Blending with the French's
"Blending with the French's" delves into the joys and challenges of merging two families, guided by the experiences of a couple with seven boys and one girl. Join us as we explore bonus-parenting, sibling dynamics, and the art of blending eight unique lives into one harmonious household.
Blending with the French's
Blending Life's Storm: From TikTok Fame to Family Dynamics with Rory the Storm
Rory the Storm, a vibrant and well-loved personality on TikTok, joins us to explore the dynamic world of blended families and social media fame. From his karate days earning him the moniker "the Storm" to his creative ventures like Band of Brothers and the Sock King on Instagram, Rory has a captivating story to tell. As my brother, our discussion extends beyond social media, diving into the personal realm of family ties and shared experiences. His insights into navigating family dynamics, especially within the context of a blended family, paint a rich, engaging picture of resilience and growth.
We also touch on the deeper aspects of sibling relationships that come with blending families. Sharing personal anecdotes about meeting siblings for the first time and adjusting to new family members, we explore the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies such life changes. Rory's tale of transitioning from an only child to part of a larger family highlights both the challenges and joys of family life. The conversation reveals how discipline and love helped in building strong relationships and acceptance among siblings, giving a glimpse into the heart of what makes a family bond unique.
Finally, the episode shines a light on the principles that form the bedrock of a harmonious family life—discipline, love, and mutual respect. Rory offers a personal take on how love is the cornerstone that can weather the storm of familial challenges. With stories of rebellion, adaptation, and ultimate acceptance, listeners will find inspiration in Rory's journey, especially as he looks to return for part two, promising more reflections on growing up in a blended family. Join us on this heartfelt exploration of family, identity, and the enduring power of love.
Hey everybody, it's me, lynette, and we are blending with the Frenchies.
Irin:We have an amazing show today. We've got a guest on the podcast.
Lanette:Who's our guest?
Irin:The big homie Rory the Storm.
Lanette:Rory the Storm.
Rory The Storm:Good evening everybody. How y'all doing tonight?
Lanette:Yes, yes, for those who do not know if you are not following Rory the Storm on TikTok and all forms of social media, you need to stop what you're doing and follow him now. He is quite the character. He's quite the ladies' man. He is quite the character. He's quite the ladies man. He's quite the Mr Personality. He just wears a lot of hats. What's up, bro?
Rory The Storm:What's happening and first of all, I'd like to say good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and all those in between.
Lanette:Yes, I was waiting for that. Waiting for that, I told him I was going to steal his quote. I kind of like that. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and all those in between.
Irin:Oh, there she go, you can add it, that's pretty good.
Rory The Storm:I tell you what words are for everybody. We can share it.
Lanette:I appreciate it, I love it, you know, I do.
Rory The Storm:Go ahead.
Lanette:No, I was just getting ready to say. I know that your time is so valuable. We are so honored to even have you on here. You have an amazing following on TikTok. You have your lives every night, and so we want to say thank you so much for taking the time to even come out to be on our podcast. Thank you, thank you. Thank to say thank you so much for taking the time to even come out to be on our podcast.
Irin:Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you and, before we actually get started, go ahead and, you know, give me your schedule, your tags and everything so check me out.
Rory The Storm:I am on tiktok at rory the storm. My backup page is rory the storm the one, so it's Rory the Storm and Rory the Storm one. And then I have a duet page. I have a couple of duet pages at Band of Brothers. It's four of us guys and we get together and we lip sync songs from the 90s and the 80s and the 70s and even the 2000s, and then my CD, my bad, my bad, my bad.
Irin:Why ain't I part of this Band of Brothers?
Rory The Storm:brother, oh, my bad, my bad, my bad. Why ain't a part of this band of brothers? Brother, oh man, I mean, you know you gotta be 40 plus.
Irin:Oh, okay, there it is. I'll keep going, bro. I'll just, you know, try to chime in. I want to be part of the band too.
Rory The Storm:Now go ahead then, then we, I have my cephas and reese. I don't know if y'all remember in living color, the character cephas and reese. So me and my homegirl, diamond Blaze, we do Cephas and Recy 2.0. And it's just a duet page of our shenanigans. Man, you can find me on I really don't get on Facebook anymore. I'm also on Instagram Rory the Storm and the Sock King. I have a sock page on Instagram and the Sock King I have a sock page on Instagram and then YouTube.
