1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: Everybody, Bill Courtney, welcome to the shop. Welcome in, Alex, 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: How you doing? That's so weak? That was like my 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 1: little kids doing it. The other day it was George excep. 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 2: If you're a grow. 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: George, I I'm a grown up beer there, Welcome in? 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: How do you like? It didn't get better? 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: Do anythink I should believe that's where I heard? 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: We just said I want George back. Okay, Hey, George 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: is awesome. All right? Shop Talk number fifty one on 10 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: becoming a junk man. Charlotte Dance, a listener sent us 11 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: a really cool email, and I think it's worth talking 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: about right after these brief messages from our general sponsors. Everybody, 13 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: welcome back to shop Talk. Charlotte Dance is a listener, 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: and I will read this to you, and the topic 15 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: is on being a junk man Dance. I listened to 16 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: the podcast about the Whistler today. I loved it. Chris Olman, 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: Chris Olman, the whistle the. 18 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 2: Goat Whistler is Chris Vernon Golden Yeah. 19 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: I listened to the podcast about the Whistler day. I 20 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: loved it. It made me miss my dad. Although he 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,919 Speaker 1: didn't really sing. He loved a whistle, and I always 22 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: wanted to whistle like he did. Ten years ago I 23 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: wrote this essay about my dad being a junk man. 24 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: I think you could do a shop talk on being 25 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: a junk man. So here we go. My dad is 26 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: a junk man. This is not an occupation that is 27 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: a life goal for many people. He chose to be 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: a junk man in every area of his life. I'm 29 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: sure that growing up on a farm during the Great 30 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: Depression played a big part in directing his life. True 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: junk men have to find great value in junk or 32 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: they can't survive in the business. My dad has excelled 33 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:03,279 Speaker 1: in finding value in junk. Where everyone else saw junk, Sorry, 34 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: where everyone else saw junk, Dad saw physics lab equipment. 35 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: He used old bicycle tires to make gyroscopes and axle 36 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: helped students to learn the pulls of centrifugal force, and 37 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: even an old vacuum cleaner to make an air table 38 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: to teach frictionless motion. Where everyone else saw junk, Dad 39 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: saw an addition to our house so our family of 40 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: six didn't have to live in a two bedroom house. Windows, doors, 41 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: and lumber were all salvaged from houses being torn down 42 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: Where everyone else saw junk, Dad saw a solar greenhouse. 43 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: He researched it and then made it for two hundred 44 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: dollars plus lots of reclaimed parts. It's been working consistently 45 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: for thirty years now. Where everyone else saw junk meat, 46 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: Dad saw venison that could be made into sausage and 47 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: jerky and feed many people. It all starts when our 48 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: pastor gave us an antelope meat for our dog. Because 49 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: they couldn't even eat it in chili, he gave them 50 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: back sausage he made from it. They couldn't believe it 51 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: was the same meat, junk meat. Where everyone would say 52 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: that things in his past were junk, Dad used them 53 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: to make a difference for his family. His father was 54 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: extremely harsh and always used Dad's name and anger. Granddad 55 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: wouldn't have anything to do with him and didn't come 56 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: to his wedding. Dad decided that if he didn't forgive 57 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: his father, he would never be able to have a 58 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: good relationship with his children. He forgave him and worked 59 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: on making peace between them. Not only does he have 60 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: a good relationship with his biological children, he has had 61 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: others adopt him as their father. Where everyone would say 62 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: that a young boy could be annoying and was a 63 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: slow learner. Dad saw someone who was interested in everything 64 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: he did. This boy followed him as he worked on rentals. 65 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: Butchered set up science labs and worked on object lessons. 66 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: His family split up and moved away, but he remembered 67 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: those afternoons with my dad. He became a butcher, bought 68 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: a rental, and put himself through an engineering school. He 69 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 1: even went to law school. He came back to visit 70 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: saying I still use your abject lessons. Where everyone saw 71 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: a man with wasted life in prison, Dad saw an 72 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: opportunity to serve. He visited a man in prison for 73 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: six years and saw him growing to a man of 74 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: God after his sentence was over. Dad was the best 75 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: man in his wedding. Now this man is fixing junk 76 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 1: in the lives of juvenile offenders and helping them change 77 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: their future. Where everyone else would see junk in their 78 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: own lives, he saw an opportunity to serve or to listen. 