Episode 18: Whistleblowers, Warrants, and Wistful Reunions

LUKE: All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Luke at the Roost. This is

the call-in radio show where you can call in and ask me your questions. If

you'd like to call in, the number's 208-439-5853. That's 208-439 Luke. If you're not near

a phone and you'd still like to participate in the show, you can email us

at submissions.com. And with that out of the way, I just want you all to

know that our street team has been hard at work spreading the word about the

roost. All those roosters are out there dropping off stickers and business cards and truck

stop bathrooms all across the country. So if you happen to see my face on

a sticker, on an ice box in front of a loves, that's intentional. So don't

remove it. First up on the show, we have caller Woody. Woody, welcome to the

show. What would you like to talk about today?

WOODY: Hey, Luke, yeah. So I found a USB drive in the company truck three

weeks ago, and I've been sitting on it because I'm pretty sure my foreman's been

running fake invoices through our drilling operation for like two years.

LUKE: Did you look at what's on the USB key? Because it might be more

interesting than that.

WOODY: Oh, I looked. I looked too much. It's not just invoices. It's spreadsheets with

two sets of numbers, emails between him and some guy and me. Midland, who's definitely

not a supplier, and a folder labeled backup with receipts from a casino in Ruidoso.

LUKE: Well, that's not good. What are you going to do with that information?

WOODY: That's the thing, man. I've been parked at this truck stop for three hours

trying to figure that out. I could hand it to the site manager, but Big

Jim's been my foreman for four years, and he got me this job when I

really needed it. Or I could just toss it and pretend I never saw it,

but then I'm sitting on actual fraud, and that eats at me.

LUKE: Why does that eat at you? What does it have to do with you?

WOODY: Because I'm the one who found it, you know? Like I didn't go looking

for it. It was just sitting there in the glove box of truck number seven.

But now I. And every time Big Jim texts me about helping with his cattle

or asks me how the rig's running, I'm looking at him different. Plus my dad

lost his pension when his company went under because of shit like this. So it's

not just abstract to me.

LUKE: Okay, well, this is a buddy of yours, right? You said he got you

to the job and he's your foreman, you work with him all the time. Maybe

you should just talk to him and see what's up because it could be an

explainable situation.

WOODY: I mean, yeah, I thought about that, but Luke, there's like 40 invoices from

a Southwest drilling supply that doesn't exist. I googled it. And the emails, man, they're

not ambiguous. There's one where he's talking about keeping the split at 6.0 and another

one about making the actual equipment rentals. That's not a misunderstanding. That's a system.

LUKE: Okay, well, if holding on to this information makes you feel strange, how do

you think being a whistleblower would make you feel?

WOODY: Oh, God, yeah, that's exactly it. Like, I'd be the guy who burned big

Jim and everyone on the crew would know it was me because I'm the only

one who drives that truck regular. I'd be done in this industry, at least around

here. Word gets around fast when you're the snitch.

LUKE: if you're technically doing the right thing. Do you know what they say about

snitches?

WOODY: Yeah, they get stitches. I know. And that's not even hyperbole out here. Big

Jim's got friends who, look, let's just say people handle their business differently in the

oil patch. But honestly, what gets me more than that is just being the guy

who couldn't mind his own business.

LUKE: Yeah, it's a little bit messed up that you found a USB key and

then looked to see what was on. Was there anything else on the key besides

these invoices?

WOODY: Oh, there was some other stuff, like a bunch of pictures from his daughter's

birthday last year, and a playlist called Big Jim's Roadhouse Mix, that's mostly George Strait

and some weird country rap. But the invoices were in a folder labeled Tax Prep

2024, which is just, yeah. I mean, I wasn't snooping for this, but when you

see something like that, you don't just unsee it. It's like walking in on your

parents doing it. You can't pretend you didn't.

LUKE: Since you found it, you feel weird about it, and you don't want to

sit on the fraud, and you don't want to say nothing. You've got to talk

to Big Jim and ask them what it's about. Let them know that you know.

Let them know that you found the key. You've got the evidence, and if it

continues, you're going to turn them in, but give him the opportunity to turn it

around. Because I think if you don't do that, you are going to be the

snitch, and it's nobody's going to want to do business with you anymore.

WOODY: Oh, man, you're saying that, like, it's a choice. Like, I'm just going to

walk up to Big Jim, who's got a belt buckle bigger than my fist and

a temper to match and say, that's not how this works. That's how you end

up in a ditch outside of Deming. But, okay, fine.

