All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
Private Lounge with Maurio Dawson: Hollywood Industry Illusions to Life's Resilience
Ever faced the sting of broken promises or the daunting realization that industry support might be as flimsy as a house of cards? We've all been there, and this episode peels back the curtain on the glittering but often hollow promises of the entertainment world, Hollywood specifically. Through tales of early career dreams and candid conversations with guests who've navigated the maze of unfulfilled pledges, we delve into the personal stories that remind us of the tenacity it takes to push through the disappointments.
Join me as I sit down with Maurio Dawson, whose life took a dramatic turn with a battle against renal failure. Our intimate discussion traverses his disrupted honeymoon plans to the life-affirming power of organ donation, all while weaving in his inspiring stories from his days at City National Bank. We celebrate the victories and resilience of individuals like Maurissa Dawson, who at just 20, is already a Pepperdine University graduate. And we don't stop there; we examine the cultural ripple effects of 'The Color Purple' and reflect on the haunting melodies of music legends that have shaped our lives.
At the heart of this episode lies the raw truths of love, betrayal, and the pursuit of mental well-being amidst life's array of challenges. We ponder the complexities of long-standing friendships, the gut-wrenching pain of betrayal, and the mighty quest for forgiveness. With a nod to the importance of making informed decisions in the political sphere and a salute to the personal empowerment that comes from setting healthy boundaries, this episode is a tapestry of compelling narratives, each highlighting the unyielding strength of the human spirit.
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Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
hey, mario, hi, hey carmen, how are you? Because we already said hi, but now we're saying hi after the countdown. So, mario, awesome, I know. Welcome to the private lounge.
Maurio Dawson :Thank you the private lounge.
Carmen Lezeth:It's so glad we're finally able to do this. I want to apologize to you because we've been trying to connect and I've been busy and I think I left you hanging one day, so I'm just going to publicly apologize.
Maurio Dawson :No apologies needed. You know I know what time it is. You know it's all love, it's all good, we're fine.
Carmen Lezeth:You're so awesome. Can we go back to what we were just talking about, though, about? Calling for a little bit yeah, and we don't have to name names. But this whole kind of concept I thought was an interesting thing. The thing I hate about this town is people will always say, oh, I'm happy to help you. Absolutely, let's meet for lunch or or give them a number and then they don't show up, or they, you know, and they never call or yeah, absolutely, I got you, you're the best.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, pal, love you. Mean it Bye, you know. But and then you look at you're looking for, especially as a young person, because I remember, being that being my niece's age, and her saying, you know, me saying, oh God, I'm really excited about this. I really hope you know, like with that, with that show, I hope I get it, I really hope I get it.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, exactly.
Maurio Dawson :You know and, and then you do stuff, and then you're disappointed, and so and I've had actually another here's a fun fact about me that you didn't know years ago, years ago, back in the 1990s, back in the 1900s.
Carmen Lezeth:We are that old, huh.
Maurio Dawson :We are that old. Back in the 1900s I did a commercial for the Canadian Opera and I sang with some very pretty important people for me back then. I don't know, do you remember, Did you ever see the movie Life with Eddie Murphy and Martin Horne? Of course, okay, there's a gentleman in there. He's a really big black guy, bald, and his name is michael talifero, but we called him bear. He was the one that he was the one in the in the movie. This says you gonna eat your cool. Yeah, okay, michael was a bear, was a friend of ours, so he actually introduced me kind of into the industry. So by me doing meeting him, he in turn introduced me to Valerie. I can't remember Valerie's last name. You remember Club Nouveau? They sing Lean on Me. Oh, yeah, yeah, the hip hop version. So. So I ended up hooking up with Valerie and some other really important singers and we sang a song and we ended up recording a commercial for the Canadian opera.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah. Something you didn't know, I did not know this. I know, I did not know.
Maurio Dawson :And so Michael. In turn. He was a big promiser. May he rest in peace.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, I was just going to say you're saying was, I didn't know if you'd ended your friendship.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, no, no, he is no longer in this life. He's on to the next one. But while he was here, I think I got disillusioned by him because he was hustling to get in the game. Like through him. I met Terrence Howard when Terrence Howard wasn't Terrence Howard, you know. I met a lot of people coming up because they would all come to his house. We would all be at his house playing cards in the studio, having a good time, but he would make me promises.
Carmen Lezeth:I just realized that the background wasn't on. Oh, I want us to be pretty. Okay, go ahead, it comes in. It was all about us anyway. It was all about me, you don't need the background, no, it's all about us anyway.
Maurio Dawson :It was all about me. You don't need the background. I just haven't you met me. It's all about me. What are you talking about?
Carmen Lezeth:So he was a big promiser.
Maurio Dawson :You got disillusioned. I got disillusioned because I realized in this industry, everybody's trying to get a leg up and they'll do whatever they need to do to get a leg up, whether it be using other people or you know, and unfortunately stepping on people and bringing and pulling them down to lift themselves up. And that was a hard lesson for me to learn, at probably 22, 23 years old, and I'm thinking somebody is really going to help me out in this industry and really get my back. But then I look at him and I look at his resume and I'm like, oh, he's in there. But then I look at his resume and I'm like, oh, he's in there. But then I look at his resume and I'm like, but he's really not in there because he's not working consistently. So you really don't have the connection that you promised.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, I think it's also so. Here's what I always tell people because, being in this industry, in the low level that I'm at, you know, I'm just going to say that I work for people who are in the industry, industry. But I think there's also kind of a there's almost like a rite of passage that everybody has to go through this, and I have met some big time people who have promised me directly that they would help me with something and then when I called them out on it, they acted like they didn't even know who I was, like they didn't write a phone number, they didn't.
Maurio Dawson :Right.
Carmen Lezeth:I remember calling. There's this one guy whose name I will not mention because he's big time, but we met at a party. It was a mutual friend's like 70th birthday party or something. You know what I mean. And, long story short, he's a relative of that person and he saw me at the party and I was sitting there by myself, you know, I didn't know anybody, so I was just waiting and it was a surprise party, a huge party, and you know I was having a drink of like whatever water or whatever you know because you don't make a fool out of yourself.
Carmen Lezeth:And he came over and started talking to me and I didn't know by looking at him who he was. But as we started talking, you know, he said, what do you do? And then I said, what do you do? And he's like, oh, I'm just a writer. And I'm like, oh, have I read what you've written? He's like, well, probably not whatever. And I was like you know, I'm not a big book reader, but he's like scripts and and so he mentions at the time one of the top tv dramas on television that he has one. Like the minute he told me what it was, I started I'm like, did you do this episode? Because I'm a huge fan of the show okay huge fan and we started to.
Carmen Lezeth:He was like I can't believe you know the show. I was like how does anyone? I could throw a rock and hit anybody. Everybody would know the show. And he's like this is my family. I was like well, okay, whatever okay, well, yeah, there you go we talked.
Carmen Lezeth:I sat with him and his wife. We were chit chatting, we exchanged emails and phone numbers. I sent him a copy of the book the Prophet because we had talked. I love this, it's one of my favorite books. I sent him Because I was like, thank you so much. It was so nice to talk to you, because I was like OK, good, I made a nice network. I told a couple of my best friends I'm like I think I finally found somebody. He said he would help me get some background work in. I was like can you just get me and I'll tell you off air. I'll tell you who it is. You're going to be like unbelievable, yep. And here's the thing I even called the mutual friend because she was so upset. She's like let me call him. And he was just like I don't think there's anything I can do for her. I'm like that is so ghetto. I'll never forget it.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, it was really. That's really what it is. Let's call it what it is.
Carmen Lezeth:But I don't even know what the point is Like. I don't make promises or I don't tell people I can help them. If I can't, you know I'll give you what I can, but I can only do so much. Right, I can't. But it's like, why would you say yes if you really have no interest?
Maurio Dawson :But I think people have big, especially in the movie and television industry. They have become so accustomed to just being false promisers because until because you're smooching, basically you're, you're having a good kiki, you're, you're net quote, unquote networking, because they want to have you in their back pocket If they need you, not if you need them.
Carmen Lezeth:That's a good point.
Maurio Dawson :Because they want to step on. People always want to leg up and I've learned that the hard way people um, in this industry that I've encountered, they they feel like you have to pay your dues, but who is to say what your dues are?
Carmen Lezeth:yeah, I mean, it might also be it depends on what level too like there are people I work for who are good people, and they would totally have no problem helping someone if they can. You know what I mean right but I do think you're right.
Carmen Lezeth:I think there is this kind of I didn't think about it that way like they're saying good things about you or connecting with you because they might need you in the future. Oh, I would love for this mofo to contact me. I wish he would. I'm not even at a level where he would ever do that because he's like. I mean, you know, like, know like he's. He is who he is. I'll tell you off.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, I would love someday, just because I would be like, because you know what I would do, how can I help you? Right, I would help you, I guess in a heartbeat, because I'd be like I'm going to be better than you. Are you dumb, motherfucking piece of shit? Oh, sorry, this, this is your private lounge. We're having the real, real conversation.
Maurio Dawson :This is who we are, you know, because we can't talk like this with everybody. Everybody can handle it.
Carmen Lezeth:I know, I know, yeah, oh, I can't wait to tell you. I'm going to tell you who it is. You're going to be like, no, you're going to be shocked.
Maurio Dawson :I hope I don't ruin the show for you. No, you have to remember who you're talking to. I'm like, I'm not surprised nothing. Nothing surprises me. It surprises me when, when someone is kind to me in this industry. That's what surprises me, because and I'm so I'm so jaded, I'm like, okay, if they're great, if they're nice, then wonderful.
Carmen Lezeth:I think that's wonderful, but I'm expecting something I guess in a way I don't know, I guess I just see it differently now. Um, maybe because I've stopped pursuing the performing part on that level, right, so you know, I made my money doing voiceover work and I did some acting stuff, but it's just, you know, it's like you've got to choose at some point. Like, as much as I would still love to be doing that on a regular basis, I got to pay my bills, and so you make that choice.
Carmen Lezeth:But yeah, I guess I totally can understand that let's start with you, let's, let's go back a little bit, and I know well the private lounge is a place for me to get to know people a little bit better, a little bit deeper, a little bit more let's go.
Maurio Dawson :What you want to know, I'm pretty we already had a.
