Building a Better Dave

Dave Jackson

The personal diary of Dave Jackson. Each short episode attempts to make you laugh, cry, think, groan, educate, or entertain. Sometimes, you get to play therapist as Dave attempts to share life's lessons from Father Time. read less

Society & CultureSociety & Culture

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Marriage Advice from the Divorced Guy

Marriage Advice from the Divorced Guy

Last weekend I was driving to the place where I ride my bike. It beautiful. I get out there, relax, and enjoy nature. This week I was driving and I passed signs for Brian and Linda's wedding, and then the reception. I thought of how happy Brian and Linda must be on this day. It was an awesome day to sweat 20 lbs off in a tux. I thought of how I felt on my wedding days. Yes, there have been two. With this in mind, you can learn from people who succeed at something, or you can also learn from people who fail at something so I feel I have some good advice from a divorced guy. Pick Your Battles, and Your Battle Times Your spouse is not perfect. This you need to learn right up front. Your life will not be perfect. How you handle the reality of that is HUGE part of how your marriage will go. This doesn't mean you become a welcome mat for your spouse to walk over, but you do need to set realistic expectations. With this in mind, let some things roll off your back. Wait a day or two to see if it is still bugging you. If it is, then start thinking about how to bring it up, and more importantly when to bring it up. There is that whole "Don't go to bed mad at each other" and it's next to impossible if you bring up stuff AS YOU ARE GOING TO BED. For me, when my head hit the pillow I had two things on my mind, and if we weren't doing the first thing, I wanted to sleep. This is NOT the best time to bring up serious subjects. Your spouse is exhausted and wants to sleep. I know, let's dump some serious discussion on them, and see how they make decisions when their brain checked out hours ago. In the morning before work is a crappy way to start the day. As soon as you get home from work is awful because you want to relax. How about after dinner. Another tip I would add is give a warning shot. Maybe some time during the day send a "I need to talk to you tonight" text to let them know. While a "we need to talk" used to mean you are breaking up, now that you're married that option is off the table. Don't panic. Reinforce Your Commitment Let's face it, there will be times when things are said or done, and you are royally cheesed off. This happens. Remember, it's not going to be perfect. So if you are going to bed angry, try to remind your spouse that while you don't like them at the moment, you do love them. I know that's weird. Buy can you love a child who just spilled chocolate on the carpet? Sure. Well then, remember that you can be upset with someone and still love them. State that, "You know that really hurt me, and I'm upset. I want you to know that I still love you, and I'm sure we can work through this." Why I feel this is important is when you get into a bad situation, it may feel like everything you do is not good enough, that all you do is wrong, and that your relationship is doomed. A reminder that you are a team, and you will work through your problems might be a key to having a dialogue vs an argument. A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down If you need to point out something that needs work, the "bad news" might go down better if you add something positive to it first. "I love that you are such a (hard worker, good mom, etc) and I can see that when you (whatever they did) and I deeply appreciate it. Here is a way that take that great action and maximize the impact would be to ____. Don't Be A Buthead Be careful saying something nice up front if it is followed by "But..." as everything before the word But gets erased when you use it. This is really hard to do. I the love the way you do this, and that BUT when you.... that doesn't work. Know Your Schools of Thought on Marriage There are two schools of marriage (for me). Two complete people who choose to be together.Two incomplete people who choose to be together to complete each other (the Jerry McQuire Marriage). People Can Change But It's Never Easy By the time you get married, you are who you are for the most part. People can change, that is true. It's a bit like steering a giant cruise boat. Sure it can turn, but it takes time, and it is slow. If you are marrying someone and thinking later that annoying thing they do will change, you might want to reconsider. For one, if they do change it may be something that comes naturally, and consequently, it takes effort to not do something that is just like a reflex. So if you marry someone who drinks, and think later you can talk them into giving it up, you may be not so presently surprised. If you want someone to give up something they truly enjoy, it may happen along with this thing we call resentment. Have Something In Common You are going to be spending a lot time with this person, it would be nice if you could do things together that you BOTH enjoy. Be The Person Your Spouse Wants to Hang Out With You never get any time together. You finally do, don't spend that time telling your spouse they you never spend any time together. Instead tell them how much you miss them, and how great it is to spend time together. Give them something to miss. Nobody likes a no it all. Nobody wants to be around a person who is always complaining. Be someone your spouse wants to hang out with. Women - Sex Makes You Stupid Don't sleep with someone. I know that women are independent and strong, but thanks to movies, romance novels, etc when you have sex with a man you become blind to their faults (in most cases). Typically, it is harder for women to have sex with a man without having emotional ties. Date Night We are busy, so come up with dedicated times to spend together. There are no exceptions. This shows your dedication. If you do need to use a Date Night for a non-date night activity, be sure to appreciate the other person for letting you go off the plan, and make it up to them. To the person who is "giving permission" do it with a smile, and you will be the coolest person on the planet. A person people (your spouse) will want to hang out with. If Needed, Schedule Sex You're busy, I'm busy, you're tired, I'm tired. Sex is important to everyone in the marriage. I know it would be great if violins started to play and "it just happened" but it doesn't. Here again, it's not going to be perfect. But if you put it on the calendar, all expectations are on the calendar, everyone knows what is expected. Sure it's not as romantic, but are you going to tell me that when it's done you're going to say, "well that was awful." There is no bad pizza; there is no bad horrible sex."

