The Iron Table

When you think of teams, what comes to mind? 

We tend to think about sports and how a team comprises more than one individual. Team sports include Tennis, Basketball, Baseball, Football, Soccer, etc.  The common theme is there is more than one person involved. Do teammates always get along all day, every day... No. Do they get on each other's nerves from time-to-time...yes!

Yet, throughout the highs and lows, they still are working towards a common goal... winning. Do they always win every game... no. Do they quit on one another... one would hope not. 

Did you know you and your partner are teammates? Don't you share the common goal of having a thriving relationship? Yet somehow, life throws curve balls, interceptions, and unnatural things to derail that goal. Sometimes it's them, sometimes it's even you.  Yet all teams thrive on respect, and when you've done someone wrong or they've wronged you, what typically comes next is an apology.  But what if you don't get one? Have you wondered why it's so hard to get one? What if it comes differently, and you fail to recognize it?  Does it seem like one sex apologizes more than the other? Does love ever have to say, "I'm Sorry?" 

If you've had those thoughts, we discuss that and more in this episode!

Today, young boys are bombarded with the media, portraying them as threats as early as the 3rd grade.  Society has shown them few alternatives outside of prison and the grave.  The media has such a hold on them that when someone who cares approaches them with concern, they instantly get aggressive and defensive.  For some, they are doomed from the start.  What is missing?  What is needed to stop the cycle of dysfunction?

Men.  Not just any type of man.  What is needed is the intervention of positive male role models who speak the language of men... respect!  There are a lot of young boys out there who have no positive male influence in their life.  I'm not talking about the absence of men, for they may have uncles and neighborhood men around, but are these men of good standing character?

A mother can only do so much and take a young boy so far on the road to manhood.  She needs help.  She needs quality men who only aim to see young boys thrive and survive in this environment. As men of high moral standards, we need to step up and step in the  gap.

In this episode, I bring two brothers to The Iron Table, who share their stories and how some influential men poured into them and helped shape them into the men they are today.

Why is it that when a person of color makes a mistake, it's like we all made it? When we take one step forward and are "Almost There," something happens, and we are back at the starting line. Why is it that other groups who do that don't get ridiculed or scrutinized like us?

The previous week there was an incident where some claimed to have been abducted and were missing for a couple of days, only to return, and so many questions were left unanswered. 

In this episode, we discuss that incident and how it correlates to relationship honesty and support.

This is an Iron Table Short, a nugget of truth for everyday use. Dating has changed from the days of drive-in movies, walks in the park, skating, and going to a house party. The activities have morphed into expensive meals costing $50 a plate, concert tickets, and lavish activities. Often, men have to do this on the first date! Yet what does it get you? Men are now diminishing themselves and their value outside of their bank accounts. They are going deep into credit debt for what? This episode highlights the evolution of dating and the pitfalls well-intentioned men face in trying to play that game. 

Interesting fact Sublimotion is the most expensive restaurant in the world. 

Fighting. We've all fought or seen a fight at school, on the playground, and, unfortunately, sometimes at home. Usually, fights are the result of miscommunication. It would be nice if fights were only on TV; however, that is not life.

Miscommunication has its roots. It goes back further than your relationship, your parent's relationship, and your parents-parents' relationship. In this brief episode, the origins of miscommunications are revealed. Just know THIS fight isn't about YOU, yet we all are watching it unfold and will be the winner's prize.

This is an Iron Table Short. A Nugget of truth for everyday use!

Recently, I started to look into the option of going solar for energy use. There are a lot of benefits to going solar, the effects on the environment, potential utility savings, etc. There are also negatives to going solar. It may not be for everyone. 

In doing the research, sitting through presentations, and going through the facts and figures, I realized that there was a life lesson learned in the phases of going through the process. 

This is an Iron Table Short, a five to fifteen-minute podcast providing relevant lessons from seemingly unrelated stories.

The great Scottish Poet Robert Burns once said, "The best-laid plans of mice and men sometimes go awry." So did one of our frequent guests of The Iron Table. In this episode, Bryant & Keith try to cheer up their friend Danny, who is stuck at the airport (he flew Spirit), with a random conversation about Top 5s. Will their tactics work? Will Danny "eventually" get to his destination? For those answers and more, tune in!

When was the last time you heard or felt that you were enough? Do you think that your value is only in what you offer? Do you have a community that pours into you? Do you have someone that is pulling for you? Do you have someone that is pushing you in the right direction? 

It's hard sometimes to feel that you are worthy of love, that you deserve someone's love. It's easy to think that your only value is determined by how others see you. Well, that's not the case. This episode discusses if it is crucial to be acknowledged by your peers. Also, we try to answer the question, "Do men really need to be told they are enough?"

We've come to the last episode of 2022. It's been an incredible year. We are grateful that you have stood with us for two years. This episode brings to the table two women who have stood by our sides and supported this venture. It's interesting who this is Season 2, Episode 14. 

2/14, or February 14th, is recognized as Valentine's Day, the day the world recognizes love. However, we wanted to end the year on this very topic - "Black Love." They have challenged, supported, believed in, and loved us. Without these two, where would we be? 

This episode is about us acknowledging them, and our listeners see just who these phenomenal women are. This is about Black Love!

A friend once told me that back in the day, boys were told to avoid two things: Girls and Guns. We weren't told why and now look at society. Men are running around with a lack of information on girls, and they are running around with little to no information on guns. We are left to fend for ourselves from the types of firearms, ways to obtain guns, gun safety, and local laws legally. How good has that job been? The media has saturated our community with wrong depictions of African Americans owning guns. Misinformation has been passed down simply because we don't know how to ask questions. 

This is an episode I have wanted to do for months. In this episode, I bring brothers in my community who are well-versed in firearms to the table. Their training, profession, ownership, and historical knowledge lead to their credibility.  

Here at the Iron Table, we are about establishing a community whose foundation is built on truth and knowledge. We need to talk about guns!