Genuine Conversations and College Football

Rhett 0:00

Imagine a world where every conversation feels like a genuine connection with authentic people, a place where you truly feel like you belong and where everyone's got a chair at the table. Friends, welcome to Armchair Authentic.

Justin 0:18

So you're going to watch Auburn Friday night.

Rhett 0:19

That's a great question. I didn't even find out that they were playing until a couple days ago. That's how I listen. You know, when Mark was on the conversation a couple of weeks ago, he was like you know, I don't really keep up with everything until we actually make the week off, and so I was. I don't know. I was on ESPN after something, I don't know what I was on. I saw a commercial like oh, we're playing Baylor. Well, let's just start off the gate and make a fool of ourselves here. Figure out if we're good enough or not good enough. I mean, you know, the SEC guy inside of me wants to say yes, we're going to win this thing. But based on past experience, I just do not know what's going to happen.

Justin 0:54

And if you're listening to this right now, you already know the answer, because I kind of went back in time for a minute to reveal that this is the week of college football kicking off officially week one, and as you're listening to this, you already know the outcomes. So, for our Southern people, did Alabama win?

Rhett 1:14

Did.

Justin 1:14

Auburn win. How did the SEC fare, hey Boise? State you're also playing, so for our people out in Idaho. Did your team fare well?

Rhett 1:22

We'll have to see did they move out of the?

Justin 1:24

mountain west. Now, didn't they I don't know if that's it did that sit in? Yet I don't know, I don't know I heard that the other day. I was like oh, cool, technically you've got glad we can make room for that to happen really honestly.

Rhett 1:36

We're taking it back more you, you would now have two college football weekends okay, already in the yeah, you know, whatever in the books you know earlier, when in the books you know earlier when you were saying to the Southern people I was just kind of playing around just giving a little bit of Southern accent there. You know, what's funny is, no matter what culture I've ever lived in, over time it just starts fading. Back in the other day my son was like dude, that was really country. I don't know what I said. I said something, but it was like that was really country. I don't know what.

Rhett 2:05

I said, I said something, but it was like oh yeah, yeah, oh, you did.

Frank Otis (Justin) 2:07

Yeah.

Rhett 2:08

And he was like okay, dad, you would have never said that in Idaho.

Justin 2:12

Well, I think it's interesting that I was telling Summer the other night that, like, our kids don't have accents, like it's like they did when they were younger but they do not have Southern type accents. And I think it's because I mean social media, it's like you're you're around a bunch of different um accents and dialects, because it's you're just not kind of centered around your Southern people. You've got a tribe, a village all over. Well as you're or maybe more people are moving to Alabama who just don't talk as Southern. I don't know.

Rhett 2:50

Okay, so you feel like, due to the influence of social media, it is flatlining accents.

Justin 2:59

Yeah, your regional accents wherever you're from. Yeah, I don't know man, the Southern ones, because my boys I can watch old film of them, regional accents wherever you're from, yeah, I don't know, like the southern ones when you're because my boys, I can watch old film of them and it's so southern, yeah, all right, you just gotta do this now.

Rhett 3:16

I mean it's I still can have it, I think, but they don't, yeah, I I think we get used to our context in the culture that we're in, to where we don't even notice it. Like when I go back to Idaho I'm like, oh okay, I definitely as a Southerner I might not have the accent that most Southerners think when you're engaging with somebody they're like, well, you're not from here. I'm like no, I really am. But in Idaho they're like, oh yeah, you're not from here.

Justin 3:46

I'm like no, I really am, but in Idaho they're like oh yeah, oh, that's interesting, you know, because you don't sound Southern at all, but in that world maybe you do.

Rhett 3:54

Yeah, what like? How do you contextualize Southern? Because?

Justin 3:58

there's different dialects of Southern.

Anthony 4:01

There's Tennessee Southern.

Rhett 4:03

There's Georgia Southern, there's Alabama, and there's Mississippi and there's Louisiana.

Frank Otis (Justin) 4:09

Louisiana.

Anthony 4:11

I mean, they're all like just different.

Southern Accents and Regional Dialects

Rhett 4:14

Yeah, they have the draw. Yeah, it's like the further south you go. No offense to my Louisianians. Yeah, yeah, they lose consonants really well, and it's like. It's like this, like French Creole.

Justin 4:27

Oh yeah, they do. And then in Arkansas you get more of an airy sound because they don't a lot of them don't have teeth.

Anthony 4:33

And so it's kind of like didn't we hear before that they invented the toothbrush because they didn't have a?

Rhett 4:40

toothbrush. I'm feeling for all our Arkansas friends. I owe them a huge apology.

Justin 4:46

Pastor Chris told that joke, so I'm stealing from him, so it was really him, that's a horrible joke and it's because his best friends from Arkansas they're taking shots at each other, and so obviously I joke around. I don't know anything about Arkansas. It sounds really great.

Rhett 5:03

Every Arkansas friend I've ever met had all their teeth. I agree they were white, they were clean.

Justin 5:09

I was just trying to add to that, you know, something different, some flavor to the conversation.

Rhett 5:13

I'm going to let you roast yourself right now I'm going to let you just keep talking for a minute. Let's see what else happens. You know I don't know the listening audience.

Justin 5:20

I don't think we have a huge Arkansas contingent.

Rhett 5:22

You'd be surprised.

Justin 5:23

And if we did, we don't anymore.

Rhett 5:28

Don't throw shade and hate and cancel culture towards us Arkansas.

Justin 5:32

I love you. And then if you get down really southern in Florida, it turns northern.

