DDR 036 - Dara Parker

In this engaging conversation, Dara Parker and Rick Hanson explore profound themes surrounding life, death, personal growth, and the importance of community. Dara shares her unique journey, reflecting on her experiences with loss and the impact of her upbringing on her philosophical outlook.

The discussion emphasizes the significance of connection, the value of travel, and the necessity of embracing silence and nature for personal well-being. Throughout the conversation, both speakers highlight the importance of living authentically and the ripple effect of positive actions in the world. 

Rick Hanson and Dara Parker explore the beauty of nature, the thrill of adventure, and the importance of connection and self-reflection. They share personal stories of risky experiences, cultural immersion through travel, and the significance of mental health awareness. The discussion emphasizes the need for self-love, the cyclical nature of life, and the definition of a good life centered around family and presence.

The Don't Die Rusty Podcast is recorded with Riverside.fm. Riverside is leading the charge in technology and convenience in terms of remote podcasting. You can help support the Don't Die Rusty Podcast by Clicking Here to sign up.

Takeaways

• Dara emphasizes the importance of family time and being present.
• Experiencing loss at a young age shaped Dara's perspective on life.
• The conversation highlights the need for personal growth and understanding.
• Dara believes in the ripple effect of positive actions on others.
• Silence and nature are essential for mental clarity and processing thoughts.
• Traveling opens up new perspectives and connections with others.
• Embracing failure is crucial for personal development and learning.
• Dara's upbringing instilled confidence and a sense of adventure.
• The importance of being kind to oneself while helping others.
• Life lessons often repeat, and it's essential to learn from them.  Embrace the beauty of nature for mental rejuvenation.
• Adventures, even risky ones, can be transformative.
• Cultural immersion enriches travel experiences.
• Faith in humanity is often restored through travel.
• Connection with others is vital for personal growth.
• Self-reflection can lead to better understanding of oneself.
• Healthy living is a continuous journey, not a destination.
• Mental health awareness is crucial for overall well-being.
• Gradual changes in lifestyle are more sustainable.
• The good life is defined by health, happiness, and presence. 

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Ricky Brule

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Well, you know, and then I'll write down, then I will write, like if you're talking, I'mnot gonna stop your thought, I'm going to just write down something if I wanna get back to
it or something.
So don't worry if I start moving around, it's not that I'm not listening, it's that I willcome back to something.

(00:23):
Okay, same goes.
That sounds like a good plan.
Well, good.
So, all right, well, I'll just get this going so you can get going and I can get going andwe all can get going.
Sounds good, Rick.
All right.
Well, hello, Don't Die Rusty Nation.
I am here by myself because Ricky is busy at the moment.

(00:47):
So your cohost, Ricky Brule is not here, but I am here with probably one of the mostrequested people to come back on that we've had actually.
Dara Parker, and this time it's just Dara all by herself.
So
I hope she's prepared to spill the beans, I guess, on things.

(01:12):
I'll do my best, Rick.
I'm really happy to be here.
Thank you.
Yes, you know, you know, because when we did when we did the podcast with you and Tommy, Imean, so many people said, I want to hear about Dara.
Well, you know, I'm surprised to hear that I kind of like to stay in the shadows most ofthe time and, you know, let the spotlight be on other people.

(01:38):
So I'm very flattered that people are wanting to hear from me in the first place.
Well, you know, and I, it's so, I, I feel lucky because I get to talk to you.
I mean, and I get to call your friends.
So, you know, we have more conversations than just on a podcast and stuff like that, butwe have been doing, I, I, I will get into stuff, but everybody thinks that they want to

(02:06):
know your perspectives on some of the things we've been talking about on the podcast.
Cause we've been talking about 24 hours.
If you had 24 hours to live, would you be panicked or would you be at peace?
That's a great question.
I personally, so I used to run a council on aging for our county.

(02:33):
And so I was the lady that you were seeing if you.
if you were at the end and didn't know what to do.
A lot of times people would come see me.
And so I got really good at promoting having your affairs together before that.
And I mean, that's not what it's all about per se, but a lot of people do panic about thatright at the end.

(02:57):
And so, but I feel like in general,
When I'm given a choice, I work a lot, if there's any, like I make sure that I have familytime and that is the most important thing to me.
And so I feel, I feel good about it.
I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do as a mom and wife and that everything wouldbe okay.

(03:18):
Yeah.
You know, you're making me smile here, Dara, because so many people think about the deathpart.
They don't think about, I doing the good things now that if something happened to me, thatthe people around me know?
Because, you know, the reason I posed that question was like, it's not about the deathpart.

(03:42):
It's about what are we doing now to make lives better for the people around us and otherpeople?
So that's just, that's why I think we love talking to you because you're so intuitive.
Well, thank you.
I've been around death a lot my life and so it has made me have to come to terms with it alittle earlier than a lot of people want to, I think.

(04:08):
So it's an interesting subject.
It in in in it's funny because Ashley and I have after we did that episode and actuallybefore we've actually and I have this thing going back and forth because we It's not that
we're it's just intriguing about so many things about how people feel and and what shouldwe do do and let are we going to a better place and all this is and you know what we've

(04:38):
came
to a decision, know, kind of a, there's people out there that are just trying to livelonger, but they aren't really living.
And you know, I like to live and I want to be the best person I can be, but I'm not, youknow, I don't know if I would take a magic potion to say you're gonna live to 200, because

(05:01):
the people that I'm around now are the people that have influenced me the most.
Mm-hmm.
So anyway.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to live past my allotted time either.
Even the women in my family on both sides are very, very, up until a few years ago, I hadthree great grandmothers and I just turned 35.

(05:27):
And so the women in my family are very, very long lived.
And it seems like 100 is about enough time from their experiences.
Like they were ready, I think, when their time came.
But that's a long time.
We don't all have that long.
That's why you got to live every day, and really try to feel your existence every day.

(05:52):
Yeah, not die rusty, you know.
Yep, exactly.
So anyway, you know what?
I started that off like that, I know a little bit about you, but I mean, from graduatinghigh school to adopting four kids to, let's hear the Dara Parker story.

