A Boomer and GenXer Walk into a Bar

Traditions On The Brink-Technology or Geography Changing Things? S:2E:32

Jane Burt Season 2 Episode 32

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0:00 | 38:36

A gravel driveway, a motorcycle, and one quiet moment of bargaining with Jesus turns into a low-speed pileup at home and a broken rib for Dr. Domain. We start there because it’s exactly the kind of everyday story that reveals something bigger: the choices we make ripple outward, and life feels different when the old rules of living together start to blur.

From that laugh-so-you-don’t-cry opener, we zoom out into generational differences, traditions, and etiquette. We talk about handwritten letters, thank you notes, and why cursive writing is becoming a lost skill. We wrestle with the big question behind all of it: is digital communication simply the evolution of modern life, or is it quietly stripping away effort, tone, and thoughtfulness? 

Then we go full nostalgia and reality check: drive-in theaters, rotary phones, Rand McNally maps, and the death of the landline. We connect the dots between technology, cost, and convenience, including how online shopping and disappearing malls change community life. We also talk family dinners, holiday gatherings, long work hours, public behavior, and the small respect rituals that used to be taught, like taking your hat off at the table and thinking twice about what you wear in public spaces.

Listen, then tell us what tradition you miss most and which one you’re glad is gone. If you like the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

email: boomerandgenxer@gmail.com

Welcome And Pollen Problems

SPEAKER_01

Welcome everyone to today's show, the Blue Moment. Welcome to the momentum coming to you from the Rebel Studio where you, as our listener, will experience some wet wisdom, some smart mastery, and a mother and daughter questioning, are we even related? And I was just told that I am not related, so thanks, mom.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no problem.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, my name is uh Bobby Joy, and uh the other loudmouth is my mom Jane. Easy there, sister interstereal for a little bit.

SPEAKER_02

Easy there, sister. We have her whole life told her that she was adopted because uh she is just way out there on a lot of stuff. And so it's like, okay, she's no relation of mine, but she looks exactly like her dad, so I guess we can't really say that anymore. My voice is super low because I will tell you, here in Georgia, we're still at the rabbit run studio. Here in Georgia, the pollen is so thick on the vehicles right now, it is killing me. I mean, I am having a hard time breathing. Can you tell a difference in my voice, Bob?

SPEAKER_01

I can, yeah. And it's like I was wondering if you could tell a difference in my voice because like my sinuses. See, up here in Iowa, we had two really hot days, and now it's cold and windy again. So everything that started to bloom is just blowing all over the place.

Motorcycle Gravel Wipeouts And A Rib

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and it just kicks our butt, man. Just kicks us hard. And uh the last two Saturdays, I have to tell you this, Bobby, because you and I haven't spoken. But the last two Saturdays, uh, we took the motorcycles out down here. Beautiful, beautiful days. And riding in Georgia in the mountains is just the most beautiful thing. And so I want to, I'm gonna start with last Saturday. Just I'm gonna just tell you these stories real quickly.

SPEAKER_01

Dr. Domain's like, oh Lord.

SPEAKER_02

You see the look on his face. Our listeners can't see the look, but trust me, it is uh not good. Anyway, so uh we had gravel put on our road. Uh you know, we have to maintain our own road uh down here in Georgia, and so the neighbors kind of get together and they pay for stuff. But Dr. Domain decided that he was gonna go ahead and order some really good gravel for the road because it was crap. And so he did the whole road, and it was thick, thick gravel. And I am not unaccustomed to riding a Harley on gravel, I've done it many years, and it was really no big deal. But we got ready to go and he said, Do you think you'll be okay getting out of here? Because I mean the bikes were sinking. And I said, Yeah, yeah, I think I think I'll be okay. And so we got out, had a wonderful, wonderful day. We came home and coming back as we turned down our lane, he said, Are you gonna be okay? Do you need me to take the bike on up to the house? And I didn't say anything. And he goes, Do you need me to take the bike up? And I I still didn't say anything. And he goes, Jane, and I said, Be quiet. I'm talking to Jesus. I need him to keep me upright. So, because we're going on a really big trip here in a couple of weeks, actually in a week now. And I'm thinking, please don't let me get hurt. Don't let me get hurt. And so we get to a corner, and it is a big hill. And I've got my clutch pulled in, got the brake on, and my bike is still rolling down that hill on that gravel. And I lost my rear tire off of it. And so I laid the bike down. It wasn't like I crashed or anything like that. I laid the bike down and I just stepped out of it. So it was like, no big deal, but now my bike's in the middle of the road. I turn around and look. And this isn't funny like that. But Dr. Domain was so close behind me that the moment I went down, it forced him down. And so he dropped his bike. And he's never pile up. I know. I caused a pile up right here on our lane.

