Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
connecting the dots,
connecting his guests to the
world, creating more connections.
Welcome to the connection.
Meet your host.
Author, coach.
Air coach, air Force veteranJay Morales.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Okay, the connection
Before I introduce my guest.
I know him, but I don't knowhim After this.
I'm going to know him.
You're going to know him,wilson Munsterman.
So, wilson, let's just startright off the bat.
When did we meet?
When was your first remembranceof us meeting?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
I believe it was the
Edge Magazine's 11th year party
at the Catalyst right.
Yes, when we first met and gotintroduced through Shannon
Bingham and just started talkinga little bit, I think I saw how
that photo of us talking on myInstagram it's a great photo
Stayed in touch since then youknow what's important is, you
(01:15):
know you meet a lot of peopleall the time and you say, okay,
and when I meet people, you knowI was asking you a lot of
questions.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
You remember that,
like I love to ask questions.
But I think sometimes whenpeople meet, they want to talk,
talk, talk, talk and they don'ttake the time to sit and listen.
And, wilson, I love your story,man, like I love you know
everything you stand for.
So let's talk about childhood.
To what brought you to Omaha,right?
(01:45):
So where were you born?
And then, however, you want topaint it, how did you get here?
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, I mean, my
story begins in 2006, january
17th.
I was born in China.
I was on the doorstep of ahospital.
No forms of identification Adsran in the papers of them saying
, hey, we have a young male here.
No health disparities, anythingat the time right now.
So it was essentially a hey, ifthis is yours, come get it.
(02:12):
No one stepped forward.
After the initial checks at thehospital, I spent some time in
the Chinese orphanage system.
The exact number of where, whenor how long is unclear right
now.
We can safely assume that itwas multiple.
The orphanage systems duringthis time were unfavorable.
There were a lot ofmalpractices, but then it was
(02:32):
around 10 months I was placedfor adoption miraculously and
was adopted by my parents herein America, in Omaha, and just
kind of some of the things youreally think about that story
with the one child policy goingon in China, the culture you
want a healthy male and I havenothing wrong with me, like
medically, the fact that I wasable to come thousands halfway
(02:55):
across the world.
And in a lot of internationaladoptions the parents kind of go
and meet the child.
They know they're going to gointernational.
Well, for my parents it wasThursday night they got a call
hey, we have a baby boy here.
Would you like to meet himWithin that Sunday?
I was home.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I mean that's
incredible.
I want to stay right there.
I want to address two things.
I want you to say the cultureof China.
Right, we hear about this.
I've heard about it as a kid.
People debate about this stuffand you hear about the politics,
the politicizing.
Talk to me about the one childpolicy and what you know of it,
(03:31):
because you alluded to it.
Right, you're like there wasnothing wrong with me.
I was the one male in myhousehold.
So I'll ask a follow upquestion when you bring us up to
speed what do you know of it?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I mean, I do know I
can't tell you the exact dates,
but I do know it was a thingwhere they had an overpopulation
with the previous ruler ofChina and that to limit family
sizes and child sizes, that theylimited each family to have one
child and that directly tiesinto the culture of wanting a
healthy male, Because in Chinait's you want the healthy male
(04:02):
to carry on the family name totake care of the elderly.
And the fact that I am ahealthy male but I found myself
in America, those odds and thestatistics of why I'm not in
China right now are just beyondme, of how I'm here and the
opportunities I have.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
I mean, let's talk
about, when you just said, hey,
the statistics or the chances ofme even being here.
So think about this, right, andthis is two parents.
Your mom had two parents.
Your mom's dad had two parents.
You know what I'm thinking.
Think of the equation of yearsbeyond and then think of the
(04:42):
equation of being born and thenbeing given up for adoption,
right, and then being adopted.
See, most people are the normal, not the normal, but just
society and culture like, okay,baby born, take care of baby
born, but the odds of you beinghere right now.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Next to none.
Next to nothing, yes, it's.
It's something where I'verealized that I'm grateful to
wake up.
I've come to terms that realizethat I shouldn't be alive,
probably I shouldn't be here inAmerica.
You know the odds of no onecould.
I could have gone, I could havedied on that doorstep, nobody
could have found me, the weathercould have taken me out,
someone could have taken me juston their own.
(05:25):
Another family I mean yeah, it'sthe orphanage system could have
, you know, with their things.
They could have quote unquote,let's say let's misplace to me.
You know I shouldn't be hereright now, I should not be able
to wake up, I should not bebreathing, and so, coming in
terms of that, it's justincredible and eye-opening that
you know I'm going to attack nowevery day as a gift, I'm going
(05:46):
to go out and do what I can tohelp others and it's just this
sense of gratitude I have.
I'm just so thankful to be herein America, I'm thankful for
the opportunity and I'm thankfuljust for what.
I've been blessed by God andyou know the gifts I've received
.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
That's so good,
wilson, like bro, I already like
bro, I already got goosebumpsand we're only like a few
minutes in, bro, we gotta saveit.
We gotta save it plenty of time.
But your story, um, the way youtell it, I, I you know we're,
as we're remote, you're in one,you know your own residence and
I'm here in the studio and, um,I can feel your energy, man, I
(06:20):
feel when you said I'm gonnaattack, attack every day.
And now be honest, you sure dohave bad days, I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, absolutely I do
, and it's just kind of knowing
the fact that bad days won'tstop coming.
Life is hard, life's going tothrow stuff at me and it's okay,
so I can.
Either I'm a big results, notexcuses guy, so it's okay Hard
things, either I'm a big results, not excuses guy, so it's okay,
hard things happen.
What am I gonna do?
So now, when I know I have thebad days, when I'm struggling, I
(06:51):
know, okay, I'm gonna go talkto friends, gonna go on a walk,
gonna do a, b and c so we canminimize the time I'm feeling
down and spend so much more timehelping others and god, that's
so good.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I'm like this is your
show, not mine, um, but Wilson,
you know, um, there are friendsthat I know, uh, who've been,
who've been adopted, and I'mgoing to ask you about your
feelings about adoption, right,because I have friends who are
grown, they're 50 years old, andthey never knew who their
father or mother was, andsometimes they wonder, or they
(07:24):
have bad feelings.
Some some love, some are like,I'm grateful, like, how do you
feel?
How old are you today, wilson?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
19 years old.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Okay, 19.
Right, nobody would have knownby now that you were 19,.
By the way, I thought, well,well, shoot, we're probably 21
plus with the offlineconversation conversation we had
earlier.
But, wilson, how do you?
Speaker 3 (07:49):
feel, what's your
state of mind and what's your
philosophy on being adopted?
My state of mind is thatadoption is something where it
can have multi perspectives andviews right.
Adoption is not necessarily somuch an experience, but it's a
legal thing that happens.
It's when the birthrightresponsibilities of a child are
given up and then placed underanother family.
(08:10):
Adoption can be viewed as good,bad and everything in between,
but it all depends on theexperience that adoptee has.
I know friends who were adoptedand they hate it.
They're people that adoptedthem.
It was not a good experience.
They didn't feel loved,perfectly valid.
