Life to the Max Podcast
"16 Years Later" Ft Ross Capicchioni
Ross returns to "Life to the Max Podcast" for a second time, sharing his harrowing survival story of betrayal and attempted murder by a supposed "friend." Despite enduring three devastating shotgun blasts to his arm, chest, and HEAD, Ross fought valiantly for his life. Join us as Ross vividly recounts his near-death experience at the age of 17.
In this episode, Ross delves into the chilling details of surviving three shotgun blasts, and reflects on how he and his family are coping with the release of the man who tried to take his life, now freed from prison this year...
Don't forget to show your support by liking, commenting, and subscribing to our show!
Have a story or topic you'd like us to discuss?
Email us at LifetotheMaxPodcast@Gmail.com!
Ross returns to "Life to the Max Podcast" for a second time, sharing his harrowing survival story of betrayal and attempted murder by a supposed "friend." Despite enduring three devastating shotgun blasts to his arm, chest, and HEAD, Ross fought valiantly for his life. Join us as Ross vividly recounts his near-death experience at the age of 17.
In this episode, Ross delves into the chilling details of surviving three shotgun blasts, and reflects on how he and his family are coping with the release of the man who tried to take his life, now freed from prison this year...
Don't forget to show your support by liking, commenting, and subscribing to our show!
Have a story or topic you'd like us to discuss?
Email us at LifetotheMaxPodcast@Gmail.com!
I can't rap to this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can rap, alright. Alright, let's do this.
Speaker 1:Alright, yeah, me and Max, we getting paid Every day. That's what we say. Let him hate, hold on. Uh Ay, ay, ay. Uh, me and Max, we getting paid Every day. Why is this kind? Me and Max, we getting paid Every day, we getting paid. Let them hate, that's what we do.
Speaker 2:So it's fuck you If you in a trude you hit that though he's asking me if, max In the gut, we don't give two shits and we don't give a fuck.
Speaker 1:It's what we do Ain't shit to prove we living life, living life to the max.
Speaker 2:To the max, to the max. I be smoking shit. It's a drag, living life. Living life To the max, to the max, just like my bad guess I actually ended up really liking that beat before we went on it all right, all right, all right.
Speaker 1:welcome back to another episode of Life to the Max. It's Eric Dutcher, aka Erratic. We got Ross Capicchione back in the building. Make some noise, ross, so the camera hits you.
Speaker 3:What's up guys? Thanks for having me back. Hell yeah, Hell yeah.
Speaker 1:You know we almost didn't want Ross back Last time. He ate all the food. He fucking smoked all our weed.
Speaker 3:This guy's a character bro For the record I might have ate some food, but I bring my own weed every time.
Speaker 1:And it's all blessings he drives. How many hours does he have? This was six hours, bro. Bro, we appreciate you and we're going to get right into your second interview right after the quad father spits that intro.
Speaker 2:Paralyzed from a neck down, breathing through a machine, but that doesn't stop me from following my dreams and doing what I love to do. I don't got an excuse, and neither should you. Let's get into part two of Ross's episode.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we don't have any excuses. Can I just tell a little story? Before you walked in the door, ten minutes before Ross walks in the door, I'm getting ready, I'm setting up the cameras, I'm focusing everything and I find out my dog goes through the trash and gets the medical waste and he's eating Max's shit and you know he's mixing it up. He's in there. I thought he was looking peanut butter off his nose. No, it was not peanut butter. That's disgusting. Yeah, I didn't know how to clean it. I kind of wanted to abandon the dog, you know. And so, whatever, I'm dealing with that. And then simultaneously, five minutes after that, I look in the fucking bathroom and I'm flooding the bathroom on accident. I left the sink running so I could clean the shit, right, and when I walked away so that shit could heat up, I come back and I realized, damn, I'm flooding max's bathroom. The sink came undone. His tenant comes running. Yo, the electrical room is getting flooded.
Speaker 2:What's going on up here?
Speaker 1:I'm like wow. But you know what this goes to show that shit happens, no pun intended. And you know, sometimes it storms but the sun always comes out and Ross is the motherfucking sun. So we're going to get in his story all over again and we're going to get acquainted.
Speaker 3:And you know know, everything's going to be great. My dog's breath is going to be bad for a week. That's fucked up, man.
Speaker 1:The shit like that. Oh, it's nothing compared to your friend shooting or your quote unquote friend fucking shooting you three times, bro. That was some shit too. But look, we're smiling about it years later.
Speaker 2:Have to. Me being in a car accident almost 8 years ago getting in this position. But yeah, russ, tell your story just like you know, quick, if you guys want to hear like more, like intricate, like more, if you want to hear more of his story, you can go to our first podcast that we had with him about eight months ago.
Speaker 1:From this podcast, For the people that don't know about your story. You know, give a little background information, All right.
Speaker 3:So 16 years ago I got like asked to take a friend of mine to Detroit to get like numerous shit from his aunt's house. Everyone's like oh, it was a drug deal, but really it wasn't. But yeah, he set me up to drive him down there and then when we got there he basically had like uh, the gun and shit uh hidden and it was just a murder plot, like they set it up so that that was one of my main questions, like from your story, like did he have that like stashed in a bush?
Speaker 3:yeah, that's the fucking like.
Speaker 1:I don't even know, because you guys get to the destination, you guys get out, and then you turn your head and boom, you know basically that's what happened and it's like weird to like open up like with yeah, my friend tried to kill me. After asking for a ride.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for months.
Speaker 1:You're going to make the listeners never want to carpool with anyone.
Speaker 3:Well, you just got to know who you're with. But it's hard. I knew the guy for a long time, but yeah, so that's the thing, dude. I remember getting out of the car and it was like by the time I walked to the back of my car, it was like he already had the gun in his hand. I was like then I heard the shot.
Speaker 2:Did he shoot right away or did?
Speaker 3:he say anything. No, he shot me right away, Basically, once I realized that he was holding, because I'm in a new area. I'm just parked in a sketchy-ass little alley, so I'm already looking around. I really don't notice what he's doing.
Speaker 1:The whole time he's like getting it already and I kind of didn't even know it was a shotgun did you hear the initial or was it already loaded?
Speaker 3:it was basically right. Like once I seen him put the last bullet in, like he pointed it was loading, yeah, and I was like looking around so I like the first glance I probably didn't notice him like grabbing a gun from out the bushes. Then are you talking in like a 30-second?
Speaker 2:to a minute span.
Speaker 3:Probably less, maybe less, probably less. And then that's when I heard the first shot go off and then I noticed my arm all bucked up and he was like maybe like 10 feet away, holding the gun at me. So I like ran towards him and that's when he shot me in the chest. Then he tried to blow my head off execution style, but I slapped the barrel away from the.
Speaker 1:Because after he hit you in your chest, you ended up on your knees.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yes, sir.
Speaker 2:You know what I would do Like if I was in like war and shit and I'm about to die. I would totally put my blood all over that motherfucker.
Speaker 1:Oh, he's giving you flowers. Now you got to tell the people what you did.
Speaker 3:Well, that was it, dude. I didn't know what to do and I was so fucking pissed so I just grabbed, tried to grab a hold of him. He was like the size of you are you know what I mean? Like right now.
Speaker 1:Ross has like a foot on me, maybe two.
Speaker 3:But no, that's basically what. And I Ross has like a foot on me, Maybe two, he's in FIFO plumbing, but no, that's basically what. And I was so pissed Like who the fuck are you? Yeah, I didn't do nothing to that kid to deserve that shit. People like to talk on the internet about shit because they think they know everything, but it's like for real. You ask any one of my people, my family, even like associates at that time, they would tell you that I was a good guy. I wasn't doing especially not to do like I didn't have to go to the east side of Detroit if I wanted weed or something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because there's rumors saying it was about drugs and shit. Let the motherfuckers talk the internet is so wide. If you read those comments, you'll drive yourself crazy.
Speaker 3:Let me ask you this though Say we were going to get some weed. I deserve that to happen to me, because I want to buy some weed.
Speaker 2:How many?
Speaker 3:people buy weed all the time or go to the liquor store or go to the strip club. They deserve to get shot down.
Speaker 1:You can never have debates in the comments section of a viral video. That's why I don't either, because you never know what the IQ level is Of the person behind that screen. They'll just be talking in circles.
Speaker 3:Or the day they had a bad day, they try to take it out Like I'm really going to lose sleep If, like you, weren't fucking there, what the fuck.
Speaker 1:You have to deal with this shit. Let's recap. So you get out the car, boom arm hit, damn Chest hit. Damn you get on your knees, barrel on your head.
Speaker 3:Life flashes before my eyes like a book Memories of me as a little kid running through my parents' living room like shit that I can't remember to this day Vivid pictures of it. But it happened fast and then it went back to chaos, feeling ears ringing, adrenaline, and I felt the barrel shaking on the top of my head. So I slapped it away and he had his hand on the trigger. So when I slapped it it was like an inch away from my head. But he pulled the trigger. That was the last shot he had and that's when he uh took the barrel like the butt of the gun and like hit me in the face with it and I fell on my back and he was like trying to get my keys out of my pocket. That's when I was trying to grab his ass and hold on to hold on.
Speaker 1:You got my mind racing again, so you swatted the barrel away you.
Speaker 3:It basically grazed your skull, right yeah, I mean it hit me, but it and you were still up yeah, that's the point where he had to hit you with the butt of the well I was on my knees, but me being on my knees, I was almost fucking looking him in the eye. Still, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So it's like Damn no. But the fact that blows my mind is you survived a fraction of a headshot.
Speaker 3:No headshot, bro. My scar is pretty fucking gnarly Now don't get me wrong.
Speaker 1:If I didn't slap the barrel away, this fucking interview wouldn't even be going on. If I get hit with a BBb gun in the head, I'm going back, I'm falling to the floor.
Speaker 3:Well, that's what I told myself once the shot went off I could still see. I was like all right facts, like it's not as bad as it could be. I don't care if half my dome's missing, I can still see.
Speaker 3:That means, like you know, I mean fuck it, I'm not dead, at least like because the head shot so then he hits you with the butt of the gun and that's when like a kind of like that little scuffle happens where I'm just like trying to basically grab him and just pin him down as much as I can, because I was like heavier than I, was way bigger than him to not like you know, fucking. I didn't even talk to the dude that's the fucked up thing Because he got in trouble at our school for fighting a group of our friends and he came up to me. He was like you got my back. Came up to me. He was like you got my back. I'm like no, what, what? You're over here trying to fight random people for no reason. That happens to be our group of friends too. Like what, what? What kind of movie are you living in?
Speaker 2:it's crazy, so he got he got expelled from school.
Speaker 3:I didn't even know, so that's how he was trying to get me to go downtown because he would be like you know, miss. Miss mcdermott said I could come back to school, bro, I was only suspended, but he was really expelled. Motherfucker was plotting on me. That's what people don't get like.
Speaker 1:I I want everybody listening to imagine themselves in high school and try to imagine like I was in these positions.
