Catching Up, 2026 = 2016, and FCA Semester Focus

In this episode of the Created To Be Podcast, the gang is back kicking off a new semester of FCA by catching up and diving into the cultural conversation around “2026 is the new 2016.” As student-athletes and leaders navigate a fast, filtered, always-on world, Bethany, Justin, Darius, and Brandi, reflect on what life looked like before algorithms, constant connectivity, and performance-driven pressure.

Through stories, laughter, and nostalgia, they talk about early social media, landlines, built-in boundaries, and why those limitations may have actually helped shape healthier relationships and deeper identity. From an FCA perspective, this conversation points us toward a bigger question: who are we becoming, and what is forming us?

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Transcript

Speaker 4 0:00

I'm no expert. I don't study all this social stuff, but like it just seems like if the nostalgia's what you're after, it's probably because that's what you really want is that like kind of storytelling, that engagement with people, not just on a platform, but in person. Welcome to the Created to Be podcast. We are excited to be back rolling into the semester, new semester with everybody back. Students have come back to campus, and we are all back at the table this week. So we got Justin with us. Yo. Doc. I'm back. And Brandy. Hey. Oh my gosh, full table. This is so exciting. Uh we had Jason Crowder on the last podcast and did some topics around sports broadcasts and what he does and reminisced a little bit.

Speaker 6 0:47

What a gift Jason Crowder is to Mississippi State.

Speaker 4 0:51

Yeah, very fun. And then I he turned around and he asked me to be on the FCA uh radio show that he does. That's cool. Got to plug created to be on there. So that will run um soon, I guess. So that was cool. Yeah, we need to get you on there, Doc.

Speaker 1:04

Well, I was I was gonna say, you know, for this to be my first time back after Mr. Jason Crowder, we got some big shoes to feel today. So we have to come with it, Brett. And we gotta really come with it.

Speaker 4 1:15

We immediately, when he started talking, I was like, dude, we're toast because he's got such a good radio voice. Wow, wow. Um that was fun. And we also talked to each gas his face. Yeah, I know. We should we should get him to do a little clinic for us. As the professor teaches the before that we did top 10 moments of the semester. So if you haven't listened to that yet, that was good. That was just me and Justin. We were trying to hold the fort, but yeah, it was great.

Speaker 6 1:41

Yeah, but always good to reflect.

Holiday Chaos and Funny Home Stories

Speaker 4 1:43

But it was good to have a break. Darius, you said this morning that it kind of throws you off a little bit. I agree. We were sick a lot of the break, unfortunately.

Speaker 1:52

But how was your break? Uh my break was good. I was sick some of my break. Um, but I had a birthday during the break. Um, of course, you celebrate Christmas and New Year, so I was able to get with a lot of family. Um, and so uh you kind of get, it's almost like you get real relaxed, and then right after the new year, you have to go right back to work. So it's like trying to, you know, rev up that engine. Yeah. You know, uh, but we enjoyed the break and did a lot of great things with family and friends. And so uh I'm I'm glad it came. Um, and also I'm glad it went. But now it's kind of like back to life, back to reality. Yeah, back to normal. What about y'all, Brandy?

Speaker 1 2:33

Yeah, it was good. It was nice and slow, which I was thankful for because we don't get that very often. And so we just stayed around the whole two weeks. We did Christmas with family before, and then we were here. We don't leave the house Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so that was nice. Yeah.

Speaker 6 2:48

Um, but it's that a Morgan tradition there, or like we are not leaving. It's a me tradition. It's a brandy tradition.

Speaker 1 2:54

I started it a couple of years ago because you know, my family loves to hunt. So I feel like it's good because we're spending time together, but it's also more running, and I just like us to be still together for a little bit.

Speaker 3:05

So everybody agrees to it.

Speaker 1 3:08

Yeah, yeah. Wow. Yeah. Brett's actually said he, you know, he's thankful for it. So because they were growing up, they did Christmas morning. They left by like 10 or 11 to come up here to his family's. Yeah. So he was used to going on Christmas Day. And so I was like, I'd rather just be at home, be together. Yeah. Because we're going so much. So my kids are struggling with getting back into routine, especially the youngest. He was like, Mom, can I just skip today? I have a sub. I was like, no, you have to go to school. You have to get up and go. Yeah.

Speaker 4 3:38

Yeah. I think that that's how our kids are, especially Eli. I don't think they call him out too much, but yeah, I actually had to make him like a list. Like I was like, dude, you're gonna have to have some like, you need to visually see what has to happen during your day because he'll just get lost in a book or whatever. And you're like, dude, you're gonna be we're gonna be peeling you out of the bed in the morning. Yep.

Speaker 6 4:00

And normally that's just we have been peeling. I have been peeling.

Speaker 1 4:06

Well, it's hard because you do loosen up, or we do at least. Like we'll look down and it's 9 30 or 10, which isn't super late, but for them to get back in the routine of getting up at six for school, they're like, uh-uh, I don't want to.

Speaker 4:19

Well, that was gonna that's what I was gonna say was the worst when I was sick. Santana was sick as well. And the worst is to be at home with your wife at that time because you don't have a schedule.

Speaker 5 4:33

Right.

Speaker 4:34

So we were liter literally sleeping and going waking up at 7, 8, and then you stand up at 3 o'clock in the morning, then you go like so. You gotta think when we when it came time to get back on schedule, it just was bananas. Like, cause because you're trying to get rewire your body to say, hey, you've been doing this for five or six days. Uh you gotta get back to your normal. Okay.

Speaker 4 5:03

Okay, I gotta, I I need Justin to tell you all this story because this happened the other day. Okay, so I was sick for like three weeks, and then I mean, it just like my this cough was ridiculous, and it kept changing, and then finally it was like so bad I was getting like my ribs were hurting. Anyway, finally got a shot, but we traveled, so that made it extra complicated because it was like we had to go anyway. So got back from Texas, and then Ben gets the flu, and then Eli gets the flu. But we still had our Christmas lights up, we still had thankfully we had taken the Christmas tree down, but we had other things. We still have Christmas up in our house, like we gotta pack some stuff up. But Justin, I thought it'd be funny for you to tell a story of like you were up on the roof the other day and a neighbor came by. This is like classic, like what you would see in a movie.

Speaker 6 5:49

I love him. He's very direct, says whatever's on his mind, so I can come across very, very rude. And I've had instance before of like misunderstood, whatever. Um, he's he's amazing. Um, I think he works for the government, but um can't tell that, I guess. I don't know. Um but his mom, his he's at his his mom's going through dementia in like late years, and so he's there as caretaker with some help and so Justin just wants you to understand I'm just giving you some context. Um anyway, great guy, he runs a lot too. Anyway, so I'm up on the roof, and um, and then he's walking past, just kind of enjoying his walk. And uh then he catches me, he's like, he's like, oh, hey, hey, and I'm like, yeah, hey, how's it going? He's like, he did great with the lights this year. And I was like, thanks, you know. Um he's like, How did you, you know, get him up on the roof? Was it like a special light or things like that? I was like, no, just you know, clip it on, different, just nothing different than the ones that I got um on the bottom part of the roof. And he's like, Oh, okay. And he said, Um, I said, My kids want to like, you know, we'll add to it maybe a little bit next year. And he's like, Oh, I think you did good. Like, I think I think it's pretty saturated. And um, and I was like, I was just kind of telling him, I said, because they were like, go to the tree and go to this bush. And I'm like, well, if we expand in the front yard, now we have to add more dimensions and things, and that's just way more lights and more cords and all those things. I don't want to do that. And he's like, No, I think you did a good job.

Speaker 4 7:09

He said, Oh, let me tell you, his house is like diagonally across from our so like he He's like, I see it.

Speaker 6 7:15

He said, I I see your house perfectly, like it's it's great, it looks great. I was like, Thanks. And um, he said, but I'm also glad you're pulling it down now. I mean, it's like January, you know, 14th or something. And I'm like, um, I was like, yeah, yeah, you know. Um, and I knew what he meant because I I know him enough, and I'm like, that's so funny that he said that. Yeah, and then I said, Well, you know, we we got in last weekend and and had six kids, and the last thing I want to do right now is to be on the roof and getting this stuff off from our long Texas trip. And this is the next weekend, and so it works out for me to do it.

Speaker 4 7:49

So I just felt like that was a scene from the taking it down, little shit.

Speaker 1 7:55

Planning on leaving them up all year.

Speaker 7:56

Yeah, interesting neighbor.

Speaker 6 7:58

Yeah. Well, well, well, I'm gonna say I love interesting neighbors. I really do.