But then I also have friendswho love adoption and are so
(08:31):
grateful for the opportunitythey have and it's opened up
doors for them.
And so it's not about adoption,isn't about being right and
thinking the right way.
It's about how do we come andhave grace and understanding for
everybody, not just the adopteebut the parents, because
parenting is hard, oh, brother,I mean have another layer of
adoption, of trauma, and to tryand want to take that on,
(08:54):
because adoption right now it'sabout a year of schooling for
college.
That's what those costs are,anywhere from $15,000 to $60,000
, that's what an adoption, so noone just wakes up one day and
goes you know what?
I'm going to adopt a kid, letme just sign the form.
No, it takes years ofprocessing to do it.
So it's how do we have gracefor those parents and give them
resources to be able to parenttheir child the best of their
(09:16):
ability?
How do we give resources forkids to be able to talk to
others and have a sense ofcommunity?
And, most importantly, how dowe give love and understanding
to the birth family and thebirth mother?
Because it's not like greektimes.
I was not sculpted out of clay.
My birth mother gave birth tome and it's how do we have grace
and understanding for thatfamily?
Because, you know, people areeasy to cast stones before
(09:39):
they're in their shoes and Ijust think that some of the
stories I've heard from birthmothers it's really eye-opening
and it's about how do weapproach each situation, each
person, with love, understandingand realizing that it's about
how they view the experience.
It doesn't make it right orwrong, but it's how do we view
it, and if I could, I would snapmy fingers and then make sure
(10:01):
that everyone had a great,positive experience.
So, for those who have positiveexperiences, how do we help you
continue to thrive and thenalso help others and for those
who have poor experiences, howdo we help you come out of the
fog?
How do we help you move forward?
Because, at the end of the day,adoption isn't going away.
So I want to help people makethe most of it and learn to live
(10:21):
with it, not buy it.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
All right, let's,
let's make an impact right now,
okay.
So here's what I want you tothink about.
Here's the impact.
As we speak, someone islistening right now, wilson, and
this is your chance.
This is somebody who isthinking about adopting right.
Someone is thinking of adoptingright now.
They're listening to you.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
They haven't adopted
yet.
What do you want to say to them?
I want to say, first off, youknow, the decision to adopt is
one that's grace-filled, it'sfaith-based in my mind, and it's
just so admirable.
I will say, though educateyourselves right.
There's a lot of education.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
What do you mean by
that, like?
Do you mean take your time?
Do you mean talk to othercouples Like how would I educate
myself?
As because everyone says youknow, oh, they adopted so-and-so
.
They're such good people Likehow do they prepare themselves?
Or how should they preparethemselves?
Wilson.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
It's like you know.
Going into any situationunknown, you find out what you
can.
You talk from the heart, youfind out information, you talk
to other adopted couples, youtalk to adoptees, listen to
podcasts and really ask yourselfare you ready to be a parent?
The question isn't are youready to adopt, it's are you
ready to be a parent?
Because without parenting,there is no adoption.
(11:42):
Yeah, I mean yes, you're right.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Yes, and for whatever
reason, everyone adopts for
different reasons, right?
So, when you're speaking tosomeone who's even thinking of
it, educate, prepare, you know.
It's admirable, yes, butthere's a responsibility.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
You know what I?
Speaker 2 (12:03):
mean With any
parenting.
But I think you know sometimeswhere people look at adoption as
a oh, this is our last resort,like it's a child's maybe first
opportunity right for life.
I mean and I'm not chastisingparents who can't have children
(12:25):
at all, that's not what I'msaying I'm saying when I hear,
oh man, I guess we have to adopt, I'm like I don't know how to
react to that.
I don't know what to thinkabout that.
But what is that?
You know, when someone, whenyou have you heard that before.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Have you heard.
What does it?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
feel like and again,
not chastising, but there is a
recipient of that statement orsomeone hears it.
For some people they're likenah, I don't care, what do you,
what do you feel when you hearthat I?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
mean I, I, I used to
get.
I wasn't really happy when Iwould were to hear those
statements and I really sat backand, okay, why are they saying
it?
And it's all about they're notsaying it to be malicious, right
.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Not at all.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Good point.
It's just education.
It's about not being in theadoption space.
You don't know that there'scorrect terms, but you've never
been in the area and the spaceswhere you might go.
Hey, that probably doesn'tsound the best.
I mean, when I was growing up,me and my dad, I remember, you
know, we'd be doing something.
We'd be at a store and someonewould come up to him be like,
(13:31):
hey, is he adopted?
My dad would go yep, and he'dshake my dad's hand and it was
just like what?
Like I didn't understand, Ididn't think about that, I
didn't grasp of what that meant,and then I realized that
they're not acting out ofmalicious intent, it's just one
other curiosity to admirable,because probably then he had run
(13:52):
in with the adoption space, youknow, and not realizing that
maybe that isn't the smartestthing to say.
Or you know, you know, becauseagain, it's all down to
(14:12):
parenting.
It's nomadic, it's like thatyou ever have that toy where it
was marbles and they all tookdifferent roads and ended at the
same bottom with the same.
I remember playing with that.
It was great.
But that's what adoption is.
It's just and, and you know,ivf and surrogacy, it's all just
different ways to parent.
It doesn't make your way wrong,it doesn't make another one's
(14:35):
right, it's all just, are youguys ready to be a parent and
attack and take on thechallenges that come with
parenting?
So that that's, that's.
That's really what it is.
And so I've never been, and soI've never been offended by
anything, because it's just downto either curiosity or just
negligence.
And you can't hold that againstsomebody, because if they say
(14:55):
something and you go, hey, why'dyou say that?
Nine times out of 10, they'regoing to come back and realize,
oh yeah, I probably wasn't smart, or they don't know.
Yeah, I know, it's as muchabout having a conversation and
not flying off the emotionalhandle.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
I mean, it's true,
and for 19 years old you're
definitely an old soul for sure.
So let me ask you this, andbecause I do wonder you know,
when you said hey, when we werein the store, someone asked my
dad, is he adopted?
Know?
So, obviously, or am I justasking was your or your parents
different ethnicity?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
yeah, my parents are.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
My parents are
caucasian, absolutely okay,
let's, let's talk about that fora second right.
So I mean just that alone, justthat alone right.
And this was back in the early2000s yep, Yep 06.
So, 06, still modernizing times,but it doesn't matter, People
always do this still.
(15:51):
Oh well, oh, because adoptionis in my mind.
It comes in many forms Adoptionfrom mixed marriages, adoption
from children who lose theirparents, adoption from foster
parenting.
There's just so much.
When it comes, it's not justsomeone.
(16:13):
They don't just look in awindow and go I want that baby.
No, no, I think people gettheir heart broken.
I've heard of the stories wherepeople fly to another country.
They've been on a journey for13 to 16 months and and it looks
like the adoption is going togo through.
And they get there and they'relike, sorry, we're talking hours
(16:36):
upon hours, thousands andthousands, and that's gotta be
emotional within itself.
You know, and, and you knowagain, I just this is my
perspective.
