah, Brandon. I will say, and he doesn't even know this, he's not even going to know this until he listens to this. Yeah. One of my all-time favorite guests, I think. Really? Yeah, I don't know, he just had such a nice attitude. And I feel like the two of you had a really lovely rapport. Yeah, and it was like an example of how sometimes a small question can have like a lot of. Emotional impact and can just really echo through the years. Yeah. You know, with these updates, a lot of times I start off by saying that the subject of the episode has gone through a lot of changes. But in the case with Brandon, I will say that change seems like too slight a word. I would say that Brandon has gone through some transformations. Hmm. So here's Brandon. Yeah, it's a fun one. It is a fun one. And after the episode, if you stick around, I'm going to catch up with Brandon and we're going to see who Brandon has become since we last spoke. Jackie? Hey, Johnny. I have some good news. Yeah. Well, it seems like there's some interest in turning the Heavyweight podcast into a TV show. So I was just calling to see who maybe, you know, who you want to play Jackie. I was thinking, you know, maybe Rita Marie. Don, Don, Don, Don, no one's going to watch your show, babe. What did you just say? You heard me. Wait, I'm confused on two counts. A, that you would say something so cruel. Yeah. And then B, you would punctuate it with babe. You know, a lot of people believe in this project. Why would you laugh at that? A lot of people believe in this project. From Gimlet Media, I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and this is Heavyweight. Today's episode, Brandon. Right after the break. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. This is Jacob Goldstein from Business History. When the Internet arrived, most people used it to look things up. Others saw what it could really do. The same is true with ChatGPT. ChatGPT work goes beyond answering questions. Give it a goal, plus things like notes, files, feedback, data, or project plans, and it can help. Create a brief, analysis, deck outline, tracker, or workflow. You stay in control, reviewing the work, and choosing the final result. Put ChatGPT to work on your most ambitious ideas and projects. Get started at ChatGPT.com by selecting Work Mode. Available on Plus and Pro plans. If you love music and great artist interviews, check out Before the Moment, hosted by Niall Rogers. This new series follows Niall as he travels across the country talking with some of today's most fascinating artists about the moments that shaped their lives and careers. From hitmakers like Miguel to rising stars like Alex Warren, Niall explores the stories behind the careers, the songs, and the moments that changed everything. Because every musician remembers the point where everything changed, and this podcast tells the stories that came before it. Listen to Before the Moment, a Lincoln Original series on the iHeartRadio app, YouTube, or Radio. This message is a paid partnership with AppleCard. There's something interesting about how seamlessly certain tools fit into daily life. AppleCard is one of those things. It can be applied for right in the wallet app on iPhone, and approval can happen in minutes, so it's ready to use immediately with Apple Pay. 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Subject to credit approval, savings is available to AppleCard owners, subject to eligibility. Savings in AppleCard by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch, member FDIC, terms and more at AppleCard.com. Yeah, we'll just roll in there and see what's going on. This is Brandon. He's 33 years old and wearing a suit and string tie. His wife, Megan, is in a sundress. And together, they're about to enter the new Palestine high school prom. Oh, mosey on up there, then. Let's go in. Megan is the school's art teacher. But tonight, she's chaperoning, with Brandon as her date. She introduces him to the other teachers. This is my husband, Brandon. Hi, everybody. Hi. It's a pleasure. At a certain point, they're interrupted by the announcement of prom king and queen. Hey, hey, you can kiss. You guys, we're gonna announce the prom king, queen, and the prom king. While Megan congratulates her students and makes small talk with her colleagues, Brandon wanders off and observes the kids. Some are dancing. Some are lined up for the photo booth. There are kids talking to teachers and others gossiping among themselves. But then Brandon's gaze lands on another subset, those aimless kids, wandering along the margins, alone, they remind Brandon of himself when he was a teenager in his own prom. Brandon thinks about his prom a lot and the improbable path that led him to it, which began when he was just a little kid. Through middle school and junior high, I had a lot of bullying problems. I was kind of an easy target. There were a number of things that made him one. First, I'm like still a big guy now, but I was like, I was at my biggest in high school. Heaviest. Second, Brandon tried too hard to fit in. Like the time he shaved a Nike swoosh into the back of his head. I just thought like sports, that's cool. So it made your head look like a running shoe. Exactly. Yeah, I sat in front of this kid named Cyril and he said