Rhett 5:36

I've been to Texarkana a few times. I've been to Fort Smith. I've driven through that beautiful state and those beautiful Ozark Mountains.

Justin 5:43

Come on man, the only time I've been to Arkansas is when we went to Memphis, Tennessee. We drove over the bridge where you're in.

Rhett 5:51

Arkansas. Just to say you were in Arkansas Just to say I was in Arkansas. And then we turned around. That sounds like something I would do too. Boy, we're this close, we're going to go across the line.

Justin 5:59

I think I did that for you. We did Alabama, mississippi, arkansas and Tennessee.

Rhett 6:03

When you visited me in Idaho, I was like come on, man, You've never been to Oregon. Let me drive you across the state line.

Justin 6:07

We didn't end up going. I thought we did. Did we? Yes, okay, I do believe you're right, can I not?

Anthony 6:13

drive you across the bridge and pass the sign.

Rhett 6:16

No, I'm like. Welcome to Oregon. You notice what I said.

Justin 6:20

Rhett, I'm blanking now. I really can't remember, because I know we had a goal to do that.

Rhett 6:24

Maybe we did that.

Justin 6:25

I think I did that Because it was really nothing was over there, nothing Well, in the sense of like civilization.

Rhett 6:37

That side of the state would really consider themselves more Idahoan because of how close they are and there's nothing really between the eastern portion of Oregon and the western.

Justin 6:42

Yeah, so I can say I've been to Oregon. Yeah, so I can say I've been to Oregon, oregon, oregon, oregon, it's like Nevada or Nevada.

Rhett 6:48

I say Nevada, it's Nevada, okay, nevada.

Justin 6:53

I know that Boise is Boise, that's right, but you taught me that yeah, but it's like Colorado or Colorado. Colorado, colorado, that's how I say it Colorado.

Rhett 7:03

Well, I've spent enough time over there meeting people Getting corrected. Yeah, Like it's, it's Nevada. I'm like I always thought it was Nevada.

Anthony 7:11

They're like no it's.

Rhett 7:12

Nevada, nevada. I'm like okay, okay, sure.

Justin 7:17

I thought it was.

Rhett 7:18

Arkansas, it's Arkansas man. There are so many people um that, like comedians, who will do those wordplay things or they'll like. Oh, this word is, you know I I don't have in front of me, and this was in a bit or something I was getting ready to do but like just like that. You know it's. Yeah, you know kansas and then you put ar in front of it our kansas. Nope.

Justin 7:43

Arkansas Talking about the English language. How stupid it is.

Frank Otis (Justin) 7:48

You know, I'm like oh, wow.

Rhett 7:50

And here I am, on the spot, can't think of anything else but I know those are good. So I was going to say something earlier and I can't remember. Oh, while we're on here, we need to get Brandon Anderton on here. Oh yeah, my brother just wrote a book talked to him last week. We need to get him on here. Very cool, Come on. Brandon Broke down the book of Proverbs and wrote this book.

Justin 8:12

You know we talked about it. I saw him at a conference a few weeks ago.

Rhett 8:18

We talked about that. I love Brandon. Yeah, good man, good man.

Justin 8:22

Good people, good church, georgia. He would have that Georgia dialect, since he moved there from.

Rhett 8:29

Alabama. Yeah, the Georgians just thought like that.

Justin 8:33

Making Georgia, making Georgia, didn't he say. On the Office, steve Carell, he said you got to make it sound like molasses, just like molasses rolling down your mouth, like molasses rolling down your mouth.

Frank Otis (Justin) 8:46

Molasses rolling down your mouth.

Justin 8:48

That's how you get your Georgia accent. It's like molasses.

Rhett 8:52

I would think that when you went into that other accent, which is the. What's his name? The not comedian. I guess you could consider him a comedian. How big a boy are you, oh, roy D Mercer.

Anthony 9:03

Roy D Mercer, Is he from?

Rhett 9:03

Tennessee.

Justin 9:04

I think so you can consider him a comedian. How big a boy are you? Oh, Roy Demers. Yeah, Roy Demers. Roy Demers Is he from Tennessee. I think he's from Oklahoma. No, he's Oklahoma. They had a talk show. Yeah, it was an Oklahoma talk show In Tulsa, maybe.

Rhett 9:15

Yeah.

Justin 9:15

Yeah, it was these two guys, and one of them would how big of a boy are you, man? That was so good.

Rhett 9:21

Have you seen the bit where? And I man, you just have to laugh at this. Okay, so it was on Instagram and you take a phone and you call an Asian restaurant.

Justin 9:34

Yeah.

Rhett 9:37

To order Chinese food, and then you call that. But then you call another restaurant and they both answer at the same time. I saw that what you want? That was pretty crazy. What then?

Justin 9:43

you call another restaurant and they both answer at the same time. I saw that.

Rhett 9:45

What you want. That was pretty crazy. What do you call me?

Justin 9:48

And it's like no, you call me, no, you call me and it's like what do you?

Rhett 9:53

want. What do you mean?

Frank Otis (Justin) 9:54

what I want you call me, you tell me what you want.

Epic Prank Call Stories

Rhett 9:57

I don't want you know, and it kind of keeps going and it's basically two phones back, you know, like just connected to each other. You have a phone, I have a phone and I've called that restaurant. You call that restaurant. Two people are now talking to each other and the guy's just losing it in the background. I'm like that is something we would have done.