Speaker 3:I lived in the fucking burbs, bro. I never. I mean, I was born in detroit, michigan, but I lived in the burbs. Like I used to go down there and shit. Like don't get me wrong, we weren't't perfect kids. But at that point, my junior year, that like week of leading up to that, I was your normal, fucking 17 year old kid, bro, like from the suburbs. I had two working parents. If you guys ever met my fucking dad, there wasn't really no fucking around going on at the crib, no drug deal. You know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I fucked around as a kid and did stupid shit, don't, yeah. But it's like, leading up to that, that's what I never. I couldn't understand. Like what made someone think that they could like just wipe, wipe me off the face of the earth and no one's gonna be like you know where did my son go? Or where did my fucking friend go? Yeah, a guy that's like usually all around. And I had jobs like at local places in our name. Like it's like what the fuck?
Speaker 2:for no reason, for no fucking reason, bro.
Speaker 3:There's still I don't know a reason. Like I try to talk, like obviously the dude didn't want to talk until he had to admit to what, uh, he did. But the other kid involved. I got to sit down with him one-on-one and I said I don't care about nothing, dude, I'm not gonna. You guys think like I'm gonna hurt you, it's like I'm to go to jail if I do anything to you guys. They already know all of us. It's like what the fuck? It's not a movie, bro, where you can say, oh, I don't know him, and then you go with your bros and shoot his shit. Don't work like that, especially in the suburbs.
Speaker 1:They're his house shot up here. You're under arrest.
Speaker 3:You're the first. You know a fucking suspect man. That just goes to show, bro, there's shitty people, there's shitty and crazy people everywhere, and that's the thing. This month, this this dude's 15 years old and premeditates the thing for like up to three months and I'm and in the meantime he's out of the picture because he's suspended, but he's really expelled and uh, he was back living down in detroit and meanwhile I'm seeing the other guy around and he's ducking me like literally running from me, hopping in cars driving away. I'm thinking what the fuck is wrong with that guy, like why is he acting so weird? Like I'm out of here?
Speaker 1:So he's acting like that, and then he asks you for a ride. No, no no, no. That's the other dude.
Speaker 3:The guy that asked me for a ride. No, no, no, oh, this is that's the other dude, this is the guy. The guy that asked me for a ride's been just like trying to hit me up randomly like random three, one, three numbers call. Hey bro, what's up, can you take me today? It's like, yeah, yeah, the guy that knew about it like was plotting with them to conspire. It would like see me at people's houses in the neighborhood and like hide and run away and I'd be like what the fuck is wrong with that guy? Why is he doing, acting like I'm going to hurt him or something?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you left these details out in the first interview. I'm glad you got something new to put to it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because there's so much to it. That's the thing, bro. There's so many different ways to bring it. And then it's like he's going through my pockets which I didn't really have. I think it had like my car keys and maybe my phone, but I don't even think I had a phone. I'm excited, like I just knew better going down there, because, like once I said yes, it was kind of like a fucking last minute thing too, like a plans fell through. I was sick of getting blown up by him, not take him. I felt kind of like a little bit like all right, fucking, all that shit happened. You think like we're against you. You got kicked out of school even though you're fighting people. Fuck it, I'll go and we'll come back. So I usually would leave my wallet and everything home. I would drive the car with no license or nothing, because I just knew like Detroit back in 07, it's still like not like this. I love Detroit, bro, you know what I mean. But there's areas, lions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, Lions for sure, I think every city, you know they love their city, but there's always those parts you just know.
Speaker 3:I just know that I don't belong there. You know what I mean. And that was a spot that he wanted me to take. I knew like I didn't belong on that side of town, so it was already off. But yeah, dude, it was strange seeing that fucking dude and he would run from me and I would wonder, like, why is he running from me? Oh, I'll come to find out, plotting to kill me. For what? No, no reason. Like there's court documents about. Like then they, the cops, would say that there's no reason. Behind this is some nuts like crazy shit. Dude, it was like my only thing was like they're at. They were actually like kind of like, maybe like jealous, but it's like for what, though?
Speaker 1:like it's? Whatever the reason is, it's mind-boggling that 15 or 16-year-olds the plot's 15, 14, and 15. 14, 15. I was only 17. There's people that haven't even kissed a girl yet. Bro, I wasn't even thinking of.
Speaker 3:Are you kidding me? Murdering someone out of nowhere? That still makes me uncomfortable and I'm like I would kill for my kids, no doubt my close family, no problem. But just to deuce that kind of Dude I was, could you imagine? Flip it. He's shooting me. I'm screaming for my life. I'm trying to fight. I'm looking like a fucking Look at the 50-50.
Speaker 1:You look like that shit's probably fucking bothering to remember you try to put and normally when someone first pulls the trigger they're like in shock, like fuck. I just shot someone, but he did it three times.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then he physically assaulted you. That's different. That's personal, you know any coward can flex their finger.
Speaker 3:Oh for sure. Especially any coward can set you up and shoot you when you're not looking in the arm. Yeah, but looking in the arm, yeah, but yeah. So what happened? So, yeah, he's trying to dig in my pockets. So eventually I'd it would happen quick, but like I was able to fucking end up grabbing him, like I said, because he was in my pockets and I was able to put my arm like grab him and pull him on me and we did that little hug thing where I ended up from my back to my stomach and he took off running, trying to pick up like the three shell casings, and just skirted off in my vehicle. But the thing is, I knew I was going down there too, so I left my truck on enough gas to get there and back because I knew I'm not stopping for gas down there. I'll stop when I get back to like normal shit for me to stop and get gas and not stick out.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean and that's what I was trying to say. Like I love the city. Man, I did a lot of cement work down there for a big place called hard plaza. It's like the main, um, like park for downtown detroit. I made like a lot of new skates, like old skate spots more skatable by pouring, because I love the city. People like trying to say I hate it.
Speaker 3:But yeah, it was in a bad neighborhood, bro, so he left me there. I remember I was on my stomach and I watched my truck drive off and I was like damn, dude, okay. And then that's when I tried to push myself off the ground but I couldn't get up. I was too fucked up. So like probably like a series of like this is all in my head, like three attempts of me and say being like kind of, just like this. It's like hey, hey, you got your voice in your head, bro. Yeah, get up. How the fuck are you going to feel? No pain? You know you just got shot. So, like the last time I was like fuck it, man, let me just try, I can. I felt like arms, like pick my ass up off the ground, because I thought it would. I thought he circled around and came back because he seen me get up, maybe in the rear view, but no man no one was even there, was there.
Speaker 1:No, I told the nurse last night when I was clocking out that, uh, we got, we got Ross coming back for a second time. And she goes oh, that's the one who got picked up by an angel. That was. That's the one detail that she remembers about you.
Speaker 3:And that's 100%. I can remember every moment of that incident, down to certain smells. If I go bird hunting with my dad, if the shotgun goes off, bro, I'm back into ears ringing. That fucking musky gunpowder smell gives me a fucking deep chill. But then I still love hunting though, fuck yeah.
Speaker 2:Guns are not the problem. I get that way during car accidents, when I see them on TV shows and stuff.
Speaker 1:If I'm watching a movie with Max and the car fucking flips and the roof collapses, I'm like I look at Max like you good.
Speaker 3:For real. I can watch game of thrones, maybe because they use axes and shit, but like I watched save it private riding the other day, dude, and I was like no, no, turning this shit off it's like seeing the day seeing people getting like hit and they're like, ah, screaming because that's, you ain't getting hit and you're just like, yeah, nah, dude, you're're fucking life or death going on.
Speaker 3:It's a whole different. The sound of that is blood curdling, grown man screaming for his life. You know, people don't understand about that. A lot of people see this shit through a fucking computer screen. They've never even been in a fucking flag football match. You know what I mean. They're going to tell me what the fuck's up about something.
Speaker 1:What does Mike Tyson say? He goes, everybody goes in the ring with a game plan until they get hit in the fucking face. Everybody thinks they know what the fuck they're going to do.
Speaker 3:That's when he told that guy I'll fuck you till you love me faggot.
Speaker 1:That was the best dude. That guy's the GOAT there goes our Google ads.
Speaker 2:We can't promote this one now. Cut it out it out.
Speaker 1:But you know, that was the go to shit. He said to someone bro, but anyway, yeah, I got picked up. He steals your.
Speaker 3:Oh, you got picked up and he steals your car gone. So I'm standing up like just kind of looking down and like the pile of bloods is like as much as this table from one guy. Yeah, and it's. It's this color black dude. Oh yeah, disgusting. And I'm looking down at my arm and shit, I'm like what the fuck is going on? What kind of terrain are you laying on? Like grass, like a alley? So like grass and dirt mix, and like where the those guys are is like backyards to houses, so like, and then this side's a building, so like gravel grass yeah, then there's like a door, a door wall to a building, then a main road and then there's someone's backyard.
Speaker 3:So basically I'm getting shot up in someone's backyard. So when I'm standing up I'm looking forward and it's a good like fucking stretch, like 200 feet at least, and I'm looking and all of a sudden, dude, I got the strongest like shove, like two-handed shove, and I walked that whole bitch. I remember looking down, dude, just fucking, oh, walking dead, straight walking dead, scene, like just how they look on the thing with the shit hanging off, dude, that's what I looked like. My head was probably like this big from the pressure. I got no fucking teeth, bro, half my head's hanging off my arms, all it's broad daylight like 3, 30 like right now, and so, uh, I remember I walked to the end of the building in the houses and I just went like straight down like a tree when they timber, and when I was falling there happened to be a cop off duty driving to the gym, going westbound on the road.
Speaker 3:So I was basically walking parallel with the cop behind the behind the building. Yeah, if you feel me, and the grass was high as fuck when I fell, like overgrown. So if he would have caught me a millisecond before dude, because this is what we didn't talk about last time. He drove about three miles and turned the fuck around because he said he didn't think it was fake.
Speaker 1:He's just thinking that was weird. I got to get to the gym. What if that kid's fucking Nah I got to? Was weird. I got to get to the gym. What if that kid's fucking nah I got to work out? I got dinner later. Nah, fuck that.
Speaker 3:I'm going around, I'm going back Exactly what he said, because he's like, how many times where you got the green light to an intersection when you're going to, why would you look right or left? He's like, why the fuck did I look to the right-hand side, just right, when you fell and I could see all the blood on you? And then I kept driving and told myself, no, you got it. You better. You better fucking go back and double check that shit. So have you? Have you reached out?
Speaker 1:to that cop after your accident.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I used to talk to him when I went on Anderson Cooper's show. They had me meet him. But I'll be honest, when I heard his voice and heard him, the person stay with me. I couldn't see, couldn't see no one bro. I could only hear and feel because I lost so much oxygen. But that's what happened. When I hit the ground, after I walked all that way, I said like all right, man, you did the best, you can Just fucking go sleepy now, just relax. Because it felt so good to close my eyes, bro, because when I would close my eyes and when I would close my eyes and like fall asleep, it felt like all the pain.
Speaker 1:My arm felt normal, my fucking chest didn't burn really bad, you know, my ears weren't ringing I was gonna ask about the pain when you freshly yeah, do it those injuries were you pumping with so much adrenaline you couldn't feel it, the shot to the arm.