LUKE: Well, that's why you're smart about it, and you give a copy about it

to a trusted person. If anything happens to you, that copy gets out, and you

let Big Jim know that you've got the evidence. Somebody else has the evidence, and

if he doesn't cut the shit, you're going to turn him in.

WOODY: Jesus, Luke, now we're talking about insurance policies and dead man switches like I'm

in a mob movie. But I mean, yeah, that makes sense.

LUKE: Well, you're talking about conspiratorial fraud in an oil patch with a guy named

Big Jim. You're already in a mob movie, buddy.

WOODY: Okay, fair point. So what? I give a copy to Angela? She already thinks

I'm too paranoid. This is going to really seal the deal. Hey, babe, hold on

to this USB drive and if I turn up missing, mail it to the feds.

That's definitely getting me laid.

LUKE: That is definitely getting you laid. Chicks love danger, and you're a dangerous man.

So do the right thing, be smart about it, and, you know, let them know

that it's not going to stand and you can't be part of it.

WOODY: You know what? You're making this sound way cooler than it feels. I'm sitting

here in a Flying J parking lot eating beef jerky and having an existential crisis,

and you're turning me into some kind of whistleblower action hero. But all right, all

right, I'll make a kind of. I'll make a I'll give it to Angela, who's

either going to think this is the hottest thing I've ever done or the stupidest,

and I'll have a conversation with Big Jim. A very careful conversation, probably in a

public place.

LUKE: There you go. Now you're being smart, and it can be the hottest thing

you've ever done and the stupidest. They're not mutually exclusive. So do the right thing.

You've got a plan now. Execute it, and you're going to be just fine.

WOODY: You know what, Luke? I called in here thinking I was just going to

vent and maybe get told to forget about it. And instead, you've got me planning

like I'm about to take down the Gambino family. But honestly, yeah.

LUKE: Hey, you don't know. This could be the tip of the iceberg, but like

you said, Big Jim is your buddy. He's your friend. He's a guy you want

on your side. So you can frame this in a way that you're really doing

him a favor. Like, look, this is going to get out one way or another,

and I'm giving you the opportunity to keep the lid on that by straightening out

your act.

WOODY: Oh, man. That's... that's actually smart. Like, hey, Jim, I stumbled across something, and

I'm bringing it to you first because I respect you. But this can't continue. Make

it about loyalty instead of accusation. Give him a chance to fix it before it

blows up in everyone's face. The thing is, I don't even know if he's the

one running this, or if he's just signing off on stuff someone above him is

pushing down.

LUKE: Either way, you're right. It's going to come out eventually. It is about loyalty

because he is your buddy. And if he's just, it wasn't about loyalty, you already

would have turned him in. So that's the truth. Stick with it.

LUKE: Do the right thing. And maybe flee the country. Okay, so step one, make

copies. Step two, give one to Angela with the sexiest, if I die, avenge me

speech I can manage. Step three, talk to Big Jim like a reasonable human being.

Step four, have a valid passport ready just in case. Got it.

WOODY: You know what, Luke?

LUKE: What, Woody?

WOODY: I feel like I just went from guy who's going to throw this in

a dumpster and pretend he never saw it to guy with an actual plan in

like five minutes. I don't know if that's good judgment or if you just talked

me into something incredibly stupid. But I guess we'll find out. Worst case scenario, I'm

calling you back from Mexico in a couple weeks.

LUKE: All right, Woody. Well, thanks for the call. We hope it all works out

for you. And if it doesn't, we will avenge you. You have a wonderful night

and stay safe out there. Tamika, Tamika, welcome to the show. What would you like

to talk about tonight?

TAMIKA: Luke, hey. Okay, so, the sheriff just showed up at my neighbor Rose's house,

looking for me because of some stupid warrant from last summer. And she? Covered for

me. But now I'm sitting here thinking I might have just made everything worse for

her.

LUKE: Well, yeah, if you're dragging somebody else into your legal problems, you're. You're obviously

a burden to your friends and society. So what is it that you did?

TAMIKA: It was a poker game, man. Last August, over at this guy Daryl's place

off Route 9. I won $400. And apparently, the game got rated like an hour

after I left. Illegal gambling or whatever. I didn't even know that was coming. I

just took my money and went home to my kids.

LUKE: And how is there a warrant for your arrest? How can they prove that

you were at this illegal poker game? First of all, nobody. cares about 400 bucks

in an illegal poker game. But what makes the fuzz what got them on your

tail?

TAMIKA: That's what I'm saying. I don't even know how they got my name. Best

I can figure is someone talked. Or maybe Darrell had a list or something. He

was running these games pretty regular like every other weekend. But I got the notice

in the mail back in September, said I had to appear for some misdemeanor thing.