Carmen Lezeth:we already had a conversation with you when you first came on the show. So that is on YouTube. People can look that up and talk about some stuff. But maybe you want to give us just a little bit of recap how we met Unless you don't want to, and then also just a little bit about. I mean, I don't want to focus on your surgeries, but I don't know how important that is about.
Maurio Dawson :But they are part of who I've become.
Carmen Lezeth:That's why I ask I don't know, I never.
Maurio Dawson :I never shy away from my health issues. I never shy away from telling my experiences. I never. I've actually. I'm open. I'm really open about that because I've actually learned that by sharing my story multiple times, someone hears something new that triggers them to help someone else. That's right, Perfect example. Like Rick, he's like Maria. I just wanted to let you know. I went ahead and signed up to be a donor, if something happened.
Maurio Dawson :That's great. Someone reached out to me because of your show and said I signed up because I heard what you went through. Yeah, so you know. Each one teach one, give one pass. Signed up because I heard what you went through. So you know it. Each one teach one, give one, pass it on. I'm fine with it.
Carmen Lezeth:So why don't you tell people what you're talking about? Because a lot of people don't know. I just said sure.
Maurio Dawson :Sure Um, I was diagnosed with renal failure the first time in when I was 20, oh God, 25 years old, and I got married at 26 and I couldn't even and I couldn't go on my. I went on a honeymoon that would accommodate my dialysis, so I had to go to San Diego.
Carmen Lezeth:Wow.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:We love San Diego, but you're from here we love San Diego.
Maurio Dawson :It's great. You know San Diego, we do. We love San Diego, but you're from California.
Carmen Lezeth:We love San Diego. It's great. You know San Diego, we do. We love San Diego, but you're from California, I'm from LA, so you know.
Maurio Dawson :No, let me, let me change that. I'm from Englewood, be specific, englewood all day, every day, stand up. So yeah, I'm from Englewood, born and raised in LA. However, san diego was great, you know, but I was so sick that I actually collapsed at the san diego zoo wild. San diego zoo wild animal park we just got that little roundabout train.
Maurio Dawson :I got off and collapsed right there as soon as I stepped off, so my honeymoon wasn't even really that great, but because of that I was on, because I was onysis. Um, you go through a lot of dialysis Fast forward. I got my first transplant in to kidney transplant in 2000,. September 11th of 2000.
Carmen Lezeth:Right, Really September 11th of 2000,. A year before the towers Wow.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, a year before 9-11. So I woke up the next morning, I woke up that next year, um, and of course we got the news. I'm waiting, I'm celebrating my year anniversary, and I wake up and then I'm looking, I turn on the tv and I can tell you exactly where I was. I was in my apartment when the first plane hit. So, yeah, um, but back to this um.
Maurio Dawson :So my first and for most people, just to be clear, a lot of people lose their kidneys due to diabetes or some other type of you know, major illness, lupus, so many other things. However, mine was a rare case of. I had strep throat a lot as a kid and because I had strep throat, I didn't know that strep can lie dormant in your organs. Because if you don't, if you don't kill it completely, you know, like perfect example, the doctor says, um, sorry. The doctor says, um, you have strep, take all your medicine, don't skip one pill, take it and you know you like, oh, I feel better. You leave the on the last two or three pills and you forget. Well, you feel better, but you didn't cure yourself and I used to get strep as a kid a lot.
Maurio Dawson :It felt like every three or four months I was getting strep throat and so, finally, I became an adult and then, when they did the biopsy, that's when they discovered that, you know, the strep had lied dormant in my organ and it laid specifically in my kidneys and that's how my kidneys began to fail. So you know, so I didn't have high blood pressure, I didn't have, you know, diabetes still don't have them None of those, those major triggers. So a successful surgery. The surgery was rough for me. I have a low tolerance for pain, so, needless to say, I was acting a fool, a whole ass fool. But that's okay, I would be too, though it's not like it's just a little cut like that, it is a giant J cut. So it's major. A little cut like that, it is a giant J cut, it's major. Then I had that.
Carmen Lezeth:When were you working at City National Bank? Can we say the name of the bank? I can bleep it out. I worked at City National Bank when were you working there that I met you. It was after your first Right. You met me probably 2000 I was at brand new school, uh, in in 2000, but yeah, I probably didn't meet you till 2001, right?
Maurio Dawson :2001. I think that's whenever we, whenever I think yeah, I started working at at uh cn, I believe in 2000. Okay, yeah, 2000, because no, is it 2000 yet? Because my daughter was born in 2003.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh yeah, so it had to be like 2000, 2001. Okay, yeah.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, because you came to the baby shower, right, but she was still in the womb, that's right, that's when.
Carmen Lezeth:I met her and great presence on her. I'm just kidding.
Maurio Dawson :You beamed your light of love.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, so you worked as a principal banker over at CMB and that's how you and I met, and we just became friends. I don't know why, Because we were on the phone and back then it wasn't like webcams or anything.
Maurio Dawson :No, we were just on the phone chopping it up. We had no idea what each other looked like, but we connected on the phone because both of us knew you were black. You knew I was black. Yes, yes, I was like, listen, let me tell you I look. And then, after we would do our work, then we still stay on the phone and say, listen, you know, let me tell you what's going on. You know that. My supervisor, jc.
Carmen Lezeth:I never talked about work at all. We loved our companies and wonderful places to work.
Maurio Dawson :I think you were the person.
Carmen Lezeth:I complained to all the time because I didn't have anybody. For a long time I didn't have any assistance, any help, because that's when we were just starting out. I was overloaded.
Maurio Dawson :You were calling me to make sure the transfers were done. And see, now, mind you, I was, I was just, you know, um, you know, I was a senior senior assistant to the major bankers because, like, I was working for the senior vice president and stuff like that. So I was just your principal contact for everything to do your day-to-day stuff. So, and my boss and my boss's boss were exhausting.
Carmen Lezeth:They were lovely, lovely people, I'm sure.
Maurio Dawson :Lies, lies, lies, all lies.
Carmen Lezeth:Look, I ended up quitting Brand New School. I hated being there.
Maurio Dawson :I remember.
Carmen Lezeth:And I'll never talk to Jonathan ever again. Probably I'm in touch with a lot of the guys from there still, but most everyone who was one of I mean everyone who was an original partner of the company has left.
Maurio Dawson :You're kidding.
Carmen Lezeth:I was the first one. I quit on the spot. I was done yeah.
Maurio Dawson :I remember when you said you know what I'm out.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, but yeah, Okay. So that's we'll. We'll do a private lounge and we'll talk about me, but let's keep going. So you, you had your first transplant. You were doing so much better. You're wonderful. I don't want to get to the second part yet. I want to talk about, uh, some other stuff. I want to talk about the birth of your daughter and the love of your life, Alma, and just what. I think you have a very different perspective on living, if I can be so bold.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, go ahead.
Carmen Lezeth:And I just wanted to ask do you think having your situation with your health, if that changed the way in which you look at life, or, if it did, does it really matter, because you seem to be such an optimistic, wonderfully beautiful person anyways. I was just always curious about that.
Maurio Dawson :No, I was actually the opposite. I was very pessimistic about life, I was very depressed.
Carmen Lezeth:When I met you.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, well, not when you met me, no, but prior to that, like when I was going through the, when I first died, was diagnosed with renal failure. I was engaged and so I was. I literally broke up with him and because I was like yo, I'm like I don't think this is going to work. I don't know how long I'll be here. I don't want to put you through this. This is unfair to you. It's not that I don't love you, but I think it's just better for you to go on with your life. Find somebody who can make you happy, find somebody who can give you everything you need, because I don't think I'm going to be able to give that to you.
Maurio Dawson :And my wife said I'm not going anywhere, I'm not leaving you, I'm right here. She's like I loved you from the moment you walked in the door and I didn't even know your name. She said she told her best friend. She said who is that man? Because I'm a Marian. Literally, she'll tell anybody that. She said I because I was working at Bank of America at the time. I had on my suit, I had on my trench coat and I was walking in to see a friend of hers and I walked through the living room and into diamond's room. I wasn't was sitting on the table with her friend and she looked over her friend and she said who is that? Cause? I'm a Marian.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, I know I'm getting. Like all you know me, I'm so interested in the story. Cause I just love it so much? But cause I remember when I met her she just gave me a hug. I mean she you know, like I had never really spoken to her or whatever, but she's just such a lovely human being and the love between you kind of makes me nauseous. I'll just tell you, I'm just going to be straight up, quit it.
Maurio Dawson :Listen, I got to be straight up. Don't be nauseous, because you know it takes work, because we've been together. We've been together together for 29 years.
Maurio Dawson :And we'll be married 26 on the 4th of July. Oh, I tried to break up with her. She wouldn't break up with me. She she said, let's, we should only get married. We got married and it was beautiful. Um, you know, we had a wonderful reception over in Alhambra at this place called Man's Court. We got married. We got married on the 4th of July. We had, uh, we had an indoor-outdoor reception, so it was at a country club. So the 4th of July they had fireworks there. So we literally walked out and we have wedding photos. We have wedding photos with fireworks over our heads. So we were standing on a hill with fireworks explosions. They're in our wedding album.
Carmen Lezeth:That is so great.
Maurio Dawson :Yes, and I have to pay for them either, to pay for no extra fireworks at the way, I ain't paying for no extra fireworks, but okay, because we got them, we might as well take a vent you know it's so funny because I I only have a few friends that I use as examples of like beautiful marriages, like there's no point in being in a relationship if you can't have what you have.
Carmen Lezeth:You know and I'm not saying it's easy, Clearly you guys have not had an easy life, I know, I know, but it's. There's such a friendship between you, there's such a I just I love the friendship between the two of you and I feel like your daughter has embodied a lot of that. I have not seen this beautiful child, which I'm just so disappointed in myself over it.
Maurio Dawson :But listen, your announcement has been written out. I have your address and I just need to put stamps on everything and announcements are already coming out. So yours is in that stack over there on the table.
Carmen Lezeth:But that's not what I meant. I meant, but your daughter seems to have the same spirit that you both have about life.
Maurio Dawson :Yes and no. Ok, and the reason I say yes and no is because we have to endure all of our health, both mine and Alma's health challenges, because a lot of people Well, I don't know if you know this, but my wife has myasthenia gravis. So it's a-.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't even know what that is and I had no idea.