Justin 10:13

Oh, it's so bad, it's horrible. We were talking about prank calls. I was, I was looking it up, I was like I might have a recording this might be when I we did like a worship night and we'd have like a community night and I would prank, call one of our people and I think let me see if I have this. Yeah, so here's an example. Put that starting it okay, we'll see hello could I speak with anthony?

Frank Otis (Justin) 10:42

anthony, this right here is frank otis and I was giving your cell number by CJ Blount. Anthony, my daughter Melody just recently came and did an audition and she came home upset the other night because she got a phone call from a young lady that said she didn't make it and I'm sure it's a mistake, Anthony, but I just wanted to, since you're over that and said I'm sure it's a mistake.

Anthony 11:06

Anthony, but I just wanted to, since you're over that and said the way the process goes, is we listen for pitch, harmony, tone and blend, so it's possible that one of those areas may have kind of been off, and those are the things that will get them invited to infuse.

Frank Otis (Justin) 11:21

But the thing is she was going for Highlands Worship, she didn't go for infusion. I don't know what that is, basically what it uses is the development program.

Anthony 11:32

Before they get invited to be on the worship team Like children's ministry Not quite. It's basically the port that they go through to be placed on any team for music. So everyone goes through and views first and then we place from there. That's the development program.

Frank Otis (Justin) 11:53

Or then why wouldn't my daughter, melody, be a part of a development program? She's a good vocalist.

Anthony 11:58

We have to pass the audition process first to be invited to do that.

Frank Otis (Justin) 12:02

Listen, she sang at the Chilton County Peach Festival and James Spann said she was awesome.

Anthony 12:09

Mm-hmm.

Frank Otis (Justin) 12:09

He even tweeted her back during the 10 o'clock news. Oh wow, we're proud.

Anthony 12:17

That's really awesome. That's a great accomplishment.

Frank Otis (Justin) 12:19

Maybe you consider letting her in now, since I told you that, because that's kind of like an audition in itself.

Anthony 12:25

Not quite the same thing. A lot of times people get nervous with live auditions.

Frank Otis (Justin) 12:30

It was James Spann. He's a Christian. Yeah, the best thing to do would be for her to come back and audition. She sang the national anthem for the Decatur Hot Air Blimp Festival. They lifted the light up when she came to a galactic conclusion and it was awesome. That sounds awesome. Well, you bet your mom's potatoes. It was awesome.

Anthony 12:49

Yeah, we would just love to hear her come back again and audition.

Frank Otis (Justin) 12:52

Well, grandma was taking her last breath. She sang her into glory. I had the whole room in tears. So what I think I'll come do is I'm going to just bring her down today at 1 o'clock, if you don't mind listening to her again.

Anthony 13:04

Well, there won't be anyone there to do an audition today, but you can bring her on the first Thursday of the month, every time.

Frank Otis (Justin) 13:10

There's never. Never been a time, ain't no car?

Anthony 13:12

Well, yeah, you'll see a lot of cars, but not for auditions. What do you do?

Frank Otis (Justin) 13:15

all day.

Anthony 13:16

I'm not there all day so I can't really say what. As far as auditions go, that's the first Thursday of each month.

Frank Otis (Justin) 13:23

Here's my question for you, Anthony When's your next time you're going to be there?

Anthony 13:27

I will be there actually this evening.

Frank Otis (Justin) 13:30

Perfect, what time.

Anthony 13:31

I would actually be the wrong one to see for auditions anyway.

Frank Otis (Justin) 13:34

That's bull butter and right now I don't feel like I'm being taken serious and I'm frustrated. I understand she could have been playing the accordion, but John Ross said you ain't using that instrument. It's like what are you using? I'm sure you can understand my anger. It's a little directed towards you right now. I'm going to be honest. Have you ever been punched in the rib by a big-fisted man? Have you ever been punched in the rib by a big fisted man?

Rhett 14:07

I have not well, I'll tell you right now it hurts what do you got to say about that?

Frank Otis (Justin) 14:13

I'm sure listen, I'll push that lung so hard you'll be praying for a guitar solo. Here's the frustrating name Mr Anthony. Right about now I feel like I'm getting run around CG, whatever his name is. He did the same thing and I feel like y'all are passing the buck. Who do I need to speak with to get some satisfaction? The best thing to do for you to get satisfaction is going to be to show up on the first, or have your daughter come on the first Thursday of the month so we can re-audition her.

Anthony 14:41

I'll be there. I just won't be able to help with any auditions.

Frank Otis (Justin) 14:45

What do I look like? I've got a brain pain the size of Paducah, kentucky, and I'm going to finally come down there. I'm not going to talk on the phone anymore. I'll be there. I'll definitely be there tonight. It doesn't matter, that's not important, I do.

Anthony 15:08

I do indeed.

Frank Otis (Justin) 15:09

Mr Justin Bradshaw told me to call Anthony Moore because he really wanted me to have a special talk with you, Mr Anthony Anthony.

Anthony 15:25

What are y'all doing? What you doing? Not too much, not too much.

Frank Otis (Justin) 15:30

I hear you and Mr Frank Otis just had a little discussion. We did have quite a discussion. He ain't never been punched in the lug by a big fishing man.

Anthony 15:41

Frank Otis was trying to get it. That I'm saying.

Frank Otis (Justin) 15:45

Well, you can just expect old Melody. She'll be down there. She'll be the one wearing the hot hot-eye balloons T-Shirt. Probably had her some fun.

Rhett 15:53

Wow, you had him going. I love Anthony.

Justin 15:56

Anthony, he was a good sport too.