SPEAKER_01

And your first mistake was having your clutch in because you should have just downshifted. I did downshift and then the engine to pull yourself back.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, okay. Thank you for that bit of information, Einstein. Um, yes, I agree with you. So, but the bad part was was we were on this curve, you know, this turn, and on that turn, it's almost banked like a racetrack. And so when he went down, this is unfortunate, I don't mean to laugh talk, but when he went down, he went into like the gutter. So he went he went like head first, but here's the sad part he broke a rib. So he did break the rib. What are you doing to him? I don't know. Hey, listen, listen, I said my prayers first, Jesus was with me. So he was busy. So anyway, Doc got hurt on that one. So then I gotta tell you, we went out riding yesterday. Another beautiful day. We decide we're gonna go ride. This time I'm not taking the bike up the road. I'm letting him take it. I'll meet you up by the highway, okay? I'm not gonna take it up the road because I'm afraid I'm gonna crash in this in this gravel. He got it up there, everything's cool. We're having a great day, beautiful day. And we pull into this restaurant, and my bike is up kind of on a hill, and there's a crack in the pavement. And I park my bike, everything's good, no problem. We go in, we have our lunch. We're with another couple, of course, both times. And I go to back my bike out, and he and I can hear him on the intercom going, you okay? Easy, slow, hold your brake. And I'm holding it, and my heel got caught on that crack on the pavement. And guess what happened? Down I went, down onto the pavement. And so another guy came over, of course, and helped put the bike back up. But Dr. Domain has to put up with this crap, Bobby.

SPEAKER_01

I cannot believe that he let you ride again after that.

SPEAKER_02

It's it's kind of scary to be honest with you. Doc, did you have anything to add to those stories? Because I feel so bad because it was my fault that now his rib is broke.

SPEAKER_01

Well, yeah, you threw him in the gutter.

SPEAKER_02

No kidding. And I feel really bad. And we're leaving in a week, and he's got we're going internationally, and we're gonna be gone for a while. And I just I feel really bad. So I'm terribly sorry, Doc. I'm very, very sorry. Silence, apology accepted, apology accepted. Anyway, for those of you who know me, our listeners who know me, you know that I am just I am like one Jenga move away from you know, falling apart.

SPEAKER_01

So and now you're sucking him down into it.

SPEAKER_02

I know, I know. I you know, I should have just let him take the button.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, there's a reason that you write a spider up here, and maybe just maybe you should think about that for the southern state.

Why Traditions Start Disappearing

SPEAKER_02

You think? Yeah, I I'm thinking I need to yeah, because I've got the KM up there, and and uh there's a reason, like you said, for that. Anyway, so what are we talking about today? Uh I have looked some things up, Bobby, and I think I would like to talk about disregard for traditions with some of the younger generations. And oh Lord, I know I am not a real tradition person. Just because we've always done it that way doesn't mean we have to keep doing it that way. I've never been that way, and I tell I remember telling people at work, just because we've done it that way doesn't mean it's the most efficient, doesn't mean it's the most cost effective. But when you look at some of the things that are going on today, you kind of have to ask yourself, how did this happen? Do you know what I'm talking about, Bobby? Have you experienced it at all?

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I guess I'm kind of wondering what what kind of traditions we're talking about. Are we talking about like something like family-centered, like Sunday dinner, or are we talking more like Mayday baskets or like what are we talking about?

SPEAKER_02

No, she just brought up a couple that I didn't even think about. Mayday baskets are kind of fun. And I think that those are kind of if you have kids, if you have little kids, there's certain things that you want to kind of continue to do that it's fun for the kids, right? Mayday baskets is kind of a fun deal.