(06:17):
You can tell us what you want or you can leave out whatever you feel you wanna leave out.
It doesn't matter, but my,
Gosh, are, because when some, you know, it's funny how people pick out things and likethat was one of the things that was picked out when we did the one in Utah, you know, is

(06:41):
like, holy moly, she has it going, you know, I mean, she has got it together.
and you know, just so let's hear a little bit about Dara Parker.
Sounds good.
Well, so I was raised in Montana and I lived across the pasture from my grandparents andwe had horses and our big thing was that we would pack into the mountains every year for a

(07:08):
couple weeks at least or longer and go hunting.
My grandpa was a
airline pilot for the Forest Service.
flew lead plane and before that he was a smoke jumper and he is the main reason, him andmy grandmother, for all of my adventures growing up.
We did things for fun like cross country, skied into somewhere or flew into some littleairport in the back country where we had to clear logs and clear the path so other

(07:36):
airplanes could land safe.
It was just a really interesting childhood that made me very
confident in my abilities because I was helping and doing things all of the time.
And so I'm very grateful for my parents and grandparents that I had that kind ofupbringing.
and I met Tommy, my husband, who you guys probably have listened to our other podcast.

(08:00):
met him when I was six years old in first grade.
had the same adorable cowlick and like mischievous grin that he does now.
And, you know, we were good friends growing up.
It was, it's a really small town.
We, just got our third stoplight actually a couple months ago.
Yeah, so we knew each other really well.

(08:21):
We never dated in high school and I actually left high school a year early.
We had had a bunch of foreign exchange students in our small little town.
And I wanted to be a foreign exchange student, but realized that there was no way I couldcome up with $20,000 as a junior in high school to go do that.
And so I studied other languages online and I found a host family and I went and was an aupair in France and Germany for a while and finished my school actually online through BYU

(08:54):
high school program.
And it was like a correspondence course.
Now it's like beautifully laid out on the computer.
It's a wonderful program.
looking for some alternate high school education.
So that tells you how long ago that was.
But it was really good.
I came back to Montana and I was ready to go.

(09:17):
I was going to go to the University of Montana for a year and then I was set to go toChile the next year.
And instead I met my first husband and he had four little kids at the time.
And I just fell in love with them and I couldn't keep my original plan.
And so I adopted those kids and got married.

(09:40):
And then I spent the next 10 years just figuring out different ways to meet my goals.
Because I knew I wanted to graduate from college.
I think I'm the first one in my family to graduate from college.
And so that was like a big goal of mine.
And so I figured out ways to stay home and go online and then a hybrid of going toclasses.

(10:01):
And I graduated with my accounting degree.
And I did that for a couple of years.
But let me tell you, I switched to nonprofit and it's way more fun to try to.
Encourage people to do good work and make plans on how you're going to make that happenthat it is to tell people how much they owe on their taxes, so I'm very happy to be in the

(10:23):
nonprofit world now
Did you graduate from University of Montana then?
So I did and I actually graduated through the University of Phoenix, although my testingthat I did was at the University of Montana.
And then right now I am in the process of getting my nonprofit administration certificatefrom the U of And then that will lead into my public, so I'll have my master's hopefully

(10:49):
in the next year or two.
I'm trying to take my course loads easy as I, so I can still.
do good at work and being a mom and wife and that kind of stuff.
Well, that's I was going to say.
How do you have time to do any of that stuff?
I have a really good partner is how...
Yeah, that's basically how it is.

(11:10):
because I have never really slowed down, Rick.
I take periods of rest, but then I just go a million miles a minute until I get burned outa lot of the time.
so I had been like doing that cycle over and over again.
And then the difference in my life has definitely been Tommy.
Like he, he makes sure that I slow down or if something needs done, like he sees it andjust helps instead of me trying to figure out everything.

(11:37):
So we really take care of each other and that has made all the difference, really.
Well, that's what has drawn me to YouTube is watching from a distance.
It's more fun for me to watch people from a distance and see the positive effects that youmake on people.

(12:03):
And I see that with you and Tommy, not just because of what you are doing, but yourinteraction with each other.
Yeah, and I think both of us are just so appreciative of each other that, that yeah, thatother people can see that.
So that makes me happy that you can see that, Rick.
I'm very grateful for him.

(12:29):
then you got your, you're a non-profit now and then, you know, I mean, think we, who?
How did you become, I mean, we all have hardships in our life and I went in that, but in,I don't know if it's a hardship or what, but you've been, you are one of the people I go

(12:55):
to that I think thinks somewhat similar to me in the philosophical senses of the world.
You know, cause I, I read, I mean, I still do, but I mean,
I was reading a lot of Buddhist literature, was reading a lot of other things like that.
And I look at the world in a different way.

(13:15):
And I didn't, I mean, I read stuff, but I didn't really listen.
I mean, I wanted to say I've read this book or that book, but then, then probably 20 yearsago, I thought, you know what, why don't you start really listen, looking at what you're
reading and instill that in your life.

(13:37):
You know, don't just say,
I read that, just do it.
So, so what, what has got you to be this person?
Like, I mean, like I said, if I had a philosophical question to ask anybody that I knowyou're the first person I would go to.
I appreciate that, Rick.

(13:59):
You know, I think it's kind of a mix because I have had a very wonderful life.
I have a very good family, but I also live in a place that's really struggling.
my gosh, I didn't realize I would get emotional already, Rick.
Yeah, we have a lot of alcoholism and messes here.

(14:23):
And so like by the time I was in high school when I graduated, I had lost more friendsthan I have on my fingers.
Like I had lost over 20 friends by the time I had graduated high school to like drugs orsuicide or car crashes.
And that's just all of us around here are losing people a lot.
But I think that really makes you grow up.

(14:47):
grow up and take the time to really look at that kind of stuff.
But then everything else isn't a big deal, right?
If there's these really big things that are going on constantly, you either becomeapathetic to it or you wanna understand it better and make peace with it, right?
And so, yeah, I chose to try to understand it.

(15:08):
And it's been really hard and I'm not gonna say like I have it all figured out oranything.
But when we were talking about death earlier, think a way for you to live forever is to bea good human and affect all of those people around you, especially your children.
Especially your children.

(15:28):
But yeah, everyone else matters hugely too, but that ripple effect, that ripple effect ofyou being yourself and putting that good energy out into the world, like you just can't
even imagine how far it goes.
And so that's been like my saving grace is just to get up every morning and try
to put as much good into the world as I can.
And that makes me feel better and feel okay with things because I'm like, you know, atleast I'm trying to manage what I can manage.

