A Conversation With A Walking Living Miracle

What you are about to hear is simply amazing. 99% death versus 1% life. Those were the odds that Ethan Poetic, who has been dubbed a Walking Living Miracle, beat. Jump down the rabbit hole and tap in as we discuss his testimony, pushing pain into purpose, and how to overcome adversity when the cards of life have been stacked against you.

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SPEAKER_00 0:24

Hello, kings and queens. Welcome to yet another episode of Mambarana Filter. I am excited about this episode. It's new for me. Well, everything is new to me. I'm new. In this episode, I get to speak with a walking living miracle. Literally, Ethan Poetic survived a near fatal car accident and was given only a 1% chance to live. So sit back, relax, spark one up, and jump down this rabbit hole with me as we discuss pushing pain and purpose. Let's get to it. I just want to say hello and welcome to my baran Unfiltered. I just want to say thank you for reaching out to me, Ethan, and inquiring about being featured on the podcast simply because you are the first person who has reached out to me in a professional way, inquiring about the platform and if you can be featured on it. So definitely I appreciate you for that. Once again, I present a pain journey and how mental chains of bondage can keep us stuck in unhealthy mindsets. Tell me your interest in this platform and how it aligns with your own.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Well, how it aligns is I was uh I grew up in poverty. I have a strange relationship with my dad growing up, and there were so many things that were like unanswered questions and conversations that were not being had with me and my siblings. It wasn't until I got older in life where certain people started giving me pieces of the puzzle and allowing me to understand this is what's really going on. And I talked about in my book where I found out my parents never actually got along with each other. They were actually just co-parenting. And that became an eye-opener for me as I was in sixth grade at that time. And once I realized that, that became like a moment of truth where I found out in the worst way that two people didn't want to co-parent for my best interest or had differences that were unresolved between them. But yet they're trying to tell me how to be in school. Yet they're not even leading by example their own selves.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Right. You are a grown man now, and like you said, you came to some realizations when um you were in the sixth grade as a child. And I often think about my young girls and how they view the world through the lens of a child, not understanding dynamics, not understanding the mind, how all those things come into play. Now that you are a grown man looking back on yourself then, what do you think about those dynamics now that you can understand them and see them from an adult perspective? How they come into play and how important they come into play when raising children.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

It's best to have two parents that are wrong to resolve their differences, whether it's through therapy, counseling, and have an honest conversation with their children. Like, hey, uh, you know, one example could be parents could be together but then break up for some reason. And that's a family dynamic, or to get a situation where a woman's having a child with a man that's already married, or having a child with a man that he's already with somebody else, or having a child from a situation that could have been one night spin or a common that's just ripped. So ultimately a woman has a choice on whether to have this baby or not. And there's contraception that could be used like plan A, plan B, or other alternative to which that that's something I don't agree with, but at the same time, that's out of my control as far as the word abortion being used. Um, the other thing I realize is that you can't there's only so long keeping sweep under the rug before it comes out on the side of the rug. Eventually you gotta look at the rug and realize it must have needs to be cleaned up.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Right, right. A lot of things in families, especially in melanated families, we have a tendency to not face things. We sweep them under the rug. We say, hey, that's just the way we are, that's just how we do things. I look at that as generational curses right there, especially when it becomes the quote unquote status quo. This is normal behavior for black families. But um, like you said, eventually that rug is gonna have to come up and it's gonna be all kind of ugly and nastiness and toxic stuff that everybody's living and breathing, but not paying attention to talk about being raised by a single mother and uh not having a parent all-parently together for the betterment of the child that they created. How is that playing a part now going forward? Now that you're gonna think as an adult, move as an adult, and you see things from different lenses looking back. Tell me what motivating factors did that household, that single parent household, the lack of the father, and you mentioned your siblings that you have four, or is it three other siblings? Are you able to do the in-reach now to your family? Where are they at? What are they doing? What is your relationship status now as a support system?

