Streetlight Angels Podcast
Creating safety awareness and mindfulness to the nation to help our children take back the ability to play outside "until the street lights come on".
Streetlight Angels Podcast
Rekindling Holiday Traditions and Community Bonds in a Fast-Paced World!
Remember the excitement of tearing open gifts as a child, only to realize not everything on your list made it under the tree? Join Josh Yirkovsky and Kasey as we reminisce about those nostalgic moments and the wisdom in our parents' ability to say no. This episode of the Streetlight Angels Podcast promises a heartfelt exploration of holiday stressors, from the modern pressures of technology to the cultural shifts around holiday greetings. We dive into the intricacies of maintaining cherished traditions while navigating a rapidly changing world, emphasizing the importance of staying true to our values amidst the holiday chaos.
As the holidays draw near, we encourage you to join a nationwide homemade gift swap, fostering creativity and connection in a time when community feels more distant than ever. Listen to our reflections on teaching our children about financial literacy and the simple joys of neighborly interactions that seem to be fading away. Our discussion highlights the impact of the pandemic on social connections, with a hopeful eye toward rebuilding communities where children can safely play until the streetlights flicker on. Connect with us on Facebook or via email, and let's reignite the spirit of togetherness and hope for a brighter, more connected future. Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from your friends at the Streetlight Angels Podcast!
Hey everybody, welcome back. This is Josh Yirkovsky and I'm here with Kasey, and this is Streetlight Angels podcast.
Kasey:Welcome to our Christmas episode today.
Josh:Yeah, christmas episode today. That's awesome. It's not all going to be cupcakes and butterflies today, though. Just because it's Christmas, we got that no pulled punches conversation that Case and I are going to be talking about. So the holidays, the holidays. How are you feeling? Case about the holidays, right?
Kasey:now, oh my gosh, a little bit stressed, a little stressed, trying to mark off everything on the kids wish list. What about you?
Josh:Samesies. You know, as the holidays rolled in it's difficult because I thought it should be one of those like happy joy feelings. But for me this is the first holiday season as a rookie entrepreneur and getting all these things started, so it's really slowed down. The business side aspect of everything, which should really pivot me to focus more on the family side of everything, and it's hard to balance all of that out I think is my biggest problem that I'm having with this year's holiday.
Kasey:Same Mine is balancing work, trying to fit in the extra things for holidays, all the family activities, traveling, presents. Did I spend this much money on this kid? Oh, I need to spend around the same amount on another kid. It's balance is a hard thing for me right now.
Josh:Yeah, and you know what I bet a lot of the listeners are thinking the same thing Like golly. You know what I mean. Holidays come in and it's usually a problem with balance.
Kasey:Yes.
Josh:You know, getting that opportunity for us to be able to spend as much time as we possibly can and to be affordable for a holiday is difficult too no-transcript.
Kasey:We go to the grocery store and my, my daughter's like hey, mom, I did this, can I get this? And a lot of times, more often than not, I'm like ah, yeah, sure, it's just a few bucks, I'll get it for you. And then, when Christmas rolls around, I'm like wait a second, I got you this, you've gotten this. What do you want for Christmas now? What kind of presents do you want?
Josh:Yeah, it's exactly the same with us. We talk about it constantly, especially now in this month. My boys are constantly asking me for a new video game or a new you know this or a new that, and I'm like, ask Santa, I finally Christmas is coming, yeah.
Josh:I finally have a reason to say absolutely not Right and when it should be like that all year because it does. You know it gives a little bit of discredit, you know for the gift giving portion of the holidays. But yeah, it's hard to say no to the little ones these days. I don't know how my parents did it, because they had no problems telling me no.
Kasey:It didn't for me either, but I didn't really ask. That's true, I knew not to ask.
Josh:I did, I did, and most of the times it'd be a big, huge argument at home as to why they are saying no, not with me, but usually it's mom versus dad, or whatever the case may be. You know what I mean. Here's another argument at home based off of me wanting a new Ninja Turtle toy or something. But yeah, we all know, ladies and gentlemen, you know the holidays are stressful. You just gotta, you know, grit your teeth, smile at the jingle bells. You know what I mean. Roll with the silliness that life gives you and do your best you can.