Rhett 15:59

Wow, man, you did an incredible job trying to. I would have de-escalated that. I would have been like, the moment you said, man, something about getting hit, I would have been like click, oh yeah. But he stayed with you, he did. I'll make it more it doesn't matter.

Justin 16:14

It doesn't matter, yeah he did so good.

Rhett 16:16

Yeah, man, that's awesome you know it felt.

Justin 16:18

Even when I'm playing it now I'm thinking it used to feel like we could get away with that. It feels like right now you can't really do as much fun stuff like that, like it's I don't know, oh man, but yeah. So when we were talking about prank calls, You're absolutely right.

Rhett 16:32

I think the days of prank call are over, or I don't know. At least I don't know, but back in the day when we used to do that though, like I know with Anthony, you must have been Well me and Anthony were tight. How did you call him and him not know what number it was?

Justin 16:45

Because I used a different phone number. Okay, I forgot what it was, but I used a different line. Maybe I even used somebody else's phone that I knew he didn't have.

Rhett 16:54

Okay, Well, that all right, Cause I was sitting there thinking and I had all my recording equipment.

Justin 16:59

I plugged it in and it just went. See, I called one of our other guys first. Yeah, and he called on right away. Okay, I mean, he was like asking for it. He's like, yeah, come on down. Oh, yeah, I'll be ready for you.

Anthony 17:11

And I'm like yeah, whatever you're playing me, and so we hung up and I called and Anthony was just.

Justin 17:21

Anthony played it like a pro. Oh yeah, it was so good. I can't believe people were just loving it at the.

Rhett 17:23

at the team night you had like six 700 people there played that in on team night over the. That was a team night, so after we did worship.

Justin 17:29

We graduated some people from development and then we came together and then we played that and and I put pictures up. So it is is, um, is that we call them ray j shaw? It's a roy d mercer knockoff. Okay, so ray j shaw would show like a picture and then anthony's talking to show his picture. Yeah, but it was more audio, so our room's literally listening.

Justin 17:49

Well, your whole life and they're dying. Play the river or plate of ribs. Oh, I had. I had every line before I called him. I wanted to have all this okay all these lines in some moment that I can use if it makes sense oh man, I was sitting there thinking you were free flowing, that.

Rhett 18:03

I was like golly, that's witty yeah, not all of it.

Justin 18:06

No, it was like smack a rib rub. I just started writing stupid things down.

Yellow Pages and Childhood Mischief

Rhett 18:12

Hey, friends, just want to take a moment and say, if you are enjoying today's conversation, could you do us a huge favor? Would you take a moment and copy the link from your favorite podcast platform and share it with a friend? Email it to a friend. How about air dropping it over to your buddy or your sister right now? Man, that would mean so much to us. Thank you All right guys. Back to the conversation. Well, that reminds me of when we were kids. We used to sit around and pull up the Yellow Pages. Let your fingers do the walking. Remember that.

Rhett 18:42

Oh, yeah, I mean hey, if you're listening to this and you're younger, you know Google Yellow Pages. What it looked like. It was this fat, massive book, just like a oh man, bigger than the bible, 10 times bigger than the bible. Huge like, not an 8 by 12, but like I mean like a massive, probably 10 by 10, 12 by 12 ish that show up on your front porch every year it was big and you take it out and it was how you would call the business or how you would find somebody.

Rhett 19:09

And you would look them up hey, I'm in the yellow pages, yeah, or I think. Then it became like white pages were like residential and yellow pages. That's right, but I think at one time they were all lived together, if I'm not mistaken. That sounds right, and we would just go through and randomly find phone numbers, yeah, and go oh, let's call this number. And then I'll never forget and you could probably tell the story better than me, but I'll never forget we called this sweet old, didn't know who she was, and I was like, hey, you know who this is. And she was like I don't know who this is.

Rhett 19:34

I'm like no, come on, take a guess. She's like are you? I forget the name. Are you, Tommy? I? Was like yeah, grandpa Tommy, oh Tommy, I've heard you forever.

Justin 19:53

And the next thing you know when we're telling these stories, because we're trying to be authentic and share some old stuff, but please remember, we're eight, nine, 10 years old at this time.

Rhett 20:01

Eight, nine, 10 years old, pretty creative. Not in church, yeah, not at all.

Justin 20:05

Other than you know. My dad would make us go, but we weren't surrendered in any kind of way to Jesus. We weren't living his ways. It was a different day and age.

Rhett 20:16

So judge us on the day and age. It was you notice how.

Justin 20:17

Justin is clarifying everything right you got to.

Rhett 20:19

I'm definitely not saying this is something you should do, but it is something we did.

Justin 20:23

And so just learning from it. I love that you're telling the story. I'm just making sure that people know.

Rhett 20:29

You know, we do have some young folks listening to this, and I do think it's important to understand that this is not something that we are encouraging you to do. Yeah, yeah. But it was a lot of fun it was. But a part of me, where I was going with this is like part of me felt like, oh man, I kind of feel bad because I just led this grandma on and I can only imagine the conversation.

Justin 20:46

Oh, I'm leaving out details that give. That is why you felt extra connected to color back.

Rhett 20:51

Yeah, and then I I just remember thinking, wow, when she meets that person again or sees that grandson or whoever it was that she thought I was, no, how's that conversation?

Justin 21:00

meet him again. Because when you said a name, oh did I, oh no.

Rhett 21:05

When you said okay, don't judge me based off me right, you made the call. We're laying on my dad's bed.

