An Army of Normal Folks - Delicious Kids

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

For our "Shop Talk" series, Coach Bill Courtney talks about why he calls his kids delicious. And promises that he's not into cannibalism. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premiumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, it's Bill Courtney for Shop Talk number 10. Alex, can you believe it's number 10 already? Number 10. You say that each time. It's shocking to me that we've done 10 of these things. We're going to do hundreds of them. I hope people keep listening. Anyway, as long as you keep being interesting, I don't know.

I don't know how long my interest holds up. You know, we'll find out. Shop Talk number 10 everybody. It's coming up. We're going to talk about the word delicious right after these brief messages from our generous sponsors. Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, host of Womanica, a daily podcast that introduces you to the fascinating lives of women history has forgotten.

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So I'm thinking about it quite often. Listen to The Big Take on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everybody, shop talk number 10, only number 10 Alex, just number 10. Does that feel better to you? Um, in an attempt to be interesting because that's what Alex, the producers told me to do. We're going to talk about the word delicious

My wife Lisa gave birth to Maggie Molly will and max in that order over a period of four years and 11 months Yeah, we had four kids in four years and Just imagine being Yeah, we had four kids in four years. And just imagine being pregnant and walking through Walmart with a three-year-old or two-year-old and a one-year-old and pregnant. It was traumatic. It was a lot.

But as I think most parents would share, despite all of the difficulty that comes along with raising children, it is potentially the most rewarding thing a human being can do, I think. And for Lisa and me, I think it has been. Our kids are now 29, 28, 27 and about to be 26. So they're quote adults by the letter of the law, I guess, but I wouldn't call them adults. I still think they're kind of idiots, but anyway, they're adults and all gamefully employed and two are to be married soon. The other two, one wants to be married and I'm not sure she knows how to be yet. And the other is just feral.

I'm not sure if he'll ever get married. Can we name them as you're talking about her? Well, I don't know. They may. Yeah, sure. So yeah, Maggie Courtney is the oldest and she's going to be married in a few months. The next one's Molly Courtney. She's a little bit like a firefly in that she flies

around and when she sets down, she kind of shows her butt, it lights up. And then when it goes away, she flies off somewhere else. So she's lived in like 17 cities in the last three and a half years and working and gainfully employed and a heck of a lot of fun. Well, Courtney, the third one is the chief of staff for a congressman. The United States Senate squared away and get married soon. What's that? What I say? You said United States. Yeah, no, he's not in the Senate. It's in the House. Sorry. Congressman in the House.

And then Child 4, my feral kitty, Max Courtney is in Atlanta, really doing well working for a Memphis based company and um, working hard to sell and stuff. And so those are my four kids and I could go on telling stories forever about them like any parent could. But the story for the purposes of shop talk number 10 is this. One day, Lisa and I, when our kids were not that old, I don't think any of them were teens yet, we actually considered having more. As stressful as children are to your checking account, your psyche, your grocery bill and everything else. Genuinely, they have been the most rewarding thing in Lisa and my life. And so as we considered that, and Lisa and I getting a little older, we spoke with our

doctor about going ahead and trying to get pregnant again and go through it. And he said, you know, there's a lot of risk at your age with having children. And I don't understand why you would ever do it. You know, you've done a good job with them as children. They're getting older and he said, you know, why mess it up? And then he said, you have four delicious children. And I remember him saying that and thinking, that's the weirdest damn thing I've ever heard in my life. Delicious for my children. We eat them. They're tasty. I mean, that's just goofy. And I thought about that comment for a long time. And I now refer to my children as delicious to the point that

the first time I ever said it, Alex looked at me and said, that's weird. That's goofy. What do you do? Eat them? That's the oddest thing I've ever heard. How do you refer to your kids as delicious? Some people are going to think you're some kind of pervert or something, but they are. As I thought more about the word delicious, it's something you for more. It is something that when you consume it, you are like, wow, that is awesome. When you taste something delicious, oh my gosh, that's great, and you kind of exhale. And the truth is, that's what our children are.

They're delicious. I can't wait to see them. I can't wait to be around them. I savor them and I look forward to the next time I get to savor them. What's delicious in your life? My business sometimes is delicious and sometimes is salty and sometimes is sour and sometimes just tastes like crap. But more often than not, my business is delicious. My wife is delicious. My faith is delicious. My producer is not delicious at all. Well, what's delicious in your life? And when you find out and you think about what is delicious in your life, protect it, honor it, and take time to enjoy it. You know, and I'll eat a McDonald's sometimes. Yes, Lisa, I do cheat, need a quarter pounder on occasion. I try to stay away from the fries, but I will order those even sometimes. And when I pay my, now I would say six

or seven bucks, but now it's probably 14 bucks. But when I pay whatever I pay to get that, I'm usually driving down the street and I basically fill a hole in my stomach, devour it, and that's it. But on the occasion where Lisa and I get to go to a really nice restaurant and have a steak and maybe a nice bottle of red wine and a good french onion soup or wedge salad or good you know lobster mac and cheese or whatever, man that is delicious. It fills the same empty hole in my stomach, but one meal takes about seven minutes while driving down the street. The other lasts two hours and is enjoyed and is savored and is relaxing and is something to be, you know, honored in the way that you get to spend the time with someone you care about

having this delicious meal. The deliciousness is not only the food, but the experience. And I think that's what we need to think about in terms of the people we love and the things we love to do. They're delicious and where the delicious I think you need to take time to save them and enjoy them. I'll tell you something else that's delicious, helping another human being. It is delicious to watch someone who is not as fortunate or blessed as you or who is struggling with addiction or sadness or pain or suicidal tendencies or the loss of a loved one

it is absolutely a delicious experience to take the time to invest and to watch somebody come out the back side of your efforts a little better off than they were when you found them. That's delicious. So as you think about the week and you think about those delicious things that you enjoy and the opportunity you have to enjoy more delicious stuff in your life, delicious stuff in your life. Maybe think about the word a little bit and find time to savor the things you love the most and to savor the opportunity that you have every day to make a difference. That's Shop Talk Number 10. I'm Bill Courtney.

I'll see you next week. The big take from Bloomberg News brings you what's shaping the world's economies with next week. it means and why it matters every afternoon. I'm Sarah Holder. I'm Solea Mosin. And I'm David Gura. Listen to the big take on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. MTV's official challenge podcast is back for another season. And so are we. I'm Tori Deal.

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Every family has an origin story, one passed down through the generations. Mine happens to be a mystery involving my great-great-grandmother left behind in Sicily. I'm Joe Piazza and my new podcast will transport you to the gorgeous island of Sicily as I trace my roots back through a whodunit for the ages. Listen to The Sicilian Inheritance on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.