Brewed Awakening
Every Sunday morning, Carol and The Gent kick back in bed with coffee in hand and the week’s hottest headlines on their minds. Brewed Awakening is part pillow talk, part no-nonsense commentary—strong opinions served as fresh as the coffee, with zero sugarcoating. From sharp debates to playful banter (and maybe a little marital side-eye), they prove that the best conversations happen before you even get out of bed.
Brewed Awakening
Has Modern Society Killed Our Collective Joy?
The cheerful customer service experience seems to be vanishing before our eyes, but is this a new phenomenon or simply something we're noticing more as we age? Our conversation dives into this curious social shift that many have observed but few have articulated – the apparent unhappiness or disengagement of service workers across various industries.
We explore multiple theories behind this cultural change, from economic pressures and unfulfilled expectations to the pervasive influence of social media creating constant unfavorable comparisons. The contrast between older workers who maintain friendly attitudes and younger employees who seem perpetually disengaged raises fascinating questions about generational differences, workplace satisfaction, and broader societal shifts.
The discussion takes unexpected turns as we consider how traditional family structures have evolved, religious participation has declined, and technology has fundamentally altered our social interactions. We even examine our own approaches to these encounters, questioning whether excessive cheerfulness might come across as inauthentic to younger generations who value directness. Could it be that what older generations interpret as rudeness is actually a more authentic form of interaction?
Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of modern social dynamics, workplace culture, and the changing nature of human connection. Have you noticed this shift in your own interactions? We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
Wake up, it's time for the podcast! Happy Sunday!
Hello, good morning, happy Sunday and spring.
Speaker 2:Good morning, one and all to a beautiful day. How are you?
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, mm-mm. I should have gotten more coffee before we started, oh goodness me. But that's all right, we'll continue. Okay, what's on your mind? I have nothing. I have nothing for you today.
Speaker 2:This is going to be a very random podcast today, all right.
Speaker 1:Episode yeah, going to be a very random podcast today.
Speaker 2:All right episode. Yeah, very random, because we look through everything and everything seemed to be the same. Nothing's really changed. There are a lot of you know things being hyped. You know? Come look at this. Oh my god, it's where the world's ending. You know, you know something about somebody banning sodas and all this kind of crap which you know influencers and yada, yada, yada.
Speaker 1:I don't get it All this stuff. But I guess, being an old person like I, am, you're not old, I know what you mean, though.
Speaker 2:You know, we had our grandson yesterday and he keeps asking me why my fingers are wrinkled. It's like like, come on man, come on man, I can still build with legos this, things like that. But you know the thing, I guess it's things old people notice and one of the things that I've noticed, and I've been kind of playing on this for a while, and I don't know if it's a generational gap, because maybe they treat younger people differently, or if they treat the younger people the same. I, you know, I've kind of tried to notice it, but I have. I guess my research is limited as far as this goes, but people that are we'll call them waitstaff or cashiers or work at convenience stores or work at stores in general, just don't seem nice, friendly, helpful, cheerful, cheerful in any way. They seem upset, mad, complacent but nothing.
Speaker 1:I don't want to be here, but nothing rude or against you, right?
Speaker 2:no, no it's not like you know. Oh, jesus is a old. The old white guy came in, uh, and you know he obviously has to be conservative son of a bitch and I don't like him any type of thing like that.
Speaker 1:More like a malaise, or whatever.
Speaker 2:It's something like my mother used to and I used to get. So I'd be oh my God, I can't believe she said that. But I might be in a store with her somewhere and she'd be doing something and the cashier wouldn't be friendly in any way, shape or form. She'd be at her best to be friendly and not doing anything that's out of the ordinary checking out or anything and she'd look at the person and go you don't like your job, do you? And it'd just take the person aback. And that's what I want to feel like. I feel like asking people you know, it's like you just don't like your job, do you? And see what their reaction is, because it looks, it seems, like none of them like being where they are and I wonder if that's how they carry over into their lives when they're away from there. They just don't like being where they are. What's the deal with that?
Speaker 1:Well, I guess would you like being a cashier at a 7-Eleven or something.
Speaker 2:Well, you know I still like the old phrase. You know it's my job to be doing this and therefore if I'm cheerful doing it, it makes it better If I'm at least you know happy doing it. If I'm not happy doing it, then go do something else.
Speaker 1:But they probably can't go do something else. No, happy doing it. If I'm not happy doing it, then go do something else.
Speaker 2:But they probably can't go do something else. Oh sure, they can Not nowadays you can't. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:What are they going to do?
Speaker 2:Go to school, go do something I don't know. But you know there are a lot of other jobs that people can do, but my whole point is they're probably just upset with themselves.