Speaker 8:02

Well, I have an interesting neighbor, but I'm gonna tell you this. Now please, please don't judge me. You know how they say we listen and we don't judge. I need y'all to listen and not judge me. I need y'all to listen and not judge. We did not take our Christmas tree down from 24 all the way through this year because the lights. So now I'm gonna say this. Now, our Christmas tree doesn't have a lot of ornaments, it's just a tree with the lights. So it's not like it's a bunch of, but we connected the lights to Alexa so the tree became like an extra lamp. Like instead of keeping all the lights, it's a Alexa, turn on all lights. And there it is. And so I think it just was like, uh, and see, we I I'm gonna say this, y'all. Y'all, we got this house. I didn't know we had an attic because the way the house is made. I would see this big old square thing in the garage. But I just was like, I mean, what is that? You know, and um one day my wife was like, we we gotta put the so what happened, we put the tree in the attic, and it was so challenging for me because I'm scared of heights. And it's almost as if when you pull down the the, I don't even know what you call it, for the attic door. The attic door, you know, it becomes a ladder. But it's almost like the ladder doesn't come all the way down. So I have to get up there, then we have to push this tree or pull it up in the attic, and I'm scared every little step that I'm gonna fall through the roof or something. And so her, so what happens is me and her dad actually does it together. And so I'm just gonna say this to all the women out there. Sometimes if a man tell you he doesn't want to do something, you keep pushing him and he gets snappy, it's really because he's scared and he don't want to tell you that he's scared, but you're pushing him to a fear that he don't want to face. And that's how I was with my wife. So I think she put in that, uh, I don't want to make Darius a little. And it is a light in the house. And so we literally had a tree up a whole year without taking it that like when you're coming out of that. But it was a limp. I didn't look at it as a tree, it's like it became a limp. And then to have Alexa doing that for you, like I don't have to get up just right. I don't have to walk to the light switch and Alexa, turn on light. Hey. So, like I said, we listen, but don't judge. Please don't judge. So if you come and you saw Tristan.

Speaker 1 10:35

I'm just thinking I need to send you one or two of my kids next year. They can put the tree up for you in the attic.

Speaker 10:40

Oh, they they look well, I'm pretty sure with with the way you challenged me with putting that candy in that bowl. That yeah, they can.

Speaker 6 10:47

If you need your roof clean, I'm sure they'll climb up on your roof or do something too.

Speaker 4 10:50

These Morgan kids are both different. Oh they are. They're climbing up. I know it's a guy. Now listen, then stop. Now listen, listen. Listen, our kids will plan how to do it, they will execute. My kids would be scared to death to do that. Really? But these Morgan kids can do anything. I'm gonna do that. I believe it.

Speaker 11:08

I believe it.

Speaker 6 11:09

They came back from one time where we were like, they like to play in the woods all the time. And we were like, they're hiding in the woods. We're not going in the woods.

Speaker 2 11:17

I mean, Abby's like, there's and they took Ben. Yes, they did. And then Abby's like, I mean, mom, there's ticks out there that can make you allergic to everything you love. That's what she said. In the woods. Like it's funny.

Speaker 11:32

Well, well, I guess because I I know a person that that happened to. So tick? Yeah.

Speaker 1 11:37

Yeah.

Speaker 11:38

And she got she got beat, uh, she got bit by a tick, and it affected what she I did, something, something. It affected what she ate. She couldn't eat certain stuff. I'm like, why? Like, I because at first it was like everywhere you go, she's it's like she had to have a special meal. And I'm like, what's true? And she literally got bit. That's what happened.

Speaker 4 11:56

And Abby knows all of those things.

Speaker 11:58

Yeah, like she just saw something different. Like, like all three of them have a different personality, but they're all something special in a different way.

Speaker 4 12:07

Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 6 12:08

We have traveled far in such a short time here.

Speaker 4 12:11

Yeah, we have. I wanted to tell one more story and then we're gonna get on a theme. Speaking of traveling, Darius, don't feel bad that you did not know about a compartment of some sort. We might have told this story before on a previous podcast, but Justin and I were in South Africa for our friend's weddings uh early.

Speaker 6 12:27

Budgeted, budgeted trip because we had no money.

Speaker 4 12:30

Yeah, this was like barely a year.

Speaker 6 12:32

So we got a year after a shift car with a little little um We called it a box on wheels. Box on wheels.

Speaker 4 12:38

This was in South Africa. Call it to travel?

Speaker 6 12:40

Yeah.

Speaker 4 12:41

And we landed in South Africa. What we would travel in the world.

Speaker 6 12:43

So it's a stick shift on the other side, on driving on the passenger side and on the opposite lane.

Speaker 4 12:49

You have to do it through a left side.

Speaker 6 12:50

I was doing my left-hand. Thankfully, I'm left-handed, so it was pretty good.

Speaker 4 12:54

But I mean, we were so we were our friends Andy and Elna, who we met here through FCA, good friends of ours, they were getting married. She's from in South Africa. So we they were packing, they got married, and then they were like stayed at this resort place that we were all out at that they were gonna leave the next morning. So we like saw them the next morning before they took off to go on their honeymoon or whatever. And he was packing the car. Maybe y'all went to pack the car. I don't remember. At some point, they had a car that was like the next level of whatever we had, but it was still small. And they had this like crazy cool compartment thing that you in the back, you just lift up. It looks like there's nothing there, but you lift this thing, and there's uh it's like under the seats, I guess. I don't know. Yeah, and even when we saw that, we were like, our car doesn't have that. So we were like putting our suitcases in the back seat, like huge suitcases, whatever. And that's what you're supposed to do. We got to the airport to turn the car. I mean, we had seen someone else do this, and we didn't even try because we were like, no, there's no shot in this tiny thing. We get to the airport, and you know, they're like doing their five-point check, whatever on the car. This woman opens up this apartment.

Speaker 2 14:00

We both were like, I was there the whole time.

Speaker 6 14:04

We were so rookie traveling. Yeah, I'm just glad we got out of South Africa on that trip. That's another story. So many stories from that. Great trip, crazy trip.

Speaker 4 14:13

Also, you know, throwing back to what year was that, 2009? 2009. I mean, how much has changed with Airbnb and communication?

Speaker 14:21

I mean, it was a to my defense. I just thought addicts were always like in houses that were really high and big. Yeah. Uh-huh. So it never even crossed my mind that this could potentially be what this is. Right.

Speaker 4 14:37

I'm like, you know, so did you leave your tree up this year too? You're gonna keep it as a lamp?

Speaker 14:42

Eventually we're gonna take it down. Right.

Speaker 6 14:44

Well, you get a great bonding experience with your father-in-law again, too. So that's a win. Yes.

Speaker 14:49

Well, we we actually no, no, no, no, you said that this is the type of father-in-law I have. I literally came from work the other day, and he has done the whole landscaping in our front yard. Oh, wow. Without like he's that type of guy. So he comes.

Speaker 6 15:04

Are you cool with that?

Speaker 15:05

Oh man, am I? Okay. Makes my yard look like I'm out there really keeping it up. People see it and are like, Darius is killing it. And it's it's him. So he uh he loves his I and I'm benefiting from he loves me too, but he really loves his daughter. Yeah. So whatever he could do for his little girl, he gonna, he's gonna do it. So he comes there a lot. So, you know.

Speaker 4 15:28

Well, I appreciate your input so that next time Justin doesn't want to do something for me, I'm gonna be like, dude, you're scared, aren't you?

unknown 15:34

You know?

Speaker 15:35

And it'll be like, no, I'm just lazy, actually. But but have you ever had a situation like that before? Where where something was bothering your, and it's not like you just scared, scared, but it's like if you a person's scared of heights and and they're trying to go on a ride and you like, no, I'm I ain't feeling it. And then they like, come on, you can do it. And then they start grim, you're like, I'm not doing it.

Speaker 6 15:57

Probably, probably. But it's because of the roof on my shed, it's one of it is probably. I feel like I might bite off a little bit more than I could chew.

Speaker 4 16:04

Yeah, but I'm but I'm the type, I'm like, just go for it. Like, but I'm also the one that doesn't have to do it, but you're not like scared of heights. You would be like if you're scared of heights, and then you're having to do that tag.

Speaker 16:14

But I think too, but no, I think that what he says though, it fits as well. Because it's like putting you in a position the project, not the heights, but the right. It's like putting you in a position to not you to be not be the best version of yourself, and then your confidence is so high, don't want to let you down, but at the same time, it's like if you push me, I'm gonna try. But at the same time, this is kind of going a little more than what you know what I would like. Like I said, Santana dads, he does everything. I'm not that person. He can fix whatever. I can't do that. So I've had to have a conversation with her, like, babe, that ain't me.

