1
00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,640
Speaker 1: Hey, everybody's Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.

2
00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,000
Speaker 1: And we continue now a part two of our conversation

3
00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,360
Speaker 1: with jennyman Juno in her class at Briarc Christian School

4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:30,600
Speaker 1: right after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Bob

5
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,479
Speaker 1: is very easy to listen to because he's honest and

6
00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,159
Speaker 1: speaks from the heart. He talked about his mistakes and

7
00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,960
Speaker 1: what he's learned. He doesn't try to act like a hero. Instead,

8
00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,040
Speaker 1: he just seems like a regular guy, army and normal

9
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,360
Speaker 1: folks who decided to care, which makes the podcast more

10
00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:51,040
Speaker 1: powerful and relatable. This podcast taught me that one person

11
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,480
Speaker 1: really can make a difference. Bob didn't wait for someone

12
00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,480
Speaker 1: else to fix things. He took action. Who's that okay?

13
00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:03,800
Speaker 2: Brome Zachary Pierce Zach. So, Yeah, this podcast was really

14
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,959
Speaker 2: touching because he talks about how people get into, you know,

15
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,080
Speaker 2: bad situations because they have nothing else to fill their

16
00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,680
Speaker 2: time with. So that's why he created the rec Baseball

17
00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,120
Speaker 2: League in Chicago, in the inner city of Chicago, and

18
00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,319
Speaker 2: so it's just it's shocking to see, you know, how

19
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,520
Speaker 2: just even free time can lead to these bad decisions

20
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,280
Speaker 2: and just a simple thing as baseball, and he also

21
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,080
Speaker 2: built a high school there as well. So just even

22
00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,760
Speaker 2: something as simple as a sport can keep them out

23
00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:32,120
Speaker 2: of jail.

24
00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,600
Speaker 1: Did you find him half as funny as I did?

25
00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:41,920
Speaker 1: That guy's awesome, didn't he? Yes, listen, guys, no more assignments.

26
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:46,120
Speaker 1: I know it's a podcast, but if you want to laugh,

27
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,360
Speaker 1: listen to that podcast because this dude is hilarious. And

28
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:55,840
Speaker 1: by the way, sitting with them, Alex, what was he he?

29
00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,600
Speaker 1: What was a little bit of background on Bob because

30
00:01:58,600 --> 00:01:59,400
Speaker 1: he's so funny.

31
00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,920
Speaker 3: You got to keep saying these people's full names. So

32
00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,800
Speaker 3: it's Bob Mazakowski or whatever.

33
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 1: What did I tell you about producers correcting me being

34
00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:09,240
Speaker 1: a butt head?

35
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,600
Speaker 3: It's pretty basic, isn't a guy?

36
00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:10,959
Speaker 4: Yeah?

37
00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,239
Speaker 3: So he was actually an addict in New York City,

38
00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,360
Speaker 3: which is fun. So he was like playing rugby in

39
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,519
Speaker 3: New York City. And do you remember the story? You

40
00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,760
Speaker 3: can feel for it to tell if you want. All right,

41
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,440
Speaker 3: So he literally like gets kicked out of the game

42
00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,880
Speaker 3: and he's got a sippy cup full of cocaine that

43
00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,400
Speaker 3: he's using. And then this pastor also gets kicked out

44
00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:33,920
Speaker 3: of the game and he offers him some coke and

45
00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:35,800
Speaker 3: he had no idea. The guy was pastor. What does

46
00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,440
Speaker 3: this guy doing playing rugby as a pastor? And this

47
00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,320
Speaker 3: guy invited him to his church in Times Square, and

48
00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,680
Speaker 3: that really fascinating church that had you know, wealthy people

49
00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,680
Speaker 3: in suits and homeless people going to church together, you know,

50
00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,280
Speaker 3: and dining together after. And this guy helped make him

51
00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,720
Speaker 3: a Christian. And Bob ended up intentionally ultimately moving into

52
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,919
Speaker 3: the inner city himself too. And I don't think everybody's

53
00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:58,720
Speaker 3: necessarily called to do that, but he does put a

54
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,600
Speaker 3: good challenge of where ward Christ is where you live

55
00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,959
Speaker 3: in these mcnanions in the suburbs, or would be living

56
00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:04,200
Speaker 3: with the people.

57
00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:04,400
Speaker 4: In the city.

58
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,919
Speaker 3: And so he's also, like Alan Barnhart, one of the

59
00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,760
Speaker 3: most challenging and fascinating people you'll ever meet.

60
00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,960
Speaker 1: I encourage all to listen to it. Plus he's my

61
00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,840
Speaker 1: kind of Christian, which that means sees like me. He

62
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,800
Speaker 1: needs prayer and redemption every night because of the seventy

63
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,200
Speaker 1: thousand sins I create every day. And he's still got

64
00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,840
Speaker 1: that New York brashness in him. You have more freedom

65
00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,480
Speaker 1: when you manage money compared to when you don't. Money

66
00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:36,640
Speaker 1: isn't money itself, isn't sinful. It's what we choose to

67
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,800
Speaker 1: do with our money that can be sinful. They sacrifice

68
00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,440
Speaker 1: the luxuries of life in order to pay off their

69
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,280
Speaker 1: debts quicker and learned how to manage money properly. It's

70
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,240
Speaker 1: a challenge to keep your faith in college. There's a

71
00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,400
Speaker 1: lack of motivation to do things like get up and

72
00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,560
Speaker 1: go to church. We're talking about Brandy and Ashley. I

73
00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:03,839
Speaker 1: think it's stathless, right, I say, Brandon and Ashley status.

74
00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,119
Speaker 4: Who's that? That's MEI you what's your name?

75
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 5: I'm Hannah Wigginton.

76
00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 4: Yeah, tell me about it.

77
00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,960
Speaker 5: So I thought it was really interesting because like when

78
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:17,120
Speaker 5: they went to college, they started ministering to like freshmen

79
00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,479
Speaker 5: in college and me going to a college next year,

80
00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,440
Speaker 5: Like I'm going to Stanford University, so it's about Samford.