Josh:You know out there, because it's insane the amount of shenanigans now that come into our lives externally through technology and through you know the news and through all this stuff. And you know, for example, like my son came to me the other day and was like hey, how come I can't say Merry Christmas anymore? Yeah, and it was kind of a shock to me. I was like what do you mean? Like you can't say Merry Christmas? Well, there are some people that take offense to that. Or it's not politically correct to say Merry Christmas anymore. It's, you know, happy holidays, or whatever the case may be. However you say it, but I call bull crap on that. You know what I mean. Like yeah.
Josh:I told my son straight up if you want to say Merry Christmas to somebody, you say Merry Christmas. Now if they want to personally take offense to that, then I'm sorry. You know what I mean. Like you know, I won't say it anymore to you personally. I probably won't say anything else to you personally. You know what I mean, but Merry Christmas has been around For ages A ridiculous amount of time.
Kasey:Yeah.
Josh:And I'm going to say it. You know what I mean, and I want my boys to be able to say that.
Kasey:Now, how old is your son again?
Josh:Well, he's. The nine year old was the one who told me this. And you're nine years old, yeah, nine years old already telling me how come I can't say Merry Christmas. And I said you can. Nobody's going to dictate whether you can or cannot say that.
Kasey:So was he taught this at school where this was not politically correct? Or was this a friend?
Josh:or did he even no, I don't think it was at school, you know, I got to ask him, but I'm pretty sure it was off of his phone. Okay, and it was you know, or he was in the middle of a gaming thing. Okay naming thing Okay and said Merry Christmas to somebody. And they're like you can't say that to me or whatever case may be, and I'll be like oh yeah, you can.
Josh:Okay, you know what I mean. So, um, like, what's your take on that? Like, would you really allow someone to tell you you're not allowed to say Merry Christmas, like, what, what, what's that all about, you know?
Kasey:I think that we tiptoe so much and people are constantly looking for something to be angry about, or they're constantly looking for something to be upset about within, how others speak. We live in the United States. I mean, come on, we have so many different religions, we have so many different cultures. I think that it's no. If my kids want to say Merry Christmas, they're going to say Merry Christmas.
Josh:If my kids want to say Merry Christmas, they're going to say Merry Christmas. However, I will also teach them to be respectful of you, hanukkah. And I want to say there's another one that don't celebrate any holidays. You know what I mean? I can't remember which one it is, but a Jehovah Witness, I think. I don't think they celebrate any holidays, which is crazy, because I had a girl I dated back in the day, I think she was, and her family was, I guess, pretty tight on that, and I was having my holidays Christmas Actually, no, I think she was, and her family was, I guess, pretty tight on that and I was having my holidays Christmas Actually, no, I think it was Halloween and she couldn't come out there and kick it with me during a Halloween party because it just wasn't allowed.
Josh:Okay, so I mean to each their own, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you want to me personally, I'm going to say Merry Christmas, just because that's what you know I am, that's who I am, that's who I'm being raised as, and you shouldn't take offense to that. Just because I said Merry Christmas, I don't believe I would say Happy Hanukkah if I knew that that was your thing. But you know what I mean. And if you come to me and say Happy Hanukkah, I'll be like, yeah, you and Inc. Cool. Like you know what I mean, like I don't care, but don't, don't tell my son. He's not allowed to say Right, right.
Kasey:Yeah, no.
Josh:Yeah, so that's that forced policy, the political correctness or whatever the case that's. Now the nation has where it's if you don't go by me, you're, you're wrong and it's now getting to my children and affecting their ability to enjoy the holidays like we used to do before the streetlights came on. You know what I mean. So we got to get away from that, you know. And when? The holidays is just the perfect time for us to recalibrate ourselves when it comes to this kind of stuff, because holidays are hard. Yeah, you know what I mean. Holidays are very hard. Family in conjunction with you know, market in conjunction with the technology, trying to force stuff down into your throat as far as what you can and cannot do. It's just constant hard times, right?
Kasey:Yeah, it can be. I think that when the holidays roll around, we've monetized it so much that a lot of times we have to bring ourselves back to. Hey, this is. I need to spend some quality time with my kids. That's free. You know me doing singing Jingle Bells or watching a Christmas movie, or putting up your Christmas tree. Yeah, Putting up the Christmas tree, which I still haven't done. Thanks for calling me out on that one, Josh Um there has to be a good reason for that.
