Embracing Resilience: Faith's Tale of Courage, Confronting Infidelity, and the Fight Against Domestic Violence

Navigating life's challenges with grace and a sense of humor isn't always easy, but it's the heart of our latest episode on Unstoppable. As I, Victoria, take you through the emotional narrative of "Faith's Courageous Journey," we learn more than just the story of a brave young girl in a hospital; we discover how to empower children to manage anxiety and find strength. Alongside this, my own fulfilling journey towards becoming a guardian ad litem with CASA is sure to inspire anyone looking to make a difference in the world. And let's not forget the excitement of venturing into TikTok's dynamic marketplace with my memoir, "Who Kicked First," where your insights are warmly welcomed.

Baring our souls, we transition into a candid discussion about the fragile threads of trust and the reasons that lead to infidelity. Sharing my personal encounters with cheating, we shed light on the often misunderstood motivations and the potential for healing and understanding. And in the midst of such weighty topics, we find time to laugh at a quirky hospital direction mishap, a gentle reminder of the unexpected joys even during the darkest times. The conversation turns serious as we prepare to tackle the pressing issue of domestic violence, providing crucial resources and inviting you to join us in supporting those in need through your stories and solidarity.

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:03

Howdy y'all and welcome back to another episode of Unstoppable. Here at A Contagious Smile, I am with your lovely, lovely, lovely host, victoria. Hi Victoria has some exciting news she has published her eighth book now don't even know, you don't even know you've lost count. So um any of y'all interested in any of her works of literature, please type in her name, victoria cure, and you'll find them um amazon, our website. If you get them through us, she may personally autograph it for you strong possibility yes, just let us know and then our newest um book.

Speaker 1: 0:54

You got to talk about faith's courageous journey, a story of healing and hope so faith's craziest journey courageous journey. It uh demonstrates so.

Speaker 2: 1:04

Faith's Craziest Journey, Courageous Journey. It demonstrates, I guess, a kind of against all odds sort of aspect. You know, we got some bad news back just before Christmas and this entails the story of a child named Faith going through a very difficult time. And you know, the love of the parents really help carry that child through a difficult time and just not giving up.

Speaker 1: 1:48

The book which there's not a lot of books out there that focus it really from the eyes of the child is about a sweet little girl named Faith who wakes up with a really bad stomach ache and she ends up going to the doctor and they end up having to run some tests and she is very afraid, very scared, as all little ones and even us big ones are, and she ends up having to go into the hospital and you go through the journey with her and you learn how she gets to calm herself and realize that she's not alone, and how she gets through her first IV and how she gets through her first night in the hospital, all the way to her surgery and recovery. And it's it's done through the eyes of a, with the understanding and the comprehension of what it's going to be like. Some really cool techniques that can help with her anxiety or his anxiety, some things you could do when you've learned that your child's going to have to need something done, or you could take it with you into the hospital.

Speaker 2: 3:37

It's just a feel-good book to help these beautiful children realize their value and self-worth and to give them a peace of mind from their own perspective those are actually fun activities that I did as I read the book, as I completed the book, and I was going through each activity, um, I was like, oh, this is oh, wait, this is kind of challenging, and I'm an adult, so what's that got to say for me?

Speaker 1: 4:04

you are redneck, so that's the exciting news on that front and we might as well put it out there that we just have to be careful. How I say it. I am in the midst of a new adventure not that I have time on my hands, because all I do is sit on my butt right that I am almost finished with the completion of becoming a guardian at Lightham. I'm incredibly honored to be able to help these beautiful children what is a guardian ad litem?

Speaker 1: 4:49

well, I'm working with a nationwide organization um called casa, and it's a court appointed special advocate for only the child it's like an attorney for a child in its own way, yes, but no, okay, um, where we, we are not defects or um, anything like that.

