September 8, 2025 • 9 mins
A caller tells us which moment he would erase from his kids’ memories.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Get your hand us together and we're going to start
to party.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Start.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I'm ready to party.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
See Elvis Duran after party.
Speaker 4 (00:14):
So long ago, we were talking on the show about
these Japanese scientists that have figured something out that is
just mind blowing.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
What remind everyone what it is? Gandhi?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
So Japanese researchers developed a technique using blue light and
what they call optogenics to be able to go into
your brain and selectively weaken or erase completely very specific memories.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
So I have Gerald here who texted in when we
were talking about that. Hi, Jerald, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm doing good? How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
And I know that this conversation may be a bit
touchy for you, but I'm so I'm glad that you're
on with us.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So if you could have one of.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
These Japanese scientists go into your brain and somehow erase
a memory, would you do it? We had a back
and forth on it. Some of us thought, well, they'd
be great to erase a memory. Then some people said, no,
there's some memories, as awful as they are, we need
to hold on to because what makes us who we are.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Do you want to tell your story and your your
thoughts on this.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, for me, about five years ago, I had the
unpleasure experience of watching my wife pass away in my arms.
And it's not just me, it's my daughter, who was
ten at the time, and my son who was five
at the time. Those memories haunt us every single day.
(01:41):
I don't sleep at night until after I know the
ambulance took her body. Every night, I get up at two,
I stay up until three thirty, and I got to
be at work at four. Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
To this day, from still this is still gyrating through
your head and through your heart. And it's just it's
every day something something you just conquer.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And I know that if it's this hard for me
and I have to be strong for my kids, I
can't imagine what they go through. Sorry. If someone could
take that away from them, I would love it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So you're thinking, as their father, you would want to
make a decision where they had some sort of whatever
this technique is to erase those moments from their their lives.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
They know their mom passed away, but the things they
saw that night, I would take it away from him
in a heartbeat.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, oh god, you know being a being a mom, Danielle,
do you is there anything you want to say about this?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
I mean you, anything that your kids go through that
you know that they're going through in a bad way,
you would want to take away from them no matter
what and put it even put it on yourself, even
if it's a terrible thing you you'd rather you go
through it than they go through it. So this is
probably one of the worst things they ever have to
go through. So I can't even imagine how you feel
(03:14):
knowing that they're going through that constantly.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You know, I just and that's the issue. I would
take it all day long if I knew that I
could take it away from them.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Let me ask you a quick question. Gerald. Let's say
how old is your daughter.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Now, she's fifteen, Okay, Let's say one day she's twenty five,
and you to sit down and have a conversation about
what happened to her mom, your wife, and how you
had decided it would be best for her if you
just had this memory taken away, because it's you couldn't bear,
as their father to.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Know that she's going through that painful moment over and
over like you do. What if she looked at you
and said dad, Why did you do that? But I
don't understand. You took that memory away from me, and
I feel like I feel like I need to have it.
And look, how would you explain to her, like this
(04:11):
was for your good, this is for your own good.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I would sit her down. My daughter has she's not
the normal fifteen year old. She's gone through so much
that she's so mature and I'm so proud of her
every damn sorry, but I would sit her down and
I'd say I made that decision to take that away
from you so that you can enjoy the parts of
your childhood that you would have enjoyed if she were here.
(04:40):
Like she doesn't like now. She has issues with you know,
she has friends who have their parents and that makes
her sad. And I would tell her I took that
away from you to give you what I thought would
be a better life. And if you're mad at me
about it, I apologize, But it's the decision I had
to make because you're dad.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
That's another thing about being parents, Gandhi. This is why
you and I have we need to have a kid, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
So we can make heavy decisions together.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Because you and I without having kids, we we are
just walking to a life. It's a cakewalk for us,
being able to be forced to make these tough decisions
for your kids, you know, Gerald, Danielle, I just I
don't know how you do it, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It's it's tough, but looking them in the eye and
getting to see her through them, and it makes everything
worth it. It makes me get up in the morning,
it makes me work hard. I do it for my
wife and I do it for my kids.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
A gym, right, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
I'm listening to this and I'm thinking, what a hell
of a guy you are.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I'm coming I'm coming over. Gerald. If you're single, I'm
coming over.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I am single. I am single. Unfortunately, when you go
on a dating site and you say I'm widowed with
two children, and everyone just kind of runs away.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I'm telling you right now, I guarantee we're gonna get
a ton of people reaching out, like, what's up with Gerald?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Do you want to your number?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Like, you know, just in case you want to pass it.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
On for you. I'm in Madison, Wisconsin.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Isn't this how that movie started with Tom Hanks?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Sort of?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
What was that movie? Yes, that's right, it is short.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It is yeah with Gerald, you know so, but you
said you would do that memory erasing for your kids.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You wouldn't do it for you. Though you didn't say that,
would you do it for you as well?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I wasn't you wouldn't you need to be like the
one person who still is aware of what happened.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
So I think that I need to hold on to that.