Episodes

Dave at 59: Reflections on Life, Facing Aging, and Ditching Dairy Queen

Dave at 59: Reflections on Life, Facing Aging, and Ditching Dairy Queen

Today I turn 59 and apparently, I have one goal: Don't Break a Hip. So I reflect a bit on my 20s, 30s, and 40s, as I have 365 more days in my 50's. According to AI, "From reminiscing about past relationships and experiences to contemplating the inevitability of aging and the challenges of staying healthy, Dave's musings offer a heartfelt and relatable perspective on navigating life's journey." So click Play already Key Points: You can't change people. I don't want to live a life filled with Ozzy Lyrics. With some lessons, you need two chances to learn. Getting old is weird, and I don't want to live in fear. While the baby of the family gets away with murder, there is still a price to pay. While she may be a queen, I need another divorce. Mentioned In This Episode River by Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell on the Grammys 2024 Ozzy See You On The Other Side Prince Lonely Christmas ( the snare is weirdly in the right headphone) Future.co (virtual weight loss coaches) Like the Show? Consider buying me a coffee.

What A Wonderful World

What A Wonderful World

Sometimes we forget what life was like, and in todays' episode I realize that I can get the answer to just about everything with a few clicks of a mouse. Things we learned today. Which way to set your ceiling fan in the winter. Rhino Sex Elephant Sperm Collection

You've Gone Too Far With Time Blindness

You've Gone Too Far With Time Blindness

Yuri Bezmenov was a russian journlist who defected to the USA. He explained a strategy of the KGB. HE said this in 1984. It was called either ideological subversion, or active measures. What it basically means is to change the perception of reality of every American to such an extent that despite the abundance of information, no one is able to come to sensible conclusions in the interests of defending themselves, their families, their community, and their country. It's a great brainwashing process that goes very slow and is divided in four basic stages. The first one being demoralization; it takes from 15 to 20 years to demoralize a nation. Why that many years? Because this is the minimum number of years required to educate one generation of students The ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generations of American students without being challenged or counterbalanced by the basic values of Americanism What Is The Result? The result you can see, most of the people who were "half-baked intellectuals" are now occupying positions of power in the government, civil service, business, mass media, and educational system; you are stuck with them, and you cannot get rid of them. They are contaminated. They're programmed to think and react to certain stimuli in a certain pattern. You cannot change their mind even if you expose them to authentic information. Even if you prove that white is white and black is black, you still cannot change the basic perception and the logic of behavior. In other words, the process of demoralization is complete and irreversible. To reverse this you have you need another 15 or 20 years to educate a new generation of common sense. The demoralization process in the United States is completed already. For the last 25 years, actually, it's over fulfilled because demoralisation now reaches such areas where experts, would even dream of such tremendous success. Most of it is done by Americans to Americans, thanks to a lack of moral standards. Mentioned In This Episode Yuri Bezmenov Time Blindness Video Time Blindness from the Cleveland Clinic Like this episode? Buy Dave a Coffee

Surviving a Rollercoaster of a Day: Unexpected Hurdles and Heart-Pounding Moments

Surviving a Rollercoaster of a Day: Unexpected Hurdles and Heart-Pounding Moments

Today we have a very relatable topic to delve into. We've all had those days where everything seems to go wrong, where every step forward feels like two steps back. Well, my friends, today we're talking about having a bad day. All I had to do was go to Walmart, buy some fruit and two cables, and get to the church by five for a special event. It just seemed like I couldn't catch a break all day. No matter how bad your day is, someone might be having one that is even worse. It's hard, but try to find some gratitude in those situations.

