SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Hi, I'm Shelly Maurer. And I'm Cher Emrick. Welcome to Life Lessons from Pickleball, where we engage with pickleball players from around the world about life on and off the court. Thanks for joining us. Oh, welcome everyone to Life Lessons from Pickleball. What a treat we have for you today. Twyla Adams is with us. And Twyla, you are a real inspiration. Yes. Yes. media releases, including the 2023 Amazon holiday catalog. So lots for us to talk about. I just wish we had way more than 30 minutes, but we'll see what we can fit in. And let's start at the beginning. Tell us about your service in the Army.

SPEAKER_01: 1:14

Well, I thank you, first of all, ladies, for having me. This is an opportunity just to tell people how much fun pickleball can be. I went into the military in 1980, and I left after Desert Shield, Desert Storm, medical issues, back, knees, and other things, body just wearing out. And I decided in 1991 after the war that I would leave and come back home.

SPEAKER_02: 1:44

And then when you came back home, what was so interesting you had, we want to hear about your holistic, mobile, mani-pedi reiki. service that you had for the sick, the elderly and the disabled. That sounds very interesting.

SPEAKER_01: 1:59

Yes, it was. I learned about nail care as a kid. One of my favorite aunts, she provided nail care. Her nails were always long and beautiful and I gravitated toward her. And so it's been since my early age of enjoying providing services for people and noticing the issues that they had with their hands and feet. And when I came home, I A good friend from high school said to me, oh, I'm so glad you're home now. You can take care of my nails. And I said, I've been gone for 11 years and you mean to tell me your nails, you haven't taken care of your nails in 11 years? And I told her, just like I did back then that my aunt taught me, everything is basically the same. The techniques, the tips, everything. What we eat, what we put in, it's what we get out. And when she said that to me, I decided to go get my manicuring license and my teacher's license. And I visited with some of the seniors who were in assisted living and would go over and visit this one particular lady named Miss Annie. And it made her day better. And then people continued to ask me if I would do theirs. And it grew and it grew and it grew. And I realized that it was an underserved population. So for over about 27 I provided that mobile nail care for my clients and I traveled where they were. After my injury, I couldn't do as much. It was more just an outing for me or rehab, if you will. It was a way to socialize and spend some time with some people who needed a little bit of a caring ear or someone to help and, you know, help them feel a little bit better. So we grew and I continued. And of course, with my disability, my physical disability, it It kind of wipes me out. You just do one person a day, maybe a couple of times a week, and sports begin to take over. Well,

SPEAKER_02: 3:57

for one thing, I think that's just really important information that you've shared, that something like doing someone's nails, being present.

UNKNOWN: 4:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_02: 4:08

Can change a person's day. Exactly. I mean, that's huge. And it's so important to remember that those small things we do, especially being present and with you, you just have this kind of really beautiful aura about yourself and kindness and great smile. And I mean, I can imagine you've made my day already. So there it is. But Twyla, you mentioned your injury. Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_01: 4:36

As I mentioned, I got out of the army in 91, decided to get out because of knees and back issues and some other health concerns. And in 94, I was in an automobile accident and I broke my neck and I was paralyzed from the neck down for quite some time. And I had to learn to do everything all over again. Still have some limitations, but, you know, life goes on. So we push through those limitations and we find a different way to do things. I had to find a different way to live this life at 35. And so far, life has been good. We don't get to go gun whore at everything, but we get to go gun whore at some things and find the boundaries and find the places that bring joy and minimize pain with chronic pain and burning and nerve issues from the spinal cord injury. That's just something par for the course that we just have to manage and live with it daily.

SPEAKER_02: 5:33

You know, when I was reading about you before the podcast, the one thing that was so inspirational to me was you had mentioned that in the beginning, the doctors just were telling you what you couldn't do. And you said, I've had enough of this. I want you to tell me what my possibilities are and how you've overcome all that is just incredible because they were telling you a lot of can'ts in the beginning and you wouldn't listen. That's true.