(15:55):
Because there's so many things in this life that you just have no control over.
none at all.
And that's kind of where I've gone to.
And this isn't about me, but it's about, you know, I think what you say and what we'retrying to do, you know, I mean, Don't Die Rusty to me was about helping people realize

(16:21):
that they need to enjoy the experiences of life.
And don't worry about the little things because
we'll all get past these things, even if we think they're big things at times.
And so when, and it's funny, mean, getting to know you and Tommy, was, it was just one ofthose things that I felt like this connection, that we're all trying to make this world a

(16:57):
better place in our own ways.
You know, and when we get a, when we get a message, like we got messages about you two.
And when we did your, I mean, I want to know more about Dara, but I, what, what, what youguys put out there, we got messages of how you influenced other people on a podcast.

(17:22):
get, we get, we get others too, that, like
I got a text or message a few days ago that said you inspired me.
stopped drinking.
I have so much more energy in my life.
I'm looking forward to the future.
I have so many goals now.
And you know, that's what, when, when you have something like that in your heart, thenit's like, I'm not doing this for me in the aspect of trying to go to heaven.

(17:54):
We'll say I'm doing this because
If you can help other people feel good and be the best them, and it just reflects back onyou as saying, you know what, you are doing the right things in life.
Yes, I agree.
I agree.
You know, I heard an interesting study that I'm gonna loop this back to the other day.

(18:16):
So there were these mice that loved cherry blossoms, right?
And so they would go up and eat the cherry blossoms.
And then pretty soon the scientists came in and they started shocking them.
as soon as they ate the cherry blossoms.
And so then pretty soon they wouldn't even be as close to smell the tree because theywould think they were gonna get shocked.

(18:38):
And then they put those mice somewhere else and gave them a partner and they had babies.
And the babies couldn't smell cherry blossoms or they would run away.
And that happened for seven generations before a mouse was brave enough to try anothercherry blossom.
And so the reason I'm saying this is because if small amounts of negative things canimpact us that much, like what is like, there's no reason to ever be negative if you can

(19:05):
help it.
Like we all have our own, our bad days.
We all got to find ways to process our, our negative emotions in a healthy way.
And then just try to put out as much good as you can, because it takes a long time torecover.
And don't be hard on yourself.
If you feel like you're acting weird and you're like, I want to do these good things, butI
just don't know why I can't.

(19:27):
Like there could be past stuff going on that maybe you just don't recognize yet.
So be kind to yourself.
Be kind to yourself as you're trying to be kind to others is a good lesson to learn toobecause I know I don't know about you Rick but I've gone too far the other way at times
where it's at like the expense of your health.
You're trying to help everyone else at the expense of your health as well.

(19:49):
So there's got to be some kind of a balance there.
But that was a very interesting study so thanks for letting me ramble.
about it for a minute.
No, it is because I have gone too far into that because I didn't say why I was doingthings and it hurt.
Like I'm helping this one person out over here, but I'm not telling this person over herewhy I'm doing it.

(20:13):
You know what I mean?
And they don't know why I'm being stubborn, but I'm trying to be a good person.
But sometimes, you know, sometimes it-
It goes the wrong way at times, if everything's meant to be, it'll come back around.
fully believe that life is so circular.

(20:35):
I keep learning the same lessons, but like, you know, a little bit more every time.
And it's so funny how situations and everything is just so cyclical.
Yeah, so if you're ever really not feeling good and at your lowest point, don't worry,because it is all cyclical.
You're gonna feel good again.

(20:55):
You will.
so what, I know you're still have the advent, well, adventurous spirit.
Cause I see you all over the, doing stuff with the nonprofit and I see you and Tommy goingon adventures and the kids and just enjoying life.

(21:18):
What do you think, I mean, you talked about your grandparents and parents taking you onadventures as a youth.
It's interesting to me because how many, because actually it's funny, luckily I can editthings so I can edit some of my thoughts, but we're doing this, we're doing another, like

(21:44):
Ashley, Ricky, and then my friend,
Kelly Lovelace and Ricky, we talked about that 24 hours, but we're also gonna do a, it'scalled the Extinction of Experience.
It's a book we're reading.
And it's how these things have taken away our lives in the aspect that, and we talked alittle bit about it, but like people look at their GPS on their phone and they aren't

(22:13):
looking out the windows.
Like.
those experiences and I love, because I think there's moments over money, there's memoriesover that stuff and I like, how do you keep that in your life, I should say?

(22:35):
You know, Rick, that's.
a really, really good question.
And we have been extremely blessed the last couple years to work with the nonprofitWarrior Rising, who has had a lot of events all throughout the nation.
And Tommy became an auctioneer.
And then of course, my background is in nonprofit work.

(22:55):
so event planning, grant writing, strategic planning, that kind of stuff.
And so Tommy and I homeschooled our son.
And he's
had agreed to this and wanted to be homeschooled and we took off and we just, you know, wewere able to work and mix family time.

(23:16):
And so sometimes that's what the way you got to do it to be able to afford to do it in thefirst place, right?
Sometimes you have to mix work and pleasure, but then.
We live in such a beautiful place.
We do really try hard to go fishing and go bird hunting and go for hikes together.
And so we try to enjoy our home when we're here too.

(23:36):
And those feel like outings because we're not home a lot, part of the reason too.
So I would say that it's a delicate balance of figuring out what would be great for familytime, what we can afford to do, and then how we can make it happen.
Like I think nobody should ever go

(23:56):
into anything thinking that it's impossible, wherever you want to go.
Don't go into it thinking it's impossible because it's amazing.
I can't tell you how many weird backstage places we've been or things we've gotten into weweren't supposed to because Tommy started chatting someone up.
know what I mean?

(24:19):
Make conversation with those strangers.
Really experience your travels.
And that's a good way to do it.
know you're really good about visiting with new people, Rick, but that is...
Yeah, go ahead.
What were you going to say?
Well, no, because it's funny because also in the book it is talking about like we'restanding in line at a grocery store or any other line and we're looking at our phones.

(24:44):
Ashley pointed out that she might have not ever met Jesse if it was this time of, if wewere in this time because now phones are in your hand where at that time she said it was
emails and texting or whatever.
And so you aren't looking at your phones to take away the time while you're waiting to goto the bathroom is what she was saying.

(25:05):
And Jessie and her were going, because they started chatting, going to the bathroom atthis rip fest or something.
And you know, and that's where I look at us and I'm taking that as a thing because all ofus look at each other's eyes when we talk.

(25:27):
It's not.
It's not like, you know, we're talking to the person.
We're not talking through the person.
And I, I, like I said, like you said, I have no problem talking to people, but I also, Ilike the great conversations you might strike up.
You never know where you're going to go.