Kasey:There's some good reason, but all of those things that it doesn't cost any money to bring joy and and spend quality time with the family.
Josh:You're right, it absolutely doesn't. And that brings up a point like money obviously is usually an issue in the modern day home when it comes to the holidays, and I think I remember a long time ago and my mom tells me this all the time send me a card and get the message.
Kasey:Who wants to do that now?
Josh:Well, who wants to do that? Right, but my mom. But it's so special, that's right. My mom would take that over a thousand dollar gift all day long, you know, and it just she appreciates it a million times more. Yeah, from a heartfelt message that I hand write on a Christmas card that cost a buck, you know, into her versus you know some vibrating chair or some weird random techno thing that she'll use once or twice and that's the end of it type thing. So the value of a gift is changing and I think we need to kind of bring it back to how it used to be and give a gift of a hug or a high five or you know what I mean, and just show that you don't have to have a gift to somebody for it not to be appreciated. You know of the value of the holiday itself, of yeah you know what it's all about.
Josh:So how we know whatever your reasoning behind the holidays is, the important thing is to make sure that it is a value to the family. You know what I mean? Yeah, amongst each other. So it's crazy because I asked some people family and and relatives like don't do holidays this year. You know what I mean. You know we're tight and so in the biz world you know, in the business we're in that position of I went to my financial advisor the other day and he said Josh, you're bleeding.
Kasey:No-transcript those are the times where I'll try to make something, as cliche as that sounds, but I'll try to make something.
Josh:Or like like home economic type stuff, like make some, like make what Like like I've.
Kasey:I've done candles before. I've done um drink mixes or homeopathic remedies, anything like that that I've I can I have all the things?
Josh:Sure, yeah.
Kasey:And I can make it for you. And I feel like that's even more heartfelt If somebody were to make me a loaf of bread like I'm tickled pink, you know. Yeah that's cool and it's things that we have that.
Josh:I Could you imagine if the nation came together and said this year for Christmas, we're not buying a single thing.
Kasey:Can you imagine economically like the downpour?
Josh:Oh my gosh, they would lose their minds. You know, but we are a consumer nation, but really it's almost like talking about how just you know if, for one day, if no one got a tank of gas, well, and you, say that and it takes me on a tangent to like statistically, did you know that the closer you get to Christmas, you know?
Kasey:so Black Friday happens, cyber Monday happens. We think we're getting all these fantastic deals on everything. Everything's marked down so low. But it makes me angry because I nothing is marked down really that low. It's just how highly inflated everything is on a daily basis.
Josh:For us, that's right.
Kasey:So they force this massive buy and after you get past that statistically and this was on the radio the other day the closer you get to Christmas things start creeping back up and they're more expensive.
Josh:That's right.
Kasey:Than they would have been originally throughout the rest of the year.
Josh:That's right. Is that not crazy? I know, and I've seen this on Amazon. I put stuff in my. I'm not saying Amazon are the ones who are selling these things, but I put it in my box to save for later, when the deal comes. And then it says 30% off, but it's the exact same price as it was five months ago.
Kasey:Yes, you can see the price increase and it fluctuates.
Josh:Yeah, it's crazy, it's exhausting is what it is. You know what I mean.
Kasey:It is.
Josh:But could you imagine if we got to that point now, or you know, like next year, the whole nation came together and said we are just going to give each other artwork.
Kasey:How cool, would that be.
Josh:That we hand make ourselves or something that we created ourselves within our homes as a gift to someone else, like that would be pretty cool.
Kasey:I'm not going to lie.
Josh:Awesome is that hey listeners Start listening. We're talking about it A straight up, homemade gift swap. You're right, that would be awesome.
Kasey:Somebody can bring me some fireside or something homeopathic, I'd be totally fine with that.
Josh:That would be awesome. I think I'd be totally fine with that. Yeah, that would be awesome. So that would I mean. It would just like I said, we talk about recalibration constantly. It would just bring us back to that day where we could appreciate the value of a gift a little bit more. You know what I mean. I'm trying to teach my kids constantly about appreciating the value of something, of money. They're always asking me oh, can we go to Whataburger, can we go to me? Oh, can we go to Whataburger, can we get pizza? And I say, yeah, give me $60 out of your bank account. And they run to their bank and they pull out like three or four dollars that they got stuffed in there and I'm like, well, we don't have enough.