81
00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:30,200
Speaker 5: Really Yeah it's Alma. Yeah, I guess a little, but yeah.

82
00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,359
Speaker 5: I just feel like it's a good lesson for me

83
00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,640
Speaker 5: to minister to other kids in college and like help

84
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,239
Speaker 5: them build their faith because I think I have a

85
00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,279
Speaker 5: pretty good faith. I mean I but I it was

86
00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,960
Speaker 5: very inspiring. And I also feel like it's crazy how

87
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,920
Speaker 5: God's timing works, because like when all these friends gathered

88
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,159
Speaker 5: around to give them the money. They were like they

89
00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:54,200
Speaker 5: just found out that they were pregnant. I thought that

90
00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,600
Speaker 5: was crazy, Like God's timing is so like actually insane.

91
00:04:58,080 --> 00:04:59,279
Speaker 5: So I thought that was really cool.

92
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,920
Speaker 1: It's all, it's so cool to see that if you

93
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,280
Speaker 1: want exact some measure change, you don't have to start

94
00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,719
Speaker 1: some big five oh one C three or be part

95
00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,040
Speaker 1: of some big organization. You just help your neighbor and

96
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,159
Speaker 1: pass it on. Did you did you? Did you feel

97
00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:15,159
Speaker 1: that as you were listening?

98
00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:15,440
Speaker 4: Yeah?

99
00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,080
Speaker 5: I also think I took away from it like you

100
00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,120
Speaker 5: don't have to like have service to strangers. You can

101
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,240
Speaker 5: help people like you know, like yeah for sure, like

102
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,120
Speaker 5: your neighbor, like your friend, or like you don't have

103
00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,880
Speaker 5: to just like when you serve, it doesn't have to

104
00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,719
Speaker 5: be someone random like going on a mission trip, serving

105
00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,479
Speaker 5: someone you don't know, but it can just be like

106
00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,800
Speaker 5: the person that you are closest to who just needs help.

107
00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,159
Speaker 4: Absolutely true. We talk about it all the time.

108
00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,480
Speaker 1: You have to employ your passion and your discipline, what

109
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,200
Speaker 1: you care about, what you're good at at areas of need.

110
00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,600
Speaker 1: Those areas in need may be an inner city or

111
00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,000
Speaker 1: in prison. That area need also maybe next door. Being

112
00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,960
Speaker 1: a part of army or normal folks is not a

113
00:05:54,960 --> 00:06:00,600
Speaker 1: call to be so extraordinarily big and everything and people

114
00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,320
Speaker 1: who do that great. But you can be part of

115
00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,680
Speaker 1: the army of normal folks by serving simply your neighbor

116
00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,840
Speaker 1: or your classmate or your friend. I enjoyed this podcast

117
00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:15,760
Speaker 1: due to how vulnerable and open he was with the

118
00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:20,080
Speaker 1: audience and how interesting his content was. I learned that

119
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:22,560
Speaker 1: our God is an amazing god that can use an

120
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,880
Speaker 1: ordinary guy like JT and turn him into a life changer.

121
00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:28,919
Speaker 1: Jt Olsen both ends.

122
00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:33,480
Speaker 6: Hi hello and Angelie Gobondo? What Angelie Gobondo?

123
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:34,159
Speaker 7: Hi?

124
00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:34,760
Speaker 8: Hi?

125
00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:35,520
Speaker 9: Go?

126
00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:39,360
Speaker 10: Okay? So J t Olsen Those that haven't watched it.

127
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,159
Speaker 6: He came from a family and his parents both died

128
00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,160
Speaker 6: in a car wreck, and his aunt and uncle took

129
00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:48,880
Speaker 6: him in and he felt like he was left abandoned.

130
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:54,719
Speaker 6: And his family consisted of five kids, four kids, and

131
00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,719
Speaker 6: they all moved in with his aunt and uncle without

132
00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,200
Speaker 6: them really knowing that it was going to happen, just

133
00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,240
Speaker 6: like took them in. And basically he went about and

134
00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:08,200
Speaker 6: helped orphans with adoption and widows. So he would get

135
00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,360
Speaker 6: a team of people, all volunteers and get all these

136
00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:15,680
Speaker 6: like objects and supplies from people, again all just given.

137
00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,320
Speaker 6: Nothing was bought to help these widows with their houses,

138
00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,040
Speaker 6: whatever they needed, whether it was gardening or drywall, plumbing

139
00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,440
Speaker 6: like anything, and all the money that they got from

140
00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,520
Speaker 6: sponsors would go towards a family to adopt, because adoption

141
00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,000
Speaker 6: is a lot more expensive than you'd think. It was,

142
00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,800
Speaker 6: about much seventy thousand dollars I believe.

143
00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,880
Speaker 1: Seventy to one hundred thousand dollars to a back, So

144
00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,960
Speaker 1: people that want to adopt don't have the money to adopt.

145
00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:47,280
Speaker 1: And instead of raising money for people to adopt, he

146
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,760
Speaker 1: helped widows with houses and got sponsorships and then took

147
00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,360
Speaker 1: that money so other families could adopt. So he partnered

148
00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:59,760
Speaker 1: helping poor widows with fixops with adoption.

149
00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:01,520
Speaker 10: It was like a two to one situation.

150
00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,040
Speaker 6: He got two things done at one time with the

151
00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:05,640
Speaker 6: widows and with the adoptions.

152
00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,560
Speaker 10: And yeah, I really could you learn from it.

153
00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,360
Speaker 6: It just made me realize how like one simple action

154
00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,920
Speaker 6: that's happened like that's happened to you can make you

155
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,120
Speaker 6: a really big deal to someone else's life. Like my

156
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,760
Speaker 6: favorite quote that he said was when he was adopting

157
00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,280
Speaker 6: his girl grace. He said something like, why is it

158
00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,440
Speaker 6: so wrong to use my life savings to save a life?