But going back to your questionwith your dad, you know how did
you feel growing up, or was iteven a thing?
And I'm not asking out ofmalintent, I'm asking because I
(16:56):
want people to not go.
Oh, that's cool, he's Chineseand his parents are Caucasian.
Like I almost want to stop that.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Oh yeah, because
you're just people yes, that's,
I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonnahop on there.
We're just people, we're justhumans.
To me, my dad isn't.
Oh, that's my white dad, that'smy dad.
I'm not his chinese son, I'mhis son, um, that's so good yeah
right there, bro, it's.
(17:25):
It's.
Yes, you're going to havepeople on the outside.
You know talking about cultureand you know, did you guys rob
him of his culture or something?
And no, my parents.
Raising a child is so hard onits own, okay, now raising
(17:52):
another child in a culture thatyou have never been in.
Imagine that.
I know, if I adopted a childtomorrow and he was from the
Netherlands, I couldn't figureout how to parent a child in the
Netherlands culture, but Iwould ran some Chinese adoptee
group giving me friends withpeople in the same circumstance.
We'd have elementary schoolChinese New Years.
(18:13):
They did everything they couldto immerse me in Chinese culture
.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
What year were you
born in, by the way, year of the
what Dog?
Speaker 3 (18:22):
I believe you have a
dog.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
You have a dog Me too
, bro.
You know there's differentanimals.
Anyway, I'm going to include anexcerpt on the bottom.
So how?
So your parents took the timeto check the culture, even take
the time to say, okay, my son ischinese and we're going to
honor his heritage, right?
But it didn't mean that, youknow, they had to immerse
(18:47):
themselves totally because, yes,they culturized you for here,
but they also honored your pastAbsolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
You don't have to
pick.
That's the biggestmisconception is people are like
, oh, he has to pick.
No, you don't.
I mean you look at me, I haveso many different influences.
Like I think, well, if you cansee, I have a Patsy Cline record
back there, right, that I waslistening to today.
I love John Wayne.
I think Elvis Presley is thegreatest singer of all time.
(19:14):
I want a 57 Chevy Bel Airmaroon with chrome on it.
Like I have so many differentcultural influences.
My music spans everything.
I mean, the last concert I wentto was Andrea Bocelli, the
Italian opera singer.
Right At 19 years old I've seenAndrea Bocelli and it's just
the fact that you don't have topick your skin color does not
(19:35):
dictate your culture and it doesnot dictate what you need to.
Like you do, you do, and so I'mgoing to like what I like, do
what I do, and if you don't likeit, that's tough because I'm
sorry.
I'm not going to live foranyone else but myself.
I'm going to do the things thatmake me happy.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
God, that's so good
at 19 years old.
All right, let's, let's move alittle forward.
How old were you when you, uh,when you came to America?
Speaker 3 (20:00):
10 months 10 months.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Okay, so this is
pretty much what you knew from a
cognitive.
I'm aware of my surroundings.
I know some people think theycan.
I mean, I think I rememberearlier than less than a year.
Do you remember anything ornothing?
Speaker 3 (20:16):
I don't remember
anything.
I know my first, you know, youhave glimpses but my first where
it was like oh my God, I'mactually aware.
I remember we were driving upcenter and I just was in the
back seat and all of a sudden,that's when everything just
clicked for me and from thereI've memorized everything and
just wow so did you know?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
did you know?
Or when did you realize like,oh hey, I'm adopted.
When did hit you?
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Well, it hit me with
two types.
One, I kind of looked down andlooked at my dad and mom was
like, okay, dad's got someexplaining to do that right
there.
And then the second time Ireally realized I was adopted is
that me and my dad are inShopko and those two existed and
I wanted a toy.
Well, he didn't get me the toyand I was.
(21:04):
I was a young kid, so I wasupset about the toy and I go,
something like I.
I was like I want like toy.
I was just making a scene right.
All of a sudden we have somelike security guards start
walking by and they're like, areyou this kid's father?
And I'm like, oh god, I amadopted, you know, because the
culture you didn't just didn'trecognize it.
And then you know.
So I definitely realized that,oh my god, I am adopted, you
know because the culture youdidn't just didn't recognize it.
(21:25):
And then you know, so Idefinitely realized that, oh my
god, I am adopted because wedon't look alike.
And even today, sometimes Iforget, but that's the best
thing, I shouldn't memorize, Ishouldn't, you know, wake up and
go, yeah, I'm adopted.
And have that constant reminderthe fact that my family has
been able to establish thatenough towards.
You're not our adopted child.
You know you're our child, andso that's the greatest thing
that I think my family has everbeen able to accomplish up to
where it's.
You're not our adopted child.
You know you're our child, andso that's the greatest thing
(21:47):
that I think my family has everbeen able to accomplish and do.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
That's pretty cool.
So if people meet Wilson forthe very first time, they
probably shouldn't go.
Oh, that's cool.
You know what I mean?
Because it's like if Iintroduce you to my son, are you
going to go?
Oh, that's cool.
No, he's a kid just likeanybody else.
I mean I mean you know, thereare some people I'm sure that
(22:14):
are like oh, how's that?
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Right, like different
cultures, it's just questions
Like different cultures, it'sjust questions.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, no, no.
I love that.
So let's talk about what you'vestepped into.
When I first met you, you weretalking about being an advocate,
or at least making an awarenessright at that time.
And where have you taken thatjourney since I saw you last?
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Like, what are you
doing right now for the world of
adoption or the community?
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I should say so, uh,
let's see, that was december
right, that right somethingaround there like yeah, yeah,
yeah, it's only been, it's onlybeen like six, seven oh, let's
see.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Since then I uh came
out with my book.
I wrote a book.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
I know that I'm going
to link that here at the bottom
and make sure.
So please, if you are curious,support Wilson and get educated
yourself and tell me about thebook, I mean actually here.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
I think I have a copy
in my desk somewhere.
Of course you do.
Yeah, I have a couple.
Hold it up for me.
This is what it is and it's got10 key insights.
You know, from an adoptee'sperspective.
And what I do is I start off thebook with an intro and I
position myself.
I say I have no formalpsychology training, I have no
trauma response training, I'mnot a parent.
(23:37):
I don't want to talk aboutthose things.
I want to talk about what I'velearned and my experiences,
because it's easy for me to say,yeah, as a parent, I do A, b
and C, but until I actually holdmy child in my hands, it's all
going to go out the window.
I know for a fact, of course.
And then what I do is eachchapter is 10 to 15 pages.
(23:58):
It's quick.
It's not a big book.
It's about a two-hour read.
I want it to be fast andinformational because I feel
like after that two hours, ifyou're not ready to adopt or not
already on that, maybe take acouple more weeks and really
think about it.
But in the book, each chapter isone new thing I think the world
should know.
I call it a textbook, hybrid,textbook, journal, hybrid where
(24:22):
it's fact things I think thatpeople should know.
There's chapters in there aboutculture and heritage, how you
don't have to choose, howadoptees can face identity
issues, how parents can struggle, how adoption is parenting not
how we focus sometimes a littletoo much, I would say, on the
(24:42):
adoptee and not so much as theparent and the birth family, and
so every chapter is going to beone of those, and it has a
story from my life that I have,you know, been able to say well,
this happened for me.
