An Army of Normal Folks - Army member: I Am A Turkey Person

Episode Date: December 27, 2024

For "Shop Talk", we share Army member Ken Morris' reflection that he is in fact a Turkey Person. And what he's going to do about it. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, it's Bill Courtney with Shop Talk number 33. Welcome in. You just came into the shop. You're in the shop now. The door opened. We're actually at your office right now. We're not at a shop. They were in the shop.

The bell says it. So we're going to revisit something that you've heard before, but considering the time of year and that we were sent this letter that I'm going to read, we're going to talk again about a turkey person, but we're going to do it from the lens of another person. Ken Morris sent me an unbelievably kind letter that I'm going to share with you now. And then we're going to just say a few words about it and that's going to be the end of shop talk number 33.

So Shop Talk number 33 is revisiting Turkey Person through the lens of Ken Morris and some really kind words he had to me, some kind words of encouragement, some inspiration, and maybe even a little bit of challenge. So Shop Talk number 33, revisiting Turkey Person through the eyes of Ken Morris right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. Hey everyone, it's Katie Couric. Well, the election is in the home stretch and I'm exhausted. But turns out the end is near, right in time for a new season of my podcast, Next Question. This podcast is for people like me who need a little perspective and insight. I'm bringing in some FOKs, friends of Katie's,

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Find tools and resources at soundedouttogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal Ventures. ["Sound It Out Together"] All right, everybody. Shop talk. Welcome in. I love my bell. I love my bell. From Ken Morris, dated December 7th, 433.

Hey Bill, I write a devotion for my church, including my turkey experience. Trying to learn from you. Thanks, Ken. December 7th, 2024. Don't be a turkey. Luke 10, 27, and he answered, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. Ken is in Thailand. And here's how his letter goes. There's army members in Thailand.

How about that? We have army members in Thailand. That's awesome. It's the greatest thing in the world We have Army members in Thailand. That's awesome. It's the greatest thing in the world. It's a worldwide movement. Here's Ken's devotion. Greetings from Thailand. I often listen to the podcast, An Army of Normal Folks,

hosted by Bill Courtney, a former high school football coach who took a team with losing record to the Tennessee State Championship. Ken, just to be clear, while I wish that was the truth, I took him to the playoffs. I never made it to the Tennessee State Championship. So one little footnote there. But yeah, we can at least say we got better at football. So there it is.

Can you edit out that? We will. Maybe I'll keep it in there to make you look like an idiot that you couldn't find your pictures. A listener say all the time about how you make fun of me. The pages were out of order. You gave me the pages out of order. It's your fault. Actually you printed it. It's not very good production. I didn't give you them out of order. This is poor production quality. Okay, now I gotta kinda remind everybody where we were.

His documentary, Undefeated, won an Academy Award. I highly recommend this podcast because it highlights ordinary people who decided to make a difference in their communities. Through their hard work, lives have been transformed and the communities they served have become better places to live. Bill defines a turkey person as someone who visits a disadvantaged community only during holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving, hands out some food or gifts and disappear until

the following year. He describes as someone who helps others primarily to feel good about themselves without genuinely caring about the people they are helping. Last week, someone in the school where I teach emailed the staff and said, you're invited to a Christmas celebration in a low income community near our school. And we needed help distributing some food and supplies to the neighbors. I didn't think about it and I just signed up. The event was really nice as the small church played games with the kids, the church members sang Christmas songs and some children danced to the music.

Since I went with someone else, they had to leave early, so I had to depart before the event was over. As I was leaving, a local person from the church approached me and thanked me in English for coming. Her tone was nice, but I believe she wanted to say more. However, not to be greedy, she stopped at that one phrase. The next thing I was thinking about all day was I am a turkey. Since this community is so close to my house, my wife and I have committed to walking around it often, observing and figuring out how we can help them. We have no idea how we can help, but we are committed

to showing up." Today's scripture describes a lawyer who tests Jesus on what is required to inherit eternal life. Jesus does not answer the question but gives the lawyer a couple more questions to consider, like, what does the law say, and how do you understand what the law says? The lawyer's response is impressive. In summary, the lawyer answers Jesus' questions by saying, love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. Then Jesus agreed with his answer and said to the lawyer, do this and you will live.

Loving your neighbor is not an annual event, but being part of your neighbor's lives during good times and bad. It includes showing compassion and empathy with them when times are tough. To do this well, it takes time and being present. Serving others is important and something we must all do. So, I would like to challenge you to determine your motive for serving. And when you do serve, do it consistently and show up often. God's grace upon you and your family, Kim. Wow. Ken, I could not have said it better myself.