And I just, I didn't I was working double shifts. The kids had school starting.

And honestly, Luke, I thought if I ignored it, maybe it would just go away.

LUKE: Well, you know damn well that you can't ignore a warrant or a deposition

or anything from the court, and it's going to go away. I mean, that's stupid.

But I'm not a lawyer. Let me put that out there. I'm not a lawyer

at all. But I'm pretty sure somebody just saying your name doesn't put out a

warrant for your arrest.

TAMIKA: No. You're right. I had to sign in when I got there. Daryl had

this whole thing like a clipboard at the door. Said it was for insurance purposes,

which I thought was weird. But whatever, I just wanted to play cards.

LUKE: What the hell? You walked into an illegal poker game, and the host of

the game had you physically write down information that's identifiable? That's absurd. Who would do

that? Why would you do that?

TAMIKA: I know. It sounds insane now, but at the time it felt, I don't

know, legit. Like, it was true to make it seem professional or something. There were

like 12 people there, half of them I knew from around town. It didn't feel

sketchy. It just felt like guys playing cards on a Saturday night. I wrote down

my name and phone number like an idiot and didn't think twice about it.

LUKE: Well, you know what? I think, skipping, skipping court, that's a crime. But having

your name on a list isn't necessarily. I'm sure if you got a good enough

lawyer, you could get yourself out of that one pretty easily, and you should just

go to court and see what it even is. Because do you know that this

is why they're looking for you? Has anybody from the police department said it's for

illegal gambling?

TAMIKA: No, actually, the deputy didn't say anything to Rosa, except they were looking for

me about a warrant. I'm just assuming it's the poker thing because that's the only

legal. trouble I've had. But you're right. I don't actually know for sure what it's

about. I never opened the court notice all the way. I just saw failure to

appear and my stomach dropped. And I shoved it in a drawer.

LUKE: Okay, well, none of what you have told me thus far in this call

has been very smart. So I'm questioning your intellectual capacity, but I'm going to tell

you right now, you got to go to the court and see what this is

about and get it cleared up, because it's not going to get better if you

continue to hide. from the sheriff. It could be nothing. It could be, uh, it's,

it's probably unrelated, but you know what's worse than illegal gambling? You won $400. That's

tax evasion. That's way worse. They will come after you forever for evading tax on

$400. So you clean this up.

TAMIKA: Oh God, I didn't even. I didn't report it on my taxes. Luke, I

just bought groceries and shoes for my kid. I didn't think about the IRS. Jesus

Christ, is that really worse? Because now I'm spiraling here. You think that's what this

is about?

LUKE: No, I don't think that's what this is about. I think this is about

something completely different. Because honestly, nobody cares about your $400 local poker game. There would

have to be something else going down there, and you're not the one that they're

after. If they're staking out a high-stakes-if it's a Molly's game situation, they're not after

you. and they're not looking for you. They might be trying to get information out

of you about someone else that was there. That I could see, but nobody cares

about your 400 bucks. They might try to use that for leverage. But, yeah, and

since I've identified that you're not the brightest, do not report this to the IRS.

TAMIKA: Okay, okay, so you think they want me to talk about somebody else who

was there? Because there were a couple guys I didn't recognize. One of them had

a real. nice watch was throwing around hundreds like it was nothing. Daryl seemed to

know him, though. You think that's what this is? They're trying to flip me on

someone bigger?

LUKE: I have no idea what this is because you didn't read the fucking document

they sent you that told you what it is. So maybe read that. It might

have some indication. I'm just trying to give you a game plan for if you

do go into the sheriff's office and they have questions because that would be their

intention. It's not to come after you, a mother of however many kids you're all.

mother of for $400 in a home poker game.

TAMIKA: Two kids. And yeah, you're right. I need to dig that paper out of

the drawer and actually read the whole thing. I just panicked when I saw Warrant

and my name and I couldn't deal with it. But now Rosa's spooked. The deputy's

been to her house and I'm sitting here making tea at midnight like that's going

to solve anything. I'll look at it tomorrow morning. First thing.

LUKE: That's good because otherwise you're spiraling into a life of crime and you're bringing

down the people that are around you with you. And it's, uh, you're a detriment

to society. And nobody wants that. So, so, uh, take care of this situation. And

if you've got to stop playing poker at this poker game, I would recommend doing

that for now. And, uh, maybe play online or actually go to a casino. There

are plenty of casinos with poker rooms where you can go play legitimate poker, uh,

for stakes that you're, uh, that you're, that you're, uh, that you're comfortable with.