Maurio Dawson :It's a muscle deteriorating disease that can affect her walking. She had a surgery when she was nine years old to kind of reverse it for a while but it's starting to come back now in her later age. So she's having some trouble walking and things like muscle. She has muscle difficulties and things like that. So between my second transplant, me losing my first transplant, me going back on dialysis for eight years of her life eight years.
Carmen Lezeth:You were on dialysis for eight years after the first Wow.
Maurio Dawson :So I got my first transplant and it lasted until 2009. So that's Marissa's sixth and I had to go into the hospital on her sixth birthday. We actually celebrated. We celebrated her birthday in the hospital. So like literally, my mom and my friends and everything, they all came to my hospital room and cut cake and celebrated.
Carmen Lezeth:So why? I mean I know why, but now, but why did you end up having to get like what happened to the first transplant that you ended up having?
Maurio Dawson :It's like you have to go get blood work, you know, every three to six months Just check to see how things are going, make sure your levels are straight. I noticed some swelling in my legs. I noticed that my urine output was starting to decrease. There was, like you know, other symptoms. It's really I don't need to let everybody know, but there's symptoms that were starting to show up.
Maurio Dawson :And so, as I was going to the doctor you know the first nephrologist I was going to he was not the business. He was saying okay, just take some, some fish oil and some other stuff. He's like he said, because when you're starting to lose your transplant, it's like a leaking, a leaking oil pan. It's like the leak is there. That was his analogy. He said it's like a slow leak and you can't really find a leak, so it's nothing you can really do about it, but you can take some things to try to slow it down. But it was basically inevitable. So I tried to ride it out as long as I can. I got really, really sick and I ended up in the hospital and that's when they told me I lost that transplant and then I had to rush to do something to get fistulas in my arm, which is I don't know if you can see all my scars, so I got a lot of them.
Maurio Dawson :I want people to Right I got a lot, wow. I want people to really understand. I don't know if you can see that, but yeah, it's a lot. Yeah, I got a lot of them. So they have to cut into your arms, create fistulas, which are sometimes Natural. Fistulas are where they take your artery and the main vein and they connect it together so the blood from the artery pushes into the vein to make the vein larger so they can put the needles in so you can do dialysis.
Carmen Lezeth:No, I'm just sad, like I'm not. I'm just sad that you've gone through all this. And then I'm also weirdly proud of you. Like it's weird to hear you, because I'm like I think I would have given up.
Maurio Dawson :I don't know A lot. I gave up a lot, you know, and it wasn't easy, because throughout the years of being on dialysis there would be times where I would, they would take off too much fluid, I would come home, I would collapse on the floor. There was a time where I fell down at the top of the stairs and almost came downstairs. Luckily I was in the kitchen. My dog, Nala shout out to nala. My dog said she saw me. After she saw me and she ran up the stairs and she came to try to nudge me and she ran back down the stairs. She's barking and losing her mind to the point where she ran to get alma. She's like barking excessively. That's not who she is, because my dog is literally laying here next to me so you wouldn't know she's here.
Maurio Dawson :So she was barking incessantly and so I'm like just came out and she's at mari, and so she now barking incessantly. And so I just came out and she said mari. And so she now like kept running to the stairs and right upstairs, running up and down to get her attention. So I caught me. She came and saw me at the top of the stairs thank god, yeah so it's just like.
Maurio Dawson :That's just one example. There was so many examples where, like I said, marissa had to watch me go through transitions and then I finally get my next transplant in 2017. Everything's going well, but now my heart is acting up.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, your heart's been through a lot.
Maurio Dawson :I mean yeah because I was on dialysis so long. Most dialysis patients get enlarged hearts. So then not only do you get an enlarged heart, but you also have. I ended up going into atrial fibrillation, where your heart gets a beat and all that stuff. So I thought I was going to have to get a pacemaker or anything like that. So the doctors I had to see a cardiothoracic surgeon. His name is Dr Armin Kiancui. He is the best man for the job ever Wow okay. I would tell anybody that.
Carmen Lezeth:What's his name again? Let's say his name again.
Maurio Dawson :Dr Armin A-R-M-I-N Kiancui, and it's K-H-A-N Kiancui. Look him up, google it Kiancui?
Carmen Lezeth:yeah, just look him up. We love him, we love him.
Maurio Dawson :But anyway he went in and had to do what they call a veins procedure, which is they have to go through like fine-needling the veins in your heart. Try to open everything up, to see if they can open everything up, and then basically they have to cauterize some areas and to try to get your heart to be in regular rhythm. Well now, normally for the normal person, dr Ken Cooley said that's like a four hour surgery.
Carmen Lezeth:It's no big deal, right Getting it out.
Maurio Dawson :Well, mine was almost 12.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, my goodness.
Maurio Dawson :And so, because it was so long, they had to put me in a medically induced coma.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh my goodness, mario, I didn't know this part.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, yeah. So I had to be put into a coma and then my friends were there and then again we're talking about marissa. So then marissa comes in and she's trying to how old is she now? Seven no marissa's in high school by this oh, she's in high school.
Maurio Dawson :The second one no, no, let's see no middle school, because, um, I got my transplant in 2017, so, no, she was in middle school middle school okay okay, she was in middle school and she was just just freaking out and she came in and just imagine, you know, not only do I have, you know, tubes in my mouth, but I also had tubes out my sides. So there's tubes coming out of me everywhere, like I look like an x-man cartoon right and not in a good way. Right and not in a great way, so um. So she had to come in and see that and, and my wife said, it really did something to her wow, okay um, because that was the first time.
Maurio Dawson :well, it wasn't the first time, but it was one of the times where my mortality really came into play and they weren't sure what was going to happen, and so growing up like that, it imprints on her you know. So she's positive because we insisted that she keep going. We insisted, we're like look your struggle, my struggle is not your struggle.
Carmen Lezeth:That's right.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, and I told her your responsibility is to get to the finish line, no matter what that looks like, but you don't stop because I stop.
Carmen Lezeth:It looks like she's already on her way because she's already knocked out. I'm sorry. What just happened, LJ? Let's talk about it.
Maurio Dawson :Let's talk about it. My daughter got her degree from Pepperdine University Shout out to Pepperdine April 27th at 1030 am at Alumni Park in Malibu, california, and her name was called Miss Marissa Luce Dawson for a bachelor's of arts degree in integrated marketing communication. Boom.
Carmen Lezeth:Wow.
Maurio Dawson :And how old is she? 20 years old.
Carmen Lezeth:Wow, oh wow, 20,. That's right.
Maurio Dawson :She's only 20. She won't be 21 until next week.
Carmen Lezeth:Are you afraid of her turning 21?
Maurio Dawson :No, okay.
Carmen Lezeth:She's not a big drinker, right.
Maurio Dawson :Well, okay, you got to also remember. She lived in Switzerland for a year.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, that's right, she's already an adult. She's done. She's done so it's like you know you can't be disrespectful in my home, but you know she was away from me never be disrespectful.
Maurio Dawson :In your home, every teenager tries it, okay okay, okay, but she's a twin.
Carmen Lezeth:She'll be 21 listen, every kid I don't have children, so I'm gonna say a word listen, every kid tries it, not just mine right, right right.
Maurio Dawson :Ask anybody who's a parent. Every kid will try it.
Carmen Lezeth:I just have such high hopes for her. I don't know why I'm always so. I think because I'm in awe of you and Alma. You know what I mean the love you guys have and just enjoying you as a friend, just how cool and chill you are, even with all this stuff going on around you. I just have always loved the idea that she's perfect, mar. I just loved the idea that you know she's perfect.
Maurio Dawson :Marissa's perfect. Marissa's far from perfect.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm just saying my little clouded judgment of yeah, no, I mean.
Maurio Dawson :But you know, listen, but. But you know what? She's not perfect, but neither am I. I was not the perfect father, I couldn't, I didn't get it right all the time, yeah, but the thing is because Marissaissa it's. If you meet her, everyone will tell you marissa looks like her mom, but she acts like her dad, which is not a good thing I think there are some good things probably about that.
Carmen Lezeth:I would love you know what. Maybe, maybe at some point when she's, if she has time, I'd love to have a conversation with her, get her point, oh she listen, marissaissa.
Maurio Dawson :She's a little too open.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm like you know, oh really she's a little too open?
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, she's a little too open, I think, but because you know she has been pushed, you know, to, to, to succeed, and because I think I I was afraid that I wasn't going to be here. So therefore I pushed harder, probably more than I should have, but I did. We did allow her to be a kid, but we also had to make sure that she was prepared. Here's the one thing.
Carmen Lezeth:I do know. Here's the one thing. I do know and I will speak on this being that I'm a parent, right Cause I am the auntie of all aunties. I have six godchildren. You know what I mean, like yeah here's my thing there is not one parent. I know that gets it right, because being a parent isn't about being a perfect adult in a child's life, it's about parenting. And you got to know with the tools you have in front of you, you know yeah, so a friend, I think a friend of mine.
Maurio Dawson :No, it was my grandmother. My grandmother told me she said baby, um, she said, as a parent, from the age of birth, from birth to 18, you are a provider. From 18 into adulthood, you are an advisor. That's it, I love it. She said that's it. She said so, you done your so. So I've done my job to provide for her up until 18. Now I'm providing more because she's done the work to deserve extra help and my wife are going to send me some extra help. All I can do is pray for you.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm going to pray for you, carmen, I pray for you friend, I pray for you. Well, I think it's a tough time for kids too, though I guess Now, although I think a lot of them whine too much, I have to tell you, there's a part of me that's like oh my god, it wasn't easy for any, because, again, they don't know who they're talking to. So it's hard for me for people like for people, to be complaining. I was saying this at a day on the show I have a friend whose kid is upset because they can't buy a house, because the economy that is, and they're like 24, 25 years old. I'm like I don't know anybody who owned a house at 24, 25 years old. I don't own my house.
Maurio Dawson :Well, I got it. My parents did. My parents are very young, but that was a different time.
Carmen Lezeth:It's different. I'm just saying there's a lot of whining going on right now. It's always a tough time to be a kid and then a teenager, and then a young adult and then into adulthood. It's always hard.