This is what I kind of wishwould have happened and what I
can do.
You know, I talk about how somegirl in fourth grade asked me if
those were my fake parents.
You know I talk about how somegirl in fourth grade asked me if
(25:04):
those were my fake parents.
I talk about when people wouldstare at us and go are you
really his dad?
But you didn't come from him,you're not his child, stuff like
that really personal stuff andfeelings when I get down on
myself and how to reallyovercome that.
I talk all about that in thebook and just essentially it's a
textbook with information, butalso a journal with insight into
(25:25):
my life and what I've learnedand how I want people to you
know view adoption, challengemisconceptions and really just
gain a deeper understanding ofhow adoptees can might maybe
possibly feel Because I can'tspeak for all adoptees, I can
only speak for myself.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yeah, but to be
vulnerable like that, to open up
your experiences, right.
What did your parents feel whenthey saw?
Or is mom?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
and dad still with us
.
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Okay.
So did they read the book, andwhat was their?
I mean, of course they read thebook, but what was their
reaction?
Speaker 3 (26:00):
So I'm a big person
where I don't talk about the
perfect, you know, you don'ttalk about the perfect game
until it happens.
So any podcast, anything I havecome out, you know TV article,
whatever I don't tell them untilit's already out.
Yes, so they knew I was writinga book, but they didn't know
when it came out.
So it was like live for likethe day.
(26:20):
I let it sit in for me toreally calm down.
And then I think we were justeating dinner and I'm just like,
oh, by the way, my book's outon Amazon.
And I just casually just likedropped that ball.
I think we were like at Chili'sor something like, yeah, my
book's out, by the way.
They were like, oh, my God, youknow freaking out.
I'm like, yeah, I ordered someauthor's copies and they're like
, no, we want to buy the firstcopy that.
(26:41):
I'm like I have your copiescoming and like, no, we're gonna
buy the first one now.
I was like, okay, all right.
And then, yeah, they, they werestatic, it's unreal.
You know, my parents neverthought that the kid that they
would have would be doingeverything I'm doing and all
that I am.
So them it's more of a, it'sshell shock, you know they're.
They're highly introverted.
I'm extroverted, you know Ilike talking great with this.
(27:03):
I think you know confidencemyself.
They're introverted, so they'reall just like that's all you.
You can do that we'll just stayback and, you know, take the
photos, if we do too, and saywe're your parents.
But no, they're.
They're really proud of me andit's just really cool because I
can pay every time I do this.
I pay all much to them fortheir sacrifices, their
decisions and what they've alldone for me.
(27:24):
So it's kind of a cool way tonot that I have to repay them,
but it's more of a want to.
I want to show them howgrateful I am and I want them to
know that I'm just so happy tobe a part of their family and
I'm happy to have the name I do.
I'm happy to carry on my lastname because I know it came from
, you know, great group ofpeople and a great group of men.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Yes, and so, wilson,
where this is a big deal.
Right, like you said, this isnot just to pay homage to them,
but you have to know, like, whenI look at my son, mason, he's
our youngest right out of four.
I don't need him to tell me howgreat we are, I don't need him
to get every award and be likeyo, dad, mom, this is for you.
(28:09):
You know what I want.
I want him to achieve thingsthat he wants to achieve and
that is my gift to me.
Right?
But when you wrote this book,you weren't like, let me, let me
thank mom and dad because youknow, but you have to know that,
first of all, less than apercent of people in this world
(28:30):
will write a book.
A son who wrote the book To me.
I wrote my book and from oneauthor to another, I applaud you
.
I wrote my book not for anybodyelse, but my parents, because I
wanted them to know, like mineis an extreme case.
(28:52):
You're very intelligent.
I was barely a 1.7 C-minusstudent.
I wasted my family's money forfour years in private school in
California.
Like I wasted it, wilson.
I wasted my money, my family'smoney, for four years in private
school in California.
Like I wasted it, wilson, Iwasted it, but that book.
When my mom took notes and mydad took three pages of notes
and said, son, I have questionsabout this.
(29:14):
I have questions.
It was the best thing to know.
Like, hey, your son and and andthe filipino culture, we say
bobo, I said hey, we're.
I wrote this because I want youguys to know I'm not bobo.
Bobo means like dumb orilliterate, you know, or stupid,
which I never use those words.
But for you to write a book at19 years old, bro, super, uh
(29:38):
accomplishment.
You know.
You hear people say I want towrite a book.
When did you know and how longdid it take you?
Speaker 3 (29:47):
I knew in July of
2024.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
Okay, so you were
already writing your book when I
met you.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Yeah, it was already
in the works.
I was at a going-away party forShane and Bing.
I'm going to bring her up againBecause she's awesome.
She's awesome, some crazy coolpageant.
And I was talking to thismother and she was telling me
you know she had previous work.
She has previous work inadoption and I realized that oh
(30:14):
my God, there's a lack ofparenting resources for adoptees
and you know, you already haveso much on your plate.
You need something quick, easy,efficient to just be able to
kind of get inside the mindsetof how your adoptee could feel.
And so I realized that I'mgoing to try and level out the
playing field essentially andthat there's a need and it helps
(30:34):
adoptees feel heard, it helpsbirth mothers kind of live
without that guilt.
And I'm not saying this stuffjust like as I go oh, here's a
sales pitch.
It does A, b and C.
No, I'm talking about these areDMs.
I've gotten in stories.
I've gotten DMs from a60-year-old man who tracked down
his birth family 40 years agoand read my book and felt hurt
(30:57):
Talking about birth mothers whohad to give up their daughter or
their son for adoption.
I write in my book and go I nolonger have guilt of doing it
because I know that with peoplelike you, my child is going to
grow up in a loving, safeenvironment and said that's what
I feel and it's, you know, madeour family closer, and so the
fact that you know I've beenable to really enact these
(31:28):
changes in families and people'slives around the United States
and hopefully someday, aroundthe world, it's just mind
blowing to me.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
I'm just some kid
from Omaha, nebraska, and I
would think the one man like youmentioned, 60 years old, you
changed his life for the rest ofhis life, whether he has 10, 20
, 30 years or one year left tolive.
You healed him after a 40-yearjourney.
Think about that, brother.
Not TV, not Dr Phil, not somemedical psychiatrist a kid and I
(31:59):
say this tongue-in-cheek cheek,a 19 year old mature who took
the time to tell the story andconnect Like I'm assuming he was
probably in another state,whoever bought it I mean think
of you would have never met him,wilson, never.
That's crazy man.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
That's crazy Sorry
man, I'm just really thinking
about that, no worries.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
I mean today I got a
call.
I'm just really thinking aboutthat, no worries.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
I mean, today I got a
call and I'm not going to, of
course, name him, but I got acall from somebody and you know
we met through a mutualconnection and it was just.
I watched one of yourinterviews.
It was almost in shock and itwas really admirable.