Speaker 3:I didn't even feel because when I looked down and seen it hanging off like a 90-degree angle, my bones sticking straight out, it was like fighter flight instantly and I ran towards him and that's the shot to the chest. Now, no, no, no, that shit hurt like a motherfucker. Bro Felt like a fucking grenade went off in my front pocket.
Speaker 1:This is kind of going to be a weird question. What between the arm, the chest, your teeth get knocked out in the head Chest, your chest was stressing you out the most.
Speaker 3:It hurt so bad.
Speaker 1:I can't even describe it, besides the pain I'm talking about, like your mental thoughts. Yeah, it's his breathing.
Speaker 3:It hit me with the breathing bro. I couldn't even stay strong because I couldn't even breathe, and that felt like I fucking all right, this is the best way I can describe it. You're chilling on the ground right now, this harvard floor, just minding your business, maybe playing with the dog. I come out of nowhere with a 50 pound sledgehammer, straight jump off the table, swing it hits you in your chest so you get that blunt force thing. But then I take a blowtorch with glass on it and I hit it with the right in the same spot and then I take like rusty screws and I kick them in and I light it all on fire too. While you're on that, still dealing with that straight blow first, that's the shot to the chest, the head. I didn't even feel that shit. I just knew I was good because it was burning. But I was like I can still see, fuck it, fuck.
Speaker 2:I can still see Fuck it, fuck it, all right.
Speaker 3:All the whole time Ring the loudest fucking ring.
Speaker 2:And the only time it ever went away is when I started to sleep.
Speaker 3:That's how I told myself you're fucking up, kid, you got to get up. So with one of those times like this, in the headset voice, third person I came back to it. I heard oh bro, I'm coming. Then I instantly felt the guy grab me. He's like oh my god, dude, he's like I got you. He's like I called the ambulance. As soon as he said ambulance, I could fucking hear this little like, so like a little distinct ambulance noise. And he's like I got you. And I kept fading off hard bro, because he's holding me and it felt so good to have like that last bit of comfort. No stranger bro, just bro, just holding me. I was like, oh, fuck, this, this feels great, dude, I'm sleeping. And he come on, man, you look good and I'm thinking, motherfucker, I don't look good. But I got you, like, and then the ambulance would get louder and louder and louder, bro, and he would stay with me until eventually.
Speaker 3:That shit was right up on, you know, and I remember that I could feel everything and hear everything. I just couldn't see. It was like I was completely blind because of my lack of oxygen. You know what I mean. It was like my eyes were completely closed, but I could feel it and hear it. You know what I mean. I could feel the wind blowing and shit and the pain. And when I got in the ambulance, obviously they hit you with the saline, whatever to get all your blood flowing. Because then when I got into ambulance, as soon as they hooked me up, bro, I could see again Like I kind of fuzzily like shh and then came back and that's when I noticed the EMT like staring at me, like oh shit, and that's when I noticed that little fucking dot of light right through his forehead.
Speaker 3:Like you know, in story woody gets, yeah, with sid, that little thing. I seen that through his forehead and as soon as I looked at it it moved. It was like and that's when I started getting it was first and out of a body experience. I don't know if anyone's ever smoked dmt or took psychedelics, but it's like when you blast off and you like really feel like the rocket ship effect, like that's, that's what I like started to feel like the up, like a acid trip, like creeping up, like I was out of my body, soul is just leaving yes, leaving the vessel, I felt like I was laying on my back with my arms open, but I was in the air, but I had no body.
Speaker 3:I felt like and you were looking at yourself, not yet, I was just going up, like with my like you know what I mean Like this, oh, you felt like, and I was like I got no fucking arms, but I can feel them, you know what I mean. Like I felt a lot Like, I felt me, but there was, I was in the fucking floating in the air and I was Up, the fucking like. If you know what I'm saying, I'm laying on the bed of the ambulance. I'm like halfway up the thing, yeah, and I told myself like yo, look at yourself, like flip over. And as soon as I said no, I'm not going to do that, the fucking light just was like a fucking rocket ship, peephole, straight white tunnel, blast off, blast off up, just all white. He went into light speed. Yeah, straight light. You're like buzz light year. I'm swear to god, dude. And I was going up, though, like forcefully going up to this light. That was like literally taking me, like you know how my cody can relate a little bit like if you go really fast down a hill on your skateboard. It's not the wobbles, you get some kind of like crazy vision because you're going so fast and you're trying to focus. It's almost like a peephole. That was like that, but it started off as like a laser pointer, then got like people when you look through a door to a full fucking. My whole everything was bright white. But I still had that g-force feeling like like a plane taking off. And then I got so far into that g-force feeling it literally I crossed over, bro.
Speaker 3:That's when I died and went into recarnation, because I I was skateboarding through the parking lot of the hospital and I seen the ambulance pull up with my body in it and when I seen that, uh them, everyone run out, like that's what I seen after the fucking G-Force tunnel left, I was third person skateboarding through a parking lot like telephoto filming like the front of the hospital with the ambulance rolling up, all the doctors rushing out, and when they're pulling my body out it goes from like my feet and when it goes to my head it goes black. And then that's when I woke up in the hospital and when I fucking left the hospital five days later I walked out of those same doors I seen when I died and I never been to the hospital today in my life. It is impeccable. So I never been to the hospital in my life. St john's morass I I was there. I see myself dead there and I walked out the same fucking doors I seen when I left.
Speaker 3:I was with with my mom and I told her to stop. She's like why we're in the middle of a parking lot. I'm like, just hold up a minute, turn me around. And I was like staring at it. And then when we were driving home, she's like what, you kind of scared me in the parking lot, what's wrong. I was like told her and she's just like, I think, because that's right after, I seen that angel too, the maintenance guy that knew all the stuff.
Speaker 1:Let's go back to Spirit Ross. When Spirit Ross is doing kickflips in the parking lots, flatlined.
Speaker 2:Ross is getting demonstrated to the doctor and the doctor's like he's done. Do you think that was like you leaving Earth?
Speaker 3:That shit's deep.
Speaker 2:Shit's deep. Do you think that was you leaving Earth?
Speaker 3:I was done. That was when I cause the only doctor that told me, yeah, dude, you died, was the dude that saved my life. Everyone else was like, oh well, you know, cause it's like political, whatever, you know, thank you. I'm just nervous cause you arrived with no pulse. Yes, doa, dead on arrival. You know what I mean. So in that time, 2007, they didn't do say that anymore. But he doctor said you, motherfucker, you were dead, bro, he's like. I looked at you on that table and I was like this kid's probably the same age as my son. I gotta do. I gotta do it for the medicine. You know what I mean. I gotta try to everything I've learned in school, all my years of fucking, you know, think you know. Can you only imagine a fucking doctor, bro? We're all intelligent people, but those people, especially surgeons and shit, that's a whole nother breed of like.
Speaker 2:Yeah you know this guy you should see this.
Speaker 3:I mean, you see my chest, the fucking, the gunshot wounds bigger than this fucking grinder cup, but the open heart surgery mark is two like a foot and a half long because he had a wildly open me up and take my heart out of my body and repair all my fucking arteries did they say what the first steps was like?
Speaker 1:was it directly to your heart?
Speaker 3:oh yeah, the first thing was like a couple uh tubes to get rid of some uh pressure in the back of my head, like some drain tubes, and then I was putting on the ventilator and then they gave me open heart surgery and then they gave me 24 hours to either come to or they'll just pull a plug okay, and did they tell you how long it was?
Speaker 1:three, your pulse came back three days. Three days, wait, like like. When did they?
Speaker 3:when did they bring a pulse back when I when I uh, I I don't even know that what yeah, probably right after, but yeah, they gave me uh once, they gave me the, obviously once they got my pulse coming back, I had three days. That's when I woke up in the hospital after the third day. So that's a good question.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure, like when they got because, like I wonder how long they would work on someone that is dead on arrival before they're like. All right, you know, like is there.
Speaker 3:That's why they gave me. I think that's why they gave me.
Speaker 1:The nurse says 45 minutes is their window of trying.
Speaker 3:I think that's why they gave me the ventilator for 24 hours and I must have started breathing. And then that's when, maybe second day, I woke up. Because it was weird waking up dude. It was like I woke up like myself, but it was all white. I'm like all right, fuck it. Wow, here I am. You know what I mean it was all right for me too rossi's in heaven, but there ain't no one around.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. But I didn't feel the whole time I never felt scared. I felt like I today, like the first time when I drove here, I was like nervous you know, I never drove on these roads and never met you guys like today. I was like yeah, like excited, like I, you know, and that's how I felt the whole time. I never had like like a bad feeling and then like real quick, to go back to like when I see my life flash before my eyes, that's how I know, like I didn't deserve it, because when my, when my fucking life flashed before my eyes, there was no other, there was no images of me doing anything bad to anyone. It was all, it was all peaceful and shit. It wasn't like me, like beat, bullying those kids that try to. You know what I mean. So it's just like I fucking already knew it, bro, I already knew it. I wasn't.
Speaker 2:I wasn't scared either. When I got in my car accident, like I woke up and I don't know, maybe it was the medication I was on or whatever. I woke up and like I just like thought, okay, well, you know something shitty got told and you're going to like go to rehab and you're going to you like go to rehab and you're gonna, you know, walk again. You know right away. But I didn't realize like the like severity of the situation. Yeah, I, uh I woke up to a white light. There's a white room, white light, like with just staring at the ceiling yeah, because you guys are both in comas right, both for three days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, medical, yeah, you guys are coma brothers. Yes, sir, brothers for life.
Speaker 3:And we share the same birthday. That's cool. But yeah, when I woke up it was the weirdest shit because I felt like right now, but it just looks like white, Like all white, and then it started to get like pixelated, like when the old school TV black and white static. You know channel when you do the aux cord back in the day, when you're waking up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, probably because your eyes are shut for so long. All your pupils are huge Right, or your pupils are so tight because it's so much light.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was like staring at that light, but like the whole room you couldn't see no windows. And then it was like got pixelated like an old TV fucking screen. And then I could. It was like foggy. I could see shit like stuff on stands and I could hear like beep beep, beep, and then all of a sudden bro, like a fucking snap of my fingers, bro back to normal vision. I was tied down to that damn table and I just seen that nurse staring at me.
Speaker 2:What was it like waking up, like being tied down?
Speaker 3:I got scared, bro. I didn't know what the fuck was going on. I'm trying to breathe and I got this ventilator pumping you know oxygen into my lungs and I'm tied down. I remember when they pulled that fucker out, dude, I coughed up the hugest fucking any Newport smoker will know. That's pretty nasty morning. I got that shit beat, bro. It's probably like a gallon bucket of like tar and shit felt so good. I remember just breathing so hard like probably sounded like a fucking donkey, you know what I mean, but I felt so good. I was breathing as hard as I could.