Welcome back to another episode of "Building a Better Dave" with your host, Dave Jackson. In today's episode, a mysterious bump near the armpit is getting bigger. Dave takes us on a journey of curiosity, self-discovery, and a deep desire to stay healthy. Join us as we explore the hilarious yet relatable moments of navigating waxing, dieting, financial frugality, and the pains and fears that come with aging. So grab your headphones and prepare for another thought-provoking and entertaining episode of "Building a Better Dave."

Pistols at Dawn!

Pistols at Dawn!

So Meta/Facebook released a "new" app called Threads. I installed it to check it out, and well... It's Twitter. No. Seriously, it is Twitter (with a different name) Why? Because of a difference of opinion, once again, America separates. Pinapple Pizza Sompe people love pineapple on your pizza, while people like me are more traditional (pepperoni and maybe some onion). Instead of trying a different type of pizza, we get HIGHLY offended and scream HOW DARE YOU! or ask, "HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK THAT??? and instead of having a dialogue, we separate and go to our respective corners. Instead of asking, "Hey can I try that?" or "Hmmm, that's an interesting concept," we scream for pistols at dawn. We want to wipe the different opinions of the planet, and here it is again, and it somewhat bums me out. Sidenote: Easy opening tents.

Spiking Like a Mother

Spiking Like a Mother

I've started using a Continous Glucose Monitor (or as the cool kids call it a CGM) from Signos. It's pretty amazing and the thing I love about it is if I put in my food into the app before I eat it, it will warn me, "Hey, you better exercise for 20 minutes when you finish eating THAT." So I do, and I watch my blood glucose stabilize. Grapes are out. Like, never again. Which is a bummer, as I love grapes. FRONT OF MIND The one thing this does is it helps you keep your health in front of you. I am constantly looking at it to see where I am. As I started to record this, I hit a spike, so I'll be going for a walk. IF ONLY Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of warning for real life, "Hey, I'm going on a date with HER, and the app would go, "OK, but you're going to lose a house to her in a divorce in 11 years..."

Chipmunks Aren't Sexy

Chipmunks Aren't Sexy

Dallas turned 45 (See picture here) and Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray, Charlene Tilton, Audrey Landers, Steve Kanaly, Joan Van Ark, Sheree Wilson and Cathy Podewell met up for a reunion. Victoria Principal didn't attend. . Here are three key takeaways: Dave has never seen anyone who looks better after getting work done on their face He advises women (and Men) to focus on healthy habits such as eating right and exercising if they're thinking of updating their appearance. Dave questions the effectiveness of cosmetic surgery and suggests that it doesn't make people look better, Have you had experience with cosmetic surgery? Are you happy with it? www.betterdave.com/contact or call in your comments 888-563-3228

Outrunning the Cheetah

Outrunning the Cheetah

I looked up and I was subscribed to Peacock, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV, Hbomax, the only one missing was paramount. I use YouTube TV to get "TV." As I was considering closing these, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to chime in on the conversation around the water cooler at work. Then I remembered it's not 1995. I haven't had anyone since Christmas talk about a TV show that I felt I was missing out (Yellowstone, and I wasn't but I binged it on Peacock). A friend of mine told me how he would subscribe to one at a time and watch all there is to watch, and when he starts to struggle to find something good to watch, he will unsubscribe and fire up a different service. Life is too short to watch mediocre entertainment (I grew up watching the Waltons... ugh...). Financial guy Dave Ramsey talks about attacking your debt with the same intensity of a Gazelle who is trying to outrun a cheeta (the fastest animal on the planet). So while the 40ish dollars this will save me a month won't make me rich, it will help me pay off debts quicker, so why not. Speaking of value, if this made you think, why not say thank you and buy me a coffee?