Speaker 1:They've made poor decisions. Well, okay, and they're stuck where they are. They feel like they're stuck where they are, and that's what they do, okay, well then, I guess that's the world we're going to live in. Yeah, I mean, it's the world we've been living in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, we're all going to hell then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think a lot of it has has to do with social media. People get on social media and they're like, oh, look at this person, look at that person, oh, I'll never be. Then they look at their own lives and they realize I'm stuck, I'm stuck here, I'll never be able to do anything. Then they need to get a puppy. Okay, look, you ask a question.
Speaker 2:I'm giving you my thoughts and answers well, that's a brute awakening if you ask me. But yeah, that's what was one of the things that I've noticed, and yeah, because you talked about it before but but now you know I'll argue one other point on my side of this. The older people that I see working are still friendly and helpful and cheerful for the most part. So give me an example oh, just like, go to Publix.
Speaker 1:That's because they probably already lived their lives, they've had a good career, and now they're just doing this to pass time, for a little extra money.
Speaker 2:Okay, but they're being nice. They don't have to be doing it, do they no? So what they do is they've had a great life, everything's wonderful. Now I'm going to go bag groceries at Publix because that'll fulfill me.
Speaker 1:I don't think that's the point. That's the point. They've already been fulfilled. So, maybe they're trying to just pass it on to other people because, they're older.
Speaker 2:And they're being friendly and helpful yes, and kind, and they're trying to pass it on yes, but the younger people don't get it.
Speaker 1:But they're not fulfilled yet because they're stuck in a dead-end job.
Speaker 2:Okay, I lose.
Speaker 1:Maybe they went to college and they're in debt so much up to their eyeballs that they and they can't get a job anywhere because they're expecting too much money at. They expect to walk in with a degree in engineering in a job and expect to be making somebody that's already been there for 20 years and they're and they don't get it. So they have to go work at publics or wherever not. I hate to be picking on publics wherever just to pay their bills, to pay their college stuff, because they have.
Speaker 2:They have too high of expectations well, you know, publics is a very good paying place that also pays very well in stock. And because it's a, it's a, it's a company-owned company.
Speaker 1:I've also heard bad things from employees that work there, that they treat them like crap.
Speaker 2:Well, you're always going to hear that. But my point being, it doesn't matter where you are, you can still be nice to people.
Speaker 1:I agree, I'm not arguing with you, I'm just trying to give you explanations you wanted to know.
Speaker 2:I get it, I understand and those are you explanations you wanted to know. I get it, I understand.
Speaker 1:And those are my thoughts.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:My observances.
Speaker 2:Thank you oh you're welcome I appreciate that.
Speaker 1:You're still living in the old world Now.
Speaker 2:I can go in and I can understand that. You know, hi, how are you today? I realize that you're miserable and you're always going to be miserable, and I realize that you're miserable and you're always going to be miserable and therefore I will be miserable back to you because of that. I'm sorry for your misery.
Speaker 1:Although you told me an example the other day, when you would call this particular we order stuff. You know you call them up and order it and you used to be super, you used to be super, super friendly with them and you would always get yeah okay, whatever. But then lately you've been calling them up and instead of being super cheerful yourself, you just give them direct things yeah, I want to order coffee, and then they're a little bit more friendly to you. What is that about?
Speaker 2:That's the whole point. I don't get it anymore. I guess is what it is. I don't understand it anymore. I guess is what it is.
Speaker 1:I don't understand it.
Speaker 2:I guess that's Maybe. It's just maybe they think that people being cheerful are people being fake. Yeah, You're being fake. You just want something. Yeah, yeah, I just want to order coffee and see how you're. Hopefully, you know, help you to have a good day.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what you?
Speaker 2:don't need to help me have a good day.
Speaker 1:Obviously this is nothing new, because your mother you just said your mother went through it when she was out shopping.
Speaker 2:That's a good point.
Speaker 1:I mean so it's nothing new.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's just that I've gotten to the point in age where I've stopped and I'm smelling the coffee more than I'm drinking the coffee there you go Bingo.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh the coffee more than I'm drinking the coffee Bingo, bingo.
Speaker 2:Noticing these little things.
Speaker 1:I mean, think about it. When you did work you had to put up with a bunch of weird rude people. But I was always.
Speaker 2:if I were behind the counter I was always cheerful and helpful and friendly. I know Because that's it helped you get through the day.
Speaker 1:And you feel like you've had a fulfilled life and career.
Speaker 2:If you were having a bad day, that helped you get through the day. Yeah, it really did, I know, I know.
Speaker 1:Look, I've had some miserable jobs myself, okay.
Speaker 2:Well.
Speaker 1:But I could anyway, whatever.
Speaker 2:Well, I can yeah, but yeah nothing.
Speaker 1:I don't have a college education. I'm not going anywhere high up in my anywhere. For one thing, it's too late for me now, 58, and I've accepted that. But in the beginning, you know, I made some awful choices.