Maurio Dawson :Well, the trick, for the one thing I will say about Marissa was that she took the opportunity to take the advice of her godmother, because our best friend, jen, is a financial advisor and a financial planner. So she and she has done financial planning not only for herself but some of her really big clients. So she takes the time. She's done it for all three of her kids. All three of her kids are doing extremely well. So Marissa said, hey, I need help. And she did this before graduation. So she did it before graduation. When she first got her job offer, she and jim said, okay, how much you're gonna get, how much you negotiate. She did really well with the negotiations, I must say, for her first time, so on.
Maurio Dawson :Jen said okay, this is how much you make, this is how much, this is just spending plan let's. And this is you know, because she says she doesn't want to call it savings, she says spending plan. So I love it. So mercy has that all together and she has a. Well, we said two and a half year ago, three year ago, to make sure she has X amount of dollars saved so she can do something. And I told her. I said I don't want you to go out and buy a single family home. I said I think it's important for you to buy a condo, at least a two bedroom condo. Stay there, build up some equity.
Carmen Lezeth:Take the equity out, get out, get something else, rent it out, have passive income. So here's the thing, though. I'm totally against all of that. I am against that I'm you know, but that's the whole thing. But that's because when I was making my buku money at brand new school, I was advised by a business manager because that's always the line you gotta invest in a condo and I bought my condo. I think none of you ever came to to, but in brentwood I had my yeah, I remember the brentwood yeah, jay simpson, where he did not or did murder whatever, but we know he did.
Carmen Lezeth:But anyways, we know he did. He was right across the street from there, basically, and it was a you know 600, and I think I bought it 640 000. Two bedroom, overlooking the pool, gorgeous condo. Whatever the economy, you, that was right in 2007, 2008, 2009. And I lost it all and I remember I put down a hundred thousand dollars to that place. Wow, that was a big mistake, I thought, because I wanted lower mortgage payments. You know, it doesn't matter, it was one of those things where you learn, you know. But I, I mean, I I do think. I think it's good for young people to learn to invest and learn what to do with their money. I think that's a good thing. I don't know if the real estate market is as important as it used to be. Remember when we were growing up you have to buy something, you have to yeah, like yeah, I live by the beach.
Carmen Lezeth:I couldn't afford to buy anything by the beach yeah, for sure, I just think.
Maurio Dawson :I think marissa's big her, her truest desire in her heart, bless her soul, is that she wants to provide for her parents, her biggest.
Carmen Lezeth:And she knows that she has Auntie Carmen over here to provide for too. Exactly All of a sudden Auntie Carmen, never been in her life. Auntie.
Maurio Dawson :Carmen, she got you, she got you, she got you.
Carmen Lezeth:I was there when she was in the womb. I'm just saying.
Maurio Dawson :That's it, she's working.
Carmen Lezeth:I love that. You know what I think that's the way it should be. You raise your children. Your children should help you. You know what I mean, and in this country we don't do that very well.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, I think it's great. However, comma I because I said, my daughter and I are so much alike. We bump heads, we get along, we love each other, but then we bump heads and then you know, I think that probably wouldn't be the route that I would take you don't want her to provide for you no, I don't want her. I don't want to live with her. She wants us to live with her.
Carmen Lezeth:I didn't say nothing about living with people. You should provide for.
Maurio Dawson :Her idea of providing is making sure that we live with her and then she can take care of us.
Carmen Lezeth:She could help you in like your 90s or something, no, no.
Maurio Dawson :She talking about like in the next few years. Oh God, If she could do that, I'm like.
Carmen Lezeth:She can send you a check, but you need to. You and Lama will be fine living on your own yeah.
Maurio Dawson :I'll be all right. I'm like, yeah, just put some money in my account and sell me something you know.
Carmen Lezeth:Sell me something. Oh, I didn't know she met in a few years. Oh, but bless her I mean, that's beautiful.
Maurio Dawson :Come on, and then she's like sending me houses to look at. I'm like, oh honey, that's sweet.
Carmen Lezeth:Is she?
Maurio Dawson :really I swear I love her.
Carmen Lezeth:You know how many parents are watching this going my kid they're even thinking of her.
Maurio Dawson :No, I mean, that's the one great thing, because we've always instilled how important family is. Yes, and I think it's also very cultural, because on the Latin side they believe in all staying together.
Carmen Lezeth:We do.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, but me I'm not that way. Uh, my mama was black. My mom, my mom said you 18, you gotta get out, you gotta go. My grandmother bless her, bless her. When my mama graduated from high school, she bought us some luggage. So I swear, I swear. So my mother first, when she left arkansas, she, she moved to Kansas to be with my uncle. Then, from Kansas, she moved to Detroit. From Detroit, she moved somewhere else I'm trying to think where it was Chicago and then she ended up in LA. And then she ended up reconnecting with my dad, which was a big thing, but anyway, she ended up with her dad and got married. And you know, here I am.
Carmen Lezeth:Right.
Maurio Dawson :But yeah, with her dad and got married and you know, here I am right.
Carmen Lezeth:But yeah, thankfully yeah yeah, all right, let's change the subject a little bit. Let's say I know we could, we could talk all day, but I just want to get some other things in. Okay, all right. So we're going to change the subject just a little bit. Just to get specifics I at one point we were talking about the color purple. You said that was one of your favorite movies. It was still. Is you, it still is. You know, I have three favorite movies. That's my number one, you know that right.
Maurio Dawson :That's my number one. It all has to do with it. How is?
Carmen Lezeth:that possible? I thought you were just kind of bullshitting, because that's my-.
Maurio Dawson :No, no, no, no, I swear that's been my favorite movie ahead because I saw.
Carmen Lezeth:I remember when I saw it in the theater I skipped school and I went to see it and I snuck in.
Carmen Lezeth:I would always sneak in and watch a couple movies at a time right in the whatever the movie plexes or whatever they were back yeah, a cineplex I don't know if they were cineplexes back then, but anyway, whatever they were called back then in boston, um, and I remember watching it and it was like the first of all, the first time I saw all people of a story, just about all people of color black people. And then there's the line that I swear changed my life when Celie says I may be poor black, I may even be ugly, but, dear God, I'm here.
Maurio Dawson :I'm here.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm here, and that has always been like. That was my transforming thing. And then the other part is the controversy back then with a Jewish man making a movie about black people. That, the controversy back then with a Jewish man making a movie about black people, that was such a big deal. People were so upset and I was like don't we want to? First of all, Alice. Walker allowed him to do this, but let's just get over that because people don't know about the book, but I was like.
Carmen Lezeth:I want to get to a place where someone can tell stories about people. You know what I mean.
Maurio Dawson :You know what I think and when I listened to his interview he didn't want it, he absolutely.
Carmen Lezeth:But I was mad at him in that interview when he said that if he were to do it.
Maurio Dawson :You know what I? I don't. I'm not mad at him. I respect that because he knew that it really wasn't in his lane. But because that? Because, but because they had a vision for the book that they felt he could bring forth and he did a wonderful job in terms of telling the story through the lens of what Alice Walker wrote versus the musical. But he didn't do the musical.
Carmen Lezeth:He didn't do the musical.
Maurio Dawson :No, he was a producer on it, though.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, he's a producer, but I think that was more of a guilt thing. Okay, so here's my take.
Maurio Dawson :He still owned the right. That's why I love Steven.
Carmen Lezeth:Spielberg. I know everything about Steven Spielberg. I love him Like he has everything. Here's my thing about him. He had said, and I this I do respect he. He did Schindler's List.
Carmen Lezeth:And what he said was as a Jewish man, as a Jewish director, as a person who Nobody else could tell that story in the way in which he did that story, and that's what he was trying to say that the Color Purple would be a different movie if a black man or black woman had written it, and that was his whole reasoning for not wanting to do it. Here's the problem with that, though. Sure, of course it would be If I told the story. It would be different than if you told the story. Of course it is, but he had the prestige. He was this up and coming. I mean, he was so established, right, he had had ET and Close Encounters and Jaws or whatever. I thought it was the most perfect person. It's not like we had a lot of movies of black people. There was caricatures or comedies, or do you know what I mean? Like there wasn't. This was a substantial movie back then, a story about people movie back then, a story about people.
Carmen Lezeth:And that's what. And so I was mad at him. When I saw him in the interview saying yeah, I mean I don't know how he said it, but he was like, yeah, I wish I didn't do it, I wish, you know, somebody else had done it of color. And I was like, no, that's not the answer. I wish we lived in a world where, yeah, there was a Black man or a Black woman who was prominent enough because none of us would have seen the movie.
Maurio Dawson :I don't think there was a prominent director during that time.
Carmen Lezeth:I think it was Spike Lee back then.
Maurio Dawson :Spike Lee was still new. I don't think Spike Lee had the depth.
Carmen Lezeth:It's just not his. It's a different thing.
Maurio Dawson :That wasn't his lane to tell someone else's story, I think because Spike, always he inserts himself into everything he directs and there's no way you know he can't do that with that story. You have to be honest and vulnerable and direct and be truthful in telling that story.
Carmen Lezeth:Good storyteller.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, and Spielberg was a great storyteller.
Carmen Lezeth:He is I love him and that movie, that movie and the. And then when I saw, uh, schindler's list, I was like my god, he's an amazing. I mean, we always knew that but these are two really deep, profoundly transformative, transformative films and people yeah With moments of joy. You know, yeah, I've never met anybody else who has said that the Color Purple is their favorite movie, yeah, and from my mom and for people in that age group.
Maurio Dawson :They don't like it. And I understand why they don't like it, because my mother grew up in the South. She grew up picking cotton as a child. She grew up in that. She grew up in that environment. What she, what you saw on screen, and the violence my grandfather wasn't violent, but she saw stuff like that um, so it just hit different. She's like it didn't. It took her back to a very negative time, yeah, a very sad time for her. So she's like there's nothing there for me. So she's like I tried to watch it because I didn't know what it was and she's like when I saw it, it made me enraged, it just took me back to I haven't even read the book and felt the same way, like I mean I read the book after I saw the movie.
Carmen Lezeth:But yeah, it's a painful story. I mean it's like schindler's list. I mean I'm not saying they're the same. It's like there are some movies I don't want to see again, but I will never forget them.