Speaker 1: 5:15

But we get to spend time with the child. We meet with both parents. It's a very lengthy process but we really get to see and go to court and make our recommendations and we have the best interest of the child from the jump. And when you get something that fulfilling and you know that you're making a difference in a child's life, it is such a rewarding gift At least it is to me to be able to to do that. And then, on top of all that not like we don't have anything else michael has decided to start a tiktok shop selling your book, your first book who kicked, kicked First.

Speaker 2: 6:02

Who Kicked First a memoir. So y'all have patience with me on that. I'm not the smartest, not the brightest bulb in the box, but I'm trying. It's taken me about a week to get set up and everything verified and waiting on approval. It was pending over the weekend, so I think we're good to go now. I've just loaded up my first product, which is my wife's book, and we'll start making videos and starting getting it out there. Please, if any of y'all are listeners or TikTok shop sellers and y'all want to help me out, give me some pointers, reach me at Solomon4, at a contagious smilecom.

Speaker 1: 6:55

I would love any insight, any input, any help whatsoever, because I have no clue what I'm doing why don't you ask me some questions about the book, so those who have no idea about it or whatever, could get some insight?

Speaker 2: 7:10

book who kicked first is my wife's, I should say. I always start out with horrific um experience in the darkest hell you could imagine being as a, as a young woman, as a wife, as a, as a soon-to-be mother? Um, you were more of a mother um with your unborn child than most of these you know. Out here we we come across a lot that they're just dirt bags, but anyway, um, yeah. So your book is is, hands down, um a very tough read. From the comments that I've read about y'all, I have read her book um, and that's a promise I made to her a long time ago that I would not read her book because of um certain opinions and things.

Speaker 1: 8:15

So well, not just that, but let's put it out there that you were involved.

Speaker 1: 8:21

Um, you went to court with me, uh, against this monster, monster and that evil sob and you saw who I was prior to becoming the epitome of a better wife um, that confident corporate person to that person who jumps at every noise and won't like look people in the eyes. And um, and my husband is actually in the book in more than one place talking about how you know, we didn't stay together because of things that happened and so I didn't want my husband my husband knows probably a good 30, 40% of what I went through, yeah, during this horrific experience. The reason he doesn't know any more specifics is because of the fact that's going to pick up while you're doing it, that I don't want him to look at me and see the incidences, or evening events, if you will, and look at me and see that woman crawling through the floor trying just to get away while I'm being stabbed in the back and my hair is being pulled out of the back of my head.

Speaker 2: 10:02

Okay, but that was your past. Okay, I'm not changing my opinion of you. I love you the way you are. What do you say? Your scars make you who you are it makes you a cartoon character no, well then you would be jessica rabbit plus size no, but I'm not going to change my opinion of you. I love you for exactly the way you are now that's why you have glasses whatever, let me take them off anyway, y'all uh, check out our book.

Speaker 2: 10:35

Who kicked first? You can't get it on amazon. You can get it through our website, a little bit cheaper, I think. Is it cheaper? Is it the same price? Well, it's gonna be cheaper. Right now it's not price.

Speaker 1: 10:43

Well, it's going to be cheaper. Right now it's not up on the website because I want to put up a library on our website of books that we recommend.

Speaker 2: 10:51

It was there.

Speaker 1: 10:52

And then add all the other ones. I've also been doing some workbooks, and the workbooks are about 97 to 100 pages apiece and they're very topic specific, um like how to help kids get over being bullied or helping those that are getting bullied, how to make themselves feel more confident and secure within themselves. Then there's kindergarten books and first grade books, and I'm getting them done little by little, um not as fast as I would like to get them done.

Speaker 2: 11:36

Folks, if y'all have kids with special needs, do yourself a favor, do them a favor and check out what my wife has composed and written. And you know, these books are not expensive, but they may. They may help your child. Uh, hell, that may help you. Um, they definitely help my wife and me. You know um, because we we come together as a team. Um, she writes these things and, and I try to edit, I give my two cents and oh I'm always scribbling and writing notes.

Speaker 1: 12:04

You have the perfect doctor handwriting.