Rory The Storm:It's the thoughts of the storm that I will be revisiting in the first of 2024. But yeah, mainly I'm on TikTok. Come follow me on TikTok. You're going to laugh and you're going to laugh some more. I do get serious from time to time. It's just a whole bunch of my shenanigans and some of my personality shines through. That's some softness. And also one more thing If you go to the website wwwtammymccray that's T-A-M-M-Y, M-C-C-R-A-Y dot com, and you do a search for the Crimson Storm sock, you will see my very own sock. Use promo code DIMPLES D-I-M-P-L-E-S, the number 10, and you'll get $10 off purchase.
Lanette:That's what's up, man, you doing big things. I just want to say that I'm proud of you. Congratulations.
Rory The Storm:I appreciate you, sister.
Lanette:Yes. So for those who do not know, this is my brother, y'all this has to be my blood brother. You know how y'all be like. Oh yeah, that's my cousin, that's my brother, that's my homie, my sister, but real talk, that's really my brother. We have the same pops. He looks just like my brother. We have the same pops.
Rory The Storm:He looks just like him. We came out of the same.
Lanette:Oh my God, ew you nasty.
Irin:We actually got a Hold on. Let me show you something. Say it again Huh we came out of the same.
Rory The Storm:We came from the same set of loins.
Lanette:That's right, we had to censor something. Wow, yes, yes. So you guys, I am so elated to have my big brother on our podcast on today. Now, before we really get started to introduce who you really are, you've told you know all of your streaming platforms, but tell us a little bit about the Storm and who you are.
Rory The Storm:So the Storm is actually my nickname for karate. A lot of people don't know that I compete karate I'm on hiatus right now but I compete karate. And so the way I got the nickname was I was in training, I compete karate I'm on hiatus right now, but I compete karate. And so the way I got the nickname was I was in training and I was training for my very first tournament. I think I was on Orange Belt and I was training for my very first tournament and I got there, and so I thought I was going to be in the beginner division, where there was a guy that was from intermediate and a guy from advanced, and they lumped us all in the beginner division, where there was a guy that was from intermediate and a guy from advanced and they lumped us all in the same division. So I was kind of nervous. I got through the first round, okay. Got through the next round okay.
Rory The Storm:I got made it to the finals and the guy was whooping my tail four to one and it's only five points, and so it was at that time I'd be lined up for the last point. When I thought it was going to be the last point, I looked at my teacher and he looked at me as if to say you deal with him in that ring or you deal with me in practice. So I ended up winning that match five to four. Let's go boy. It was against the guy that was intermediate, the advanced guy that got bounced out. It was against the guy that was intermediate and the advanced guy that got bounced out. It was against the guy that was intermediate and me. I'm still a beginner.
Rory The Storm:So the very next day in practice, my instructor said yeah, I guess he wasn't ready for that storm, huh, and it just kind of stuck. It just kind of stuck. So I've been riding that wave of the storm and it just transcended itself into everyday life. A storm does a few things. Yes, storms cause destruction, but storms also clear paths. I'm that storm that clears the path.
Lanette:Come on sir.
Rory The Storm:It's almost like controlled chaos, if you will. I do get erratic from time to time, but it fits my personality. And you say well, what kind of storm is it? It's an amalgam of y'all need to look that word up an amalgam. It's an amalgam of a hurricane, a thunderstorm, a tsunami, some raindrops, whatever storm that you can think of, tornado, whatever storm you can think of. That's what I embody.
Irin:What's up man. That's beautiful man. That's what I embody.
Lanette:What's up? Man that's beautiful, man that's beautiful.
Rory The Storm:Yeah, you my brother, but really I am. So a lot of people. You see, what you get on social media is the storm, and my sister can attest to this. A few people know Rory Holmes. My sister knows Rory Holmes.
Rory The Storm:If we can segue into the topic of blending with the French and talking about blended families, I met my sister for the first time well before you were born and then four years later, when you were four years old and I walked into the house. I remember walking into the house from the airport, dad had picked me up and I walked into the house and you kind of looked at me and you said no. You asked, you said Mom, who is this? And she said that's your brother. And your eyes got real big and you said I have a brother. I'm your brother, rory, and you're Lynette huh, and your eyes got really big and either you ran into the room.