SPEAKER_01

As an adult, isn't it fun to leave a Mayday basket on your friend's door and don't getchum and take off running and you know, put some vodka and something else in it?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I get you. But I was thinking more of even moving away from formal communications and some of the social etiquettes that we've always had in the past. I don't know. I just kind of wanted to talk about those. And I'm gonna start with the first one, and I'm just gonna say handwritten letters or notes. Do you know that there's a lot of kids out there and probably yours that don't know how to read or or write cursive?

SPEAKER_01

Actually, my kids taught themselves cursive. They bought books and taught themselves cursive.

SPEAKER_02

So some of the schools don't even offer it anymore. Did you know that?

SPEAKER_01

No, the schools don't offer it at all.

SPEAKER_02

So I think it's interesting that some of us older folks, we will have a code that you will not be able to decipher. You absolutely need us old people to tell you what that stuff says. But along with that, handwritten notes, I don't think I've ever gotten a thank you note from anybody in probably the last 10 years. And don't get me wrong, I just throw them away when I get them anyway.

SPEAKER_01

But yeah, now it's more like a text or a message type thing. Like that it's an electronic thing.

SPEAKER_02

Do you find that as impersonal as I do?

SPEAKER_01

Not really, because I think it's more of an evolution of the times. Like, you know, uh if you send like a Facebook message or a text, that's immediate and you can say the same things that you would say in a card. And uh I mean, let's be honest, mail's expensive. You know, you're spending what is it like 42, 44 cents?

SPEAKER_02

No, it's more than that. No, I don't even know what a damn cost. It's more, it's it is crazy. You're right about that.

SPEAKER_01

But you know, and and you can instantaneously send an electronic thank you note, and then it's there right away, you know, and and we have it. But I I think a lot of it is, you know, and this goes with Christmas cards too. You know, a lot of people don't do Christmas cards anymore. And I get that because, like you said, a lot of people just throw them away.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Right. I get a Christmas card. I I read it, I go, oh, that's nice, and I throw it away. And it's uh and some of some of my friends who are listening, because I do have a few friends, um, usually you drop the S, but I've picked up one. Uh anyway, they'll send me birthday cards, and I don't send out birthday cards. I I just don't send out birthday cards, and they'll send me one and I'll go, oh, that was so thoughtful into the garbage.

SPEAKER_01

I mean I still have to have all of the birthday cards and all of the Christmas cards that I've gotten, probably from the last seven or eight years.

SPEAKER_02

Are you becoming a hoarder with that stuff? What's going on there?

SPEAKER_01

No, I uh I use the Christmas cards to kind of decorate during Christmas so I don't have to buy more like you know, ornaments and stuff.

SPEAKER_02

That's not a bad idea. You know, you could get little frames and stuff and cut those out and put them put them in little frames for Christmas, or you could ask your friends to start signing them in pencil so that you could erase them.

SPEAKER_01

Send it to the next one.

Drive In Theaters And Following Money

SPEAKER_02

That's right. Let's just reuse this whole thing. You know, another thing though, I guess I feel that there's some things that you absolutely should like weddings. Like if I I gave you a gift for a wedding, I think that you should be sending out a thank you card. I did notice also that even birthday uh invitations and a couple of wedding invitations are showing up as just events on social media, and it's like you can sign up there whether you're coming or not. And I'm just thinking, wow, this has really gone overboard. Dr. Domain, have you noticed any any traditions that you can think of that are like well gone? Just is like, what's going on?

SPEAKER_00

Driving driving theaters.

SPEAKER_02

Driving theaters are fun, yeah. Those are cool.

SPEAKER_00

There's still a few around.

SPEAKER_02

Why do you think they got rid of them?

SPEAKER_00

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I don't either. I think probably because we used to put five people in the trunk to get in for free. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I mean, yeah, we did that, but I think a lot of it is the cost, like the upkeep and stuff like that. Um, and not only that, but like the cost of, you know, you have a drive-in theater, you have one screen, so you can show maybe two movies a night if you're lucky, you know, the first movie and then the later movie. These theaters, you know, they show what is it? One theater has like 12 screenings, one theater has like 20 screenings, right? So they can make the money back a lot faster because you know, they have to pay for the rights to that movie, they have to pay to use that movie. True. And if you have a drive-in theater, if the weather's bad, you can't show that movie. Yeah. So you got, you know, one good one good night to show that movie, and you might not make your money back.