Speaker 4 16:50

My dad's an engineer, and because we, you know, had a big, I mean, we got there's four of us girls. So just growing up, like we didn't, he couldn't necessarily pay everybody to do stuff. So he would, and his brain is like, he'll just figure it out. So I definitely grew up in a house where it was like. Yeah, like you just figure it out. Like I've watched my dad, like just he just figured it out. And so um, we had to talk about that sometimes like early on. Because I was like, put this, just install this fan. Like, why are you speaking on this?

Speaker 6 17:21

I do. I mean, initially I was just like, huh?

Speaker 4 17:23

You know, I was like at Home Depot, and this is back.

Speaker 6 17:25

I fix breaks now, you know?

FCA News and Updates

Speaker 4 17:27

Hey, yeah, but like at Home Depot, they even had like a like a list of like the order of doing it on the aisle or something. I mean, that's how you know it's not like YouTube has been around like it is now forever. But anyway, when we were first married, I was like, I mean, it just tells you what to do. Just do it. Just do it. Yeah, yeah. Um, okay, so just a few updates. College getaway is coming up January 30th through February 1st. Is there anything you want to say about that, Justin?

Speaker 6 17:50

No, man, if you can come, let's go. It's gonna be a great time. We've got a great speaker, great worship team, maybe some great small group teachers as well. Great time of huddles with uh other people from other schools. So yeah, great time, great free time space as well.

Speaker 4 18:05

If you're a college student, we have the link in our bio. Um, and it's just at our website, msufca.org slash camp. But you can also find the link to register on our bio. And then we have a luncheon coming up, and we're gonna just keep talking about this luncheon April 17th.

Speaker 6 18:26

And yeah, it'll be a lot of testimonies from coaches and athletes and auction items and really good food. And just a good, good quality lunch. Bring your friends.

Speaker 4 18:35

Yeah, and we're excited it's earlier this year because last year it was a challenge, it being in May, and not, you know, a lot of the students were already heading out or seasons were over and or in postseason, getting closer to postseason, that kind of stuff. So we're excited that it's earlier. So hopefully we can have some more athlete representation at this luncheon this year. So that's coming up.

Speaker 6 18:56

Yeah, it's great.

The Stretch: 2026 is the New 2016?

Speaker 4 18:56

We're excited about it. Okay, so for the stretch time today, I wanted to get into this topic. I literally just found out about this, so I'm sure that those of you who are college students or in the know on social media can make fun of me for this. But I just found it, so I I don't know how long this has been like a thing. But the phrase 2026 is the new 2016. And we went around the table just barely before we got started. And Justin, did you know about it before I told you?

Speaker 6 19:27

I mean, I had seen some posts, but I had no idea what was really going on.

Speaker 4 19:31

But you had seen posts about like people saying some years ago.

Speaker 6 19:34

And I've seen people share memories before, so I'm like, all right, you know, whatever. But like I didn't really notice like this is the thing. I didn't like look at the posts carefully enough to realize it's tenure apart all the time.

Speaker 1 19:46

Right, right, right.

Speaker 4 19:47

What about you, Darius?

Speaker 19:48

Had no idea.

Speaker 1 19:50

Brandy? I've seen a couple posts. I'm kind of like Justin. The first one I just thought, oh, they're memories. But then once I realized it was three that I saw, like they were all 2016. Yeah. I was like, okay, there's something that's going on. Yeah. But I still don't know the entirety of it.

Speaker 20:04

So how does this work?

Speaker 4 20:06

Like, what is the theory behind it? Well, apparently the trend is that like these different platforms, you know, are posting throwback photos, videos, filters from 2016. So even like filters. So uh like on Snapchat, there were uh what did it say on here? Uh like dog filters. Do y'all remember that?

Speaker 5 20:26

Oh gosh.

Speaker 4 20:27

I remember I remember the dog filters. Okay. And then like lo-fi selfies, random style picks. So even like from a stylistic how we were engaging with each other type of stuff. It's not just it's not just um that year, but it's like what was going on after and some of it can take a political tone. We're not trying to like get into that, but I really wanted to hone in and kind of make a conversation around apparently there's it's kind of also about this nostalgia, like remembering back to before the algorithms got to what they are now and things like that. But for me personally, 2016, I'm like, I don't feel like that's a far enough distance for me. I could see where like current people that are maybe college students or maybe in their 20s, 2016 would be. Yeah.

Speaker 6 21:20

Like maybe they're maybe to 06 and I'm in a convention.

Speaker 4 21:22

No, that's why I was like, wait, like for me, 2026 is like the new, or is what I can't even say the thing right, is the new 2006, is like what I felt like. So I was trying to go back in my brain and think about 2006. What did I appreciate about this?

Speaker 6 21:36

Because we're old here.

Speaker 4 21:39

I know, but I'm like, that's what we should talk about today.

Speaker 6 21:41

But it's college students can't be a part of it if they go back 20 years or something. That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 21:45

That's what I'm saying. But I feel like that's what it should apply to different groups. Like I'm like, 2016 is not really far enough back for me.

Speaker 21:53

Um Well well, 2016, the well, I'll well, I know one of your children were here.

Speaker 4 22:00

Eli had been born, he was born in 2015. Yeah. So two.

Speaker 22:04

Oh, gotcha. He was born.

unknown 22:05

Yeah.

Speaker 4 22:05

Yeah. So Texas. It was this says that people remember 2016 as a less serious, more spontaneous time on social media, full of the filters, fun challenges. So it not so much of like scripted stuff or like this is the most effective.

Speaker 1 22:21

It's more like this is what we did today.

Speaker 4 22:25

Not so much of the you find out what's working, what's popular, and then yeah, you know, right. Again, the algorithm stuff. Um let's see. This also says after years of polished, highly curated, that's what I guess what I was trying to say, curated content. Many users want the imperfect, fun, uh, unfiltered energy of 2016. Uh, so anyway, this is what I really wanted to hone in on because I wanted to ask you guys. So I don't know, unless there's something from 2016 that stands out, but I wanted to challenge us to go further back and think about 2006 would have been my like end of freshman year.

Speaker 6 23:03

It's when Facebook was starting.

Speaker 4 23:05

2005 was Facebook, I think.

Speaker 6 23:07

Yeah.

Speaker 4 23:07

And then the beginning of 06. So, like, what's nostalgic about like that time for you? You can do 2016, Darius, since you're a little younger than us.

Speaker 23:17

I was gonna say, because if I go back to 2006, I was in the 9th, 10th grade, um, believing I could be the next Spud web on a basketball court. Um you look like Spud. Yeah, but I didn't have the hops.

Speaker 4 23:36

What was the like 50 inches vertically?

Speaker 6 23:39

How many?

Speaker 4 23:40

Yeah, yeah. But what was the trend as far as there probably there might not have been many social media and technology?

Speaker 23:46

So this is now I'm gonna tell you what was big for us back then. Okay. We had Bebo. Have y'all ever heard of a Bebo? So Facebook, you talk about Facebook, Facebook was not the big thing for us was Bebo and MySpace.

Speaker 4 24:01

Well, it's been an apple MySpace.

Speaker 24:03

See, MySpace, it was a it was it was a serious thing. Who are who is in your top 10 or your top five? Like that's yes, or your friends list.

Speaker 4 24:12

Did you, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 24:13

Sounds like a sale plan.

Speaker 4 24:14

When you logged into MySpace, did it look like Facebook? What did it look like?

Speaker 24:19

So when you logged into MySpace, it well, you gotta think, you could uh MySpace had a thing that you could uh edit profiles and make the theme be whatever you wanted.

Speaker 1 24:30

I do remember that.

Speaker 24:31

So so so it was like this. Like just say, if I like, like I like the Lakers. There was a certain like URL code I could put in on the editing of the profile that may put the Lakers as my when you click my page, the Lakers stuff come up, the wallpaper, or it could be a Kobe Bryant wallpaper. Like you could you could change your wallpaper, have different things. Then this is another thing that MySpace had. You could have a song that was connected to your profile. So as soon as somebody, you know, clicks up your page, there's a song that's connected to your profile, which could be what was your favorite song or a song that you know that you felt like reflected you. And then they had a wall like Facebook where people could post things on your wall, but you had a friends list. Now, I'm gonna say this with the younger people of my age, the top 10 was important.

Speaker 4 25:27

Like you could like you could see, how did you see it? Like you could see who is your or they could see that you they you like put them in their top 10.

