The Fuzzy Mic
After retiring from a 30-year, major market morning radio career, I'm often asked what I miss the most about the job. I miss 3 C's...camaraderie, creativity but most of all, conversation.
The Fuzzy Mic is built around creativity and conversation to develop camaraderie. The 4 focus areas are: Mental Health, True Crime, Music and Sports.
So, while The Fuzzy Mic allows me to fill some professional voids, it's my sincere hope that maybe you'll find something personally fulfilling in it too.
The Fuzzy Mic
A Solo Journey into the Heart of Mental Health and the Impact of Reaching Out
When was the last time you truly reached out to someone struggling with their mental health? Join me as I embark on a solo journey through the complex terrain of our psyche. This episode is as upfront and raw as they come, as I navigate this path alone, without the usual back-and-forth with guests, a reflection on the power of communication unfolds—a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is a message or a check-in to potentially save a life.
The episode takes a turn down a darker alley when we confront suicide awareness head-on. I share a piece of myself, discussing my father's passing and my personal bouts with chronic suicidality, while weaving in the importance of breaking the silence that so often surrounds depression. You'll hear why a listener's concern, like April's, is not just heartwarming but could be life-changing. The dialogue may drift into the realm of dark humor and personal anecdotes, but the undercurrent is clear: openness about such tough subjects can be a lifeline. So, let's talk, let's laugh, and most importantly, let's listen—because this is a conversation about mental health that aims to resonate with you on a human level, offering both solace and understanding.
Welcome to the Fuzzy Mike, the interview series, the podcast, whatever Kevin wants to call it. It's Fuzzy Mike. Hello, and thank you for joining me. I'm your host, kevin Kline, welcoming you to the Fuzzy Mike, where today we're going to learn how to ask someone if they're doing okay mentally. No guest book today, but I do have some cool guests lined up over the next few weeks. Can't wait for you to hear them. I much prefer having guests because I love the art of conversation and I also learn things from my guests. When I don't have one, you're subjected to my thoughts. So that's what you're getting this week.
Speaker 1:If you haven't listened to the episode with Bobby Sexton, I encourage you to set some time aside and check it out. I'm on record describing it as the most important episode I've done for mental health and personal development. Bobby's a mental performance coach and in the conversation he describes his tumultuous upbringing and how he overcame it to become a performance coach who has worked with seven NFL Hall of Famers. He gives us concrete information on the workings of the brain and how we can be mentally stronger. We can be as mentally tough as Michael Jordan in Tiger Woods. Bobby tells us exactly how to do it.
Speaker 1:The episode was so powerful that my Aunt Julie she herself is a licensed therapist she messaged me and said, quote great interview. And I don't think she just did that because I'm her nephew by marriage. I think she actually believed it. Now, not having a guest certainly isn't from a lack of trying. I solicit dozens of people each week and I find these potential guests through articles and news stories and TV interviews and other podcasts, like, for example, after the women's national championship basketball game. After the tournament, actually, I saw the postgame news conference with LSU's Angel Reese and she was talking about her career in college hoops, the demands and the negative comments directed at her.
Speaker 2:I've been through so much, I've seen so much, I've been attacked so many times death threats, I've been sexualized, I've been threatened. I've been so many things and I've stood strong every single time. And I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don't want them to see me down and like not be there for them. So I just want to always just know like I'm still human, like all this has happened since I won the national championship and I said the other day I haven't had peace since then.
Speaker 1:I like Angel Reese. I like Angel Reese a lot and, yeah, she has gotten a ton of flack over the past 14 months. I thought she'd be a great guest to help us navigate the toxicity of social media. So I looked her up on social media and sent her a message After I read the cover story last week of the new issue of Women's Health Magazine. Yeah, I reached out to Megan Thee Stallion. In the article she's very candid about her battles with depression. This isn't the first time. Megan's led us on the inside of her own mental health Hell. Just listen to her song Cobra, you'll hear what she goes through.
Speaker 2:It's a great song.
Speaker 1:Do I expect to hear back from either of these individuals? Nope, not at all. I even say that in my introduction to them. Here's why I won't hear back from them. Frankly, the fuzzy mic just isn't big enough. That's the truth, which is one of the reasons why I'm immensely grateful when any guest joins me here. It was the same way when I was on the radio when I was working in Columbia, missouri. There was no way an A-list performer was going to come on my show. The audience size was just too small. In Houston different story we had our pick of guests big name guests practically every day. We also had a weekly audience size of 1.1 million listeners.
Speaker 1:Listen, by mentioning names, I am not trying to call anybody out. I'm merely illustrating the level of guests I'm trying to get to give you the most impactful listening experience. This really is all about you giving you entertaining and useful mental health discussion. Well, that's what the Fuzzy Mike is all about. Now, while I was on Instagram, I did have some messages sent to me that I wanted to share with you. That's one way you can connect with me. There's also Facebook X and email thefuzzymike at gmailcom. I very much appreciate feedback, comments and suggestions. I'm not good at all with negativity, especially when it's directed at me or the show, but if you have to go there, well, at least you felt compelled enough to share your opinion.
