Monday, July 8, 2024 Pawn Star Proverbs (Part 3 of 4) It was just an illusion! Blogs Newsletters National By Quentin Steen, Representative/BC Member Education Coordinator What’s a pawn star proverb? And what does it have to do with our mental well-being? A pawn star proverb is my little play on words to highlight the little tidbits of truth I picked up from the popular reality television show Pawn Stars and how these truths align with our mental well-being. The series is filmed in Las Vegas where it chronicles the daily activities at the world-famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. This 24-hour family business opened in 1989 and was originally operated by patriarch Richard “Old Man” Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, Rick’s son Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, and Corey’s childhood friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell. Last month’s pawn star proverb—even layups are points!—showed us that every moment counts. It focused on how most of us live daily, running down the courts of our mental well-being, slowly winning the game with layups, not three-pointers. This month’s pawn star proverb—it was just an illusion!—recounts an episode where a client visits the store to sell an original printed Pulp Fiction theater wall-mounted poster signed by the entire cast. Unfortunately, after being evaluated by a Hollywood memorabilia expert and a signature authenticator, the poster proved to be a reprint, and every signature was faked. It was no more than a poster that was nice to look at and, at most, an attractive conversation piece. But it was worth nothing. It wasn’t real. As the seller walked away, he explained how he was disappointed but grateful for the experts. He finished the interview with, “But now I know it was just an illusion!” The connection of this statement (proverb)—“But now I know it was just an illusion!”—to our mental well-being is found in how we authenticate our experiences in life based against reality. Are our experiences an illusion, or are they real? In next month’s Mental Health Moment, we’ll unpack this pawn star proverb to see how our biases can influence the way we view life. And, in turn, we’ll see how they might keep us from discerning what is real and what is an illusion in the realm of our mental well-being. Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow! 3 Mental Health Resources to Help You If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness. Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides accessible, reliable, and professionally produced resources on an array of health topics including (but not limited to): addictions, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, etc. You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026