In today's episode, Ian and Doug discuss The Underground Freedom Train and how Canadians celebrate it's history. Doug and Ian get into their own ancestry before Doug hits us with another Sauna Story. The fellas discuss the stigma of mental illness in men and how most of us don't quite understand mental illness or how to help our friends struggling with it. They also discuss eldership and the lack of positive male role models, ego and it's effect on men and modern man's role in feminism. The episode ends with another round of "Which Side of the Border.

Thanks for listening and enjoy the show!

In today's episode:

Ian begins with a story about a local man who seems to have it all figured out... or does he? Doug and Ian discuss how the grass can sometimes seem greener based on where you're standing. Doug shares the inner monologue of an aging tradesperson. How do you know when it's time to move in a new direction? When should one transition?

The conversation turns to the topic of "transition / transitioning" as Doug and Ian each share elements of transition in their lives lately. Ian takes us through his recent decision to rely on public transportation instead of his car. He brings us into what it feels like to be a black man riding on a bus with his family, stressing how social stigmas are everywhere and can sometimes sneak up on you. Doug dives deeper into his thoughts of "what to do with the next 20 years."

Enjoy the show!

Welcome back to the show!

In today's episode, Ian tells us a story of how he survived his recent run as School Board President. He breaks down what he learned and what challenges he had to overcome in order to get through a new position with a lot of expectations. The fellas discuss the concept of replacing "I" with "We" and how that can affect your health and mental wellness.

They also discuss Doug's moldy HVAC systems vs Ian's funky Birkenstocks, why Doug can't smell mold and why he thinks roaches are more polite than we give them credit for. They wrap up their discussion on the topic of education, the education system and how the cultural we grew up in affects the role education plays in our lives.

Today's show ends with another addition of "What Side Of The Border," everyone's favorite new game show about the slight differences between Canadian and American cultures.

Enjoy the show!

In this week's episode, Ian takes a break from a Canadian getaway to touch base with Doug. They get into how marathon runners must be offensive to the people who risked their lives to first domesticate wild horses, how being too hard on yourself can be detrimental to your mental health and how to trust yourself as an artist. Doug tells us a story about his dad's tragic inability to remember where he put his keys and Ian shares a couple of interesting pop-culture topics.

#mentalhealth
#friendspodcast
#comedy
#friends
#awareness
#art
#canada
#america
#mentalking
#trustyourself
#familystories
#storytelling

Welcome back to the show! In today’s episode, Ian and Doug discuss a recent experience at a demolition derby which leads Doug to tell a story about a knock-down, drag-out brawl he lived through at a rodeo in Nicaragua. They also discuss modern rites of passage and proper sauna etiquette before playing they’re favorite quiz game “Which Side of the Border.” Make sure to check out the video versions of these episodes on our YouTube channel. Comment on the videos and tell us about your experiences.

Enjoy the show!

In today's episode, Ian and Doug discuss the idea of "Typical Male Behavior." What do we think of when someone says this phrase and how much of that is nature vs nurture. Are boys and men designed a certain way or does society dictate how we move in society? Or is it a little bit of both? The fellas tell stories about cyclical trauma brought on by life experiences and how hard it can be to get out of the cycles we end up creating for ourselves. They discuss male vulnerability and how hard it can be for men to find the help they need while in crisis.

What are your thoughts on today's conversation? Have you found it challenging to discuss emotional and phycological issues with your male friends and family members? What could we, as men do to improve our ability to rely on one another more? Leave your comments.

Enjoy today's show!

Welcome back to the show!

Today, on episode 3 of Have I Told You Lately, Ian and Doug share stories about one of the most common surgeries that adult males experience in the modern world; the vasectomy. While the surgery is fairly routine, no 2 vasectomy experiences are exactly the same and while this situation is common for men, none of us are coached on what to expect when walking through the experience. Most men don't say this but getting a vasectomy is scary because there are so many unknowns. Is it going to hurt? How much and for how long? We've all been kicked in the junk and it hurts... a lot... is it going to be like that? Lots of thoughts run through your head in the time leading up to the surgery and you feel a lot of different emotions, but can you talk about all of those emotions with your guy friends?

Thankfully, Ian and Doug wrote lots of jokes for today's vasectomy stories. Hopefully it helps take the sting out of your own experience. If you enjoyed today's episode, feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think. Thanks!

List of topics covered in today's episode:

Old House Electrical system - Doug putting us on to free electrician game

Doug’s Dad came to visit and it was tough

Electrical & Exorcist company for old homes

Conflict in Gaza

Ian’s parents and the reality that some parents are stuck in their ways and may never change.

Question parents experience based on your own lived experiences

Men Isolate and what happens if men decide to change their values, they are usually exile from their friend group.

Vasectomy Stories from Ian & Doug

Mourning that new parenting part of life and gratitude of being a parent

Time and the labor and love it takes to raise kids, and vasectomy as a right of passage for men.

I’m a man and not a boy and I know the difference

Mental health needs as father and knowing yourself and your capacity. Always child and adult rearing and being open to change at every age.

Which side of the border?

Final Thoughts and what was your vasectomy experience like?

#vasectomy
#menhealth
#fatherhood
#ritesofpassage
#malerightsofpassage
#surgery
#mentalhealth
#vulnerability
#malevulnerability
#vulnerable

In today's episode, Ian and Doug discuss the idea of fighting within the context of society. Is it necessary? Why do we do it and what impact does it have on us as people? We get into George Forman and Muhammad Ali's "Rumble In The Jungle" and joke about how Forman went from World Heavyweight Champ to designing and selling electric grills in the later stages of his life/career. Doug shares a story about standing up to his childhood bully which just so happened to be his big sister. We discuss how most entertainment targeting boys is focused on resolving issues through fighting and how this shapes our reality.

We move into discussing how we, as men, have to find a place for that same "fighting" energy as we age. How do we alchemically transmute that same rage and energy into something mature and productive for ourselves, our families and friends and, ultimately, society at-large. We discuss how words can be utilized to disarm would-be adversaries and the power of words in general in deescalating a potentially violent situation. This leads us to discuss the power of meditation and the potential of distancing yourself from the heavy flow of emotion that leads to conflict in the first place.

We discuss how to instill the fighting spirit in our children without them needing to experience abandonment and neglect. This was most evident in how the youth of the world had to fight their way, physically, mentally and emotionally through a worldwide pandemic. This leads us finally to discuss how this need to fight or be competitive has led men, in particular to isolate in their later years. We discuss how one of the major killers of men in our country is suicide and what can be done to heal this epidemic in men.

We end this episode with another addition of Ian's favorite quiz game "Which Side of the Border" in which Ian reads an outrageous news story and asks Doug to identify whether the story takes place in Canada or the US. Doug then quizzes Ian with a game he called "Black Guy / White Guy" in which Doug describes 2 different friends from his childhood and asks Ian to identify which person is a black dude and which is a white dude.

Thanks for listening! Enjoy the episode. Please leave us a comment on any of the topics we covered today. Also remember to like the episode and subscribe to our channel to help us out in the YouTube algorithm.

#fighting
#fightclub
#positiverolemodel
#rumbleinthejungle
#georgeforeman
#muhammadali
#bullies
#standingupforyourself
#selfdefense
#taekwondo
#familymatters
#mentalhealth
#mentalhealthawareness
#mentality
#mentalhealthmatters