Speaker 2: 12:08

So y'all check them out. What else?

Speaker 1: 12:13

What do you think about? This is a topic that I really think we need to talk about, and I'm going to have a guest come on in the future and talk about. I'm going to have a guest come on in the future and talk about. Do you believe that law enforcement now should have more training to understand?

Speaker 2: 12:33

the mental health of individuals Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 12:35

Because a dear friend of mine, debbie Gale, who has written a book and everybody should read it, it's a beautiful story has written a book and everybody should read it. It's a beautiful story. It's a beautiful story. Her son had some mental illnesses and there was an interaction with law enforcement where he was having an episode and they ended up tasing him and they wouldn't listen to debbie when she was trying to explain that this was a mental health issue. And you know it's like an officer approaching an autistic kid. You know they're not trying to put the officer in danger, they're not trying to make the officer feel threatened, but in their mindset they're threatened and there's a way to de-escalate the situation without causing harm.

Speaker 1: 13:27

Because a lot of times these individuals who have this situation going on, they're aggressive because they feel cornered, they feel like they're on the attack, they're getting attacked and so they have to fight back for their own safety. They're then they're charged for attacking an officer, assault on an officer, and, and you know, there are ways to de-escalate the situation. I mean being I couldn't imagine being a cop right now, in today's time. I mean there's absolutely no way, no way whatsoever. But I think that you know, and then how can you even imagine pulling someone over and then you, you get written up because you called someone you know ma'am and they were insulted because they're not a ma'am, they're non-binary and they're they them, and so you were discriminatory against them so a lot of times, you know, uh folks, y'all didn't know that I was a former law enforcement for 13 and a half years.

Speaker 2: 14:30

A lot of times the officer is going to approach a situation and he needs to be, or she needs to be, in control. They have to have that feeling for their safety. They have to have that feeling for their safety. They're going to try to get the situation under control as best as they know how, and that goes back to their training in the academy or the years of experience that they've had on the force Now with the mental health. If, if I was approached and an autistic child who refused to be touched for, you know, his entire or her entire life. And that's the way some autistic children are and you know, as I said, they feel cornered, they feel threatened. This is their space. They don't want anyone to touch them, but certain people. And if an officer gets in their personal space and or lays hands on them, then the fight's on.

Speaker 2: 15:33

Now the officer goes from just his presence to another level of force which is going to be hands-on uh defensive tactics or taser or oc, and they don't have a clue as far as you know what, what they could have done different. So, yes, I believe the officer should have more in-depth training. Are you offering to go around to the local law enforcement to train?

Speaker 1: 16:03

wouldn't you love that?

Speaker 1: 16:05

uh, no, you work enough woman you took one of my classes I took many of your classes but you took one specifically and you were not happy because one person was sitting beside. You said, oh man, she's cute. And you were livid and I'm only saying this because you were my girlfriend at the time. Yeah, but you couldn't say that to anybody and you did not want to hear it. And so just because even back then we had playful banter with each other, I found it to be exciting to have you two partner up, because that was great.

Speaker 1: 16:42

But a lot of officers have that mentality where it's like, you know, there's some phenomenal officers and then there's some that aren't at all and there's some that want to beat on their chest oh, you know, I got the badge, I got the power, whatever and they go in and instead of de-escalating the situation, they, they have to be, you know, the big man on campus per se. You know they have to go in there and have that control. And then what happens is that child or young adult or individual who maybe physically is 25, 28, 30 years old, but has the mental and intelligible age of, like an 8, 10, or 11-year-old or whatever the case may be, and you're forever scarring them. And then they're never going to want to be anywhere near an officer, because the experience they have with them is such a bad one that they're never going to feel safe. And that's how things down spiral.