SPEAKER_01: 6:01

That's true. They did. They based their focus on what they saw inside and what they saw inside once they opened me up. was something that they felt was not going to be a good prognosis afterwards because he did say to me prior to the surgery there's no guarantees and I said well I know that but I can't do anything now but move my mouth and eyes so let's give it a try and then afterwards he gave me the same prognosis that he didn't see that I would be able to do anything but I made my circle of support very small and it consisted of the nurses and the people who came in to to serve me to to bathe me, to dress me. And I asked them if they would do certain things to see if maybe some movement would come back. And then one day I held my right foot up during the exam with the doctor and he said, oh, that's a spasm, you know, you'll have those. And I said, you want me to do it again? And I picked up my leg and I moved my right foot around. He kind of scratched his head and said, okay, well, let's go to rehab. And he explained what rehab was. He said, I've been to the gym three times a day. And I was like, oh, that's what I do. I just left that kind of environment, so let's do it. But they base it on what they see medically. My hope and my faith brought me through to the other side to see the possibilities. And then after I came back for a visit with him and I was... My arms were strapped to a walker and I was kind of sliding my feet. My walk is not the average walk gait. And he was passing me in the hallway and I said to him, I got to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back. And he stood and looked and I said, yes, me, it's me. You know, so he changed his perspective of walking. what he says to people to let's just try. And I believe that was an opportunity for him to learn something about the type of care that he provided. Based on medical and science, this is what we see. But this is the possibility. believe and you push yourself, it's very likely that you will be able to have some type of quality of life through the process. And so I'm grateful for him because he and the other surgeons were the best in the area and they had a lot to deal with to remove a bone from my hip, refabricate my neck, put some wires and screws in there to hold me together. And after that, they knew that I could continue on because they were saying I couldn't live alone. I wouldn't be able to drive. I wouldn't be able to do anything. So I'm just fortunate and blessed to be able to come through it by keeping that circle of friends and support very small. And they believed in me and they helped me believe in myself. So therein comes self-motivation. It has to come from me. It All of it cannot come from the outside because they're not living my life. They're not going through the pain. So it's up to me to settle down, connect with my faith and my beliefs and my inner person and motivate myself to do the best I can do with what I have now. So,

SPEAKER_02: 9:17

yeah. Just in that part of your story, what an inspiration, what you taught the doctors and how many people you've helped since then by changing the story for them and letting them see the possibilities.

SPEAKER_01: 9:30

Wow. They are endless. I've met a lot of people who are chair users who've experienced this. The things I've gone through and more, more devastating than I can ever imagine. And I get to compete with them. I get to meet them. I need to hear their stories. And it's amazing. So I'm not the only one out here doing this. There are some amazing, amazing athletes who are Paralympians and Olympians who are actually making a difference in the world today. So I'm grateful. I'm very grateful.

SPEAKER_02: 10:07

And you among them. We are grateful you're here to tell us your story. So how long was it before? Well, let's see. You are in a wheelchair. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01: 10:16

I do use a wheelchair for mobility. My scooter is my primary because I'm diagnosed quadriplegic, which means I have issues with my legs, my arms. Everything is weak from the neck down. So my scooter is my primary mode of transportation. And I use my cane and I have a walker in my house.

SPEAKER_02: 10:35

How long till you felt like you could be independent like you are now?

SPEAKER_01: 10:40

Well, I didn't know. I was just kind of walking it out one day at a time in the moment. Moving the foot was the first process. None of the rest of the stuff worked. The left arm, the left part of my body, it didn't work. I was dragging that foot and they put me in a wheelchair for my appointments and I couldn't push because I couldn't use my hands and my arms. So I just used that foot. And I just used my one foot to pull me through the halls of the hospital for my appointments. And then the therapy that they provided while I was in inpatient therapy had some great rec therapists who worked with me. And my recreational doctor, rehab doctor, Dr. Billstrom, he was also amazing. So through the therapies, I've learned to use my hands minimally. And then I have other adaptive equipment that I use to help manage how I use my hands. So I would say the therapy, the occupational therapy, the physical therapy, all of that combined is what helped me get to where I am now. Just picking up pennies and straight pens off of a table, you'd be surprised how tiring that can be when you're learning to do everything all over again. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Everything from scratching your nose to rubbing your ear to feeling an itch and not being able to move to it. Everything, everything. So I'm grateful.