SPEAKER_02

I remember, and Dr. Domain, you may remember this too. I don't know if Bobby will, but you know, they used to have individual speakers that you would hang on your window. And then I remember when it went from that to turn on your AM radio. And yeah, you would hear it through that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

And and so I guess there is some expense uh associated with maintaining that equipment, you know, you need for speakers, and some of them even had little heaters.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I think it goes back to you follow the money. I mean, that's a big part of it, right? The density of you know how many patrons you can get into a theater today is a lot higher than how many you can get in cars. It takes a lot more real estate to have as many patrons as you would in like a smaller theater.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_00

Each person represents revenue. So that makes sense. That's probably it.

Rotary Phones And Landlines Vanish

SPEAKER_02

What about things like I've noticed, and I want to I want to test the grandkids at Christmas time when we do our games if those kids can can dial a dial telephone, a rotary phone, a rotary phone, and if they can use a random McNally map to find something on that map. What do you think? They can?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, because we give money away for that stuff, right? During our games, they get gifts or money. And um, you know, one of the other traditions I've noticed too, and I I don't have one, uh, landlines. Do you have a landline in your home? A telephone?

SPEAKER_01

So I went to get a landline recently, and because my youngest needed, you know, a way to use the phone while she was at home, in case her brother and sister weren't home while I'm at work. So I'm looking around and I'm I'm trying to get a landline put in. First of all, a lot of these houses don't even have the connection for a landline anymore. They don't even have it from the house to the telephone pole. There's nothing there anymore. Uh, second of all, the cost for it is actually almost double the cost of a simple uh cell phone.

SPEAKER_02

It makes sense because they're having to trench some type of wiring in or some type of cable in, right?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and I mean, you know, a lot of them now will run off of Wi-Fi. They'll be, you know, the Wi-Fi telephones. And I'm like, that's cool, but what if we have a power outage? You know, what what if the Wi-Fi goes down and my kid needs to call me? That kind of takes away the whole point of having a freaking landline in the first place. Cause when we were younger, we always had a landline. And if the power went out, if you know something happened, we could still use that landline.

Family Dinners And Holiday Pressure

SPEAKER_02

Uh, another thing that I thought of was and we talked about this on a previous podcast too, is formal dining. Dr. Domain, did your family sit down to a table to eat, or how did you guys handle all the time. Always.

SPEAKER_00

It was it was an exception if we didn't. We always sat down. Uh I mean, to demonstrate how important it was, and we were a large family, there was a total of ten of us. Dad built a special table so we could all sit around and eat supper at the same time.

SPEAKER_02

I remember that table.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Supper time was not, yeah, it was it was just a given.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, and that was a that was a cool table. It was huge.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and with the large family, I think it made sense for everyone to kind of gather and it was the time for us to all talk and a bit of a cage fight sometimes, depending on the menu.

SPEAKER_02

But Bobby, do you a cage fight?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Bobby, do you remember our meals when you were growing up?

SPEAKER_01

So I remember when I was little, uh, like when you and Dad were still together. I remember that especially when we had like Sunday dinners at the grandparents and stuff like that. Yeah, it was, you know, sometimes the kids either had a kids table or you know, the TV trays, but always the adults, you know, sat together and uh and talked and ate and and shared, you know, the community of that. I know when we got a little older, it was not so common other than like the big family dinners on like Sundays and stuff like that. Uh because you were hoodlums.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you were hoodlums at the table because you just you couldn't keep your mouth shuts and mouth shut. And you would fight and you would slap each other and do all kinds of weird things. So it was like, I don't want you at my table.

SPEAKER_00

You just separate them.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that too. Could I just separate them? Well, it was only the two of them, you know. Yeah, you go to the neighbor's house, would you? Yeah, we were we were kind of in a you were in a circle circular, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

And whoever was the worst behaved was usually at um whoever uh at the side of my dad's predominant arm, and then who was like second worst was kind of his his not so predominant arm.

