We are not all that different when building community, nor when we are responsible for juggling our finances: two unrelated topics, but seemingly conjoined when discussing what it means to be an adult.

Building community is how we form a sense of identity and how we present ourselves to others. It demonstrates how we interact with the world. We both explain our childhood and how, growing up in the suburbs and in the inner city, it has shaped our views of community. Each of us on our own separate paths converge at times, but ultimately never fully understand each other's worlds. Travelling across boundaries, we become tourists observing an alien world. Now as adults, having both lived in the city, county, with roommates and by ourselves, we have come to find that we are all the same. Our only true difference is the zip code that we grew up in. How do we develop community with neighbors? How do we get to know people? This new sense of community development will certainly change our working definition. Also, what role does the internet play?

Regarding financial struggles, we are not all that different. There may be different institutions we have to go through, different means to accomplish our financial goals, but we all struggle to get a hold of our own wealth. What is the difference between Charles Schwab Bank and Western Union? The difficulty is, going through the motions with no guidance. We were not taught financial literacy. We will, additionally, struggle to further our economic outlook without knowledge and without assistance. How do we get the help we need? 

What is the purpose of entertainment? We attempt to find the balance between pure indulgence and pure learning. Is it possible to learn while also being entertained? On the one hand, we have the pure enjoyment of childhood: being outside with friends, discovering new worlds, experiencing new senses. On the other hand, we have the drudgery of adulthood: being thrust into the unnatural environment of corporate America and taking on responsibilities. Our generation, millennials, were presented with a new outlet: video games. How has the gaming industry shaped this balance? What lessons have we learned from being a part of a digital world? Team player games can show us interesting insights about human nature, while MMORPG’s can show us how a digital world can imitate real life. 

We also discuss the implications of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death. Should one woman’s death affect the state of our Republic? We discuss how everyone could get involved, not only at the Federal level, but more importantly, at the local and state level. We also evaluate how the two-party system has played a role in shaping our country, and why the two ideologies, though not all that different, have some key differences. How did the Founding Fathers attempt to create a nation separate from British rule? How difficult is it to form your own system of government? As it turns out, having a truly representative democracy is a lot more complicated than it looks. 

Why is there no common ground between two opposing thoughts? Can’t both sides be right and wrong at the same time? 2020 has been a roller coaster for us all and Kelly gives his impute on how he views the current state of America. First as an American and Second as a black man in America. He delves into the duality of these two simultaneous consciousnesses and the struggle that ensues. He focuses on controlling his narrative and the power that brings: an individual and finding his own voice. 

Later in the podcast, we talk about the power of the internet and how it has forever changed our culture: social media, gaming, and business. Has entertainment become more important than learning? Has the internet helped or hurt us? We talk about the pros and cons of living in the age of infinite information and what that means for us. Video games have allowed millions of people to recreate themselves into whoever they want to be: free of judgement from others and brief freedom from the daily stresses of life. Having the ability to be anonymous has given people a voice that they may never have had: good or bad.

There will be many unanswered questions. There will be silence. This is Cricket Time. 

How do we change who we are—especially if we’ve lived this way our entire life? How do we navigate through our lives in a way that is meaningful to us? This process can be difficult, especially if we work full time, have children, have a spouse, or other things that can take focus away from ourselves and our own priorities. We have to remember that, while we certainly have responsibilities and commitment to others, we have to be selfish sometimes. We have to create a life of our own for ourselves. We have to recognize when we’re being overextended. 

For Franco, this pathway opened up to him by rejecting antidepressants to confront his own anxiety and depression. This also meant being explorative with recreational drugs—psychedelics—that allowed him to step outside of himself, to see who he really was, and what sort of life he wanted to create. The question, “How do I know what I want to do?” leads to, “I can’t know unless I try.” We must be open and commit ourselves to being life-long learners of ourselves and what we want to achieve in this short life. We can’t know until we actually begin. Thus, we must “ascend the mountain” of our individual struggles—not in order to reach a peak—but to understand that ascending is all there is, and it should be enjoyed. 

Please share with us your stories about ascending your own mountain, the journey that led you to that moment, and the lessons learned.  

Have you ever talked to someone only to find out, halfway through, they weren’t listening? Or, when they’re talking, you’re not listening? We experience it, too. Hence, Cricket Time. Join our weekly conversation, ranging from history, politics, culture—unscripted and off-the-cuff—as we present our authentic selves, and our thoughts about the state of the world. It’s a process of unlearning. We’ll be wrong a lot and admit when we don’t know, but that’s OK: that is how we learn. We’ll research evidence and discuss new findings. We ask that you please join our discussion by commenting on social media with different topics for us to discuss. Each episode is an opportunity for growth. Think critically, be wrong, and laugh about it. In these unprecedented times, let yourself be wrong and question your beliefs to discover who you are, through the art of conversation. Let’s discover together.