The Cure For Plastic Bags

The Cure For Plastic Bags

I spoke about my now PSTD reaction to finding pile after pile after pile of plastic bags that my sister (who NEVER throws them away) had stored throughout my house in a previous episode. After watching a report from ABC News called Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling that there was an option that had never crossed my mind. Isn't that the way so many things are? We convince ourselves of an outcome, or our potential and we never challenge that thought. We never check to see if it is still true. When I was a teenager, I worked in a grocery store. If someone walked in with a big bag (or a winter coat when it was warm outside) someone was going to watch you through the store to make sure you didn't shoplift. Now it is encouraged so the store doesn't have to pay for the bag you are using. So what is the cure for plastic bags? Quit using them. Yep, that is an option and I spent $20 on Amazon and bought three usable grocery bags. My problem of always having a bag of bags that I always forget to bring with me when I go to the store (and then stuff more bags into the bag of bags) is solved. For me, who just HATED these bags, this is a big deal that was solved for $20. You can find cheaper versions as well. If your water is drinkable from the tap, then, call me crazy... use it. If it's not then looking into a Brita Water Filter will save you money in the long run. Americans buy 29 billion water bottles a year. When I go to trade shows, I can always pick up some kind of metal 20 oz water bottle that keeps things cool, or you can buy an insulated metal water bottle with a chug lid (who doesn't love a good chug lid). for $13. So why are we even using plastic bags (I know the idea was to save the trees, but in saving the trees we have a serious plastic issue now), the answer is simple. Who is involved in making these super thin plastic bags? The Big Oil, and Big Chemical industries. Well, that answers a lot. P.S. The book I was reading about the guy in the closet is Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life by Craig Groeschel. Enjoy the show? Buy Dave a Coffee.

It's All About the Mindset: The Road to Adulting

It's All About the Mindset: The Road to Adulting

I've got some momentum going. My house is cleaner, my vocabulary is growing, my finances are more organized, I'm focused on losing weight, and I'm possessed by the spirit of my Mom, who is helping me locate the best deals for food. When something doesn't go your way, it's not a failure. It's an experience that you can use to move forward in a smarter way. 00:11 Intro 00:37 Lots of Irons in the Fire 01:11 Triggered By My Uncle 02:15 Act 4 02:59 Dave The Slob 03:47 Health Benefits of Less Clutter 04:40 More Sleep = More Focus 05:14 monthlychallenge.fit 05:42 Duolingo 06:10 Dave Ramsey Every Dollar Financial Peace University 07:32 Grocery Detective 09:55 Pennies Make Dollars Enjoy the show? Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/davejackson

Old Dog - New Tricks?

Old Dog - New Tricks?

In this episode, I talk about making a brain tattoo, setting myself up to succeed (if I can just remember what it is I'm working on...) and parenting yourself. I just need to add one thing to my routine. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Todoist App Evernote App Google Calendar Todoist Tutorials ENJOY THE SHOW? Buy Dave a Coffee

A Special Place in Hell

A Special Place in Hell

While I never met him in person, a fellow Libsyn employee was killed by a drunk driver on 12/4/22. He was a wife and three young daughters. If you're new, I was married to an alcoholic, and hearing about drunk drivers is somewhat triggering. Throw on top a parent leaving the earth way too soon, and now you really are hitting me on all levels. But wait, there is more. It turns out there are people who are using AI (artificial intelligence) to scrape the internet for obituaries so they can "write" an article about the person and cram the website full of ads. One person even did it in a video (with the monetization turned on and the comments - naturally - turned off). In the same way, you can get the air knocked out of you; I have lost some of my faith in humanity. I can't even explain my thoughts. It's not often that Dave Jackson is speechless. If you'd like to help out his wife and kids, it will make you feel better Here is the GO FUND ME page.

The Male - An Endangered Species?

The Male - An Endangered Species?