He was telling about his storyand this man was forties, kids,
(32:43):
family, and he just was like hesaid something that I never
heard of before so I had to lookit up.
He goes I feel like I'm at thewhat is it?
Like the lady, the well of thelady's feet, or something that's
saying, and I didn't know whatthat meant and I looked it up
afterwards and it was like itkind of means like you're
(33:17):
talking to someone who knowskind of you more, not
necessarily more than you do,but knows and cantees from all
over the country, and thesestories are just so heartwarming
and touching and the fact thatI'm able to play even just a
sliver of a part in their lives,it's really heartwarming to me
and it's just incredible becauseI think with the timing of the
world, I could not have donethis 20 years ago.
(33:39):
World, I could not have donethis 20 years ago.
I think everythingstrategically is laid out for me
, it's, it's, it's.
I, humber, spent 100, you know.
Have it chalked up to.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
You know my faith and
jesus christ hey, listen, let's
, let's open that up here,because I will tell you uh, I'm
of god and country I, I believein god and I love my country
right Right.
And you know, and some peopleare afraid, like you know, they
hesitate sometimes, but I wantto talk about your faith, right?
(34:08):
Like you know, sometimes incertain circles, when you bring
that up, people they're like ohyeah, you know, you feel it
Right, but and I feel you'vesaid it four times since we've
been on this podcast about yourfaith, Talk to me about your
faith, Talk to me about yourbelief in Jesus Christ, or
(34:30):
what's your relationship like?
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I mean, of course,
with everyone it's not a
straight line and I've learnedthat.
It really came into perspectivewhen I realized that I
shouldn't be here, right, andI'm like, okay, so that kind of
leads out, walk, right.
So just kind of with my itessentially my relationship with
(34:55):
Jesus Christ is that he was thefallback and I will admit that
I never was Jesus first, youfirst growing up as a kid and I
don't want to feel like kidsaren't thinking about Christ,
but I had more pressing mattersin my mind so it was always in
the back of my head during highschool.
Senior year comes I don't knowwhat I'm going to do with my
(35:15):
life.
I have no clue.
I don't know what college, Idon't know anything.
I get a call in November orDecember.
Shana Bingham calls me whileI'm at work and goes hey, I have
a resolution at this Nebraskastate capitol that you can
testify for.
Would you like to come?
And that was in 2023.
I said yes.
Through that experience it wasLR 229.
(35:37):
I'll never forget that and it'sabout how do we examine the
lack of adoption and foster careresources.
And I'm thinking, sadly, itdidn't go anywhere, but that
experience alone me being ableto do that.
Having a senator come up to meand say, don't wait for the
government to create change, godo it yourself, I mean.
And then within two years of mylife, within a year in my life,
it just has led to you know,god bless it led.
(35:59):
Did a very nice scholarship atCreighton University.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Yes, that's where
you're going currently, correct,
yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
I'm at Creighton
right now, I'm going to be a
rising sophomore the fact thatit's led to broadcasts TVs that
when you Google my name itdoesn't say Wilson Munsterman,
athlete, wilson Munsterman Notthat it's wrong to be Wilson
(36:26):
Munsterman, it says WilsonMunsterman, author of Marked by
Adoption and Adoption Advocate.
And those two titles are theones I'm most proud of.
And so just having all thatkind of be laid out for me and
knowing that this is my calling,it's about finding your why.
And so early in my life I foundit.
I want to help adoption, plainand simple, that's what it is.
And so I really chalk all theblessings of my life and
everything I've had really Ichalked it up to god because I
(36:47):
don't know what other else forceof nature could happen.
And so you know it's.
It was a fallback.
I didn't initially think it washim, but then it became so
weird.
It was like what else could itbe?
And then so I really started tokind of diving in a little bit
to scripture and stuff.
And you know John 13, 7, you donot understand now, but you
(37:08):
will later.
You know that's really what Ikind of live my life by is, you
know, when the hard times come,not only the hard times, but
when the good times come too.
You don't understand what hisplan is, but you will later.
So I remember you know I didn'tknow where I was going to be,
which plan is, but you willlater.
So I remember, you know Ididn't know where I was going to
be.
Six months later I'm atCreighton University on a great
(37:28):
scholarship, right, I didn'tknow what I wanted to do with my
life.
Boom, now I'm, you know, in inarticles and doing all this
stuff.
I mean the fact that I was ableto.
You know I have this list and Iwill send this to you, but I
have the note in my phone.
After I see a cool experienceand I want to do it, I write it
down.
And everything I've writtendown I've been able to do so.
Eight months ago, maybe about ayear ago, I wanted Sandy Spady's
(37:50):
TV show, I wanted Van Dieb'spodcast, I wanted the article in
Edge.
After I met you, I putsomething.
It was like blank edge.
After I met you, I putsomething.
It was like blank J dosomething.
And so it's just as I've writtenthese down, little by little,
time has progressed, I'vechecked them off and it's just
(38:12):
that blessing to have thisopportunity to do that.
And I consider not even Iconsider and I'll say this
proudly in the greatest countryin the world, backed by faith,
backed by you know just Godhimself, I'll say you know it,
just it.
Really it's mind blowing to meand sometimes I still have
(38:35):
trouble wrapping my head aroundit.
But I mean just what theopportunities I've had.
I'm just so grateful and I just, I really hope it should help
at least one person out there,because at the end of the day,
I'm just so grateful and Ireally hope it's just helped at
least one person out there,because at the end of the day,
if I just help one person, thiswill all have been worth it.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Bro, first of all,
I'm blown away.
Hold on, I'm writing some stuffdown here Because I don't want
to forget this and I didn't wantto interrupt your flow.
Hold on, I want to tell you me,being on a list of yours,
(39:23):
people you've named I'm likethat to me is money.
Sometimes it's not money,sometimes it's time.
But to me, bro, to end up on alist, 19 years old, somebody
like yourself, to be in a crowdof those people, I would
consider that a success of mine.
And I mean that right, I don'tmean that to be token.
I mean it like.
We've commented on each other'sstuff through social media.
We've seen each other, you know, here and there.
(39:44):
But when you said, hey, if youever need a podcast, I mean this
wasn't more than an hour and ahalf ago to not two hours, right
.
I was like yes, yes, sir, andwhile I want to do other things,
while I've got other things todo, I was like let me just shoot
(40:04):
them back.
I'd love to what's your openwindow, right?
Sometimes people say, well, whatworks for you?
No, you are determined.
You're like here's my openwindow.
Like boom.
I replied back right away andI'm like okay, let's go.
But it's things like thatYou're saying to write it down,
put it out there.
And you know, I just I'vewatched you, wilson.
(40:28):
I've seen you know you andShannon do some things together.
I've seen your name and I'veseen the Sandy Spady show and
I've seen you with Van and I seein the same group of people.
You know what.
What?
What do you say if someone says, hey, wilson, I'd love to pick
your brain.
I want to network with you, Iwant to connect with you.
(40:50):
Like what's, what does thatmean to you?
Cause I know you've beenreached out to brother.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
Yeah, it's incredible
.
You know, we're all products ofpeople who've come before us.