Speaker 25:34

Well, like it's like this. On your page, you set your top 10, and whoever visits you can see. They can see. Now, this is the thing. So if you wanted to really know if somebody was into it, you could go to the top 10 list and it tells everything. Because if you and Brandon were best friends, she's in your top, I'm just gonna say top five. Well, you go and look the next day after they're not talking, and then she's either completely removed or she's moved down the top. Oh my gosh. And you could tell. So the boyfriend was like number one. Right. Like, or it'd be something like the parent is number one or something like that. But and and and and so Bebo was like uh the more younger version. Like on Bebo, it was more younger people. It was like if you was a certain age on Bebo, it's like, okay, what are we doing? The thing about Bebo, it was kind of set up the same way. And you know how um it's it's really amazing because when you look at social media today, they really do a lot of things that were done back then, yeah, but they just do them in a more up-to-date way. So Bebo was just like MySpace, as far as you got your own profile, you got a little bio up there that you can talk about yourself, you can have like hobbies, but then they had other halves. Your other half could be either a sibling, most of the time it was a relationship partner. Like if it was your boyfriend, he would his uh or your girlfriend, he would, he or she would be your other half. So once people see that, they click them and it takes them to their profile. Wow. You get what I'm saying? So girl profile could maybe maybe like what's uh it may have a quest small questionnaire like sign, like what's your sign, birthday, height, things like that, favorite group, and then on the guys, what sports you play, what's your like so it was it was a way of uh kind of like what Instagram is, it was profiles, profile based. Um, and it was just a little more interesting. Now the thing was that made it great was it was important, but because social media wasn't as prevalent, it didn't dominate who we were.

Speaker 4 27:38

Right, and you could only access it through the computer anyway, yeah, right? Right, yeah.

Speaker 27:42

And then you can start somehow eventually you can start accessing them through the phone, but it was it was so bad. And like yeah, it was it was so bad because it is like you said, it was for it was built for the computer. It was not, you know. Right. So it but that was 2006, that's what it was. We and and that's why I say it was a little different because it's amazing because when I feel like when social media was in its infancy, it wasn't as much emphasis on it. It's like if you didn't have a profile, you wouldn't looked at like you're left behind.

Speaker 4 28:14

Well, it's really more I mean I've never really thought about it because I hadn't I don't really think about this stuff, but it was the partnership with how the phone changed. Like if the phone had stayed the same, yeah, that those social medias would have probably been about, I mean, we'd probably be experiencing the same way.

Speaker 28:27

And it's it's it continues to grow because you gotta think about it. Like now, when I chose this phone, I said I got to get something I can watch, like movies, something because I'm saying as things adjust, the phone kind of so it that's kind of how it was. So that's why I say, like, you know, it's interesting to look at because I'm that person now. To look back when I was that age and some of the young people that I'm around, they cannot even associate with nothing that I'm saying. It's like, you know, because Facebook, and that's you you talk about Facebook, Facebook was like the site that nobody cared about. It was like that was the last, you know, but it's amazing that now Facebook is still.

Speaker 4 29:12

Yeah, it wasn't the first, it wasn't the first thing, but somehow I'm sure it was adapted in a way that could be on the phone. Never really thought about that, like how those things would have have to be like kind of planned at the same time and in cahoots, most likely.

Speaker 5 29:25

Yeah.

Speaker 4 29:26

But with Facebook, that started my freshman year, I think, 2005. And so similarly, I mean, you just got back from I would get back from class and log on and see if somebody posted on my wall, basically my profile.

Speaker 5 29:38

Yeah.

Speaker 4 29:38

But I never did the MySpace thing.

Speaker 1 29:40

I did it my freshman year, but it kind of freaked me out. I can't remember why. Like, I think it was because people could talk to me that I didn't know, like, send me a message that I didn't know. Yeah, did you not? And I looked in it like friend normal, like Facebook. I don't think so, right?

Speaker 4 29:53

Or did you just go search someone's name in MySpace and then?

Speaker 29:55

No, no, no. I think you could you could like add them as a friend, but it was it wasn't, it wasn't set up at the same time.

Speaker 1 30:00

Anybody could send you a message, right? Yeah, yeah. I mean, I guess you still can't.

Speaker 30:04

But I think anybody could, but I think too on MySpace, I mean, um, or we're talking about we're talking about vague MySpace. Yeah, I think uh, but some I think some profiles could be private where people couldn't get access to your like they they could click your name and see you had a profile, but it would be very vague until they like I guess accept I don't remember if something happened, like somebody got hurt, or you know, and so I was like, I'm not.

Speaker 1 30:29

And it was new, we didn't have social media at all. MySpace is kind of like still registered in my brain like that.

Speaker 4 30:35

Like just like a like it just seemed a little bit like risque. Yeah, it was to get a MySpace page. Did y'all ever have phone calls like a phone on the wall in your house? Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, definitely. Obviously, you just in that.

Speaker 6 30:52

Yes, when back to memorize memorized numbers, yes, phone books on top of the table.

Speaker 30:59

Exactly. See, that's what I missed.

Speaker 1 31:01

My brother and I had our own line, but it wasn't like somebody but it wasn't like like if you called me and I was my mom was on the phone, it still wouldn't, it would be busy. But when you called, if you called our line, our ring tone was different. It would do like a little different ring. Oh I think my parents paid like maybe five dollars a month to make it so that they would know this is not pretty. When the phone rang, we would get all excited when it was our ring.

Speaker 4 31:26

Oh, nice. Still can't believe my parents agreed. People would know if we asked at a huddle, do you think people these students would know what a busy signal is? Probably not. When is a busy signal? I mean, when I call the doctor, maybe, but I'm like, when is that even used anymore?

Speaker 1 31:41

Because most of the time it goes straight to a voicemail now.

Speaker 31:44

Yeah.

Speaker 1 31:45

We did get call waiting eventually.

Speaker 31:47

Yeah, I just had a moment. Busy signal. You don't know what that is? No, no. I I know what a busy signal, but I need okay. So this reason that's why I wanted to just clarify. I know what a busy signal is. Most of the time that I get them, I get them pretty often, but it's because when we're back home and you're trying to get lunch during lunch hours, you're trying to put your order in.

Speaker 4 32:06

Oh, yeah, so they do know. See, I'm seeing because anything on a landline.

Speaker 6 32:10

Yeah, I'm just thinking about phones, you know, that one line. Like, and and then if you were calling a friend, like specifically a girl.

Speaker 4 32:19

Like, somebody could pick up another phone, right?

Speaker 6 32:21

Yeah, but you had to talk to parents. Like you pick up a phone, you're talking to mom or dad, and you're like, hey, is uh what's your name there? She's like, Yeah, sure, what's your name?

unknown 32:32

Yeah.

Speaker 6 32:32

What do you want to do with my daughter? Yeah, I just get through somebody else.

Speaker 32:36

And so to have that conversation, man, you had to be well, I would a lot of times I wouldn't have those conversations because I hang up.

Speaker 6 32:44

Yeah.

Speaker 32:44

You call the phone and it's like, hello? And then they call the phone back. Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Somebody just called. No, nobody called. I don't know what you're saying. Then that's the most awkward feeling at school the next day. Did you call my house last night? Yeah, but you didn't answer somebody answered the phone. That was my, and you know, but I will say it was more respect.

Speaker 6 33:10

You knew you couldn't just you had to get have some have your stuff figured out before you get on that call. It's just amazing.

Speaker 1 33:16

We playing times too, though. Like we're gonna call you at 6 45. Yes. So you would have to kind of buy the phone. Yes. Yeah.

Speaker 33:23

Because with Justice saying that, this is what's crazy. My mom didn't like my dad. So she gave him the phone number. So when he called, the first four days, he talked to my grandmother and didn't know it. And my grandmother is the one that told my mom, you need to talk to this guy. I've talked to him four days. He's pretty good. Like he's a good guy. Like, like, like he built up, he didn't realize who he was talking to, but he built up trust through that. So I'm saying, but it's just a point of like what he said.

Speaker 6 33:57

In order for you to get to me, you need to talk to my grandmother for four days. And she will give approval or not.

Speaker 1 34:03

So we used to try to trick my dad when he would call. Like I would try to pretend like I was my mom. Like, cause voices on the phone. Like Brett still thinks sleepwalker sounds like me on the phone. And so that's what I always try to trick, because they never they couldn't tell. Because it's calling a phone that goes to everybody, not just your cell phone.

Speaker 4 34:22

Yeah. That to think about the amount, the lack of autonomy you had to like the most autonomy you can have to just hide in whatever way you want. You can say what you want and just not even be seen versus like that time. But like what, like, because you when you talked about something just a second ago, like you're oh, we planned times to be at the top, and you were smiling when you said it. Like, what makes it fun to go back and think about those times though, versus now where you could just be like, oh, this is so much better, because I can just like not have to go through this person or that person.

Speaker 34:57

I feel like it was investment. Like, like because you like with what Brandy said that it just brings back memories to when I would do things like that. So because you were so committed to the investment, you were not into wasting people's time or wasting your time. Like you wouldn't really do that with somebody you didn't really have an interest in.

Speaker 4 35:18

Yeah, it kind of created like a natural boundary. Like you're not gonna mess around.

Speaker 35:21

Right, right. So it's like if I don't like her, I'm not calling her. But those things are not in place now.