Speaker 2: 17:40

Maybe that should be one of your next books. I'll put it on my list y'all, my wife works like 20, 22 hours a day, uh, on the computer, on the house, the website, the books, you name it I work all night while y'all are sleeping and people don't believe that that's true. Oftentimes I'll come to bed 10, 10, 30, 11, 11, 30 and she's up on the phone talking to uh, one of her partners um, that she does business with and you know, discussing ideas and stuff or I'm studying or yes, you're studying this great, gigantic manual you have for this gal I've already read it twice

Speaker 1: 18:36

of course you have and in the middle of the night they they're asleep. Everybody else is asleep. I go downstairs and I keep working. What are you looking at? Our whole property is recorded and has cameras all over it, and I know I've said that before. But in our home there are monitors that show all the screens of where all the cameras are, and he just looked with that.

Speaker 2: 19:03

I can't do that noise well, we currently have three dogs eating my lawnmower. They're up in the back of the trailer of the lawnmower they think you'll attract the sexy most women do that's because most women have ridden it. Easy Greasy. No, y'all don't look into that.

Speaker 1: 19:28

I've got to feed the dogs. Don't look into that. Don't look into it. Why, watch? He's going to try and spin it. Watch, watch. This is what he does.

Speaker 2: 19:40

I think you have a virus on your computer, specifically with your calculator.

Speaker 1: 19:44

I've already removed it and it keeps coming back. Don't eat half of that and leave it on my. I don't want it. That pack has been sitting there for months because I don't eat them.

Speaker 2: 19:53

Oh, thanks.

Speaker 1: 19:54

Hey, he just ate one of my Andy's candies. Look at that. I've already removed it and reinstalled it.

Speaker 2: 20:05

So you have any special guest speakers coming on here soon.

Speaker 1: 20:10

I did have the pleasure of having Dave Campbell come on. He now has said he is my pod husband.

Speaker 2: 20:19

I'm going to get him to help me with a TikTok shop, I think everybody should just reach out to Dave Campbell.

Speaker 1: 20:24

I'm going to get him to help me with a TikTok shop. I think everybody should. Everybody should Just reach out to Dave.

Speaker 2: 20:27

Campbell. He's Canadian y'all, so have mercy on him Everybody should go and let him help everybody.

Speaker 1: 20:35

He helps people learn how to podcast. He helps people learn how to grow your social media. He teaches classes and he's my pod husband. What are you shaking your head for? He offered it dave campbell you don't want to share me?

Speaker 2: 20:52

no, I'm not going to share you woman. Why took me like 25 years to get you?

Speaker 1: 20:56

well, that's because your head was up, your ass well, that's the way most men are do you really believe that most men are that way? Okay?

Speaker 2: 21:08

seriously. You hear the silence I hear crickets yes why do men cheat? Why do they cheat?

Speaker 1: 21:15

no, no, seriously, because very, very rarely would we have the opportunity to have a man who would come on and answer that question honestly. So why do men, why do women cheat? I've never cheated, so I can't answer that question. That's why I feel comfortable asking you. I didn't ask you, so I can't answer that question. That's why I feel comfortable asking you. I didn't ask you. Well, I can't answer that question.

Speaker 2: 21:33

Why did you cheat? I didn't ask that.

Speaker 1: 21:36

I can't answer that from a personal point of view. I can answer for all men. You can answer from yourself.

Speaker 2: 21:41

Okay, then ask me why I cheated. Why did you cheat? Because I could Very simple. But why would you cheat if you cared about the person?

Speaker 1: 21:56

you're with.

Speaker 2: 21:56

Ah, now, that's a different enchilada why is it got to be hispanic? It was that's. I'm talking about food why, no why? Why? Because maybe that man didn't care about that person.

Speaker 1: 22:12

So when we were together, you didn't care.

Speaker 2: 22:15

Oh, I didn't say that.

Speaker 1: 22:16

You just did. I said, maybe Well.

Speaker 2: 22:22

I'm asking for clarity.

Speaker 1: 22:25

Clarification would be because I could, knowing that I was completely loyal to you, oh Lord, here we go. No, I'm just curious, knowing that I was completely loyal to you. Oh Lord, here we go. No, I'm just curious, knowing that I was completely loyal to you.