Speaker 3:They're like keep going, you know, then, like shortly after his pass out, because my lungs could, and then my body's like shutting down from all that work. I tell you what, though three months after being shot hurts way worse than fucking. Anyone don't get me wrong. It hurts when it's happening, but recovering, man, fuck, I thought I would never feel normal. I don't feel normal, but I've managed to work with, like the, some pain, but I mean it was hard to breathe, bro. I used to have like the lowest, like I don't know what the nurses call, but like I thought they were like no, you're good, it's just your. Your lungs and shit are muscles and you just got shot in your lungs and shallow breath. One of your lungs got like 160 bb's left in it because they couldn't. That's what they told me. There was no time to fuck around. Try to fillet your lungs and pick out bb's. That shit will either reject your body, it will reject it, the ones that are not embedded and the ones that are embedded. So you naturally got rid of the rest.
Speaker 1:There's only a few that I got rid of, so you have 117 BBs. I got the x-ray.
Speaker 3:I'll show you the x-ray and we can blow it up one day and you can try to count as many as you can. Can blow it up one day and you can try to count as many as you can. There's at least over 100.
Speaker 1:Do you ever feel any irritations?
Speaker 3:No, I mean I got some close to the skin where if, like, it's kind of like a pimple, if you squeeze it, it's metal and it hurts like a bitch. Like even pushing it through that light layer of skin would probably send me passed out, because the doctor said don't try to pop them, I don't care how close it is to he's like it's gonna fucking hurt, bro. So I remember when I had my womb vac. It was like a vacuum cleaner that like closed the chest wound because it was so big from the inside. So every third day the lady would come up and rip that thing out of my chest and I'd have a hole like this big, wide open.
Speaker 3:I could see my heartbeat and that's the first time I see my heart moving, because I asked the guy because I used to sit in the shower and he'd be like yo, I gotta stay here to make sure you're okay. Um, while the machine's out of you, it's like my job, I have to make sure I put so, like, if you want to shower, it's really good. If you shower, I'll sit. And I was like yeah, please stay in here, because I might fall off the chair, but I would put a towel over my lap and shit and he'd be like just let the water run and, man, like the amount of blood that shit would pump out, I would get like so nauseous. But then one time I was staring at it like this and I'm like yo. I think his name was like Matt or Brett or something. I'm like yo of bread or something. I'm like yo. He's like, yeah you good bro. I'm like, yeah, I just noticed this weird thing beating in weird sections. What's that? He's like oh, that's your heart, bro.
Speaker 1:Now your organs are having out-of-body experiences.
Speaker 3:When they used to clean my arm wound. That was nasty, bro. They used to scrape all the shit off it so it'd be down to the bone. One time I was like how's it look, doc? And he's like it looks really good, bro. I'm like can I look at it? And he was like, yeah, good one. I'm like no, I think I can. You know, you know, I got shot, bro. He grabbed me by like my leg and said look at me. And it looked at me. Now he goes. It looks good for me. He's I'm a fucking doctor, I see this shit all the time. He's like you want to look at it? I said, yeah, he goes. Okay, put a little mat down on my lap.
Speaker 3:I look down, bro. I see my straight raw bone, like six inches of it and six inches is not small, that's a long. That's a decent of exposed bone, all my muscles around it, in my veins, like the dark, like your blood is so dark when it's in. Like it was. Like my veins were like exposed but they had like see-through grip tape on them. If, yeah, yeah, like I could tell you know what I mean. Like they were in, like in like their protective, like vein, but it was exposed, really like if you like touched it it would maybe pop it. I looked down. It passed right out inside Because there was like a it looks good to me, dude, the pile of like stuff he cleaned off. Bro was like this high, it was skin and shit. Bro, it was like this high, it was skin and shit. But it was all like red and clean. And when I woke up he was like right there, he's like I told you, bro, he's like it looks good and he's like are you okay? He's like can we get him some pain?
Speaker 2:medicine please.
Speaker 1:So when you wake up in the hospital, it's just nurses and the doctors. Nobody knew where you were.
Speaker 3:They didn't know anything about me, because I had no license, because you left everything at home. So they were asking me like what year is it? I'm like fuck, if I know, bro. They're like what's your name? I'm like I don't got one, you know. They're like where are you at? I'm like tell me. And then they were like any number you know, and I fucking my number, you know, and I fucking my dad doesn't even have this phone number. I was like 586-243-3117 and they asked me for it again and I said 586-243-3117. They asked me the third time. I said what number are you talking about? Wow, they're like the number you just gave me. I'm like I didn't give you guys no number. They're like okay, poor dude, you're fucking razzled. That was my dad's number, dude, that was your father's number, only thing I knew for months.
Speaker 3:I don't know how the fuck I remember the number, bro, yeah, there's so much shit about this story. It just shows you it's like way more than like actually. It just shows you how much good will overcome the fucked up shit. You just got to stay real, to being good, like I've always been a good person. Like I said, I made some mistakes everyone has but I've shot no one. I never fucking hurt no one's, grandma or nothing. You know what I mean. So, yeah, that's the shit.
Speaker 3:Bro called my dad I guess my mom said she never heard no fucking screaming like that because they were looking for me for three days and this is another thing I never talked. I'll release it with you guys because you guys are my friends. My mom worked for the school district for a long time I won't say what one and shit, because she's retired, but she had intel. And like, the day after I went missing, the police liaison officer, like the school cop from our high school, told my mom like we know, ross has been shot, but we can't say shit because we haven't found his body yet. They didn't know. I was at the hospital. So when my dad got the call. That's them three fucking days, dude, of knowing your kids shot, but not where his body is crazy, it makes me sick to think about it because I got three kids, yeah, but I'm just like prepared for not to cry about it.
Speaker 1:What are some of the biggest things that stood out to you when your parents told you their thoughts on the whole situation in those three days?
Speaker 3:Oh, dude, I only learned this because we did like some shit along like a couple months ago for a project and they opened up about it. I never even knew that I was in my fucking mom's kitchen like I'm good, shut up, dude, don't look at me it's horrible.
Speaker 3:but I was in my fucking mom's kitchen like I'm good, shut up, dude, because it's horrible. But I remember the first thing I said to my mom was please don't be mad at me. She's like I'm not mad at you, bro, I'm so happy you're alive, because I knew, once it set in with how serious it was. I'm like this is crazy. And then it was just like, basically I, and then like, uh, the cops already knew everything. So it was not even like a focus of like, oh, let's retaliate. It was like let's get you healthy to leave and get strong, and then we'll worry about what you guys want to do.
Speaker 3:Because I had time, dude, I didn't say shit to no one for a while. All they said was we have two people in custody that we know did this, no matter what you talk to us about it. When you can remember and it's because I never experienced your brain work like that, like coming back to life. I would one day would feel sharp and the next day I'd be like what? The not know anything. So it's like they didn't want me telling my side of the story one time and be different. So it's like I woke up and, you know, remembered everything, so that was crazy too.
Speaker 2:Do you think what they're trying to say is like shock, like maybe you'll say the wrong things because you're in shock.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, scared at pain, like the first time I had to testify. I was still in a wheelchair, I had that vacuum thing on me, I had no teeth, all my staples in my head and I'm in a courtroom by for three hours waiting for them and it's like I can't even deal with the pain, no more. And they said if you leave right now, he gets to walk away free. And my dad dude yeah, let's put him through these tormenting few hours.
Speaker 1:And you guys, no one knows my dad yet.
Speaker 3:But Cody and my dad's like, bro, you got to. You know he's like getting emotional, like, come on, you know they're trying to feed me like painkillers. Just, you don't got to say shit, just make sure the judge knows that's the guy that did it so he can get held in jail and not released because we're not going to try to fucking go after him. The police already told you you'd be a fucking fool if you try to do nothing. Because they came to our house and shit, seen my dad's gun safe, seen all the mounted animals that he shot in Alaska, alaska, for my 300 yards. They're like yes, please, please, don't do nothing. Stupid, because my grandpa told me oh, you don't, you don't know the guy, you don't know the guy. I'm like no, no, I can't do that. He's like oh, yeah, you can, you can. Yes, you can't. Grandpa was with the business. Oh, my grandpa was ready, bro, god rest his soul.
Speaker 1:I can say that came back home your grandpa had the Rambo bandana bandolier over his chest, cigar out of mouth.
Speaker 3:Cigarette. Dude. He would show up, dude, randomly, like once a week, and like, come over with his like hat on and like for a while the police would chill out front, just as a courtesy. No one asked him to do it as a courtesy. No one asked him to do it. I never asked for they would do. They just did it out of respect for, like, yo fuck, that no one should be fucking with no one, no one.
Speaker 3:So he would drive past the police, you know, and come up to the house with, like his hat real low and glasses, knock on the front door and at that time, dude, anyone came over. I don't care if it was my dad, everyone's scared, everyone's freaked out. Come in. Oh, my mom would greet him. Oh, no, you know, jerry, come on in. And he'd come up to me how you doing? He's like, remember, you don't know nothing, right? I'm like no, no. He's like, no, you don't know nothing, bro, he gave me like a hundred bucks and then one day, because he came over and he was pissed, he told my dad like fuck this dude, how old was your grandpa at the time? Probably like 70. Dude, it's beautiful to hear. Oh, dude, my nana, don't fuck, he was a little guy too. He didn't fuck with that guy, but he was for real like don't, because he knew if you say he didn't do it, they'll let him go. So if anything, my grandpa was about that business, but I'm fucking 17 from the suburbs.
Speaker 1:Bro, was there anyone else in the family that was siding with your grandpa?
Speaker 3:my dad, of course don't get me wrong, dude my dad was hunting, bro. I don't like to talk about it, but my dad was out there driving around, strapped, going to people's doors, shaking people down in mice in the burbs with broad day with a shotgun. Where's my son at? People like to talk shit, bro. I want to see one person besides 50 or something, or like your real-life street people that deal with catching bodies.
Speaker 3:The normal guy like any of us that's going to get shot and think of the first thing are yeah, we're gonna go to war now in the, in the sub, in the suburbs, like here, like where the police are always around, like okay, like I just don't get it. It was like the most and I never got an answer and I don't care. Like even now, like the dude's out of jail. You know what I mean? He's out of jail now. I believe he got paroled on Halloween, on 2023. And it's all love, fuck it. Hopefully God got to the guy and showed him there's no reason to be evil like that for no reason. Now, don't get me wrong, the dude came from not the best upbringing, but I didn't know that until we got further into court. I just thought he lived with his grandma in the same neighborhood we all grew up in, which was a decent place, you know what I mean. It was not gated, but it wasn't like the slums I didn't know he came from like really bad shit in the city.
Speaker 1:So it's like— when you got the news that he was getting out, did you and your family get like the original anxiety that came out?
Speaker 3:Of course there's nothing you can do but get that anxiety and like my friend Cody was there with me and when I got the call, like hey, you got paroled or whatever, and he's like I didn't even experience what you did. But I can feel like he's like I feel anxious, but then he's like don't trip, keep doing what you're doing and nothing you know, unless I stop what I'm doing to go try to you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:I'm not, and it was so long ago. What was it like 15 years? Ago, 16 years ago 16 years ago you guys were kids.