Speaker 1 35:27

So it's like because I was just gonna say, like, you didn't call the house past eight, you know, because then like the dad might answer, like, why are you calling my house this late? Where now like people can call and text all hours FaceTime in the middle of the night. Like my my eighth graders, they will fall asleep on FaceTime with people.

Speaker 6 35:44

Yeah, that's a thing.

Speaker 1 35:45

Yes, it's really I just didn't understand eighth grade because I don't like to FaceTime, right? You know, so I'm like, why would y'all want to do that? But for them, it's a thing. Yeah.

Speaker 6 35:56

That's yeah, looking at each other's noses in the dark, yeah, or on the ceiling. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 36:02

And then too, one of the things. What do you do when they fall asleep? Do you just stay on the phone or do you hang up?

Speaker 36:08

It's all and I feel like it gave like the way things were, it helped people have a sense of value for themselves. Like with you talking about the way they FaceTime, and you know, because that is a thing now. It's like you become at even at a younger age, you become so consumed with another person that the heartbreaks are 10 times worse. Whereas back then, a lot of times parents were a little more involved because you had to talk to them first. And then, too, it will be to the point where it's like they're not gonna be calling this house at no nine o'clock. If they don't respect this house, they don't respect you, they don't respect us, and it will lead to lessons where you will start. You know, a lot of times, even if you didn't fully line align with what they said, it brought a conviction like, you know, they are right, like this is not respectful.

Speaker 6 36:59

You were more engaged in the process with the whole family, yeah, not just the individual, because si siblings would get involved on it too, and mess with you. And like, so it just whatever. Like it was just all that was together. So, yeah, it was a family investment.

Speaker 1 37:15

So I remember my little when you said that, my little brother, he's five years younger, he would like go to the other room to Matt. Like, we had for the longest we had one, and it was in the hallway. Then my parents added a room, and so they had a phone in their room, and he would like sneak and get on, and I could hear him, and I was like, get off the phone. Yeah, or you might yell, like, who's on the phone? Yes, yes.

Speaker 6 37:35

And they had a sister conversation. I may have done that one time. I don't think I I don't think I did it.

Speaker 1 37:41

But also, like the point that you can set a time is like I can still go ahead and like go outside and do this and play this, and I'm not like just sitting there waiting. Yes. So I don't know.

Speaker 37:52

That's that's why I say I just think back when I think about it back then, is like you value yourself. Like everything about you was not like some of these younger people, I'd be wanting to say, like, you're a little too invested. Like, you're too young, you're still learning, you're still becoming. Like, why do you feel like your whole week and day have to be consumed with this particular individual? I'm married, and you you pushing my limits. Like, like, I'm like, I'm married with a wife. You make it me. Like, I'm not, you know, because their whole world is about like, yes, like back then, like, well, for me, you know, we like you said, we knew we were gonna talk at seven. We get out of school at 3.15. Hey, I'm shooting ball, I'm going down the street playing this, you know, and then when that time comes, I'm like, okay, I'm supposed to be talking to such and such, but I wasn't, my whole day wasn't consumed with them, you know what I mean, which I felt like helped us to transition. It stuff didn't work out. Right. I mean, it didn't work out. You know, you wasn't feeling like writing a note and uh uh uh uh for the you know, I don't want to say it like that, but a almost a suicide note. I can't breathe, I can't go. It wasn't that. Right but now, oh my God, trying to talk to some of these young people through breakups, you like, I only knew them for three weeks. Three weeks, but you love them like that? Like, what are we doing?

Speaker 4 39:19

Yeah, you know, but yeah, but man, there's just no, yeah, talking about it makes sense that there's not even thinking about TV and how everything's streaming now, there's just no natural lines anywhere to make it. I mean, that's not revelation for anybody. We all know that, but it's just like you had to wait on the show to come. So it's not like this distraction. I could do it now, but I'm gonna not like you didn't even have to discipline yourself for that. Yeah. It's like my show doesn't come on until six anyway.

Speaker 6 39:49

So it's just off your mind. It's not at Blockbuster yet. We can't win it.

Speaker 4 39:54

Yeah, but we're trying to do it. I don't know. Did y'all know? Have y'all noticed that you know, Redbox took Blockbuster. Out pretty much. Redbox.

Speaker 40:01

And red boxes are not like we have we don't even see any red boxes. Yeah, nope. Well, I knew because I had an uncle who was a big manager in Blockbuster for the longest. And and see, back in Tupelo, I don't know if y'all remember uh Hollywood.

Speaker 6 40:15

Yeah, Hollywood Video.

Speaker 40:17

Yeah. So Hollywood Video and Blockbuster was basically the same.

Speaker 6 40:20

They competitors.

Do We Still Value Stories?

Speaker 40:22

And and literally they put a Hollywood right next to Blockbuster. So what people would do is if they couldn't get it at Hollywood, they'll walk across the street to Blockbuster. And it was very competitive. But I remember when they first started going out of business, um, he was like, because he was a manager there, he worked at like that was almost like his life. And um when they first started going, and it's amazing because like my mind couldn't comprehend Blockbuster being what it was from a video game perspective, from a uh movie perspective to Red Box. Like I remember Red Box to like Netflix, and like it's so many different transitions. And that's why when you was even speaking to uh some of the things that we just naturally done, I feel like that's why sometimes the life right now for a lot of people is so out of balance. Because it's almost like we're being taught to live life uh instead of with the patience and the timing and the learning. It's like everything seems sped up. Yeah, right. You can you can watch uh you can tell me about a show, Hunger Games, and I can literally in two weeks watch five series of one show because it's like and it's just it it just it I'm gonna say this as a younger person who's been in both times, it doesn't feel healthy. Right, right.

Speaker 6 41:41

Boundaries, boundaries help with formation. And so when you eliminate when you eliminate boundaries, there's no right now, there's not true formation that happens, um, maturity, emotional maturity. We can go through each of the things and how lack of boundaries just promotes more chaos. And so you just spin and spin and spin. But when there's boundaries that keeps you secure, you can grow and form in a place, and then once then you can move on to the next. Like you can open the gate from that one and move on to the next because you can handle the next.

Speaker 4 42:17

Right. Maybe that's an indication. Maybe this trend will be an indication that that's what people are ultimately craving. Like you don't want boundaries, you want to be able to have your choice and do whatever you want when you want to do it, but it's actually what's really hurting you, you know? Yeah. But it's it's interesting to see, even um, Manny is awesome. We've talked about her a few times at on this podcast, and I might have said it, I think I did on another episode, but we had an in um a Christmas uh party kind of thing for the girls, and she brought a separate digital camera. So when we said, does it, you know, let's do a picture, I was gonna grab one on my phone, and she handed me her digital camera, and she started kind of explaining how to use it. I was like, I got it. But even that, I've seen that trend for sure for a little while. Like uh, we were at Abby and I, I think we're at an event for like high school, middle school, high school age, and I think I saw some of them like have separate digital cameras. And so I think it's funny because every generation probably comes to that point where we think we've discovered something, but that somebody's already done, right? And I won't mention who because this is her idea, but somebody else, like uh student here, she was telling telling me that she was gonna start a cookbook club and where people can bring the recipe and the actual cooked item and then exchange the rep recipes after they eat. And when she posted this to social media, she got like 15 responses immediately. Well, so I don't know. I'm hoping these are indications of because to me, I mean, I've never done a cookbook club, but you know, there's book clubs. I was like, man, these kids are gonna start asking to play Bunko. I don't even know how to do that. That's Mahjong.

Speaker 1 43:51

Mahjong. Have you seen it? Uh-uh. Okay, do you know what Majon is? No. Oh my gosh, you don't know on the computer. It was like solitaire mahjong. There were only certain games you only played. Yes, and you had to have two tiles that were the same that were revealed to click on them, and you tried to get all the tiles gone. Yeah, yeah. Well, now people are playing like real life mahjong with tiles. Interesting. I really want to do it. Bring back Mindsweep Flash. Yes, yes, it's like flashback. That's what it is.

Speaker 4 44:23

I don't play games at all, but when Google did the throwback to like Pac-Man, I went through all eight levels. I was like, dude, I'm beating this thing. This is my childhood right here.

Speaker 1 44:33

Well, well, I don't know, but that's not the PlayStation. Like, you know, when PlayStation first started coming out, we had the old Nintendo. I I used to love like my dad's friends would bring their kids over after we would hunt and we would play the duck game with the girl and Mario.

Speaker 6 44:50

We're going from NES to PlayStation.

Speaker 1 44:53

I was thinking PlayStation was not what I was thinking.

Speaker 6 44:56

I was trying to think of Sega.

Speaker 1 44:58

I was trying to think Super Nintendo 64.