Rory The Storm:I remember you ended up leaving the kitchen for whatever and I was like, okay, cool, whatever. And I went up and I spoke to Sam and uh, yeah, that was that. And I remember I ended up going to sleep. I went to my room and I ended up going to sleep for the day because I was tired from that flight, uh, from from Dallas, texas, um, but yeah, that that was the beginning of your and our, your and my relationship, yeah.
Lanette:I appreciate you sharing that, because I don't even think I knew that story up until now.
Rory The Storm:Mm-hmm. Go ahead.
Lanette:No, I was going to say like I don't. So I have to be honest, I never knew that you were my half brother until. I was in high school.
Rory The Storm:Oh, wow, yes.
Lanette:I never knew. And one thing about us being a blended family that I will say and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it was never really announced like, oh, this is your stepbrother, this is your stepsister. When we went out, I never heard my parents say, oh, this is my stepson or this is my, you know my son by another woman. I never knew that until high school. Right, Did you have a?
Rory The Storm:different. So me being me at 14, 15 years old and all of my infinite wisdom then, I was always going to make it known that we have the same father and not the same mother. And that was just me being a jerk. I'll be completely honest, that was me being a jerk, instead of just saying you know what you know, it is what it is, I don't care about these people and I'm going to just be honest, absolutely.
Lanette:I didn't care about.
Rory The Storm:I didn't care about them church folks enough to even say that Tildy God rest her soul was my stepmom and after a while I was just you know what Bump it. That's my mother, and I'll tell you, when I really came to that realization, me and Sam were outside playing wiffle ball and we had got into an argument or whatever as brothers did so hold on real quick.
Lanette:You talked about you and Sam, which, for those who do not know, that is my biological brother. We have the same mom and we have the same dad and you all have the same father, so yeah, so perhaps. At least yeah yeah, so how old were you and sam, how? What difference do you all have in age?
Rory The Storm:we have a three-year difference. Now. Here's where it gets a little fuzzy for me. I can remember and then mom talked about it a little bit uh, when I was like a little boy I would come visit, and I don't know if you remember jason hickman, one of my high school teammates yes uh, me and jason would play together at the bowl.
Rory The Storm:Y'all don't know the bowlers where the jacksonville crimsons play basketball. Shout out to jgs, um, um. And so me, me and Jason Hickman would play together. And then I also found out my non-biological brother, mick. We had the same babysitter when we were kids, so I guess me and Jason and Mick have all known each other ever since we were like three years old, and so I remembered Sam. I think I was maybe nine. He may have been six. That's when they were. I believe they were living down on Koskiasko, if I'm not mistaken. I vaguely remember that house, but I've always remembered 512. When I was 12, I came for a visit. Sam was nine. That's when I really realized okay, this is my brother. The memory started from then, but before then the details get really fuzzy. I do remember, though, playing in the steps of the bowl when I was a little little kid.
Lanette:So how was y'all relationship?
Rory The Storm:So Sam and I, we're both off and on. And when you go from being the eldest child To being the middle child, it kind of he won't ever tell you this, but it kind of plays on your psyche a little bit when you go from being an only child I was an only child, he won't ever tell you this, but it kind of plays on your psyche a little bit when you go from being an only child I was an only child so never having to share anything with anybody because you know it was always about me. Then you go into a situation where man, now I got to share a space with this dude, I got to share toys with this dude or share whatever, even down to sharing clothes, you know, with this guy. And the selfish me was like man, I don't know this dude like that for real, like okay, he's cool, he's my brother, y'all say that.
Rory The Storm:But the chemistry really wasn't there for Sam and I and we kind of bickered a lot until we got to the point where we were just like you know what this is stupid with family, blah, blah, blah. And to circle back, when I really knew it was real, sam and I got to an argument and she had both of us coming to the house, tilly had both of us coming to the house and she oh shoot, she hit me, she, quote-unquote whooped me with a fly swatter.
Rory The Storm:So, you got disciplined by her. Yeah, and I was like you know what? This woman is really crazy. I guess I've been this for a long time. And I asked her probably about a week after that, because I was calling her miss Tilly. Uh, I asked her. I said is it okay if I call you mom?
