1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, I'm Bill Courtney with an army of normal folks, 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: and this is shop Talk number fifteen being pre recorded 3 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: while Alex is on vacation. 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 2: I'm here, but we're pre recording. 5 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: Vacation. Well, we're pre recording so it can air while 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: you're on vacation. It's on vacation, that's true. Four kids 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: with vacation. I hope your kids don't hear that you 8 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: You just said your kids will work? What a butt? 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: My kids are? My kids are work. They were work, well, 10 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: they air main work. They think they're adults and they're 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: just expensive vultures. Anyway, we're talking about kids today shop 12 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: Talk number fifteen. What are we going to do with 13 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: these ragged kids? Right after these brief messages from our 14 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:51,480 Speaker 1: general sponsors? 15 00:00:54,040 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: So that's perfect? Yes? Perfectly? Did is it? Perfectly? Did? It? 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: Really is what we're doing. 17 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome back to shop Talk number fifteen. What 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: are we going to do with these ragged kids? Boy, 19 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: I've had it. Lisa and I had four kids in 20 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: four years. That means Lisa was pregnant with a one 21 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: year old or two year old and a three year old. 22 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 1: Can you imagine being pregnant and pushing a shopping cart 23 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: with three kids and diapers through Walmart means she got 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: the looks. That also means they were five, six, seven, 25 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: and eight starting to play sports. And that also means 26 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: there were nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. And that also 27 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 1: means they were in a freshman of sophomore, junior, and senior, 28 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: which also means when they went to college. We had 29 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: four in college at once. They're expensive, raggedy kids. They 30 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: don't appreciate anything that are entitled and spoiled, and they 31 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: drive me crazy. We tried. Lisa drove a suburban, because 32 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 1: you have to drive something that big when you got 33 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: a bevy of children. They all got a friend, and 34 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: she carried a wooden spoon in her person. Lisa could 35 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,399 Speaker 1: drive that suburban down the interstraight doing seventy and pull 36 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: that wooden spoon on her person. She could still reach 37 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: a thigh and the third seat of that suburban. It 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: was a phenomenal feat. We we don't believe in abusing 39 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: our kids, obviously, but there were times where whoopings were right, 40 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 1: and that's just how we came up. And we tried. 41 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: We taught them right from wrong. We did everything we 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: could and despite it. I just think they and their 43 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: generation are with all their phones and social media, are 44 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: just they're really just as a title titled and kind 45 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: of spoiled, and gosh, social media and everything just makes 46 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: them want everything right now. Whatever happened to go to 47 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: the library and taking the time to drive to the library, 48 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: Go get a book, research something, look it up, write 49 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: it down, go home, do the work. I mean, the 50 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: whole idea to one of our kids of spending a 51 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: day to write a research paper is ridiculous because now 52 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: all that information is at your fingertip. You can write 53 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: a research paper in two hours. And there's a thousand 54 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: examples like that of why this generation just expects everything 55 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: now now, now, quick, quick, quick, because that's how they 56 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: grew up. And I think that's led to a man, 57 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: just just a weird sense of stuff that I can't 58 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: even understand. Plus video games and sitting and watching TVs 59 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: and eating bond bonds on the couch with a controller. 60 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: Operate nothing but your thumbs. Go outside, play hide and 61 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: go seek, or kick the can, go skin your knees, 62 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: get sweaty, get lost, do something. I remember Lisa used 63 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: to lock the door. She would kick the kids out 64 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: in the summer and lock the door for three hours 65 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: so they couldn't come in, and made him drink water 66 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: from the water hoset. God forbid, you thought they were 67 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 1: gonna turn green and die witer. 68 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 3: Hose aal tastes like tastes like reber. It doesn't taste 69 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 3: like witer from the bottle water. You don't need bottle 70 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 3: water anyway, stupid kids. I don't know what we're gonna do, 71 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 3: So I want to read you a quote. We defy 72 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 3: anyone who goes about with his eyes open to deny 73 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 3: that there is, as never before an attitude on the 74 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 3: part of young folk which is best described as grossly thoughtless, rude, 75 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 3: and utterly selfish. I couldn't have written it better. Aristotle, 76 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 3: for century BC, said that first century BC, these youth 77 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 3: they do not foresee what is useful. They squander parents' money. 78 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 3: That was horace first century BC. So let's go to 79 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 3: maybe closer to time. The free access which many young 80 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 3: people have to romances, plays and novels. The free access 81 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 3: which many people have to romances, novels, and plays have 82 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 3: poisoned the mind and corrupted the morals of a promising youth. 