But for them being so young and still going through
important parts of their life, they don't. They missed their
mom enough without the graphic thing that they've seen.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Go Erald, any of the thoughts in the room.
Speaker 6 (07:02):
Well, I'll say this, Memories fade over time. We all
know this, but they also make us who we are.
So as much as you want to take that memory
away from your kids, I really feel like having experienced
what they've experienced, they're going to be that much stronger
(07:22):
in their futures because of it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So I see it every day, and the part that
gets to me is when one of them comes to
me and they're just ball and crying, and then that moment,
I'm like, I wish I could take all of it away.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Wow, how many times did your mom and dad when
you're growing up say that to you?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I wish I could take that pain away from you.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I mean, something is trivial, is like closing your finger
in a door, you know, something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
More like a breakup when you're being so dramatic and
your parents are just like, I can't do anything to
help you, and I wish I could.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah, if my daughter, I tell you, generally, if my
daughter is like Daddy, I got my heart broken again again,
I'm like, you know what, Okay, I'll take the pain away.
Call the Japanese guy like speed dial.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
My daughter has a boyfriend and I and I would go, oh,
I feel so bad for him.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Oh, Gerald, Well, Jerald, Look, it's an honor to speak
with you, and I know, I know it's even when
you're talking to us about it, it's you reliving it again.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And you know your show has meant so much to
me because when we moved to Wisconsin a couple of
years ago, I found your show and my therapy for
me is taking a ride in a car and listening
to music. And then I found you guys in the morning,
and it has so amazing. You make me laugh every morning,
(08:51):
You make me not think about those bad things, and
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys. Wow.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
On the other side, other people listening to listening to
our show going, oh, this show is awful today.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Can I have this erased that that phone tap sucked? Goodbye?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
All right, Gerald, Peace and love for you and your family.
And you're a great guy, and it's and it's a
pleasure to have you here. Thank you so much for
your time.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You guys, have a great day. Elvis ter Ran after
party
Get your hand us together and we're going to start
to party.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Start.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
I'm ready to party.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
See Elvis Duran after party.
Speaker 4 (00:14):
So long ago, we were talking on the show about
these Japanese scientists that have figured something out that is
just mind blowing.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
What remind everyone what it is? Gandhi?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
So Japanese researchers developed a technique using blue light and
what they call optogenics to be able to go into
your brain and selectively weaken or erase completely very specific memories.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
So I have Gerald here who texted in when we
were talking about that. Hi, Jerald, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm doing good? How are you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (00:46):
And I know that this conversation may be a bit
touchy for you, but I'm so I'm glad that you're
on with us.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
So if you could have one of.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
These Japanese scientists go into your brain and somehow erase
a memory, would you do it? We had a back
and forth on it. Some of us thought, well, they'd
be great to erase a memory. Then some people said, no,
there's some memories, as awful as they are, we need
to hold on to because what makes us who we are.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Do you want to tell your story and your your
thoughts on this.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah, for me, about five years ago, I had the
unpleasure experience of watching my wife pass away in my arms.
And it's not just me, it's my daughter, who was
ten at the time, and my son who was five
at the time. Those memories haunt us every single day.
(01:41):
I don't sleep at night until after I know the
ambulance took her body. Every night, I get up at two,
I stay up until three thirty, and I got to
be at work at four. Wow.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
To this day, from still this is still gyrating through
your head and through your heart. And it's just it's
every day something something you just conquer.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And I know that if it's this hard for me
and I have to be strong for my kids, I
can't imagine what they go through. Sorry. If someone could
take that away from them, I would love it.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
So you're thinking, as their father, you would want to
make a decision where they had some sort of whatever
this technique is to erase those moments from their their lives.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
They know their mom passed away, but the things they
saw that night, I would take it away from him
in a heartbeat.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Wow, oh god, you know being a being a mom, Danielle,
do you is there anything you want to say about this?