SPEAKER_02

Where did you sit?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah, I I had dad's full strength. I never got I never got promoted out of that chair.

SPEAKER_02

Surprise. That's wild.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, it did things did rotate a bit, but yeah, whoever the worst behaved ones were. That's funny. Yeah, that's how that's how it went down.

SPEAKER_02

That's funny.

SPEAKER_00

Well, that's a good method.

SPEAKER_01

You know, that's another tradition that we can talk about that has kind of gone on the wayside is you know, the big family dinners. Like we used to go to the grandparents' house and the aunts, the uncles, the cousins, everybody who could be there was there.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_01

There was there was not an exception. You were expected to show up, even if it was only, you know, for 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_02

You got a dog and kids.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, I'm recording. Shut up.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. I may just leave that in. But I'm sorry, go on, Bobby.

SPEAKER_01

But you know, you would have the grandparents there, you would have to come and say hi to the grandparents and you know, kind of tell them about your week, what was going on, and you got to play with your cousins while your aunts and uncles all got together, and and like grandma, my grandmother Mima, she would always have like poker or something, you know, for the older, older crowd. Us kids would go out in the backyard or go raise hell with the neighbors, and and grandma Dickie, you know, she'd have the um the religious uh show blasting in the background on the radio, and pepper would be barking everywhere, and us kids would be back in the garden, you know, finding whatever we could. And it it was it was a big tradition. And I noticed that a lot of things happen. I get that a lot of things happen in families, and a lot of families still do this, you know, they make it a point to get together, whether it be a big gathering or a small gathering, but a lot of times once those grandparents pass on, a lot of times that that that was the pillar that comes crumbling down, and now we're all too busy, we're on other sides of the country, we you know, have other things to do, and it just doesn't happen anymore.

SPEAKER_00

How how um how successful, Bobby, do you think your mother is at trying to keep that tradition alive?

SPEAKER_01

I think that she's pretty successful about it. I mean, she's very adamant about uh especially around the holidays, but you know, I know she's been trying to do it more often about getting us kids together. And she only has two kids. So it's not like you know, where my grandparents had like seven and nine kids type of thing where they had to try to get them all together. It is hard for her because everybody does have different schedules.

SPEAKER_02

And it's hard because my grandkids are grown, right? The I only have a few that are are are young, and so they are trying to live their lives, they work jobs too, and it it is difficult. Well, you're right. And especially at the holidays, I will say that I have I say sometimes we count the votes and sometimes we weigh the votes. And at holidays my vote weighs heaviest. And when I say you have to be there, because there was a time period when you and your sister were not speaking and didn't want to be in the same room together. And it didn't make anything.

SPEAKER_01

And I wasn't even living in Iowa.

SPEAKER_02

But uh there was a time when you know you guys refused or were thinking you were going to refuse to come to a holiday event. And I said, uh, you might want to straighten that hat out because you will be there and you'll be here at this time. And so I do kind of I do kind of pull ranks sometimes on that because I do want them together. You don't have to like each other. All you have to do is be civil to each other and you know make sure that you have do it in a caring way. And and I think you guys have done that.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, we've tried. I mean, we've tried. And I think uh some of it is the fact that the workforce has kind of pulled away from Sundays were the day off. It would be very rare that that you would have a job where you would work a Sunday. And if you did, it would only be a very short amount of time. And now a lot of Sundays all work anywhere from an eight to a 17 hour shift, and so it doesn't give that kind of flexibility anymore to where I could just say, hey, Sundays are family days, you know, type of thing. And I think yeah, it just doesn't happen.

SPEAKER_02

I think when we talk about, you know, formal dining, a lot of people don't even use their formal dining room anymore. Everybody huddles around the kitchen or huddles around the island in the kitchen. Don't you think that that's just yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_00

Look at if you look at the design of homes today, and you'll notice the kitchens are much smaller back in the older homes. But separate homes. You traded yeah, and it was separate. It was kind of uh my house was like that growing up. Uh it wasn't like integrated in with the rest of the um house, but the porches on these older homes are much larger.

