Please…An Important Message from Andy
Please, this is a longer message than I usually send, but it is of critical importance to me. And perhaps to you as well. If you possibly can…read this now.
In a minute, I’m going to ask you to do something. But first, allow me to explain why I have summoned the audacity to ask. Here goes…
Am I wrong to assume that you believe, as I do, that America is in big trouble? And how crazy is it that we have witnessed an extremely slow rise and fall to end up here?
If we track from 1776, how for 165 years, did citizens of this nation, lift their chins and struggle, paying attention to increasing the level of personal character–a rise that peaked in the 1940’s with those we call The Greatest Generation–only to watch our national character disharmoniously decline during the 80 years since?
I must now admit that after much thought, I no longer feel that those whom we venerate as The Greatest Generation truly deserve that label.
Instead, I have come to believe that the real Greatest Generation was made up of their mothers and fathers, their teachers and ministers, and the adults in that society who raised a generation of people that after nearly a century has passed, we still point to them and say, “That’s the best we ever were!”
So, what did they do? By what standard did those people raise the children of that time? One thing is clear: There was actually a standard. After all, a society that accepts many standards…has no standard.
Curiously, the outstanding results achieved by that generation of children was not because the adults agreed about everything.
One has to remember that in the 1920’s and 30’s, those parents and grandparents were Democrats and Republicans, too. They were Christians and atheists, too. They were Jews and Muslims and Baptists and Methodists and Catholics, too.
They were black and white and red and yellow and they didn’t agree on much more than we do today… but they did agree on one thing. They managed to agree that they wanted the BEST for their kids. Not what somebody thought might be best, but the actual best. The very BEST.
And they worked together–sometimes agreeing to disagree about things not as important as their children–to make it happen.
“So how did it happen,” you ask. “What did they do?”
Well… It wasn’t so much what they did…it was who they were. These people of high character knew instinctively that if they were to raise children of higher character, it would require strong relationships between the adults and the young people.
Strong relationships can ONLY be forged through conversations, therefore, one can point to many conversations between adults and young people that built character at that time. There is also the fact that young people had many opportunities to sit quietly listening to adults in conversation.
There was a time when I grew up that we wanted to sit at the big table. We wanted to be with the adults. Do you remember what our mothers said? “You can stay as long as you are quiet. But if you call attention to yourself, you’re going to bed.”
So we’d sit quietly and listen and sometimes become aware that the adults had forgotten we were in the room. Because they’d often talk about things we didn’t usually hear…!
When we went on a trip in the car, we sat in the back and listened to the adult conversations.
Or on the front porch with our parents as they chatted with everyone who came by. Everyone. In that situation, we watched our parents and grandparents in conversations with people with whom we knew they disagreed. And with some folks we knew they didn’t particularly like.
At least a couple of generations ago, these conversations between adults and young people stopped. In addition, any conversations by adults to which children had the opportunity to listen were taken out of the mix.
Mothers began approaching the “big table” at dinnertime with the pronouncement that, “All the kids are in the playroom. The door is closed, they have their food, a movie is on, and I told them ‘if anyone comes out, they’re going to bed.”
On car trips, children no longer listen to or participate in conversations with adults. “Here…put your headphones on. You have your screen. We’ll be at grandma’s in three hours. (Then you can go off by yourself and play with your Game Boy.)
There are no more front porches. We’ve all retreated to our backyards with privacy fences where we can invite people we like and with whom we agree
We have created at least two generations of young people who do not know how to look someone in the eye, shake hands, and have a conversation.
Do you have any idea how many parents tell me, “We don’t talk any more.”
I usually reply, “Give me an example of a typical conversation.” This is what I hear:
“How did school go today?”
“Fine.”
“Good! What all happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, come on now…something happened. After all, you were there for seven hours…”
“Mom! Nothing happened, okay? Just like yesterday. Nothing happened!”
At that point, parents tell me, when the young person walks away, they can chase them down and have an argument or just leave them alone. Either choice ends in the perpetual silence between adults and young people that has become the norm.
And why wouldn’t it? We have nothing in common anymore. Little league sports, you say? Really? What meaningful conversations happen taking a carload of kids to practice or with you sitting in the bleachers while they are on the field?
We don’t discuss television anymore or even watch it together. Remember how you enjoyed some of the same shows your parents watched? How does that compare to now?
Do you want to watch the programs your children watch? You probably don’t allow them to watch what you watch. Heck, even the commercials can be off limits.
What are families discussing at the dinner table? If you even eat at the dinner table with your family in today’s world, YOU are the exception.
So, what can be done to reverse a tide that has quite obviously already washed ashore? As incredible as it may seem, there now exists an answer.
WisdomHarbour.com is an exciting, low cost streaming service designed with this specific intent: To create the next GREATEST GENERATION, starting right now with your family, your hometown, and your local schools!
This concept has been in my heart for twelve years, I’ve been paying for it to be constructed and staffed for five years, and now, Wisdom Harbour has been LIVE for two years. We have not yet even done a press release because we’ve been proving Wisdom Harbour’s value to school systems, businesses, families and individuals for two years.
Wisdom Harbour was created to generate conversations between adults and young people by bonding them with video, audio, and written word shorts that greatly interest both groups.
And its annual price is set as low as it can possibly be and still remain in business.
In schools, for less than three dollars a month per teacher, classrooms have access to original content–only found on WisdomHarbour.com that teaches history, science, biology, civics, economics, English, literature, creative writing, culinary skills, music, and manners while entertaining and building character in young people…and at the same time, creating conversations between young people and the adults in their community.
Who are Wisdom Harbour’s instructors? Utilizing video, audio, and the written word, content is delivered in small bites by Grammy winners, CEOs, Comedians, Chefs, Bestselling Authors, and Hall of Fame Speakers. There are even guitar lessons from an award winning songwriter.
The results Wisdom Harbour has been achieving with schools are almost beyond belief…within several months we will deliver some statistics to you detailing what has happened. Family results are also pouring in.
For now though…here is my earnest plea to you:
If your family has not already joined, please give this as a gift to them this year. You can watch a five or six minute piece before dinner every night if you wish and enjoy the conversation that spills forth because of it.
If you have extended family or friends this sounds right for or with whom you’d like to be connected in meaningful conversations, please…please consider giving this inexpensive gift to them.
In addition to the simple link provided here, at the bottom of this message, I am including links to four pieces of content selected randomly from Wisdom Harbour’s more than twenty docks!
Thank you for your patience with this long message and I hope you have the merriest of Christmases!
Your friend,
Andy
Click any of the images or titles below to view each post!
Animals in WW I with Julie Richard | Betcha Didn’t Know
Conditioning with Andy Andrews | Betcha Didn’t Know
What If? with Mike Rayburn | The Way I See It
Advice for a 16 Year Old with a Tough Family Life? Answered by Dave Ramsey
One more thing…
If you are interested in providing WisdomHarbour.com for a school, let us know. There are many schools in America who are either underfunded or funded for things that are not working. There is a 501(c)(3) called The Wisdom Harbour Educational Fund that is ready and able to assist you. And if you wish, you can even designate the school or schools that benefit from your generosity!