it looked like a hockey stick. And that was enough that everyone was like, that's a hockey stick. That is not a Nike swoosh. Finally, Brandon was a coda, a child of deaf adults. His family attended a deaf church and spent a lot of time in the deaf community. He says he was brought up with different social norms. Like volume. Like volume is not a concern around deaf people in a deaf environment. And then of course it is around hearing people. So what does that mean? Like any examples? Yeah, like school, where it's like time to be quiet. I was just constantly talking, listening to myself, or just vocalizing my thoughts, you know. Then in middle school, Brandon's parents divorced. There was less space for him, less attention paid to him. He drew inward. I think I wanted to put off a harder, like you can't hurt me, exterior than I really had on the inside. So wearing Hot Topic clothes, spiky things, black clothes, and trying to just like keep your hoodie on, hoodie on and get through the day. And for the most part, Brandon succeeded in going unnoticed. Until the spring of his senior year. Brandon was sitting at the back of a classroom during a free period, eavesdropping on a conversation from across the room. Some classmates were talking about prom, and among the group was a girl named Allie. She was going on about what a great night it was going to be, how excited she was. She had, like, long blonde hair with highlights, big features, like, big eyes. She had a big smile. Yeah, like, when she smiled, she looked really happy. And I think she kind of pulled me into the conversation by directing some of those questions at me. Like, are you going to prom? Who are you going to prom with? Brandon had no intention of going. He hadn't a girlfriend nor any prospects for a date. And he was confused about why Allie was talking to him. Brandon says they'd barely asked. They were from totally different social worlds. Allie was in student government. She was popular and beautiful. She was just really well put together, clean. And you? No, that's not a word I'd use to describe myself in high school. I mean, like, I would, like, smell my clothes before I put them on in the morning. You know what I mean? Like, I got dressed from the floor of my bedroom. Yeah. And yet, Allie kept throwing questions at him. Why wasn't he going? If he did go, who would he take? Brandon answered in monosyllables, hoping she'd turn back to her friends and leave him alone. But instead, she rose from her seat and began striding towards him. Inside, I was, like, uh, like, inflamed. Do you know what I mean? Like, my heart, my heart rate was rising. With each question, Allie moved closer and closer until she was sitting at the desk in front of him, facing him. Then, she said, She did something that still flummoxes Brandon, 15 years later. She just kind of outright said, Take me to prom. Like, go to prom, take me. Let's go together. I immediately had questions. Questions like, why? Why me? What's going on? I guess I was skeptical this was some kind of trick. Hmm. You know? Why would you be asking me this, other than to set me up for a punchline or something like that? Um, but, uh, no punchline really came, so I just agreed. On the big night, Brandon met up with Allie and her friends for a pre-dance dinner at her friend Jen's house. He was in the fancier part of town. Brandon showed up wearing his rented suit with a corsage and a bright blue necktie that matched Allie's dress. Before leaving to the dance, everyone lined up for a group picture. Did you, like, just feel like saying, why the heck am I here? Like, what happened? Was this a mistake? Yeah. Yeah. I would have loved an answer to that question, but I would never have thought, couldn't fathom saying it, you know? Do you still have that prom photo that you guys took? No. To be honest, I'm not even sure I ever got it. So I don't think I ever even saw that picture. Hmm. What do you think you would see in that photo? I don't know. I mean, just imagining it makes me laugh. Yeah, why? Um. It would be a line of, like, beautiful high schoolers, you know, and, like, me there. It just feels like if your eyes set on me for a little too long, that maybe you'd be able to see that I didn't fit in. Allie and her friends looked like the girls in those movies about prom. And those girls always had guys who gave them the time of their lives. For Brandon, a sense of duty kicked in. It felt like a huge responsibility. It was like, this is going to be a big deal. And Allie's going to be a big deal. And I have a big responsibility as her date to make sure that I live up to this position. Hmm. I was really, really nervous. Did you guys, uh, did you and Allie slow dance? Um, I'm pretty sure. I feel like when I ask these questions, I feel like Hannibal Lecter. Yeah. Like I'm asking you these questions from a straitjacket in a cell. Did you slow dance? Did you slow dance? I do remember slow dancing because I remember thinking, like, it's funny that in TV shows and in movies, this is such a big deal, but it's just standing, like, you're kind of just like stepping slightly. Yeah. Like, that's not hard. Like, I was in like a hip hop dance crew and youth group, you know, that was hard. Wait, you were in a, sorry, repeat that. You were in