159
00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,080
Speaker 6: And his wife wasn't one hundred percent ready to have

160
00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,320
Speaker 6: another kid because they already had four of their own.

161
00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,360
Speaker 6: And I thought it was really huge that he just

162
00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,040
Speaker 6: knew that he needed to do it and that he

163
00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,720
Speaker 6: prayed about it, and God was like, you need to

164
00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,800
Speaker 6: take what you have and what I've given you to

165
00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:40,600
Speaker 6: help someone else.

166
00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:42,079
Speaker 10: And yeah, I just thought that was great.

167
00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,240
Speaker 1: Sean and Inga Arvin love City. It's fascinating how the

168
00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,199
Speaker 1: Lord works in our lives. I found their story motivating

169
00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,160
Speaker 1: for me to reach great goals. I learned to take risks.

170
00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,720
Speaker 1: I think they're very brave for taking the risk to

171
00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:56,920
Speaker 1: help this new community.

172
00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,000
Speaker 4: Hi, that's me lose you.

173
00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:00,920
Speaker 10: I'm Katie Pearce.

174
00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,120
Speaker 4: Hi, how are you tell me about it?

175
00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,760
Speaker 11: So this was an interview with Sewn and Inga Arvin.

176
00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:12,160
Speaker 11: And this was a couple that moved into this neighborhood

177
00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:13,760
Speaker 11: that was not very.

178
00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:15,960
Speaker 10: Expected.

179
00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:21,000
Speaker 11: They bought this house and ended up inheriting this community

180
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:26,160
Speaker 11: center where they ended up taking care and welcoming of

181
00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,559
Speaker 11: this huge community, and it was really unexpected of them,

182
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,080
Speaker 11: and it was Inga who just decided that she wanted

183
00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,280
Speaker 11: to move into this neighborhood, and Sean was not on

184
00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,239
Speaker 11: board with it at first because this was the neighborhood

185
00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,240
Speaker 11: that he would used to buy drugs from, and so

186
00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:47,679
Speaker 11: he was not really wanting to do this. But they

187
00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,720
Speaker 11: ended up getting that house and then making the big

188
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,079
Speaker 11: risk to take in this community and.

189
00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:54,120
Speaker 10: Help them a lot.

190
00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:55,360
Speaker 4: What'd you learn from it?

191
00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:00,600
Speaker 11: Definitely to take risks, and that like odd will like

192
00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,040
Speaker 11: work out and you can go, will work in you

193
00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:05,800
Speaker 11: in just like mysterious ways that.

194
00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:06,400
Speaker 10: You don't even know.

195
00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:13,520
Speaker 1: When you guys learned your elevator pitch, right, how many

196
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:17,000
Speaker 1: seconds did you have to make the pitch?

197
00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:18,480
Speaker 4: Do you remember?

198
00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,760
Speaker 8: We didn't thirty to forty that's a long elevator rod.

199
00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:28,240
Speaker 1: Four a little longer thirty to forty. Y'all are doing

200
00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:29,960
Speaker 1: well in your synopsis?

201
00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:30,120
Speaker 12: Is?

202
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,560
Speaker 1: I was just wondering because you guys are you guys

203
00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:36,280
Speaker 1: are boiling down hour and a half to three hour

204
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:41,120
Speaker 1: podcast and do about two minutes, so I think you're

205
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,160
Speaker 1: using that skill right now. That's actually really good. I

206
00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,520
Speaker 1: want to ask you how did you how did it

207
00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:54,800
Speaker 1: did you find the very fact that this guy used

208
00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,160
Speaker 1: to buy drugs in the neighborhood that he ended up

209
00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,560
Speaker 1: returning to to try to help heal. Did that have

210
00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,520
Speaker 1: any effect on you understanding that heart of his story.

211
00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,600
Speaker 11: Yeah, I can definitely understand why he wouldn't want to

212
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,600
Speaker 11: move there with all the bad memories from the drug

213
00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,440
Speaker 11: dealing and all that, so I can understand why he

214
00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:18,120
Speaker 11: wouldn't want to move back there. But it was really

215
00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,840
Speaker 11: inspiring how he took the risk and how they were

216
00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,360
Speaker 11: praying about it to.

217
00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,880
Speaker 10: Move into this neighborhood from their past.

218
00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:39,520
Speaker 4: We'll be right back. Eight.

219
00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:44,320
Speaker 1: Dean Angel Studio's movie Brave the Dark about his adopter

220
00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,640
Speaker 1: father stand Dean. The content kept me really intrigued. You

221
00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,560
Speaker 1: could really hear how important this was to Nate and

222
00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,800
Speaker 1: how much it affected his life. I'm very lucky that

223
00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:57,840
Speaker 1: I haven't had to experience anything I had to go

224
00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,520
Speaker 1: through I learned from this podcast asked that community and

225
00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:03,840
Speaker 1: family matters, whether biological or not.

226
00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:04,640
Speaker 4: Hi.

227
00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,600
Speaker 10: Hi name, I'm joining Ezekiel.

228
00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:09,640
Speaker 4: Good to see you tell me about it.

229
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:15,559
Speaker 12: So basically, when he was five, his dad shot his

230
00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,760
Speaker 12: mom and then shot himself right after, and he watched

231
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:25,000
Speaker 12: the whole thing happen, and his grandparents took him in

232
00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,760
Speaker 12: after like the police came and everything, but he was

233
00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,080
Speaker 12: had like so much trauma and he like shut down

234
00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,720
Speaker 12: that he wasn't really talking to anyone. So the grandparents

235
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,160
Speaker 12: actually just ended up giving him up. And so then

236
00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,440
Speaker 12: he went from multiple different foster homes and then he

237
00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,280
Speaker 12: got a car and so then like ran away from

238
00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:51,480
Speaker 12: his foster home and just like slept in his car,

239
00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:57,000
Speaker 12: and then him and his friends robbed an electronics store

240
00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:02,120
Speaker 12: where they got sent to jail. And then when he

241
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,520
Speaker 12: was in jail, his teacher came and visited him, and

242
00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,480
Speaker 12: his teacher got him out of jail, and Nate ended

243
00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,720
Speaker 12: up living with him after that, and his teacher just

244
00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,920
Speaker 12: made a huge impact on his life. And he was

245
00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:18,960
Speaker 12: able to live with his teacher, and like his teacher

246
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,000
Speaker 12: showed him like Christmas and birthdays and gave him gifts

247
00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:25,520
Speaker 12: and like spoiled him, and he just like never experienced

248
00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:26,120
Speaker 12: anything like.