SPEAKER_03 5:27

Well, let's start from beginning with single parent household. Um, my mom was once a single parent of four, uh, four boys by three different men. And growing up in that situation, it seemed normal, but it wasn't normal. And I got more insight in that situation listening to Kevin Samuels, where here's a woman with four kids, a man young fella can in, but I can't say her or court her because you gotta give more of yourself to the children and play a role that the other father's not playing a role of. But here's a woman that is single, younger, no children, and you can turn potential families in. And that's the dynamic that's not being taught for women to understand that having multiple partners and having multiple kids has consequences, and it appreciates a person's day value as a whole, and then the fact that you have uh the results to get money out of somebody financially, the truth of what shows that it was like a trust and respect for each other. As far as support goes for me, the guidance was playing video games, uh partners who were coaches, who were originally teachers first, and then it's also the fact I want to get the grades because I want it better for the job on an individual level, but I can't take it right with me because when it comes to you goes with you because it's like it's cool. I learned recently from Matthew Johnson. The same time it takes a million dollar deal, same time it takes to make a hundred million dollar deal. You have to decide what's the value of your time, a one million dollar deal or a hundred million dollar deal. As related to mental health and wellness, you have to realize what do you want to deal with? Do you want to put more time into your mental health or suppress your mental illness, and it becomes harder to get out, it becomes so normal to it that the brain is functioning like that. Well, the people who is, you know, living in that bondage, they end up hurting the people that's closest to them. And as a result, a person has to decide whether they want better for worse. And the biggest thing I realize is that a person can't just tell you they want to do better, they gotta show you they want to do better. They gotta want it bad enough.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

You're right. I think you said something really key there is that the mentors, the mentors that you have, I must say that you are blessed in your resilience in your mind at such a young age because a lot of people, especially our younger people, do not have the mental fortitude to feed that far thinking. Um, not because they can't, it's just because of environmental factors. And we we forget that the brain is not fully developed for a lot of our young people until the lower to mid-20s. So they're still operating from a child's point of view. I haven't really had a in your life, uh findings even if the father is accepted other people that you're communicating at the school at the role model, uncles uh that are living a model life in order to teach a young boy how to be a man and how to want more. Because that's one thing a mother cannot do is taught you how to be a man, she can teach you how to treat a woman, but she cannot teach you how to be a man. So I think that's definitely important, that mentorship role. And after you emailed me, I did do some research on your backstory and you know, had learned several things about you and the adversity that you've been facing in your own life. You are labeled as a walking miracle. And in your own words, you tell me what that means to Ethan Poetic, to be a walking miracle.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

Start with a phrase I learned. It's basically a person who overcame something that requires the supernatural of God or hard calling to overcome something that's so that seems so impossible that became possible. And for my situation, it involved a near-death experience. We're at a 99% chance of death versus 1% chance of life. And it involved my driver hitting a 18-wheeler over 30 appearance, yeah. And when he ran into that 18 wheeler, he passed away instantly. My aunt had injuries, I lost a cousin, my other cousin, the injuries have buddy witnessed it. For me, I was a mathematical clean. Can you imagine the customer on the scene? Can you imagine the fire department using the child light to cut the car in hand? Can you imagine if it's being bad up or fire? Can you imagine the ambulance? Taking my post minus any blood flow or the post. Can you imagine the ambulance when you go from highlighted to Lacer City? Which is about 40 miles away. It's high risk. And basically when the surgery was doing a woman had it away on the table and she created it in her shift. That's what I was told. It was in somebody it was in the high car. And then you know, either make it or don't make it. Can you imagine the visiting room packed the capacity of people waiting in the waiting not only inside the visiting room but outside in the hallway?

unknown 10:46

Right. That I can.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

I'm on people's prayers list around different parts of the United States. And then one day I wake up in a cloud, United State, and when a woman found out, she saw me and she cried tears of joy. And that's when I declared was declared a walking on the Wow.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

Wow. I'm working on my seventh surgery, Ethan, coming up July 24th. I have my own history with pain, with opioids, with medications, with some of everything, depression, and waking up after being put to sleep. And from what I learned, you were put in an induced coma to protect you and help you feel. I do not know how long you were in that induced coma for, but I know how disorienting it is to wake up and not know what's going on because in your mind it's just like a flat time. It's just like a big black hole. There's just nothing there. One minute your eyes is open on one thing and it's a minute to open on another. And it's it's a weird feeling that's something the vulnerability of knowing that anything can happen at any given time. I may not wake up, but coming out of that state that came out of that pain, that pain issue. I can imagine being for you and yet the injuries that you suffered and the severity of them, that you were on some high grade pain medication. What was life like in your mind, you know, waking up for the first time and seeing whatever you saw, people around you in the days after that coming to awareness, so to speak?