Maurio Dawson :Like yeah, I watched the color purple and purple rain every time they come on tv, right, okay, what are you talking about? Uh, the color purple, purple rain and what's another favorite that's gonna always come. Come on, that I'm going to enjoy, believe it or not. The first thing that came in my head was School Days.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh yeah, school Days is good, that's my favorite.
Maurio Dawson :Because School Days took me to my college years, because I was just in college during that time, so I was identifying a lot with a lot of that stuff. It was like a couple of things made me cringe, like.
Carmen Lezeth:I need to watch it again me cringe, like I need to watch it again, like when, like antisha campbell's character starts licking, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, okay.
Maurio Dawson :I don't want to know, it's nothing bad, I mean it's nothing, but it was just. It was cringe like she's licking the part of his head, like yeah, it's gross like ew like what?
Carmen Lezeth:yeah, my top three are color purple field of dreams and 2001, a space odyssey.
Maurio Dawson :Those are my top three movies, you know and it encompasses everything that I am anyways right oh, but I gotta put the whiz in there because the whiz was. I gotta put the whiz in it only because yeah, because it's 1978 I was looking and I, my mom, took me to see it at the cinerama dome. Oh yeah, and so, and you have. If anyone who's from la, they know the cinerama dome, especially back in the 70s and 80s. That's that huge theater.
Carmen Lezeth:It covers half the half circle and so you're.
Maurio Dawson :It's almost like you're encompassed in the movie.
Carmen Lezeth:You're in the movie, so I love it and and at my graduation eighth grade graduation, I'll never forget it carol mcintyre came and sang. If you believe I can't sing this song, yeah she, she came and sang um. Carol mcintyre is uh, I guess they call him joey now, but Joseph McIntyre's sister from. Rock I was in eighth grade and she came and she sang for us. I'll never forget it. I was crying, she was singing. If you Believe, wow, in your heart, you'll know, that no one can change the path that you must go.
Carmen Lezeth:I can't sing for shit, but you know what I mean.
Maurio Dawson :Believe what you feel and know you're right, because the time will come around when you will say it's you yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:I love singing, even though I can't sing, that's okay.
Maurio Dawson :And speaking of the Wiz Wiz, I got to see the show before I went to Broadway.
Carmen Lezeth:I did too.
Maurio Dawson :I did not, and I ended up seeing it twice. And the reason why is because I I was on let's Make a Deal. It's coming out at the end of the month did you win?
Carmen Lezeth:you can't say I was on, let's Make a Deal is coming out at the end of the month.
Maurio Dawson :Did you win? You can't say I was on, let's Make a Deal. And I got called. I talked to Wayne. I told him how excited I was about being there. Of course you have to be extra, extra.
Carmen Lezeth:Is that Wayne Brady?
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, you have to be really extra. I also told him that Alma's school was taking their kids to see the show and it was the first time for their, for a lot of these kids, to see.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah actual show, and I think I'll probably say 96 of the kids have never been to a show before, of course, and so I told him about that and he said well, I'll tell you what, I'll come out and I'll meet the kids after the show. So we go see the show. Unfortunately, he got sick. He was sick that whole week, oh no. But, but. But Deborah Cox came out Really. I have photos, I have photographic evidence. That's cool.
Carmen Lezeth:Don't you think?
Maurio Dawson :No shade.
Carmen Lezeth:No, shade baby, I'll take that.
Maurio Dawson :Deborah Cox came out, and so did Alan Mingo Jr. He played the Wiz while he was out, and Alan Mingo was actually. He's a Broadway legend. He played in Kinky Boots oh yeah, Kinky Boots. Right, right, right. He won the Tony Award for Kinky Boots, oh my God. And he's also been on Doom Patrol this is so fantastic.
Maurio Dawson :So not only did I get to meet them, but the kids got to meet them and they came and they stood there and they talked to the kids for 10, 15 minutes, letting the kids ask anything they want to. And you know, of course, my wife said I was a hero because, you know, not only did they get to see the show, but they got to meet the cast, and so when she came, out you know she didn.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, that's awesome.
Maurio Dawson :I have to send you the photo so you can see it.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, no that's so cool. Okay what else? So those are your favorite movies. Actually, those are great movies.
Maurio Dawson :I don't care about so much, it's nostalgia for me.
Carmen Lezeth:It's the nostalgia for me, yeah, but the Wiz is a great one too. The.
Maurio Dawson :Wiz is great Purple Rain is a must. The wind is great Purple.
Carmen Lezeth:Rain is a must. I don't know how people don't. I mean, I love Purple Rain. I saw Purple Rain a couple times, but it was so bad the acting.
Maurio Dawson :It was so bad, it was good.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, that's true.
Maurio Dawson :It's so bad that it was good. That album it's amazing Because every time Morris Day would come in and do this family.
Carmen Lezeth:It's so wrong, let's go crazy. So what, what?
Maurio Dawson :is your favorite. I mean, I think I know who your favorite music is, but top three, prince is number one um, I can't believe you, and I kind of have the same number one.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, I'm also big george michael fan. But okay, go ahead yeah yeah, prince is number one.
Maurio Dawson :Um, believe it or not, this is a deep cut. Let it see, it's in my top three. Okay, I'm okay, get into it if you, if people don't know about, let it see, get into it, because that woman's vocals are I'm okay with this area, like like I've got to see her in concert a couple times. Every time she sings, it goes through you. And then she she just did an album a couple of years ago and they were all Nina Simone covers.
Maurio Dawson :No, okay that I need to hear, okay that I need to hear Wow, it's the Nina Simone album she just does all of them.
Carmen Lezeth:I love Nina Simone Okay.
Maurio Dawson :Another favorite moment of Lettucey of Mine is when she goes and she sings with it's her Jill Scott, Marcia, Ambrosia and who's the fourth one? Kelly Price. Wow, man, it was on, I think. Oh, my God, my God.
Carmen Lezeth:Who else you got those two? Who else?
Maurio Dawson :Janet and Michael are there side by side. I'll never put one over the other. I'm kind of mad at Janet because she's recycling this tour, but it's okay why is she doing this tour again?
Carmen Lezeth:wasn't she just on tour?
Maurio Dawson :let's talk about Janet. I don't know, baby, if you hear me, I love you so much, but the thing is she did the Together Again tour and now you're doing Together Again 2.0. You're giving, you're doing together it can 2.0 like you're giving me stuff you're giving. Well, I don't know. You know I, I can't answer, I can't tell you what, what people, what people's motivations are. I mean, for all we know, it might be, could be because it's the husband's time to have a kid.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't know I don't know, right right, right right.
Maurio Dawson :But as much as I love her so much and it was disappointing for her to do the Together Again tour and then you recycled the same name. Even if it's the same stuff, give it a different name. Give me a reason to want to go, because now I'm like I don't want to go.
Carmen Lezeth:You're done right.
Maurio Dawson :Especially after going to Beyonce's concert and I was like whoa.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, did you do a fellowship? No, I did not go. I don't do concerts. Unless I have VIP tickets, I don't do concerts. I know, I did go see the movie theater.
Maurio Dawson :Going to the movie theater. There was songs she cut out that weren't in the movie.
Carmen Lezeth:The only concerts I've been to, which is not many, but it's only because I've gone VIP. I saw a Sting concert. I saw a George Michael concert twice I saw. It's not a long list. My regret is not seeing Prince in concert. You saw Prince in concert, right?
Maurio Dawson :Multiple times and now the interview is over. Bye, bye, no, no, no, no, no. You gotta feel me because I saw I've seen him up close. I was like right here.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, I don't do crowds, Like I don't want anyone near me, I don't want, like I don't do crowds at all.
Maurio Dawson :No one of my dear friends, randall. He and I we just happened to be at the. We went to Prince's Club that night, that's when he had Glam Slam over there on Beaudry, and we ran into each other and all of a sudden Prince comes out and starts performing.
Carmen Lezeth:I had no idea that's different. That scene, yeah, okay, that is what I wish happened. Yeah, I've seen it multiple times but I would never get a call. All my friends went and saw Taylor Swift and Beyonce and whatever and they were like how many, how many? I was like absolutely not, not interested at all.
Maurio Dawson :I'm not a Swifty. I'm not a Swifty at all.
Carmen Lezeth:You know, I went and saw her movie too. I get it. I understand it's not my music, but I get it.
Maurio Dawson :I'm not interested?
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, no way, poor girl, she's a good kid.
Maurio Dawson :She's um my daughter's best friend page. She's what would they call them swifties.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, um no I'm swift less, I think. I know. I think she's a good person and a good celebrity and so I'm all for it. It's fine. It's not my music, it's not my thing?
Maurio Dawson :no, it's not my thing, for me, beyonce is just queen, I can't get yeah, she's up there right now and and then, like I was this, like her, this, this cowboy carter album is like it's now and and then, like I was this, like her, this, this cowboy carter album is like it's really growing on me, like I'm listening to it.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, yeah, but it's a.
Maurio Dawson :It's an amazing album yeah, yeah, it's a bop. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a bop. Uh, I mean you can.
Carmen Lezeth:You know, I listen to it from beginning to end. It's just not my thing. But it's not all country music like no, it's not country music, but you know I'm still on. You know, look at, I'm still on. Um, no, it's not, but you know I'm still on. You know, look, I'm still on.
Maurio Dawson :Formation, well, what is it? Formation, yeah. Lemonade, yeah, you know what I mean. Lemonade, well, because I think you got a lot of anger, so you might be listening.
Carmen Lezeth:I know right, you can see the anger inside me.
Maurio Dawson :You got the anger the anger.
Carmen Lezeth:The Lemonade helped you get it. What was, what's that album?
Maurio Dawson :There's four. There's the Beyonce album, there is um.
Carmen Lezeth:You know the one where she did with Bruno not with Bruno Mars, but she did um.
Maurio Dawson :That's a Super Bowl performance. What that's a Super Bowl performance?
Carmen Lezeth:That album. I love that album too, yeah yeah.
Maurio Dawson :And then there's there's a Beyonce. There's the Beyonce Sasha Fierce album. It's called I Am Fashion Fierce. There's two albums on that. One. That was a good one too. That was Run the World.
Carmen Lezeth:That was To the Left, to the Left right.
Maurio Dawson :That was, yeah, that was, she's a genius.
Carmen Lezeth:I know people get mad at me. I'm like you know what? I don't know what people are confused by, but she is a performer, she's a fashion icon, she's an entrepreneur.