249
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,320
Speaker 4: That, and it was just and what do you do

250
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:29,199
Speaker 4: with that experience?

251
00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,640
Speaker 10: He made a movie about his life.

252
00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,120
Speaker 4: Yep, what'd you learn from it?

253
00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,000
Speaker 12: Just the impact that people can have on others.

254
00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:44,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, think about you just had a teacher tell you

255
00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,640
Speaker 1: that she was told to go home on weekends and

256
00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,320
Speaker 1: spend the night at somebody else's house because she just

257
00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,679
Speaker 1: wasn't even welcoming her own home on the weekends because

258
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:52,760
Speaker 1: of this function.

259
00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:54,480
Speaker 4: Created by her mother's lifestyle.

260
00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,800
Speaker 1: Think about when we drive down the street and we

261
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,640
Speaker 1: see homes and everybody else's family, and we assume behind

262
00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,559
Speaker 1: the closed doors everything is perfect while we all have

263
00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,920
Speaker 1: trials and tribulations in our own lives and we think

264
00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,280
Speaker 1: we're on an island. There's this function in trauma and

265
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,439
Speaker 1: difficulty in everybody's life, right, and it's how you overcome it.

266
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,400
Speaker 1: And you're never on an island because everybody's experiencing something.

267
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,880
Speaker 1: And if you're willing to be the person to step

268
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,120
Speaker 1: up and interject yourself in somebody's life and help out,

269
00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:37,480
Speaker 1: you never know how deeply of an effect that can happen,

270
00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,560
Speaker 1: Like a speech teacher, like a football coach.

271
00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:43,560
Speaker 4: Big lessons in that story.

272
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,240
Speaker 1: Charity ball fraternities are usually known for loud music parties

273
00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,920
Speaker 1: and drinking, but this frat wanted to make a lasting impact.

274
00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,640
Speaker 1: Sigma Nu has had a lasting impact not only at

275
00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,880
Speaker 1: Old Miss, but at other schools across the country. This

276
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,520
Speaker 1: podcast taught me not to judge a book about's cover

277
00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,880
Speaker 1: and to always strive to respect and assist those in need.

278
00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,200
Speaker 4: Who wrote that that was me? Hi you? What's your name?

279
00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:10,320
Speaker 4: Garrett Rosner? What Garrett Rosner? Okay? Tell me about this?

280
00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:14,760
Speaker 13: So basically, the Sigma Nu fraternity big frat at Old Miss.

281
00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,600
Speaker 13: And in nineteen eighty nine, there's a football game going

282
00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:19,840
Speaker 13: on between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt and one of the

283
00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:21,720
Speaker 13: Old Miss players it was a homecoming game, so it's

284
00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,640
Speaker 13: a big game also, and one of the Old Miss players,

285
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,320
Speaker 13: Chuckie Mullens, he was going for a play and then

286
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:27,280
Speaker 13: he got paralyzed.

287
00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:28,920
Speaker 4: And these two.

288
00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,880
Speaker 13: Fraternity brothers saw this and they went up to Chucky

289
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,360
Speaker 13: like a few days later, they're like, hey, like, is

290
00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,600
Speaker 13: there any way like we can raise money for people

291
00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,280
Speaker 13: that have like your condition to help them out. And

292
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,720
Speaker 13: they were like afraid to do this at first because

293
00:15:42,040 --> 00:15:44,080
Speaker 13: they didn't like want to bother him, like annoy him,

294
00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:45,480
Speaker 13: and it's like time and knee, and he was like

295
00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,240
Speaker 13: of course. And so then they started this charity bowl

296
00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,160
Speaker 13: where these fraternities raise money for a kid and they

297
00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:53,600
Speaker 13: raise all the money up and then they give it

298
00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,120
Speaker 13: to a certain kid who has paralysis, and they keep

299
00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,440
Speaker 13: continuing over the years and they keep setting goals for

300
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:00,880
Speaker 13: himself so they can keep going higher. And then I

301
00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,200
Speaker 13: think they reached their all time goal like in twenty

302
00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,640
Speaker 13: twenty two and gave away it was like three hundred

303
00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,960
Speaker 13: thousand dollars. It's like one kid of paralysis. And then

304
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:14,280
Speaker 13: other schools like Mississippi State also they like uh SEC

305
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,320
Speaker 13: schools also caught onto this and started doing their own

306
00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:17,840
Speaker 13: charity balls this year.

307
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,360
Speaker 1: The game was just played a month ago. The guys

308
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,040
Speaker 1: you were listening to their game just went off a

309
00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,960
Speaker 1: month ago and they raised three hundred and eighty thousand

310
00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,600
Speaker 1: dollars a bunch of kids like you to give away

311
00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:35,800
Speaker 1: to a bunch of people like you who ended up paralyzed.

312
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,520
Speaker 4: What'd you learn from it? I thought it was really cool.

313
00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,120
Speaker 13: Like fraternities always have the stigma around them, like they're like,

314
00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:44,160
Speaker 13: I don't know, it's like a fraternity, like they were

315
00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:45,800
Speaker 13: cool guys, like they party and all this stuff. But

316
00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,800
Speaker 13: these kids like really wanted to make a change, and

317
00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:49,880
Speaker 13: like you don't see, like you don't think of a

318
00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,800
Speaker 13: fraternity going out to help like some kid of paralysis,

319
00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,200
Speaker 13: Like you think they're like uptight like frat boys, you know.

320
00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,000
Speaker 13: Uh sound, but uh, these kids like really want to

321
00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,760
Speaker 13: make a lasting impact and change the stigma around the fraternis.