SPEAKER_02: 12:15

Gosh, that's even just trying to imagine that, Twyla, is challenging. And then to think that you not only have overcome, but you started with that belief that in your faith and in yourself. And a lot of people would have just accepted whatever they were told and thought, okay, it's hopeless. I'm done. That's it. But you weren't willing or able to do that because you somehow knew better.

SPEAKER_01: 12:49

I heard better within myself. And that's how my parents raised us. Can't never could. If you just try, you're going to have obstacles come your way. It's your decision. Make sound decisions. Everything I learned from my mom, my dad, my aunts and uncles, that was instilled in me in a very young age to continue moving forward and enjoying and pushing to live life and give back. That was the other thing that was very important in my family, that is very important in my family. I always saw my parents giving back, and I always saw them face adversity with a can-do attitude. Wow. Wow. Therefore... Those beginnings that we have from zero to five, they're important. Those examples that we have, the people that are around us, a lot of negativity will brew negativity. Or I can get away from that and make a decision that I no longer want to be negative, but I want to be my authentic self. But it was my parents, it was my mom and my dad who said to me, when the doctor said, well, you'll never walk again. My mom reminded me recently, she said, when that lady said, you'll never walk again and you'll never get up, and you looked at her and said, Well, let me check with God because I know who he is. So I've known him since third grade. So let me do that. And the lady said, well, nerve endings don't regenerate. And I said, well, let's see if they will. I mean, this could be a different situation right now. No, no, it just doesn't work that way. And mom said when I told her, oh, yeah, I'm getting up. I'm going home. That's what I'm going to do. And I'm going back to work at the railroad. And mom said, I looked at that lady and I said, hmm. She really doesn't understand what we're up against because we'd had several other tragedies that had occurred in 93 and 94 with our immediate family that we had to work through. And so this was just another challenge, a bump in the road that we would have to work through together.

SPEAKER_02: 14:52

Wow. Go ahead, Cher. So I wanted to ask you, were you involved in sports? I know you were very athletic in the military, and you have to be to be able to survive in the Army. But were you involved in sports before your accident?

SPEAKER_01: 15:12

Never. Not in high school, not in college, not in the military. I was too little. I was a girl. I was too short. All of those attitudes were... put in my face by playing with guys and stuff. It just wasn't going to work for me. And I said, well, okay, you know, I play in the band. I do other things. I'm a bit of a nerd. And so I like to read. So I just gravitated as a public speaker in high school. And I just gravitated to the things that work. It was not until I was introduced to the National Veteran Wheelchair Games.

SPEAKER_02: 15:51

So how, who introduced you? How did that happen?

SPEAKER_01: 15:55

I was in Richmond for my annual, my first annual spinal cord injury exam at the VA hospital. And when you go in for your exam, they check you from head to toe, blood pressure, everything is checked, bladder, heart, everything, EKG and everything. One of the stations that you go to is recreational therapy. And there was a rec therapist there by the name of Ms. Sherry Hicks, who was also a veteran. She was in the Navy. And her job is to find out who, wants to be active in sports. And she said to me, you want to go to the wheelchair games? I said, and do what? And she said, well, we have billiards. I said, you mean like nine ball, play pool? And she said, yeah. I said, from here? And I had a big scooter at that time. I said, and do what? And my hand wouldn't open up. It was gripped, and I was kind of... I said, I don't understand. I said, and do this? Really, play pool and compete? She said, yeah, there are other sports, and she began to explain. I said, well, how do I get there? I said, you come from Richmond on a bus and pick up a bunch of us, and then we... Go to where this place is. She said, well, it's in Cleveland, Ohio. You're a novice, so it's free for you the first time. And no, you fly. And I said, with this scooter? I'm going to fly, I mean, on an airplane and take this? And prior to my injury, I flew all the time. I worked in broadcasting and radio. That was part of my job. I flew all the time, so I knew what that was about. But I didn't know how they were going to get this thing, this scooter on it. And she explained, and I thought about it for a minute, and I said, yeah, I want to go. Wow. I want to see this. Over 600 athletes from all over the country, including Great Britain, showed up at these wheelchair games. And the opening ceremony is just like the Olympics. Opening ceremony starts. We go under our state flag. And I'm looking at all these people cheering us on, and we haven't even done anything yet. Then the next day is competition day, and I chose all of the easy things. Table tennis, billiards, bowling, trap shooting, just stuff that I figured I'm going to give it a try. I went back to my room after the first day, ladies, and I cried because I could not believe... how my life was going to change, what was about... I said, this is it? We're about to do this? Little old me getting ready to play sports with these people? I don't know about that. And I did. And after that first year, I... Some of the events I competed in, I did so well that they invited me to attend other events. They had invited me to Tampa to come and play in an international billiards ESP and aired event and go trap shoot in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And then I became more active in the local chapter, which is in Augusta. I became more active there and I heard about more stuff and it just kept growing and growing. But in the process of doing that, I needed to find some good boundaries for myself. Because I would wear myself out and then I couldn't do anything, couldn't fix anything. I was dropping stuff all the time. So I had to pace myself and find out where that edge is so that I would pick events that I could be successful in and then... Be conscious of my energy and preserving my energy and my body and eating properly and doing the things that would nourish my body versus maybe eating a whole bag of popcorn and some chocolate. Other things. I had to develop some discipline over the ice cream. I was vegetarian at the time, and I realized that my body would perform better on a vegan diet. And so I made those adjustments. And I had to say no a lot for some events and things because I wasn't the old 35-year-old me

