Is It Just Me? - TALKBACK TINGZ: The soft side of John Laws 📻

Episode Date: December 13, 2020

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I put the radio on. Talk Back Tings is where I bring you bits of gold that we find on Talk Back Radio. It's a world of its own that our listeners are really missing out on some good stuff. Oh, it really is. And we've found some gems. I mean, we even opened up a can of worms, the Lady Gaga conspiracy. Did she call the throttline? That's right.

That was the most recent one. I figured out that if you search Talk Back Tings on the podcast app, it just brings up all the ones we've done, so it's easy to find them. So we've played John Laws a few times on Talk Back Tings and I've really only ever showed you what a cranky bastard he can be. Yeah, a lot of yelling. A lot of frustration from listeners. And also I just love his insults because you know how I just think

he's so eloquent. Yeah. Like a weird part of me just really wants to be insulted by John Laws because he's so good at them. Yeah, it's kind of turn on too. K for kill! Anyway, this week I'm showing you a different side to John Laws. In fact,

my sister messaged me the other day. She was back at mum and dad's place, driving the tractor, listening to the radio and she goes, I'm in tears when she heard this piece of audio that I'm going to play later. Made her cry and when I eventually tracked down the audio, I've got to tell you, I did cry too. You did?

I did. Oh, she's a feel good. Prepare yourself. Talk about teens. All right. So today I want to introduce you to one of John's regular callers, Dale. Yeah. Now, Dale is in his 60s and he's living with an intellectual disability.

Yeah. And he's been calling through to John every week for over 25 years. That's how old I am. That's my whole life. That's older than me. But everyone loves Dale, right? Like all of John's listeners, they're familiar with him. Yeah.

And he just completely uplifts the mood of the show. And that happens with radio shows. I've got usual callers that call my show every night and I love to hear from them. Yeah, same deal. And everyone starts becoming familiar with him. He's like a piece of furniture on the show. And he and John have formed this really beautiful friendship. You can tell that John really, really cares for Dale

after all these years. Every Friday they check in with each other. Yes, they do. So Dale works with one of those disability support services, you know, the ones that have activities and programs set up to support adults with intellectual disability so they can work and have some independence and dignity. Well, last Friday, Dale called through, like he always does, with a bit of good news.

Now, take a listen to how instantly John's mood changes. Okay, here we go. I suggest that Victoria's Mr Pakula keep his mouth shut. Tell me what is on, who do I have here? Dale. I've got Dale. Good morning, Dale. I won an award, John. You won

an award? Yeah, for working. Wow. You won an award. Isn't that wonderful? I have. My first time. What was the award for? For working. You won an award for working. You must have been working very hard.

Busy. Busy, busy, busy. And you won an award for being a good worker. Yes. Isn't that wonderful? And now the Christmas party's coming up next on the 17th. 17th, is it? Of December.

Yes, 17th of December. I hope December. Yes. Okay, so you go, well, you've got a lot happening. You've won an award and you've got your Christmas party coming up. Yes. Now tell me this. What have you been doing? Have you been going to bed and sleeping?

Mid-octo-night, yes. In the middle of the night, but you haven't been walking around? No, but listening to my music. When I go to sleep, I listen to good music. Okay, so you listen to the music and the music helps put you to sleep? Yes. Well, that's good. There's nothing wrong with that.

No. Nothing wrong with that at all. So you're not walking around in the middle of the night? No. I bought my sister a present for Christmas. Yeah, what did you buy her? I bought her a nightie. A nightie?

What a lovely present. It was a lovely present. What a lovely... Aren't you a good brother? You are a good brother. Yeah, you are a good brother. You are a good brother. Yeah, you are a good brother. You're a good man. Yes. Good man, a very generous man.

Yes, John's right. Yeah, John is right, you bet. Are you going to sing a song for me? Yeah, I'm going to sing. What are you going to sing? I sing, Rudolph the Rantner's reed deer, have a very shiny day, I sing. Then and the late poor Rudolph Joined in the rainy day Then I saw the Christmas tree

Santa Claus was there Rudolph, will you know so well What you'll show my state tonight And now that I've been loved And I've found a sweet tree Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer used another hip to ring. Very good. The last note was terrific.

Very good. Very good, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's a classic old Christmas song. You sang that very well. That was very good. Very good. Very good. All right, mate.

Well, I'd better go and earn a dollar or something. I saw Mama kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe that night. He didn't see me tree. I'm a-tending, tending tree. I thought that I got something from my paper-poster tree. And I grabbed's a Santa Claus under his

mission tollyway Wow. Wow, that was a pretty couple of high notes in there. Yeah, very good. Very good. Santa Claus is still around? I say hello to Santa.

Yeah, he's listening. He listens Friday mornings. You I say hello to Santa. Yeah, he's listening. Yeah, it's Friday morning. He listens Friday mornings, yeah. You can say hello to Santa. Santa, excuse me, Santa, I want lots of presents for Christmas Day. I want lots of music. You want lots of music.

Dale, I don't know. You mustn't be greedy, mate. You can't say I want lots. Just say I'd love some presents on Christmas Day. I'd love some presents for Christmas Day. Yeah, that's a very nice way to do it. You don't want to be greedy, do you? No, no.

Don't want to be greedy at all. All right, my mate, I've got to go now. You've got to go now? Yep, got to go. Got to strike a blow. Got to make a dollar or 50 cents at least, do my best. Santa, I hope you have a Merry Christmas. I went out, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Who are you talking to, Santa? Yeah. Santa's listening. Yes, listening. Yeah, he listens. So you tell, just don't say I want a lot of presents. Just say I hope you remember me on Christmas Day, Santa. I hope you remember me on Christmas Day, Santa.