Maurio Dawson :She's entrepreneur just an amazing storyteller as I'm sitting here wearing ivy park, which is her brand yeah, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, she has a new the hairline thing which I have to try.
Maurio Dawson :I haven't tried yeah, um, I don't have any hair to use it. I do?
Carmen Lezeth:I do, but I do want to try. But I'm just saying it's like she's a genius and I don't understand why people don't. Nobody wants to use that word. I'm like I'm gonna use it because you people are late to the game. I, I say, look at Prince anointed her. I'm good, I'm good.
Maurio Dawson :Her dad was teaching at Marissa's school this semester too.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh really.
Maurio Dawson :And I was really disappointed that they didn't ask him to be the keynote speaker. I was like you have someone of you know I was disappointed. But I mean, does he do a lot of public speaking? I don't know, yeah, I don't know, I don't know who his website.
Carmen Lezeth:I know his mom, her mom, I don't know no, her dad.
Maurio Dawson :Well, you have to remember. Well, her dad also has his phd. Now he's dr matthew, so that's why he was teaching.
Carmen Lezeth:That's a great family, that's a great teaching at pepper.
Maurio Dawson :Know why?
Carmen Lezeth:people are so all up in arms about Jay-Z, like you know what I mean, like I'm like, oh okay, oh, oh, okay, that might be another private lounge, okay, I don't. Well, tell me. Tell me what the issue was with Jay-Z.
Maurio Dawson :I don't. I personally don't want no smoke with Jay-Z I. He's one of the top 10 rappers of all time, hands down. I just think he was a little cringe because he started messing with Beyonce around 16, 17. He didn't start dating her. He didn't start dating her until she was 18.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, I didn't know that. Okay, yeah.
Maurio Dawson :He got Beyonce pretty early. You got to think about it. Beyonce is only 42 and Jay-Z is 58. So it's like 15, 15.
Carmen Lezeth:Yes, I didn't know all that. I didn't know all that. That's all yeah.
Maurio Dawson :So that was just kind of like.
Carmen Lezeth:Best rapper of all time. Where do you put Eminem?
Maurio Dawson :I put him top five. He's pretty good, you know, I'll give him top five.
Carmen Lezeth:Who's your number one?
Maurio Dawson :tupac but we missed black man tupac biggie biggie um krs1 because he drops knowledge that's right um, I am, I think, kendrick. What what kendrick's doing right now?
Carmen Lezeth:I know, but I don't love kendrick lamar. I'm sorry everyone, I know don't mean no hate, I'm not, no I do.
Maurio Dawson :You know what, if you take the time to really listen to him no, he's amazing lyrics.
Carmen Lezeth:It's not. That's not what I'm saying. There's something about it, it just doesn't happen. It drives me insane listening to him.
Maurio Dawson :I don't know why I don't like it yeah, he, um, but you know he's, he's a wordsmith and he's because, it's because and that's why he won a Pulitzer Prize. You know he's definitely, he's definitely a worthy.
Carmen Lezeth:Please don't get it twisted. Just because I don't like someone doesn't mean they're not talented.
Maurio Dawson :No, no, no, he's my thing, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:He did not deserve that, pulitzer. That's all I'm going to say.
Maurio Dawson :It's funny because even I just saw a clip of President Obama talking about this is like years ago. Clip of President Obama talking about this is like years ago. They were like if there was a rap battle between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, who would you pick? And Obama said he's a Kendrick Lamar. He said he's a great wordsmith. He said but Drake is a great entertainer. Yeah, you didn't call him a rapper.
Carmen Lezeth:Entertainer. But that's true. That's true, he can be mad about it all he wants. That's like madonna madonna's not a great singer, she's an entertainer absolutely not, and let's not even get into j-no I mean. But that's what I'm trying to say. Like that's I drake, that's not. That wasn't surprising to me at all. I wouldn't even put drake in the top 20 of rappers what does mariah carey say about?
Maurio Dawson :uh, j she's like who? I don't know her.
Carmen Lezeth:Me neither, I don't know, you know what?
Maurio Dawson :As a Latina woman.
Carmen Lezeth:I want to be supportive, but she has done some real damage. I don't know what that movie was. I don't know what is wrong with this woman.
Maurio Dawson :But Jenny from the block. That whole thing she released on Amazon Prime was garbage. I couldn't even watch it. I was like I'm so embarrassed. I was like this is basura. Yeah, basura, it's basura.
Carmen Lezeth:Do you remember her from In Living Color, when she was one of the fly girls, dancing I mean, and then she did Selena?
Maurio Dawson :But how about? She was the backup dancer for Janet Jackson. Did you know that?
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, I did know that You're right, I did know that?
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, I mean she, but okay. But if you look in the, if you look on, that's the way love goes.
Carmen Lezeth:She's on there and my name's on there too, right? My name, carmen, is on there, right? You know that. Yes, you got to go. Look at the video. My name is on there.
Maurio Dawson :I'm going to have to go.
Carmen Lezeth:look, you're going to have to go look at my name and they're dancing, right there. I think it's referring to the opera. It's usually what it is. It's not really about me, but um, oh man, that was so funny that we went to Jane. No, how did that happen, oh my?
Maurio Dawson :Lord, oh, who knows, it's okay Okay.
Carmen Lezeth:What is the most, what is something that has surprised you in your life?
Maurio Dawson :That people can't change. You think, you think that you think people. You give people the benefit of the doubt, hoping that they can change. But some people just can't change, and so you have to meet them or leave them. Leave them where they are.
Carmen Lezeth:I do notice that about you, especially on Facebook. You do write things that I would. I'm always like what happened, because it's not that I think that they're negative, but I can tell you being like don't bother me when I'm successful, or whatever, because you don't know who he is.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah because there's a post I just posted just the other day. It's just, it's like I'm not, it's basically I'm just selective about who I let into my space now, and because you let all these people into your life and you and I'm, I'm very guarded as an individual. I have I and I believe in boundaries, I believe in in setting boundaries with people, I believe in, you know, creating a safe space for people. But when I let my guard down and I'm now vulnerable to you and you take advantage of that, then we're done and, like we, I don't come back from that and that's the. I don't know if that's a good trait or a bad trait.
Carmen Lezeth:I think it's a good trait. I think it's a good trait.
Maurio Dawson :But for me I don't. I don't believe in going back. I believe in putting the car in park, letting you out, have a nice life. And I drive away and I look at you in the rear view mirror and you get further and further away to you're not there anymore. And I've taught, and I've taught my daughter the same thing I said put people in your rear view mirror and keep driving, and then they won't be there anymore. But the thing is for me, like I've been going, I really went through a lot recently with my, my father.
Maurio Dawson :Um we've had a very volatile relationship where it goes up and down, we can be in a really great place, but then it can turn on a dime and it can get really, really bad.
Maurio Dawson :And so that's why I say that you give people the opportunity to change, but when you see that they can't, you have to meet them where they are and then you have to change and you have to move on. They are, and then you have to change and you have to, and you got to move on. Like my dad was here and after he left, I decided that he needed a break. I have to give myself a break. I have to give my family a break. I have to give my spirit a break.
Carmen Lezeth:Yep, I'm the queen of walking away from people, queen, because it's a survival method. It's different when it's apparent like it's really no, I can only imagine, but I just I, I'm a true believer that one of the skill sets people don't have is the ability to walk away like there's. There's the other side of it, too, right. Well, people be like I hate you, I hate everything. Why are you coming and watching my show every?
Maurio Dawson :week, like like I'm asking you.
Carmen Lezeth:You don't. It's weird thing. People like to be in chaos.
Maurio Dawson :You know they like to be in chaos, but then you have all of these you know finger, you know what they call thumb bullies, where they just feel like they can say anything they want to say to you online. And then but if you saw me in the street you wouldn't say that to my face.
Maurio Dawson :Never say that, never say that to my face. You know what I'm saying. But the thing is, I don't believe. But I also believe that people can innately be good, but I don't know what. I don't know what your journey is. So you might be in a different place in your journey to get there to your good, to that good sweet spot, and I, but I can't take that journey with you. You know what I'm saying. And sometimes if you're taking me on your journey and I feel like my, your journey is about to jump, this boat is about to go over a waterfall, I'm jumping out.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm going to jump out before you go. I mean the the the blessing of being able to walk away from people is that when you can walk away from people, not only does it create a whole new space for you to breathe and to feel good about yourself, but it allows really good energy and really good people to walk into your life. And that was the heart, the minute I understood that as a kid, that I could walk away from people who were just hurting me over and over and over again. And it's going to be. It's going to be a minute before it feels better. Just go through the process. On the other side of that is always something better, someone better and a new person to talk to, and I think it's a great thing that you do that. I sometimes just feel sad because I'll see it on Facebook and I'll be like who did what to that man?
Maurio Dawson :Who did what? You know what? Because I don't always want to be confrontational, because I cut too deep, like I cut to the quick, and you know. And like, as they say they cut, I cut to the white meat, so you know I cut to the bone, baby I cut to that bone. So I just don't, I don't want to do that. So I you know if something hits my face. It's a relief because I'm never really calling anybody out.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, you never call. Never call anyone out. But I'm like something again.
Maurio Dawson :No, but the thing is, you know, but it's also just a general warning, like, don't do that to me, because I will give you the shirt off my back. I will do anything for you if you ask me to, within reason. I'm a reasonable person. However, I do believe in boundaries. I do believe, like, for example, I had somebody ask me for money just out of the blue. I hadn't spoken to this person in a long time and I'm like hi, first of all, how you been, how you been, um, and then no, I'm not giving, I, I don't have it, I not giving you, I don't have it. I would say I don't have it right now. And then they would come back again Well, if I can't have this much, can I have this much? I said, well, I don't have that either. And then finally, it got to the point I said I'll tell you what Give me your Zelle, and when I have it, I'll send you some money.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, than I am.
Maurio Dawson :No, they still wait, but now, but now. But now my point was I've given you what you wanted to hear in some fashion, and now we can move on. And now we can move on, because I tell you, whenever I have it, then I'll send it to you, right? If you don't receive anything in your Zelle, I ain't got it. I ain't got it, so that means you don't have to ask me.