TAMIKA: Yeah. Yeah. No. I haven't been back since. That was six months ago, and

I learned my lesson. I'm not cut out for that kind of thing. I get

nervous just thinking about it now. You're right, though. I need to stop hiding and

just deal with it like an adult.

LUKE: That is correct. Thank you for the call. We hope it all works out.

And congratulations on your big poker win. Thanks for the call again, Tamika. Now it's

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VPN. Next up on the call roster here, we have Clarence. Clarence, welcome to the

show. How's your evening going?

CLARENCE: Oh, man, it's going. You know, got the space heater cranked. Doing paperwork I

should have done three weeks ago. So living the dream. But hey, Luke, I got

to ask you something.

LUKE: All right, hit me with some funny shit.

CLARENCE: So last Saturday, I'm at my buddy Danny's barbecue. We've known each other 20

years, right? Hunt together, help each other move, the whole deal. I go inside to

grab a beer, and I hear him out by the grill, telling people that I

can't even keep my own marriage running, much less an AC unit. And here's the

thing. He's not wrong about the marriage part. Been divorced two years. But man, that

landed different than the usual shit we give each other. I don't understand.

LUKE: that bother you, sir. I mean, okay, so normally we bust each other's balls

all the time, you know? That's just what we do. But this wasn't to my

face. And how well do you know your way around an AC unit?

CLARENCE: What do you mean? I've been running Clarence's heating and cooling for 16 years,

Luke. I know my way around an AC unit just fine. That's not the point.

LUKE: What is the point, sir? Your buddy said some shit behind your back and

you didn't like that?

CLARENCE: No, it's not just that. It's the way he said it. Like he was

of it. Like he'd been waiting to say it. And here's the thing. Danny's my

best friend.

LUKE: Okay. How do you know he was talking about you? I mean, there's not

that many clearances around, but there could be more than one clearance.

CLARENCE: Oh, come on, Luke. We were at barbecue. literally in the next room. He

knows I run the AC business in town. And when I came back out with

the beer, everyone got real quiet and looked at their shoes, you know?

LUKE: Okay. Is it a possibility that you may be a cuckold?

CLARENCE: What? No, Jesus, Luke. I'm divorced. There's no cuckolding happening.

LUKE: Okay, so you can't keep a marriage together and you've been divorced for a

long time. It's not a very good from your friend. So I don't understand why

this is bothering you much. Talk to your buddy and figure out what that was

about. Maybe he was drunk. Maybe he was tripping on acid. You don't know.

CLARENCE: I mean, yeah, the divorce was three years ago. And you're right. It's not

even a creative insult. But that's what's eating at me, Luke. It wasn't creative. It

was just true.

LUKE: Okay. So there you go. You're bothered by it because what he said was

the truth and you knew it. So what are you going to do about that?

It's not his fault.

CLARENCE: No, you're right. It's not his fault. I just, I've been sitting here all

week thinking about it, and I keep coming back to the same thing. Like, why

would he say that? We've been friends for 20 years.

LUKE: Why don't you ask him that? Why are you calling the radio to ask

me why he would say the truth about your life?

CLARENCE: Because I'm afraid of what he'll say, all right? I'm afraid he'll tell me

he's been thinking it for. years that everyone's been thinking it, that I'm the guy

who can fix everyone else's AC, but can't keep his own shit from falling apart.

LUKE: And I heard Woody earlier, the guy with Big Jim and the fraud thing,

and he's going to go confront his friend directly. And that's the same advice I'm

going to give to you is to go confront your friend directly, because if your

friend's feeling that way about you and has been for some time, maybe that friendship

is not worth keeping.

CLARENCE: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, you're right. I just, sitting here in this office at midnight,

you know, 20 years of friendship, we were at each other's weddings. His kid calls

me Uncle Clarence.

LUKE: Well, that's a bit weird. That sounds a little creepy. I don't know what

to tell you, Clarence. This doesn't sound like much of an issue to me. Go

talk to your friend and figure out what that was about because people spout off

shit all the time.

CLARENCE: Whoa, hold on. The kid thing isn't creepy, Luke. That's just what kids do

down here. All my buddy's kids call me uncle. That's normal. But you're right about

the rest. I'm making this bigger than it is.

LUKE: Well, that is not normal, sir. I'm here to tell you that Uncle Clarence

sounds creepy. So go talk to your friend and stop being such a baby. Jesus,

it's with these people. Next up on the line, we have Sandy. Sandy, welcome to

the show. How can we help you? I hope you have a better story for

us than Clarence did. Jesus. What about that guy? Uncle Clarence over there? I'm creep.