That's the boy. That's a nice way to put it. And I'm sure that Santa will remember you. He will remember you. He will. Don't you worry about it. That's right. All right, mate.

Well, I better go. Strike a blow. Earn a dollar. Do something. That's right. All right, mate. Well, I better go. Strike a blow. Earn a dollar. Do something. Yes, okay. We'll talk to each other next week. I'll talk to you next week. Okay.

Bye. Bye, John. Bye, John. Bye, Dale. Talk to you next week. Talk to you next week. I'm the number one Dale supporter in the world. I will be on his fan club until the day I die.

He's so sweet. He's so sweet. He's so sweet. And that's your first time hearing him, right? And I've never heard him before. I want to hear more of him. Well, I have got some more. It's funny that you've connected with him so instantly because I can't even remember when I first heard Dale,

but I remember it was always a case of my dad being like, everyone, shh, Dale's on. And we'd be like, oh, Dale's back. Oh, cute. Like he's been calling in every Friday, usually around 11. And his life story has pretty much unfolded on the John Laws show. So he used to live with his mum. I believe she was his full-time carer for a long time.

So he was always telling stories about his mum. And John was always, you know, how's mum Dale? And oh, good, John. And then one week it was, oh, you know, mum's sick, John. Oh, no. And then, you know, after some time went? And, oh, good, John. And then one week it was, oh, you know, mum's sick, John. Oh, no. And then, you know, after some time went on and Dale called through with the unfortunate news that his mum had passed away. No.

So I want to point out as well that just this year John Laws lost his wife. Yeah, I remember that. But it's been a few years since Dale lost his mum. And you heard in that first audio I played you, right, that John was asking if Dale's been getting enough sleep. Yeah. Asking if he's been walking around. Yeah.

Well, there's a reason for that. Now, this is the sad part. Oh, no. Take a listen. 1-300-564-652, our telephone number, if you'd like to give us a call. Oh, I think I might have found Dale. Dale? Good morning, Dale. I had a phone last night. Oh, you think I might have found Dale. Dale? Good morning, Dale.

I had a fall last night. Oh, you didn't. Did you have a nasty fall or just a little fall? A bad fall. A bad fall. What happened? Dale had his head on his... on my head. What happened?

What did you hit your head on? On the... on the... The coat hanger. The coat hanger on my head. Oh, the coat hanger. Yeah. That's no good, but you okay? I'm fine. Yeah, so long as you're fine, because, you know, I worry about you. I want you to be fine. Yeah, I'm fine now.

Now, what have you been up to? Tell me, what have you been up to? Have you been going to sleep, apart from hitting yourself on the head? Have you been going to sleep? Not yet. Oh, mate. Not yet. I know you're walking around and you're looking for Mum. Still walking around, looking for Mum.

Oh, mate. Oh, no. Mate, you're not going looking for Mum. Oh, mate. Oh, no. Mate, you're not going to find Mum. I'm never going to find Mum. No, you're not. One day you will. Not yet. You can't find her.

No, not yet. So you've got to be patient. You might see her one day. Don't worry. One day you'll be back with mum, I promise you. Yeah. Okay, so you just think about that. She's waiting for you, she's watching you.

Don't you think she's not got an eye on you, because she has. She's looking down and making sure that her Dale is good and healthy and happy. She wants you to be happy, mate. Yeah, she wants you to be very, very happy. She wants you to be happy, mate. Yeah, I want you to be very, very happy. She wants you to be very, very happy. So you must try and be happy. And the way to be happy is to think about the lovely memories you had of Mum and the good fun you had together with Mum

and the love you share still with Mum because she still loves you even though she's up there. She still loves you. She still loves you up there. You bet she loves you and you love her. up there, she still loves you. She still loves you up there, he's asked. You bet she loves you, and you love her. I do. I know you do. I know you do.

So everything's pretty good, really, when you stop and have a close look at it. You know, things are pretty good, aren't they? Yeah. Oh, bless John. Yeah, that was the one that got me when I heard it the first time. You can hear in his voice that he has to sort of stop and check and then move on. He's such a good friend to him.

Many radio announcers just move on and wouldn't give Dale the time of day. I know. I love seeing that side of John because we are used to the ruthless, you know. Like we'll have very little patience for callers. Yes. But, yeah, he and Dale have had this really beautiful relationship over the years. And then, I mean, John has also very recently lost his wife.

Yeah, that's what I mean. So I think he would be a good person to tell Dale about, you know, grief. He could relate. Yeah. That's so beautiful. Sorry to end on a bit of a downer. Yeah, thanks a lot, Mitchell. Jesus Christ. Next week we'll be back ridiculing people, though, so know, grief. He could relate. Yeah. That's so beautiful. Sorry to end on a bit of a downer. Yeah, thanks a lot, Mitchell. Jesus Christ.

Next week we'll be back ridiculing people, though. So it's fine. Back to what we do best. And I know I was going to do this next week, but I thought it's our last show. It's meant to be, you know, a bit of fun. Oh, yeah, yeah. We can be silly in the last show.

It's just good to get it out of the system. But I know that, you know, Christmas can be a trickier time for some people. Yes. Because it reminds them of people that aren't there anymore. So, yeah, you know. It can. But John had a great point, you know.

You just remember them. They are still there. They're always there. You're listening to Is It Just Me? A podcast by a couple of Mitchens.