Lanette:and she said absolutely so okay, babe, you were a only child for a while, correct?
Irin:14 years.
Lanette:How did that affect you bringing in a sibling? Did you have the same feelings that Rory is expressing, that he had?
Irin:I'm going to be honest with you. No, I moved out when I was 16, so by the time my brother was two years old, I was already out the house. It was more of an uncle-nephew relationship, so as far as like having the actuality of Black Mac out or brother. Now that still to this day is still like. You know, it's not. I mean, he's my brother, but we're not in the same league we're.
Lanette:My son is only like a few years younger so do you feel like his uncle versus his brother? Yeah, okay, I just wanted to take a see how that was for you if you all had similarities.
Rory The Storm:So go ahead go ahead. I was gonna say and so the thing is between for you and I, we're what? 11 years apart, right, and I didn't feel like I'm not going to understand where Aaron's coming from, but for me, yeah, you were a little sister All day long. You felt like I wasn't, didn't feel like a niece or anything like that or anybody just in the house. You were definitely a little sister, you know.
Lanette:Is it because I was a?
Rory The Storm:girl. You know what? No, no, if you were, if I was maybe 20 and you were four, or if I was like 17, 18 and you were four, then I'd have been like who's this little kid, you know? But at 14, 15 years old, it was only 11 years different. So it was, you know. It kind of looked like it was what's the word I want to use. It kind of looked like it was what's the word I want to use. It looked normal.
Rory The Storm:You had a 14-year-old, you had an 11-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 4-year-old in the house.
Irin:See, and I think, that's. I'm sorry, that's. The difference is because I was the only child. There was nobody else there. So then, once my brother was born, I was excited for him, but at the same time I didn't get to have that one-on-one let's go fight, let's play football. We didn't have that.
Lanette:If you and child played football with him, you would have messed him up, we probably still would have been laying there.
Irin:Yeah, so by the time he was two, like I said, by the time he was two I was graduating out of high school, I moved out and I was 16. So I still I mean I was a kid myself looking back at it now, but at the time, man, I was grown in my eyes.
Lanette:Right.
Rory The Storm:Right, and I know, for me, I always wanted siblings. So to come into a place where, even though I was selfish as I was, to come into a place where, even though I was selfish as I was, to come into a place where, man, I got a little brother and I got a little sister, wow, this is cool, you know.
Lanette:so, yeah, that's what I wanted low key and you were blessed with me and you were blessed with me you know, and you were blessed with me.
Rory The Storm:Huh, and you were blessed with me. You know, they teach us in Sunday school not to tell lies.
Lanette:Oh boy, come on, come to Jesus. Yeah, I love my brother.
Rory The Storm:Here's the real, for real. You are the embodiment of the sibling that I wanted. The only difference is to me it would have been perfect if you were a boy. Huh, because I would have been like as a kid brother, I could push you around and blah, blah, blah. But the fact that you were a girl made it even more sweet, because now I really I felt like I really had to protect you and he did y'all this one here.
Lanette:Don't you do nothing to me, because that mortal combat stuff that he'd be practicing on the taekwondo, what is it? A field or what is it?
Rory The Storm:the mats, on the mats of the ring, when it comes to his little sister.
Lanette:He will use get over here and he will KO you, so don't mess with me. I appreciate him for that so you feel like if I was a boy, it would have been different it definitely would have been different.
Rory The Storm:I think we would have been different. It definitely would have been different. I think we would have been allowed to roughhouse you a little more and just really push you around a little bit more than we did, because at one point the rule of the house was no jokes, no roasting Right, that makes me cry. And so one of your brothers we ain't going to. And so so one of your brothers we ain't going to mention no names one of your brothers would try to goad you into roasting and they'd be like are you joaning? Like that.
Lanette:Are you joaning like that? Yes, and light me up, and then I would cry and go tell Right, so babe do you see that here at the house Do I see it roasting? Yeah, and then somebody comes running to you crying 24-7. And what happens when she comes running to you crying?
Irin:We talk about my baby.
Lanette:Yeah.
Irin:We're not going to talk about what you know she do what she's supposed to do.
Lanette:Oh, okay, she's supposed to do that Y'all, I'm living the same life. So my daughter, our daughter, does what I did. She provokes her brothers. She doesn't.