(25:49):
Well, I think part of that, Rick, is that you're comfortable with failure if somethingdoesn't work out.
I think what gets people is that they are scared to fail when really everyone should betrying to fail every day because that's how you learn and grow.
Like it should be a goal to, you should sit around the dinner table at night and tell yourloved ones what's one thing you failed at today.

(26:11):
Cause that means you tried, you know?
And that is very true, know, I mean, I could, you know, I've walked up to people and they,you know, and we might have different interests or they have no interest in talking or
whatever else, but then you just walk away and say, well, you know, their loss or whateverelse, you know, we just didn't connect, you know, and that, but then two more people might

(26:38):
connect with you and then you have two new friends.
And that's...
Because Cindy just laughs about, you know, I mean, we can be in an airport somewhere or wecan be wherever.
And like, you know that person?
Well, yeah, I do.

(26:59):
And that's the same with you guys.
You know, like I said, it's so good to go to these places and, well, the tax to hang outwith you guys and.
And people miss you when you're not at a tech, you guys, I don't know if they miss me,they miss Dara and Tommy, but I don't know about Rick.

(27:26):
But no, those are the things that people need to learn is I think so because of maybephones and texting, people are afraid to talk to people.
Like I said, I'll walk.
Well, take, take big sky last year.
mean, I don't really care what people say because I'm just Rick anyway, but I'm wearing adog.

(27:52):
is it?
Dog, the bad-ass dog toothed or whatever sweatshirt of, you know, I'm the only one thathas one of them out there.
You know what I mean?
But, but here's the deal.
It's about the friends you have in people know that.
It was Kelly and Russ and badass, you know, or Kelly.

(28:13):
Yeah.
So, but, I, how did you, so how, what made you decide to go to, I'm going to swing backand now I'm going to make another big circle around, but how did you decide to go to
Europe?
Okay, well actually it was just where most of the foreign exchange students that I wasfriends with were from and so I was 17 and headed over there alone and I thought that I

(28:44):
should go to a country where I knew a couple other people in case something happened I hadsomeone to call and so I lived in Germany for a little while and then France as well.
And it was, it was an amazing opportunity.
I made friends and went to the United Arab Emirates when I was there, went to Dubai when70 % of the world's cranes were there.

(29:06):
They were building it.
I gave my parents a, the biggest heart attack they've ever had.
Cause I didn't tell them I was going and then was all of a sudden in the Middle East.
So sorry, mom, if you're listening to this.
but it was, it's just, I just love to travel.
I've always had kind of itchy feet.
I'm a homebody when I'm home, unless I'm outside in nature for the most

(29:27):
part or at a kid function.
But I just really like to see new places and meet new people and I just feel reallystagnant if I don't do that and I live in a place where there's not a bunch of new people
so I need to travel for that.
And that's interesting.
When you went over or when you go on trips, I just decided I'm going to Australia and Iwent on an egg exchange myself.

(29:54):
And the reason I went to Australia was more on the fact that I wanted to, it was anEnglish speaking country and I didn't.
One, I have a tussle of trying to understand things, you know what I mean?
And so I went to Australia, but in people's, because I see similarities here becausepeople said, how did you do that by yourself?

(30:23):
And I said, you know what?
I got on the plane and left, you know, so yeah.
So had you ever done anything like that before, Rick?
Nope.
Well, here's the other deal.
I went to Mexico with some other friends that I went to Mazatlan when I was in college on$300 round trip.

(30:46):
It was an, and we, we didn't do the tourist thing.
did it on our own.
And, and I had a good friend that did it.
It was kind of, he'd been there before.
So it was kind of leading us there, but he kind of gave me that bug and it was like, youknow what?
I've always.
wanted to see things differently.

(31:08):
I wanted to really see things, because today we're so, we look at the computer or the TVand we can think that we've been to these places.
Now, I don't know about you, but it's funny to me, like when I was in Australia, when Iwas any other place that I've been, the money smells different.

(31:32):
the money smells, don't know why I have this thing, but, or you get to see things from aperspective.
And I was talking to a person, was it yesterday or the day before that I went to, I don'tstay in resorts when I go out of this country.

(31:54):
I go to a hotel and I go to some of the dirtiest places you've ever been.
Not so much with Cindy anymore, but you know, mean, Cindy and I don't, I just do it andwhen you have to protect somebody but yourself, that's a different story.
But I've been places where I've had guns pointed at me.

(32:15):
I've seen people shot.
I've seen shacks that people live in and you come back with a different point of view oflife in America.
I mean, it's crazy.
Yeah, you do.
And I think the biggest thing that I noticed about like being in the Middle East too, isthat, you know, I didn't get nervous about it, which was really silly though, until I was

(32:43):
sitting in the airplane and realized I was the only one that didn't have a turban on and Iwas the only female on the
on the whole flight and then I was like, hmm, what am I doing?
But you know what, it ended and I know that it could have gone a different way.
Like I work with a lot of special operations guys in my nonprofit work right now and I'veheard terrible horror stories about them trying to get kidnapped people back.

(33:07):
But it was not like that for me at all.
The people, both the men and women that I met over there were very, very generous.
with their time and took time to visit with me and explain their culture.
But I usually had to make the first ask, which was interesting.

(33:28):
But I think circling back to your first question, when I was younger and had all thehorses and would go in the back country and that kind of stuff, if we weren't doing that,
I was working with the horses.
And so I would take off and leave and go into the mountains by myself as a little kid onmy horse.
And I mean, I don't know if I can think of anything else where you're so alone when you'reback there in the mountains.

(33:55):
So I think that's one of the reasons that I'm coming.
with traveling is because I grew up feeling like I was alone at times and had only myselfto depend on, which was true.
We didn't have cell phones, no one knew where I was at the time in the mountains.
so, like I said, I'm very thankful for that because I got to have these amazingexperiences and make some really good friends that I think I might have been scared to

(34:23):
make just growing up in my small town and listening to the news channel.
Yeah, so don't be scared to talk to people about how they're different and then circleback to how we're the same because it's always amazing how similar we are even though
we're all so different.

(34:44):
And it is because you're what you were just saying, like I heard, I think I was two orthree years old and I walked out in this weed patch and I guess people were looking for
me.
do not remember this, but I, I mean, I lived on a ranch.
So, I mean, I walked on this weed patch and I was lost and I, you know, people arepanicked and I, I've just, I guess I was, I was in this weed patch lost and that's all I

(35:11):
was, but I know how you mean.
the being alone thing because you had to use your imagination and you'd go on adventuresand you do things by yourself.
And I guess I appreciate the fact that I had to do that to entertain myself instead oflook at a screen where I'm not moving anywhere.