Justin 21:10

I just remember that you got the white pages and you just called a number and we would underline who we're calling, just so we could keep up with it. Wow, I don't even remember that it was an older lady who answered and she was like hello, and you're like hey, and you were using a different kind of voice. You were using an older.

Rhett 21:27

I would think they were old how?

Justin 21:28

do you sound like this? But you were talking. You were trying to think You're sounding like an older person.

Anthony 21:33

And she was like who is this?

Justin 21:34

And you said you know who it is.

Rhett 21:39

Note to self if you ever get a call and somebody says you know who it is, just know it's a total prank.

Justin 21:46

They're trying to get you to fish a name out. And then she was like is it, ed? You're like no guess again. She was like Tommy and you were like that's right, but see, the tough thing about that is she responded and said oh my goodness, I thought you had died. Oh no, no, justin.

Rhett 22:06

Come on, I know.

Justin 22:08

Are you serious? And you were like I'm right, See, now you're taking a whole other level.

Rhett 22:14

Now I'm right. Wow, see, now you're taking a whole other level. Now I'm a little uncomfortable with this story, see. I mean, justin, your memory is fading. You're remembering it how you want to remember it. You're like it didn't happen that way. I promise it didn't happen that way at all.

Anthony 22:26

I promise that's my story and that's what connected you.

Justin 22:29

You were like well, I really enjoyed this time.

Rhett 22:31

I sure do hope we get to talk again. I'm laughing, but then people on the other end are going. That's not funny. I just lost all respect for you.

Justin 22:37

So two days later I think you called her back because, in the weird thing, you really started caring for her and you started making these normal calls.

Rhett 22:48

No, there's no way.

Anthony 22:49

I called her back.

Justin 22:50

Oh, you called her back. Y'all had about four conversations, yes.

Anthony 22:53

Did I.

Justin 22:54

Oh yeah, how you just called her and you were Tommy. Okay, we're going to edit all this stuff out. This is horrible.

Rhett 23:00

Some people are like I'm not going to listen to another words you say in your entire life. But then I would just say hey, if you want to go that route, scripture, ever again you cannot quote the New Testament scripture of any letters that were written to the church from Paul because, remember, paul persecuted the church. Paul signed off on stonings, paul signed off. And we use these scriptures now and we put it like oh, this is God's word and it is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of a redeemed man. So now you're hearing a story and really looking at the recognition of wow, well, look at what God can do through a really messed up kid.

Justin 23:33

Isn't it interesting how Rhett's now doing what I did a while ago when he called me out. Now he understands why I set us up, there you go.

Rhett 23:40

Because there's stories I'm not going to go to. How about the ones where we would call the girls? Well yes, I do remember those. Are we going to keep that one off the books? No, you can put it on the books. You know why? Because it was you and Bo.

Justin 23:52

Oh, that's true, we were so dumb, okay.

Rhett 23:55

Oh, you sound cute on the phone, oh I am. You sound cute. Oh, let's meet up. And we never did, it was all just here's what.

Justin 24:01

Okay, it's so dumb, so let me just say a little bit, even though it was over the phone with the girls.

Rhett 24:10

People were buying the shyness of Justin Bradshaw.

Justin 24:12

I'm not usually, but then I was, because it was these girls y'all were talking to and I was like embarrassed, like I'm not going to say anything, and y'all were just being like the two studs, like hey, girl.

Rhett 24:21

Yeah, but again. Hey girl Talking like this, but in my head I don't hear your voice so high I just thought y'all had great voices.

Frank Otis (Justin) 24:30

Yeah.

Justin 24:30

Next, thing I know you know, probably in boy and girl kind of ways, just you know who aren't surrendered. Being a little forward in some speech, I'm sure.

Rhett 24:39

I don't remember those.

Justin 24:45

Later they invited you guys to a Christmas party, and here's all I remember.

Anthony 24:49

How do you remember all of this?

Justin 24:50

Because I watched all of it and I thought, wow, the way these calls started and now you might go to their house. I don't know if you should, because we didn't no, you didn't. But I remember we went to my grandmother's house.

Rhett 25:02

But how stupid were we.

Justin 25:04

You and Bo and me were talking and you were like you know they could have dancing there, and we're in my grandmother's living room and you and beau begin to practice dancing oh my gosh with each other. No, just so y'all could have something to bring to the table if you went there wow, my mind just went there.

Rhett 25:23

How the world right in the living room and then I said are y'all sure that y'all?

Justin 25:27

want to go because y'all were. Y'all were like how do we knock on the door?

Anthony 25:30

and y'all were practicing and I would be like I would answer.

Justin 25:33

I'm like hello oh my gosh, you're like hey, it's I'm, I'm ready, wow I have lost all respect for everybody. I mean, I've lost respect and then all of a sudden I was like are you sure you want to go? Because you remember the first 30 minutes of that phone call. What was said? No, what if this is a trap?

Rhett 25:50

yes, and that's when it was like, oh, you could walk into their boyfriends being there or the dad, or the dad, or the dad, yeah, and we were like, okay, to even begin to have that kind of mindset.

Justin 26:00

Oh, yeah, yeah and so, but the prank call could have back. Good move. Hey guys, red here.

The Ralph Brothers' Fundraising Scheme

Rhett 26:13

Just want to take a moment and say thank you to every single one of you who have taken the time to follow us on social media. Now, if today is your first time to join us for an episode, man, we want to say welcome, friends, it's so good to have you with us. Could you take a moment? Look us up on Instagram or Facebook? You can find us there at Armchair Authentic, or you can go on over to X. Find us there as well, at Armchair Auth Pod. That's Armchair Auth A-U-T-H-P-O-D. All right. Now back to the conversation. Hey, note to self, if you're listening and you hear something weird happening in the background, it is my son doing his chores before he so he goes to school. He does his chores and some people might be wondering why is your son not in school? Why is he at the house? He's gone virtual which is amazing.