Speaker 45:01

Do y'all remember this? Uh Dreamcast? What did Dreamcast? Gamecast?

unknown 45:06

Oh.

Speaker 45:07

I don't remember that much. So uh but but the reason why I say that, because you think about it. The first game that I remember just had, it was a box uh controller with A and B. That's it. A red and black A and B. And then you got the Super Nintendo with the, it started adding a little more with the tops. But but I that's why I was gonna make a point when you started talking about what you were saying, and even you, Bethany. Um, I think that that's why it's important for some of us who have had those experiences to continue to talk about the experiences we have. Because I think sometimes and and I'm just speaking how I feel. Now y'all can, you know, y'all may feel different, but sometimes, especially being a youth pastor and you're dealing with younger people, they can almost make you feel like sometimes when you're trying to teach them some of these things that we're not relating to them. So if you're not Kevin, you almost feel like you're having to give up everything just to, but I started realizing like some of these things we have to be okay with reminding them or even bringing this to them so they can understand the pace you're going and the world is pushing you to go through. It's not healthy. It's like, you know, you're uh, and I I just feel like this. I have to tell some of them be a kid. Like, like don't be 15, living like you're 35. I'm 35. Right. Don't live like me. Like be 14, go out. That's why I like I look at them now, and I saw it really change with my generation where the game became a big thing. Now, we still went outside and still played, but then it started going from instead of going outside and meeting, shooting ball, playing football, baseball, wrestling, now we're meeting at such and such house to play the game. Yeah. And it and but I started noticing uh the competitive spirit started to dwindle that want to beat you, like that started to kind of go away. Uh the the uh how we interacted with each other. It just started to shift. And so now I see a generation who don't go outside at all. And so what I'm saying is like I just feel like sometimes it's important that we share like some of these different things and some of the games that we play and some of the things that we've done, even how we done it, to help them to realize like this is healthy. Yeah, like this will help develop certain different things. Because now, you know, you're talking about dating. You have people dating people, and the parents don't even know they're even talking to nobody. Like they having to find out such and such, yo, your son. Like, I had I literally had a person come to me and say, Yeah, your little sister and my son, they've been dating. I'm like, uh, who are you? Who are you a son? But I'm saying because of how things are, yeah, they have so many different means to communicate with people and interact in a way that we won't know unless we kind of you know a little more intentional. But I just feel like we should bring them in sometime to somebody barking up Abby's tree.

Speaker 6 48:19

I will find them.

Speaker 48:20

Yeah, you better be.

Speaker 6 48:22

I will find you.

Speaker 48:23

Yeah, I would hate to be the young man on the other side of that.

Speaker 1 48:26

You better be talking to me first, and something too, like about sending them outside. Our kids, if they've gotten old, as they've gotten older and we've send them outside to play. Sometimes we will go out and play with them, but they're used to always like having stuff fed and given, and they'll say, Well, I'm bored.

Speaker 5 48:42

Yep.

Speaker 1 48:43

And Brett's response always is boredom is a choice. Go find something to do. Yeah, and I think like in that, like you have to figure out creativity. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You have to figure things out. Like, we didn't have all these extra things that you see everybody having. Like, we figured out something to play or do.

Speaker 4 49:00

So Eli came home telling me his teacher told him that.

Speaker 6 49:03

Oh, yeah. Boredom produces creativity.

Speaker 4 49:05

And I was like, and did you believe her? And he was like, Yeah, that was like perfect timing to think for later. If I had said it to you, you'd be like, That's what I'm telling, Brittany.

Speaker 6 49:12

Go play in the woods. Okay, I posted this video. That's really cool.

Speaker 4 49:15

I posted this video this mom had where she was bringing like this plate of apples out to her son under the like place that they had in their yard. And she was like, All right, today we're gonna pretend it's the 90s. She was like, Here's your snack. You're staying outside all day, you're not coming back inside. We're pretending it's the 90s. And then she was like, Where's your brother? And he goes, I don't know. She said, Perfect, that's the 90s, right?

Speaker 1 49:40

Yeah, he'll be fine, he'll come in at dark.

Speaker 4 49:43

Wow, yeah, but to your point, Darius, this is a good segue into another thought. Um, so our staff knows this, but uh uh Justin and I are both fans of Nate Bargetse and his comedy, and so he has a podcast I listen to. But on this podcast, he is about to build an amusement park. He's been going around touring the country, he sells out stadiums. It's crazy the amount of people he's about to have a movie come out, and he says this, and this is what I want to ask you guys. He is convinced people want to have things that they can go do together as a family and then like create those moments together because he was like, These are stories you're gonna tell, you know, like when I'm a grandfather, I'm gonna be like, your mom did blah, blah, blah, you know, to my grandkids. But I don't, I believe that because I feel that way. But I feel like that is kind of dwindling. Like, do people care to make moments to have stories? Do people communicate in stories when they get together? Are they like, hey, you gotta hear what just happened when I went to Kroger today? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, like I do that, probably annoy people that I do that so much because I realize like I'm sitting at lunch and like something they say will remind me of something. And that's what I wanna, I think that's what makes things like life interesting and fun. But if you don't even filter your life through that or like care to go, one of y'all just said that about like you go somewhere to create that, like when you're outside and you're having to figure something out, then you have a story. Well, Eli picked up this stick and tried to do this and blah, blah, blah. You know, but if it's already figured out for you and just kind of like had you don't have those stories to share.

Speaker 1 51:19

Yeah, my kids love listening to stories when Brett and his brothers and cousins get together and start telling stories. They are like silent and still and listen. They're like locked in. And and his dad, but they also are good storytellers. Like his dad adds to, and I'm like, I have to remind them, like, some of because then they want to recreate. I'm like, some of that is not true. You can't go do exactly what he said. Yeah, yeah. But so I do think, I mean, I value it. I feel like I'm a minority in that though. Do you feel that way? Like that you appreciate that, or yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 51:51

That's why I'm wondering if people, like younger people, even in your church, do you see them, do they talk in story form to each other?

Speaker 51:58

Well, a lot of times they don't, but that's why I was saying to the point I was making earlier, we have to, I feel like, preserve that. Right. Because you gotta think they are literally in a world where they're almost being pushed to be so individualistic, even among the family. Like, yo get food, everybody get their food and go to their room. Like where we used to sit around, talk, engagement, you know, and so what we're seeing with some of uh our young people, we're having to make that as a um, we're having to really push that with the staff. Let's engage, let's put them with somebody to make them engage because like they're now more easy to just be off to themselves. It's like me, my assignment, my phone, my world, my bubble. But as we we and that's what I'm learning, like you said, what happened with your children when we talk about things, especially some of us come together, and especially when the stories include multiple people, you see them light up. You see, and they like, y'all did that? Or how do y'all and it's like it helps them sometimes see, okay, we were in your shoes, but when we were in your shoes, this is what we were doing. And we were, I'm gonna say this, we're making moments. We miss a lot of moments. And what I'm learning as I get older, being married to my wife, you have to be intentional to create these things. You have to be intentional. So I feel like some of these things are things we need, but some of them don't know they need it until they see it. And then it's like, oh, okay, wow, I didn't know I was missing out on that. Let's go and create our moments, you know.

Speaker 4 53:44

Yeah, even on the podcast we were talking about with Jason, I asked him what was his favorite sports broadcasting moment, and he was like, Oh, it had to be the Morgan Williams shot went over the Yukon player, you know. So we're talking about that. And because he was there and he had his vantage point, I was like, Yeah, I was there. I was up with my family. I've never seen my dad so excited. Yeah. Really? In Africa. I thought that was crazy. Yeah, I've never felt electricity like that's awesome with people in the stadium. So, like, and then af after that, like I ran into somebody who I think works in Columbus at a paper or something, and I don't even know how that he found me, but he like interviewed me, which I was a former player. So, like, there's just these moments that happen associated with that moment that Jason brought up, and to me, that's how you interact and you have a good conversation and a good hang.

Speaker 1 54:29

Yeah, you know, some of it's just funny too.

Speaker 4 54:32

Yeah, like it's just a good laugh. Like, yeah, it just creates the thing. But like how much of that is missed, or I'm just I feel like I'm gonna start noticing it more because I do think I have noticed it's harder whenever I do ask a question to someone say like college age, there's it's might be one word or more frequently. I don't know. Yeah, and I'm like, I mean, surely you got one thought on this, you know? And I'm not trying to make fun, it's just noticing the difference in how maybe people are interacting with like the life around them, and then going and because I think that we would probably do that. Like we'd be like, oh man, I gotta remember this and then remember to tell this to Justin later because this was wild. This happened to me, you know, whatever. That's kind of how I think about my day and stuff.