Speaker 2: 22:35

Obviously folks who don't know I was a cop, the most cops that I knew. Watch it Not all, not all.

Speaker 1: 22:44

Yes, not all. Most, but not all. A lot of cops cheat a lot.

Speaker 2: 22:51

At least the ones that I knew over the 13 and a half years.

Speaker 1: 22:56

Okay.

Speaker 2: 22:56

And I cheated on my wife with my wife.

Speaker 1: 23:00

And I didn't know about the wife.

Speaker 2: 23:02

Yes, but everything works out. Everything happens for a reason. If I had not cheated on my first wife, I would not have met.

Speaker 1: 23:11

Your second wife.

Speaker 2: 23:16

If I hadn't cheated on my first wife with my current wife, I would never have known you.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Yeah, you would have, because I hazed you.

Speaker 2: 23:28

Yeah, but I was with my first wife, which I didn't know about. You know what? I don't even say my or my ex. They're not mine anymore, you're mine.

Speaker 1: 23:37

I didn't even know, and you know what. That makes me like naive, because I could detect anything. Okay, but that's the past. No, I'm just saying that women have no idea.

Speaker 2: 23:52

You don't want me to judge you for the book, so now you can't judge me for the past cheaters. Huh, no, I believe that's touche no daughter would say yes, no, okay, I'm just asking why do men cheat?

Speaker 1: 24:02

why do they? I just told you why I cheated. Obviously you don't want to talk about this, so I just told you. We got to do our funny faith moment so you know, everybody knows what faith has been going through. God bless her and we have another round of big time scary stuff coming here very soon surgeries operation procedure okay.

Speaker 1: 24:27

And so yesterday even though Saturday we went to have some scans and stuff done at a hospital and it was arranged that we could do it on that day, and before we left I had written a piece of paper with the exact directions and all information so we would know where we were going. And I said to Faith hey, when we leave in a couple hours I need you to grab this and bring it so we know where we're going. And okay, I had already programmed it in to GPS. I had forgotten all about it. We get there, pull into the parking deck, like literally in the parking deck, into the space, and she reaches up and says oh, mom here, didn't you want this? And it was the piece of paper.

Speaker 2: 25:27

With the directions.

Speaker 1: 25:28

Right, no, the address Right for GPS, and she thought it was a downright riot because she thought she was going to one-up us and then we wouldn't know where we're going and then she wouldn't have to get it done. I mean, she's, she's quick, she's, she's definitely quick and I want to thank everybody who's been doing prayers and thoughts and vibes of you know positivity. If you don't mind, please continue. We have a pretty big road coming here soon and it's, it's just, it's a lot, it's a lot, and I would do anything to switch places with her so that she wouldn't have to endure this. And as a parent, it's so hard to feel so helpless and not be able to take away that pain if anyone would like to write her an email.

Speaker 2: 26:27

Uh, words of encouragement. Please send them to my email. Solomon S-O-L-O-M-O-N, the number four at acontagioussmilecom, and I think that would help her out too.

Speaker 1: 26:47

Well, I think tournament Maroney asking her to be here at Valentine's, you know not too shabby Miss.

Speaker 2: 26:51

Maroney, mister Might have a few, you know, not too shabby.

Speaker 1: 26:52

Miss Maroney, mister.

Speaker 2: 26:54

Might have a few words with that joker.

Speaker 1: 26:55

He's hilarious.

Speaker 2: 26:56

He was funny.

Speaker 1: 26:57

He is the nicest. He just seems like such a nice guy, genuine, caring nice guy. What else have you got for us? I think you felt tricked into podcasting tonight because, no, because I can never get you to do this with me.

Speaker 2: 27:18

No, this is me, this is my big fat heart. Your what my big fat heart Do? I have a heart.

Speaker 1: 27:30

Yes, okay. Your shirt you're wearing says says you can't scare me. My wife is a red head and I'm not afraid to use her. I remember when the surgeon at the children's hospital saw that and took it offensively.