Rhett 26:59

He's done by, like he does, three hours and he's done, he's already like two weeks ahead of his.

Justin 27:03

You might be finished by december. It's like what do you do all day?

Rhett 27:05

it's of a senior year with a student so he, he, yeah, so he does his school work and gets started at 8, finishes that, does his chores before he can either have game time or go hang out with a friend or go to work, because he's working three jobs. Anyway, I say that because he's mopping the floor. It sounds like I've got Cinderella in there working. I know what it sounds like.

Justin 27:23

But as a responsible young man.

Frank Otis (Justin) 27:25

It's good to put him to work, yeah so he's doing his chore.

Rhett 27:28

One of those is mopping the floor with this electric mop.

Justin 27:30

So if you hear in the background, that's what it is, don't adjust your channel. So if you do think about the prank call days, though, those are gone because technology is so. It's just so locked in, you cannot hide, and it's kind of like knocking on doors and running off. Yeah, for certain ones of us, like that was a, that wasn't just us. Like I hear so many people like living in nostalgia and they'll talk about I used to do that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we have a big deal. We have a big deal.

Rhett 27:55

Ryan Jennings sent us a video the other day of somebody actually doing this and a kid got caught and opened the door. He was like, uh, I'm like yeah, Cause he knocked on the door.

Justin 28:04

It was a ring Opening it up too. Yeah and yeah. And what did the kid say?

Rhett 28:15

he was like uh, the guy was like what do you want? It's like dad and son doing. My dad was telling me something about. I need to learn how to live like and have fun as a kid and you know and knock on the door and run off what do they call it? What was the name of that? What was the name of that?

Justin 28:26

I don't know what was it. It was um. What do they?

Rhett 28:28

call that uh ding dong ditch, ding dong ditch. Yeah, yeah, so ding you basically ding-dong on the doorbell and then run away. Somebody opens the door and nobody's there Like oh somebody here and as a kid you thought that was so fun.

Anthony 28:39

It was so fun.

Rhett 28:39

But the kid got caught and he didn't know what to do and his dad is in the background saying what are you doing? Run away off. And it's like the dad was teaching his kid how to have fun and going ding dong, ditch door to door and so it was kind of like that's what it's all about. It catches you.

Justin 28:57

You just can't get away with it like you used to I mean it's yeah those were. Those were fun things that were a part of our childhood. I guess when we grew up we put away childish things we did.

Rhett 29:08

But you know, there was something fun about knocking on the door and then me. It wasn't so much about seeing how far I could run, it was seeing how close to the door I could hide.

Justin 29:17

Yes, and then come out and not see me.

Rhett 29:19

Yeah, but the thrill of that was like?

Justin 29:21

what does the dopamine hit on that when they're standing outside their porch?

Rhett 29:25

What.

Anthony 29:26

And the matter of their voices.

Justin 29:28

You realize your life is more in jeopardy. And it was such a we would hide in the little bushes like the landscaping bush bro we were, we were so small we could, we would rip but we'd rip some branches out of the back side of a little hole, yeah, and we could climb into those bushes like, like little guys just like chilling inside that bush and you've got people walking around like, okay, where did they go? I know they couldn't have gotten far and you're sitting there like oh help me.

Rhett 29:53

I want to tell a story and while we're just kind of laying things out, here it was. I went to Opryland, usa, oh right, and back in the day Opryland was an amusement park in Nashville.

Justin 30:03

Tennessee. It cost us.

Rhett 30:18

If you've ever watched Nate Bargatze, google, you'll find it. It's like the six flags, but it was in tennessee anyway, so they had this puppet, muppet, you're heading down a dangerous path. You put the muppet in your hand and then the legs wrap around you, you know, as if it's kind of holding on to you and hugging you. This Muppet had sunglasses and it had a hat black and white hat.

Justin 30:36

Got a little stick in the other hand that can move the hands of it, just like Kermit, you know.

Rhett 30:39

And I don't know. I came up with a voice. I don't remember what it was. His name was Ralph. His name was Ralph.

Justin 30:46

Like what's up? I'm Ralph Furry, looking Furry.

Rhett 30:49

Wookie, it was a furry wookie, Ewok looking thing Gray Gray skin.

Justin 30:53

Yeah, it was so fun Gray fur, gray and white fur, so I got really good at it.

Rhett 30:57

I bought it at Harperland, brought it home, had it fun Cowboy hint, and then we take it over to your house and get creative with it. We did, and how old would we have been on this? They were very young. Yeah, I'm ashamed of this story. This is the past.

Justin 31:12

Once again use your Paul analogy. Yeah, it's the Paul analogy. We got to go back to that one.

Anthony 31:17

This is not us now.

Rhett 31:18

This is not us now, but I guess my point is the fact that the things that we were like in the world, if you will, as a 10-year-old who wasn't serving the Lord, there were gifts inside of us we didn't even know we had serving the Lord. There were gifts inside of us we didn't even know we had. And I think it's important to understand, as parents or somebody that is you know, maybe you're a spiritual father or a spiritual mother of sorts over kids and you're looking be very keenly aware of the things you see them doing, because it is a gift. Now that gift needs to be served in the right direction. So we were doing it in the wrong direction. Now, of course, our dads single fathers, right. Your dad and my dad worked jobs. They weren't there. We'd take ourself to school, walk ourself home. We'd be very creative with what we could do until our dads came home and we ate Burger King, right. So all of that to say, take it into context. You know, we're kind of somewhat raising ourself as kids.