I am worried about men. I think we are an endangered species. Here is why: SPORTS We listen to sportscasters who are making millions talk about athletes who are making millions for team owners who make billions. There are dedicated radio stations that talk about nothing else than how the team is doing, and what they need to do to win. None of that talk has any effect on the team. Zero FOOTBALL COMMERCIALS Then when you watch a football game, you always have: 1. The spokesmodel who didn't play football but is STUNNINGLY beautiful who will "pass it over" to people who actually played the game. She can also do that special piece during breast cancer awareness month. 2. There will be boner pill commercials, cause you know...priorities 3. Remedies for baldness. We will ship it to you in a private box - because nobody knows you're bald. 4. Trucks. Big trucks with deep voiceovers. These trucks have power unlike your small penis, which needs a blue pull to function. 5. Beer. If you can't afford a large truck you head to the mountains. This commercial lists no facts and only has a sweaty beer can that eventually you get to hear open. 5. Gambling. Kevin Hart (another millionaire) talks about the best way to gamble all of the money you worked hard to earn. They are giving away money to people who light their money on fire the fastest. Oh, and here is a phone number if this commercial triggered you. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE 6. My Self Esteem is tied to my team. If we lose, my week is wrecked (Really?) 7. Tick Shots - I just started paying attention to TikTok, and I am AMAZED at how GUYS (no women are doing this) are spending what must be hours if not days filming themselves trying to put a cup into a cup, or a ping pong ball, or flying a card into a clothespin. Whatever it is, it took a LOT of time to film. Which makes me think, "How much free time do YOU HAVE?" So we are giving anyone who wants to say how stupid, pigheaded, and idiotic men are - lots of evidence. Enjoy this episode? Buy Dave a Coffee

I Blame Carlin, Pryor and Chappelle

I Blame Carlin, Pryor and Chappelle

So I'm back from an event where people got offended by the presence of someone being in a room. That's a new one for me. I've been disappointed to see someone but seeing them never brought me harm. How can you say you are for inclusion, and at the same time say you want to exclude someone? I don't understand. I'm also sad to see people water down very powerful words. I save the "F word" for the end of the argument (thanks to George Carlin). I also hear people using the word Fascist, and I'm not sure they understand the definition. We won't learn anything if we are yelling at each other, and I'm asking for help. It will be interesting to see if asking for help is seen as violence. Check out the commercial for the Fisher Price Podcast Set Podcast Set - Saturday Night Live

Recreational Outrage

Recreational Outrage

It's hard to watch a friend get canceled. My friend Daniel is a devout Christian. Currently, there is the worry that Roe Vs Wade will be overturned and abortion will be illegal. Daniel left a comment on a tweet that was pro-choice. "“Stopping the mass murder of blacks and women, along with all the other babies, will be wonderful for the USA. How anyone could be so barbaric to endorse the murder of nearly 1 million babies every year is unbelievable." (He later deleted this tweet) Daniel at the time was a Governor for the Podcast Academy. The TPA has a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion declaration on their site that reads, We celebrate and support the industry of audio storytelling and fight to uplift and center the diverse communities of people doing this work. We acknowledge the historical inequities that have existed in the space. We understand that to dismantle these inequities; it will take intentional efforts and commitments aimed at the communities that have long been subject to these inequities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, immigrants, and people across the spectrum of socio-economic class. We encourage our members to hold us accountable, but we also realize that it is not the responsibility of marginalized communities to do this work for us. For these reasons, we invest funds into external, BIPOC+ led resources to help us continue in this work. This policy is a living document that grows as we do, and we look forward to continuing to evolve through our ongoing education, outreach, and efforts for mutual understanding. After his comments went viral people started a petition to get him removed. They called him a racist, homophobic, and a misogynist. Another fact, the Podcast Academy is 69% female. Daniel was asked to resign, and when he declined he was fired. Abortion Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face. I think everyone has their views on abortion until they find out they are pregnant. I don't have a vagina, so I keep out of that conversation. Racist In the book, “Uncomfortable conversation with a black man” the author says to white people, I imagine some of you are thinking if black people can't decide which term to use, then how and why should white people be expected to know which term to use? Point taken? To the extent I can speak for anyone else, black is the most inclusive choice. There's no one label that will satisfy all. I sued Google and found many websites stating THIS is the term that white people should use. They were all different. Some wrong words are obvious (the N word) and others have white people asking, "Can I say this?" When I hear that people are saying he should stop breathing because he didn't put a capital on the "B" in blacks, it feels a bit extreme. I asked this question in a group, and the group could not give me an agreed-upon answer. SO know that white people are trying, but it's confusing. Learning You don't learn when you talk, you learn when you listen. It's hard when we get upset. When we don't feel heard our voices get loud. That is being human, but you have to realize that we were all raised in our own bubbles of culture and are probably missing pieces when it comes to understanding others. The internet can bring us all together to learn from each other if we are willing students with open minds. There will be times when we agree to disagree. I am driving to PA next week to see a friend of mine who is an atheist. I am not. We talk about everything and anything - except religion. He's not changing my mind, and I'm not changing his. If we have questions we know where to go. Dialogues At a podcast event, there were two left-leaning, two right-leaning, and one LGBQT+ person and we all listened and talk about our experiences. This was the first time I realized what I learned in school is not accurate. Daniel was nothing but respectful. This was such a cool conversation that I remember it, and so does David Hooper (one of the guys at the table). It was like, "Hey remember when people could have a dialogue?" A Better Use of Your Time? Instead of digging through years of old tweets, right not reach out and ask to have a conversation. Steven Covey in the book the 7 Habits of Effective people says we should "understand before being understood." John Mayer In 2001 I pre-judged John Mayer as "another pretty-boy singer-songwriter who is going to make the girls scream." I would overlook him year after year. 14 years later a friend told me I should give him a listen. I did, and it turns out he is an AMAZING guitar player. I had missed out on some great guitar playing, lyrics, and music. My point is if we can take a second to get to know each other we might benefit from understanding each other. It may not always be easy, but anything of value rarely is. Mentioned in this Episode No Safe Places Documentary John Mayer Belief (Lyrics video) The Social Dilemma Trailer Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man Linconia Pocahontas Exception