Speaker 2: 27:44

I thought it was hilarious so well, we have some dogs to um. Oh, they're so go home this coming weekend. Uh, to their new families they're so cute you know, first customer came up. He was a big old husky corn fed fella and what's a corn fed fellow?

Speaker 1: 28:08

for those that don't know like big barrel chested fella.

Speaker 2: 28:12

Just you know someone, you don't mess around with. He's one of those uh, um, what that, what that uh picture? Say the other day, uh gen x the oh, like my friend brian who just passed around and find out generation like my friend brian, who just passed.

Speaker 1: 28:30

Yes, yes, yes and I know I've said this, just big husky fellas and I know I've said this, but I want to um publicly tell brian's family that I wish I was there. I'm sending hugs and love, wrapping you in hugs and prayers. Nobody expected this. This came out of absolutely nowhere. Um, brian was the guy you always wanted on your side and never wanted against you, and he was such a stand-up, wonderful guy. He leaves behind two beautiful girls and he thought the world of faith and, uh, he died trying to help somebody and totally unexpected.

Speaker 2: 29:20

So anyway, sorry, I just wanted to, it's okay but our first, our first puppy goes out to that fella and his name is actually Brian also. I follow that, excuse me. So we're excited to give him the happiness that he's looking for, because his dog, his best friend, passed away a couple years ago. So he's ready to fill that void, that hole in his heart. And my wife touched on something Y'all. Her good friend Brian, didn't obviously expect the end of his life to be so sudden, so soon, and he had two gorgeous girls.

Speaker 2: 30:06

Please think about your surviving loved ones. Think about your children. Get your paperwork in order. You know what I'm talking about your wills. Think about your children. Get your paperwork in order. You don't want to talk about your wills.

Speaker 1: 30:14

Your living wills.

Speaker 2: 30:15

Power of attorneys. Your medical power of attorney.

Speaker 1: 30:18

Because Brian didn't just pass away, he was kept on machines and stuff for a moment or two.

Speaker 2: 30:26

And I can tell you that's stressful to see your loved one.

Speaker 1: 30:28

Yeah, we just had that problem.

Speaker 2: 30:30

Hooked up to all these freaking things and not be able to communicate. It's very stressful, so you need help with those uh documents.

Speaker 1: 30:40

Reach out to victoria how come everything's reached out to?

Speaker 2: 30:43

victoria because I don't have the brain capacity nor the amoebas to understand the litany the amoebas to understand the litany, the amoebas, the amoebas, the litany of grammatical dictionary words and all that jargon. What's a litany? A whole bunch of.

Speaker 1: 31:01

What A whole bunch of what Stuff? What kind of stuff?

Speaker 2: 31:04

I don't know, just stuff.

Speaker 1: 31:06

No, everybody loves our banter. So what is a litany Y'all reach?

Speaker 2: 31:10

out to my wife. She would love to help you out with your wheels and power of attorneys and all that and she'll be a guardian ad litem very soon. She can help you out with those IEPs she likes those. The children the what the children what is a Children? It's a children. Everyone knows what children. Children what is it? Children it's the children. Everyone knows what children is.

Speaker 1: 31:35

I know what children is. And they lay on a pillar.

Speaker 2: 31:39

A pillar.

Speaker 1: 31:40

It's not a pillar, it's a pillow. It's a pillow.

Speaker 2: 31:46

Y'all stay tuned for more banter. We'll get back on topic here concerning um, all the domestic violent stuff, warning signs, escape plans, the do's and don'ts, uh, real life experiences, and we'll have other guest speakers come on. They're always, they're always after my wife for that, and sometimes she's guest speakers on their podcasts. So y'all keep following us, please share us. And if y'all want to say a little quick, inspirational something to our faith, then please do. Solomon number four at Contag, at contagious smilecom, and we thank you. And please, if y'all can help me out on TikTok shop, reach out to me, help me out, I need help, help For the children, help me. Bye, y'all.