SPEAKER_00: 20:02

before

SPEAKER_01: 20:04

November 6, 1994. I had to come to grips with that. And I had to settle down and say, I'm going to enjoy every part of this journey, whatever it looks like. And therein, I became an athlete.

SPEAKER_00: 20:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_01: 20:20

To my surprise.

SPEAKER_02: 20:21

Wow. That's a great story. To my surprise. So then when were you introduced to pickleball? So you're doing all these sports, having so much fun. So then how did pickleball come about?

SPEAKER_01: 20:35

I love talking about pickleball. I went down to Augusta, Georgia to the VA. They host a camp every year called Camp SOAR, S-O-A-R. And the camp is designed for those folk who are inpatients. And the rec therapists and OTs and the clinicians there take us to a three-day camp. We go, I've been several times and I go back just to be a mentor to those that are coming for the first time. And there's certain events that are set up. Corn holes, stuff for us to try, scavenger hunts. And we partner with the folk that are brand new. But I went in the gym and I saw the net set up. I was like, okay, we're going to play tennis because I play tennis. Tennis is pretty hard on my body as a quad, but I played anyway, win or lose. And the guy, Dr. J, Jerry Brigham, he said, it's pickleball. I said, what? And we can play inside all the time and we play outside too. And he began to explain. In his instructions, the first thing he said was stay out of the kitchen. So I'm in my sports chair because you play from a sports chair. And I was like, okay, just got to let it bounce. And I started playing. Well, I went to the baseline. I just started waving the ball like I'm playing tennis. He said, it's not tennis. It's pickleball. I said, okay, I'm going to learn this sport. Where do I get a paddle from? So I came home, and being a senior, I looked at the county senior games, and I noticed that they had pickleball, and I'd been playing with them since I was 50 years old. So all the other sports, I was like, I'm putting my name down. I don't know how to keep score. I don't know how to play, but I'm going to play anyway. And I went out, and I won my first silver medal. I said, you know what? This is less asking than tennis. The court is smaller. This is more like chess, not checkers. Okay. So there's a strategy to why you come to the non-volley zone, the kitchen. There's a reason why you just pushing the ball. Oh, I can do this. I know it. I know I can do this. So I looked for some local places to play. And there's a rec center near me. And they were playing on Tuesdays. And I just showed up. And I said, I want to play. And the people there said, well, sure. But the chair, are you going to be OK? And I was like, yeah, I'll be OK. I'm going to hit the ball back over just like you. I continued to go and play there at that rec center with some of the staff and some of the folks who were playing, Mr. Lawrence and Lynn, that would come out and play. And we just had a good time. And they taught me the game in then I heard about a tournament in Myrtle Beach and they had a wheelchair division I signed up for that and played because when you sign up and you don't have a partner you say you need a partner and they help you find a partner and the guy was like well you know how are we going to do this and I said well it's the same we just get two bounces throughout the game I do like in tennis I said and You play your game and I'll follow you. I'll do whatever you do. If you back, I'm going to play up. And we kind of came up with a strategy. We played, lost the first one. It was one game to 11. No, one game to 15. And I was ready to keep playing. I was playing best two out of three or something. They were like, no, no, no, you're done. You're done. You get to play another one, Clay Constellation. And I had so much fun. And I met Jim Loving and some other folk who are tournament directors and And I fell in love with them. And they are my bestest friends. And they know they can pick up the phone and call me anytime. And I'm ready to go out there and play. And then I continued to play at the rec center, indoors, and continued to find other places to practice. And then the pandemic hit. And nobody could play anywhere. After the pandemic, I went back. They called me. They said, the gym is open now. You can come in. I went back and I started playing. Sometimes it was just be me. And the people at the rec center, he would say, oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Twyla, there's nobody here but you. I'm like, oh, I brought my ball machine. I need to practice. It's no problem. We had four or five people who would show up. Some of the other locations, rec centers would say, oh, we'll go over there and play with Twyla. She'll show you how to play. She'll slow the game down. And being a pickleball ambassador, that's what we do. We just volunteer to show people how to play. Now we have over 37 people who come on Mondays, Wednesdays, and we're adding an extra day.