The Joy of Commercials

The Joy of Commercials

Today I share a story that I have not thought about in a long time. It's weird to think of a time when there was ONE TV in the house, and you couldn't fast forward through the commercials. My brother and I created a sport that we played during the commercials. This came to me after attending a storytelling event from Matthew Disk who is the author of one of my favorite books Storyworthy. He has an exercise where you list three random things you can touch. You then have one minute to come up with a story about one of those items, and then you two minutes to tell a story about it. The word that inspired this episode was pillow.

Was Frosty Depessed?

Was Frosty Depessed?

When I read the lyrics of the song "Frosty the Snowman" I saw some disturbing things. Frosty was on the pipe. He was headed to the village with a broomstick in his hand. Frosty attempted death by cop. If Frosty was black in lived in Chicago, he would've been dead. Did Frosty have a death wish? Was frosty really just unselfish? Was Frosty just a moron. Was the "Magic" in his hat just packets of cocaine? Why is Frosty (a middle-aged white guy) really just a pedophile? Maybe frosty was depressed. He should have called the suicide hotline. 800-273-8255 Look at Frosty go? Did he make the children watch him pee?

75 MILLION DOWNLOADS!

75 MILLION DOWNLOADS!

Today I'm talking about my time at the Spark Christian Podcast Conference in Grapevine Texas this week. I got to hear Tara-Leigh Cobble speak twice and WOW what a story. She (in two years) has 75 million downloads of her Bible Recap podcast. Would I get up the nerve to ask her on my show? If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to buy me a coffee. Mentioned in this episode The Chosen (it's pretty cool!)

Am I Having a Heart Attack?

Am I Having a Heart Attack?

So on Tuesday, I had to crawl through the back window of my house after locking myself out of my house - wait for it - twice. On Friday I had one of my "Sweating buckets, getting dizzy, can't decide if I'm going to have explosive diarrhea, vomit or passout" sessions. This now has fairly nasty stomach pains. I injured my stomach on Tuesday with a nasty scrape. This is Friday. I wake up a few times during the night. It hurts to move in bed. Each time I wake up, the pain is moving higher up my body. We've gone from belly button, up higher and higher, and now my chest is tight, and I'm having issues taking a deep breath. The question and conversations that go through your head when you can't decide if you're having a heart attack or not were not what I had expected. One would think if you thought you were having a heart attack you would call 911. Not me. I know how much an ambulance is, and my Dad was thrifty, and apparently so am I. I am also the son of my Mom who never wanted to be a bother to anyone. She always put others first. The good news is I was not having a heart attack. So what was it? When I asked the mirror it lied. I now think it was a delayed reaction to just beating the crap out of my stomach - twice. That caused the tightness in my chest. The hospital show triggered the sweats (and later the intense pain in my stomach would cause sweats). In the end, I'm not sure. It does make you think when you have to take a breathe and realize that your number might is being called and your time is up. I am not ready or prepared for any of that, and death doesn't care. It's coming if you're ready or not. Kiss everyone you love to kiss and hug. Let those you appreciate know it. You never know when your time is up.