Kasey:Just to get you a quarter of a slice of pizza.
Josh:That's right, and I don't do that, obviously because I can't get them pizza. I end up usually giving up and saying, all right, screw it, let's get you some pizza. But it shows them, like, dude, there is a value to that. Yes, and you've got to understand it. It's not every time you want a pizza.
Kasey:Yeah, it's, gratification.
Josh:That's right, it's. Oh, we're working hard for that. Holidays is hard to do too.
Kasey:We do something similar to that, like piggybacking off of you, my kids will say, hey, because there's four of us, so and sometimes they'll have a friend we easily go to dinner and drop 100 to $120 after a tip, right? So then the next time and we'll do that every great once in a while we'll go as a family dinner. I love having someone else cook for me and then especially that I don't have to clean up. So then after that we'll go to the grocery store and we'll I'll spend $100, $120 in groceries and I'll show them hey look, do you know that that dinner that we got the other night, Well, this is what that money could have bought for us for groceries, and this lasts more than just one sitting. So we try to piggyback off of that as well.
Kasey:I think, it's important to show them that.
Josh:Yeah, absolutely, especially now, you know, with your kids getting to the age that they are just like mine. You know what I mean. We got to get them up there and your kids are all your kids. How old are all your kids? Again for the listener 14, 13 and nine.
Kasey:OK, I'm not sure that I'm going to make it past the teenage.
Josh:All three of them in a teenage level soon, oh yeah, in like three or four years. Well, you'll get one that'll be, you know, spreading their wings and while the other one hits teenager, but but still that's, yeah, it's got to be tough. Mine, they're nine and seven and I still got a little bit of time before they hit that, but they already act like little teenage buttholes. So you know it wouldn't have it any other way, right? Family?
Josh:and the money and the value of it, and all that in conjunction with the holiday season. And we also want to talk about, you know, the community. I don't even like saying the word community just because it just sounds so, oh, let's push community. Now let's talk about community. No, it's more or less like you got to think what is community to you? To me, community is my neighbor no-transcript that over to my house, knowing I'm not going to, you know, buy a house from her or anything like that. But that was that neighborly community. You know what I mean Involvement, and that's gone. That is long gone now compared to what it used to be. Yeah, you know, with Halloween there was less kids coming. I still had a whole bunch of candy and you know to give out for.
Josh:Halloween, the you know, 4th of July there was no one. We didn't do a neighborhood thing where we're shooting fireworks together, yeah. And now here we are in the holidays where, as simple as you know, giving a couple of cards I remember we used to have all kinds of cards from the neighbors, and you know and we would give the cards out and there would just be a big, huge card exchange and no money, no, nothing like that. It was just hey, you know, from your neighbors, we love you. You know that kind of thing. I haven't gotten anything from the HOA. Maybe they'll send something, something, but we pay good money for an HOA. Where's my card at for the holidays from the HOA? You know, I cut my grass. You know what I mean.
Kasey:I stay out of trouble. Exactly.
Josh:I don't make a lot of noise. I wear a candy cane, exactly, but that used to be, that was a thing. Where is that at? You know what I mean? It's gone. Why is it? Because you know people are being selfish, people are scared now Everybody's reclusive, like they. You know, I don't know. You know what I mean and comment to us and below, comment to us and let us know what your thought is on that so we can talk about it some more, maybe later and when we're not on this Christmas episode, and talk about how we can try to make it to where, during the holidays, our neighbors are just as much as our family and friends than our family and friends. You know what I mean.
Kasey:Yeah, yeah, I like that.
Josh:Yeah, I think it would be a good thing. You know what I mean. And this could be all the way up, you know, even beyond your neighborhood, into the full amount of the community. You know I love that.
Kasey:That's actually a great idea.
Josh:And then at the end you have people that have no family or no friends at all.
Kasey:Right, right and people, people that are just single, that's right.
Josh:No kids, and they're they're in the community, they're everywhere.
Kasey:Right.
Josh:And so I just I really need to find another. We'll call it the city fam or something Like. I don't like the word community for some reason. You know what I mean.
