1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for downloading the show. This is better than Yesterday. 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Useful tools and useful conversations to help make your day 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 1: today better than yesterday. Every episode is to twenty thirteen. 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: My name is Oshiginsburg. I am a podcaster. I'm a 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: best selling author. I'm a man who has one leg 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: somewhat longer than the other. And I'm grateful you're here. 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: You can like and subscribe to the show. Tell your friends, 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: and there's a link in the show notes for the 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: newsletter and the YouTube and stuff like that. I told 10 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: you the other day about being away from my phone 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: and how wonderful it was. But that's not to say 12 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: that I didn't manage to catch a bit of news 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 1: here and there. And I'm recording this in late January 14 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty six, so what I did see did 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: exactly what it was designed to do. It was designed 16 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: to leave me spinning in a tiss of powerlessness and desperation, 17 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: wondering what the fuck is going on with the way 18 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: that our world works, and what's going on in our community? 19 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: And who? What? Who are these power come? When did 20 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: we be okay with Nazis like this? Now? Besides turning 21 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: my phone off as a way to separate myself from 22 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,119 Speaker 1: this kind of stuff. I have found something which can 23 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: make that feeling, that feeling of powerlessness and desperation, like, 24 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: I found something that can make that feeling a little 25 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: less intense and maybe even give me the feeling that 26 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: I am actually doing something which will make a difference 27 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: in a significant way. And it started as a glint 28 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: in the eye from another parent at a kid's birthday party. 29 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: I was a little under a year ago whisperingly told 30 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: by the dad of one of Wolfe's friends about how 31 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: exciting and interesting this thing that he was volunteering for was. 32 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: And as he went on to talk about it, and 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: you know, just wax poetic about how brilliant and engaging 34 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: and exciting and how much it had changed him for 35 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: the better. I was like, oh, I've heard a pitch 36 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: like this before, you know, when someone at a party 37 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: was talking to me about, Oh, my church, it's really good. 38 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: You should come down, I know you'd really like it. 39 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: Or their collection of vitamin supplements and why I might 40 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: be interested in buying some from them and maybe selling 41 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: some of my friends, or why it'd be a really 42 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: good idea to you know, go and do the landmark 43 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: for him. I have heard pictures like this before, but 44 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: there was something different about this. And a few weeks 45 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: went by as Wolfe started score he you know, we 46 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: got towards the end of turn one and I started 47 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: noticing that Wolfgang was starting to ask some really interesting 48 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: questions when we were talking. He started inquiring about why 49 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,839 Speaker 1: I might feel a particular way about something, or why 50 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: a person in a TV show might feel a particular 51 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: way about something, and not just the kid why why, 52 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: but like asking particularly about a motivation or something. He'd 53 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: even start to consider questions from me in a different way, 54 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 1: not questions like are you ready to stop watching TV 55 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: and go to the shower now? Because there's anybody knows 56 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 1: the answer will always be no, I'm not ready to 57 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: stop watching TV. You got for a shower? No? And 58 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: you think, fuck, I've given him an option. I shouldn't 59 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: give himn option like I need you to turn the 60 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: TV off and go to the shower. It was more 61 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: like I noticed that when I was pointing at a 62 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: picture of a character in a book and asking him, say, 63 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: how do you think that person's feeling, he'd give a 64 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: really considered answer, taking into account previous emotions mentioned in 65 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: the story, or drawing conclusions as to emotions yet to 66 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: be mentioned in this story, and also motivations of the 67 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: antagonist in the story. I was like, what, you're six, man? 68 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: And when he and I do have conversations, they become 69 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: increasingly interesting. And when I'm exploring the way he looks 70 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: at the world and how he feels about things, he 71 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: has really smart, detailed and considered and considered answers he's 72 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: at this time. At this point, he's not even six 73 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: years old, so it's like nearly a year later from 74 