a hip hop dance youth group, what? Yeah. Um, so the, the church I went to was just like, there were a lot of performances and, um, hip hop dance that happened. Um, did you ever at any point break out any of your Christian youth group hip hop moves on the dance floor? Did you do anything like on the floor, like where you spin on your back? Or you didn't, you didn't want to ruin the rental. You wanted to get your deposit. Uh-huh, uh-huh. At the prom, Brandon popped for the Lord and locked for the Lord. He made Ally's friends laugh and it was right there on the dance floor, the place one might expect a high school boy to feel the most self-conscious, that Brandon felt most at ease. He was a part of a group, of a group. It kind of felt like a resolution of what all of grade school was like for me. You know, I never felt safe enough to bring my true self into that space. But, uh, like dancing around at prom with your peers is like one of the most vulnerable things you can do. And it came out on the other end of it okay. At the end of the prom, Ally and all her friends headed to one of their classmates' houses for the after party. But having never been to a house party, Brandon decided not to go. Do you remember saying goodbye to Ally? No. And then what happened after that? Do you recall speaking with her, seeing her in school after that night? I had to have because we both went back to school, but I don't have any specific memories of talking to her again. Prom is supposed to stay with you for the rest of your life, and for Brandon, it has. But eclipsing the dancing, the music, the last night out with his peers is a lingering question. Which was like, why me out of all the people that you could be going with? Maybe it was one of those situations where all of these people out there are thinking, "Well, Ally's taken. She's totally going to prom with somebody already. I'll have to ask somebody else." You know, and then leaves her without a prom date. If that was what was going on, maybe, um, maybe she just had a breakup, maybe, um, I was part of a charity case. So you want to ask her why. Why did she pick you? Yeah, exactly. I want to know that. Yeah, without her, I wouldn't have gone to prom. It would have just been another thing on my list of things I regret from high school, you know. But it's not on that list. It's on the shorter list of things that I feel went okay. I think her. I'm just nervous. Which is why Brandon has reached out to me. If you get nervous, I mean, I can always jump in. Sure. I've just assumed I'm going to be coming along to chaperone. After the break, I chaperone Brandon back to high school. We'll be right back. Imagine Henry Ford trying to create the assembly line. He had factory plans, production schedules, supply information, research, and ideas coming from all directions. His team spent years studying how to make the process work. Now imagine having ChatGPT work. ChatGPT works. It can help with big projects that have lots of steps. You give it the goal, along with real information like notes, files, reports, feedback, and project plans. It can use approved apps, connected tools, and files to help turn all of that into something useful. A plan, an analysis, a tracker, a presentation outline, or a workflow you can keep improving. And you stay in control. You give direction, review the work, approve actions, and choose the final result. 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That's mintmobile.com slash heavyweight. Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month at mintmobile.com slash heavyweight. That's it. There's no catch. Upfront payment of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months, or $180 for 12 months. Plan required. $15 per month equivalent. Taxes and fees extra. Initial plan term only. Greater than 50 gigs. May slow when network is busy. Includes up to 20 gigs hotspot. Capable device required. Availability, speed, and coverage varies. See Mint Mobile. Before Brandon can ask Allie the question that's been on his mind since senior year, we first need to track her down. Her last name is Schmutz. I'm just making that up. Brandon's part of a Facebook group for his high school graduating class, and Allie's a member of the group as well. Does that mean that you can have a better chance of messaging her through that group? I mean, like, if I were going to use the group, it would be, it would be making a post for my whole graduating class to see. Might as well go big. Like, say, hey, I'm just going to put this out there to everybody. Yeah, if you're not Allie, please don't read this. But Allie, I just want to say, hey, hit me up. Here are my digits. Everybody else just lose this number. Maybe Facebook friend her. I could do that. Yeah, I'd have to change my name on Facebook. My name hasn't been my real name for a long time. What's the name that you operate under? Oak Tree. Just Oak Tree? Just Oak Tree. I can't even find you as Brandon. I'd have to look up Oak Tree? That's right. I was kind of playing with what kinds of words it lets me have as a name. Can you change your name from Oak Tree to Brandon? Probably a good idea. Then you don't have to start with a whole rigmarole about how, like, my name's not really Oak Tree. This is Brandon, by the way. You