Rory The Storm:Oh, okay, oh yeah, oh, come on now. You wrote the book, I wrote the book.
Irin:Right.
Lanette:You wrote the book. Well, you know, it's just.
Irin:She still do it to this day. Who me?
Rory The Storm:No.
Irin:She might not. She's not going to talk crazy. She ain't going to join on you, but she'll talk crazy. And then try to run and hide no not I. Oh my gosh, I've done everything right.
Lanette:No, I don't act that way. Alright, brother, help him because he may be on the couch tonight.
Irin:He does.
Rory The Storm:No, I ain't got nothing to do with that. The only scripture I can offer is the bedroom is not defiled. Oh my gosh.
Lanette:Lord help him Jesus.
Rory The Storm:Lord help him. Jesus, lynette had an uncanny way of she couldn't beat us physically, but Lynette is very cerebral, very cerebral, so she had this doll Baby G.
Lanette:That my grandmother gave to me from Honduras. I love her. Shout out to Granny Annie.
Rory The Storm:So she had this baby gene and when I first met baby gene I thought baby gene was a weapon Because she would sling around and bust herself out the head with this dog. So I think the very first account I had with baby gene, I smashed her up and I think I punched her.
Lanette:That was the wrong thing to do.
Rory The Storm:The cry this little girl let out. He punched Baby Jean. He's not my Baby Jean, and I got in trouble for that. Never mind the fact that this girl, never mind the fact that you were terrorizing me with this doll and I'm like Dad, she's hitting us with the dog. You're bigger than me, although she's a little girl. She's six years old. You shouldn't, man. Why are you letting that? I'm just like man. She get a pass Exactly For being a butt.
Lanette:I was just trying to help you, so shout out to me, because if it was not for me Swingin' Baby Jean, you would not be the Taekwondo king that you are today.
Irin:Baby, he does not do Taekwondo, he's in karate.
Lanette:Well, you wouldn't be the karate kid that you are today.
Rory The Storm:It's the same thing. Kick is a kick, punch is a punch. Everybody just have different theories on how it should be used. It is what it is. At the end of the day, we all throw the same picks on the same bunch. But no, this little girl was a terror. Lynette, you were a terror. Who me? Yes, you. But the thing is, I loved you so much so I kind of looked past that.
Lanette:Love conquers all.
Rory The Storm:Love conquers all, but you were a terror. You used to get on my nerves. I can't speak for our other sisters, but I know for me. You used to get on my nerves, but I knew at the end of the day, as a little sister, that's what you were supposed to do. You know, preach, we loved each other. At the end of the day, we loved each other. At the end of the day, we loved each other. We may have had our infighting, we still may not see eye to eye to this day about certain things, but there was two things. I know for sure that my little sister loved me and I love my little sister Bottom line and I would do anything still to this day. So, aaron, don't mess up like real long.
Rory The Storm:No, I mean, I love you, brother, but my boy, my boy, man, I told you already, I already told you already, man the experiences that I had with you and Samuel uh, uh, transited to later on in life when I married into a family, uh, that that children were present, and then to bring in my own children into a second marriage, uh, after that first divorce, into a second marriage where, where children were present.
Rory The Storm:And now, knowing how to navigate that and I'm blessed to to to have found that woman and she was doing right by those kids and to the point where they were like, well, you're not my dad, you know I was able to discipline them how I saw fit at that time. Um, if they cut up uh which was rare, which is really rare, um, she was able to discipline mine. If they cut up uh which was rare, which is really rare, um, she was able to discipline mine. If they cut up, which was rare, um, but we, we had the precursor to blending with the French's, if you will, um if I could just stop you right here real quick.
Lanette:Let's go ahead rewind real quick. Hold that thought, though. We're on the topic of discipline, right? You mentioned that? Uh, my mom shout out to her um, who was your stepmother? You mentioned that at one point she got the floss water, and she got you with the floss water. Tell us as far as discipline came down with your stepmom, which was my mother how were you? Disciplined. Were you disciplined, did you get a free pass? How did that work? Because she wasn't your biological mother. How was that so?