Speaker 5 (02:53):
I mean you, anything that your kids go through that
you know that they're going through in a bad way,
you would want to take away from them no matter
what and put it even put it on yourself, even
if it's a terrible thing you you'd rather you go
through it than they go through it. So this is
probably one of the worst things they ever have to
go through. So I can't even imagine how you feel
(03:14):
knowing that they're going through that constantly.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You know, I just and that's the issue. I would
take it all day long if I knew that I
could take it away from them.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Let me ask you a quick question. Gerald. Let's say
how old is your daughter.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Now, she's fifteen, Okay, Let's say one day she's twenty five,
and you to sit down and have a conversation about
what happened to her mom, your wife, and how you
had decided it would be best for her if you
just had this memory taken away, because it's you couldn't bear,
as their father to.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Know that she's going through that painful moment over and
over like you do. What if she looked at you
and said dad, Why did you do that? But I
don't understand. You took that memory away from me, and
I feel like I feel like I need to have it.
And look, how would you explain to her, like this
(04:11):
was for your good, this is for your own good.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I would sit her down. My daughter has she's not
the normal fifteen year old. She's gone through so much
that she's so mature and I'm so proud of her
every damn sorry, but I would sit her down and
I'd say I made that decision to take that away
from you so that you can enjoy the parts of
your childhood that you would have enjoyed if she were here.
(04:40):
Like she doesn't like now. She has issues with you know,
she has friends who have their parents and that makes
her sad. And I would tell her I took that
away from you to give you what I thought would
be a better life. And if you're mad at me
about it, I apologize, But it's the decision I had
to make because you're dad.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
That's another thing about being parents, Gandhi. This is why
you and I have we need to have a kid, okay.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
So we can make heavy decisions together.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
Because you and I without having kids, we we are
just walking to a life. It's a cakewalk for us,
being able to be forced to make these tough decisions
for your kids, you know, Gerald, Danielle, I just I
don't know how you do it, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
God bless you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
It's it's tough, but looking them in the eye and
getting to see her through them, and it makes everything
worth it. It makes me get up in the morning,
it makes me work hard. I do it for my
wife and I do it for my kids.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
A gym, right, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 6 (05:46):
I'm listening to this and I'm thinking, what a hell
of a guy you are.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I'm coming I'm coming over. Gerald. If you're single, I'm
coming over.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
I am single. I am single. Unfortunately, when you go
on a dating site and you say I'm widowed with
two children, and everyone just kind of runs away.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I'm telling you right now, I guarantee we're gonna get
a ton of people reaching out, like, what's up with Gerald?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Do you want to your number?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Like, you know, just in case you want to pass it.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
On for you. I'm in Madison, Wisconsin.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
Isn't this how that movie started with Tom Hanks?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Sort of?
Speaker 3 (06:23):
What was that movie? Yes, that's right, it is short.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
It is yeah with Gerald, you know so, but you
said you would do that memory erasing for your kids.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
You wouldn't do it for you. Though you didn't say that,
would you do it for you as well?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
I wasn't you wouldn't you need to be like the
one person who still is aware of what happened.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
So I think that I need to hold on to that.
But for them being so young and still going through
important parts of their life, they don't. They missed their
mom enough without the graphic thing that they've seen.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Go Erald, any of the thoughts in the room.
Speaker 6 (07:02):
Well, I'll say this, Memories fade over time. We all
know this, but they also make us who we are.
So as much as you want to take that memory
away from your kids, I really feel like having experienced
what they've experienced, they're going to be that much stronger
(07:22):
in their futures because of it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
So I see it every day, and the part that
gets to me is when one of them comes to
me and they're just ball and crying, and then that moment,
I'm like, I wish I could take all of it away.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Wow, how many times did your mom and dad when
you're growing up say that to you?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I wish I could take that pain away from you.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I mean, something is trivial, is like closing your finger
in a door, you know, something like that.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
More like a breakup when you're being so dramatic and
your parents are just like, I can't do anything to
help you, and I wish I could.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah, if my daughter, I tell you, generally, if my
daughter is like Daddy, I got my heart broken again again,
I'm like, you know what, Okay, I'll take the pain away.
Call the Japanese guy like speed dial.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
My daughter has a boyfriend and I and I would go, oh,
I feel so bad for him.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Oh, Gerald, Well, Jerald, Look, it's an honor to speak
with you, and I know, I know it's even when
you're talking to us about it, it's you reliving it again.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
And you know your show has meant so much to
me because when we moved to Wisconsin a couple of
years ago, I found your show and my therapy for
me is taking a ride in a car and listening
to music. And then I found you guys in the morning,
and it has so amazing. You make me laugh every morning,
(08:51):
You make me not think about those bad things, and
I can't tell you how much I appreciate you guys. Wow.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
On the other side, other people listening to listening to
our show going, oh, this show is awful today.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Can I have this erased that that phone tap sucked? Goodbye?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
All right, Gerald, Peace and love for you and your family.
And you're a great guy, and it's and it's a
pleasure to have you here. Thank you so much for
your time.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You guys, have a great day. Elvis ter Ran after
party
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