SPEAKER_02: 25:13

Wow. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. I know. Are they all using

SPEAKER_01: 25:22

wheelchairs? No. These are all able-bodied people. And the people that I normally play in tournaments against or with are able-bodied people. I've played some tennis events. I mean, pickleball events. I went to Richmond to play in a Sportable fundraiser. And I've been down to Augusta to play. I've been to Charleston to play. But the bulk of it is able-bodied people and me. Out of over 300, sometimes folks that sign up for events, I'm the only chair. And that's a good thing. Other players who play in chairs are like, you play with them and how are you going to win? Yeah. Because there's really no difference. Two bounces throughout the game when we put our front casters over the line and we can still volley out of the air. Big wheels go in. It's a football. What's the difference? I enjoyed this so much that I don't care who I play with or against because it's the community, the camaraderie. That makes the difference in the fun. And these ladies and guys who come and play over at the Rec Center, it's the laughter for me. And I tell all new players who come, we play for fun over here. If you want to be a little bit more competitive, that's fine. That's fine. We can go somewhere else and do that. Or come with your competitive hard hitting and learn to work on your soft game when you're playing with these seniors. Because we have one lady, she's 86 years old. When she came to me, she was barely getting it over. She's like, I want to learn this and I want to learn that. And I was like, okay, we can show you that. Her serve is amazing now. And she has so much fun. And I love that about the sport. I love what it does to bring people out and get them busy. You don't have to be an athlete to learn to play this sport. You just have to be willing to have fun.

SPEAKER_02: 27:15

Yes. And willing to have fun. I really encourage people that are listening to go into YouTube and put in Twyla Adams and they can see you playing in your chair. It's amazing. It is. It's so fun. It occurs to me, Ms. Twyla, that you are A paradigm shifter. You helped shift the paradigm for the doctors who were feeling like they had the answer and that this is the way it is. And you said, no, I have a different perspective, and I'm going to experience that different perspective in my life. And then you go into pickleball, and people are saying, no, if you're in a chair, you play with people in a chair, and we do it in just a regular this. And you're saying, you know, there's a paradigm shift going on here. I have a different perspective. I just love that you are shifting the world and you are a public motivational speaker now as well, correct?

SPEAKER_01: 28:17

Yes, I've done that since high school.

SPEAKER_02: 28:21

Since high school. Yes. So tell us a little bit about that as well.