79 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: With insurance payment for roof damage didn't cover the cost 80 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: of shingles for an elderly woman's roof, he not only 81 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: did the roofing, but paid for the the rest of 82 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: the shingles. One man went through many rough times and 83 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: Dad listened to him through all of it. He said, 84 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: he has to talk through everything before he knows exactly 85 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: what to do. Never once did he complain about the 86 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: time or effort it took. Where everyone would say it 87 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: is a hopeless case of junk. Dad didn't give up. 88 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: He prayed for his sister for twenty eight years. His 89 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 1: brother in law told him to never talk about God again. 90 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: He didn't talk, but he prayed and he lived it. 91 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: His nephew's nieceus came to Christ, then his sister, and 92 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: finally his brother in law. Recently, he counted forty people 93 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: on his side of the family that were believers. He 94 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: was the first where everyone would see junk that all 95 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: we go through. Dad saw an opportunity to prepare several 96 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 1: years ago. He felt strongly impressed that he should prepare 97 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: to die. He was in good health, but he wanted 98 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: to have things ready. He bought cemetery plots in a gravestone. However, 99 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 1: his most important thing was to find people to pray 100 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: for his great grandchildren. Shortly after this, I was mourning 101 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: the loss of my friends in a canoe accident, and 102 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: I need something constructive to do. When I talk to Dad, 103 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: he suggested that I find people to pray for their grandchildren. 104 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: It has been an honor and privilege to do that. 105 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: I may not want my yard filled with recrming lumber 106 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: and other various treasures, but I think I want to 107 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: be a junk man, just like Dad. Looking past the 108 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: junken scars in people's live lives and seeing the treasure 109 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: that they truly are. Seems like a awful lot of 110 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: Army members are junk men. Thanks for having a great show, Charlotte. 111 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: Dance Charlotte. If my children speak about me one day 112 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,119 Speaker 1: with twenty five percent of the reverence you speak about 113 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: your father, I will rest a very proud man. That 114 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 1: is a phenomenal tribute to your dad, and can certainly 115 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: see why you wrote it. There's a lesson there too. 116 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: The junk the homeless, the foster children who were aged 117 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: out of foster care at nineteen or twenty and are 118 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: living destructive lives. The kid who has never read a 119 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: lullaby or saying a lullaby or read a bedtime story, 120 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: who can't read on grade level now in seventh grade. 121 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: Who we know because he's not reading on grade level 122 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: by third grade, is more likely to be in prison 123 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: than he is to have a job one day. The 124 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: junk that your dad saw opportunity in is exactly what 125 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: the call to an army in normal folks is is 126 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: to see the junk and use it, see the junk 127 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: and fix it. You're right a lot of the members 128 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: of the army of normal folks that we highlight our 129 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: junk people. But the call and the inspiration is is 130 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: that you listeners out there see the value in the junk. 131 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: The power of an army of normal folks is that 132 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: is that we see areas of need and fill it, 133 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: which is effectively, as Charlotte points out, being a junk man. 134 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 1: So my question is, and maybe even my challenge is 135 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: when's the last time you drove by, pasted a polla 136 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: junk and thought, man, somebody had to clean something up, 137 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: but kept on going instead of getting down to your 138 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: car and cleaning up yourself. We are surrounded by junk, 139 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: and the cleanup is not going to happen by a 140 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: city crew coming, buying a tax paid for a truck 141 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: and throwing it in the back and dumping in the garbage. 142 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: It's going to happen by an army and normal folks. 