SANDY: Oh man, no. I'm not calling about my feelings getting hurt at a barbecue.

I can promise you that. So here's the thing. My boss gave me until next

Saturday to sign off on a bunch of fire safety reports that say we did

drills and equipment checks that absolutely never happened, like not even close. home, and I'm

supposed to just put my name on paperwork that says we're all good when we

are very much not all good. And I know what you're going to say. Don't

sign it, report it, whistleblow. But what I actually want to talk about is how

this is exactly the kind of thing that's been keeping me stuck in this town

for two years longer than I should have been here.

LUKE: Okay, well, I don't understand that last part, and you're right. I am going

to tell you to whistleblow like that. I mean, if something were to happen, then

you'd never be able to live with yourself afterwards if you did not whistleblow. But

what is it about this situation that's been keeping you stuck in this town?

SANDY: No, it's not that this specific situation has been keeping me stuck. It's that

this is like the perfect example of how everything works here. Like, my girlfriend left

for Tucson two years ago, and I didn't go with her because I had this

job and it felt responsible, you know? stable, and now I'm sitting here at one

in the morning in an empty building, being asked to compromise myself just so this

place can keep its license and keep operating. Which is the same logic for everything.

The county's broke, the state fundings a joke, so we all just agree to fudge

things a little bit here and there because otherwise the whole thing falls apart.

LUKE: Yeah, well, there's a lot of fudging going around and a lot of businesses.

I've never worked anywhere where at some point I wasn't asked to compromise myself. So

that is part of capitalism, I think. But when it's a safety issue, if it

really has you concerned and people could be hurt from your lack of, lack of,

what's the word, I'm not looking for, integrity, then you've got to do something about

that. Because if you don't, then you suck. You might as well kill the people

yourself, right? you have to report that.

SANDY: Yeah, I know. I'm not signing it. I already decided that. I called my

supervisor on Friday and told her I wasn't comfortable with it. And she gave me

this whole speech about how we're all doing the best we can with what we

have. And how if I make a big deal out of this, the state could

shut us down. And then where would these residents go? Which is probably true, honestly.

LUKE: It may be true, but you know what would not happen? Those residents would

not die in a fire because they didn't shut down a place that was unsafe.

SANDY: Right, exactly. And that's the thing. I'm not even wrestling with whether to sign

it anymore. I'm not going to.

SANDY: What I keep thinking about is how I've been making these little compromises for

two years, telling myself it's because I care about the residents, or because the way.

work matters, whatever. But really?

LUKE: Yeah, I sympathize with that situation. I think we've all been in similar positions,

and I can understand how you feel sort of compromised because you have compromised, but

that doesn't mean you have to continue, right? You've come to this realization. You've had

this moment of clarity. And this is how the world works. That's every single place

I've ever worked, has asked me to compromise myself in some way. Now, they're not

all safety issues, but it's always somebody saying, well, you got to do this for

us, even though I know that it's wrong. And, and, you know the thing? You

can compromise for them over and over and over. You can be as loyal as,

I don't know, a golden retriever. And when it comes down to it, they will

throw you under the bus in a second.

SANDY: Oh, I know. I saw it happen. to the last night shift supervisor. She

tried to raise a stink about the staffing levels, and suddenly she was no longer

a good fit. Poof, gone. And I'm sitting here in the break room. Boots propped

up on a folding chair, picking at a Diet Coke label, and the only light

on in the whole building is this one and the hallway nightlights.

LUKE: Yeah, and it's good to do the best you can and care because in

some respects, you're obviously doing the right thing and helping a lot of people. And

that's good. But the company doesn't care about you. And it doesn't matter what company

it is because the company cares about the company. And if you're not an owner

of that company, they do not give a shit about you. They might pretend to,

but that is performative. That is HR. That is marketing. So make sure you know

that when you're going into this stuff. The best work you can, but at the

end of the day, you are on your own. And don't compromise.

SANDY: Yeah, and that's what my girlfriend kept saying before she left. She was like,

Sandy, they're using your sense of responsibility against you. And I didn't want to hear

it then, because it felt like she was saying the work didn't matter, but that's

not what she meant. She meant exactly what you're saying. They'll take everything you're willing

to give and then act surprised when you finally say no to something.

LUKE: And honestly? You know what? I used to work for a company called Salesforce.