Rory The Storm:back then kids grew up with something called respect and so out of respect for my father and the woman he married, and out of respect for her being an adult, and out of respect for my mother and being taught, you know you don't disrespect adults that's where the discipline didn't bother me, you know, not as far as the effectiveness, but her discipline in me. That's what I expected. If I cut up and she was the one closest, okay, she was the one that gave it to me like I was in her house.
Lanette:I mean, you don't have to be extremely specific, like if she. I know she didn't abuse you because you're still here, but, like I know you know, maybe my whoopings were a little different than your whoopings because I was her biological child, or do you feel like she didn't care about a biological step? Did she just just to put us all in the way that she saw fit?
Rory The Storm:so she did not. Uh, status isn't didn't matter to tamar, uh, the fact that I was a teenager 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. The fact that I was a teenager, I think, had a major, so you were still an adolescent child. So the physical discipline, ok yeah, but when it came to me it was more verbal. Now I remember there was one time, a few times, where I believe she might have said something to Dad and he stepped in and handled business. But as far as discipline with mine, it was more verbal than anything and Mom was sharp. Oh man, there was no getting. You couldn't outwit Tildy Holmes, you really couldn't. I thought I was sharp, but Mama's two steps ahead.
Lanette:Always two steps ahead. She would always tell me my feet were going left and I'm like no, they're not Knowing that they were going left. She was like those feet going left. And I'm like where you talking about get mad Because I knew she was right, but of course I'm trying to defend myself. I'm like where you talking about my feet ain't going left and I'm looking down as if she literally told me my feet are going left. She's like Lynette those feet going left. It was that discernment she had.
Rory The Storm:It. It was that discernment she had, that it was normal. So I said all that to say that it was normal. I felt like, okay, cool, she opened up her doors because with the same amount of discipline came the same amount of love. She never differentiated the love and it took me a long time to understand that because I really thought, uh, I wanted to play the narrative of uh, uh, you and sam were the favorite children and at the end I think I really it.
Rory The Storm:It took me into my 30s, I'm not gonna lie. It took me into my 30s to realize we all were loved differently and we will love the best way they knew how children don't come with a man, so we will love the best way. They knew how dad was wrote was kind of raised with the iron fist, so to speak. You know, uh, uh, and he did his best. Mom did did her best with what they were given, just thankful they were educators. They were two smart people For real, highly intelligent people, but they thought it was best for us and they loved us the way we needed to be loved Me.
Rory The Storm:I was a hard head. I needed to be loved Me. I was a hard head, so I needed to be, I needed to be, they needed to stand on my neck from time to time. Sam was going to do what Sam was going to do. Sam, to me, was always a goody-goody. So Sam really didn't. He stepped to me, he stepped out a little bit, but he really wasn't going to go full throttle. You know, he bounced out the boundaries a little bit. Oh, let me get back to the boundaries. You and I are enough with it, man.
Lanette:I feel like we was like give us our whooping, we're going to do what we got to do. What's the consequence? Okay, well, we'll just deal with it. And you know, iron, how are you when it came to your choices in life, for you the type that's like I'm going to stay in the box or I'm going to bounce out and take the repercussions as they come.
Irin:I've always did what I wanted to do. It don't matter who you are and what the consequences will be, so much so that I've had my door off the hinge for literally a year. I literally could not. I didn't have a door on my home.
Lanette:Like they took your door off.
Irin:I was growing something in my room For a whole year and my mom ran a daycare at the time. The same as that time I had to drive-thru, we came from. I'll do what I want.
Lanette:So we could have been billionaires. We could have been billionaires. Do you remember that stuff? Yeah, I do.
Rory The Storm:Okay, well, we're not going to discriminate all of us Exactly.
Irin:Well, technically we're in Illinois, so it's legal here.
Rory The Storm:But uh, I mean, I'm still in Texas, though, oh yeah.
Irin:No, but as far as uh, as far as this been on my end, it was definitely different. Um, it was. You know you do something wrong at somebody's house. They're reliable, they're liable to whoop you or punch you or whatever. You know, whatever was going on, whatever they could find whatever they could find and throw at you. That's what it was. So, yeah, as far as being a goody, two shoes, no, I just kind of learned how to maneuver around things.
Lanette:I was a black sheep of the field so I was trying to be sneaky, you know, but at the same time, with no, I'm going to do what I'm going to do and I'm going to take my consequence. But at the same time, I don't think I was bold enough to just be like oh, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do and let them know that. My actions, though, show that I was gonna do.