SPEAKER_02

That is true.

SPEAKER_00

I think that was a big thing because it was more social decks, though.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, but I mean it was more like the front porch and it was more social. Um and I think this goes back to the drive-in as well, and it's gonna sound kind of crazy, but I think air conditioning's had a big impact to how we interact.

SPEAKER_02

You know, people used to be people want to be comfortable.

SPEAKER_00

People used to be outside and they're like, oh, I'm outside, it doesn't matter if I'm in or out, it's the same temperature. And you know, with movie theaters, you know, now it's air conditioning, everyone kind of moves in and everyone's moving into their homes and they're and they're being more confined and not as sociable.

SPEAKER_02

So I don't know. Maybe it's a crazy theory, but I think it's I think the other thing that's gone by the wayside, and I don't know if this is a tradition, uh, but you know, kind of like polite talk to each other. You get a family together, and a lot of times it's uh strained because people bring up bad memories or they start calling names or they call people out. And you know, back in politics. Yeah, or politics, and and back in my day, I'll be honest with you, people avoided uh other talking to other people in person about certain topics and you know kept it to kind of very polite talk or even like you would small talk with a stranger. I'm not opposed to in-depth talking. I mean, I don't have any problem with that. Yeah, I don't care about your problems, but anyway. I'm kidding. But I think that your communication has changed a little bit. I think people feel like they can just say anything to anybody and feel okay with it and say, well, that's being me and that's my truth. And you know, I have boundaries and I'll say what I want because I am me. Uh, you're in somebody else's home. I think you have a responsibility to show some type of etiquette uh while you're in their home.

Malls Die And Shopping Goes Online

SPEAKER_01

Right. I agree with that. Um, I would say another, I don't know if it's really a tradition or not, but another thing that's kind of gone by the wayside is uh in-person shopping.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

You know, like the Montgomery Wards and the Sears and the JC Penny, the actual physical buildings. Like, you know, we've got two malls now that here, you know, in the central Iowa area that were widely popular.

SPEAKER_02

I mean they were really massive.

SPEAKER_01

Now we they're dead, they're dead, they're dying. If they're not already dead, they're dying. Yeah, and we have one giant mall that was built not too long ago.

SPEAKER_02

Actually, 20 years ago, Bobby.

SPEAKER_00

That's not Jordan Creek. That's not very long in relation to how long she's been here.

SPEAKER_01

So that is true. Yeah, that's not very long.

SPEAKER_02

Now he's not only calling me out on my age, Bob, but he's calling you out. That's all right. Feel free, really, it doesn't matter. Feel free to do target practice. Feel free to do target practice.

SPEAKER_01

But you know, we have all these physical stores that are that are just dying because of online shopping, and people, whether it be they're they're too busy or they don't want to go out in public, are doing more online. And so we don't have that I would say it's almost like a community because you know, when I was a teenager, I was a mall rat. I hung out at the mall all the time.

SPEAKER_02

Your friends were there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Your friends were there, the arcades were there, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

All the functions.

SPEAKER_01

You'd go see a movie at the mall and things like that. And now, I mean, they're if they're not like I said, if they're not dead, they're dying.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I think technology takes a a big role in that, right? I mean, they're they're the uh you can say the villain or the victor in this whole thing because it's a lot easier. I know I order a lot of stuff online, a lot. I mean, move to cart, move to cart, move to cart. And I notice that my drivers are saying, don't order anything heavy because you know, Bezos still gets paid, you know, billions of dollars, but we just still get an hourly wage, no matter what you order. But it is an order uh a matter of convenience. Why would I go pick up you know a hundred-pound bag of dog food when I can have somebody else deliver it directly to the house? And other people feel that way too, I would assume.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know, like, especially like Chewy, because that's where I order our pet food from. And I order big bags of pet food. I've got an almost hundred-pound dog. So I order big bags of pet food, and I'm just like, I just want to tell them I am so sorry that you have to carry that up to my front door.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I think there's other traditions that have kind of gone by the wayside. Uh, Dr. Domain, any you want to throw in there?

Dress Codes Hats And Public Respect

SPEAKER_00

Quarter draws at the local bar. I missed that. Bring that tradition back.