143 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: Of course, all of that is metaphorical, but I think 144 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: you get what I'm saying. Alex, she gonni id is 145 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: some junk. 146 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,600 Speaker 2: So I forgot to include this in your prep. She 147 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 2: actually wrote it before her dad died, and then she 148 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 2: read it at his funeral. 149 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: Wow is that cool? I bet there were I bet 150 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: there was was a dry in the place. 151 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, a couple of junk thoughts. I mean, one thing 152 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 2: Christ says is I didn't come to heal the healthy, right, 153 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 2: I came here to heal the sick. And that's why 154 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 2: I was thinking out with tax collectors and prostitutes. You 155 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 2: when people challenge them on that and then like an 156 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: interesting business case for this too, or even just take 157 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 2: the army case first, Right, That's actually where a lot 158 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 2: of the fun is. Like you're grunning to grow something, right, 159 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 2: from from nothing into something you know, significant. That's that's 160 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 2: a lot more fun. I bet Charlotte's dad had a 161 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 2: blast making a what was it a solar garden or 162 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 2: something out of a bunch of johnt I mean, can 163 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:05,079 Speaker 2: you imagine the satisfaction he felt growing stuff for thirty years? 164 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 2: Out of something people left on the curb. Yeah, well, 165 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: that metaphorically is the satisfaction you can feel by seeing 166 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 2: junk in your life and fixing. 167 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: It and then like a bit. 168 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 2: I mean, this isn't so normal, but I think people 169 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: can do it in a more normal way. There's a 170 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: guy who once interviewed who basically had a bunch of 171 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: energy exploration projects, but there were a bunch of things 172 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 2: that Exon Mobil was trying to get rid of, like 173 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 2: it wasn't interesting enough for Exon Mobile, and so he 174 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 2: collected a munch of these things, built up the business, 175 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 2: and he made five hundred million dollars when he sold 176 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 2: it one day. But it's an interesting case, like there's 177 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 2: a lot of things out there that aren't interesting enough 178 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 2: to the big players, but for you, you can actually 179 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 2: build a really interesting business off it. Obviously you don't 180 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: have to sell for five hundred million, even if you 181 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:50,240 Speaker 2: you know, make a one hundred thousand, you make five 182 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: hundred thousand, you make a million whatever. 183 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 1: I mean. 184 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,960 Speaker 2: It's actually a really interesting business thing to think about too. 185 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: What does everybody else see as junk that actually could 186 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: be an opportunity. 187 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: Which could be a business. It could be in society, 188 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: it could be wherever. Yeah, Charlotte Dance. That is an 189 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: incredible tribute to your father and it is a beautiful 190 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: illustration of exactly what we're talking about. And I can't 191 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: tell you how much we appreciate you sharing it. If 192 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: you have any ideas for shop talk, would you please 193 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: Emily Bill at normal folks dot Us. I'll always respond 194 00:11:26,559 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: and hopefully like Charlotte stuff here, we we can comment 195 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: it because we think others will want to hear the. 196 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 2: Story and beautiful pieces of writing like this if anybody 197 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 2: else has Actually, that's a good idea of letters you're 198 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 2: read like World War two letters and that's letters like 199 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 2: the writing back in the day is I mean, obviously 200 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 2: it'd be real selling beautiful today. Send it to us too, 201 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 2: But especially back in the day, all those kind of 202 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 2: love letters were so much better than the way we 203 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 2: text each other's. 204 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: So it's so true. I think it's a lost start. 205 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: Send us, send us that stuff. If you enjoyed the episode, 206 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: rate review it, join the army at normal folks dot us, subscribe, 207 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: become a premium member there and what else you goofed 208 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: it up? Again? 209 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 2: You can't subscribe on the website. But it's okay. 210 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: Whatever you do, just people know you're a goofball. Then 211 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: now follow us, you know, listen, tell people about us, 212 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: and help us grow the army because the more members, 213 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: the more impact we can have. That's shop TALP number 214 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: fifty one. Is that it. 215 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 2: I'll see you next week. 216 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: I'll see you next week.