(35:37):
Because how many times, and I can guarantee you.
or similar in that, how many times have people watched animals for as long as they'redoing something in front of you?
Like I've watched deer and elk and other things.

(35:58):
I can just sit there and watch like you're in a big National Geographic, but you knowwhat?
I have a big screen here because it's wide open skies and stuff, you know?
And people don't take the time to just...
look at animals or look at the surroundings that they're in, they just pass by, like, yep,I got a picture of that and I'm gone, instead of really learning about where they were.

(36:21):
Like, you going up in the mountains by yourself and doing stuff, that's just a cool thing,because in most of our conversations with a lot of people, it's the wilderness has helped
people.
Because it, it, it clears your mind.

(36:44):
Well, I was just going to say, Rick, I think you hit the nail on the head when you saidpeople don't want to be alone.
Like, that's why the phone is out, right?
Is any silence like then they don't have to sit with their thoughts and think about thatbad thing that happened or not even that bad thing, just stuff they don't want to think
about.

(37:04):
But I think if you just keep pushing it off and pushing it off and pushing it off, thateventually you're going to have really serious health consequences.
it's like mental, physical, it's just not good to not process things.
And so I would suggest to anybody not used to being alone or feeling alone, if you're thetype of person that is watching TV during the night when you're sleeping or scrolling

(37:27):
through Instagram while you're eating a meal,
Just try to slow down, get in nature, but if you can't, even while you're doing thosethings, and really use all of your senses to feel them and think about them.
just even enjoying a simple meal, like put the phone down and just try to use your sensesto enjoy it.
And that even that little step is like a big step into starting to practice silence andaloneness because then you are more settled into yourself.

(37:57):
You can think clearer.
The thoughts can come.
A lot of us have to exercise.
Well, I know I do.
have to be walking or doing the dishes or something in the quiet for my brain to reallywork.
So I have to have my body moving.
So I think that might be another piece of it too.
Are you like that too, Rick?
Yes, I am because like today, this morning, I was helping one of my friends, you know,this elk hunt in South Dakota.

(38:25):
And we got up in the woods this morning and you know, those perfect mornings where thewind really isn't blowing, there's a breeze of course, cause there's always a breeze,
seems like, but there's frost in the grass.
the air is, I tried to explain this to people because there's so many people that don'twanna get up and just experience this, but I love early mornings because I think it's I

(38:56):
think it's a.
the best part of the day for me because it's quiet and nobody's bothering you.
yeah, the census and then so many people don't realize you can smell elk before you seethem or you can hear the birds chirping and you know, I mean, they don't take in or the

(39:24):
aspen leaves that are still on the ground or the...
still in the, on the tree or they just don't look around and that just energizes me as thesun's coming up and the glow comes off of that where the steam, you know, or like today,
the steam coming off as the frost is starting to thaw.

(39:46):
It's, it's, it's surreal moments to me, but, and I was wondering, do I, do I need to dothis all day or is like,
half a day, which I did today.
Is that enough for me?
I, some days I think, you know what, because you were out there and experienced it, atleast you, you, you, you feel something up.

(40:12):
like sometimes the, the, maybe you have a higher pressure on the water, the, the, the solefilling hose.
And some days you might need that all day experience, but that's, I'm, I'm, I was filledtoday.
Like it was like,
You know what?
I'm seeing this.
I'm gonna talk to Darah Parker.
This is the most amazing day.

(40:35):
I'm glad you're having a good day.
I get to talk to you and then pick up Tommy from the airport, so I'm having a good daytoo.
Well, that's good.
So, what are your most favorite adventures and what piece of, well, we'll do that onefirst and then I'm gonna write this one down here.

(40:56):
So I remember the next question.
sounds good.
One of my favorite adventures with Tommy, which I think he might have talked about on thepodcast last time, I'm not sure, but someone told him that he couldn't hike without his
chair to a waterfall.
Yeah, and so it was really incredible to...

(41:20):
be with him like hiking.
He's crawling up the trail, right?
The storm is coming.
It was just such a high energy.
You had to act now kind of a situation that both of us just really felt so alive.
know, that's why they're my favorites.
That really makes you feel alive.

(41:40):
And so, and actually now as I'm talking about this, I realized that the stories I'm goingto tell you all have a little risk in them.
So maybe the lesson here too is that they need to be a little bit.
risky, you know, it's good to do scary things safely, right, as safe as you can.
But the other one was probably when we went to Mexico, we went to Mexico and we were ablewe found some Mayan pyramids that we could go on and Tommy hopped out of his chair and

(42:10):
said, I'm climbing up this.
And so I don't know if you've been on one of those, but it's like climbing a ladder.
Like it's that steep.
It's like going up a ladder.
the steps are not as, as wide as normal or long as normal steps.
And so
We climbed to the top.

(42:31):
I didn't know at the time, but this sweet lady had dropped to the ground and prayed theentire time he was climbing up there.
And maybe she helped because he fell down almost, part way up.
Like I was right behind him, nervous he was gonna fall down.
And he like turned a little bit and he went to tumble back and like, I got him.

(42:55):
pushed him up, cause he just went limp.
I don't know if he's like, maybe that'll help the fall, but he just went limp.
so luckily, I was, somebody gave me some strength cause he's way bigger than me and I wasable to push him up.
And then we crawled the rest of the way, but I tell you, I was shaking like this, thewhole climb up and then the whole climb down.

(43:16):
But the view at the top of the pyramid in Mexico after that daunting trip was very worthit and cool.
So those are probably my favorite, favorite too.
And then this weekend though, Tommy's gonna go run the Marine Corps Marathon inWashington, DC.
And so I just, I'm really proud of him for pushing himself.

(43:38):
And I'm sure this is gonna be one of my favorite adventures because this is the first racehe's done in several years.
I feel like we have been working so much.
We haven't worked on our personal goals.
And so seeing him run,
in Arlington is going to be super special to me this weekend.
That would be awesome, yes.

(44:01):
I'll be cheering him on.
Yeah, so do you know what pyramid you climbed?
Because I got to climb Chitzen Itza before they closed it to climbing.
And I feel lucky about that one.
Yeah, I've been there after they closed it.
That's a really tall one.

(44:23):
It is and exactly what you said, it's amazing the number of people that they're scaredcoming down because it is steep.
It is really steep and you're going up, you don't really realize it, but coming down, itis steep.

