trauma – Shoutout From The Pit

2025-09-112025-09-09

Episode 0034 9/11 Tribute – Don Ellis

Interview with Don Ellis, a Pentagon staffer awarded the Medal of Valor, discusses the devastation witnessed at Ground Zero, honor the sacrifices of victims, survivors, and heroes.

Where were you on September 11, 2001?

2025-08-012025-08-30

Episode 0028 Ben Grimes – Finding Peace in the Pentameter

Ben Grimes is a former 82nd Airborne Ranger turned professional theatre artist and founder of Riverside Actors Theatre, shares how classical theatre—especially Shakespeare’s rhythm and language—became the unexpected framework that helped him and other veterans move out of trauma. In a wide-ranging, raw conversation with Bob (“the old rucker”), RedBeard, and Pat the Marine, Ben walks through his journey from stage to combat to healing, the development of his trauma-informed ensemble work (“The Breach”), and the daily practices that keep him grounded. He also reveals the “toolbox” he lives by, the empathic power of storytelling, and his new chapter as Managing Artistic Director in Paducah, Kentucky. This episode is about purpose, community, rhythm, breath, and the quiet power of letting words do the work.

https://www.riversideactorstheatre.org/

https://markethousetheatre.org/

Shakespeare, Rhythm, and the Vagus Nerve in PTSD Recovery

Disrupting dysfunctional nervous system patterns—even briefly—can create a window of opportunity to build tools for long-term PTSD recovery. Whether through rhythmic speech, breathwork, or clinical intervention, these resets offer a moment of clarity. Over time, repeated use of these methods helps develop a reliable toolkit for resilience—restoring rhythm, breath, narrative, and voice.

2025-07-042025-08-30

Episode 0026 Lisa

In this episode The Old Rucker interviews Lisa, who courageously shares her harrowing journey living with and eventually losing her husband Joe to pornography addiction and COVID-19 complications. Lisa recounts her early life, past marriages, and how her second marriage—while initially full of hope—slowly eroded due to Joe’s secret compulsive behaviors rooted in childhood trauma. Despite their involvement in church, marriage counseling, and recovery leadership, Joe’s addiction persisted for over 15 years, manipulating Lisa’s trust and consuming their emotional and financial lives. Lisa opens up about the psychological and spiritual toll, including feelings of worthlessness, secrecy, and self-loss. After Joe’s death and a series of miraculous experiences, Lisa rebuilt her life through faith, support, and business networking. She became a certified health coach and now empowers others—especially widows and women affected by addiction. Her story offers a raw, honest portrayal of resilience, self-worth, and reclaiming joy after emotional devastation.

https://www.facebook.com/thenontoxbox/

2025-06-092025-06-09

Episode 0022 Second Chance Youth Ranch

A truly life-changing episode featuring Team Hubbard from Second Chance Youth Ranch—Billy, Rachel and their incredible kids Bronley and Brooklyn—who welcome traumatized children, keep entire sibling groups together and turn heartbreak into hope every single day; you’ll hear raw sound bites from the kids themselves, learn staggering stats (400,000 kids in foster care nationwide, 4,000 in Arkansas with fewer than 1,700 homes) and get the real deal on how you can help—from opening your home as a foster parent to joining the “Support for Foster Families” Facebook group or tossing a few bucks their way at 2CYR.org—because whether you jump in full-time or simply cover dinner for a caregiver, you can make a massive difference in these future leaders’ lives.

2024-10-11

Episode 0010 Anxieties

Bob solo short talking on the topic of anxiety