322
00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,280
Speaker 4: I love it, Officer Tommy Norman.

323
00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:11,960
Speaker 1: And by the way, this is one of the coolest

324
00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,000
Speaker 1: guys I've ever interviewed my life. The ability of mister

325
00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,080
Speaker 1: Courtney and Tommy. So whoever wrote this, thanks because you

326
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:23,520
Speaker 1: plugged me to connect needs no change. It's perfect and

327
00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,560
Speaker 1: provides heartfelt and eye opening experiences for the audience. I've

328
00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:31,280
Speaker 1: learned that serving your community is more than just doing

329
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:35,000
Speaker 1: helpful things. It's the work behind the scenes protecting the community.

330
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,359
Speaker 1: Who wrote that, Hi, my name is Date bliin I

331
00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:39,280
Speaker 1: wrote that, So tell me about it.

332
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,080
Speaker 7: So Officer Tommy Norman, he is a cop and he

333
00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:47,840
Speaker 7: lived in I think North Little Rock, Arkansas, and just

334
00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,480
Speaker 7: a lot of the things there is that he yes,

335
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,600
Speaker 7: like he's an officer, but he specifically said his shift

336
00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,119
Speaker 7: basically never ends, and he basically wanted to be a

337
00:17:59,160 --> 00:17:59,600
Speaker 7: cop so he.

338
00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,880
Speaker 9: Could get back to his community. And how he says

339
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,119
Speaker 9: his shift doesn't end is when he's off shift. A

340
00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,159
Speaker 9: lot of the other cops, they put up their belt,

341
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,680
Speaker 9: they go home and they just sit with their families

342
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,040
Speaker 9: and have dinner. And all that, but he's out in

343
00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,919
Speaker 9: his community helping widows, buying groceries, buying a kid a

344
00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:23,760
Speaker 9: bicycle so he can get to school and everything. And

345
00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,040
Speaker 9: he says, really trying to be engaged and bring community

346
00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:29,240
Speaker 9: into one instead of being separated.

347
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,919
Speaker 1: One of the things Tommy Norman taught me is you

348
00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:34,919
Speaker 1: can be part of an army and normal folks and

349
00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,959
Speaker 1: serve just as a guy doing your job, just doing extra,

350
00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,520
Speaker 1: just going a little above and beyond and what you

351
00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,840
Speaker 1: do for a living. He has three goals. He wants

352
00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,920
Speaker 1: to be invited into your yard. Then he wants to

353
00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,480
Speaker 1: be invited onto your porch. Then he wants to be

354
00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,400
Speaker 1: invited into your house, because once he finally is get

355
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,160
Speaker 1: invited to your house, he knows he's built.

356
00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:00,000
Speaker 4: A relationship with you.

357
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,600
Speaker 1: And this is a cop who is white in an

358
00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:08,280
Speaker 1: almost well at least a very predominantly African American community,

359
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,240
Speaker 1: running around in his police car with this police uniform on,

360
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,439
Speaker 1: which is typically in a community like that, the enemy

361
00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:19,879
Speaker 1: or at least someone is scary, or at least someone

362
00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:26,520
Speaker 1: who you're worried about, invading your personal rights, getting invited

363
00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:30,119
Speaker 1: into people's yards, onto their porch, and into their house,

364
00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,000
Speaker 1: and once he makes it in there, he builds relationships

365
00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:36,840
Speaker 1: with people in that community. He's considered the Michael Jordan

366
00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:42,200
Speaker 1: of community policing, and he is revered in a community

367
00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:47,359
Speaker 1: that popular narrative tells us is a community that hates

368
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,000
Speaker 1: the police and fears them, and he has turned that

369
00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:55,199
Speaker 1: all upside down by simply having conversations with people on

370
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,880
Speaker 1: their porch. Again, you don't have to be some WI

371
00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:04,200
Speaker 1: is good to have a lasting effect on so many

372
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,880
Speaker 1: people and be a part of the army and normal folks.

373
00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,040
Speaker 1: It oftentimes is as easy as having a civil, non

374
00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:14,840
Speaker 1: threatening conversation. So those are the excerpts I have. I

375
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,920
Speaker 1: haven't gotten all of you, but that's the excerpts I have.

376
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,840
Speaker 1: What I'd like to know is someone who hasn't spoken yet.

377
00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:26,600
Speaker 1: Did the assignment and the podcast in general give you

378
00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:33,160
Speaker 1: any new thoughts or notions about volunteering, generosity or something

379
00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,840
Speaker 1: that you might be encouraged to involve yourself in. Anybody,

380
00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,440
Speaker 1: I know, I haven't heard from you. Hi, what's your name?

381
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,000
Speaker 10: I'm Chrystal Pierre Luis.

382
00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,960
Speaker 14: So I didn't listen to an Army Folks podcast, but

383
00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,160
Speaker 14: from all the discussion around has really interested me. I'm

384
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:58,840
Speaker 14: in Wilson's Society, the volunteer club here, community work, and

385
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,080
Speaker 14: recently I went Madonna, what's it?

386
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:02,440
Speaker 4: What's what Wilson?

387
00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,040
Speaker 10: Yes, Wilson Society part of that.

388
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,600
Speaker 4: Yes, Okay, stop because I'm gonna let you talk about it.

389
00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:07,880
Speaker 4: Don't go anywhere. Here we go.

390
00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:12,400
Speaker 1: So that's a great segue. Perfect you did. Well, you're

391
00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:18,280
Speaker 1: not a plant either. But there's this thing. Actually, why

392
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,520
Speaker 1: don't you explain what the Wilson thing is and then

393
00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,119
Speaker 1: we'll go back to you and I want to hear

394
00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:23,440
Speaker 1: about your involvement in it.

395
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,919
Speaker 8: And we have several in here that are in Wilson Society.

396
00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:28,840
Speaker 8: So Wilson Society is a service club on our campus.

397
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,600
Speaker 8: There's about two hundred members and they select projects that

398
00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,359
Speaker 8: they're going to do each semester.