Irin:And then well, I mean, I didn't go and necessarily tell like, hey, my mom started doing this. No, I was trying to be sneaky, but I wanted some Jordan, so I wanted umans. I wanted the things that everybody else had that their parents was able to give them. So on my end, it was not saying that my parents couldn't give me what I wanted. They did the best they could.
Lanette:And they hadn't thought it was necessary.
Irin:Exactly. They're sitting there trying to buy houses. I'm sitting there like man, you know.
Lanette:I can get the stuff in there, my Air Force One oh right. He went to two pair, so yeah.
Irin:I was a kid and I was in high track classes with six bottom rows, gold teeth, two tops, princess, cut at 14. Oh, my. Like I said, that's not saying nothing from the parenting aspect, of saying that I just did what I wanted to do and I was a product of my environment and the culture. How about that, gotcha?
Lanette:So we have What'd you say? So we have. Say that again.
Rory The Storm:Interested in life?
Lanette:Yes, interested in life, for sure. So we are three different people Coming from Two of the same household, but you also had your mother, who disciplined you in a certain way. So we'll just say three different households that were brought up. How, then, as an adult Rory, you talked about you ended up marrying into a blended family, not one time, but twice. So how was marrying into a blended family for you, especially coming from a childhood of a blended family?
Rory The Storm:To me it just felt natural. It felt natural it wasn't a thing of man. She got kids. Now, the first marriage I was without children, going into a marriage where the woman had children already. You got kids. You ain't got no kids. But I understood the role. I understood what it meant to be a step parent. My mother remarried and so I had a stepfather in the house at one point. How was that it was? I knew dad was my dad, but his name was Bill. Bill was my dad too. Bill was there constantly and dad was just there. Whenever, you know, whenever, I would go see Biddy that's our grandma, lucille, by the way, because all of them don't know and I would go see Didier, right on. I would see him and the stories he would tell, yeah, we would go to baseball games, we'd go see the Astros, and this one I was a little boy, like little little boy. So I do and I do vaguely because I remember Lillian being there a lot. Lillian watched me a lot.
Rory The Storm:I do remember that day in that church. I do remember sitting in the back of that church and that's a whole nother story for a whole nother time. I'm sorry. I do vaguely remember I'm whole nother story for a whole nother time.
Rory The Storm:I'm sorry. I do vaguely remember, I'm sorry. Even though I was a little boy, I do vaguely remember sitting in the back of that church because I was cutting up. I do because I remember lillian trying to calm me down. I just wouldn't calm down, um, but yeah. So I knew he was around, I knew who he was. It's just, he just wasn't with you come again.
Lanette:So, dad, just when he back then, when you were little, are you saying then you know when it was time for him to have you on his weeks or whatever, that you would more than likely be with auntie or grandma? Um?
Rory The Storm:he would see. I would be, I would see him and uh, but I remember spending a lot of time with jackie and beulah and didia lillian sherman was there from time to time, elroy and uh. Who else? Uncle michael?
Lanette:so these are, for those of you that do not know, these are our cousins, these are our aunts, uncles, um, and sometimes this is what happens when you have a blended family. You know when it's time for dad to get the kids. We know dad comes to pick up the kids, and sometimes dad takes the kids elsewhere, and so I didn't know if he was working or what have you.
Rory The Storm:Because I mean, then I can remember I was five, six, seven, eight, and I think grandma moved back to Mississippi at one point. She did live in Houston at one point, I do remember that. And then she I get fuzzy she, at some point she did move back to Mississippi and then by then, you know, dad was in Illinois. Um, so I there's a lot of things that the details get kind of fuzzy on Right, um, but I said all that to say from so, coming from a blended background, I knew what it was to be a step-parent. I knew the importance of being a good role model Because, for all intents and purposes, bill was a good role model. He had his vices, like we all do, but Bill was a good role model.
Lanette:How long was he in your life and is he still in your life?
Rory The Storm:Or oh no, he passed years ago, Maybe from the time I was four or five up until the time I was about nine.
Lanette:So then, with Mr Bill God rest his soul did you feel as if you needed to give him a hard time because you felt like he wasn't your father? Or do you feel like oh man, here's a man in our home, he's treating me nicely, Let me give him respect. How does that look for you?