SPEAKER_03 12:27

I was uh when I woke up, I was just wondering why I'm in the IC unit. I got tears in my chest, IVs in my veins, nobody was telling me anything. And two or three days later, they probably told me what's going on. At first I thought it was just me, then it turns out there's other people involved. I was in the hospital for a month, I was in the rehab for a month, and then I was in a VQ for several months, and I couldn't eat or drink or anything, I would suffer consequences of pneumonia. And then eventually, you know, there was a detox process of getting less and less medicine. If I shake your hand with a nerve engine, because it's the block, it's not someone cope with the blocking the nerve engine. Some people do they depend so much on the medicine, and it becomes a problem where they forget how to cope with light or use it a couple of mechanisms. And for me, I didn't have to go through any of that because I guess basically things want to eventually I'm walking back on my feet, I'm walking again. This is more embracing happens as many of my books. Um inspirational story even they call it Chronicles of Adversity, education, or relationships, and resiliency. It's available as a hardcover, soft cover, ebook, that's on Amazon, Target, Kobo, Barza Noble. That's more print on demand. And my website is eathenspeaks.com for people to buy the book directly from me, and I'm out. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

That's wonderful. I'm just imagining everything that you're telling me because I know, of course, it's not so it's not so simple how it sounds now in this conversation, the adversity that comes with that, because I know what I've been through not being able to walk, the self-imposed isolation, which I remember reading an article about that said that you know, there were 19 months there that you had limited contact with people. And I wanted to know if that was self-imposed or was there just a lack of support because you mentioned everybody that was there praying for you, but then there was a period of time when there was nobody there. And like I said, the mental fortitude to not only, you know, deal with the aim, to talk about pain, just to deal with the to deal with the not only were you in a you were on a phone tool, but you had to learn how to talk and how to lock it up. I can't imagine being locked in my head aware of everything and everyone going on around me and not being able to get my brain to do the things that I needed to do to make those and to get my muscles working and to get the whole gas figured out to be able to uh twelve care of my grandfather who knows I I hated the idea of having cooking dinner with him in my own. Celebrate with food with morning with food. Food is and with love is definitely a great way uh to bring people together and to break bread and celebrate with. Oh, I know, reading your book that there's so much more for the in-between of what was going on with your mentality, what to do to L yourself, affirmations, or you know, because it's not so much just to say, hey, this is the direction I need to go and I want to go there. This is what I gotta do. It takes so much work just to have the energy to want to do, you know, and I can't imagine how you were feeling. And but definitely that support system during that time, how that played a part in your own mental health, how you overcame those barriers.

SPEAKER_03 16:45

Well, I start from the getting. I already overcame the barrier of poverty and growing up in a single parent household by graduating from high school. So I wasn't a statistic of dropping out or going to jail or being a teen parent. And then I remember two things I learned uh after my recovery was well, one grandmother who saw me, held me in her arms, told me I was born with greatness because she she had 11 children, totally grandchildren, some great grandchildren, and she knew I was destined for greatness. They saw something in me before I saw it in myself. And it also goes back to having the strong will of wanting to do better. It has to do with you have to want to separate yourself from those who are a victim versus those who want to become a victim.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Right.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

Definitely, definitely. And I remember in the movie, the Antoine Fisher movie where the guy told his abusers, You try to break me, but I'm still standing.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Right. And here you are, still standing.

SPEAKER_03 17:41

And yeah. So moving forward, I wanted certain things in my life because I looked at how the honors were living when I was a teenager, and and then I just realized these people are making a lot of money and they don't even have a D D.

unknown 17:54

Right.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

So moving forward, I was once I was able to make a recovery, I was able to uh work towards get my driver's license, go to college, and make you know the most of myself. My stepmom, which I mentioned in the book, she had called me and said she wanted to meet me for lunch. And I mean Perkins in the middle of eating, she tells me my dad's not gonna help me get my life back together. That's when I lost my appetite. I was ready to leave, and I did a lot of discouragement to stop me from doing what I need to do. So one day I started my license. I got a 95-4 tourist car, helped some people get their driver's license. Eventually I went to care of a car was trying to get so it's time for me to do something new. There was a woman who helped me get a ride to Apple Honda of Joe New York. And she was wondering what kind of car I'm getting. I said, I'm getting that car. She told me that car isn't a shower. I said, Well, that's it. I'm gonna test drive it. And then the guy test drives it. I said, I want it. I drove back to the dealership and said, I'm gonna get the paperwork started. So what ended up happening next was I gave, you know, certain people arrived around the block in a brand new car. And then I drove back to the coastal, got my picture taken in front of his uh son and said, Well, in the coastal. And when I go back to my car, my dad's the red light watching me. He said certain whatever he said. I don't remember what he said, but I guess he realized he must sound the best thing ever happened to him. And that's created a positive memory because he can't take any credit for what I've overcome. He can't take any credit for me having this brand new car without him. Therefore, I can show people that people who want to give you words of discouragement turn to encouragement, and now they get to eat their own words for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