remember from high school? And so the mighty Oak Tree sheds his leaves and his name, and the mighty Brandon sends Allie a friend request. A week later, Brandon texts with an update. Allie has accepted his friendship. Now he just needs to send her a message. Okay, so you've crafted something already? Yeah. Could you read it? Sure, yeah. Hi, Allie. Good so far? Good. Casual? Okay, cool. Go ahead. Yeah. Hi, Allie. Maybe you'll remember me. We were prom dates our senior year. As Brandon reads me his draft, I focus my keen podcast producer's ear. By my recollection, it was your idea for us to go to prom together. Now, let me pause. Sorry, let me hit pause there. Yeah. Like, the way that you're underlining your idea, you're not actually underlining that, though. I did italicize it. It was your idea. For us to go to prom together. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, it sounds accusatory out loud. Yeah. So, yeah, maybe we'll de-italicize that part. Okay, keep going. Brandon tells Allie that he still thinks about their prom. He says he wants to talk to her about it. Would she be up for that? Okay, okay. Let's take a look at this here. Okay, so maybe you'll remember me. As Brandon and I pour over the message, a worry suddenly pops into my head. I wonder if there's a way to work in the fact that you're married. You know? How about just, I'm married, but I'll just start with it. Hey, listen, I'm taken. Speaking as a married man, me and my wife were wondering, that is, my wife and I, we were wondering the other night after making love. Yeah. You seem to be doing good work, and I hope you're well. All the best. Once we've crafted the perfect message, Brandon readies himself to hit send. Should I go ahead and do it? Yeah, let's do it. Go ahead. Hit send. Enter. It's sent. Congratulations. Thank you. A week later, Allie writes back. She's willing to talk. So that's good. It's a positive response. I. Look at you. You're giddy. You're giddy with expectation. Yeah. Can you tell? I just keep wiping my face. I'm touching my eyes. Would it be fun to do it on a video call? Sure. Sure. Yeah. Do you still have the suit that you wore to your prom? Yeah. I'll be like, I never took it off. Any things that you want me to bring up, just kind of like conversationally, awards or any upcoming projects that you want to promote? No. Keep it organic, whatever. Cool. Cool. I can keep it organic. Cool. Cool. Now, imagine having ChatGPT work. ChatGPT work can help with big projects that have lots of steps. You give direction, review the work. Approve actions, and choose the final result. Would Henry Ford have built the assembly line faster with ChatGPT? We'll never know. You do. Because every artist can point to that turning point. That moment before the breakthrough, before the success, before everything changed. Through candid conversations. Through conversations and personal stories, you'll hear what happened before the moment that made them who they are today. Listen to Before the Moment, a Lincoln Original series on the iHeartRadio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. And as adults, summer still means freedom. Thanks to Mint Mobile's summer sale. Clela, what's a hurdle for you with wireless? So expensive. It's expensive. Listen to you. Sounds like someone's getting. I'm getting excited about Mint Mobile. That's it. There's no catch. Plan required. Initial plan. Planned term only. See mintmobile.com. Hello. Hello. I'm getting a little bit of static on your end. Yeah. Hello. Better? Yeah. On the day of the video call with Allie, Brandon and I get on early and wait. It feels like I'm getting back into the psyche of my high school self. Like I'm. Hey. Hi, Allie. Hi. How are you? Good. Allie smiles a big smile full of big white teeth. She's wearing a blue pattern blouse that matches the blue of her nails. I'll just tell you what I've seen on your profile. You live in Carmel and you have a baby? I have two daughters, a three-year-old and a two-year-old. Awesome. They're right here on my wall. Brandon and Allie catch up. The Midwest is just such a nice place to raise a family. It's recruiting, but there's like a sales element. And then, of course, the grandparents are here. Yeah, I figured that was part of it, being close to family. It's a huge resource. They're always willing to help. Brandon's question hasn't gotten any easier to ask since high school. In fact, it's gotten harder. After a pause of a few minutes or even a few days, one can feign casualness. By the way, why'd you choose me? But to ask after 15 years, there's no way to buy the way your way through it. But eventually. So can I ask you some questions? Absolutely. I guess, first, like, what are your memories of me in high school? Yeah, so I was trying to think of this. Did we ever have any classes together? Probably not. Yeah. So we met senior year, right? I think so. Allie doesn't remember much. But one thing she does remember is that day in the back of the classroom. We were talking about prom, you know, as seniors do. And I think you had. You were, like, not into going to. You were, like, not into going to prom, right? You were, like, no, I'm not going to go. Yeah, I remember, like, you had to really spell it out. You were, like, are you going to prom? You're