399
00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:37,359
Speaker 10: It varies.

400
00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:39,680
Speaker 8: The officers and the students decide what they're going to do.

401
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,359
Speaker 8: They can write a grant up to one thousand dollars

402
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,200
Speaker 8: through the Kimmins Wilson Family Foundation and they will give

403
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,840
Speaker 8: them money to do their project. So the projects are selected.

404
00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:50,760
Speaker 8: If you have something that's going to cost money, you

405
00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,880
Speaker 8: have to make a budget, make the plan, and then

406
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,800
Speaker 8: Wilson Society will provide you the people you know to

407
00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:02,760
Speaker 8: make it work. So student get involved. They can lead

408
00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,159
Speaker 8: a project. We've got a few in here that have

409
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:06,359
Speaker 8: actually written the grant led a project, and then others

410
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,919
Speaker 8: come alongside. They can do a hands on, they can

411
00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,040
Speaker 8: do a donation, and then we support Orange Mound through

412
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,640
Speaker 8: a variety of separate things that we do as well.

413
00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,919
Speaker 4: So with that as a background, tell me about what

414
00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:19,480
Speaker 4: you've done.

415
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,400
Speaker 14: Okay, So recently I went to the school Madonna And

416
00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:29,119
Speaker 14: what is Madonna? Madonna? Yes, so Madonna is a school

417
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,960
Speaker 14: with kids with disabilities and things like autism and down syndrome,

418
00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,080
Speaker 14: And a group of us went last week to spend

419
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:40,920
Speaker 14: time with them and like kind of like a summer

420
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,600
Speaker 14: like diving into summer type of things. So there was

421
00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:48,879
Speaker 14: bouncy houses and coloring and stickers and popcorn and candy

422
00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,680
Speaker 14: and although there was kids as young as like three

423
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:57,119
Speaker 14: or three, and there were adults. And so the first

424
00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 14: round we had adults and they were really sweet and

425
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,560
Speaker 14: me and my classmate we did like this ball toss

426
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,520
Speaker 14: and like some of them wouldn't you know, they didn't

427
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,880
Speaker 14: want to like play with us, but just being like, hey,

428
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:13,879
Speaker 14: how you doing, Like just like making them feel welcomed

429
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,680
Speaker 14: as we're they're welcoming us, serving with them and playing

430
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,080
Speaker 14: with them, even though you know, we don't deal with

431
00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,720
Speaker 14: the same things that they do deal with. And again

432
00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,000
Speaker 14: with the kids too, just being like, oh, you're your

433
00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,320
Speaker 14: no policy looks really pretty or your hair looks really pretty,

434
00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,200
Speaker 14: and just you know, serving with them and spending time

435
00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,720
Speaker 14: and having fun with them was truly an experience I

436
00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,000
Speaker 14: really loved.

437
00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:38,520
Speaker 4: We'll be right back.

438
00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:54,480
Speaker 1: Your teacher sitting on my left over here, Jenny, oh sorry,

439
00:23:55,040 --> 00:24:01,320
Speaker 1: miss whatever you're supposed to be called, says I love

440
00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:06,280
Speaker 1: what you're doing. She loves the podcast. Obviously she would

441
00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,720
Speaker 1: have made you guys do this assignment if she didn't,

442
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:12,600
Speaker 1: But she said, I hope we're building an army of

443
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:18,639
Speaker 1: normal teenagers. That's what she wants to do through this class,

444
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,359
Speaker 1: through this process, through listening to the podcast, through all

445
00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:26,240
Speaker 1: of this stuff, would anybody say they've had a changed

446
00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:32,680
Speaker 1: or heightened awareness at all of the importance of community

447
00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:34,400
Speaker 1: involvement service?

448
00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:36,360
Speaker 4: Anybody want to talk about that?

449
00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,919
Speaker 6: So I actually sorry, Angelae Covonde, there you go. I

450
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:42,639
Speaker 6: helped write one of the grants this year for one

451
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,000
Speaker 6: of the projects for Wilson Society, and it had to

452
00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:50,080
Speaker 6: do with Christmas. And I just never thought about Christmas

453
00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,680
Speaker 6: not having gifts, like obviously addition to the christ part

454
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,040
Speaker 6: of it, but like having gifts was just is normal

455
00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,280
Speaker 6: to me. Like I've been very blessed. I have parents

456
00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:00,640
Speaker 6: are still together, like I'm an only child, so I've been.

457
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:01,400
Speaker 10: Very very blessed.

458
00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,919
Speaker 6: And this year, when I was doing the grant, it

459
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,320
Speaker 6: made me realize, like there are kids that are just

460
00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,320
Speaker 6: walking around that don't understand the joy of Christmas or.

461
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:10,440
Speaker 10: Get gifts at all.

462
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:15,320
Speaker 6: So part of that grant was we get specified kids

463
00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,600
Speaker 6: that ask for certain things, and we get a red

464
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:20,000
Speaker 6: tub and we fill it with all the things that

465
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:21,840
Speaker 6: they asked for that we can get with the money

466
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,919
Speaker 6: that we raise. And another part of it is Briarcrest

467
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,160
Speaker 6: donates toys and Teddy Bears.

468
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,440
Speaker 10: And little race cars and stuff just in general.

469
00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,040
Speaker 6: And we have a back room that all the kids

470
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,040
Speaker 6: can just walk through and grab a gift. And I

471
00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:38,120
Speaker 6: didn't get to go to the event. I was taking

472
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:42,280
Speaker 6: the act, but I saw pictures and like the joy

473
00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,480
Speaker 6: that these kids get just seeing gifts that they've never

474
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:49,040
Speaker 6: seen before was something that truly changed my outlook on

475
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:50,960
Speaker 6: how blessed I really am?

476
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,359
Speaker 8: Or little backdrop on red tub. It's for foster children.