Speaker 1:One of the Instagram messages that I got was from my neighbor when I was growing up in St Louis. She and I haven't spoken to each other in like well geez. I left 36 years ago to go to college. Haven't been back. Lisa wrote I've been following your journey the last few years. I like what you're doing in the mental health space with your podcast. She's offered to put me in touch with some potential guests and I'm thankful.
Speaker 1:I also got this message and it puzzled me. It was someone who doesn't follow me and whom I don't follow. It read you're not the real at Kevin Kline official. Okay, first, my Instagram handle is Kevin Kline. Okay, first, my Instagram handle is Kevin Klein. Nowhere do I claim to be Kevin Klein official, even though my name is Kevin Klein and my Instagram is officially mine.
Speaker 1:But this post got me wondering why even go through the energy and effort to send this message? What was the purpose and what was this person trying to accomplish by sending it? An amateur sleuth? Like they cracked the case of Kevin Kline official Instagram account. If that was the purpose, okay, they succeeded. Yeah, they found out that I'm not Kevin Kline official, but I don't claim to be, so bravo to you. No-transcript is that this person was only trying to stir up some shit. I didn't respond. I'm not going to take the bait on that. If you're new to this podcast or to my life as a broadcaster. Thank you for checking out the fuzzy mic. I hope you stick around. Anyway, there's this Academy Award-winning actor named Kevin Kline. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for A Fish Called Wanda.
Speaker 2:And the Oscar goes to Kevin Kline. In A Fish Called Wanda, and the Oscar goes to Kevin.
Speaker 1:Kline and A Fish Called Wanda Because we share the same name. I get mistaken for him a lot. Just on Instagram alone, I'd say about 20% of my messages confuse me for him. I've never been bothered by it. Even if we weren't related, I still wouldn't be bothered by it.
Speaker 1:Yes, kevin is my uncle, his dad and my grandpa the same person. His mom and my grandma not the same person. Yes, that makes him a half uncle. But when I spoke to Kevin early in his career when his movie Sophie's Choice with Meryl Streep came out I think I was in like the sixth grade I flat out asked him, as young kids do, what do I call you? He said I'm your uncle. So I've always referred to him as that His dad and my dad's dad same person. But I've never known that side of the family. For me that's a disappointment. It's a real tragedy. I've spoken to my other two uncles on that side of the family, but nothing ever in depth. The one uncle I've had the most interaction with, and that's to say we met at my grandfather's funeral and exchanged a couple of emails afterwards he's a private investigator. That kind of stuff fascinates me.
Speaker 1:Maybe you've surmised that based on the few true crime episodes I've had here on the Fuzzy Mike. So you're scratching your head right now, klein. What's the purpose of this rambling? Surely it's not just to name drop your famous family, is it? No, how could doing that relate to mental health and personal development? It wouldn't. The purpose of talking about this is to show how I, pretty much Mr Negative, turned a perceived negative into a positive. See, when I read that comment on Instagram, my reaction was okay, you're a dick. But then, when I decided to talk about it here on the fuzzy mic, what gave me an opportunity to think about that side of my genetic makeup? And it got me thinking about my dad. As sad as this might sound, those are two thoughts I rarely have. I've long resigned that I know as much about my paternal grandfather and uncles and aunt as I ever will. As for thinking about my dad, had it not been for this comment, I truly believe that I would have forgotten that this week is the 19th death anniversary of his suicide. I actually had to text my sister for the date. April 19th 2005. He became the fifth person in his bloodline to kill themselves. You don't think that's an inherited trait? And that leads me to the other message that I got.
Speaker 1:April was listening to the other podcast I'm a part of the Tunneling Line Show, the one I co-host with my longtime radio partner, tim Tuttle. We post new episodes every Wednesday Shameless plug. Anyway, april was concerned about what she heard from me. During our last episode we were talking about prison. We were talking about prison. We were talking about if God gave us the choice of how we could die and we were talking about the start of my comedy routine, if I ever decided to do one.
Speaker 1:April wrote do we need to be concerned about you, klein? In an 85-minute conversation you talked about suicide four times. In an 85-minute conversation you talked about suicide four times. Like, not about suicide in a general sense, but about you specifically, just making sure you're okay First. Thank you for that message, april. That's super cool to me on a couple of levels. That you would be listening so astutely that you would be able to point that out. Well, that's impressive. That you would care enough to send this message touches me deeply.
Speaker 1:I've taken the 85-minute episode. I've edited it down to highlight the four instances that April's talking about. You know, say something were to happen to you, kev, what kind of prisoner would you be. I mean, you would probably be somebody's bitch real quick. No, I will unequivocally tell you this and I am not bullshitting in the slightest if I were ever sentenced to prison, I would kill myself really. Oh yes, sir, I am not spending a minute in in jail.