Maybe you've heard of them. The CEO there, his name's Mark Beniof. And when I

worked there in like 2015-ish, it was the culture of the company. It was a

very employee-forward company. there's all the snacks you could eat and Ohana culture. Like they

were all about Hawaii and Ohana and everybody's family here. And you know what's happened

at Salesforce now? They laid off 40% of the workforce and all of that performative

bullshit about philanthropy and fixing hospital wings has turned into, how can I suck the

dick of President Donald J. Trump so that I can get the tax rebates that

he was promised? And this dude Benning, off, he's out there making jokes about ice

and saying, I should come to San Francisco and clean it up. And it's the

complete antithesis of what the company was founded on because all of that is bullshit.

So when a company is in a position to be playing public opinion with their

philanthropy and good works and employee first culture, take that with a grain of salt

because when the tides turn, they turn with them.

SANDY: Jesus. Yeah, I mean, this place never even pretended to be that. We've always

been broke and scrambling. But you're right, it's the same thing just at a different

scale. They'll use the we're helping people angle to get you to cover shifts with

no notice, to ignore safety violations, to take on extra residents when we're already understaffed.

LUKE: Yeah, when I was there, they had. this big conference every year and they

get will I am and whoever is popular at the time to come in and

give a speech about change in the world or some bullshit. And when I was

there, that person that they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to come speak was

Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton came to the company and all support behind Hillary Clinton. But

you know who we're in bed with today? Mr. Donald J. Trump. And that's the

thing.

SANDY: At least with... those big companies. You know it's all fake from the start.

Here, it's worse in a way, because everyone actually does care about the residents. Like,

my co-workers really do give a shit, but the organisation itself is still using that

against us. If you don't sign this, if you don't stay late, if you don't

cover that shift, these vulnerable people suffer. And that's The truth is, I should have

left when gendered.

LUKE: Yeah, and I sympathize with your situation, because that is true. Most of the

people that you work with that are subordinates, that are employees of the company doing

the actual work, they do care. They do want to do their best work. They

do want to take care of the clients. But the people that make the money,

they don't give shit. And as soon as they can find a way to do

it cheaper, regardless of if it's better or more effective, they're going to do it

cheaper and they're going to cut you. you. So don't stay up all night for

the company. Or, I mean, even for the residents, I would say, once in a

while, that's okay, but you can't burn yourself out or give up relationships or decide

where you live for that. That's too much. And I'm glad that you've come to

this realization now before they're throwing you to the curb. So yeah, find yourself a

new position, work for yourself. Be your own. agent.

SANDY: Yeah. And the stupid thing is, Jen's been telling me for months there's work

in Tucson. She's managing a coffee roaster now making more than I do here. And

she keeps saying they need people. But I've been telling myself all these reasons why

I can't leave. The residents need consistency. My co-workers are already stretched thin. I know

this place inside and out. But Really?

LUKE: Well, it sounds like it's time for you to move on. And you did

it for as long as you could. You did the best you could. And when

it came time to compromise your morals and your values, you stood up for yourself.

And you said, I'm not doing this. And you stood up for your clients in

the same way by not allowing, not allowing them to be in an unsafe situation.

So you can feel proud of that and sleep good tonight because you did the

right thing. And now it's time to move on.

SANDY: Yeah, you're right. I'm not signing those reports. And honestly, I think I've known

since Tuesday I wasn't going to. I just needed to.

LUKE: Well, good. I wish you the best of luck, wherever you end up, and

remember the lesson that you learned here, because that is the way that it is.

And make sure that you are completely aware of the compromises that you're making and

their effect on your well-being. and your life, because nobody else is thinking about that

for you, even if they tell the world that they are. They're not.

SANDY: Yeah. Thank you, Luke. Really? I'm going to call Jen when I get off

shift. And hey, maybe I'll call you back in a few months from Tucson and

let you know how it went.

LUKE: All right. Thank you for the call, Sandy. And I hope that it all

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feeling, and feelings can be purchased. All right, I am calmed down now after our

last call. That one got to me because the exploitation of people in that way

really pisses me off. And I've seen it too many times at too many companies

now. So let's move on. Next up. On the line we have Lakeisha. Lakeisha, welcome

to the show. What would you like to talk about today?

LAKEISHA: Hey, Luke. Yeah. So I went to my high school reunion tonight and nobody

remembered me. And I mean, like I was a ghost, four years at that school.

And I walked in and got blank stairs.

LUKE: Okay. Well, how, what was your participation in school? Were you in any, like

the band or sports? Or what, what was you? was your school like?

LAKEISHA: Oh man. I was everywhere. Volleyball team. Choir second soprano. Thank you very much.