477
00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,960
Speaker 8: So all eight hundred plus foster children each get a

478
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,400
Speaker 8: red tub the Memphis Family Connection Center, and so we

479
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:06,960
Speaker 8: sponsored four tubs through Wilson Society. And those tubs also

480
00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,919
Speaker 8: pay for their therapeutic care for the year, so if

481
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,119
Speaker 8: they need psychological or anything else, that also covers it.

482
00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:13,920
Speaker 4: Pretty cool.

483
00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:18,480
Speaker 1: I want to leave you guys with one thought. It's

484
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:20,520
Speaker 1: time to get y'all back to class. I know y'all

485
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,760
Speaker 1: can't wait to get back to class and air conditioning,

486
00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:30,159
Speaker 1: and in fairness, you know this is probably better and

487
00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,439
Speaker 1: sitting class at least. But here we go. Who has

488
00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:38,600
Speaker 1: heard the turkey person explanation? Okay, well, I'm going to

489
00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:39,359
Speaker 1: give it to all of you.

490
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:41,400
Speaker 4: As you.

491
00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:46,800
Speaker 1: Think about what you've listened to, and as you think

492
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:51,880
Speaker 1: about this discussion, and as you ponder, hopefully what can

493
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:56,120
Speaker 1: I do as richly blessed as each of you are.

494
00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,280
Speaker 1: It's not a nice thing to do something kind of

495
00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,960
Speaker 1: a requirement, kind of a requirement of the blessings you

496
00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:10,399
Speaker 1: have to give back in some way. But fair warning,

497
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:19,639
Speaker 1: it comes with it comes with a set of rules.

498
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:25,760
Speaker 1: That will reveal themselves to you as you get involved.

499
00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:35,119
Speaker 1: It is not easy, it is fraught with misunderstanding, but

500
00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:39,119
Speaker 1: it's worth the effort. My first year, when I showed

501
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,119
Speaker 1: up at Manassas High School, there were seventeen kids on

502
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,160
Speaker 1: the team and they'd won four games.

503
00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:50,240
Speaker 4: And ten years. Four games in ten years. That's bad.

504
00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,199
Speaker 1: I mean, I know you're not good at math, but

505
00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,879
Speaker 1: wouldn't you say that's and that's pretty rough? Pretty bad?

506
00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:04,080
Speaker 1: Seventeen kids four ninety five. So my first year I

507
00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,800
Speaker 1: was their seven. My first year, halfway through the season

508
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,320
Speaker 1: were three and three. Now, I think three and three

509
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,320
Speaker 1: is pretty average, but when you've won four games in

510
00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,840
Speaker 1: ten years, they think three and three. You know, I'm

511
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,159
Speaker 1: kind of like a fat headed, redheaded version Elane Kiffin

512
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 1: or somebody they were buying in.

513
00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:21,160
Speaker 4: Well.

514
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,399
Speaker 1: When I first got to Manassis, obviously I had to

515
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,400
Speaker 1: start coaching football basics, right, But as we started coaching football,

516
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,479
Speaker 1: I also learned we had to coach a lot of

517
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:35,439
Speaker 1: other things. Somebody opened the table of contents and the

518
00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:39,600
Speaker 1: book in front of you. Somebody hand that person the microphone.

519
00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,520
Speaker 1: Would you just read the chapters loudly?

520
00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:48,280
Speaker 15: So Chapter one on the value of character Chapter two,

521
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:49,840
Speaker 15: The meaning of commitment.

522
00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:51,480
Speaker 4: Chapter three.

523
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,840
Speaker 15: Daring to leave your comfort zone for service is not

524
00:28:56,040 --> 00:29:01,320
Speaker 15: someone else's job. Five How leaders are defined. Six the

525
00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:06,840
Speaker 15: search of the search for civility. Seven, the power of dreams. Eight,

526
00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:12,080
Speaker 15: The relationship between fear and fortitude. Nine, perseverance never takes

527
00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:17,160
Speaker 15: a break. Ten, the dignity of hard work. Eleven, standing

528
00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:22,479
Speaker 15: on a firm foundation. Twelve, responsibility for the talk taking

529
00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:27,160
Speaker 15: thirteen grace appears in a forgiving heart, and fourteen the

530
00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:28,200
Speaker 15: gift of a legacy.

531
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:29,960
Speaker 4: We started teaching that too.

532
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:35,480
Speaker 1: We realized we had to coach the basics.

533
00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:38,280
Speaker 4: So halfway through the season, we're three and three. We're

534
00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:38,959
Speaker 4: coaching football.

535
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:45,200
Speaker 1: We're coaching that stuff, and half the team was buying in. Now,

536
00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,600
Speaker 1: the whole team was buying into the football. Yes or

537
00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:50,120
Speaker 1: no so are on the football field. But the minute

538
00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 1: football was over, only half the team was buying into

539
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,560
Speaker 1: that stuff. The other half the team, while yes or

540
00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:57,720
Speaker 1: no so are on the football field, they were getting

541
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,440
Speaker 1: back in the streets after games and practices engage in

542
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,600
Speaker 1: the same behavior that got them to four wins in

543
00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,800
Speaker 1: ninety five's metaphorically in life as well as football film.

544
00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,200
Speaker 1: So I was frustrated. Every coach has a guy. So

545
00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:13,560
Speaker 1: I went to my guy and I said, hey, man,

546
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:14,800
Speaker 1: what do I gotta do?

547
00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,320
Speaker 4: Y'all are yes or no, sir? Everything's good on.

548
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,680
Speaker 1: Football, but the important stuff only half of you are

549
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:22,280
Speaker 1: buying them. What do I got to do to get

550
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,880
Speaker 1: the other half that team to buy into the important stuff?

551
00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:25,800
Speaker 4: Like you're half the team.

552
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,520
Speaker 1: And this guy, who I had real conversations with, who

553
00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,240
Speaker 1: I knew would tell me the truth, looked at me

554
00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:35,880
Speaker 1: and said, all coach, just keep doing what you're doing dismissively.