SPEAKER_01: 28:26

Well, in high school, one of my teachers said, They had a fashion merchandising class and I needed to take another class. And so I liked photography. And so Miss Dill gave me her camera and said, just take some pictures. Just go take some pictures for me. And I was like, okay. Because I didn't want to do the bridal thing and the dress up stuff. That was the final senior project. And then one day I came into her and she said... I just signed you up for a public speaking contest. I see how the students kind of gravitate to you and you're able to communicate with them. And I said, what do I do? And she gave me the information. There were three topics. You had to go research all three topics and then just show up at this place, this other high school, and be ready to speak. And so I did that. And I'm a speaker from church and, you know, being a Girl Scout and all those other things that you do growing up. And I won. the local, and then she put me down to be in the state. And from that moment on, she cultivated that in me. She said, you started organizations here and people listen to you and they hear what you say because you come from just who I am. I can only be who I am and be authentic. And so I began to read and learn more about public speaking. And then I was a member of an organization who would highlight students and ask them to go to the government center to speak or speak on issues and things that involve students and things that involved adults. And then I was in a peer counseling group where our project theories, where we mentored students Teachers and staff, if there were issues, we would be the mediators. So that also gravitated toward. And then I went to broadcasting school and that helped me understand more about speaking. And my mother growing up, she never allowed us to use words like aunt. Ain't, can't, if it wasn't in the dictionary. If I was bored, she would say, go read the dictionary. And I'm like, if I'm looking up a word, how do I know how to spell it? If I don't know how to spell it, I'm going to go find it. She would just make me go read. So that in itself cultivated that same ability to speak. And I'm not shy. I've never been a shy kid. Even my mom said that. People would always just start talking to me if they saw me and they were surprised that I could hold an adult conversation because she never spoke baby talk to us. She talked to us. She had a conversation with us. So, yeah, that started it. And then as a Reiki practitioner, it continued. And then being a licensed teacher and licensed manicurist, of course, I'm teaching, I'm speaking all the time. And so just staying true to what I know to be Truth for me to share hope with someone else. And then becoming a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, that required a lot of traveling and speaking. And it just continues. It continues. I

SPEAKER_02: 31:35

found a quote. I love this quote that you have. It says, I often say my accident didn't happen to me. It happened for me. Because just think about it. I'm playing pickleball. I'm traveling all over the place talking about having hope. If my accident had not happened, I would not be an athlete. I mean, you're so inspiring. Such a natural motivator. Well, thank you. Just amazing. Yeah, I love that quote. You've actually, go ahead, Cheryl. No, you talk. I was just noticing we're almost out of time and you've already shared so much that are life lessons, but are there certain life lessons that you have actually learned on the court that you've taken into your life or lessons that you've learned in life? My goodness, have you not learned and taught so many lessons that you've taken to the pickleball court?

SPEAKER_01: 32:34

Be in the moment. Stay focused and in the moment. There's a whole lot of outside noise going on. I go in and I'm in the chronic pain and death and all kinds of things have happened. But to just be present in the moment. You know, smell the flowers. That statement. Just stay present in the moment. Pay attention to those around me that are hurting or dealing with something or not having a good day on the court. To recognize that, allow them to know that I recognize that. Community is so important. Yeah. We bring kids in as young as five years old to play with 80-year-olds. Reconnecting and being a part of community. After the pandemic, somebody asked me, why do you think pickleball was so popular? I said, I think... Because we needed something to do after the pandemic and Pickleball allowed us to do that. I know it's been around since the 60s, but it brought people together and you had to be nice. Had to go to the net, touch paddles, had to be willing to play with anyone. So that's what I see that Pickleball has done. Those life lessons that I picked up were the value of community because as a veteran, sometimes PTSD, post-traumatic stress will cause us to isolate a little bit, stay in our own little place. First responders, they people who deal with those kinds of jobs. We kind of do, we will do that occasionally, but pickleball doesn't allow me to do that because they keep calling and the ball keeps popping. So just, just remembering that the importance of connecting with people and being present in the moment. And just for today, those Reiki principles, those five principles, they say, just for today, I will not worry. I will not be angry. I will do my work honestly. I will be kind to every living thing. And I will live with an attitude of gratitude. Those are the things that have been magnified for me through Pickleball.

SPEAKER_02: 34:57

Wow. Wow. Well, Ms. Twyla, I'm kind of in tears right now, so I'm going to have to close the show really quick. Oh, my gosh. It kind of gives me shivers and just very, very, very sweet. My goodness. Shelly, how lucky are we that we get to talk to people like Ms. Twyla Adams? I'm over in tears, too. Grab my tissue. I know. Come on. It's true.

SPEAKER_01: 35:27

It's true. You make me know it's true. Yeah, we do.

UNKNOWN: 35:31

We know it's true.