SPEAKER_02

At the local rack.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. I think a buck for a picture of, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02

I was thinking more like a nine to five job. Remember when they were people worked nine to five?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Now, now, you know, what do you work? Six to six a.m. to seven p.m. usually every day. Yeah. Yeah. And and I know Bobby, you work some hellish hours too. And uh, I think that's kind of gone by the wayside because if they're paying you a salary, they think they can abuse you as much as they possibly can. You know, we expect you to work overtime. Okay, but do you expect me to work, you know, 30 hours overtime? I don't know what you're expecting.

SPEAKER_00

But we're kind of flexing it a bit. I think today I don't do it so much, but I know some of my colleagues will do it. Like they'll take several hours off in the middle of the day and do something else.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah, if you can flex that, that's cool. Uh, another thing I think that has kind of gone by the wayside, and I'm just gonna mention this. I think the way people you're gonna kill me for this, Bobby. I think the way people dress when they go out in public. And you're gonna say. I I mean, we were talking about taking the plane, and I found this really crappy, like jammy pants and shirt and some stupid slippers, and I go, Oh, there's my airport clothes.

SPEAKER_00

You know, we used to drink- I always thought you were going to Walmart because that looks like good Walmart attire. It's either uh I'm either taking an international flight or something. Or I'm going to Walmart. Yeah. Yeah, same attire.

SPEAKER_02

Uh I hate to tell you this, or I'm going to church. Have you ever noticed how people are dressing when they go to church? Now I'm just going to mention this because Bobby knew I'd bring this up. Is people will say, God doesn't care what I look like when I walk into the church. He takes me as I am. That is the truth. But let me just say this. When you go to somebody's birthday party, you put your makeup on and you dress. When you go to somebody's wedding, you dress to the nines and you look beautiful. When you go to another event, whatever it is, even a concert, you dress up like those singers are going to look right at you and pull you up on stage and ask you to marry them. But you walk into the house of God and you can't take those cutoff shorts off and you can't take that tank top off. Give me a break. I know Jesus will accept you the way you are, but have some respect for the Almighty, would you? That's all I'm gonna say about that.

SPEAKER_01

I do none of that. Not not the Jesus thing, but like the the dressing up for concerts. I first of all, I don't go to weddings, uh, so don't invite me because I don't know. Um concerts. Uh you're lucky if I if I make it out of the clothes that I wore yesterday. And uh yeah, but no, you know, we did. We did have church clothes that you are only allowed to literally wear to church the minute your butt hit that door at home, you better go take those off.

SPEAKER_02

But you guys weren't allowed to even go to school with with short shorts and stuff. And I I've seen some of the kids now, and it just I I look and I think, is anybody paying any attention to this? And and people go, Well, what difference does it make? It makes a lot of difference, it makes a lot of difference. And I remember you and your sister coming out in really short shorts, and I'd go, go change those. And it would be it would be like all hell just broke loose because now I wanted to wear these school. Well, you're not going to. And I don't get me wrong, I came from you know the 70s. I wore mini skirts, and our mini skirts were mini skirts, and I wore hip huggers, and our hip huggers barely covered our crotch. And but we weren't showing all of that skin, and people go, Well, what difference does it make? It does make a difference, you know. I mean, I I just feel like it's uh a respect of your own body. Dr. Domain, I can see you looking at me like you want to say something. No, because he's wearing booty shorts. Yeah, for he's wearing booty shorts.

SPEAKER_00

But like I have issues, well, and this is part of my upbringing and spending time in the service. And I I'm wearing a hat right now. This is not common. I wear a hat inside. But typically, you ever see me sit down to eat with my hat on?

SPEAKER_02

No.

SPEAKER_00

No, I don't.

SPEAKER_02

No, you don't.