Rory The Storm:He was just my dad, that's just. He was just. He was just my dad. I mean, that's what it was. He was my dad. I knew he I could. I didn't know he wasn't, because I didn't know how that stuff worked. Five years old, six years old I don't know how that stuff works um, I knew he wasn't like my dad, but he was the dude that was there fulfilling that role. I didn't look like him. Go ahead.
Lanette:No, I wanted to take the time out right now to shout out all of the men in the entire world who are like Mr Bill, for those men who come into children's lives and do not treat their child or the children differently. Although they may not be your biological children, you still love them, you provide for them, you protect them. That says a lot about your character as men, and I personally want to shout out you, sweetheart, thank you, thank you, thank you so much because you have stepped up in a huge way as our children's bonus father. You are there for them, you provide, you protect. And so, uh, rory, you as well. You've been in this situation. Thank you all so much. It really means a lot when children can look up. Thank you all so much. It really means a lot when children can look up to you all and not feel, feel bad about situations, but they feel loved. That really says a lot.
Rory The Storm:Shout out to you men out there Thank you, and so here's the thing we appreciate you. Here's the thing I wasn't always the best. If we're going to say that, I have to be all the way honest, I wasn't always the best, but one thing I did was I never, ever, even though me and the mothers may have fallen out or my infidelities, I'm just going to be honest my infidelities, my irresponsibilities, my foolishness, even though me and the mothers had our disagreements and our falling away, I never closed off access to the children, whether Felicia's children or Kataya's children. I never cut off access. Now, if they want to reach out or didn't want to reach out, hey, but I never would tell them no, whether they knew that or not. And I've had conversations as they've gotten older, with Felicia's children. We've had conversations, man, and I apologize for not being the role model I should have been Well, 100%, I should have been 100%, but I think that's a time for a different show. We'll have to do a part two.
Lanette:Absolutely.
Rory The Storm:But at that point, yes, I did step up and was fathered for a number of years to Felicia's children and then to Kataya's children and even to this day. You know, elena, elena will reach out and we'll chitchat a little bit and keep it pushing. Chit-chat a little bit and keep it pushing. But for those men that are stepping into those roles, be prepared to get abused by those children. You know, I will say I did have a great group of children. They were very respectful, you know. But you know kids were kids. They got out of pocket. You know you discipline and then you keep it pushing. So shout out, like you said, shout out to all the men that have stepped up in those roles for it and and and I, I uh, my hat's off to you, iron, my hat's off to you. Man, uh, you stepped into a big, big role, man, and as Lynette, you stepped into into a big role as well.
Rory The Storm:Y'all are really doing it. I am so proud of y'all. I know I joke a lot. I'm talking about how sweet y'all are and y'all get a toothache, but I admire y'all. Y'all are really hashtag goals. I wish this would blow up to be on a grander scale, because really people need to look at y'all's lives y'all, and emulate what's going on in your household. I may not know all the details and I know common sense will tell me everything ain't perfect Right, but I know that you guys are doing the absolute best job, and a great job at raising those eight children and taking care of that dog absolutely.
Lanette:That really means a lot and, yes, we are not perfect by all means. That's why we have this podcast, because we are not only wanting to share our story, but we also want others to know, like, hey, if you have uh insight for us, please share it with us, because we want to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be, because when we're the best versions of ourselves, we can be the best for our children. We know that there comes conflict, we know that there comes uh situations, but we also know that with God, all things are possible and we know that love conquers all.
Lanette:Love will always be.
Rory The Storm:And that's the bottom line. If you build the foundation on love without getting too spiritual, because I know that's not me but if you build the foundation on love, love in itself if you build upon that, you can't go wrong. You know, if you, at the core of the relationships between the children, the relationships between the mother and the father and the relationship between the whole family, is love, will you have bickers? Do you have the conflict? Yes, but if you can come down and boil it down at the end of the day, but we love each other, I think you can't go wrong.
Lanette:Well, everybody, you have heard it from the one and only Rory the Storm. We are so excited that he was able to talk to us about being a part of the family. Stay tuned for part two, where we will continue our conversation with him expressing what it's like coming from a blended family as well as creating his own family. I'm lynette and we are blending with the frenchies.