Speaker 1:Top three ways to die. If you can script out the scenario, oh wow, top three ways to go. If, if god came to you and said kevin, I like you, you've done good here with all the children's and the pediatric cancer and the running and all that shit, I'm gonna let you choose your way out. Uh, okay, um, geez, this could get a little morbid. Yeah, you think and this is not a therapy session for Klein but you drink yourself into a stupor, okay, until you pass out, and then you put a plastic bag over your head. Well, why? Well, because you're not going to feel it, and then you're just going to suffocate. You're already drunk and pass out, and then you have the bag over what. That's suffocating is no way to go man you're not gonna.
Speaker 1:you're not gonna feel it, though, because you're already passed out from drinking. That's the first one you come up with. Yeah, I'm scared of the next two. Man, uh, the next two. You could either do uh, a, um, well, this is interesting. And you're going to be like, wow, climb, what rabbit hole were you down? Uh, cyanide pill. Or you could take like a thousand apple seeds, crush them up, because, uh, supposedly, somebody who is 180 pounds, if you did 200 apple seeds crushed up, that's the equivalent of one cyanide pill, is it really? Yeah, that's what I read Now. I don't think so. I think you need more than a 200. And what is the exact poison that is made from that? Cyanide, cyanide. So that's homemade cyanide from apple seeds. Apple seeds, yes, shit. I want to give you my opening, uh, my opening comedic line. It would set the tone for the entire evening, okay.
Speaker 2:Are you sure?
Speaker 1:you want to give me this, yeah, yeah, and I'm not sure I'll take it because I oh no no, no, you wouldn't.
Speaker 1:It wouldn't fit in your, it wouldn't fit in your. Okay, this is what you would do. Yeah, so I would just come out and I'd be like, yeah, thanks. I just hate it when people come up here and they talk about their families. We don't fucking know them. What makes your family so important that you got to talk about them? So my dad, my dad committed suicide. I know we were just as shocked as you. This man had no skills whatsoever, yet he was able to fashion a noose out of an extension cord. And does he get the irony? Did he get the irony that he's ending, he's shortening his life with something that was used to extend? Oh my God, dude, that's hilarious.
Speaker 1:Until April pointed this out in her message, I hadn't even thought about this connection. Now, hearing it together and not spread out over the entire episode, yeah, I can see how that might erase some concerns. That was not my intention. None of that was a cry for help.
Speaker 1:I'm actually in a really good headspace lately, have been for a couple of months. It's been so good that I'm fearful of the next crash, because I usually equate how bad they'll be by how good the up has been, and this has been a pretty lengthy up phase, so I can only imagine how low the next pit is going to be, and I don't know what's going to set it off either. Low the next pit is going to be and I don't know what's going to set it off either. That's another aspect of depression and chronic suicidality that is scary. I mean, if you knew the triggers, you could just eliminate them and not have to deal with a depressive episode. Wouldn't that be amazing? But for me there's no rhyme or reason to what causes my lows. The other explanation to what you've heard is that's just my life Living with a diagnosis of chronic suicidality. It's a constant thought, even though I think about it all the time. I'm in a spot right now where I don't want to do it. I'm that well adjusted at the moment and talking about it out loud, I think it's actually a good thing For me. It allows me to exercise that demon, to release that stifling negativity. It's when I don't talk about it, that's when there's likely a problem. April totally did the right thing, messaging me and asking if I needed help. That's what you should do if you sense someone is struggling, asking if I needed help. That's what you should do. If, in a sense, someone is struggling and what April did, citing examples of what I said that made her wonder. That was brilliant, it was perfect.
Speaker 1:When we're going through episodes, we're likely to question why there's concern. Where is this coming from? What do you mean? No, I don't need help or want to talk to anyone. Those are typical reactions when we're approached by someone concerned about us. We react that way because depression in itself is a secretive condition. That's what I'm trying to change here with the fuzzy mic. Depression is secretive because it typically leads us into isolation. We don't want to be around anyone and it deteriorates communication. We just don't have the energy to talk or open up, and when we're depressed, the last thing we feel is worthy of help, concern or compassion we're blinded by our misery. So April, pointing out the statements I made, that got her wondering that let me know that her concerns weren't baseless. If you suspect someone's going through a depressive episode and might be on the verge of self-harm and you want to ask them how they're doing, give them an example of something they've said or how they're acting that has you concerned. That could be the difference between getting a real answer and not our typical, I'm fine. Thank you for listening. If you'd be so kind to give this a rating, maybe even a review, like Desi did, man, I appreciate it. You can help grow the Fuzzy Mike audience by sharing it with your friends and family. The bigger we grow, the better show I can deliver for all of us.
Speaker 1:The Fuzzy Mic is hosted and produced by Kevin Kline. Production elements from Zach Sheesh at the Radio Farm. Social media director is Trish Kline. I know this episode wasn't very funny, but for your weekly dose of hilarity, listen to the Tuttle Kline podcast with new episodes every Wednesday Next week on the Fuzzy Mic. I couldn't be happier. I am so excited to bring you a guest who, on the surface, seemingly has it all Actress, author, former Playboy playmate but as we'll find out, appearances can be deceiving. Thank you for listening. I'll see you next week. That's it for the Fuzzy Mike. Thank you. The Fuzzy Mike with Kevin Kline.