And the last part is the best. Serving others is important and something we must all do. So I'd like to challenge you to determine your motive for serving. And when you do serve, do it consistently and show up often. Ladies and gentlemen, Ken gets it. If you serve in a soup kitchen or you give away gifts at Christmas to the needy or you do stuff to serve people that are disadvantaged, that's a beautiful thing. It's not that the story of Turkey Person is not to discourage that. It's to check

our motive and ask ourselves are we willing to be consistent in that work. It's phenomenal. Love your neighbor as yourself. Have empathy, have grace, and be giving. Do it for the simple edification of a person that's not as blessed as you and do it more than once. Do it consistently so that the very people you seek to serve don't see you as a fraud doing it for yourself, but they see you more often and they see you motivated by their

exaltation. If you do that, you can lead, you can serve, and you can make a difference in your communities. We've talked about it before, but through Ken's lens, I just felt like at this time of year, it would be good to share from a guy in Thailand who's heard the story, who's recognized the importance of the story, who understands the inspiration behind the story,

and who he himself found himself possibly slipping into the role of a turkey person and whose he and his wife have now decided we're gonna be consistent we're gonna do it for right reason we don't even know if we can help or how to help but we're gonna try's it. That's all it takes. Just a willingness and an understanding that somebody ought to do something about these problems is not good enough. That's somebody as us. And if we're motivated by the right reasons and willing to remain consistent, we can make amazing changes. And I'll usually say all over this country but Kin's in Thailand so we can make changes all over the world for the better.

That's Shop Talk number 33. Ken Morris, hats off to you. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy new year and please write me back when you figure out what you're going to do to that little with that little community. I really want to hear about it because I absolutely believe in your um your focus, your inspiration and your commitment. So follow up with us Ken. Thanks for the idea of Shot Talk number 33. Hold on and if people want to watch the full turkey person story Oh, yeah And if you're hearing this for the first time and you really want to watch the first turkey person story I think Alex actually bought a domain name or something. What's it called turkey person comm? Yeah Yeah, you can go to turkey person dot com and see a fat reddit had a guy on camera for ten minutes

Hold it. I'm allowed to make fun of myself But when you say it you're just being mean So you can watch a fat redheaded guy talk about turkey person you could do that And I think there's even a link to when we did it on the Kelly Clarkson show, right? That's correct So you can go also look at me explaining to Kelly Clarkson what the turkey what about the sherry show? Okay, so you can see me talking about turkey person to Kelly Clarkson what the turkey what about the sherry show that's yeah it's all there okay so you can see me talking about turkey person to Kelly Clarkson on TV you can see me talking to Sherry on TV about turkey person you can see a video of me explaining originally the turkey person story so there's a lot

of it at turkey person calm right correct all right There you go if you have shop talk ideas. I'm going to that you were about to miss Do you want to host this thing you're already rung the bell and you're closing it out. I Walk back in all right guys if you have ideas for shop talk share them with us You can write me anytime at bill at normal folks dot us I will respond and if you have ideas that I think I can add value to I will always respond but if you have ideas I think I can add value to or if I share them I'm not gonna sound like a complete and total idiot I'll share them on the air. And I appreciate you guys listening.

Please share this thing with friends and rate us and review us, share us on social, get involved. Don't be a turkey person, be a part of the army of normal folks. I'm Bill Courtney with Alex signing off Shop Talk number 33. Thanks to our producer, Iron Light Labs. I'll see you next week. Hey everyone, it's Katie Couric. Well, the election is in the homestretch, right in time for a new season of my podcast,

Next Question. I'm bringing in some FOKs, friends of Katie's, to help me out like Ezra Klein, Jen Psaki, Astaed Herndon. But we're also going to have some fun thanks to some of my friends like Samantha Bee and Charlemagne the God. We're going to take some viewer questions as well. I mean, isn't that what democracy is all about? Check out our new season of Next Question with me, Katie Couric, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, y'all. I'm Maria Fernanda Diaz. When You're Invisible is my love letter

to the working-class people and immigrants who shaped me. Season 2 shares stories about community and being underestimated. All the greatest changes have happened when a couple of people said, this sucks, let's do something about it. We get paid to serve you, but we're made out of the same things. It's rare to have black male teachers.

Sometimes I am the testament. Listen to When You're Invisible on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Arnold Schwarzenegger is many things, but did you know that he was once a director and that the only film he has ever directed is a 1992 made-for-TV remake of Christmas in Connecticut? Nobody calls the biggest star in the world and says, hey, they want to direct your TV

movie. On our Revisionist History Christmas special this year, we are telling the really very funny story behind the making of the most improbable Christmas movie of all time. The first thing out of his mouth is, so what have you guys been doing since Commando? Clearly not going to the gym. You can hear it all right now on the Revisions History Podcast. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everything okay?

Yes, I'm fine. your podcasts. Talk to the kids in your life about their emotional well-being. Find tools and resources at soundedouttogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal Ventures. 55 gallons of water 500 pounds of concrete or maybe not no country willingly gives up their territory Oh my god. What is that? Listen to escape from Zaka Stan That's escape from Z a Q the Stan binge the whole season on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts