1
00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,120
Speaker 1: Everybody is Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks.

2
00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,440
Speaker 2: Welcome to the shop.

3
00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,560
Speaker 3: Hi, Alex, Hey, we're actually in your office today and

4
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:14,200
Speaker 3: not the shop.

5
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,640
Speaker 2: We're in the shop. This is the shop. Quit it's

6
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:17,520
Speaker 2: a virtual shop.

7
00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,040
Speaker 3: I want of her employees took our normal room of

8
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,639
Speaker 3: such a shirt. But he's kind of been here a

9
00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:24,000
Speaker 3: long time.

10
00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:25,439
Speaker 2: I hadn't asked you about the kids lately.

11
00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,560
Speaker 3: I actually haven't asked you about the wedding. That's what

12
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:28,600
Speaker 3: we need to talk about.

13
00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,360
Speaker 2: Well, first, as your kids. The wedding was.

14
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:39,680
Speaker 1: Well, Molly decided since being like she's like number thirty

15
00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,680
Speaker 1: of thirty friends to get married, that everybody's kind of

16
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,600
Speaker 1: done every conceivable kind of wedding. And really, at some

17
00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,760
Speaker 1: point you've been to so many weddings with all these

18
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,599
Speaker 1: girls at this marrying age that you don't really go

19
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:55,920
Speaker 1: to the weddings because you want to. You go from

20
00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,960
Speaker 1: a sense of obligation, and she's like, Dad, I want

21
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:00,840
Speaker 1: people to you know, I want.

22
00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,360
Speaker 2: To have to go to a wedding. And so we

23
00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,000
Speaker 2: had it in Las Vegas and it was.

24
00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,720
Speaker 3: Crazy interesting from the photos I saw.

25
00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:09,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was nuts.

26
00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,760
Speaker 3: I mean you had a pretty crazy jacket.

27
00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,200
Speaker 1: Well, she told us to. It was black tie, but

28
00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,480
Speaker 1: not standard black tie. Like what, that's what I mean?

29
00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:21,319
Speaker 1: She goes, I want everybody in tuxas, but I don't

30
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,240
Speaker 1: want everybody in normal black.

31
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,040
Speaker 2: Tuxes, so everybody gets something different.

32
00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,839
Speaker 1: So there were people there with blue light blue seventies ruffles,

33
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,880
Speaker 1: and she asked me to wear something on Vegas glitz.

34
00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,360
Speaker 1: So I bought her Vegas Glitz stucks and I looked like,

35
00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,680
Speaker 1: you know, the piano guy some some cheesy bar.

36
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,720
Speaker 3: Barely Max livestream the wedding on Instagram.

37
00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, I already did that. He's such a jackle. Did

38
00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:49,200
Speaker 2: you watch it?

39
00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:49,720
Speaker 3: No?

40
00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:50,600
Speaker 2: But I saw them.

41
00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,960
Speaker 1: Well, she was married by Elvis, had Showgirls leader down

42
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,840
Speaker 1: the aisle and her cat was in a wedding dress

43
00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,280
Speaker 1: and Elvis held the cat.

44
00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:10,000
Speaker 2: It was but it was hilarious. So anyway, Molly's married.

45
00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:11,480
Speaker 2: She is now Molly Z.

46
00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I love Tracy, so it's Tracy Erasmond is awesome.

47
00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,560
Speaker 2: So uh yeah, it was. It was a good time cool.

48
00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,880
Speaker 1: Just for point of order, Tracy and Molly did do

49
00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:31,160
Speaker 1: the premier of Counseling with a with a Christian Counselors. No,

50
00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,519
Speaker 1: they did all of the background things that Lisa and

51
00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:39,840
Speaker 1: I would want them to do as a serious married couple.

52
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,080
Speaker 1: Put in God in the center of their marriage, just

53
00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:48,840
Speaker 1: to say that. But the marriage itself was absolutely insane,

54
00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:55,280
Speaker 1: and the reception had a contortionist, some roller skaters.

55
00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:57,920
Speaker 3: I saw the video on that roller skater being like

56
00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,240
Speaker 3: thrown in the air in a circle.

57
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was crazy. So it was a lot of fun.

58
00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:03,840
Speaker 2: It was really good.

59
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 1: Okay, So what happens when you see the person everyone

60
00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:09,800
Speaker 1: else ignores?