Speaker 55:17

Yeah, yeah. I I I mean, I'm I'm completely with you. That's why today pushing them and challenging them to be thinkers, pushing them and challenging to share, have some of those moments, um, and to realize like it's fun to do, like to be a person, to be like, like I mean, is those are things that I'm I'm realizing some of those times I did miss out on, but then also being in a position and you're seeing where you came from. Because it's like my grandmother in the hospital. We're literally in the hospital and she's there, but even though we're there with family, we're talking about stories. Like one time, you know, I was playing, and this may be a little graphic, but they we had a swing set that the outside of the bar had fell off. So I would look in the swing set like I'm looking through a glass, and then I put my nose in and all this. Well, I didn't realize it was a bee, and a bee flung uh uh it flew up my nose, stung me on my nostril. And because of it's that cartilage, you could feel this thing, but you couldn't feel it. It's like you felt it. But I knew something was, and this is what I did, Jay. Uh I put my I closed my nose and I closed the bee in there. And that's when the bee stung my, my, my, like the cartilage, and I let it out, and my eye swole up like a balloon. And I had to go to the hospital. But because of some of the people that were there, we got to share those stories. And then, like, I can only imagine when your your husband and his brother's telling their stories with the kids around. It helps them to not just to it helped them to get to know them better too. Because they're seeing their personalities, they're realizing like, okay, they're not, they didn't just show up like this with me. They have actually been like this. You know, you get to so it's it's uh it's so many different things I feel like we miss out on when we don't move like that or or be intentional on creating those moments and different things. And that's why I speak to the athletes here. One thing I tell them, it don't matter how your season is going, embrace this moment. Like when you just sitting around talking, getting to know each other. Like embrace these moments because once they go, they are gone. And then when you come back 20 years from now, you'll be able to talk about it together and say, you remember, you know, you remember this? We were just kind of talking about that.

Speaker 6 57:38

There's some great things about this generation, and we can get into the details of some of that, but I think the things that I would say is this generation is like have the family time, don't skip the family time. And if even if you don't have that, like sitting around the table having meals type things, sharing stories, like your kids are getting to hear this, you know. The the strength of the Morgan family is big, you know? Um, you know, this all that formational stuff or time with grandparents, things like that. Don't neglect that time because there's stories, there's gems, there's nuggets all throughout there and experiences. Um make that time count. And if you don't have that, you need to find it where you are. And um, and I think those things are just significant. We need to be around sharing stories, we need to have these moments. This isn't a knock at the current generation. No, no, at all.

Speaker 4 58:25

But I do think that the the trend feels like for me, I'm no expert, and I don't study all this social stuff, but like it just seems like if the nostalgia is what you're after, it's probably because that's what you really want is that like kind of storytelling, that engagement with people, not just on a platform, but in person. And one of the last things we're gonna wrap up here in a second, but the I was thinking about in this definition about nostalgia, it says feeling nostalgic means experiencing a sentimental longing, often bittersweet for happier, significant times, people or places in the past. Anyways, it's often triggered by like sights and sounds and smells. I just wondered if there's anything that you can uh pinpoint that like did things like that trigger you? Like you mentioned music earlier, I think. Yeah. That like takes you back. I know certain scents will do that. Like, man, the moment I smell it, I'm like, somebody wore this in high school.

Speaker 1 59:16

Like, this is gonna sound crazy, but I loved the smell of my grandmother's um window unit in her house. Like, I would go stand in front of it. No, it was just like because I guess it came from outside, so it was just like a clean, fresh, but it was like I would go stand in front of the window unit. And so, like, if I smell that now, I'm like, oh, it takes you back. Or library books, you know, the smell of library books.

Speaker 6 59:40

We didn't know if you'd be okay, Brandy. You just sat there and looked in that window the whole day.

Speaker 1 59:45

I would get my ice cream colon and go stand in front of how many. No, but and I've noticed Lucas like that. Like certain people I feel like pick up stronger with certain scents. Or different things, like whether it be stories or scents.

Speaker 6 1:00:04

Well, the old smell of the Shira complex brought back memories.

Speaker 1 1:00:08

That's what I was just about to ask.

Speaker 6 1:00:10

By running after weights and slanting.

Speaker 4 1:00:12

No, I will say this, although I'm baseball season is just entirely too long. But we've talked about baseball plenty of times on this. What I will say, I I do get aggravated when people start setting up their left field lounge stuff when it's still work day and you're like trying to figure out parking, and you got all these people carrying coolers. I'm like, guys, like anyway. But I do like the smell of those those grills getting going and like something about country music at a ballpark. They're on a like crisp spring day.

Speaker 1 1:00:45

I just saw a video and they were talking about I think they toured the stadium and all the things. Um Bryce Chance was on it, but and that's one of the things that they were talking about was being in the outfield and being able to just smell the grills behind you and people being right there, like how it's so unique compared to other stories they like.

Speaker 1:01:03

I can't wait to experience that because this year I'm going to a baseball. We'll believe it when we see it.

Speaker 6 1:01:08

This is my first I've been talking with us. This is probably the most exciting baseball season in a long time. And it's partly because some of the other sports are down, the bigger ones. And then, you know, when you have coach change at the moment, I'm I think they can flip it. I do.

Speaker 1:01:26

Um, you tell them the truth. I just it's just hard to accept.

Speaker 6 1:01:30

No, but then new coaching staff and just um forming of two power four rosters. There's a lot of excitement around everything. Yeah, of what could happen. And um, I think people are really excited about it.

Speaker 1:01:43

So well, it's gonna be my first time coming. Um, I already got baseball jerseys. I'm just kind of excited. I've been literally told by everyone I've met I'm missing out.

Speaker 5 1:01:55

Yeah.

Speaker 1:01:55

Like this, they they like You gotta make some moments. Yeah, yeah. I gotta make some moments. They like this is the best thing uh in Starkville. Like it's like uh it's not just a game, but it's an event, you know.

Speaker 4 1:02:07

I think, yeah, because we have so many of the extra things that go along with it, you know. Like, I mean, a lot of schools do tailgating for football, but this is just so uniquely different than what other people have as part of the experience, even if I don't even really hardly go out to the outfield, but that's where we smell it, to you know, I don't know. And they they're just funny out there, like those they're there's something different.

Speaker 6 1:02:29

Unfiltered. Yeah.

Speaker 4 1:02:31

Unhinged, unhinged. Are there any insights or smells or sounds for you that take you back to anything? I mean, there's always yeah, I mean, there's plenty.

Speaker 6 1:02:45

I mean, there's songs that go back to certain points in your life, or um I mean, I'm I'd I'd be too many. I don't want to get lost.

Speaker 4 1:02:52

You do, I do hear you say that about songs that or come on, like you were working in Home Depot that one season and they played one of the things.

Speaker 6 1:02:57

I know I'm working with a lot of younger guys at Home Depot during that gap year that I had, and um and I'm like, Man, y'all know this song, you know this band? And nobody knows. There's some examples, do you remember? It's three doors down, you know, um, or it's the cranberries, or it's like whatever some of the songs. And uh these guys are like, Man, I have no idea what this is. I'm like, man, y'all missed out. It's great great music.

Speaker 2 1:03:16

Great stuff right here. Wow.

Speaker 4 1:03:17

Sounded like an old man.

Speaker 6 1:03:18

Yeah, well, yeah. It's it's good.

Speaker 4 1:03:21

And you were probably what in your late 20s, 30s. This was early 30s. Okay. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:03:28

Back to Mississippi State.

Speaker 6 1:03:29

Only a few years ago.

Speaker 1:03:30

Yeah. I'm kind of I'm kind of like Justin. I have a lot. Like sounds, sights. Um I mean, Waffle House. I'm like, I mean, yeah, it's so many different things. I when you was talking, uh, when Brandy was talking, I was thinking about raisins. When she was talking about her, because raisins, I don't know why, but at my great-grandmother's house and even at my grandparents' house, raisins were a thing. They would literally have, like, we have the box of Hershey's, they'll have a box of raisins.

Speaker 6 1:04:01

I was not expecting raisins.

Speaker 1:04:02

Like the little box of the little red box of that.

Speaker 4 1:04:06

Were you just thinking free raisins?

Speaker 1:04:09

They had a little red.

Speaker 4 1:04:10

You might just add the bowl of raisins.

Speaker 1:04:12

Yeah, yeah, like they would have a bowl with the little red box of raisins in it with uh pecans in them. Oh like pecans in them. Wait, wait, wait, in the box or like no a pecans in the bowl. So you would they would have like the pecan breaker thing with with the box breakers. I was also picturing.

Speaker 6 1:04:32

Yeah, no, things like that. Like I remember at this, we used to have pecans in the right.