I'm products of you, shannon,my parents, everyone in my life,
and so when I have somebody whoreally wants to just learn and
you can always, you can say theright things, but you can't.
You can buy the right things tosay but you can't buy the
(41:16):
passion and you can always pickup on passion.
So now I have someone just open, wide, like I have a cousin
she's just entering her freshmanyear of high school and the way
that I can like kind of sensethat she looks up to me, it's
just inspiring to me becauseit's like, all right, I've been
able to accomplish this.
I didn't have me growing up thatage.
I didn't have a person thatlike had the opportunities and
(41:37):
had it kind of figured out.
You know that could pick theirbrain about I had to.
You know, hey, new situation,let me pick someone's brain
about.
But the fact that you know,when people want to connect with
me and they're just wide-eyed,just, you know, super inspired
by me, and I say that not vainly, but just you know, that's what
I'm getting on to.
It's incredible because it's Isee it as an opportunity to help
(42:01):
others the way I've been helped.
Life isn't about puttingourselves forward.
It's easy to put ourselvesforward.
It's about how do we use thegifts to help others.
And a little prayer I'll do.
I'll say please allow those whoare thriving through life use
their gifts and bestow them toothers and allow those who are
struggling to have the strengthto carry through.
And it's that whole thing ofthe fact that I'm now, at 19
(42:24):
years old, Some kids my agedon't even know what they want
to do.
Speaker 2 (42:27):
No, hey bro, I'm 55.
I still don't know.
Speaker 3 (42:32):
The fact that I'm
able to have people want to just
connect with me whether it'sabout adoption, or just have
conversation or just if theyneed a reason to go get a bite
to eat the fact that people wantto connect with me.
It's just so inspiring, andit's one of the biggest reasons
why I do what I do is because asmuch help as I've received and
I've been given, I want to dothe same thing for others, and
(42:53):
so it's just a way for me toessentially keep it going.
You know, passing the torch onpassing good blessings.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
As you were maturing
and as you start networking.
When did you know that youwanted to pour into others?
What age specifically do youremember?
Like hey, whether it's likevolunteering to give out food,
the food pantry, whatever, Idon't care what it was when did
you say this?
Not being told to clean stuffup, right, like, that's not what
(43:28):
I'm talking about.
Like you know, when the classwent on a field trip and we did
a good thing, I'm talking aboutwhen you autonomously said I
want to do this, I want to serve.
When did you think that?
Speaker 3 (43:42):
It was my freshman
year of high school.
There was a particular kid inhigh school who kind of he was a
stud in high school and I meanthis kid was an all-stellar
athlete, smart, respected A lotof people respected him and he
was a D1, he's a D1 footballplayer right now.
(44:02):
You know, I'm going to justmention him.
His name is Cade Haberman.
Right, he was the guy whoactually blocked both field
goals against Notre Dame Shoutout NIU beating Notre Dame.
Right.
But the way that he carriedhimself at a young age right,
he's my age now, year ago theway that he was able to kind of
quietly not command respect, buteveryone respected him.
(44:23):
Right, and he was some highlevel athlete.
I come into school.
I was about 5'5", maybe 230pounds, pure, just blub right
there, Nothing special.
I had a better chance of flyingthan I did going anywhere.
That's not good, but they had aprogram through Westside and it
(44:45):
was like the big brotherprogram you find an
upperclassman, find a youngclassman.
Not that you have to babysitthe kid, but it was like the big
brother program you find anupperclassman, find a young
classman.
Not that you have to babysitthe kid, but it was like, hey,
just let them know.
Thumbs up, you got this Allthat good stuff.
Well, we're all.
The freshmen are in theauditorium and the kid looks at
me and goes right there, Comesto me and no, I had the least
(45:11):
opportunity and the leastprobably percentage to go
anywhere in football, whetherthat's NAIA to D1.
And I had the biggest D1 kid,one of the most successful
athletes, through Westside go.
Yep, I want to help that kid.
I like that kid Because I knowfor a fact, when you get that
age, he wasn't thinking thiskid's going to be great on the
football field.
He was thinking already I likethis kid, I like the way he is,
(45:31):
I like his manner, I like theway he respects people, I like
the culture, I like him.
And it was that speck rightthere, and I don't think I've
ever told him this, but it wasthe fact that he picked me, not
for the political reasons offootball but of the person I am.
And it was in that moment whereI'm like, okay, I want to do
this, I want to be able to goout and help others, and really
(45:57):
I don't know if pick's the rightword, but I want to be able to
go and pick people and pick goodpeople and go.
I like what you're doing, Ilike where you are.
I did a recent I I did a recentpodcast with 1 million cups, and
this will be quick, quick,short story.
There were million cups is anentrepreneur thing and you know
(46:18):
they have.
All these people pitch.
Well, I don't like pitches.
I don't like when I meet anentrepreneur and they're like
well, here's my business.
You know, I sell this.
I do that.
I don't care, I can find allthat out online.
If I'm really interested, I wantyou to tell me why you started
the business.
What's your story, what's your?
You know, what is it?
Because I look for one thingand that's their message.
(46:38):
You know this girl she, youknow, started her own
faith-based hot yoga studio andmy first question to her was
what's your story?
And she told me one of the mostbeautiful stories I've ever
heard, and it's just the factthat I want to help the future
generations, I want to be ableto pick people and use gifts
(47:02):
that I've bestowed onto me ontothem and just essentially, keep
the cycle going.
And so that's really what itwas.
Is that because it happened tome and it's happened so much, I
it'd be, only it'd be wrong withme not to want to continue that
cycle.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
If you really think
about it, how much will that
talent pouring into people costyou?
And your money.
Zero zero dollars and it and ithas come from somewhere.
So so in my book I talk abouttransferring energy and sharing
energy with other people, and Itruly believe that if you're
malicious, your energy will lastfor about that long.
(47:39):
But if it has got goodintentions and it's pure guess
what man, it's going to go fromone conductor to the next to the
next, and you know what?
Wilson to the next to the next.
And you know what Wilson?
Somebody, 79 years from now, 97from years from now, 190 years
from now, might say your name.
They might say your name.
Do you know what I'm saying?
Somebody you'll never meet,somebody you'll never that.
(48:03):
They'll find you, they'll finda message from you, or they'll
say you know, there, there, youhad a great grandfather named
Wilson, right, and he did this.
Or they'll find you in a lesson, or they'll find you documented
in history, or maybe anInstagram page that is around,
(48:23):
or your book might end up insome dental office that has.
You know what I'm saying, likethe things you're doing today,
bro, like listen, there's plentyof people that get show up on
this earth.
They die.
They're good people, that's it,right.
Their names died, their legacydied, their, their gifts died
(48:46):
because they kept it under alampshade or in a box, or they
didn't feel like imposing onpeople, bro, ripples when you
said oh, you know, maybe wedidn't change it with
legislation.
I don't need the governmenteither, bro, for me to make
change, right?
That's why I started the 50Mile March.
I didn't start the 50 Mile Marchfor the government to say, hey,
(49:07):
look at us.