Speaker 2:I don't care how long it was, I mean, if someone shot me three times for no reason. I am like dude. They have an agenda to come and get me.
Speaker 1:It's not like hey, 16,. I forgive you, but do you think for 16 years he's boiling ready to come?
Speaker 3:out of prison to murder you. How could you want to? What did I do? What did I do in the first place? And how could you be to? What did I do, Right? What did I do in the first place? And how could you be mad that you fucking tried and didn't work Like I?
Speaker 1:don't know.
Speaker 3:Anyone worried about what I'm trying to do? You know what I mean. How did you guys get the news?
Speaker 1:that he got out. They sent me a letter and I did the, did anybody who sent you the letter? The state?
Speaker 3:So the state say anything, any precautions, any oh, they give they, yeah, they tell you to have emergency bag packed and code words that would scare me, that would.
Speaker 1:The state isn't giving me anxiety.
Speaker 3:I mean, that's kind of scary, but that's all shit I've already been doing, like my, my, we got like if you don't get, it sounds like you shout out to anyone anyone that has kids. Dude, if your family don't got the code word, you better step the fuck up.
Speaker 2:I'm talking.
Speaker 3:Max got the code word. The code word, bro, no one knows it, but the people Like I'll tell you guys off camera what the code word is, so you know. Because if you ever see my daughter and it's scary my parents were really scared, my wife was super scared and I can't, I feel horrible that like someone trying to do that to me so long ago now is causing that same fear on my family just out of like the presence of it's. Like you know that's evil feeling.
Speaker 3:but and on all the days halloween I think, yeah, it was either halloween or devil's night.
Speaker 1:Devil's night for hollywood purposes.
Speaker 3:That was the night but uh, it's really I mean do you um?
Speaker 2:do you believe in the penal system that they can rehabilitate someone at a young age and then their adolescence to be a good person?
Speaker 1:do you think the correctional facility is doing any correcting?
Speaker 3:I think it maybe like 10 from 20 from the facility, because there's people probably that work, that do care about shit, that try to help people, but I feel like it's the person that's just got to be like yo, yeah, but that's like I never served time, like I never went to jail. I got on probation when I was a kid for like a marijuana charge because before we went recreational it was illegal, but uh, so I kind of like know about being in like the system of probation and like like I don't know. It's like a mindset like you're trapped in, like kind of like a negative, like everything, like you always doubt like the choices and you always choose the shitty one over the right choice. So it's like you got to like get out of that mindset to look more positive. I don't know. It's like I feel like the prisoner can, or the in whatever can restructure him, because there's people all the time post about like oh, I started a felon-owned business.
Speaker 3:Like how many years did you do? They're like 36. And they're like 36 years in prison. Then they got full-time jobs. Like that guy obviously did some mental building and like broke out of that institutionalized cycle. Because could you imagine like even 15, 16 years in federal prison.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the most help anyone ever is going to get is when they decide to help themselves I love how you brought up the word institutionalized, because we have, uh, we have uh, my my tattoo artist, billy, he was in prison for, like you know, quite a bit and uh, he said there's this word called getting institutionalized. You have to make sure that you're thinking every day of what you're going to do, like get a trade, go to school, like he said he got his GED or something.
Speaker 1:He said his body was in prison, but his mind was never in prison.
Speaker 3:That's the problem. A lot of time, like even my friend over there, cody man, he knows it's all, like he's the only person I can really be like the spiritual me around without feeling like people are like oh, listen to, this guy, besides my wife and her beliefs, is not even as strong as mine. She'll be sometimes doubting shit. I'll be like shh, shh, did you dare talk like that in this house? Because it's just gonna shit will happen. You start testing that shit, saying them words. You're gonna get tested by the powers.
Speaker 1:man, there's powers out here no, I'm gonna get deep with you, bro. Let's say there's powers out here.
Speaker 3:There's powers out here. It's not a joke, dude. I'm not trying to be one of them.
Speaker 1:I hold my crystal shit at nighttime, but I felt that Hold on, I'm going to poke your brain for a little bit. Let's say, max is the man that shot you and I got him sitting in a chair right here. What would be your first question? What would be the first thing you say to this motherfucker?
Speaker 3:That's a great question. I don't even know. I don't even know if I would even speak. I might just stare at him, just look at him. Yeah, I don't know what, because like there's so many feelings, like it's been so long so it's not as fresh. But like when he got out, dude, you ask Cody and people, I was on edge, bro. I was ready. Every day, dude, I was on edge, but I was telling myself that's no way to be feeling. You know what I mean. So if Max was the person I'm not sure I'd probably have a lot of different emotions. I'm not sure how. That's a good question, because how would he react? You know what I mean? I don't know. I don't know, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Or if he was apologetic.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what if the first thing he said was I was reading the Bible for 16 years? Man, and I'm sorry, I would say God bless you.
Speaker 3:I don't forgive you, though you know what I mean. Like you had no reason to do that shit. I don't. You know what I mean. Unless the guy comes to my house or something, bro, I'm not going to go. It's not worth it. What To prove? What Nothing. It was selfless and stupid back then. So even for me to get revenge would be fucking. I got revenge, I live. You know what I mean. I got set up. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Because you survived. That's why he got out in 16 years. Survived.
Speaker 3:That's why he got out in 16 years and that's what the judge told him. Sorry, that's what the judge told him. I'm going to give you a second chance at life, dude, just because he survived it. He's like because if you would have killed him, I could put you in jail for life. Fuck your age. He's like I do whatever I want, but I'm going to play that.
Speaker 2:Because Ross is a warrior.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what he said I don't know if anyone can look that shit up because I was a minor, but I'm sure I could get that fucking lady that types everything. That's facts. He said that shit. But yeah, bro, I don't know what I would say to him, but it depends. It's just like if I it's like the energy you know what I mean. If he gives off an energy that's not like this vibe, I think everyone would be like fuck you, bro. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it'd be like You'll be able to instantly tell if it's the same fucking demon that shot you.
Speaker 3:And you know what I'm saying, bro, the I mean I don't ever see me ever seeing them, bro, Because there's like there's no point. You know what I mean. It's like your ex-girlfriend, what the fuck are you going to go? You know what I mean, or anything?
Speaker 1:It's probably good you got that out of your heart. Your grandpa's probably still hunting, though, oh my grandpa's trying to break out of his crib dude.
Speaker 3:He's going hunting, bro. But it's like I'm so blessed especially to be here and like, look like, look at Max, and like I could have been in the same boat, bro, dad, not in just the fact that, like, if you look at me right now, you would never tell that I went through that shit. So it's like that kind of shit.
Speaker 2:Just, you can definitely tell I went through some shit.
Speaker 3:No for sure, and you're a huge motivation towards me and I told you last time, when I drove home from here, I was emotional as fuck driving home by myself. Catch the right song on the radio bro, I'm over here fucking crying.
Speaker 1:Then we ask him for a second interview and he immediately calls his best friend like Cody you gotta fucking come with me. I'm not gonna have that drive home again like that.
Speaker 3:If I do, at least he's there.
Speaker 2:But no, I did that for max because he wants to meet him and I mean we're gonna yeah, for sure it's just good vibes and we we've all had near-death experiences and this table, you know.
Speaker 3:Hopefully ross comes out a lot more I want to be around a a lot more. I think it'd be a good look. We just have to make it.
Speaker 1:Has Max told you his full story.
Speaker 3:No, not yet. I mean, we went over it one time, but you can tell me again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so it's so, I don't know. So I had a friend in the military who was like my best friend, right, and he was like pitching over some girl, like a few months before we went to, before we got in a car accident, and I like said, hey, man, talk to this girl. You know, like you know she's nice, she's from my hometown, like she's cool, and he like fell in love with her or whatever, right, Anyways, it's a normal day I get up, do my PT in the military, physical training, and then, you know, just, we get off early because we have a four-day weekend and that means like means usually I go up to go home to Chicago and my birthday was March 21st and the accident was March 24th.
Speaker 1:How old were you turning?
Speaker 2:I was turning 20.
Speaker 1:Excuse me, so you guys are both 20 and you're like hey, I got some action for you back at home. Come on, my birthday is March 21st too. Yeah, you guys are coma and You're like hey, I got some action for you back at home.
Speaker 2:My birthday's March 21st too yeah.
Speaker 1:You guys are coma and birthday brothers.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And survivors. So you were on a military base and you were getting leave for a few days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was like I'm going to go home see my girlfriend, see my family, and the first time I chose to drive with someone is the first time I got in this car accident, which is which is crazy. And you, uh, you said you had a moment where you were like, no, I shouldn't drive in this area, I shouldn't drive in this area I felt that shit, as soon as I even said, yes, I'll take you Like going to pick him up.
Speaker 3:Everything felt so off, dude, so off.
Speaker 2:So for me, I had a moment right before we were driving. We got off, we got out of base and we got gas and I was like you know, I can drive first, or do you want to drive first? And he was like I'll drive first. And I was like, okay, and then I could drive last, you know? And then I was like you know what? Actually, you drive first? No, no, I'll drive first and then I'll drive first so I can wake up to my hometown. That's basically what it was like. So I drive halfway and we get to a gas station in Indiana, terre Haute and then I slowly put my seat down I'm about to take a nap or whatever and I'm like, hey, wake me up when we get to Chicago, right? And yeah, that didn't happen, buddy. No, I woke up and I had the ringing. It's kind of like you, like I wasn't able to like move or do anything, but I had like the ringing and I couldn't breathe.
Speaker 1:What was the car accident like?
Speaker 2:I don't know what was the car accident like? I don't know.
Speaker 1:What kind of car accident was it?
Speaker 3:Yeah, like when you woke up, were you like so my buddy fell asleep and I woke up.
Speaker 2:I don't know if we were upside down or if we were like straight up, but I just kept seeing, like you know, fluttering lights of like red and blue. So, that was an ambulance, yeah, and I couldn't, like I was locked in, like so you were able to have that angel like push you. I didn't have that angel to push me, like I was locked in, bro. It was like crazy, like not being able to move your neck, like just Like, just literally.
Speaker 3:Gives me anxiety. Bro, I think about you a lot when I'm like by myself at like two in the morning and I start thinking about everything I've been through. I think about like bro, could you fucking imagine like it's heavy dude? You're an inspiration, bro.
Speaker 2:Sorry, man.
Speaker 1:So in the midst of your accident, you're an inspiration, bro. Sorry man, I know I mean.
Speaker 2:So in the midst of your accident, you're almost like completely frozen, like you can't completely, yeah, like I can't do anything, and I'm so used to doing things myself, you know. And then I wake up in the hospital three days later from a coma coma, the induced coma, right and I got there. I was John Doe as well. They didn't know how to like. They knew my name, they just didn't know my address and, like I'm from, like Tennessee and I'm also from Illinois, and they went to this address and it was the wrong address because I didn't update my address or my license, which, if anybody's watching, do that.
Speaker 3:For insurance purposes. Do that please?
Speaker 1:Yeah for real.