Worked the concession stand at every single football game. You name it. I was the

one who always had the extra pen in geometry. The one who'd drive people home

when their car broke down. I was.

LUKE: And tonight? How many concession stand workers do you remember?

LAKEISHA: Okay. Fair, but I'm not talking about, like, random people I stood next to

once. There was this girl, Brittany, who copied my geometry homework every single day for

an entire semester. We sat together. Every day.

LUKE: Okay, well, I will admit that this scenario sounds odd, that you could have

been that involved in school at the time, and nobody remembers you now. Did they

remember each other? Was this like a spike-the-punch situation where everybody was... set up for

a high school reunion orgy? Like, what was the vibe of the reunion?

LAKEISHA: Oh, it was a Spike the Punch situation, though I wish it had been.

At least then I'd have an excuse for why nobody remembered me. No, it was

just polite. Like, everyone was being nice. Too nice. The kind of nice that makes

you feel like you're being humored.

LUKE: Well, yeah, it was a high school reunion. Nobody wants to be there. Everybody's

being humored. Um, that's, that's the deal. But it sounds odd nobody remembered you. Are

you significantly different now? Do you look different? Uh, uh, uh, this is your voice

changed? Uh, what, what were you like in high school versus what you're like today?

LAKEISHA: I mean, I've got different hair now. I cut it short about a year

ago. But it's not like I had plastic surgery or something. I'm still me. Maybe

a little heavier. But who isn't after four years?

LUKE: Define a little.

LAKEISHA: Okay, maybe 30 pounds. Fine. But Luke, come on. I'm not unrecognizable. And it's

not just how I look.

LUKE: I'm not trying to shame you in any way. I'm just trying to understand

how this could happen. And if somebody has significantly changed their physical appearance in some

way, I mean, that's one way it could happen. You say it's not just how

you look. How else is it?

LAKEISHA: It's... I don't know. Maybe I'm quieter now. In high school, I was always

the one organizing stuff, you know, making plans, pulling people together. Now I deal blackjack

at the casino five nights a week, and I barely talk except to call bets.

I watch the same people lose the same money every shift, and I just...

LUKE: Okay, well, I've got a question for you now. It's a strange thing that

you're describing for sure. It would make sense that at least some of those people

would remember remember you from your days in high school. But why do you care

if your high school reunion buddies remember you today? What does that matter? How many

of them do you still interact with? I mean, if you stayed close with anybody

from high school, they would obviously remember you. So you must not be close with

any of them. And what does it matter if they remember you or not? High

school was over a long time ago.

LAKEISHA: Because I don't know. I guess I needed proof that I was real back

then. that those years actually happened and meant something. And not close with anyone from

high school, you're right. But when you're standing there, and someone you ate lunch with

every single day is looking at you like you're a stranger.

LUKE: Yeah, it's odd, and I see how that could feel pretty terrible for a

little while. But then, I mean, take that emotion out of it for a second

and think about the situation and how much that actually affects your life. It doesn't

matter that those years mattered. It was high school. They didn't matter. And the ones

that matter are the ones that are now.

LAKEISHA: You're right. I know you're right. But that's what scares me, Luke. What if

it's happening now, too?

LUKE: Well, are you close with anybody?

LAKEISHA: My grandmother. That's pretty much it. I live with her. Actually. I'm sitting in

her kitchen right now with this stupid name tag still on my sweater.

LUKE: Okay. Well, maybe this is a wake-up call to you to do more with

your life. I assume you're working at the casino because it's the best job you

could get with what you had at the time. What did you do after high

school? Did you get a degree or what trade did you want to go into?

LAKEISHA: I did a year at community college, tried to do nursing. But my mom

got sick, cancer, and I dropped out to help take care of her. She died

about three years ago. After that, I just... I needed money, you know?

LUKE: Yeah, and that makes a lot of sense. You got to do what you

got to do for the money. But what I'm asking is, if you did not

need money, what is it that you would be doing?

LAKEISHA: I was good at organizing things, events, fundraisers, that kind of stuff. In high

school, I ran the whole volleyball banquet senior year, got local businesses to donate, made

it this whole thing. I liked making people feel...

LUKE: Making people feel how?

LAKEISHA: Seen, I guess. Like they mattered. That banquet. I made sure every single player

got recognized for something specific, not just the starters. I spent weeks on it.

LUKE: Well, that's a good leadership trait to have, because that empowers people to be

the best version of themselves, and do their best work, and make them feel good,

and it makes you personable, and it makes you somebody people want to be around.