Exactly. Exactly. That's definitely how you turn pain into purpose. Pain of childhood, the broken children that still lives inside of a lot of adults from just unhealed pain and trauma and and just hurt from the people that is supposed to love us. You know, uh who knows what went through your your father's mind saying a son, and that's different. You have a son as a father, I would think that means something to have a legacy because that's the only way to contain your name is through your son. And here you are, you have a son who is out here growing amongst the the broken concrete, like a weed, you know, still under the the ugliest of conditions, still rising and blooming. And it's unfortunate that he did not, you know, have a hand in that. Where does that take you moving forward? Have you been able to establish a relationship with your father in this stage of your life? Or is that just something you're not interested in?

SPEAKER_03 20:33

I'll just say one of several things happened. Um, let's look at boxing, for example. A boxer has people in their corner.

unknown 20:40

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

The trainer, the person does the eye work, check out their paws, give them water, have to sweat off their eyes. In this situation, it became where in a game of life, you gotta keep battling. Right. And it's moving forward, he gave up. And then he threw in the white towel, but I didn't know he did that until many, many years later when I realized the writing on the wall. And then in the situation where I gave my testimony at the church at the pastor's request. And my dad was in there for the testimony, even though he was the person that served as the trustee. One guy said, Why don't I ask the pastor to mediate a conversation between me and him? I I wasn't sure about it, but he kept encouraging me to do it. So I'd ask the pastor to mediate a conversation between me and him. I said, I'll be looking forward to do that. And the pastor calls me back on two occasions and tells me, My dad don't want to do it. You gotta go on with your life.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

I mean, what can you do? You put the ball in his court. You did more than enough because, and that's a thought process I understand that can be toxic, is that you shouldn't telling yourself this is something I should not have to do because I was not the person that caused this risk. You know, this should be a conclusion that the person, the other person, the person you have a grievance with or that created the risk or and do themselves. But you went the extra mile and even left the door open for your father to mediate and have a conversation so that you guys can build and grow. And I can't say anything because we don't know his thought process. But you know, if he's involved in the church and he's not even willing to at his pastor's request do a mediation, it sounds like, you know, he has a lot of healing left in him, a lot of guilt, a lot of shame. And he probably can't look in your eyes. Cause I'm sure he knows you, he knows your story, he knows your history, probably knows everything about you, and probably tells people from time to time, hey, yeah, this is my son right here, you know, might be taking claim to things he don't have a right to take claim to, and telling people that you're even his son because that's an action word in itself. That would have to make you a daddy, that would have to make you a father. But when you hadn't been a father in the sense of the word, I can't see nothing but guilt and shame there that's keeping that conversation from growing. But you're right, you tried. You actually went above and beyond, put the ball in his court, gave him space and opportunity to let him know that you're open to develop a relationship because there's ages and stages to life. It's not just childhood at your 20s, at your 30s, your forties, your fifties, you're getting old, and you left the door open for this stage in your life, and he's not willing to take it. What more can you do but move on with your life? Put him in prayer and bury that because there's nothing that you can do. And I'm proud of you for that because a lot of people use the history as an excuse not to move forward. They play the victim. My childhood, I didn't have parents, you know, I didn't have access to this, my environment. I grew up in the hood, we grew up in the projects, and you know, as if this is a reason enough not to grow. But you're showing people every day that a flower can bloom in a concrete jungle. And with adversity, with the right mental fortitude, the right mindset, the right people around you to help you and support you, that's vital in your growth and development as a young person, as a young man, and moving forward. So that tells me everything I need to know in terms of how you operate and deal with failure. What can you tell people who are going through similar situations, especially our youth? What can you tell them that you feel might help motivate them to stay the course and to want more for themselves?