Speaker 2:Well, we all did. But that still doesn't again. I'll go back to it. You know, just just because I'm having, you know, because of those things doesn't to me, give me the right to be miserable to other people yeah, and that could be their upbringing too you know, okay, so. So we've harped on it's it's social, it's economic, it's political, it's all things, and that's why they're all miserable.
Speaker 1:Well, you're not going to get a direct, specific answer.
Speaker 2:I know there's none, but still, it just goes back to my it's just the human condition. It goes back to my observance that people just don't seem as happy today as they were years ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think there's more of us now too than there used to be, it seems like, and also back in the day. Back in the day you didn't have social media, you didn't have 24-hour news, cables, show programs, you had three channels and you played, played outside, so your world was a little bit smaller yeah, I guess you were.
Speaker 2:When you did see somebody. You were happy to see somebody instead of oh god, it's another person things were different back then.
Speaker 1:People went to church, you know, people believed in god, they read their bible, they were a family, they had a mom and a dad and kids, and I mean, it was different.
Speaker 2:Think about it. Yeah, it was. It was a different world, that's for sure. That is for sure.
Speaker 1:You know you don't have all these weird non-binary several-gendered, you know there we go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't even throw in the fact that when I go and say I can't say thank you sir, or thank you ma'am, or have a good day young man, or have a good day young lady, because I don't know what they might be.
Speaker 1:And that might be offensive to them to say so if you want a specific answer, there's your answer. Marxism infiltrated the United States of America and destroyed the family. There's your answer.
Speaker 2:I agree. Okay, now that we've cleared that up, do?
Speaker 1:you have a question of the day. You know we are only at 12 minutes. It seems like we've been talking for 30.
Speaker 2:I think that 12 minute aged me a year, I do all right.
Speaker 1:What's on the agenda today?
Speaker 2:you got basketball to watch it makes me want to, instead of go to the grocery store, order groceries to go, or yeah, or whatever the hell. What are they called? Uh, door dash? Yeah, of course you know, get door dashed, and whoever delivered my groceries were probably miserable, so you know what the hell I look down on people.
Speaker 1:When I pull into a parking lot nowadays and I see somebody. I did that the other day. Somebody was parked in one of those parking spots and she was standing by her car. She was an attractive, you know younger person, not younger but probably, I'd say, in her late 30s, but she was attractive. She was standing there by her car and here comes the old guy bringing out the groceries and she opened the back. She was polite, they were chit-chatting. I'm like. I looked down on her.
Speaker 1:I'm like you can't go in there and get your own fucking groceries. Oh, you said fucking groceries.
Speaker 2:Well, I did?
Speaker 1:I'm pissed at these people?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, she probably had things to do, places to see people to go to. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, she had a timeline.
Speaker 2:She's too important she had a timeline and she couldn't you know her time was.
Speaker 1:She probably had a government job where she was being monitored by her phone and she had to be certain place, certain time all right you know, I don't know, you know, maybe I was thinking more like she was a stay-at-home mom and didn't what are you gonna do if you're stay-at-home mom? You can't go get groceries. She was dressed kind of casuals in the middle of the day, maybe, I don't know. Maybe she works at night. Maybe she's some kind of super doctor, er doctor. She works at night. She doesn't have time, she was sleeping or something. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Maybe she was waiting on a phone call from someone at home and she only had a landline. She doesn't have a cell phone anymore. Okay, Maybe she was one of those people.
Speaker 1:How did she order her food?
Speaker 2:On her landline.
Speaker 1:She called them up.
Speaker 2:I'd like a pound of hamburger.
Speaker 1:All right, we're getting goofy now.
Speaker 2:That only took an hour to order everything.
Speaker 1:All right, we're getting goofy. Now let's move on to something else. Do you have a question of the day? Okay, so we have a question of the day. I'm going to let the gent ask it in just a minute, but first, since we were talking about all these cheerful people, you know, pat, if you're a Pat head, which you don't watch Pat Gray a lot, so you wouldn't know this. But Pat, when he's out and about in public, he cannot. That's one of his pet peeves. When people ask him how's your day going so far, he cannot. That's one of his pet peeves. When people ask him how's your day going so far? He cannot stand it. He's like do you really want to know? Are you really concerned? Are you really concerned? Do you really want to know? Or is this just something you're just saying, just to say it?
Speaker 2:That's one of his pet peeves. So he doesn't like it if people are like that. So anyway, we're going to move on to the question of the day. The gent has it, okay. My question of the day is when you are out and about in public, do you try to bring cheer to people's lives, not overly going out of their way, but just being friendly, so hoping you know so friendly can come back to you, or you do, or do you just want to go out and be a drain and a puss on society?
Speaker 1:Puss on society. That's a good one. I like that. Puss on society. That should be a name of a band. Yeah, puss on society.
Speaker 2:Puss on society.
Speaker 1:I like that Gotta go.
Speaker 2:Go Dawgs.