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: now there. But I've I had begun notice in Wolfgang 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: what I had noticed in Georgia when I first met her. 76 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: I've been with George's mum for twelve years this year. 77 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: I remember early on meeting her. She was about ten 78 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: when I met her, about we started to spend a 79 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: lot more time together when she was eleven. When I 80 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: first met her, I just I was fascinated and so 81 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: impressed with how she was able to form such robust 82 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: arguments to talk about why she was doing what she 83 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: was doing. Don't get me wrong, you know we're having 84 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: a discussion because she was being a little so and 85 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: so and needed to know fix or phase a consequence 86 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: for poor behavior, like there was definitely something going on. 87 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: But in my head, I'm also incredibly impressed this eleven 88 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 1: year old is so excellently formulating a disagreement to a 89 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,559 Speaker 1: forty one year old man. It in my head, I'm thinking, 90 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: don't ever stop. You're incredible. And still you do need 91 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: to go to your room because that was unacceptable. But 92 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: I was so impressed. And she's always been like that. 93 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: She's always had this extraordinary ability to consider other people's 94 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: point of view and disagree in a really clever way. 95 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: And I don't know she's never going to do that 96 00:04:58,000 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: with her parents, because you know, that's what kids do. 97 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: We're the safe people that they can be a little 98 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: different with. But when I see her considering other opinions 99 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: and the way she thinks, I mean, don't get me wrong, 100 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: she's nearly twenty two. She's very different now. I'm talking 101 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: along when she was a teenager. But when I see 102 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: her considering others opinions and the way she thinks about 103 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: the world, she has a very measured way of doing so, 104 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of empathy when she does. And 105 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: I'd like to say it comes from observing her parents, 106 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: and by that I mean me, her mum, her dad, 107 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: her grandparents. The people have raised her and it might do, 108 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: but there's something more foundational there, something that came from 109 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: her school. And while I was there for the last 110 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: two years of her primary school, I couldn't remember exactly, 111 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: so I did ask Audrey, did you want to do 112 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: ethics when she was at primary school? And Audery says, yeah, 113 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: she did, and she loved it. And that's what this 114 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: guy at this party was telling me about. It's an 115 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: organization in New South Wales called Primary Ethics. It's an independent, 116 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: not for profit organization and they do ethics classes for 117 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 1: New South Wales public schools. Basically, when the other kids 118 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: to his scripture classes, Wilfe and some of the other 119 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: kids in his class, they head over to another classroom 120 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: when they are taught by a volunteer ethics teacher. And 121 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: this fills me with joy because it's very different to 122 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: what I had when I was six seven years old 123 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: his age. I grew up in Queensland in the eighties 124 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: under Pyolchipedison and I went to a state school for 125 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: the first few years of going to school there, and 126 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: during religion classes. I can't really remember if I went 127 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: to religion or did not attend religion classes, but I 128 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: just remember the class called it split and I would 129 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: just do coloring in I don't know if I was 130 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: coloring pictures of Jesus or pictures are for vegetables, but 131 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't a lot. Later on, though, when I went 132 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: to a Catholic primary school, Oh my god, there certainly 133 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: was no ethics. It was a hard edged, dogmatic this 134 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: is right, this is wrong, and the wrong people will 135 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: burn in hell because they are disgusting sinners. It doesn't 136 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: really lend itself to the nuanced consideration of others' motivations 137 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: or values or value as a human, or even what 138 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: they might be trying to achieve that might be aligned 139 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: with what you would like to achieve. And I only 140 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: got more intense when I got to high school, which 141 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: was another Catholic. There were some subjects that tried to 142 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: teach us how to consider other points of view, things 143 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: like history. We had a great history teacher here from 144 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: Northern Ireland, but for the most part they didn't. It 145 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: didn't exist, you know, those things that things of considering 146 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: other points of view and stuff like that that I 147 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: had to learn that the hard way through many uncomfortable 148 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: conversations where I was often wrong. And it was around 149 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: September I think, last year, hanging out in the playground 150 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: near Wolfe School as we were walking home talking with 151 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: one of the other parents, and there's that glint, that 152 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: glint is in that Ira again, and this woman is 153 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: telling me about, oh, how good it is being a 154 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: volunteer ethics teacher. She's describing the same thing that I 155 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: had heard before. How much she gets to connect with 156 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: their kids because of this, how it's given her a 157 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: different view of the world, how she's just so fascinated 158 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: to spend half an hour with these really interesting young 159 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: minds once a week to hear how they think about 160 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: the world they live in, and watching them grow and 161 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: change with the way they consider others. As we're speaking, 162 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: another one of the parents of Wolf's mates walks over, 163 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: joins the conversation. He goes, oh, my god, are you 164 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: telling him about the ethics teaching Without realizing it, but 165 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: the first parent had just told me. The second parent 166 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: basically says the same thing, and they both turned to 167 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: me as of realizing at the same time and say 168 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: almost in unison. You know what, you'd love it and 169 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: you'd be great at it. And look that was that, 170 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: you know. I don't know if it Potentinally wasn't a 171 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: coordinated pitch, but that was a tipping point. I'd observed 172 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: enough in my own kids. I've been rewarded enough with 173 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: the fascination of the conversations I have with them and 174 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: the kids they do the class with to be motivated 175 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,599 Speaker 1: enough that volunteering what time would be absolutely worth it. 176 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 1: So I reached out to the Primary Ethics Crew and 177 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: went and had to sit down interview with the local 178 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,719 Speaker 1: area coordinator, lovely bloke. We had a good chat and 179 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: then I started training. It was much It was a 180 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,199 Speaker 1: couple of hours of online video. There's nothing I haven't done, 181 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: nothing harder than a workplace induction covers a lot of 182 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: very similar ground, just making sure you're not a shit person. 183 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: And then I needed to do the final part of 184 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: my training, which you can do online, but I did 185 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: two days face to face in the city up in Sydney. 186 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: So last week I rode my bicycle in a town 187 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: and I sat in a big circle of stackable chairs, 188 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,679 Speaker 1: which looks a lot like other meetings I go to 189 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: that involve volunteers that have big, big circle of stackable 190 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: chairs at the end of the days. Can you help 191 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: a stack of chairs? Yes, of course I can. I 192 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: do this. I know how to stack a chair after 193 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: a meeting. And the parallel between that and the Sobriety 194 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: Fellowship I'm a part of is important because in the 195 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 1: Sobriety Fellowship, being of service to your community and to 196 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: others is a really important part of staying clean and sober, 197 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: and it's very important to me to be of service 198 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: to others. I've been trying to find more regular ways 199 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 1: that I can do. So it's a bit easy now 200 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: that Wolf is older, and so the idea of being 201 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 1: a primary ethics teacher is something which could be a 202 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: wonderful part of that. But when I rode my bike 203 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: and I parked it up and I walked upstairs, I 204 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 1: was not prepared for what I saw or heard on 205 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,599 Speaker 1: those training days, which I'm going to get to just 206 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: a moment because I do have to play some ads, 207 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: but I'll be right back. Thanks for listening to the show. 208 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: A quick reminder, if you want to get in touch, 209 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: get early tickets to live shows and exclusive access to 210 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: much more than just the podcast. You can check out 211 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: the show notes. That's where you'll find a link to 212 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: the newsletter of the YouTube page and tickets for the 213 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: next storytelling show, which is on the fifteenth of February. 214 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,599 Speaker 1: Duncan Fellows will be their Ruby T's, Alex Lee, the 215 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: Mike Bauers, Zoey Notton Lodge and Me. The theme is 216 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: so romantic. If you don't know what the show is, 217 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: there's a YouTube page and the show notes you can 218 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: check it out. We'd love to see you there Februy fifteen. 