SPEAKER_03 24:20

They have to want it bad enough to ask for help and be coachable on how to change their mindset and heal themselves once in. Whereas through mentorship, counseling, therapy, listen to TD Jake, listen to Eric Thomas, listen to Les Miles, listen to anybody on YouTube that has something motivational and encouraging because eventually you're gonna become the adult and you have to be willing to rise above things because you're not willing to rise above things. What makes you think you're gonna break the cycle? And it doesn't stop why you just become an adult, having a job, having work, because your mental health is important and you have a purpose in life, and you can't allow yourself to be blinded by adversity and hardships.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

That's wonderful. That's definitely a message that needs to be sent, needs to be heard, especially uh for our young ones. Hopefully, people can go and actually see you. Are you doing any uh motivational speaking, any live appearances? Or yes, I am.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

I speak at colleges, high schools, private schools, personally speaking at business events, coming in. How many goes to the person who goes on my website?

SPEAKER_01 26:32

It's just so many.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Yeah, I mean, all I could say is bring them up in my bedroom, then I gotta put 'em in the living room, then I gotta put them in the hallways, a better point in the kitchen.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Right. Put them where you can see them, you know. It's a visual representation of your growth and development and that you're doing something with purpose. It sounds like 'cause you're sitting at what? How old are you now, Mr. Ethan? I'm 36, but with no kids. 36. 36, single, no children, and what does next year, the next five years, what's the goal for Ethan Poetic? Where do you see yourself moving forward?

SPEAKER_03 27:10

I want to do a keynote speaking, a life coaching, more full-time, continue to make an impact with the youth, continue to be myself with my purpose. I know eventually, whether it's finding the right woman, having kids, my passport is clean, my background record is flawless, and I'm serious.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

And that's awesome. I mean, because it's like a rebirth in a sense. You've been birthed twice, and you still are coming back, going to the lot to be able to get what you want, being able to walk, something that you weren't physically able to do at one point, and doing so proudly, making sure your walk matches your talk. And I think that's important because it's not enough to motivate people through your words. You actually have to be living what you're talking. And you know, that's definitely how you build integrity. I am so proud of you. We haven't had a chance to meet in the physical or even visually. But I read the articles you had printed up and what was available that you sent me. And all I can say is that for one, so young that I can't imagine your evolution going forward if you continue on the path that you're going, the level of man that you're going to be even next year, or a couple of years later down the line, because we are supposed to be elevating daily and growing daily. So if this is your mindset right now, then you're definitely prepared for anything. I mean, you beat a 1% odd. What more can you not? You know what I'm saying? Be prepared, you know, to handle.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

Facebook is Ethan Poetic. My YouTube is Ethan Poetic. My Twitter is Ethan V23. And of course, my website is Ethan Victor, speaking engagement, life coaching, for you, and what it's called business. But I'd like to thank you very much, everyone, for listening. Continue to listen to independent podcasters. They have a voice, they have a platform, and they will allow you to be a person who can narrate their own stories.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

I thank you. Thank you so much, Ethan. And you know, you I want definitely want to be able to get you back and see what you're doing new anytime that you want to come back. I'd be happy to chop it up with you again. I appreciate you so much for coming on my platform being willing to talk to Mom Baron Unfiltered because I do do things in a different way. But although I feel necessary, I definitely want to highlight anybody that's overcoming adversity in their life and that's showing other people a way out of you know their own private hills. And you come back anytime that you want to. I appreciate you. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 30:03

Yes, thank you, thank you very much. And last but not the least, my focus called the inspirational story of Ethan A. Poetic, Chronicles of Adversity, Education, Ford, Relationships, and Resiliency. Thank you very much, everybody.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

Well, kings and queens, here we are on the other side. I want to once again thank Ethan Poetic for reaching out to me for this feature. His testimony is beyond amazing. When we hear 99% versus 1% ads, we typically know what we are going to bet on or against. The world betted against Ethan and lost when he betted on himself. Can you imagine a sudden shift in your quality of life? Not being able to talk, walk, or eat? Can you imagine the mental and emotional turmoil to follow? Ethan Poetic is a living, breathing miracle, and his testimony serves as a reminder that even when the odds are stacked against you with the right mindset, iron will, and determination, you can and will overcome adversity. Ethan had choices, and he chose to live. He is now a self-published author, two-time college graduate, and a keynote speaker. To learn more about his testimony and his mission, be sure to follow him on social media and purchase his autobiography. Links for him are provided below. I appreciate all of you so much for tapping into the podcast for this special conversation. If you would please be so kind to subscribe to my Baran Filters on all of your favorite digital platforms and follow me on social media. Once again, all those links are provided below. Your review and feedback of this podcast is vital, so do not hesitate to provide it. Help me continue on this journey of healing. I appreciate you. Until next time, kings and queens, be good, be safe, stay healthy, and don't forget to drink your water. Water is life. Peace.