SPEAKER_00

I don't. I usually try and take it off when I go inside. And that that's kind of and we had a conversation about that. Like, why is it so important? Um and there's other like traditions and things goes to tradition, right? Yeah. There's other things like that. But yeah, it's concerning when you see people wearing what they're wearing in public. Um I I get it. There's one side of the coin that says, hey, you're an individual, you know. And I want to be comfortable. You do you and all that. Yeah. Okay, well, I don't have to look at your, you know.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, when you're in your home, I don't have to look at all that, but when you go out in public, I gotta see it. And I can't unsee some of that stuff.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I don't want to see your butt crack and all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02

But the hat thing, I I think that's a good point because uh your son recently went to church with me, uh, Bobby, and he had a hat on, and uh he didn't think anything of it because he didn't go to church, right? So it was kind of a new thing for him, and I said, take your hat off. And of course he didn't argue, he didn't go, why? Why do I have to take my hat off? He would never do that first and foremost. But no, you don't sit down at a dinner table with a hat on. I've never seen you do that. Even if we go out and we're in a pretty um casual environment, you take your hat off uh when we sit down to eat. And you know, when you go into someone's home, usually if we're invited there for an evening or for dinner, you don't leave your hat on. Unless we're outside on the deck or something like that, then that's a different story. I think I think that's uh a respect for the people that you know were around.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, and it's it's a tradition that's not taught anymore.

Beggar’s Night Then Listener Feedback

SPEAKER_02

I that is true, that is true. Well, I would be curious as to see or to hear, not see, uh, what our listeners think are some traditions that they grew up with, or maybe that they had that are long gone because I had a whole list of them and I didn't even touch on the majority of them.

SPEAKER_01

And yeah, like uh trick-or-treating at Halloween. Yeah, by the wayside.

SPEAKER_00

Wait, what do you call it?

SPEAKER_02

Trick-or-treating.

SPEAKER_01

Trick or treating.

SPEAKER_02

What do you mean? Beggar's night.

SPEAKER_00

Beggar's night. Come on. Oh my god. Hold true to your Midwestern upbringing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that was trick-or-treating.

SPEAKER_00

No, it was not.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, well, no, no, no, no. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

No, it's called Beggar's Night. It's always been Beggar's Night.

SPEAKER_02

You can call it what you want, but we called it trick-or-treating.

SPEAKER_00

Well, you were foreign there then. No, look it up.

SPEAKER_02

You and I grew up in your same neighborhood. I don't know how you're up there on a high horse. No, it'd be a hell of a fall, that thing.

SPEAKER_00

Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm referring to it as beggar's night. I know.

SPEAKER_02

You're a little classier in the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_00

And then you're calling trick or treaty. That sounds a little more highbrow than beggar's night.

SPEAKER_01

Well, you're now it's neither. Now it's neither. Now it's called trunk or treat. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Did you see how did you hear how condescending he was, though, when he used that voice on me? It was like trick-or-treaty.

SPEAKER_00

And here I'm like, it's beggars now. I'm just gonna go up begging for stuff, and you're like, oh, you're you're up on the hype.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, you back so I guess that's true. I guess that's true.

SPEAKER_00

Put me back to my level.

SPEAKER_02

So oh, stop. Well, I think that's all we've got today, Bobby. But I I think we would both be curious as to hear from our listeners on some of the traditions that they had that they grew up with that they kind of go, why did that go by the wayside? And a lot of it has to do with technology, a lot of it has to do with the amount of time that people have, who they want to spend time with, and you know, just other uh, you know, other uh things that might keep them from doing the things that we used to do when we were younger. So that's all we have today, folks. We appreciate you joining us here at the rabbit run studio. Hey, we'll be at the rabbit hole studio here probably in a couple of weeks. So happy to have happy to be doing that. But we look forward to spending time with you each week. Please like us if you have some positive feedback. Hey, Bobby, did you notice we're in 46 countries now?

SPEAKER_01

47.

SPEAKER_02

47 today. Yay. Um, we would love to hear some positive feedback or topic that you want us to talk about. If you have some other type of feedback, we'll take it too. Uh, unless it's hate mail, then we're not interested. But you can email us at be at beaver. I was gonna say beaver and boomer. Boomer and Gen X are uh at gmail.com. I can't even get it right, Bobby. Uh, if you have, like I said, if you have hate mail, I don't know what you want to do with that. But until next week, I'm Jane Burt.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm Bobby Joy.

SPEAKER_02

And you're stuck with us. Peace out.