169 - Did This Deli Lose Its Soul?

Wow, that episode makes me think things and feel things. The pattern I've seen that troubles me the most is when people hear the siren's call to turn their families into a version of reality TV. I'm really proud of you guys for the way you've drawn a hard line that your families are not going to be turned into revenue-generating content. That was really vulnerable to put this discussion here for me to listen in. Thanks so much for sharing it.

I loved this episode. Though from the 90s, I don't look back on the fondly as much as I do a longing for a more communal and face to face society that thrived, especially in the Era of post Civil War. The face of how we interact with our community, even with places of commerce, is evolving, and I totally understand Destin's heart. For me it boils to wonder and delight in the small things (like the fly fishing drawer). Sometimes it feels like a disregard for the past. BUT! Living in the past is also harmful. So, landing the plane at the end was a really nice way to tie it together. Loved this.

This episode kept reminding me of the story of the golden goose. Almost like we live in an era where everyone wants to pay big to watch the goose be dissected. Eternally forgetting that the end will always be the same if you do that.

The last 2.5 minutes of this episode where Matt is talking about the older generation being frustrated by not being able to apply a lesson learned in previous generations to the current situation had me thinking about Chesterton's Fence - "Never tear down a fence until you know why it was put up in the first place." On a separate podcast (Lord of Spirits) Fr. Stephen de Young was talking about how the pre-modern person saw their life as a thread between past & future rather than just as an individual. Every day, stories, truths, knowledge, & experiences pass away, & every day young people struggle to figure out what to do & how to live & where they belong. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself." There's also the cultural shift going on - America has always been very focused on the individual, which has its pros & cons when compared to more collective societies. I think this is part of why we're seeing a decrease in family businesses - we want to give our kids the freedom to go into whatever line of work they want, which is a very modern way of thinking. Paul Anleitner had an interesting series on these kinds of cultural values, especially with how they relate to the Kingdom (called Mind Software). I appreciate what you guys do; thanks for sharing these kinds of conversations with us!

Great episode fellas. I've been trying to chew through my emotions and thoughts on this. This episode really had me thinking a lot of different things. But most of all I think I respect you for not using this conversation as an episode long Segway into asking people to support you on patreon. I feel like all it would have taken is a half step to the left, saying something like "The moral of the story is if you love a place the way it is be sure to support it". Whether this was a conscious decision or not respect you for not taking it despite the fact that I think it actually is a good point. You could easily argue that the reason the deli felt like it had to change could be correlated with the fact that Destin hadn't been there six months.

Creehan