Anthony 32:06

We're being creative, so our dads don't necessarily certainly know we're doing this until a moment, okay, so?

Rhett 32:15

I'm going to set this up as best as I can, then pass it to you a lot of grace, okay. So like we're like we're coming up with songs and stuff, we're like, hey, what's up, you know and I'll you know, puppet on me it's more of a rap, but yeah, so we were like man, we need money. We're trying to figure out. I don't even know why we're thinking we need money yeah, because we thought we were poor and I don't know whose idea it was. You will remember Well, since.

Justin 32:34

Beau's not here, let's say it's Beau's.

Rhett 32:35

Yeah, let's blame it on your brother. Okay, somebody's like oh, I got an idea. Why don't we tend to raise money for an organization? And instead of giving the money to the organization, why don't we pocket it and keep it, and we'll have some money for candy? And then we'll have money for candy, and so was it children's hospital what was it children's?

Rhett 32:56

it was just yeah, it was people who've gone through some shortcomings, yeah, and so as a kid, we were thinking like yeah, there's nothing good about this story outside of the fact that there were some creative young men who were trying to figure out ways to make money the wrong way. It's horrible. I'm like why am I even?

Rhett 33:16

saying this Stay with me, ok, stay engaged. So we're like, well, ok, well, we'll go door to door and instead of asking for something for nothing, we need to create something that looks like we're legit, right. And so I had this puppet muppet as if that makes any sense a 12, 11 and a 10 year old.

Justin 33:36

yeah, we write a song yeah, and let's say 11, um, let's make it younger. Nine and eight, it's a little more less accountable and I was an eight-year-old by the way everybody, so we yeah. You were the nine-year-old, Bo was the 11-year-old. No, but you were the creative one.

Rhett 33:54

You and I were creative in writing the song.

Justin 33:56

We're the Ralph Brothers. I did write it. I did write the song All.

Rhett 34:01

Well, I wrote some stuff into it as well, Like we're collecting money for the kids who can't play.

Anthony 34:06

Right.

Rhett 34:06

So what were the words? Justin? We're the Ralph Brothers and we're here to say we're collecting money for the kids who can't play Right and now we're here to collect

Justin 34:16

some money now for those kids who need it now, right, and then we're the three brothers who help people in need, such as medicine, food and clothing too. So if you like our show, you'll give us a handful of dough. How about that? That's horrible, it's awful.

Rhett 34:33

But then the Muppet which put out his hand. Little Ralph, throw that hand out Right, okay, and then what was the last line? That was it.

Justin 34:41

I think that was it. No, there was yeah. What? I think that was it. No, there was yeah. Was there more? Let's just say that's it Okay, and you'll give us a handful of those. I really don't want to do the rest of it Okay, that's fine, All right, so I'm ashamed. Note to self.

Rhett 34:50

This is shame moment. Living in the past, knowing what God can redeem.

Justin 34:53

Okay, so here we are kids who were creative.

Rhett 35:07

And we did this once, oh, and then they would give you five dollars. We did several times and next thing we know we've got like 25 bucks. Yeah, this was 1987, eight somewhere in there let's say 86, because I was eight I'm wanting to keep that age in there. It was 87, 88 somewhere there. So the five dollars could buy you two value meals at like Burger King. Oh yeah, so just do the math $25 would have bought you a Nintendo game cartridge. We were rolling in money in our minds.

Justin 35:32

Yeah and easy money. And, by the way, we were using our gifts, we didn't spend this money.

Rhett 35:36

We were keeping this money and I'll never forget. We got so confident. We just started walking up to total strangers because it was like people are giving us money left and right. Yeah, and I remember this guy. He was either taking the trash out or whatever. He's like man, I'll give you money if you don't sing just you know he did he did, he said man, I'll just give you money.

Justin 35:52

If you don't sing, I don't need to hear it. Man, god bless you know whatever. Yeah, he was taking the garbage out. Yeah, I remember that and so we got this money and and then pass it to you, your dad yeah, so we were in the apartment, we had to cash out because we had a divvy up between the three of us, and my dad came home from work and he said where's this money come from?

Rhett 36:10

Thank God that happens, yeah, I said well we, um. Well, I just like the way you said that. Well, we, you know, we just we we, some people gave it to us.

Justin 36:20

Why would they give it to you? We, we like, we sang a song or rap that we created. Yeah, oh, really. And they gave you money. What was it about? Yeah, it was about, you know, helping, you know, the, the, the people who are less fortunate. And he was like you're going to take that money, right?

Anthony 36:40

now.

Justin 36:41

And you're going to walk across the street to Costa's Barbecue because they had a children's hospital bank where you can put cash in.

Rhett 36:48

Yeah, and you're going to go put that in right now. Was I there during this conversation? I feel like you were.

Justin 36:57

I felt like I had learned. Unless I called you and said hey, rhett, we got to go take the money.

Rhett 37:01

I feel like I don't remember.

Justin 37:03

Again, my memory is fixed. I thought we were all together.

Rhett 37:06

We could have been?

Justin 37:07

Yeah, because you left us with the money.

Rhett 37:10

Now everybody following this story up to this point was like thank God, they had some good parents in their life. Yeah, absolutely.