Kasey:Because it's used.
Josh:There's companies out there that use the community to benefit themselves in a selfish way, right and so that really that word for me, especially lately that you know, since I started a nonprofit. I try not to use the word community, because I I want it to have more value than what the community has now brought it to. You know, what I mean. I want it to be like, like the city family, you know what I mean. Or or our village fam, you know what I mean.
Kasey:I love village.
Josh:Yeah, let's's do village fam. That's what I'm gonna start saying though yeah instead of communism. My village family yeah it takes a village that's right.
Josh:It's funny because larissa, uh, my wife, she says um, she says we live in a village, you know what I mean. She always says that if we're not in new york or chicago or you know what I mean seattle, she's like we're living in the village and she used to make fun of it all the time because it's just a village, you know, yeah, and so now I think it's exactly that. Anyways, there's members of our village family that just don't have anybody for the holidays. And if you know anybody, I would say, if you know anybody, just to reach out and say, hey, merry Christmas.
Kasey:Yeah, check in on them, take them some cookies, go spend some time with them, like just something, just that quality time, that human connection, some time with them Like just something, just that quality time, that human connection that's right so important. Think about the value that that would have for somebody that has nobody.
Josh:Well, that could be very lonely.
Kasey:Oh my gosh. Yeah, I mean, could you imagine sitting and not having your children, not having your wife? Like just I can't imagine. No, I couldn't either.
Josh:It makes me sick to think. And there are. They're out there every day right now, as there there's someone listening right now. That has nobody. Just so you know you have us.
Kasey:Yes, absolutely. Well that's like my, and I'm not trying to take it so close to home, but my girl's dad, I mean he's working this year and I'm taking the kids and I'm going to my family I'll be several hours away and he will be by himself Christmas Eve, Christmas.
Josh:Wow See yeah, I hate that I don't, even when I was in Afghanistan during Christmas. I wasn't alone. You know what I mean. I still had the bee huts, and that that we were living in and I had them next to me, or we still did something as a you know, as a.
Kasey:The units and stuff.
Josh:Yeah, no-transcript out.
Kasey:You never have to be lonely. You never have to be alone. It can be a choice, but you do have people that are willing to reach out.
Josh:That's true, very true. You know, I want my children to know that of me, and you know what I mean. I'm sure you want your children to know that of you, that we would be able to reciprocate that to a stranger.
Kasey:Right.
Josh:Without a problem. Now, obviously I'm not going to be handing out money or you know I'm not going to be handing out, you know, gifts and stuff like that. I just don't have that ability. But I will hand out a conversation.
Kasey:Yeah, you know I'll.
Josh:I'm man, I get free hugs all day long. You know, I went to the chamber of commerce Christmas party yesterday and I'm just a hugging dude and that's just that's just me.
Josh:I I I lived in Italy for a long time. We're very we. We don't have personal space, very much like that. It's all you know, kissing the cheeks and hugging constantly, right, so, yeah, so I was giving hugs to people yesterday that you could tell was awkward for them, but I don't care, you know. I mean like back in covid days. You know, don't get within six feet, shut up. You know what I mean. Like I'm gonna hug your ass and give you covid, you know so. But um, but yeah, you know what I'm saying. Like we'll get on that. But the whole idea is, you know, you know our kids, they need to see that yeah, they do we need to be a role model for them.
Kasey:Well, the interaction I mean, just like you said, so much has changed since COVID. And that might be why people don't come out in the village fam a lot anymore. It's people learn to seclude and a lot of us stuck with anxiety and sitting in.
Josh:Comfortables, yeah, yeah. Bored too afraid to be, yeah yeah, bored. Too afraid to be, yeah yeah, you know to connect. So that's, I love the idea of creating those connections, the whole objective, right, because when the time comes, we may not be able to let them play outside until the streetlights come on. However, the goal is to get them and their children to be able to do that like we used to.
Josh:If we can't do it now, let's see what happens in 10 years or a couple decades from now to get that job or mission accomplished. So that's us. That's Josh and Casey with Streetlight Angels Podcast. You can find us on Facebook and check us out and email us at streetlightangelspodcast at gmailcom, and we're there for you. And happy holidays and Merry Christmas.