83 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 3: That was seventeen ninety from the blooms Grove Family memoir 84 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 3: The free access, I could change that to today, the 85 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 3: free access with which many young people have cell phones, 86 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: TV and video games has poisoned the mind and corrupt 87 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 3: the morals of many a promising youth. In the seventeen nineties, 88 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,799 Speaker 3: it was romances, novels and plays. Today it's TV, video 89 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: games and whatever else. That was seventeen ninety nineteen twenty five, 90 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 3: whole daily mail. Probably there's no period in history in 91 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 3: which young people have given such empathetic utterance, to a 92 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 3: tendency to reject that which is old and and to 93 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 3: wish for that which is new. If you were one 94 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 3: hundred years old, they were talking about you. Parents themselves 95 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 3: were often the cause of many difficulties, they frequently failed, 96 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 3: and their obvious duty to teach self control and discipline 97 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 3: to their own children. That's a Portsmouth Evening News nineteen 98 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 3: thirty six. If you're ninety years old listening today, they 99 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 3: were talking about you. What really distinguishes this generation from 100 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 3: those before it as that it's the first generation in 101 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 3: history to live so well and complain so bitterly about it. 102 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 3: That was from the Leeds Mercury in nineteen forty. If 103 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 3: you're seventy five years old, they were talking about you. 104 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 3: They have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in 105 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 3: the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They have no heroes, 106 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 3: no anthems, and they have no style they call their own. 107 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 3: They crave entertainment, but their attention span is shorter than 108 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 3: the zap on a TV dial. The Washington Post, nineteen 109 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 3: ninety three. If you're forty five years old, they're talking 110 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 3: about you. Last one that I'll share with you. If 111 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 3: I haven't made the point clear enough, is this. 112 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 2: Here? 113 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: It is? Young people are high minded because they have 114 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: not yet been humbled by life, nor have they experience 115 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: the force of circumstances. They think they know everything and 116 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: are quite sure about it, but of course are wrong. 117 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: Time Magazine, two thousand and one. If you're thirty years old, 118 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: they're talking about you. Friend of mine, turn me on 119 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: to a show called fear Not. And in that show 120 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: they talk about things that the public is obviously often 121 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: fearful of. That most times media is trumped up from 122 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: one side or the other, and we get fearful and 123 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: we act react in that fear by pulling back into 124 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: our cocoons of safety and not being willing to get 125 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: out and get into things. And with that in mind, 126 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: I want to say this about my kids. I fear, 127 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: not literally, as I've just read. For the last twenty 128 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,960 Speaker 1: four hundred years, starting with Horace and Aristotle all the 129 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: way up to thirty years ago with Time Magazine, we 130 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,680 Speaker 1: adults have decided that the generation coming behind us was 131 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: going to be absolutely doomed because they rejected what we 132 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: did in lieu of what was new and exciting in 133 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: their youth. And I guess I need to challenge you 134 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: to think back to when you were young, to remember 135 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: that you had that excitement, that youthful inexperience that often 136 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: leads to entrepreneurship, and you didn't know what you didn't know, 137 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: but thank god you didn't because that allowed you to 138 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: explore and learn and grow. And sure, we all made 139 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 1: mistakes coming up, and we all did stuff that infuriated 140 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: the generation in front of us, but we ended up 141 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: all right, and so will my kids. And I have 142 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: to be reminded by Horse and Aristotle and Time Magazine 143 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: and everybody else that even though my kids drive me nuts, 144 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: they're wonderful people, and I love them, and they're bouncing 145 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: off the curbs of the interstates trying to figure out 146 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: their way in life. But ultimately, like I did, they'll 147 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: get it right. So what are we going to do 148 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: with these ragged kids. We're going to love them, They're 149 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: going to watch them, and ultimately we're going to follow 150 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: them because they are our future and the past tells 151 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: us that the future is going to be fine. So 152 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: fear not. I'm Bill Courtney. This is shop Talk number fifteen. 153 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: I look forward to talking to you next week and 154 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: next week I would love to talk to you about 155 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 1: something you want to hear about. So if you have 156 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: a fundamental or a tenant or a or a societal 157 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: idea or norm that's bugging you or that you love, 158 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,839 Speaker 1: or even a current event, then maybe shop Talk might 159 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: be interested in spending fifteen to ten minutes on Please 160 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,440 Speaker 1: like me anytime at Bill at Normalfolks dot us and 161 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: I'll respond and if I think I have anything to 162 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:16,839 Speaker 1: add to it, we'll record a shop Talk about it. 163 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: I'm Bill Courtney. I'll see you next week.