Justin 37:16

It was integrity and character. He was not going to let that happen and, of course, as we did it, we put it in there and we were like, yeah, this is clearly, but we we put it in there and we were like, yeah, this is but we, we were like, what if we give like 10, 20%?

Rhett 37:28

We would give you percentages, but like, if it's 25 bucks, what if we gave like $15 and we kept the rest of it?

Justin 37:32

We could eat Cause we did, you know I think we were trying to negotiate. It was a hard. No, yeah, it was like no. I remember going down. If you want food, I'll take you somewhere.

Rhett 37:43

We walked across the street and we went and did it. I don't think your dad was there, he just trusted us. No, he trusted us Like we literally walked to Costa's and we did it and we put it right in the little piggy bank thing, just kind of folded it up Boom 25, 30 bucks.

Justin 37:54

Yeah, threw it in the air and was like okay.

Rhett 38:06

And the moral, yeah, number one. Don't do that never. I mean no ill-gotten gain that is a. That is a punishable offense by law. I guarantee you.

Justin 38:13

I don't know if you do that.

Rhett 38:15

Let's remember that yeah I guess what I'm trying to say is that we were creative, we wrote a song, we had initiative and we had discipline and we weren't afraid to go do some things even though it was stupid, it was a foreshadowing of when our life was surrendered to Christ, what we would actually be doing Exactly and think about it now.

Redeeming Our Talents for God's Kingdom

Rhett 38:34

We've wrote songs, we've been creative, we put ourself out there and now you know, with church planting and pastoring and with worshiping, with giving and generosity, now it's all going to the kingdom of God which is amazing, he redeemed it.

Rhett 38:49

So I guess all I have to say it is funny looking back, it's not funny and ha ha ha, that's a great thing to do. It's funny because it's stupid that the fact that, wow, rhett and Justin, that was what they came from, they did these stupid things, but yet God redeemed it, and I guess I'm just trying to say it is. It's funny to reminisce because it is authentic. This is a part of our story that we've really never shared with that many people, and now the world knows. If we decide to put this out yeah, that's right, which I think we should I think it's fun, but, once again, you take it back to what?

Justin 39:16

we had experienced as kids, parents, the of like thank the Lord, we had great dads. We lacked moms in our life. There was a lot of stuff that we didn't realize then was going against us because we didn't give the power and this is for a later podcast but we didn't give the full power to that part of our life, of what was lacking, probably because I didn't want to admit that it affected me, but it did, and I never admitted that it affected me, but it did, and I never admitted that it affected me. Oh, I was locked into like we're good, we're good, we're good, but I'll bet a man all that I know is the past, however many years that would be since then. Yeah, I would have buried that, for I could have buried it two decades. The stuff that was helped, that was affecting us, not even realizing it, and even in forties now I'm still peeling an onion, realizing, wow, that goes way back.

Justin 40:09

So that's going to be a future.

Rhett 40:11

Yeah, and I'll tie this to this To me, looking back, what I remember most about that story that I enjoyed, that fed me, wasn't so much the money, part of us going and doing like that.

Rhett 40:24

Like. To me, that was really never the driving point of this story. It was more of the camaraderie, the community, the creativity, the willingness to do something together, come up with something pretty creative and do it and get and get affirmation from it yeah, and so wrong way to do it for sure, yeah, but even even steered in that way, we used the gift, and if we could have tapped into that moment and said you know what we just raised in like an hour, 30 bucks for children's hospital.

Rhett 40:52

Which would then take a couple of hours because minimum wage was like $3 and 25 cents.

Justin 40:56

But if our mind would have, known to take it in that way or guided it in that way. It's like, well, don't stop, let's keep this going, actually for the real cause that got us going in the first place, right, and so yeah, absolutely so that to say what a gift set we had, gift set was under, you know, the wrong kingdom not serving the Lord, serving ourselves.

Rhett 41:18

Right and. But you know, looking back now, as a parent, I would look at that and go, hey man, look at the creativity, wow. Look at the gift set Way to go, wrong way to do it, yeah.

Justin 41:30

No shame, no shame, no guilt.

Rhett 41:33

But, like, let me help you direct you towards how this gift is actually designed for good and for the kingdom of God, so that the fulfillment comes. And so really, if you think about it, ultimately, big picture, this is what God is wanting to do with us. If you're not serving him, you might be wondering why I'm designed this way. Why do these things? Well, there's a gift inside of you. It's just misguided and misdirected right now, in this moment, and his whole plan is to get you connected relationally with him, so you can get connected to the true purpose for that gift that brings ultimate fulfillment when it's done under his care, under his guidance and for his kingdom, and it's beautiful. And that's the story.

Rhett 42:11

Yeah, you know that's the story of redemption for us through the stupidity, but yet the creativity.

Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Justin 42:17

And the stupidity, but yet redeemed now and look at what we're doing. He's gifted us to do things. He's gifted everyone listening and he redeems it he. He's gifted us to do things. He's gifted everyone listening and he redeems it. He does, and it's an amazing story. Even if you have to jump back in the discomfort of that story. Armchair, authentic. Thank God for what he's done. Take the entertainment value of it too. I hope you enjoyed the story it was a lot of fun getting to retell some of it.

Rhett 42:37

God bless everybody Love y'all. Have a great week. Hey friends, thank you so much for joining us on today's conversation. We cannot wait until our next episode that drops next Monday. So until then, we hope you have a great day, stay safe and we will see you soon, right here with your friends Red and Justin at Armchair. Authentic, thank you.