not. Okay. Like, if you were, would you be going with someone? No. Okay. And then eventually you were, like, you and me can go to prom. Like, why don't we go to prom? You know? That's funny. And then Brandon asks this question. Sort of. Like, at any point, did you consider having someone else as a. Date? Well, I would have been totally comfortable going by myself. So, I don't have any memories of thinking, like, I'm going to ask Brandon. And then if that doesn't work, I'm going to ask so-and-so. They're just kind of like, I'm going to ask Brandon. Hmm. That is surprising. I guess because I thought, like, that it was, like, spur of the moment. Like, your friends were hearing this for the first time, too. No. No. I was very obsessed with my friends. So, I'm sure that I ran it by them. So, you passed the friend test. Yeah. Brandon grows quiet. It wasn't a prank. It wasn't pity. Allie planned to ask him. What's more, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. I do remember, like, you did say no. I remember you saying no. And I'm like, oh, yeah. But give him a day. I'm going to make him go. He's going to go with me. But, yeah. You were just surprised by the fact that I asked you? I mean, yeah. I mean, yeah. I mean, yeah. Definitely. Hmm. Allie pauses, trying to find the right words. You made me laugh a lot. And I remember that you were just, you know, fun to be around and goofy. And you smiled at me a lot. I remember that. You know, like, I liked being around you. And if I made a joke, you would laugh at it. You know, you'd feel like I was funny, which is a great quality. You got me a corsage. I remember that. I remember not expecting you to get me a corsage. I'm thinking that was really nice. I do remember that. Isn't that silly? But, like, I don't remember a lot, but I remember that. So, you know, I'm going to be a little blunt here because. Sure. Was there anything else to it? Like, was there an element of something romantic? So, we probably flirted, right? But I don't know. I mean, friendship is really just the main feeling that I can recall. I'm not saying that there wasn't, you know? I mean, I don't know. You're a teenager. You're feeling all kinds of things. I'm sure there were moments where I was like, oh, is this a thing? You know, is this turning into this? Yeah. I think that I would have found that really hard to believe. As a kid, you know, that would have gone against the narrative of school and what people thought of me that I had. I don't know. I guess, to some extent, I knew that we were. I want to be honest. I knew that some people were surprised by the fact that we were going together, right? I do remember one time when I told some dude in my physics class, I can't remember, that I was going with Brandon. And they're like, wait, what? And I was like, yeah. And they're like, that's weird. And I'm like, you're weird. While Brandon remembers himself as a misfit, Allie remembers someone who was different than a lot of the other guys in high school. Brandon made wry jokes. He was sweet and self-deprecating. She remembers things that Brandon doesn't. She says there was one time Brandon did a whole monologue about how he found it hard to drive because of his fear of hitting birds. In other words, Allie asked him to prom for the one reason Brandon never considered. She just wanted to go with him. Did you have a good time at prom? Because I really wanted that for you. I spent a lot of time thinking, like, that's my role. I'm the date. Here I go. You know? Yeah. Allie grows thoughtful. I guess I didn't even think that because, I mean, I talked you into it, right? So then here you are kind of not stuck, but like, yeah, feeling like you wanted to make it special for me because I was the one who was going to do it. I was the one that was all about it. Yeah, I guess I never even thought about that. I just think, Brandon, you're just so much more thoughtful, you know? Just thoughtful about the whole experience. And I do want to thank you because that's so nice that you were thinking it was your duty to try to make sure I had the prom I wanted to have. Yeah. I honestly didn't even expect to be thanked from you for anything. I feel like I have to thank you. I do because there's something really simple and superficial about this, but it felt really real that I finished high school as a person who went to prom. I got to go. I got to have a fun time and forget the misfit feelings I was having. That's awesome. That's so awesome to hear you say that. That's really nice. My life started to really just, like, blossom and grow, like, from, like, the moment high school was over. And I guess I can't say for certain what that part of my life would have looked like had I not had the prom experience, but I can't say it was totally irrelevant. Was it out of that and kind of, like, into that period that you ended up meeting your wife, Megan? Yeah, it was, like, that phase of life when Meg and I met. Her dress is so cute. She looks beautiful. This is Megan, Brandon's wife, looking at a photo of Allie from prom night. She looks amazing. She looks great. After getting off the video call, Allie sent the group photo from prom. Megan studies it while seated beside Brandon. It's also, like, so cute to see you flanked by these, like, I