Speaker 1:04:39

So people now today to like to relate it to today, it would be more like a candy bowl. Yeah, yeah. But but those were things I used to remember, and I used to remember because they wouldn't let us get candy, and that was like the sweetest thing you about gonna get. So you can say, I ain't getting this, and then uh eventually you can grab them. And then later it blew my mind because I didn't know that raisins were dried up grapes. Yeah, I did not know that. So, like things like that, uh, Stuart Scott, you hear his voice on ESP, and it brings back memories, or uh, I know you're gonna know this one, Justin, Chris Berman. Oh, yeah. Um, yes. Or what about uh the was it George Mike and sports machine? Uh George, uh I can't think of it. He he used to come on every Sunday night around 11 o'clock after all of the NFL games that came on, and he would go through all of the games, but he was very dramatic. And so you watch highlights, different things. Like those were things that like some things I remember. You know, you're talking about certain smells. I feel like everybody has a family or a home that had a smell that was attached to it. Like I had a family member, like, and it wasn't a bad smell, but if I left clothes over there and got my clothes and brought them home, yeah, you could smell where they came from. You know, not like I said, it wasn't bad, but it's all kind of things, songs that bring back memories. There's a my grandma's back door creeks.

FCA Semester Topic: Who You're Becoming

Speaker 4 1:06:04

It's a certain creek that made, and whenever we bought this house in Startville, our back door, it's pretty close to how it like mimicking that. But it was like you always knew when you opened that door, she'd be like, hello, you know, and so you like expect that, and you're like, It's me, mamma, dude. Wow. Um so like that is a good sound. Like that's always associated with walking into the back of their house and whatever we were gonna do. Because that was kind of a place, like a fun place that we all could go to growing up. But I the Mario song, like whenever we went to that movie, that's probably why that movie crushed, because you have people that you know, older and businesses that have figured this out. I just read about Lego not too long ago, was taking, well, it's probably longer than I think, but whenever they were like tanking back in the early 2000s, I think, but they figured out whoever came in figured out that people like our age or even probably older than us were still building, but they weren't designing things for that group. So they simplified the Lego pieces and then they started making things that would also bring like take us back to so whoever's figuring out this nostalgia is really those happy experiences that we want to continue to live out, you know. Yeah. Um is kind of the deal. So, anyways, that really took up the whole podcast today. So we're gonna wrap up by just saying this that our topic for this semester at FCA is gonna be about who you're becoming. And it we're gonna have a lot of, I think, very relatable, um, relevant topics like how are we becoming aware, becoming rooted, becoming honest, becoming teachable. We'll have a lot of things like a big question to think about or feedback uh or practice, uh things that you can do throughout the week to help you with these things. So we really think it's gonna be a fun series and way to engage, not just at the huddle, but through social media, listening to the podcast, and try to streamline that stuff so that it's kind of just reinforced in different ways. And hopefully, yeah, we can do some more storytelling and sharing, uh, even through FCA. Um, but anyways, we're gonna talk more in the coming weeks on this podcast about what it's meant for us to just walk through, you know, just life and like what it means to become. Uh, one of the things that I guess I just in reflecting on last semester and anticipating this semester was just the realization, again, that in this age, you know, 18 to 22, is when you do so much of that. And some of it, you know, you make mistakes and you continue like mistakes shouldn't be the thing that defines you and you just stick in that, but you have this opportunity where it makes sense that you're making mistakes because you don't know what you don't know. So you can just it it understanding that you are becoming, you are on this path to maturity. And sometimes you need people that do have those stories to be able to say, it's really, it's not that something's wrong with you. It's that this is just what this part of your life is like, and it's uncomfortable. But let me tell you about, you know, how I made it through. And so that's really how we learn is for people that have those types of skills because there's things that you don't know that other people do know and they can share with you. And so we hope to do that more this semester. So we'll do some stories about that on this podcast as we talk through these different different episodes. Does anybody have any parting shots before we?

Speaker 1:09:17

Yes, I want to say this. Justin made a great point earlier, but I want to say this as we're parting. Um, I know we said a lot of things that the younger generation could be open to. Um, I just want to make sure that it's clear that not trying to beat up on them. For sure. Uh not trying to make you feel like uh you don't know anything or y'all experiences are not great. Um just trying to bring awareness. Yeah. Like sometimes there'll be things that we can be missing out on because we just don't know. So I'm just trying to share some of my personal experience and kind of be in that bridge. I'm in the middle, I'm still considering myself young, um, but also dealing with younger people is is just one of those things where I always want to stay in a place where we can learn from each other. So, you know, just want to be clear that you don't listen to this. They ain't doing nothing but beating us up. No, no. We we're really, you know, just sharing and uh hopefully we can say some things uh because we we like the song says, we all need somebody to lean on. So if you don't have nobody there, who you gonna lean on? You know, so just creating moments uh and and expand, uh have an expansion and and a mindset to kind of work outside of systems sometimes to grow, you know. So yeah, it's good.

Speaker 6 1:10:34

I noticed none of us jumped into harmonize with Darius.

Speaker 4 1:10:38

I was sitting here thinking, as yeah, he did that, I was like, maybe we should have him sing more on the podcast.

Speaker 5 1:10:43

I don't know.

Speaker 4 1:10:46

Or different impressions or different voices. Justin, is there something in particular, maybe one thing, maybe more than one thing, but that you're looking forward to in this semester as you think about just getting into this topic.

Speaker 6 1:11:00

I I mean I always look forward to the discussion. And I I think it's gonna be good for us though, too, because we are learning how to communicate better, better as a group from our perspective to this generation. And so I think it's a both ways thing. I I think it's a honor. Like I know they honor what we're saying, um, but in the same way we are showing that honor to them. And um Yeah, and I just the intentionality of both those things, just making yourself aware and putting yourself out there and uh and going, well, that may not be relevant to me now, but at some point it is.

Speaker 5 1:11:36

Yeah.

Speaker 6 1:11:37

You know? So I need to hang on to that because I'm gonna need that.

Speaker 4 1:11:41

And I'm hoping that if people are in particular just struggling with this season and phase of life, that maybe that they'll get gain some new lenses to see and interpret their life through. Because I think that to your point earlier, Darius, about like, dude, you're 15. You don't have to be 35. Like, some of that is perspective shift of you literally, you aren't 35, and that's okay. You you don't have to be, you know, and you can just be, it's an uncomfortable stage. I wouldn't wish to go back, to be honest. Like, I I've even said when we've been at weddings, and I'm seeing this sweet young couple get married. I'm like, we had a fun wedding. We had like, I enjoyed being young, all of that, but I was like, I will take where I am right now. Yep. Any day if I had to choose between that and just because of what you don't know at the time that you're gonna have to walk through. It is hard, but it's just like life, and you have to just figure things out.

Speaker 1:12:36

So I want to go and say what you was talking about. That's Justin made a great point. What I'm looking for this semester is the peace, the joy, and the growth. I say the peace because I do believe as we're helping them to see as we are still becoming, right, and helping them to realize that they are becoming, I feel like it's gonna add an element of peace because things can be somewhat chaotic. You kind of so into the moment that you're you you step out of touch that this is just a stage. Right. There's things that you are being developed with. And I I want to say this like I was doing a devotion the other day, and God spoke to me and said, don't allow what's meant to develop you to distract you. Like you can be so into your storm that you don't realize this storm has been employed by him to grow you, to propel you, to produce something in you. So as they're becoming the peace that comes from that, helping them to realize, okay, it's okay. I'm becoming and then the joy that comes with embracing where I am and then the growth. We're gonna be, you know, so those are things that I'm looking forward to, not just for them, but also from us, because they teach us things and help us to realize, like, wow, and even that, like I said, you you're we're all constantly growing and becoming something. So that's I'm really looking forward to that.

Speaker 4 1:13:59

Anything anything you want to add, Mariney? No, I'm looking forward to all of it. Come on.

Speaker 6 1:14:08

Yeah, it's peer-to-peer. It's peer-to-peer. You know, I think I've tried to communicate that with our leaders. Like, okay, say we meet and we have a good time, and it's us talking. This is peer-to-peer. This is not me pouring into you. This is a both goes both ways. And I hope so most of the time I feel like that just knocks the walls down a bit. I mean, like, it ain't about me giving you something. Let's let's engage together and let's see where this leads, you know.

Speaker 1:14:33

Exactly, Justin. Like you said, peer-to-peer, we're all growing together, we're all being connected. Um, and so, hey, meet us here again next week, same time. Come to FDA, bring somebody with you, and we'll meet back here and uh we'll continue to grow together. See y'all soon.

Speaker 3 1:14:53

Thanks for listening to the Create It To Be podcast. To learn more about FDA at Mississippi State, visit www.msufda.org and follow us on Instagram at healthstatefa underscore. If you would like to become a financial partner, visit www.sba.org slash donate. Just go into the work that is doing for SBA at Mississippi State.