61
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:11,560
Speaker 2: Love the title?

62
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,079
Speaker 1: So it's Shop Talk number ninety three, and I think

63
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,959
Speaker 1: Alex Haley and then Alex Haley, Charles Haley. There was

64
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,560
Speaker 1: a defensive end for the San Francisco forty nine ers

65
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:23,520
Speaker 1: that was incredible.

66
00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:24,720
Speaker 2: It was number ninety three.

67
00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,320
Speaker 1: Maybe it was Charles, Alex Haley wrote roots it's Charles Haley.

68
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,400
Speaker 1: I think it's a defensive end for the forty nine

69
00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:32,920
Speaker 1: ers that always thought it was really good.

70
00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:34,240
Speaker 2: But maybe I'm wrong about that.

71
00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,960
Speaker 3: I'm not really seeing much on here besides Metaworld piece

72
00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,360
Speaker 3: or number ninety three in the Kings.

73
00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:41,839
Speaker 2: The World Peace, all right?

74
00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,360
Speaker 1: What happens when you see the person everyone else ignores?

75
00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:47,800
Speaker 2: For Shop Talk number ninety three?

76
00:03:48,960 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 1: Right after these brief messages from our general sponsor. All Right, everybody,

77
00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,560
Speaker 1: welcome back to shop Shop Shop talking number ninety three.

78
00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:19,279
Speaker 1: Struggling there. Yeah, this is from Army member Terry Smith. Terry,

79
00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:20,680
Speaker 1: thank you so much.

80
00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,359
Speaker 3: Who made my day yesterday with this note that she

81
00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:23,960
Speaker 3: wrote there.

82
00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:29,159
Speaker 1: Okay, well here it is. I love the show. I've

83
00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,679
Speaker 1: listened to every episode, is what Terry says.

84
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,800
Speaker 3: That it made my day because that's a lot of episodes.

85
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,000
Speaker 2: That's a lot of episodes.

86
00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,760
Speaker 1: So Terry, thank you so much for being such a

87
00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,000
Speaker 1: loyal listener, but also thank you for sharing this story

88
00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:43,400
Speaker 1: with us.

89
00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:51,640
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness. Tewksbury Almhouse, Massachusetts, close enough, eighteen eighty.

90
00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,080
Speaker 2: It was not built as a school. It was built

91
00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,320
Speaker 2: as a holding place. The poor, the ill, the elderly,

92
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:05,240
Speaker 2: the men, disabled, and unwanted were housed together with little distinction.

93
00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:11,520
Speaker 2: Overcrowding was common, disease spread easily, Mortality rates, especially when children,

94
00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,799
Speaker 2: were very high. Among those sent there was a fourteen

95
00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,960
Speaker 2: year old girl who had already lost almost everything. Her

96
00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:24,120
Speaker 2: name was Anne Sullivan. She was five when trachoma damaged

97
00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:28,960
Speaker 2: her sight, eight when her mother died, ten when her

98
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,560
Speaker 2: father abandoned the children. She and her younger brother, Jimmy,

99
00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,080
Speaker 2: were sent to Tewkesbury because there was just nowhere else

100
00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:42,640
Speaker 2: to go. Jimmy, her brother, died within months of the arrival.

101
00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,919
Speaker 2: You know, that's enough for a ten year old to

102
00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:53,880
Speaker 2: have handled. Alex Anne was left alone, nearly blind, uneducated,

103
00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:59,320
Speaker 2: living in a place that warehouse societies forgotten, but she

104
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,599
Speaker 2: refused to spear. For five years. She survived through grit

105
00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:08,680
Speaker 2: and instinct. She was angry, loud, defiant, that angry, That

106
00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,200
Speaker 2: anger likely kept her standing, and beneath it was something else,

107
00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:18,960
Speaker 2: a fierce desire to learn. In eighteen eighty, Frank B. Sanborne,

108
00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:24,480
Speaker 2: the Massachusetts State Inspector of Charities, visited Tewkesbury as part

109
00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,400
Speaker 2: of a broader reform effort. During that inspection and did

110
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,520
Speaker 2: something bold. She appealed directly to him. She asked to

111
00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,279
Speaker 2: be sent to school, to the Perkins School for the

112
00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,160
Speaker 2: Blind in Boston. She insisted she wanted an education and

113
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,120
Speaker 2: that she could do more. Sanborn took notice soon after,

114
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,960
Speaker 2: arrangements were made for admission to Perkins and arrived there

115
00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,440
Speaker 2: later that year. She did not fit neatly into that world.

116
00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,400
Speaker 2: She was older than most of the other students. She

117
00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,800
Speaker 2: had rough edges shaped by survival, but she brought something

118
00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:04,720
Speaker 2: very rare, relentless determination. Medical treatment improved her vision. She

119
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,400
Speaker 2: attacked her studies with urgency. In eighteen eighty six, she'd

120
00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,200
Speaker 2: graduated as valedictorian of her class. The girl from the

121
00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:17,680
Speaker 2: Almshouse had become the top graduate. Shortly after, Perkins received

122
00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,200
Speaker 2: a letter from Alabama. A man named Arthur Keller was

123
00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,400
Speaker 2: searching for help for his six year old daughter, Helen.

124
00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,720
Speaker 2: Blind death and isolated in a world without language. Perkins

125
00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:36,440
Speaker 2: recommended one of his strongest gadgerates, Anne Sullivan, on March third,

126
00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,040
Speaker 2: eighteen eighty seven, and traveled to Tuscumby, Alabama. The early

127
00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,160
Speaker 2: days were chaotic. Helen resisted, She screamed, She struck out.

128
00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:51,040
Speaker 2: Many might have left, and proving yet again her resilience

129
00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,920
Speaker 2: did not. She recognized the rage. She understood what it

130
00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,800
Speaker 2: meant to feel trapped in darkness. Then came the water pump.

131
00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,480
Speaker 2: Cool water flowed over Helen's hand as Anne spelled W

132
00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:11,480
Speaker 2: A T E R and to her palm. In that moment,

133
00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:16,840
Speaker 2: something connected. Helen realized that objects had names, that language

134
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,760
Speaker 2: could unlock her world. Helen later called it the day

135
00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:21,920
Speaker 2: her soul awakened.

136
00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,040
Speaker 1: Anne and Helen would remain together for forty nine years. Teacher

137
00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:32,600
Speaker 1: and student, companion and collaborator. An spelled lectures into Helen's

138
00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,679
Speaker 1: hand at Radcliffe College, she stood beside her as Helen

139
00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,559
Speaker 1: became a writer, an advocate, and a global voice. The

140
00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:46,720
Speaker 1: world remembers Helen Keller. Few remember the girl from Tewksbury,

141
00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,319
Speaker 1: the nearly blind teenager who survived neglect, the child who

142
00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,520
Speaker 1: lost her brother, the student who demanded a chance, the

143
00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:59,480
Speaker 1: teacher who refused to give up. Anne Sulimon died in

144
00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:04,480
Speaker 1: nineteen thirty six, Helen was with her. History often celebrates

145
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,679
Speaker 1: the visible figure, but sometimes history turns because a normal

146
00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:15,960
Speaker 1: person quietly supported their greatness. And Sullivan was once the

147
00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:21,600
Speaker 1: forgotten child. Someone listened, and because of that, millions learned

148
00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:27,520
Speaker 1: what human potential really looks like. Holy smokes with a

149
00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:33,320
Speaker 1: great story. Terry, You're the bomb, You're the boss. Thanks

150
00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:39,800
Speaker 1: for sending that. It is just yet again another reminder

151
00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,640
Speaker 1: of what a normal person can do when they when

152
00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,600
Speaker 1: they have a passion and they use their abilities coupled

153
00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,600
Speaker 1: with that passion to fit in need. You have no

154
00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,000
Speaker 1: idea what kind of that work, what that kind of

155
00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:02,600
Speaker 1: work could could do to change the world. And I

156
00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,320
Speaker 1: think from this story we can easy see if not

157
00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,120
Speaker 1: for Anne Sullivan, you'd never have heard of Helen Keller.

158
00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,280
Speaker 3: It's kind of a really cool maybe this is our

159
00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:15,640
Speaker 3: first one doing this like a historical example of supporting greatness.

160
00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:16,559
Speaker 2: It really is.

161
00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,920
Speaker 1: It's a historical example of both supporting greatness and the

162
00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:22,560
Speaker 1: power of a normal person.

163
00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,640
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I've I've heard of Anne Sullivan before, but

164
00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:27,200
Speaker 3: I had no idea what her story was.