Speaker 2:So I was in the ICU. I stayed there for five days, which is kind of crazy being in terrible cars. I was in the hospital for five days, which is kind of crazy, being in terrible cars.
Speaker 3:I was in the hospital for five days too, wow.
Speaker 3:You guys are so fucking cute together. Yeah, that's so fucking nuts. They released me after the fifth day and I remember telling the guy I can't go. He's like what do you mean? I'm like there's no way I can leave. He goes fuck. You mean you got to get out of here. I'm like his name was Steve dude, he was really cool. He's like no Ross, you understand, if you stay at the hospital, you'll get sick. He's like I don't care how many times you walk around the fucking station and pick shit up. He's like you have to go outside now, get sick again, get caught up again. You know what I mean. So that's.
Speaker 2:You got to go. Basically that's what he said. Yeah and uh. So I recovered right from five days and then I went to RIC and I keep hearing Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is the best place to be if you're paralyzed, like they're the best in spinal cord research and all this stuff. And I show up to this place, man, and it's just like complete trash. But they had the best.
Speaker 1:The stutter made it funny. He said complete trash.
Speaker 2:They had the best therapists. So I'm not going to lie, the therapists were the best, but the place looked like it was from the 1970s.
Speaker 3:You know what? I'll be honest man the best taco spots and restaurants look like that, but you know the shit's fire dude, You're right.
Speaker 1:If the seats are ripped up and the paint is dried out.
Speaker 3:If I'm not, getting a curly like long black hair in my past store dude. Is it real authentic from TO or no? That's hilarious. Keep it going, mac.
Speaker 2:I still got this like army mentality in me. You know this like soldier mentality, but I'm scared man, so I have like people sleep in the room with me every day and night or whatever, and then I get to RAC and they're like they got the best nurses and everything right. They do not have the best nurses, do you know?
Speaker 1:what I mean Duke.
Speaker 2:It's the first night. I'm like the way I can contact someone. So I'm paralyzed from the neck down and I'm breathing through a ventilator right and I have a neck collar, a C collar, so I can't even look down at my neck a little bit Basically like a neck brace bit and basically like a neck brace, yeah a neck brace yeah like the c-collar to keep your shit straight, yeah and I'm just like fuck, I can't eat, I can't drink.
Speaker 2:I'm just like fuck my life. You know what I mean. And when you said, like the recovery for you after three months getting shot is way worse than the first five days, dude, recovering after three months is like way better than recovering after five days, dude, dude.
Speaker 3:For you. Yeah, I feel you, bro, I was. They gave me a lot of morphine at the hospital, though that's the thing. I got to leave with my own little morphine bag thing. It was awesome. I'll never be in my mom's crossfire, bro. In the front seat I had the little bag and it had like an alarm thing on it and a tag, and I got to hit it three times a day. It's fucking awesome. Awesome, bro. But then when they take it away from you because they don't want you to get hooked on it, what like after a couple weeks that awesome oh bro you're feeling dude, like we're gonna get back to you, but I feel like not like beat, like just taking a little breath.
Speaker 3:Do you feeling like someone's just standing on your chest with like fucking a hundred pound weight? Yeah, but that's crazy.
Speaker 1:You're talking about morphine. You made me think back when you brought up private saving, private ryan, when you watch those war movies and you see people hitting those morphine shots in their thighs, and they're just you could relate. We we don't know what the fuck that feels like.
Speaker 3:You're just like yeah, instant oh, I feel so good so good that's the only way I can like right when you press the button, just the first one, because it's like now you got to think you can click that button 100 times and think you're getting something out of it, but it's timed so it's like the first one releases a good amount. And I never did like you know, uh, like heroin or nothing like that. But like you can like heroin or nothing like that, but like you can see how people get hooked, because that's the feeling you feel, man, instantly all your pain's gone and you just get like this. There's a lady here, I can't say nothing.
Speaker 2:But you get this like Orgasmic feeling.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like after a like a yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:Something like that, something like that.
Speaker 3:Like I just Be respectful. I ain't trying to be weird, but that's what it feels like when the.
Speaker 3:But then when the morphine's gone and you get that pain and you're looking for that Hit, there ain't nothing but you To make you feel better. Yeah, it's a lot of times, man, I'd be like Angry as fuck Cause I'd be in so much pain. No one understood why, like man, why Rossi, why are you such a dick? Because I'm like hurting bro, because I want my fucking morphine. And then they're giving you Vicodins and shit. So like I'm taking a lot of Vicodin a day and you ain't feeling shit from the Vicodin, like right now, if I took that amount I'd probably have an overdose.
Speaker 3:But when your body's in that much pain, bro, because the doctor would say, dude, are you selling these shits, I'd be like, honestly, not all of them. I'd be like you know what I mean. I'd be taking most of them. You know my friends are like yo, can I get one of those? Yeah, no problem, bro, whatever. But it's like don't use that, goddammit. But you know what I mean. And he'd be like I got to cut you off because I don't want to see you get addicted to opiates, because I remember when they cut me off that shit, bro, that was tough. I went through like baby withdrawals compared to what people you know. God bless those people that shout out man. That was Dr Osgood, bro, dr Osgood.
Speaker 3:That guy was the shit bro.
Speaker 1:Yo back to Max and the neck brace. Oh yeah, thank you Sorry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, neck brace, I just want to like say thank you to all the support I got, because I got like a shit ton of support throughout the community, throughout Elgin, like anybody who mentioned my name in Elgin around this time, like, and anybody who mentioned my name and eligibility around this time knew who I was, which was crazy. So shout out to all the people that were there, shout out to the doctors that helped me, and shout out to the people that were around me, especially the ones that stayed on the cot at this hospital while I'm, like you know, in real life.
Speaker 3:You're 24-7 with you, bro, like my parents were by my side.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, I felt like a bitch at the same time, because I was in the military and I did everything by myself.
Speaker 3:It's so crazy. I felt the same way, bro. I used to tell my dad, like damn, I'm such a pussy. He'd be like what, what are you talking about? He's like what, what are you talking about? He's like you're strong as fuck, dude. He's like it's only right you feel like them, like I never wanted to be alone. Bro, I feel you on that heavy.
Speaker 2:I still don't like it, but I am like I didn't want to be alone because like I didn't trust the people. You know what I mean. I didn't trust people, but I trust my sister, I trust my sister, I trust my girlfriend.
Speaker 1:I trust, like like I don't trust this random nurse.
Speaker 2:It's just like this random nurse that just comes in like hey, I'm gonna be your nurse tonight, you know. I mean like when it's like you're gonna be my nurse and you were able to move ross like I wasn't. So I'm sitting there like literally, and I can't breathe on my own too, and they're fucking with the ventilator, like so from the ICU I get on a different ventilator at RIC and they're just like fucking with the settings of the ventilator, and so I'm like changing my breathing, without even knowing I'm changing my breathing, which is causing like a bunch of like you know, like heart like, which is causing like a bunch of like stress on me.
Speaker 3:Your body's like what the fuck's going on yeah.
Speaker 2:And like I always heard, like did it, did it, did it, did it. And I'm not like I was freaking out, like like it felt like a nurse needed to come in, like to help me, like my heart rate was up high and that's why I asked you if the machine scared you, because the machine scared the fuck out of me.
Speaker 3:The wound back when it went off. One night I got pneumonia. That's when I seen the dude that knew everything. I was in my dad's bed, like they had a huge like California king bed and I used to sleep in there because I could like chill and I was getting these chest pains. But I couldn't breathe and the machine started bing, bing, bing, bing, 9-1-1 like emergency. Emergency it would say 9-1-1 because it was getting my heart rate and uh, you know what I mean because it's like a little computer. I wore like a little like fanny pack with like the vacuum and it had like a. I couldn't roll over on it or sound like bro fucking nuts, bro, I'm so happy that's gone. But yeah, that thing went off, dude, and it would scare me. And then the night it went off when I had pneumonia. It was like an alarm All the way until I got to the hospital and the person knew the code to turn it off.
Speaker 1:It's so confident and it knew.
Speaker 3:I was fucked up. It knew I had pneumonia.
Speaker 1:It was so weird. Like a little box, like as big as this fucking tray. Imagine Max having like a little minor measure of anxiety and then he hears the anxiety and then he's like what the fuck is that?
Speaker 2:then he has more anxiety but on top of that I can't move. I can't move so and I can't move my neck. So I'm just sitting there like freaked out, like locked in like for sure, like I first like what's going on Scary. What's going on. You know what I mean. Like she was freaking out, but luckily I was able to, like you know, get through it and I was able to trust some nurses. You know I started like trusting the people you got to.
Speaker 3:You got to put your trust in the professionals.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then it turned out to be good. But I would always still cry at night, you know. I'd be like damn, like I'm fucking paralyzed, like how much longer is this going to go on? Eight years later I'm still talking, paralyzed, but we all know what's going to happen in the future. But anyways, so I get home, I get transferred to the VA because RIC is charging like $250,000 a month, which is insane. So I go to the VA and then at the VA I met one of my good friends, chuck, and we were like smoking blunts on federal property and shit.
Speaker 3:You have to.
Speaker 2:My favorite saying is my friends are freaking out and Chuck has his arm control or whatever. He doesn't have full function of his hands. We would be smoking outside, there would be a cop and he'd be freaking out and I'd be like fuck, is he going to do? Handcuff me? I'm fine, I'm already fucking handcuffed.
Speaker 3:They're not going to bother you bro.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to go through the whole story because I got an updated split second, the first episode of my podcast, love Life to the Max. The first episode is updated after two years and I'm super excited to release that because I really went in depth with it. But I went through a lot of deception, a lot of like a lot of stress, a lot of like anger, and now it's like you know, like I still go through that sometimes, but it's more like prosperity. Now you know, and like you know, like I still go through that sometimes, but it's more like prosperity, you know, and like closure and just meeting cool people like you, like I was able to like message you and then I was like I was like dude, I got a message, like because the whole time I was watching an interview on the barracks, I was just like this, you know what I mean like mouth opened, didn't say shit. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like mouth open, didn't say shit. You know what I mean. Cause, like we had a lot In common, like just you went through A physical thing, I went through A physical thing too. It's just I didn't feel I felt it, cause you went through Probably a shit ton More pain. I mean we don't. I'm not trying to measure.
Speaker 3:That I'm just saying. I look at it as like we have like the similar kind of struggles obviously.
Speaker 2:Oh life, death.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like we both had a comeback. I obviously was able to walk, but it took a long time to be able to like walk like I am. You know what I mean and I'm so. I ain't going to cry, I ain't going to do it, but I'm so grateful. Dude, swear to God, but you're here for a reason, bro.
Speaker 2:I'm grateful, too, to be alive and, to you know, be able to spread the word about the podcast and like to help people out, because I think of this like therapy. You know like we're all like talking about, like life experiences and what we're like going through, and talking about like life experiences and what we're like going through, and you know maybe this is therapy and somebody's here it is man anyone going through anything that, like him, cry baby with the shit mouth in the water.