SPEAKER_02: 35:32

We know it's true. And we are so grateful that you've taken the time out of your very busy life to talk with us. And thank you for shifting the paradigm on so many levels on this planet. We definitely need this shifting of so many things. And you are an amazing ambassador for us and an inspiration.

SPEAKER_01: 35:54

Thank you so much, ladies. Thank you. Give you both big hugs right now. Right back at you. Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02: 36:02

Right back at you. Thank you, thank you. And thank you to everyone. My goodness, I imagine you're all reaching for your tissues. What a wonderful opportunity to meet Ms. Twyla Adams. And as Shelly said, go on YouTube, watch just an amazing human being who is doing wonderful things to help us see a whole new way of living and being and loving. So thank you all, and we do look forward to our conversation next week. Bye-bye, everyone. Just go have fun. That's right. Oh, man. Oh, that was so fun. Before we started, when we were getting the idea to have this podcast, we were thinking about all the life lessons that Pickleball has brought to us, and we kind of brought it down to... everything fit into like three main topics and you highlighted all of them today. It was joy, empowerment and community. Yeah. And you really like highlighted all of those today. It was so awesome.

SPEAKER_01: 37:06

Yeah. I appreciate you sending me that list to look at. Cause I was like, Oh, all of this, everything is here. How do I say all of this stuff and how it impacted my life and how important it's been to be a part of this pickleball community. You know, it's, How do I say that? And then I was like, don't say it. Just listen to you guys and just talk with you and we'll see what comes out after that. That was

SPEAKER_02: 37:32

important. That was amazing. Thank you. God was certainly present in this conversation. I definitely feel that spirit.

SPEAKER_01: 37:40

Yeah, that's where it comes from. I mean, really, you've got to believe in something. You know, I was telling someone the other day, one of the counselors I was speaking with, and I told her, she's a Christian, and I told her, she said, well, how do you figure out all this stuff in the Bible? I said, you don't have to believe it. It's a system. Everything is a system. If you use those guidelines in there, the ones that say be good, be kind, those Ten Commandments, don't kill, stop bike-biting, stop gossiping, stop doing things to your neighbor, take care of yourself first so that you can give, all of that is in there. If you work that system, that system will work. It's not this denomination. I believe it's whatever it is. If you practice that system of things... Life can be more peaceful. I like what Deepak Chopra says, and let's paraphrase. When I let go of the need to arrange my life, the universe brings abundance to me. When I let go, it's hard because we've been told we got to fix it, especially as women. We got to do this, we got to do that. All we have to do is breathe in, breathe out, and be present in the moment. Yes. That's really. Everything else, the noise, the chatter, it will quiet down and I have more peace and more vision now. To look forward, you know, I mean, there's a lot going on in your lives. There's a lot going on in my life. Death, all kinds of things are happening. But it's how I respond to it and prepare myself to be present in the moment that will make the difference, not what somebody said to me. Not how they treated me, not the words that came out of their mouth with negativity, because I can reverse that with something positive and just send them light and love. Because it may be something going on with them that I don't even have any idea. I couldn't even fathom what they may be going through, but I can be present in the moment and offer them light and love in their moment. And I think that works for me. I think it's a simple thing, really.

SPEAKER_02: 39:45

Right? Right. Yep. That's right. Let love be the guide. Yep. Impact. Yeah. Yeah. Aww.

UNKNOWN: 39:55

Aww.

SPEAKER_02: 39:56

Thank you. I can't

SPEAKER_01: 39:58

wait to meet y'all in person, man. I want to come. I know,

SPEAKER_02: 40:01

me too. Yeah. Me too. Are you ever coming to the Pacific Northwest? I don't know. We're in Wash, Seattle

SPEAKER_01: 40:07

area. Oh, I would love to. That's on my list of things to do. To come out there

SPEAKER_02: 40:13

and play. We'll be playing some pickleball with you. You have our contact information. You have our contact information. So you be sure to contact us because we would love to meet you in person too. I will. If you love our podcast, we'd be so grateful if you'd take a few seconds to follow or subscribe to Life Lessons from Pickleball. This ensures you'll never miss an episode and helps us continue these wonderful conversations. On Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen, go to the show page and tap the follow button in the top right corner. And on YouTube, click the subscribe button under any of the episodes. Thanks so much. Hope to see you on the court.

UNKNOWN: 40:53

you