I did it because veterans needtheir help, just like you.
There's no institution fundingyour book.
There's no body of peoplesaying we're going to lift up
Wilson Munster and then we'regoing to do this for him.
No, it's Wilson, whether anyoneshows up or not, right?
And I think that's a purephilosophy.
(49:29):
You know, here in the last fewminutes, we've got about nine
minutes left and I want to askyou some, some really insightful
questions of um, I want peopleto go now.
I know him, okay.
So when you're not doing allthe good stuff, when you're not
doing a Creighton, when you'renot on stage or where you're not
in front of people, uh, whereare you going?
(49:51):
What are you doing?
What do?
Speaker 3 (49:51):
you do.
For fun, I go record shopping.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
My little brother is
everything.
Speaker 3 (49:58):
I love it.
I picked up some names thatprobably might be even past your
head.
I have some Jim Reeves recordsI got.
These are from the 40s and 50s.
I just got Bing Crosby's WhiteChristmas.
That's yeah, I have, you know,engelbert Humperdinck's, tom
Cruise's, elvis's, johnny's,patsy Cline's, the Beatles you
(50:22):
know anyone I can, because to me, to me, and you know I've never
really said this out loud butit's no-transcript, annoying
(51:02):
loud crackle sound that nearyour ear that I can hear the
same thing that they do.
It's just a way for me toconnect with them, you.
When I'm not doing records,hanging out with friends, I'm an
avid chipotle lover.
I really love the new honeychipotle chicken.
That's the delicious.
They should sponsor you, bro.
Great, I love it.
I love chipotle.
It's bad how much I go, butyeah, I'm just hanging out with
friends, kind of just doing whatI can, and really I love
(51:25):
opportunities, concerts, movies,just being a kid right now.
That's essentially.
A kid is what I'm doing Right.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Right, I forgot,
you're 19,.
But let's go back to vinyl fora second brother.
You know I was a DJ.
I DJed on 1200s Like DJ onTechnique, 1200s, right Like.
I brought out record crates.
This was when I was younger.
Obviously my hair is.
You know, I was a kid of the80s.
We used to rock these partiesbut the crackle of the record.
(51:54):
So my mother had the best DonnyOsmond, the Beatles.
You know Tony Orlando and DonLike.
Do you know any of these namesthat I'm saying?
Hopefully you know Tony Orlandoand Don right Like.
I can go on and on Curtis Hayes, shaft, the orlando.
(52:14):
And don right like.
I can go on and on curtis hayes, shaft like the bgs.
Um, like, don't get me startedbro like we can battle.
We can battle for fever.
That's, that's dude.
Oh my gosh, um disco infernowas probably my favorite track
from the whole saturday night.
Fever or more than a woman, byum yvonne Elliman, anyway, or
belong to the rapture, let'skeep going, but that's not on
that album.
Anyway, there is somethingabout vinyl that is timeless,
(52:38):
just like what you're talkingabout, and it's probably
resonating with your life,because I feel like you are a
timeless classic dude.
Vinyl, when it was recorded, isrecorded in waves, right, true,
out the algorithm, the, theit's um, the output, it's it's,
it's a true wave.
(52:59):
Well, cds and digital music isrecorded in bits and it's jagged
.
So if, what is that?
Speaker 3 (53:09):
I think that's a
plane going over my house.
That's cool.
Speaker 2 (53:14):
I'm still that age.
Speaker 3 (53:15):
Oh, plane, where's
that?
That's funny, no.
Speaker 2 (53:19):
But if you really
look at it and if you listen to
the difference.
To me, when I listen to a CD Ican hear chalk Like I know it's
digital.
It's not exactly chalk to myears, but vinyl, bro, takes you
to a whole different place.
Speaker 3 (53:36):
It's magical, I can't
explain it.
You can just lay your head back.
I always have a position to putmy hands crossed on my stomach.
Speaker 2 (53:46):
I get transported,
you know, at Coneflower.
Have you ever been toConeflower?
Speaker 3 (53:52):
I would go there once
a week at college with a friend
.
So that's why, when I saw youdo it, I'm like, hey, is there
like a Coneflower gold cardwhere you get it once a week?
Because I could usually I coulduse that.
We added up how much money Ispent at Coneflower.
It's not a good number.
I would say anywhere from $600to $700, probably just a little
(54:15):
that's crazy.
Speaker 2 (54:17):
So he plays vinyl.
So when you step into his spaceit brings you back.
Oh yeah, even for those whohave never been in that era,
know what the pure sound of thatera is right like you know, you
know it's a vinyl, even ifyou've never heard it.
Speaker 3 (54:34):
You're just like, yep
, that's it all.
I mean it's funny because whenI would go and he'd hate, he'd
have you know, the vinyl recordsplaying it's, you know, behind
on the counter, because wealways went to the one on
millwork, we would, uh, I wouldlook at it and be like, oh, yep,
I have that, that record.
It was always a fun game oflike, well, I have today's
record in my weekly trip toConeflower Bro, that's fun, it
was great, it was so awesome.
Speaker 2 (54:57):
Okay, so a couple
more questions.
We already found out what yourfavorite vice, which is ice
cream, seems to be.
But any other vices that you'relike, oh gosh, you know any
vices of yours, I'm trying tothink.
Any things you collect, like youknow.
So for me, bro it, like I said,the bourbon.
(55:19):
I don't even drink it anymore.
But man, like we were talkingabout this earlier, right Like
my buddy just found that Elmer TLee and I just cigars is
another vice of mine, like youknow what.
What are some of the thingsthat consume your money with
guilty pleasure?
Speaker 3 (55:35):
I collect Elvis
Presley ornaments.
That's like.
That's like a thing I wouldhave never known, bro, elvis
Presley is my favorite singer.
I have, you know, records.
I have just and I will send youpictures later.
The craziest I have, like anElvis doll, gold coins, just
(55:57):
Elvis, anything.
I love Elvis, the raw talent.
There's nothing that's everbeen like that and nothing that
ever will be, and so I haveabout, I think, 40 to 50.
Speaker 2 (56:08):
That's a great number
.
Speaker 3 (56:09):
I've been to
Graceland three or four times, I
think, right now in my life andyou know, growing up it wasn't
disney.
I want to go back to graceland,I wanted to see everything,
because it just was amazing tome.
You know, when you can sit inthe rock and roll hall of fame
and they have american trilogyplaying and it's just museum,
(56:29):
museum, elvis exhibit, littleElvis room Sorry, that's the
house song and it's AmericanTrilogy playing, and you just
get stuck there.
The power of the voice takesyou to a different place.
You just sit there for another20 minutes.
Next thing you know you'rewatching the entire Aloha from
Hawaii concert and it justtransports you.
(56:52):
So, yeah, anything Elvis,anything of the old 50s through
70s.
I like old, kind of likecountry-western posters, like
the old.
I want like old magazines.
I kind of like, kind of those,but they're hard, hard to buy,
because I were just thinking ofthrew them away.
But you know, I have a, I havea was.
(57:13):
I have a menu used in the 70sconcerts.
I do want a paper, though, ofelvis died.