165
00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,360
Speaker 1: I didn't either. I'd heard the name too. Actually, when

166
00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,640
Speaker 1: I was reading it, it's like I've heard, but I

167
00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:32,040
Speaker 1: didn't know.

168
00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,280
Speaker 2: This. Another thing is.

169
00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,760
Speaker 1: It's also an example of if you just keep trying,

170
00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,000
Speaker 1: no matter what the world throws at you, you have

171
00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,560
Speaker 1: a chance to do something. I mean, she lost her brothers,

172
00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,199
Speaker 1: lost her parents, she lost her eye sight, a lot

173
00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,440
Speaker 1: of people just giving up. And I think it's a

174
00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,080
Speaker 1: healthy reminder that despite all the world throws at us,

175
00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,880
Speaker 1: there's a path that we can find success and happiness

176
00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:04,240
Speaker 1: and clearly and Sullivan did. What a great story, Terry,

177
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:08,199
Speaker 1: thank you so very much for sending it. I think

178
00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,160
Speaker 1: there's a lot to take from it. Anything else, Alex for.

179
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,680
Speaker 3: Those of you listening this will come out in time

180
00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,360
Speaker 3: for our launch event in Memphis, So ANF Memphis dot

181
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,320
Speaker 3: org you can RSVP and then we will still have

182
00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,880
Speaker 3: the Atlanta one on March eighth NF Atlanta dot org

183
00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,280
Speaker 3: and the Ozaki one on March eighth a NF Ozaki

184
00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,840
Speaker 3: dot org. You should join us, should join us. They're

185
00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,160
Speaker 3: actually all at breweries too, kind of are think Ozaki

186
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,160
Speaker 3: One's actually had a Mexican restaurant in the basement. We're

187
00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:38,800
Speaker 3: getting like a whole private room down there. But I

188
00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,800
Speaker 3: love that the Atlanta one and the Memphis one zero brewery.

189
00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:43,839
Speaker 3: So we're gonna have fun and have a beer and

190
00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,480
Speaker 3: learn about changing our community.

191
00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:46,240
Speaker 2: That's it.

192
00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,080
Speaker 3: And you're gonna be there at the Memphis one, Bill

193
00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:49,640
Speaker 3: I am.

194
00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,400
Speaker 2: I'm gonna be at the Memphis one. I've done March eight, right, No,

195
00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:54,440
Speaker 2: March first March.

196
00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,800
Speaker 3: Don't confuse people, huh, don't confuse people. You're just going

197
00:11:57,840 --> 00:11:58,600
Speaker 3: one day at a time, right.

198
00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,520
Speaker 1: I have a lot going on, but I'll be there.

199
00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:02,920
Speaker 1: It's on my calendar. I promise Lisa and I will

200
00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:06,560
Speaker 1: be there, all right. Everybody shop talk number ninety three

201
00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:09,720
Speaker 1: and Sullivan teaches us.

202
00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,680
Speaker 3: That there's even a title Iro go back to the title.

203
00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,280
Speaker 1: Well, I know that, but I'm thinking about an Sullivan.

204
00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,800
Speaker 1: I actually this. I'm going to be thinking about this

205
00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:18,680
Speaker 1: story all day.

206
00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:19,720
Speaker 3: But you're welcome.

207
00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:26,120
Speaker 1: And Sullivan's teacher, and Sullivan's work to teach Helen Keller

208
00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,199
Speaker 1: is all about what happens when you see the person

209
00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:32,959
Speaker 1: everyone else ignores, in the power of an army and

210
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,560
Speaker 1: normal folks and supporting greatness. So that's it. Thanks everybody

211
00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,920
Speaker 1: for joining us. If you enjoyed the episode, please rate

212
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,000
Speaker 1: review it. Join the army at normal folks dot us,

213
00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,520
Speaker 1: and what else. I don't know, I'm tired, do some

214
00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,920
Speaker 1: other stuff. Hang out with this morning, listen to the

215
00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,400
Speaker 1: show and tell everybody about it.

216
00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,760
Speaker 2: Joined the podcast, and join a service club.

217
00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:56,760
Speaker 3: But you can't join a podcast, but you can subscribe

218
00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:57,080
Speaker 3: to one.

219
00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,320
Speaker 2: Do ever do all that stuff? All right, that's Talk

220
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,680
Speaker 2: number nine three. We'll see you next week.