Speaker 3:That's nothing, bro that's fucking nothing listen to this shit.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. But you're like like how? You like, oh, when you had your story, I was like blown away. You're fucking blowing me away, bro. No, pause, whatever the fuck you got to say, it's just because it's like it takes a lot of strength to just go every day. You know what I mean, knowing that you can't walk, you can't do that shit, but you still got a good. You can still enjoy shit and still take in feelings and emotions and sometimes, man, that shows you. That's like like when I was out of my body, I wasn't in my body, no more. So, like you know, god forbid when, the day when you cross you know what I mean You're going to be able to feel, walking and running again. You feel me, cause your soul is still getting charged while you're alive, bro, that energy is still manifesting and you're still doing positive shit. You're not slugging around, you're not angry, You're inspiring people bro.
Speaker 2:That's why I wanted to do like a part two, split second, because I was angry.
Speaker 1:I used to be angry as fuck I can't wait to see the difference between split second part one and split second part two, even though it's the same fucking story.
Speaker 2:I had a hit list man, like I just called out everybody on the podcast.
Speaker 1:Max was like you set this mic up, it's recording. Alright, fuck that guy. Fuck this guy, fuck that guy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you stole money from me, fuck you.
Speaker 3:For real, though, your energy, even right now, is different from when I was last here. Nice Like, even like you're just like. I think you were in like a little more pain last time, so you were like trying to be like cool, but I could tell like you weren't, I could tell.
Speaker 3:But, it can't be as much as the last time, because even like when I'm talking to you, I can hear you a little better. I think it's we're more relaxed If shit will help you too, because it helps my anxiety and might help you in long term. Just feel better, bro.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, your energy is different too.
Speaker 2:There's no, I'm way more comfortable now there's like there's no way to describe it like every like injury, every like um situation everybody goes through is different. Yeah, I'll say life.
Speaker 1:Life is a very complicated equation For every single individual, but everyone goes through something, though. Everybody goes through this shit. We all got highs and lows, and during those highs and lows, all our brains produce the same fucking chemicals. We all still feel the same depression and the same anger.
Speaker 3:Everyone's doing the same shit, like we're all feeling the same shit.
Speaker 1:So even though, Even though we're all dealt Different shit. Even though we're all dealt different shit. A different raining shit storm, yes, sir.
Speaker 3:On the dog's mouth. We can all relate to what the fuck those feelings are.
Speaker 2:It's not a competition. Maybe that's why we turn to religion. Some people are just like spiritual stuff. Religion found me, though.
Speaker 3:That's the thing. I was born Catholic, so I believed in God, but I remember there'd be times where I'd be trying to call out some shit, bro, and then look what happened. You're trying to test the faith. I got a wake-up call a couple times. The first time I'm getting fucking shot. Second time was the awakening and then fucking having that angel come into my room and know everybody. Well, thanks to your story, you know everybody.
Speaker 1:Well, well, thanks to your story, you know. Now we know that there's skateboards in heaven.
Speaker 3:Skateboards in heaven, there's. There's recarnation, bro, there's definitely skateboards in heaven.
Speaker 1:This motherfucker was doing kickflips while he was in his spirit.
Speaker 3:I was just riding through that parking lot bro.
Speaker 2:And I, when I was, like you know, falling asleep and stuff, I felt this like gravitational pull, like just bring me back to Earth. I don't know if you felt the same, but yeah.
Speaker 3:I felt the pull like taking me from Earth, not bringing me back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like every time. I like almost died of septic shock two years ago. This guy was here and he's like you guys told me that yeah. He's and he's like you know, we just got the cameras.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dude Max is dying in the hospital and I'm opening up packages like he ain't dying. I go to the hospital. I'm like bro, we got the cameras at the house. Bro, they need to be plugged in.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You need to pull through. Yeah, we got fucking lights.
Speaker 3:We got lights coming in, but that shit will give you the motivation, though, because I shout out, my nurse steve back in the day. He would say like you don't want to go out and get. Like get a girl, you know. Like it's a pussy bro.
Speaker 2:Like get the fuck, the fuck up.
Speaker 3:And then he would hit you like that big bro, like what? Are you too big of a pussy to get up ross?
Speaker 1:is like I don't want the pussy, I want that morphine over there. Give me that. I want a morphine like to be able to taste food, did you like?
Speaker 3:I couldn't taste anything for months. I tasted like straight metal from all the. What about you, max?
Speaker 2:I couldn't eat food for four months.
Speaker 1:You just had it pumping. You just had it pumping in your stomach.
Speaker 2:I couldn't drink unless there were tablespoons of water. I was only allowed to have tablespoons of water, so that means the nurse has to come in and give me tablespoons of water, which they don't have time to do because they're Come on.
Speaker 3:that's torture bro I had to do like small portions at first, but then it was like you have to try to get back to weight. But my mom shout out to my mom, dude, she was wiping my ass and shit. I was 17 years old, I couldn't. My hand you know what I mean One hand was just doesn't even really work anymore. It's my right hand that I was born with, but my left hand was in the cast. So it's like what do you want me to do?
Speaker 2:Shout out to my mom for coming through bro, did you ever feel like a burden?
Speaker 3:Oh man, you got time, we're talking right, we're chopping.
Speaker 1:You got the long drive back home. You tell us when I just don't.
Speaker 3:We're at an hour and 22 right now. Oh my gosh, here we go again.
Speaker 2:It's the best with these guys. I got you. I'm not.
Speaker 3:Bro, please Come on. That's why I'm here. There's a lot of people that want me to do shit with them and I know they ain't as good as you guys and I wouldn't even waste my time. But uh, yeah, like going back to the burden thing, oh yeah, there, I remember this.
Speaker 3:Uh, one time, like vividly, my dad went to get me some. Uh, it was when wendy's had like the four for four or whatever and they had like these little like dollar chicken sandwiches, but they were really good. And he went and got me like a. You know, my dad probably made sure they made everything fresh and when he got back I was like so hyped you know what I mean and like I took a bite of it and it tasted like lead and I just put it down. I didn't say nothing but but like I seen, like it killed my dad. You know what I mean. Like I remember he grabbed it. He's like what do you want me to do? Take it back? And I'm like no, no. And he was like getting mad. But he wasn't getting mad at me, he was upset that like I couldn't eat.
Speaker 3:And then later that day, I remember I went down and my mom was cooking something and she had the big pasta bowl out, but it wasn't full yet and we started arguing again and I remember she just picked the fucking bowl up, bro, and just threw it straight on the ground, shattered it, but it like changed everyone's mood. Everyone was just like snapped out of that shit and I was like you know what, I'll just try the smoothie or whatever. And everyone just like, and my mom just acted like nothing happened. Dude went back to cooking, swept up the glass. She just had to give that signal. Man, like one more fucking thing that you guys are complaining about right now. I'm going to kill you with the glass shards.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. It's the worst when, like the complaining, like in the mental games, like that's what really hits you.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean complaining like in the mental games, like that's what really hits you. You know I mean I've had some dark times do, contemplating a lot of shit. I did a lot of uh skateboarding helped, you know, for good friends I did it did some uh psilocybin, like psychedelics help you get through some crazy holes. I mean it's kind of scary but it feels better.
Speaker 2:But it's not allowed to be psychedelic, it's okay I don't do them any.
Speaker 3:I'm talking about when I was like way younger, before kids, but it's like until I just took control of everything. But I'm basically for myself, like never, like said oh, it's because this happened. I don't feel that. I mean you can ask, like my friends, but I have my days where I'm like, fuck this, I'm done. They're like yeah, right, dummy, you're done with nothing. You can see you tomorrow, yeah, just like a normal person. But then it's like after that day, it's like back on where it's like you know, take it on the chin, fuck that, let's keep going. It's only normal for anyone to feel like that you can't keep that.
Speaker 1:Well, sometimes it's good to have that release of you have to you, have to you have to cry it out, you have to express it, dude, you can't.
Speaker 3:You'll be like my dad when you get older. Like, try to like cry and like have your head turn, like that it's like we can see you, bro, and hear you. It's okay, you know what I mean, yeah.
Speaker 2:So for me I felt like a huge burden of their day to take care of me and I know that's like big, I know that's like what family's there for, like you know, but when you are like actually making your family do this not even making, but when you feel like you're making your family do this, it was tough, man, for a while, a long time, and there's a lot of people out there shout out to all the people and all the caregivers, their parents, their like family members, you know and don't complain.
Speaker 3:You know I mean just throw a fucking bull on the ground just every once in a while. But no, I feel you, dude. I felt that like when, when my mom was wiping my ass or I couldn't shower, bro, I was sitting. You know what I mean. I was so weak She'd have to wash me or my dad would help me out. It's nothing more embarrassing than being 18 and your parents seeing you naked. You know what I mean. Even though it's nothing because they birthed you, it just does something to my self-esteem. That's what it was just like. Fuck it, bro, because I even like years after bros well, it wasn't until I really had my kid, till I my first daughter, lenny, where I broke through the. I was like man, none of this shit matters. Now it's way more bigger than this.
Speaker 1:Now I'm a father. I'm not ross capicunium, I'm a father.
Speaker 3:I'm a dad now and that's the one thing, dude, that the that one, that maintenance man, said to me. He said god's got a special plan for you. He's like I don't know what it is exactly. He's like it could be. You know, you might be the president of the united states one day. You could just be a simply a good friend to someone. They just like hearing your voice. Or you could be like a great dad I'm zoning in. I'm probably destined for the dad thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I like it, though I'm pretty sure now, but it's all clear, it's all playing out and it's all like people talk about, like, oh, manifesting.
Speaker 1:My parents think I'm crazy which I am Speaking of being a father. Have you told your children this story?
Speaker 3:My daughter's kind of got an idea. She's like Dad, like that one video of you like on the rooftop and you had a blue hat on.
Speaker 1:How did they find it? Well, she knows Google, yeah, so they look up their name Of course, of course.
Speaker 3:That's what I hate about that.
Speaker 1:When was the first time where, like you know, she confronts you and says, hey, what's this video?
Speaker 3:She didn't say nothing about the video, but all right, I sense we're family. My mom, low key, tried to tell her one day but like my mom knew, it was like you know how when you do something like midway through, you're like yeah, I fucked up, like I'm done, I'm done. Take my words back quick. She tried to tell her and then she like backed it up with like it was a bad accident or something like so she didn't hold your daughter at the time.
Speaker 3:My daughter was. That was last year, so she was seven, seven Like I'm going to tell her, but it's heavy dude. I tell grown men and they break down Like could you imagine?
Speaker 3:a teenage thing, yeah Cause I don't want her to be scared, I to be scared. I don't want her to think it's because the world's fucked. We all know as grown ups. But I'm trying to be like the one of the people that, like you, were changing that, like we've been through some shit, I can be a mean motherfucker, I could take it on a p. I ain't trying to do that. God bless you. Let's prosper. Like I want to see you do good, fuck it, even if you're a person that did me wrong in the past. Like fuck you, I don't, I don't fuck you, but I don't want no, I don't want no bad shit. Go and do your thing. So I'm waiting to tell her my other kids are too young still. They don't fuck. My one daughter would be like hmm really.