219 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: So where was I? I was telling you about my 220 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 1: training to become a primary ethics teacher. I can talk 221 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: about it because I've got the email the other day 222 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: saying you're there. But when I was walking upstairs into 223 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: this big training room, I was so wonderfully surprised. I 224 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: was taken aback by what I saw and heard on 225 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 1: that first morning. I won't disclose who was in the room, 226 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: but I'll just say it was pretty fascinating. Some really 227 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: interesting people, heavy hitters, about twenty five to something people 228 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: sixty forty women to men, but very close to half half. 229 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,599 Speaker 1: I was in the younger quartile. I guess it was 230 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: mostly parents of adult kids and grandparents who are looking 231 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: to give back to their community. And that first morning, 232 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: as we went around the room being asked why we're 233 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: doing this, you know, to a person one after the other, 234 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 1: everyone answered along the same lines that they can see 235 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: how polarized the world is. They understand that the best 236 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: inoculation for polarization is through helping young kids when they're little, 237 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: how to listen to each other respectfully, how to disagree respectfully, 238 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: and that a person and an opinion from that person 239 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: are two separate things. It was fantastic. I want to 240 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: be in that room for those reasons. I want to 241 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: be there to make sure that my son and the 242 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: kids he grows up with have these skills. But that's 243 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: not to say that I didn't learn heaps over these 244 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: two days. I learned so much. I've never been a teacher, 245 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: and yet too, I've never taught a class yet that's happening. 246 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: I think next week, this week, maybe I think next week. 247 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: But from what I can gather, the shortest way I 248 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: could describe it is that these classes are not about 249 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: teaching kids what to think at all. In fact, as 250 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,559 Speaker 1: a teacher, I'm not there to give any opinion. I'm 251 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,319 Speaker 1: not there to affirm anyone's point of view and the 252 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: positive or negative. They go to great lengths teaching you 253 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: how to respond to something without saying it was good 254 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: or bad. You're just there to moderate the discussion between 255 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: a bunch of six year olds or eleven year olds 256 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: whatever class. Teacher, you're not teaching them what to think, 257 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: but you're teaching them how to think. And as this 258 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: method of teaching and the whole idea of it, you 259 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,599 Speaker 1: know the philosophy, the very robust philosophy behind it, and 260 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: you know, as the curriculum started to dawn on me, 261 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: I felt this equal mix of excitement and grief because 262 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: I was excited that so much effort was being put 263 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:54,719 Speaker 1: in by a team of volunteers to help our young 264 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: people learn these incredibly important skills. Excitement because I could 265 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,599 Speaker 1: see the flow on effect of having a cohort of 266 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: kids growing up in a teenagers and young adults going 267 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: through their lives knowing how to do this, and how 268 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: much that would affect our public discourse once these people 269 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: rose to positions of power in our community. But also 270 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 1: grief that is something I was never taught, something I 271 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: never knew, something I had to learn through a great 272 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: degree of difficulty, inadvertently causing pain or discomfort or frustration 273 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: to others. But now I know better, so I do better. 274 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: And it's incredible that there are literally hundreds of volunteers 275 00:13:30,679 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: that go out there every week to teach kids as 276 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,319 Speaker 1: young as kinder get in the kindergarten how to do 277 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: this stuff. If you've ever listened to the brilliant ABC 278 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,959 Speaker 1: podcast Short and Curly, it's like a it's pretty much that, 279 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: but a live version of that. You know, that's it. Now, 280 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: As you get older, it's important. I've always believed as 281 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: you get older, it's important to do things that are hard. 282 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:52,199 Speaker 1: Last year, I chose to go on Dancing with the 283 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: Stars because it was really hard and it terrified me 284 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: and I didn't know how to do it. And I 285 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: did it because of what I would become and what 286 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: I would learn from doing this very hard thing. It's 287 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: really important to do that. This year, I'm choosing to 288 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 1: become a voluntary primary ethics teacher because it intimidates me, 289 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: but it's really important that I do it. I'm looking 290 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: forward to what I learned doing this, but also how 291 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: well I want some of the deeper connection that I've 292 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: heard the other parents talk about and other people in 293 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: the room talk about. I want that connection with my family. 