mean, I'm sorry they're in high school. I'm sorry. I don't really feel like I should be calling them hot babes, but you know what I mean, like, from the high school perspective. You lucky, lucky man. But as Brandon looks at her, she's like, As Brandon looks at the photo, I imagine it isn't his date or the other kids that he's focused on, so much as he's focused on the big guy in the middle and all the baggage that guy was carrying. There's a lot of weird stuff about, like, my weight and growing up, like, dieting and, like, my mom, like, putting me on a scale. And it was like, you're over this line, you know, you're unattractive. And what does it make you feel like, Megan, to hear that? It makes me feel very protective, for sure. I think if we don't, we rarely really get into squabbles, but if ever we do, what really disarms me is, like, thinking about that, like, little, like, young Brandon. I feel like that happened not even that long ago. Do you remember we were, like, standing at the kitchen, and I started crying, and I was just, like, I had been so resentful and mad at you for a minute. And then I just, like, was imagining you being, like, a little kid and having other, like, adults in his life not really tend to, like, the difficulty with you. I think about him just having to, like, navigate those insecurities alone. But Brandon no longer has to navigate them alone. A few weeks ago, before chaperoning the prom with Megan, Brandon went to the tailor. He wanted to wear his wedding suit and needed her to let it out. She was, like, down on her knees, like, looking at it, pulling the pants in different ways, and then said, Okay, go ahead and open the pants up so I can see. How much we can let out. And I don't know why, but I wasn't wearing underwear. I didn't wear underwear to the tailor. I guess I didn't think that she was going to be asking that. So, yeah, she asked me to open the pants, and I was, like, right now, and she was, like, yep, go ahead. And I just said, I can't do that. right now. If you know what I mean. Wow. I know. I know. And I don't think, I'm honestly not sure if she knew what I meant, but she dropped it and said, okay, I think we'll just let it out all the way and that'll probably be enough. It was awful. It was awful. Brandon was spiraling. So as soon as he left, he sent Megan a text at school asking her to call him. And when she called me, I was fixing a flat. I got a flat tire on the way home. It was just like a shitty afternoon. So I was fixing a flat and telling her what it was like at the tailor. And then we hung up and then she texted me later and just said, like, I love you and I love the way your body looks. And I don't think it's weird that you didn't wear underwear. I don't wear underwear either. It was just like a, you know what I mean? She was supportive. That fixed it. Almost immediately for me. Hmm. Well, I taught him to go commando, so I feel partially responsible. What did you make of Brandon's question that he's had through the years? Why did Allie invite him to the prom in the first place? It didn't have to be a mystery. It makes perfect sense to me. But. Somebody who looks like Allie could like the person who she's standing next to. You. Brandon says the biggest difference between his two proms was that with Megan, he didn't spend the whole night wondering why the person by his side had chosen him. He's just happy she did. I was comfortable the whole time. How could you not be comfortable? I mean, you weren't wearing underpants. The ultimate comfort. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Brandon? Hey. Hello. Hi. I can't believe it's been over four years. Last time I spoke to you, you were speaking to me from, what did you call it, your man cave, your. I didn't remember telling you, but it was called the chill zone. The chill zone. The chill zone, that's right. It's right there. Wait, so you're not in the chill zone? No, I'm in the office. Okay, because the chill zone is for chilling. It's not for recording. Well, it's changing its purpose. Now it's for the bedtime routine with the new baby. Boy, you really buried the lead on that one. So you have a baby. Yeah, we have a baby. Wow. Yeah, it's so exciting. She's growing and learning so fast. She's noticing things. Does she? Is she pulling on your mustache? She hasn't found my mustache in that way yet, but she's really into containers, just putting containers in containers, taking something out of a container, putting in a different one. And she can do that for like an hour. And I can just sit there and watch her and try not to help if she's trying to put something too big in too small container, you know, just watching her. Yeah. It's so exciting. Wonderful. That's so nice to hear. Well, that's the headline. Have there been any other changes since we last spoke? Hmm. I actually listened to the Brandon episode of Heavyweight yesterday just to have it be fresh in my mind. Yeah. And what was that like? It's fun. I feel like when I was first hearing it, I cringe and I cringed a lot less yesterday. Well, why do you think that is? Time, I think. I mean, I feel a lot different than I did four years ago. How? In what ways? About a year before Robin was born. Before Robin was born, Meg and I started going to this meeting. It's