So if that's your personality, if that's what you're about, I don't think you're going

to have trouble in adulthood, having people remember you 10 years down the line. What

is going to be a problem is that you don't have anybody that you're close

with outside your grandmother right now, and she's not going to be around forever. I

hate to say, you're going to have to have some other people in your life

that you're starting these long lifetime relationships with.

LAKEISHA: That's what terrifies me, though, because I had that, or I thought I did.

years of sitting at the same lunch table, four years of volleyball practice, sleepovers, all

of it. And tonight, it was like none of it ever happened.

LUKE: I talked to one person from high school. I think most people don't talk

to people from high school anymore. Especially if you've ever moved or changed locations, it

makes sense to not stay tight with the people that, you know, you were tight

with when you were 15. But you're not 15 anymore. And you had a... a

wake-up call tonight or whenever you had your reunion. And it's time to move forward

with your life and do something for you. You took care of your mother when

she was sick, and that was a great thing. You spent time with your grandmother

and keeping her company, and that's a great thing. But you also have to take

care of yourself and your own social, not your social standing, but your social health

if being around people is important to you. Now, you've got... important skills that not

everybody has, especially when it comes to fundraising. So my recommendation is to get involved

with maybe a town board or a committee, a chamber of commerce, and get yourself

plugged into the community and start making some friends and doing stuff with them. The

casino is probably not the place for that, but there are lots of places around

where you can find your fitting and provide a lot to... to those places.

AKEESHAH: You're right. I know you're right. It's just... I've been in this holding pattern

for so long, waiting for life to start happening again after my mom died. And

tonight made me realize I've been invisible this whole time, not just at the reunion,

at work, in town, everywhere.

LUKE: Well, if it's important to you to be seen, then go be seen. And

there's lots of ways to do that, and you have the skills. So make it

happen. If it's not important to be seen, you don't have to. It doesn't matter

either way. It's up to you. What's important to you in your life? And it

sounds like right now you're feeling like it's important to be seen. So go get

yourself seen.

AKEESHAH: I don't even know where to start. Like, do I just walk into the

Chamber of Commerce and say, hey, I used to organize high school banquets. Hire me?

That sounds ridiculous.

LUKE: Well, you don't know. You don't have to work for them. But, yeah, if

you walk into pretty much any place in the country and say I'm good at

raising funds, then, yeah, they're going to want to work with you.

AKEESHAH: Huh. I never thought about it like that. I've just been thinking of it

as this high school thing I used to do. Not like an actual skill people

need.

LUKE: Well, it is a very important skill that a lot of people need. You

could join a political party and do it for a candidate that you agree with

their platform. for the betterment of society, for social reasons. You could fundraise for yourself.

Everybody needs a fundraiser, and if you enjoy that work and you're good at it,

you're not going to struggle for work.

AKEESHAH: You know what's funny? I actually liked it. The organizing part. Getting people to

show up. Making them feel like they mattered. At the casino, I'm just...

LUKE: Well, at the casino, you're raising funds for the... the casino, which is fine.

I mean, I like to go to the casino, and there are dealers there at

all the games that make it fun and inviting, and they're very pleasant to be

around and memorable. So even if you stayed at the casino, you can still utilize

those skills and make yourself seen. But I would recommend, since you've described what you

enjoy doing, that you go do that.

AKEESHAH: Yeah, yeah. I could actually do that. There's a literacy thing my grandmother mentioned.

They're trying to get funding for after-school tutoring. I could call them Monday.

LUKE: Well, there you go. Call them Monday and get yourself started, and when you

plug yourself into the community like that, you're going to make friends, and they're going

to remember you, especially if you've raised them half a million dollars. You're not going

to be forgotten. But don't worry about high school. Everybody forgets high school. It's a

forgettable time.

AKEESHAH: You're right. God, I've been holding on to that so tight, like those four

years were supposed to define everything, and instead they just evaporated. But maybe that's okay.

LUKE: That's okay, and I think most people are glad that those years evaporated, because

they're not the ones that define us. They're the ones that kind of shape how

our adulthood begins, but they're plastic.

AKEESHAH: Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Like, it's not set in stone.

I can still...

LUKE: You can still do whatever it is you want to do. So I recommend

that you go do that. And we're running out of time, so I've got to

hang up with you, but I appreciate the call. And I hope you feel better

and move forward with your life. Don't worry about being recognized by people you don't

even talk to anymore.

AKEESHAH: Thank you, Luke. I really... Yeah, I'm going to make that call Monday.

LUKE: All right. Well, thank you for the call, Akeeshah. I hope that it works

out. And you find yourself in a new life that brings you great abundance and

joy. And that's the end of our show.