Stuff I Learned Yesterday

Now that the calendar has passed Memorial Day, it seems that summertime is upon us. My kids are out of school until August so forget that summer solstice stuff, summer is here. Believe it or not, when my daughter arrived home from school last Friday and my wife asked her if she was excited to have the next 3 months off from school, my daughter complained that she only had 3 months off! I took that opportunity to let her know that as an adult she can expect to work through the summer months and maybe get a few weeks off from work each year. For some reason those words did not bring her great joy and anticipation of being an adult.

I know that when I was her age, I didn’t look forward to the days when I’d be an adult and have to work year round. I doubt there is a kid in the world that feels that way. Summers for me were always fun. Sure, there were always chores to do. Cleaning up the kitchen, dusting, vacuuming, cleaning my room, and so forth. We had to mow the lawn, help my dad lay carpet on the weekends, and occasionally help my step brother’s dad haul hay. But for the most part, summer was non-stop fun.

My best friend from 4th grade until graduation was a guy named James. We spent as much time together as our parents would allow. He’d often stay over at my house and I’d often stay over at his house. When were were younger we would ride our bikes as fast as we could down a hill near his house. When we felt like we’d reached maximum velocity we’d jam on the brakes and try to make the longest skid mark possible. I have no idea who was better at making skid marks, but I’ll always remember the pure joy and laughter we shared trying to one-up each other. Read More...

The post 52- Skidmarks, Crawdads, and Shadowgate appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States.  It’s a day we set aside each May and remember those who have served our country as a member of the armed forces, and we especially take time to remember those who gave their lives or have passed on.  We want to remember them and the service that they provided.

To be honest, Memorial Day didn’t really mean a whole lot to me growing up.  To me it was just a day to eat some burgers and hang out with my family.  Sometimes it might also include going to a car show and I’d see people displaying their flags, but that was about it.

You might think that I was not brought up in a family that served in the military, but that’s not the case.  My grandpa, Roy Wolf, served our country as a member of the United States Army and fought in the Korean War.  My dad, Larry Darnell, and uncle, Johnny Darnell, both served in the U.S. Navy and were aboard the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam War.

Maybe it was because each of these men had come home safely that I really didn’t think too much of Memorial Day.  I hate to admit it, but I took their service, and the service of others like them, for granted.  I knew that men and women died serving our country, but I didn’t know any of those people so it didn’t connect with me in a tangible way. Read More...

The post 51- To Those Who Wear the Uniform appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday.  My name is Darrell Darnell, my favorite subject in school was English, and I believe that if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living.  In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I’m happy to share another installment of the Friday Forum Teacher's Edition.

Golden Spiral Media now has a Patreon page!  Patreon provides a way for you to financially support Golden Spiral Media for as little as $1 a month.  In return, we’ll be able to do some cool things and improve some of the things that we do.  Additionally, you’ll get some cool stuff in return for your support.  Head over to www.goldenspiralmedia.com/patreon for more info.

Friday Forum

What I Learned Yesterday:

The post 50- Friday Forum Teacher’s Edition Volume 2 appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Remember back in episode 38 when I talked about Kevin Durant’s MVP acceptance speech?  While there are countless examples I could point to for today’s episode, I’d like to use that one again.  Since it’s still so fresh in our minds and we know about it, it will serve as a great example to bring us all on the same page here today.

As a refresher, Kevin thanked EVERYONE in his speech.  He thanked his teammates one by one, his coaches, trainers, and the team owner.  He thanked his brothers, father, and his mother.  He did the whole thing unscripted and without notes.  He spoke from his heart and it was awesome.  It was also awesome to hear him acknowledge that he didn’t get to that spot on his own.

Today I want to consider just how important to remember that we don’t go anywhere or accomplish anything on our own.  Even “self made” people got to where they are with the assistance of someone.  Take a moment and think about where you are today.  Maybe you’re a high school student, a recent college graduate or a young married person.  Maybe you’re an empty nester, or a retired person.  It doesn’t matter where you are on the road of life or how far you climbed up the proverbial ladder, you’re not where you’re at because of your efforts alone.

Maybe you had a teacher that showed you something that you connected with or set you on a path of your passion.  Perhaps your parents taught you the value of working hard, conducting yourself with integrity, or the benefit of giving a firm handshake.  I had some of those influences in my life and I’m extremely grateful for them.

Today I want to take a few minutes and thank some of the people who have had a positive influence in my life since I’ve been an adult. Read More...

The post 49- Why I’m Not a Self Made Man appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I grew up in a very middle class home. We didn’t lack for anything we needed, but we didn’t have many extras. I think having 3 teenage boys was tough on my parents. I don’t even want to know what our grocery bill was each month.

I don’t know if it was because we couldn’t afford it, or if my dad wanted to teach me a lesson, but I didn’t get a car for my 16th birthday or high school graduation. If I wanted a car, it was entirely up to me to save up the necessary money and then buy it myself. I know that my parents definitely couldn’t afford to buy me one, so I never felt cheated in any way. But my dad is the kind of guy who appreciates hard work, and even if we could have afforded it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did make the same decision in order for me to better appreciate the car and responsibility that comes with owning one.

Since we lived in a very small town, there weren’t a lot of job opportunities. Most kids worked on their family farm or other family business. There were a couple of jobs to be found at the local grocery store and a few jobs to be found at the McDonalds out on the turnpike. There were bigger towns nearby that offered more job opportunities, but without a car, those were not feasible options for me.

I applied at the grocery store and at McDonalds. After several months of consistently filling out applications, I finally got hired on as a burger flipper at McDonalds making $4.25/hour. I was 17 years old, it was the most money I’d ever seen, and my dream of owning a car would be a reality soon. Read More...

The post 48- Trying to Avoid Bad Parking Spots appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.