(44:45):
yeah, Tommy doing that, that's just amazing.
Yeah, you know that whole trip was great.
So we took my grandparents, my mom and brother, and then we have seven kids and at thetime five of them were able to go.
And so we took five of the kids and

(45:08):
one of their spouses and we went to Mexico and we did not, I'm like you, I have stayed atresorts once or twice, but it's not my favorite way.
You don't really get to experience things that way.
Like if you're going to just relax, it's perfect.
But if you want to actually experience where you are, it's not the best way.
And so we actually had booked an Airbnb on the other side of the peninsula on Cancun oracross from Cancun and like near Merida.

(45:37):
And so
think we saw one other white family the whole time we were there.
We were in a local place.
It's kind right by where the meteor came.
They have dinosaurs and stuff there to show that's where the extinction started.
But the whole trip, we just visited with people to find out, the people that spoke Englishor could understand our broken Spanish to find out what to do.

(46:07):
And my daughter-in-law found this amazing, amazing thing where they used to go get waterfrom cenotes and they would use burrows and pull carts on a railroad track.
And so instead now they've made it a touristy thing, except all the other tourists werefrom Mexico, like just visiting.
So this was really fun.

(46:27):
So they loaded us into this wagon that was pulled by burros through the Mexican jungle.
And then we would have stop offs to go into the Sinoques.
And so that one was really cool.
And Tommy, again, he was, he just hopped right up there, held his wheelchair up and thedonkeys took us away, you know.

(46:48):
I have done more adventuring with my husband without any legs than I ever have with anyoneelse my whole life.
He is always excited to go do something.
And he just never says no.
We figure out a way to get it done.
And it's been really great.
And I see a lot of things that I wouldn't have seen if I wasn't with Tommy.

(47:11):
There's a lot of extra stuff that happens when you ask people for help or exceptions ortell them,
like hey this is what's going on with us how can we make this work we get really goodconversations with people and some amazing experiences so I'm really thankful for just the
generosity of the human population in general everyone is for the most part just sowonderful when we're traveling it really makes me have faith in humanity again

(47:39):
that is, I wanna have faith in humanity and that's, really truly think that so many peopledon't realize or they're maybe too general, but I think the majority of the people are
good humans.

(48:00):
I do too.
And I think it's a lot easier to see that in person.
Like we were talking about when you can read people's facial expressions in bodylanguages.
I think so many times things can be misconstrued through phone text.
Even if you're sending a video back and forth, it's just not the same as that instantconnection there.

(48:21):
And with the phones like you were talking about, people are watching experiences insteadof wondering what experiences they should have.
100 % because I don't get jealous of anybody doing their experiences because they mightgive me an idea to go do some of my own.

(48:42):
And I think we can't live vicariously through people.
They can give us ideas.
Like, you know, I see some things that I wanna do and then I see some things I don't wannado.
You know what I mean?
I really don't wanna go do that, but I wanted to go do that other thing, you know what Imean?

(49:05):
There's just certain things that have, I wanna go climb some stuff, I wanna go see things,I wanna see the Taj Mahal, or I wanna go see things.

(49:26):
I think I'm growing in life and,
And I've been, after I went to Australia and I went and did a few other things, I kind ofslowed down.
I'm not saying, I just haven't adventured as much as I thought I should because I wasspending all my vacation time hunting.

(49:49):
And now I'm realizing I want to still see these things and do these things while I stillhave.
can do it.
I'm not old and can't do it.
You know what I mean?
Because I certainly can't say I have the willpower.

(50:13):
I mean, I'm talking about aging.
I'm not talking about like when you have your husband climbing things and Tommy has thelegs and but he's doing things that's inspiring.
So
That's where I think we need to go in life too.
think humans need to realize that most humans are good and we don't need to fight people.

(50:38):
Yeah, and you made the comment about aging and wanting to travel.
and definitely do it now.
But also if you're older, I don't think you should be scared to travel.
We live in such an aging population.
I think what's really hard for people is coming, like when you've been a helper your wholelife and then it's your turn to get help.

(51:01):
know, even if it's as simple as I could go to Hawaii, but I'm going to have to use awheelchair in the airport.
And to me, that's embarrassing.
I've never used one before.
But when you get to that point where you realize it's okay to ask for help, no matter whoyou are or what stage of life you're in, you're still able to do all these things.
And so it's okay to share your hardship just like you share your joy, I think.

(51:26):
Yeah.
And when I was talking about, I'm not like the reason I want to travel while I can stilldo things is if there's things that I want to climb.
I'm just using that as an example.
Well, I still can do that stuff and not be 80 years old and frail or, know, like maybe Ican't go see that.

(51:52):
Cause I've always been
I want to go see things.
I've always been that person that wants to see over the next hill too.
And yeah, I'll never be afraid to travel.
Except you have me right now giving you kudos of Arab Emirates.

(52:14):
That's pretty cool.
You know what I mean?
When you traveled there.
But I think, you know,
Well, certainly different now.
And it's funny because most of the time when I was doing what I was doing, was, I'vetraveled places probably in the last 10 years, but I'm saying that's changed too.

(52:40):
But when I was traveling, were in the 80s, 90s, things weren't as scary as for terroristparts or anything like that.
Now it was because.
Like I said, I had no problem walking up to anybody, but now it's just a little bitdifferent.
So, but I still walk up to people.

(53:01):
I really don't care who you are in what you look like, you know what I mean?
In that aspect.
But I have a question for you now.
what do you think is your, I look at you and I watch your posts and on social media and Iknow that you're such a, you are going all the time and I see so many other

(53:40):
I put you in a different class than a lot of other females that I know because I seestrength in you for being the family person, being the business person to being the
venture person to, and you have it together from, and don't say that I don't seeeverything, because no, I know I don't see everything, but you,

(54:09):
When I'm around you and you have so many things coming at you, when you're at a tack, youhave kids, you have Tommy.
And I'm saying that as a husband, you know what I mean?
You know what I mean?
Because when I go to these things that Cindy's there, she has me to worry, you know what Imean?
That kind of stuff.

(54:30):
But you have the warrior rising at that, you know, doing that stuff.
You have so many things on your plate, but I've never seen you ever, ever panic or comeunglued.
appreciate that.
You know, that might be the ADHD.
I never panic in emergency situations usually.