555
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,720
Speaker 1: You know how y'all talk to your parents when they

556
00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,240
Speaker 1: tell you something you don't want to hear. You know, yes, sir,

557
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:48,320
Speaker 1: yes ma'am, but in your mind you're thinking, nah, you

558
00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:52,720
Speaker 1: know that right? That was the response, and I'm like, no, man,

559
00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,480
Speaker 1: real talk. And he said, Coach, I don't want to

560
00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,520
Speaker 1: hurt your feelings. I said, man, you're not going to

561
00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,440
Speaker 1: hurt my feelings, but I need to understand and while

562
00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,520
Speaker 1: that half the team ain't buying an important stuff like

563
00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:04,920
Speaker 1: here after him, he said, all right, coach, real talk.

564
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 4: I said, real talk.

565
00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,280
Speaker 1: He said, Coach, they're just trying to figure out if

566
00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:09,400
Speaker 1: you're a Turkey person.

567
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,480
Speaker 4: Or not. And I said, what are you talking about? Man?

568
00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:16,000
Speaker 4: He said, Coach.

569
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:21,640
Speaker 1: Every Thanksgiving and Christmas people roll into our neighborhoods and

570
00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:23,760
Speaker 1: they give us hands and turkeys and gifts, and we

571
00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,080
Speaker 1: take them because we ain't got none. But then they

572
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,960
Speaker 1: leave and we never see them again. Makes you wonder

573
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:31,920
Speaker 1: if they're doing that because they really care about us,

574
00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:34,080
Speaker 1: or that they're doing that to make themselves feel good.

575
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,440
Speaker 1: I know I'm in a Christian school, but I'm going

576
00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,440
Speaker 1: to quote this exactly how he said it. He looked

577
00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,240
Speaker 1: me dead and as they said, coach, really, what the

578
00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:48,480
Speaker 1: hell are you doing here? I want to challenge you

579
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:52,680
Speaker 1: guys to think about something. It's not enough to show

580
00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,200
Speaker 1: up once. Because when you show up once and leave

581
00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:59,520
Speaker 1: the type of people that you're in, type of communities

582
00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,840
Speaker 1: that you're going in to serve, that is very common.

583
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:10,080
Speaker 1: What is uncommon, what matters, what will have a lasting impact.

584
00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:17,000
Speaker 1: It's consistency is going back over and over and over

585
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:22,760
Speaker 1: again and being uncommon. The other thing is this, don't

586
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:28,320
Speaker 1: allow yourself to engage because you like the way that

587
00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:33,320
Speaker 1: it makes you feel. Don't allow yourself to engage because

588
00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:36,720
Speaker 1: when people hear about the work you're doing, the backslaps

589
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:41,560
Speaker 1: and the congratulations, and the people in your orbit think

590
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,480
Speaker 1: of you in a better way because of the work

591
00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:46,280
Speaker 1: you're doing. Because if you are doing it, because you

592
00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:50,600
Speaker 1: are getting something out of it personally from your peer group,

593
00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:55,000
Speaker 1: you are, in fact a turkey person, and a turkey

594
00:32:55,040 --> 00:33:01,640
Speaker 1: person's a fraud. You don't serve so that exalts you.

595
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:05,840
Speaker 1: You serve so that it exults someone not as blessed

596
00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,560
Speaker 1: as you, and you do it consistently.

597
00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,320
Speaker 4: And if you do that, you are uncommon.

598
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,320
Speaker 1: And uncommon people are what makes the army of normal

599
00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:24,120
Speaker 1: folks go. So I challenge you as you go off

600
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:28,400
Speaker 1: to college, as you go off and become adults, this

601
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:35,520
Speaker 1: weird assignment that you didn't want to do. My biggest

602
00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:39,840
Speaker 1: hope for you, guys is your biggest takeaway is be uncommon,

603
00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,440
Speaker 1: be uncommon, and grow the army in normal folks.

604
00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:48,720
Speaker 4: I'm going to leave it with you at your class closes.

605
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,520
Speaker 8: I'm very proud of how well they did today.

606
00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:54,760
Speaker 6: They did a great job.

607
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,520
Speaker 8: Thank you so much for sharing with them. I think

608
00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:00,760
Speaker 8: it's been more enlightening than they probably thought it would be,

609
00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,960
Speaker 8: and they've learned a lot about themselves through the podcast

610
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:06,160
Speaker 8: and what they can do in the future. So thank

611
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,680
Speaker 8: you for your podcast that could open the eyes of

612
00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:09,759
Speaker 8: even teenagers.

613
00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:11,120
Speaker 4: I hope that did.

614
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:15,000
Speaker 1: We're signing off from Briercrest High School in Memphis, Tennessee,

615
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,080
Speaker 1: where there's a room full of kids who, at the

616
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,480
Speaker 1: best of the teacher hopefully has.

617
00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,239
Speaker 4: Grown and wants to join the ranks of the Army

618
00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:24,800
Speaker 4: of Normal Folks. Kids.

619
00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:32,640
Speaker 1: Thanks for being here, I appreciate it very much. Well done,

620
00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:37,400
Speaker 1: and thank you for joining us this week. If Teacher

621
00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:41,239
Speaker 1: Jenny has inspired you in general, or better yet, to

622
00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,920
Speaker 1: take action by using an Army of Normal Folks with

623
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,880
Speaker 1: your classroom, recommending it to your school, or using it

624
00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,520
Speaker 1: with your own kids, please let me know. I'd love

625
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,400
Speaker 1: to hear about it. You can write me anytime at

626
00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,759
Speaker 1: Bill at normalfolks dot us, and I promise you I

627
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,840
Speaker 1: will respond. We may and do an episode with your classroom.

628
00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,759
Speaker 1: And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with

629
00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:09,279
Speaker 1: friends and on social subscribe to the podcast, rate and

630
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 1: review it. Join the Army at normalfolks dot us, consider

631
00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,239
Speaker 1: becoming a premium member. There any and all of these

632
00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:20,920
Speaker 1: things that will help us grow an Army of normal Folks.

633
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,759
Speaker 4: I'm Bill Courtney. Until next time, do what you can