Carmen Lezeth:I think people tend to be really bold because they think, like people have a perception that they think we're rich or that we have money or whatever it is, or they think we can get it. So then they feel I have never it. If I ask somebody for money, we're in a really deep place, because it takes a lot for me to have to ask somebody for money, you know and I don't even remember when the last time was but.
Carmen Lezeth:But again, I think there's also a blessing in this, because I think you and I are the kind of people that have people in our lives that if we need money it's not about asking. They're going to know they go baby. Can I help you? What's going on?
Maurio Dawson :Are you all right?
Carmen Lezeth:Can I help you with something? You know what I mean, like, and I feel like that's something that people don't have, that we take for granted, maybe because we do have people in our lives that would get that, and even if they ain't got the money they I got you.
Maurio Dawson :They're going to try to help you figure it out.
Carmen Lezeth:How about that Right they're going to help you figure it out.
Maurio Dawson :You know, those are the type of people I believe in having in my life. My circle is real, real small Because, like I think, my best friend, she and I have been best friends since we were since 1984, 85.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay.
Maurio Dawson :She's the merciful godmother We've been, we have fought.
Carmen Lezeth:That's friendship, though that's a real friendship.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, but we have fought and we have not spoken to each other to give each other space. But I love that woman.
Carmen Lezeth:Like there's nothing I would. Her name is sheila yvonne brunson.
Maurio Dawson :Oh, sheila, who's? Jenny? Jennifer, that's, uh, that's alma's best friend oh, that's right.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, sorry, I'm getting comfortable.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, jenny, jennifer is alma's best friend. She was my best friend um sheila, sheila sheila brunson. Okay, my friend then. Oh, here's another good story for you, just switching subjects, so it's something you want to know about me.
Carmen Lezeth:I do Go ahead Tim. Okay, me and everybody else in the world Go ahead.
Maurio Dawson :That's all right. Something about me that would be. That's an interesting story. I was with someone before Alma and we were in a relationship for three years. We had a relationship that I thought was going to be my future, and she cheated on me with my best friend who was living in my house.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh my God, oh my God, that is unbelievably bold.
Maurio Dawson :In my house. But the thing is I didn't know they were cheating in my house because I introduced this. I don't care.
Carmen Lezeth:This is going to be Okay, you don't want me to be put out. Okay.
Maurio Dawson :You don't have to put that in there, but you know, I just had to get that out of my spirit, you had to get it out, okay.
Maurio Dawson :So she, I broke, I break up with her and next thing you know he's coming to my house. He's coming home because he's staying with me. He's coming home. He said, hey, um, how's everything going? Like you already know what's going on. Then, while he's sitting there, she calls and she says like she don't know me.
Maurio Dawson :This is the bad part. I call, I say hello, Hello, ma'am, Speak to you. Wow, I'm going to save all the expletives so I don't have to beep them out. You don't have to beep them out, but just know that there was like I know you ain't calling here. Don't you ever call my house again. Ask for somebody else. He comes home, he goes back and leaves the house. Next thing he comes back. She asked for your stuff. I said, well, she can send me my stuff. So he comes back with my stuff. But why are you coming back with my stuff? And I'm asking him why are you coming back with my stuff? And then I told him also. I said why is she calling for you? I said I'll tell you what. If you want to talk to her, so bad, talk to her from your mama's house.
Carmen Lezeth:That's right. Oh, okay, that's what I was waiting to hear Exactly.
Maurio Dawson :I said talk to her from your mom's house, did he leave? And he left. So that let me know, right then and there, now you're supposed to be my friend. I've known him just same amount of times. I've known sheila since 1985 and you do that to me that was, that was some rank stuff. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what the underlying tone, whatever went on, if you were supposed to be my friend. But he showed me. But see, sometimes people show you that they're not your friends and you miss the signs, because there were other signs before then that were coming on, that I was. There were red flags that I kept ignoring, not that I didn't see them, I ignored them.
Carmen Lezeth:Why did you ignore?
Maurio Dawson :them Because I hoped for better, hoped for better.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, that's a good answer. I hoped for better. I hoped for better.
Maurio Dawson :You gave me the answers, yeah. Yeah, I hoped for better, but the thing is that goes back to my thing is, you know people are going to be who they are and so therefore, you have to respect who they are, but you have to be strong enough to say okay, I see it, it is what it is.
Carmen Lezeth:Bye.
Maurio Dawson :And so I got to put it to you in the rear view mirror. Fast forward. They got married, had three kids. Are you serious? But the tragic thing is he's dead. That's tragic.
Carmen Lezeth:When did he die?
Maurio Dawson :Probably about four years ago. He didn't make, he didn't make 50. So about like four years ago and it was so unfortunate because I got a phone call from one of a mutual friend, from my ex, to tell me that he had passed. I was like I'm sorry and you don't talk to.
Carmen Lezeth:You're not sorry, but yeah, and what about?
Maurio Dawson :no, no, no, I don't ever. You know, there were many things I wish on people, but death is never one of them. I don't wish. And and then?
Carmen Lezeth:I didn't, I didn't say you wished it.
Maurio Dawson :I don't know, but I you know but but I didn't cry and that's you know. That's the thing, because you know, at the end of the day they had kids and I have a soft spot for children because children didn't ask to be here so They'll be all right.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm mean I'm so. You know what, as I get older, I know, as I get, older. I'm not going to say that, I'm just saying as I get older, I'm like you know what. Everybody has a story, everybody has tragedy in their lives and everybody needs to walk through it.
Maurio Dawson :And the thing is, you need to walk. Everybody needs to walk through the fire. Yeah, and so you know, and they, we all didn't kill him.
Carmen Lezeth:You didn't do it, not. That's what I'm saying.
Maurio Dawson :I did not listen, they on the east coast. I'm on the west coast minding my business, so that ain't got nothing to do with me I ain't gonna bleep it out.
Carmen Lezeth:I think they should. I'm just kidding, I didn't know he died.
Maurio Dawson :Okay, I'll bleep out his name, but I'd like the story yeah, but he, uh, yeah, he unfortunately passed away and he it was something random, like he had broken a leg or something and he had a cast. His leg was swelling up, it changed to cast out and he threw a blood clot that instant that's sad, it's tragic.
Maurio Dawson :You know, I feel bad because, like I said, you know they have kids and so I think his, his child was um still, his oldest daughter was still in high school. I think my daughter, my daughter and their daughter are the same age.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, again, I got nothing here. I don't know them.
Maurio Dawson :And I was really mad.
Carmen Lezeth:We spent all this time talking about him.
Maurio Dawson :He cheated, no, no, but it's a good story because I, because I want people to understand that if, if something or someone is for you, then they're for you, but if they're not for you, then they got to go, and then what'll happen? And you see what happens sometimes god will show you their fate and you have no, and you're nowhere around that's all I'm saying I'm not wishing nothing on anybody.
Carmen Lezeth:Whatever I said, bless children, but't I have. There are just 8 billion people in the world. I can't care about everybody. You know what I mean.
Maurio Dawson :But my thing is, and my whole point was there were 8 billion people in the world and he had to choose that person.
Carmen Lezeth:That's what I. Okay, you see what I'm saying. So for me, look it, people get. So you know pearl clutchy about our natural feelings. So you know, pearl clutchy about our natural feelings. I'm sorry, I don't know the man and I'm like you know what.
Maurio Dawson :I'm sorry, what happened to you happened, but it makes sense to me and the friend that called to let me know about his passing, I said, oh, I'm sorry. And then my next comment was well, she jumped out for me to jump to him. She'll jump to somebody else.
Carmen Lezeth:Nope, that's what I'm saying, like It'll be fine, people have to move through.
Maurio Dawson :She'll be all right, she'll find somebody else. That's what I'm saying.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, we have to end on an up note, on a positive note, let's go. What is something you want to share with people? So I was going to do this whole question thing that they do on Bravo and the actors, whatever. I don't want to steal this stuff because then they'll come after me or something.
Maurio Dawson :No, they won't. I've seen.
Carmen Lezeth:Vogue do it Okay. What's your favorite swear word?
Maurio Dawson :Fuck, really Okay, motherfucker, no motherfucker.
Carmen Lezeth:But just like that motherfucker.
Maurio Dawson :Motherfucker.
Carmen Lezeth:With an A-H Okay.
Maurio Dawson :Mother, yeah, m-e-t-h. Motherfucker.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, you die, you get to the pearly gates of heaven. What do you want to tell St Peter? Right, Isn't that what he says? He says something like that.
Maurio Dawson :I say I'm sorry for all the bad things. I regret them. Please forgive me and open a door so we can come on and turn on.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, what's another one? What's another one on that show? I didn't write them down because I always hate copying people. No, it's okay. I mean, just give me rapid fire, I don't have any more rapid fire those are the ones I wanted to ask you questions about, but we've gone way over, but it's okay, unless you have to go. No, I got time. Okay, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about politics.
Maurio Dawson :Okay, in general, if you wanted to share your political viewpoint of what's going on in the world today not the world, but in the United States specifically. The one thing that's bothering me most right now are these kids protesting on campuses. I appreciate the protest. I appreciate what you stand for. I respect what you stand for. However, you are disrupting the children who are graduating this year, who did not get graduations for 2020. My child was included and I would be devastated for my daughter not to be able to walk across that stage and, because of some foolishness that you are creating, that you can protest somewhere else. I'm not telling you not to protest, but do that somewhere else. Don't steal something from them because of something that's happening somewhere else. That's really what's. That's really my hot take right now, because I get mad for the parents who had to sit with their kids in 2020 and watch them do their first year of college. On Zoom Right and the mental health challenges Graduated on Zoom.
Carmen Lezeth:Some of the kids that had to graduate in Zoom, my daughter graduated on Zoom.
Maurio Dawson :So, that stuff bothers me. So for other kids, to other people who, number one, don't even go to the school. Number two, the other people who are undergrads, where it won't affect you, give these kids the respect that they deserve. I'm here for you protesting yes, because it's right. What they're saying is right On both sides. They all have valid points. And I'm here for you protesting yes, Cause it's right. What they're saying is right on both sides. They all have valid points and I'm here for a good protest. Just don't disrupt these kids who have already suffered enough. That's what's pissing me off.