(54:51):
I do though, I do have periods where I get overwhelmed, right?
I totally do.
Where, but luckily I've worked really, really, really hard the last 15 years to understandmyself and find out ways to help.
cope with the stress basically, you know, just to cope with the sheer amount of stress ofdoing all those things and, you know, trying to do things, which means you're failing and

(55:21):
you're succeeding right at the same time.
have to fail a lot of times to succeed.
And so it's just a practice that I have in my life.
And I know I touched on this before, but it's just my life has improved so much sinceTommy came into my life because we are so just open and blunt with each other.
about everything, you know, he really knows me.

(55:43):
I think he knows me better than I do.
And so he too can see the signs of like, man, Dara needs to go take a hot bath or go for awalk in nature or take a nap or whatever it is.
And so it really helped having.
having someone else look out for me.
But Rick, I actually have pretty severe manic depression in the winter time.

(56:06):
But I think that having all of those things is actually the reason that I'm still okaywhile I'm dealing with that.
Because then I have of these wonderful reasons to get up in the morning and do my best.
even days where I wake, like sometimes I wake up and don't wanna get out of bed, but Iknow I have these things to do.
And I know that if I force myself

(56:27):
to go out put my shoes on that's the hardest part always I don't know why but if I justput my shoes on and lace them up and go outside
I'll feel better the whole rest of the day.
I won't feel depressed anymore.
You know, but if I don't do that, then I'll start sliding and then it will add up to allthese other little things that I just, I'm not going to do that.
And that's when those crashes, those stress crashes have happened in the past.

(56:52):
so yeah, looking out, trying to look out for myself, which before I did not do, I was justtaking care of other people and then getting burnt out.
So trying to make sure that I'm doing the things, something every day to
the stress and then just having that soulmate there.
Like don't know how else to say it.
Like it's not just, it can't just be another person in your life.

(57:15):
Like it has to be someone.
who you've been blunt and real with and who actually knows you.
You need someone who actually knows you in your life to help you stay on track.
Even if it's a friend or it doesn't have to be a significant other, we have the ability togive and receive love in a lot of different relationships with different people.

(57:37):
So yeah, that's my tricks.
Those are my tricks, Rick, to try to stay on track.
well, I like hearing that because it's very interesting to me because I agree with you,the person like Cindy, I've never felt so much peace with in that you don't have to try to

(58:03):
impress anyone.
And she married Rick.
for Rick not thinking he was gonna be, I'm gonna change this person.
And she knows when my body hurts and I won't say that my body hurts or I, mean, she knowsthat when I get it, like you were talking about manic depressed, she knows when I need to

(58:29):
go to the woods and like just go, get out of here and don't worry about things here.
And it could be like we were talking earlier, half a day or just go up in the woods andjust walk around and just go on a hike and come back and you're a different person.

(58:50):
And that's what the wilderness has done to me too.
So I have another question for you.
Go ahead.
No, tell me what, finish up what you're saying.
I was just gonna say that even like I was in
Palm Springs with my mom last weekend.

(59:11):
We were taking a girls trip.
We do that once every few years and it's really special.
But I noticed that I just automatically, because I had been traveling so much, that I gooutside and I immediately try to use my senses to seek out whatever nature is available in

(59:31):
the moment.
And so I was, you know, looking at every cactus and trying to identify all the birds and
out my phone, you know, with that kind of stuff.
And I had that moment last weekend of just all of sudden feeling centered.
once you do that kind of stuff, they really do become habits, like, and you don't realizethat you're helping yourself sometimes it just because it just becomes a habit.

(59:55):
And so the hardest part, I always think is just getting started and staying consistentwith things.
But then then things get better.
So
So what piece of advice would you give people about trying to be their best selves?

(01:00:22):
I would, I don't know if this is gonna work for everyone, but I just do a a massive amountof reflection.
I use a journal and then I'm literally like writing down what I'm doing, what, you know,how I feel about what I'm doing.

(01:00:44):
And then I'll do that for, for a while.
and even down to like what I'm eating too, because I've got some food sensitivities.
But so how everything that I'm doing is affecting me is affecting those around me.
And I know it sounds super time intensive.
It is you're to have to not watch Instagram for like an hour every day.
But but it's been super, super useful to go.

(01:01:09):
Even just, my gosh, this food I'm eating has been making me sick and I didn't realize ituntil I saw it on the paper, you know, and matched it.
Or, you know, I'm doing this thing for all the right reasons, but it's not actually what Iwant to do.
In fact, when I'm there, all I can think about is leaving, even though I'm doing it forthe right reasons and I'm trying to do good things.
maybe this isn't a fit.

(01:01:30):
Maybe I need to find something that aligns with me a little differently.
And so I would just really try to be present in your body and in your mind.
and just analyze yourself and try to figure out who you are.
Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself either.
I don't know about you, but have you ever started a new diet and workout plan and you'relike, I'm gonna be perfect.

(01:01:54):
And then you're like, this is so stressful to be perfect that I'm just giving upaltogether again.
More of gradual, slow changes seem to be more effective.
So, I'd give yourself some time and love yourself and figure out what you like to do andwhat aligns with you.

(01:02:15):
And I truly agree with you there because I think too many people aren't loving themselves.
They are trying to be somebody else and they don't give themselves grace that they aren'tperfect.

(01:02:35):
And I think we need to, like we need to learn that we aren't perfect.
And I think we need to learn that
Each day is a different day and we can like like you just you've said throughout thispodcast is We fail today.
We can fix it tomorrow You know and and I I I've learned that you know, I've forgivenmyself for like certain things that nobody knows that I Just I was I was hard on myself

(01:03:12):
and I said, know what?
Why are you hard on yourself?
Cause it doesn't really matter in the end and just make yourself better tomorrow.
But I agree with you on the, on the diet thing.
Cause I'm trying to lose a few pounds because I want my joints to feel a lot better inwhich I've done a few things that have changed my diet too.

(01:03:33):
But I honestly think this is a funny thing.
I, I, and like,
I was thinking about this in the woods as I was walking the other day and I was thinkingit is easy.
would, and this is who I am.
I like, mom didn't drink.

(01:03:54):
My dad, you know, drank a little bit, not like, you know, like wasn't bringing it home.
But I, so I probably can't use say this, but about myself much because I don't really,it's harder to eat clean than it would be to be.
like dry, you know what I mean?

(01:04:16):
For me, because, because I don't drink a lot anyway, but I mean, it is hard to eat clean.
Cause everything's expensive.
It's a little more work here and there.
It's not like I can throw this in the pot and I have a meal right now.
You know what I mean?
Kind of thing.
It's, and so I keep on trying to do the best I can.