I want one of those elvis diedpapers frame it, because to me
it's just the way my parentsdescribe them, hearing about it.
Speaker 2 (57:29):
There's nothing
that's been like it, I mean I
guess the you haven'texperienced it yourself and
you're that close to it, so yourparents really affected how you
feel about it.
Speaker 3 (57:39):
Oh it's my dad's
number thing is without-.
Those who forget history aredoomed to repeat it.
Right, he loves that and it'sjust like.
So I'm a big history buff andit's without our history there
is no future, you know.
So it's how do I stay immersed?
Because you ask any other 19year old, they're probably gonna
(58:00):
like they're gonna know allabout the future.
They're gonna know all aboutthe latest and greatest.
They're gonna know all aboutyou know who's dating who.
Which kardashians datingsomebody.
I want to know about thehistory.
I want to know about the worldwars.
I want to know about how wasthis country founded, how was
the banking system set up, andso it's just like I've just kind
(58:20):
of resided in being an old soul.
I used to kind of not like it,but now I've learned to own it.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
Yeah, absolutely, and
I think that's important.
And there's a last questionI'll have for you what advice do
you have for discontent peopletoday?
Discontent people who are like,man, this is the worst time
ever and I, I I only got half ofthis, or hey, and I'm not
(58:48):
talking politics, I'm talkingabout you.
Meet people all the time,wilson.
They're like oh, I can't bethat happy, I can't be that
happy.
What is your message to thosepeople, bro?
Speaker 3 (58:59):
I will say really
count your blessings right.
I found that people who have nogoals to better themselves or
achieve something wither away,and that's how you become
complacent.
Okay, so always try to figureout how to better yourself.
I have, you know, something onmy phone that I look at every
day and it motivates me.
You know, I don't know if thecamera is going to pick this up,
(59:21):
but how do I do this?
But it's like my goal.
Yeah, how's my job, you know.
Build John, yeah yeah, build myfinancial wealth so my future
wife, hopefully, doesn't have towork.
Grow into the best version ofmyself, make a lasting impact in
the world and inspire people tobelieve what's possible.
(59:42):
And with those goals, it'sabout finding my why.
Now I always have a reason toget up and do what I can.
And for people who arediscontent, I would say find a
way to improve yourself, becauseyou know, without those goals
you kind of become comfortable,but you don't have a reason to
get better.
And when you don't have areason to get better, you know
(01:00:05):
you don't really have amotivation to do anything.
And so then do everything thatcomes with that.
Find the support system, do thethings you can.
Lean on others, ask for help.
The world's a good place, nomatter what you watch on the
news.
The world is good, people aregood.
And if you can just take thechance to ask a question, do it,
(01:00:27):
because as many times as I'vebeen told no in my life, whether
it's being on a podcast orsomething, the few the little
times I've been yet you know,gotten yes, it's grown into
something incredible.
So just don't be afraid andfind your goals and then go and
achieve them.
Speaker 2 (01:00:41):
All right.
The final part here is I'mgoing to give you advice,
because I wrote this down fromearlier when you said I'm going
to allude back to it and then,if you have any advice for me,
I'll take it and we're going toclose it out.
All right, you ready?
All right, wilson, here's myadvice to you.
Don't lose your light, bro.
You're 19 years old.
I feel like I'm talking to my19-year-old self right now.
(01:01:02):
You will be jaded, you will bederailed.
You will be derailed.
You will fall on your face.
You'll be chastised.
You'll be ridiculed, you'll beembarrassed.
You'll be let down.
You will be betrayed.
You will be robbed, you will beleft out.
Okay, but your attitude rightnow should not and could not.
(01:01:26):
Don't ever let that go away,could not and could not.
Don't ever let that go away.
Your message, your passion, yourcreativity, your connection,
your history.
You cannot forget that.
You cannot forget that.
And I'm telling you right now Iwish I was your mental age at
(01:01:51):
19.
Do you get what I'm saying?
Like if I could go back to 19years old.
I'm not saying I want to belike you, wilson.
I'm saying there's a lot tolearn from you.
And the last part is when I saydon't lose your message.
And here's why no one else isgoing to deliver the message
like you do Nobody.
It's not about, oh, how tostrike oil or how to become rich
, or hey, here's how to do this.
And your message is foradoption.
(01:02:13):
Your message is for the peoplewho are um adoptees right, the
children who've been adopted,and for the parents and for the
system.
Bro, there's multi dimensions.
Don't ever lose that, becauseyou know what.
Not everyone's comfortabletalking about it, and there is
plenty of work to do in thatsystem.
As much as I don't know, I knowenough that that system, that
(01:02:36):
world, that community needs alight like yours, and that's my
advice for you brother.
Speaker 3 (01:02:41):
That's awesome, it's
absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
I guess much of my
let's see and you don't have to
have it, bro, you can give it tome later.
I just thought, from the littlethat we know of each, I guess
let's see.
And you don't have to have it,bro, you can give it to me later
.
I just thought, from the littlethat we know of each other, you
might be like, hey, when youlook in the camera, open your
eyes, jay.
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:03:00):
I guess my advice
would be is just keep doing you,
simple as it is.
Keep being who you are doing,the things you do, Everything I
see the 50-mile march and justeverything that you are and
stand for.
Keep doing that.
You know there's not a lot ofpositive voices out there.
It's easy to be a negativevoice and get noticed and the
(01:03:24):
negative voices kind of can shunout the positive voices.
But just keep being a positivevoice and keep doing what you're
doing.
Keep being a great father, Keepbeing a great husband.
I mean, I'm not going to liewith you, I have been
piggybacking on your guys' datenights whenever you go to the
restaurant.
I have been going to those andbe like, oh he was right, this
place is legit.
You know, I like this place now.
(01:03:46):
So just love that my wife willkeep doing you, man, and just
keep giving back, because I'mhoping someone listens to this
five years from now.
Hopefully I'll be able to haveyou on a podcast and we can just
keep it going and helpingothers well the most, the
(01:04:12):
greatest for you.
Speaker 2 (01:04:13):
Just, you're doing a
lot of great things, man.
Say no to a few people, it'sokay.
Stay focused on you.
Time, time, that's all you got,brother, time.
Say no to some things thatyou're unsure of, and it's okay,
right, no one's.
No one's, because when you sayyes to the things you can't take
on it's it wrecks everything.
So, with that being said, I'mgoing to watch you, bro.
I mean, I followed you throughmy feeds, like we're always I.
(01:04:36):
I, I'm abreast of everythingthat you were doing, so good for
you.
This is the first of many, bro,because we're going to do
followups.
I hope to see you soon andwe'll go from there, brother.
Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
Thank you so much.
It's been an honor, thanks.
Thanks for tuning in to theConnection.
It's been a fantastic journey,exploring stories, insights and
inspirations that bridge ourlives.
Remember every connection hasthe power to transform.
Please subscribe, rate andreview.
Your feedback keeps us going inthis connected world.
(01:05:12):
Let's make meaningfulconnections that enrich lives.
Now signing off until next time, the connection, keep
connecting and let's go.