like we'd get together with these people and do something called qigong, which is like breathing and moving. It's kind of like tai chi, but kind of exercise-y. And then there's a meditation portion and there's this concept called no pretending. We would be like, are we pretending with ourselves in our minds? Do we pretend when we talk to other people? And I realized that I do pretend to other people thinking about how I want to communicate. And drawing awareness to that helped me to do it less. Were there certain things that you feel like you were pretending at? I'm trying to think of a good way to explain that. Oh, you know, one day I realized if I'm walking up to the door of a gas station, we're going into the gas station and there's a stranger walking in at the same time and it seems like we might arrive at more or less the same time, I was fast to jump out of the way. You know, you first, you first. And I don't do that sort of thing. I don't do that sort of thing as much. You feel less apologetic for just being around? Existing? Yeah. Yeah. Less about finding a place where I can fit to disturb other people as little as possible. And more now feeling like I am of, I'm actually here. I'm a, I'm not just smoke. You know, I exist here and I'm moving around and I can do and say what I want and other people will react however they will react. And that doesn't mean I should have said or done something different. Hmm. Yeah. So I feel more, um, confident, more, uh, I guess just in tune with what I actually think and what I'm actually feeling. And, uh, I feel, uh, like a much different person than I did four years ago. In a good way. Yeah. Do you think the Brandon of today would have pursued that story? I do. Yeah, I do think so. Yeah. Yeah. Does the Brandon of today wear underwear? I've got a couple pairs. I've got a couple pairs for special occasions. Is this a special occasion? No, it's not. It isn't? No. Okay. No. Uh, you have a 20 year high school reunion coming up? This is the year for my, my 20th reunion. Yeah. If it's happening. Are you going to go? I would love to go. Have you been in touch with Allie? No, I have not. But I wondered if I might see her at this reunion. And, you know, I wanted to say before we go, uh, when I was listening to the episode yesterday, um, I felt grateful. It brought me kind of an outside perspective on that period of my life, which I, I wouldn't have had without that or, you know, and I don't think I would have reached out to Allie on my own. And, um, it was a good lesson to learn that despite what I was going through as a teenager, that I was still me. That's the big takeaway I had from listening to it. You know, when, when she said you were sweet and, um, you smiled at me and, and you laughed at my jokes, that's a good quality. That's some of the things I remember her saying from. When I listened, but I don't know how that hit me at the time. I can't remember, but listening to it now, I thought that sounds like me. The real me was still there. I was, it was still coming out. Yeah. Um, so thank you. Well, thank you. Thank you for, for saying that and for lending yourself to it. So wholeheartedly, uh, will you say hi to, to Meg for me? I will. Brandon, it was really nice to see you. Thank you. Have a good day. You too. You too. Enjoy your. Baby. I will. I will. Thanks to everyone who originally put this episode together. We'll be back with another update in two weeks time. And if you want, you can sign up for our free newsletter. It's absolutely free. And it's available at patrion.com slash heavyweight. Stevie. Yeah. What do we have in store in the newsletter? We got some recommendations, things that we've liked and there's hyperlinks. Yes. Uh, parenthetically, I don't know that I've been hyperlinking properly in the newsletter. Like you can actually like hyperlink from a word, right? Yeah. But I put the full URL. I'm old school. That's all right. Uh, it's only recently that I've started pronouncing it URL. I used to just pronounce it as Earl. Do you know what URL stands for? Ooh. You really love our newsletter. URL. Our newsletter. I'm speaking of the URL for the newsletter is. It's at patrion.com slash heavyweight. If you love music and great artist interviews, check out before the moment hosted by Niall Rogers. This new series follows Niall as he travels. and schools across the country with some of today's most fascinating artists about the moments that shaped their lives and careers. You'll understand the kinds of things that lead to a bad night and the kinds of things that lead to a good night. It's sleek, long-lasting battery, and now with AI looking at all my numbers and coaching me. Whoop is a winner. New members can try Whoop with a 30-day free trial before committing to a membership. That's whoop.com for your free month of Whoop. One last thing before you go. You know that feeling when feedback, notes, and data are coming in from every direction? ChatGPT Work. Make sense of it all. Turning scattered inputs into ready-to-review work. With your permission, work in ChatGPT can gather context from apps and files, summarize incoming messages, rebuild decks, and help finalize high-quality documents for your team or clients. 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