(01:04:39):
And I hate seeing that, that
chocolate candy bar there and I hate seeing it.
then I have this, the hardest part is like, for me is like seeing ice cream somewhere andthat kills me because I'm an ice creamaholic.

(01:05:06):
sorry, my...
Okay.
Yeah, I feel you.
I actually got very sick the last time I ate ice cream.
was a sad day, a very sad day.
Yeah, I'm not supposed to have a lot of milk or like dairy or gluten, which is almosteverything, you know?
We have like vegetables and meat and rice a lot.

(01:05:31):
And I can eat those things like sporadically, but if I eat them all of the time, I willeventually get really sick with my autoimmune disorder I have.
And so it's been a struggle.
I highly recommend pre-cooking a bunch of stuff and just leaving it stuff that you can eatquick.
You know what I mean?
That's just in your fridge.

(01:05:52):
don't know, Tommy and I mainly, this probably sounds silly, but we just eat a lot of likecold steak or hamburger.
You what I mean?
Tuna fish, like...
Yep, a lot of protein and vegetables.
And it's amazing how much better I feel when I do that.
Because, for example, I was on vacation last week.

(01:06:14):
I'm not going to go to a new place and not try the local food.
I'm just going to take some medicine and do the best I can and try to do it.
But when I'm consistent, do admit, I almost feel like I'm operating on a higher planebecause my brain functions so much better when I'm eating clean.
my body just feels good.

(01:06:36):
And so I felt that I'm working towards getting back to it myself again, going for morewalks, making sure I'm not eating cake and pizza and that kind of stuff that makes me
sick.
but yeah, it's always a work in progress and everything's cyclical, right, Rick?
Like everything's cyclical.

(01:06:58):
yeah.
And it is in, you know, like I haven't had caffeine in two weeks now.
How is that journey been?
It was tough in the beginning because I thought I'd need it.
There's days, you know, when you get off it, I was like, I first, had a headache, ofcourse, because I mean, I was, I was probably overdoing it.

(01:07:30):
And I thought, you know what, I'm going to see what happens.
And I've stopped doing that for roughly two weeks now.
And I.
do get tired in the middle of the day, but you know what?
It's funny how there's a lull and then I get like energy back.
it's, so I feel good there and I sleep great.

(01:07:52):
And I was one of those guys that I could take caffeine and go to sleep.
You know what I mean?
I could have drank a Red Bull and went right to bed and I could have went to bed.
But now it's like, it's a sounder sleep.
It's like.
I'm a log or something, you know what I mean?
And that makes me happy.
you know, and like Cindy's a hippie and tries to help me eat clean.

(01:08:17):
I'm not a squash person, so I don't eat some of her food, but I'm the meat and potatoeskind of person.
you know, and I like broccoli, cauliflower, other things too, but I'm just saying, youknow, but that's, that's, I think my mind is getting better also.

(01:08:37):
You might, you might, people might laugh about that, but I think, I think you, when youstart really trying to do stuff, and I don't, I'm not gonna stop living either.
And I'm gonna stop at Dairy Queen when I want to, but if you don't have those kinds ofthings in your house, and you, aren't, that aren't readily available, then you don't do it

(01:09:02):
as much.
But it's more of a treat.
Yes, you're right.
well, I don't know like when you, I don't know if like when you were a kid or not, butwhen we went into town and we went to McDonald's, that was a treat.
And if you treat these things as treats and not a staple, then that's, I don't look at itas a bad thing to go do as a ice cream thing or whatever else.

(01:09:34):
Right.
Now I agree wholeheartedly that if, you know, if most of the time you're trying to stayconsistent with your goals, but then you're still taking time to enjoy life in those
moments, as long as you're not, don't taste that ice cream and you're like, you know what,every day after work, I'm coming back.
You know, probably you don't make it, that's your routine, you're good.

(01:09:58):
Yeah, as long as I don't buy a gallon of ice cream and eat it on the way home and it'sgone every night, we're all right, you know, but it's an occasional one, you know, yeah.
So I know you gotta go pick up Tommy here, you're soon here.
Well, I enjoy this too and I'm gonna talk, maybe we'll have to get you in on one of ourphilosophical conversations,

(01:10:25):
I truly love having philosophical, philosophical, philosophical conversations with you.
But you know, cause I look at us living life and I look at you living life and, and thepeople around us are better because we're trying to do this to live life.

(01:10:48):
And I truly appreciate you more than you'll, you know that you've
affected my life.
But you're you're going to get away so easy here because I got to ask you since the lasttime I've talked to you, what's the good life to Dara Parker?

(01:11:10):
So the good life is my family being healthy and happy and getting outside every day andjust taking time to fully be in the present with my loved ones and in this world.
That's the good life.

(01:11:31):
Well, I truly love that because that's another thing we've been talking about too is beingpresent.
There's so many people that aren't present and to learn to be present.
Yes, it's been a struggle for me.
I tend to live in the future if you couldn't tell by all my busy plans.
That's a lot of in the future living.

(01:11:54):
And I think that's probably why I've talked about using your senses three or four timesnow and here is because that's the way that I ground myself back into my into the present
and into myself.
So, yeah.
cool Well, I truly appreciate being able to have this conversation with you Dara becauselike I just said I You have affected my life since I've gotten to know you guys and I look

(01:12:23):
at you as one of those people that I Do truly look up to so as being one of the goodpeople in this world so
Well, yeah, you know, the feeling is mutual.
And I can't tell you how how your consistency with posting your sunrise stuff inspires meevery me personally every day, like the days that I was talking about where I don't want

(01:12:52):
to lace up my shoes.
And then I do the bad thing I'm not supposed to do and open Facebook or Instagram.
And then I see your sunset picture or sunrise picture and I'm like, Okay, I'm going to golace up my shoes now I'm ready.
So
well that makes me happy.
Well, thank you so much.
yeah, I just feel privileged to be able to have these conversations.

(01:13:17):
So anyway, well, Don't Die Rusty Nation, we got to know a little bit more about DaraParker.
And I hope that we have her back on here in the future and ask her more questions.
Maybe we'll get her into one of the conversations we have about asking when I post one ofthese philosophical questions that I do.

(01:13:43):
anyway, keep chasing your dreams.
Don't die rusty.
geez.
Anyway, keep chasing your dreams, being the best you, and don't die rusty.
Thank you.
Anyway, so I'm gonna stop this.