294 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: I already have a great connection, but the deeper connection, 295 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. I'm pretty sure I'm going 296 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: to be teaching Wolf's class, so he and I have 297 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: already had conversations about what he's going to call me. 298 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: I can set it for a moment that, you know, 299 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: to get the kids to call me mister G because 300 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: my mum was doctor G when she worked in the army. 301 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,880 Speaker 1: But I'm still kind of haunted by the Chris Lily 302 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: character from those TV shows. So I asked, Hey, Wolfgang, 303 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: you can't call me dad when I'm teaching you and 304 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: your mates. What are you going to call me? He said, 305 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 1: I'll call you mister Ginsburg, and so that's where he's 306 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: going to call me. We've had the conversation that when 307 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: I'm in there, i'm his ethics teacher as well as 308 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: everyone else's ethics teacher. And when you call me mister Ginsburg, 309 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: that's what I am. I am your teacher. And sometimes 310 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: I'll call on you on your hands up. Sometimes I'll 311 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: let other people speak. But I'm doing that because it's 312 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: my job as a teacher to make sure everybody's voice 313 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: gets a chance. Thankfully, he's far more reasonable than I 314 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: was at his age, so he's an excellent grass effort 315 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: so far. But I'm yet to teach your class. I'm 316 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: sure he'll be fine. In fact, after I finished recording this, 317 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: I'm going to fire up the printer, print out my 318 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: name tag, print out my first lesson plan, and keept preparing. 319 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: I'm wondrying, I'm probably going to have to wear the 320 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: male primary school teacher. I'm probably gonna have to wear 321 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: the unofficial male primary school teacher uniform, you know, polo 322 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: shirt above the knee shorts, T shirt tucked in, because that, 323 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: you know, it'll help delineate me from the man the 324 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: kids see at the park after school or down at 325 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: nippers or when they come and hang out to the 326 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: guy who's in the room teaching them, and which it's Yes, 327 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: am I excited? Yes? Am I trying to remember what 328 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: Susan David told me on this podcast. Yes, she said 329 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: courage is fear walking, So am I trying to be courageous? Yes? Now? 330 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: Why am I telling you this? Because while you may 331 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: not be able to volunteer for a similar thing where 332 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: you live in the world, looking at the phone, looking 333 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,600 Speaker 1: at your phone, and just seeing so much deliberate misunderstanding, obfuscation, 334 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: demonization of others, taking them in bad faith at every 335 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: opportunity to justify poor behavior that it is hurting us 336 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: so much as a society. And this is the one 337 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: thing I can do. Because I cannot vote and overseas elections, 338 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: I cannot influence energy policy of other countries. I'm kind 339 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: to influence energy policy in my country. But what I 340 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: can do, I can help my kids, my kids' friends, 341 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: and my immediate community to think better about each other, 342 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: to disagree in a healthier way, and to consider other ideas. 343 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: And that makes me feel on the inside a whole 344 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 1: lot better than typing a snarky comment under an article, 345 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: reposting something and then feeling, Aha, my work here is done, 346 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: because it isn't now. Having said all that, it may 347 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: fall in a gigantic heap, but regardless, success is not 348 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: a straight line. But I hope it's got you thinking 349 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: about how you might be able to volunteer for something, 350 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: or how you might be able to at the very 351 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: grassroots of your community. I'm talking within your family, within 352 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: the small cohort of the mates of you and your friends, 353 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:42,639 Speaker 1: and your kids, get kids friends. How you might be 354 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: able to make a difference there for good is that 355 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: is only there that we actually have any any kind 356 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: of influence. But it is in those little tiny spheres 357 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 1: of influence that join together that make big change happen. 358 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: Let me know what you think. If you want to 359 00:17:57,160 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: get in touch, there's a link in the show notes. 360 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening. I'll see you Wednesday.