Speaker 1:What's that? That's the perfect time.
Speaker 3:My son, coco, would just go like, yeah, he does this fucking thing where he yells man, he's like he thinks it's communicating with me. It's the craziest thing. I try to do it real quick. He's like I can't do it as loud as he does it, but it's like piercing. And then I look at him all funny and he's like but that's like my real quick, real.
Speaker 3:When I see my kids, dude, and like that's when I know my purpose. And and like my wife too, because that's all a part of it. Like she's like my person, like she's been there when we don't have nothing to, when everything's good, and she's still there. You know what I mean. We started out, it's been a long ride and then we're on our third kid. Fuck, was I thinking. But you know what I mean Blessings, things. But like when I see my, like my daughter, she's like so smart dude. And when I get the notes on, like the report card, like shout out to my daughter, lenny, all a since she started like preschool, she's in second grade. Like even though it's like only mentioned elementary school, she's still doing good. But like to read the little notes, like, hi, your daughter is like the kindest, most beautifulest girl. She helps me with this. She makes sure all the other kids get their work done. Like she like picks up on, like the traits that I yeah, so who knows?
Speaker 2:Hopefully the other two get that too.
Speaker 3:But we're all here for a reason. That's why, like you're here, bro, even though like it's unfortunate. You know what I mean. I want you one day just to pop up and like, start pissing on us and be like I can walk again.
Speaker 1:He said start pissing on us. But it might not happen. I can't wait till Max walks again and tries peeing on me. I'm going to slap the shit out of him real quick.
Speaker 3:But even if the chance that it don't happen like I wasn't the 1% chance for me to survive, you know happens, but if not, you're still here to inspire a lot of people, bro. Just the fact that you get up every day and make sure you just fuck, dude. You look here we're on camera, hd cameras doing your shit, bro.
Speaker 1:There is people out here with podcasts that are jealous with the guests we bring in, bro, like they could barely get any guests at any time. And we're getting them. Bitches.
Speaker 2:We got a schedule, motherfuckers, man I love it that you said that, because I didn't want to bring this up. But when you search your name up on YouTube, you first see Joyner Lucas and his bullshit song, and then you see the barracks interview, but then you see Life to the. Max podcast.
Speaker 3:Three's my favorite number. Anyway, I got shot three times. Three, two, one our birthday I got three kids Running. Three, three baby three. That's a good number.
Speaker 2:It's amazing and we get comments and people are just super happy you're doing okay.
Speaker 1:Speaking of our YouTube, tell the motherfuckers to subscribe, bro.
Speaker 3:Yeah, subscribe to his channel, man.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, tell them right now Bump up the fucking subscribers. This is Life to the Max Podcast. You can search us on all platforms when it comes to streaming platforms, and we have a YouTube channel Called Life to the Max Podcast. Please like, comment and subscribe. Please comment, we love reading your feedback.
Speaker 1:Hit that bell, get the notifications on your phone Good comments or bad comments.
Speaker 3:It's all fucking let it happen, you know, yeah, it's entertaining this was Ross Capicchione.
Speaker 2:He was back for part two. It was great. I had a good time.
Speaker 1:Thanks for having me guys. Oh yeah, Now take your ass back to Michigan. Yeah, Thanks for having me guys. Oh yeah, Now take your ass back to Michigan, Take some water with you, we'll be there. This guy is silly over here, dude.
Speaker 3:After we get off the podcast.
Speaker 1:Call me a crybaby.
Speaker 3:If Eric gets suplexed to this table, no one get mad.
Speaker 1:Then I'll have a story to tell, I'll have a near-death experience too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, besides some dog shit on someone's lip no man too. Yeah, besides some dog shit on someone's lip no man, it's all love. I appreciate being here. This is like a podcast, like I want to be. I like being on it. I'm not a really big being on the fucking public shit. Like I like to be, like I want everyone to know. I'm thankful for everyone that supports like my shit and like is always like showing love. And then, to the people that don't like it, it's like well, I'm sorry, dude, I'm not trying to like do anything that, I'm just doing my shit. Man, this is what I'm doing, this is what I'm destined to do.
Speaker 3:This all happens organically. You hit me up. You know what I mean. I drove out to you guys. You know what I mean. There's no other like oh, I need a driver to come get me. You know what I mean. If, if something comes up, I hit you guys up. You're like, yeah, what up? Dude, you want some lunch, you need some gas, whatever. And that's how it should be, especially if I say, hey, I want to do an interview with you guys. Will you come to Michigan? I'm going to be like yeah, get your own gas.
Speaker 2:Fuck, you do your own thing. You know what I mean. Some people act like that. It's like omar tier. He has tagged us and like all of his shit ever since. Like I asked him, I was like, hey, man, do you think would you mind tagging us? And like I'll buy you some sps every now and then and like some real shit. I'm just on a social media.
Speaker 3:Like I can edit videos and I do my business, shit. But even for my homies they probably say why doesn't he share it? It's like, dude, I don't even think about it, I'm just oh, I like it. I got my 10 minutes to scroll through. Then something pops up but no, dude, that's sick that you're hooking up people that support. You know what I mean. That's what I try to do.
Speaker 3:When I created my business, I didn't want to like make a business where, if I hired my friends, it wasn't like I hired them to like just work for me to slave. It's like we're building something where, like, we can fall back on it and like collect money from it. Like life's like not all about money. I've been dirt poor. You know what I mean. I'm not rich right now, but it's like to have a good setup for you, like for me. It's not about me. I fuck the money for me. It's for my kids. I want my kids set up so they have a little leg up. I have a good life.
Speaker 3:Obviously, we all grew up with good lives. We're fortunate. You know what I mean. I want to give my kids just a little extra. Not saying like because my parents were great parents shout out to my parents. They're awesome, they made me. You know what I mean. But I'm just in another lane where I'm like trying to like here, lenny me and these guys did podcast 20 years ago and now here you go, you got my little fucking share of it.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean we were just talking about this yesterday.
Speaker 2:I was like bro, if we died?
Speaker 1:like the people got like over 60 hours to listen to us like we're gonna live and that's like if you got a long more time to fucking create a lot of more shit.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm saying then, like when the fan like you know, one day you might have some kids you know what I mean and shit might get different for you or you something happens to you and it's like fuck, fuck it doing for us now. Now we're gonna do it for the future. So it lives on, so this life to the max keeps going with someone. Oh yeah, it doesn't just stop. You know what I mean. Oh yeah, and you own it. It's not like you know, it's like I try to tell.
Speaker 3:Like my number one supporter is my buddy Cody. He works for me and he gets paid from his skateboarding so he technically doesn't have to like do cement work. But he's told me countless times I'll help you for free, I want you to get these jobs done. You have kids. I support that. I'll work for you for free. Like technically I still own some money for a job I just haven't got. I haven't got paid from the people yet.
Speaker 3:So it's like and he knows that, like what, what am I gonna do? Take from his daughter's fucking big piggy bank? You know and he knows and he's been there when he's like yo, can you pay me for the day? You know I don't have much money right now, it's like no problem. So it's like I feel like that's how you guys are. It's like no matter what, just ask, I got you, even if it sounds crazy. Or it's like not like you feel like a bum or whatever, because a lot of our friends in our circle do have a. They have like a problem with that shit. They like care about too much of like dude.
Speaker 2:Yesterday you were tripping about like money or something and eric was obviously dude, just son of a fucking like like we didn't even talk about it.
Speaker 1:We just reacted the same at the same time.
Speaker 3:Well, that's what I said, because I like transferred like out of my like. You know it's wintertime, I'm not doing cement work, so I had to transfer money from, like, my retirement. It takes a couple days. So it's like when I woke up yesterday and it didn't hit yet, I'm like, damn dude, it takes like $400 in gas to get there and back, plus the tolls. I I'm like what the hell am I going to do? You know so, thankfully you guys helped me out to get me here. I appreciate it. This time First time it was good, it was warmer out. I was like yo, I'll be there.
Speaker 1:You know what this episode is about storytelling. It's about camaraderie, it's about teamwork, it's about brotherhood, it's about support.
Speaker 3:It's all about support. You got to be there there for the people that care about you. Bro, that's what I learned too. Like with the work like I'm I'm not making hundreds of millions where I can be like, hey, I'll pay you salary to not do shit just because I gotta spend money. You know what I mean. Like give everyone a crazy title. Like you're director of operations, john, and he doesn't know nothing about concrete, but I gotta pay that 200 grand a year out.
Speaker 3:But cody's like the only one that, like I, gave the shot to a couple people and the pay is fair for, especially like what the amount of work they do. You know what I mean. Like and it's and it's always different. Like the more they help, the more I offer. But like, out of like four of our friends, he's the only one that still hits me up and says like, hey, dude, like I'll work with you, dude, even if, like, I don't even down the road. Like, if I don't want to skate anymore, I like working with you. I like, even if we do something else, like when we get together, it's the vibe, it's like our skate mentality, it's like the hustle, but it doesn't matter if it's like. That's another thing about some of our friends. It's like it's only got to be skateboard related. Fuck that. Sometimes it don't work.
Speaker 3:He's the only one that's a professional skateboarder. I'm not anymore. Let's mix the powers and something else. You know what I mean and you should see he. I'm not going to be good at concrete dude. I'm not strong, bro. This motherfucker can work, bro. This guy's a strong, good worker. I wouldn't have been able to do.
Speaker 2:He's Max Cousin, oh for sure.
Speaker 3:No, for sure you got two mixers behind him.
Speaker 2:They're over there sharpening some blades Put the way.
Speaker 3:No, but it doesn't even matter. If it was concrete, it could be a different job. It could be fucking helping me clean up fucking garbage off the side of the road. If it was something I was doing and I needed help, he's there and that's why I will look out for him in life, even if it's not even concrete related. Something happens with the podcast. I make a fucking movie, I make a hit fucking mixtape. You know what I mean. Whatever, it's like the people that were there because he's always offered me to like shout out to him. Dude, I meant to say this. Like when I had to pay him for the job, he said you can pay me whenever and, on top of that, if you need any money, let me know like wow dude like look at me, I owe you money and you're offering me to give me more money coming from a long time.
Speaker 3:We're like we fucking be fighting over who's putting five on the pizza.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Yeah, man, those are the friends that we need to keep close, you know the drill. Look at your motherfucking camera.
Speaker 2:Say your name this one.
Speaker 1:Yeah and say you're living life to the max For sure, and leave a message to the people, if you want.
Speaker 3:For For sure. Hey, this is Ross Capicchione and I'm living life to the max. Shout out, max and Eric, just be positive every day. Be thankful for what you got. Don't be thinking about what you don't have. That shit will keep you fucking backwards, bro.
Speaker 1:There we go. There we go. Man we were recording for so long. His face was lit in the beginning of the episode. The sun went down and now we're in the dark.
Speaker 3:But that's okay, that's all right. We've been recording for like two hours, an hour and 41 minutes. Runner baby.