Carmen Lezeth:They're not even thinking of that, though. I mean I have huge problems with people protest, like people are protesting and then you know they can't point to on the map. You know what I mean. They don't know where Jerusalem is, or you know, and it's kind of like, but look it, I'm fine with the protesting. But I totally hear you. I think for me too, it's almost like there's a lot of noise and not a lot of nuance thinking and like all over the place, not just with the students.
Carmen Lezeth:A lot of noise, not a lot of nuance, you know, but that's what we've become now. It's always the flash, the line, the headline.
Maurio Dawson :That's it, nothing else. And people get stuck on soundbites without listening.
Carmen Lezeth:That's the word soundbite.
Maurio Dawson :They're getting stuck on soundbites and they're not investigating to find out the whole story.
Carmen Lezeth:Are you voting for Trump?
Maurio Dawson :Baby listen.
Carmen Lezeth:Sorry I when you're voting for Trump Baby listen, Sorry, I'm just kidding.
Maurio Dawson :No, I mean listen, I'm not happy. I'm not happy with either choice, but you know. But, Joe, he's done the best that he can do. People are upset with him about food prices which he has nothing to do with, and that's what I really believe in people getting knowledge. And like my pastor used to say way back when he says he would always say my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Maurio Dawson :Because, you don't take the time to read and look up things you know, and it pisses me off because the white man used to say back in the day if you want to have something from a black person, put it in the book yeah, that's right you know what I'm saying. And so if you, if you want to remove that stigma, read it doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to be a physical book, but breathe from google.
Carmen Lezeth:You can't trust google because, well, do some research.
Maurio Dawson :I mean, you don't have to go to the library to find a book or find you no but I mean you can go online and start finding some good information out there, valid information, and get educated and know and make an educated decision about what it is you want to do.
Carmen Lezeth:I keep telling people if you don't know enough like I'm doing the opposite now, which I know Democrats are going to get upset with me I'm like if you only have one issue or you don't know enough about politics, don't vote. I'm done with people voting. I'm done.
Maurio Dawson :I don't want everybody to be able to vote. And then, like you know, you read online and you see some of these young Black kids and it's pissing me off because these young Black people who are just so ignorant in their choices, because they're saying, well, I'm voting for Trump because he gave me a check. No, he didn't. He didn't give you a check.
Carmen Lezeth:He signed it, but he signed the check.
Maurio Dawson :He didn't give you the check.
Carmen Lezeth:you moron there's no need for him to sign it either. He did it because he's an ego maniac.
Maurio Dawson :And so it's just like they're not doing the work. And you know these swing states, and that's not even getting me started.
Carmen Lezeth:We're done with politics. Little bit, little bit, little bit, little bit.
Maurio Dawson :I just got to say Tim Scott is an ass.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh he, so is he's an ass. He's a black man. It just doesn't make any sense to me that he's doing what he's doing.
Maurio Dawson :He is the definition of coonery.
Carmen Lezeth:Yes, he is.
Maurio Dawson :And if you don't know, ask your mama Shoot.
Carmen Lezeth:Or Google him.
Maurio Dawson :Google him.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, because they wouldn't know what coonery is.
Maurio Dawson :Mm-mm. Remember Charlie.
Carmen Lezeth:Temple and Bojangles. I mean, do you remember that whole thing with Charlie, temple and Bojangles?
Maurio Dawson :And I remember because as a dancer.
Carmen Lezeth:I knew who he was, but Amos and Andy. Yeah, like most people didn't know who these amazing, brilliant dancers, performers, were, because they were basically used as buffoonery work they can get, but they were the masters of this trade. Yeah, we lost a lot of nuance. It goes back to what you were saying. You know, know we, we don't learn, we don't, we don't go deeper.
Maurio Dawson :You know, we just have those sound bites and yeah, it's tragic for me and, and as I get older and I really want to see the young people win, that's why I always try to talk to Marissa about you know, but Marissa is very savvy, though, you know. I got to give her that. Yeah, she can. She can articulate her point. She can say this is what I feel. This is why I feel. This is why I feel the way that I feel, based upon the information that I've read.
Carmen Lezeth:This is what I yeah, but she's not voting for Trump. I'm not confused by that.
Maurio Dawson :No, not at all.
Carmen Lezeth:That's what I'm saying. Okay, here's my question. First of all, I love that you've become part of All About the Joy family. No, I am, am I'm so grateful. Um, can you share a little bit about what you like about all about the joy?
Maurio Dawson :I love all about the joy because everybody is authentic. There's authenticity there, there's joy there, there's fun there, there's laughter there. I think, no matter what we're talking about, you're gonna always find some laughter. Laughter is important. Laughter is important. Laughter is healing. Laughter is curing. Joy it really. Laughter releases endorphins, so it's important and I love that we touch on all the different topics that are going on. I always want us to talk about what brought us joy for the week before you start anything else that's so important. Like I can talk about this week. What brought me joy was watching week before you start anything else that's so important Like I can talk about this week. What brought me joy was watching my baby. What brought me joy was putting my daddy on a plane and sitting in home.
Carmen Lezeth:But watching your baby, I cut you off. What was the good?
Maurio Dawson :part Watching my baby walk across the stage in Malibu and them calling her name, and watching her be able to see all four of her grandparents standing there so amazing. And then we and watching her smile and just say I did it, yeah, In spite of, because for her this was an uphill climb.
Carmen Lezeth:Right.
Maurio Dawson :And so, and then she's not stopping, she's decided to go ahead and get her minister.
Carmen Lezeth:Of course, I'm not even surprised by that, but that's beautiful, that's amazing yeah, so that brought me joy.
Maurio Dawson :My wife brings me joy every day.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, we know about your wife. We're over it no give her some love, I'm just kidding.
Maurio Dawson :Give her some love, you know, and and my like, my immediate family. They bring me the most joy. I love being by the water, so being by the like, we went to Burton Chance Park, oh yeah yeah, yeah, yeah. That's one of my favorite places, so I'll go walk all the way to the end and sit at the table or one of the benches and just watch the boats go by. That brings me joy.
Carmen Lezeth:I have my bench here in Santa Monica where I sit. I just love it. It brings me such happiness and joy.
Maurio Dawson :Finding serenity brings me joy. I'm looking forward to our vacation.
Carmen Lezeth:I'm looking forward to what are you guys doing? Oh, you're going next week.
Maurio Dawson :We're going Cabo, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:But you're going next week, don't you leave on-.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, we leave on Friday awesome.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, on that note, um, man, it has been so awesome to have you on, I feel like I didn't cover.
Maurio Dawson :I didn't feel like I feel like I didn't cover enough.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, we'll have you back on again. What do you mean? We, you know we've been on for an hour and 40 minutes okay, so shut up. No, I'm not saying I'm saying I don't, I think I'm just gonna let it run. I might just beep out two of your friends, but I think this is just part of it. It's just getting to know you a little bit better. It's just having a little private lounge and people see you and stuff.
Carmen Lezeth:So I am so grateful that you came on the show and I love you. Yeah, and wait, we love you on all about the joy, but I love you personally. I'm glad we reconnected. Yeah, wow, yeah, but we're now connected again, so let's not let that fall apart again.
Maurio Dawson :I'm going to do a better job about that.
Carmen Lezeth:No no, I think that's what I realized. Like it's just easy, you're easygoing, right, you're easygoing, there's no drama. Talking to you, there's no drama. It's like we picked up, like it was just yesterday we were talking and that kind of friendship. You can't take that for granted. You got to keep those people around that just make your life comfortable and easy.
Maurio Dawson :That's what I'm saying and, like one of my best one of my friends, rebecca, she says now you know it's bad when somebody pisses you off because you try to go out of your way to be sweet to everybody. I said I really do. I really really do. I try my best to lead with love and kindness, but I can, can be very direct I can be very blunt.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, that's not me at all. I'm very shy, I'm very shy and yeah, no, no, I am.
Maurio Dawson :Believe it or not, I'm an introvert I have yeah, I'm a very, I'm very much an introvert. It takes a lot for me to go out with people. It takes a lot for me to um, to get out of my bubble and go hang out because my friends will say, well, somebody will come and invite me to something and I'm like, and so when, when I show up, they're like you made it, you actually came you gotta do it at your own time.
Carmen Lezeth:you gotta do what you gotta do. You know what I mean, but that's what I love about it's a very simple. I feel like it's easy to be friends with you, so I love that, so I'm glad. But listen, we're going to have you back on the show when you come back in two weeks right, two weeks, when you cruise. We want, of course, you're always welcome to come on to the neighborhood chat but we'll do another private lounge.
Carmen Lezeth:Let's do rapid fire like so much fun yeah, let's do, but I think there's two, though I needed to get this kind of just flavoring out.
Maurio Dawson :This was good, yeah, I, yeah, I just you know I I have a lot going on, like I said, with everything that happened with my dad and everything with marissa graduating and um, there's, you know, just a lot going on, you know, but I try to try to push forward. It's hard some days. I don't want to get out of bed, that's just true. You know, some days I just today was one of those days I was like I got too much to do but I got you know that bed was calling my name you know, if I don't go to church on Sunday, I'm I'm worshiping at bedside still worshiping it matters, it matters, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:Love that Still, worshiping it matters, it matters, you know.
Maurio Dawson :But you know, because that's what I call my bed on Sundays, it's Bedside Baptist. You know missionary church and I'm laying on my pillow saying my prayers with my eyes closed.
Carmen Lezeth:Are you going to go rest now? Are you going to go rest?
Maurio Dawson :No, I have to go finish packing. I have to pack.
Carmen Lezeth:I have to finish finish packing. I gotta pack, okay, I have to. I have to finish doing some work, and then I have to go to work tomorrow morning and then we're gonna do the show, you know, and then I'm gonna and I'm gonna be on the road when the show is on because I have to go take my dog.
Maurio Dawson :Yeah, because I have to drop my dog off way out somewhere and then, um, come back and then get ready to leave you know um, but we will have you on when you come back and you can tell us all about your trip.
Carmen Lezeth:So thank you for being on the show. I love you, my friend. So much.
Maurio Dawson :I love you more.
Carmen Lezeth:Thank you so much for doing this and everyone, thank you so much for listening to All About the Joy. The Private Lounge.
Maurio Dawson :Private Lounge Private Lounge Private Lounge.
Carmen Lezeth:Thanks for stopping by. All About the Joy Be better and stay beautiful. Folks have a sweet day.