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Charlotte Pendragon's avatar

Very intriguing conversation Deborah, and what a way for family to come together to listen and learn from the older generation’s wisdom and knowledge. Thank you for recording this exchange and sharing it. Imagine your future generations listening to it 50 years from now? A treasure for certain!

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Thank you so much for listening Charlotte! It means a ton to us. It all came together last minute and we are very grateful to have this treasure. I’ve left a few other answers here regarding how much I learned too. Can you imagine if we tried harder to have these conversations, across the generations, how much better our lives would “feel?” Tech has left a great gap between us all and it’s time to close it. Love you. oxox

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Joan Stommen's avatar

Uncle Jim’s background and experience lends so much to understanding what’s going on. Too many wars that weren’t our wars, but a desire to control/encorage foreign leaders that peace and freedom are the answers. We lost too many soldiers with foreign wars in the hope of improving democracy worldwide. I can feel Ian trying to grasp it in terms of today. It’s hard, knowing the president didn’t wait for congress, didn’t notify those who should have been aware; perhaps pulling him back from endangering the world. I don’t think he’s considered collateral damage… while I agree Israel needs our support, my heart goes out to the Iranian people. I’m so impressed and touched your family had these discussions and am honored to hear your uncle… my dad was in WWII and my uncle in Korea. There was never deep discussions like this… what a treasure! One

Day your grandkids will be studying about the war as uncle Jim recalls… they’ll be researching and reporting like we all have throughout our school days! What a gift this is!

Ian has your wonderful speaking voice… clear, calm, precise…voices that draw you in and make you think! Thank you, dear Deb…you are a master of the podcast imo! Love you…sending hugs and please let your uncle know how much it meant to this war baby! ☺️🫶🤗💕

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Was this not the best! Honestly, it all just came together with everyone talking for a few days, lots of food, drink, laughter, dishes, dogs barking and repeat! I sent them all to breakfast Sunday morning after asking if I could interview Jim so I could get my act together, after six months of not using my recording software. I needed to think and do some pre-work. They got back a few hours later and Ian was standing there and I said, "can you enter this conversation" and Jim said, "I'd love it if he could do the q & a" -- and I said "PERFECT!!" It became a beautiful thing and hopefully an example of reaching across the generations -- but Ian was always good at this. He was our last born little adult child -- with much older siblings. He learned early how to adult talk (lol -- and sometimes very challanging to us! HELP, where's the dictionary? what's this little man saying? lol) I am so glad you enjoyed listening and that it gave you things to think about. I learned a lot too just sitting in with them. My heart softened to what all of us have heard and felt over the course of so much world conflict -- and I felt it was important to see Ian's generation more clearly. In a way, it broke my heart, how much is coming at them through the phones, etc.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen and for leaving us your thoughts. I guess time will tell all the decisions that are way over our heads. Thank you also for your kind compliments to us. I have much to continue to learn on this little podcast - but don't be surprised if I ask you, Bob, Charlotte and a few others to be on it -- hopefully not in six months! ha ha! Summer is a bit busy - but hoping to do more of these! Uncle Jim has asked me if there were any negative reactions - and I'm so happy to tell him, "nothing but love and respect." We are so fortunate to have these men in our lives. Ian says he won't do a Zoom interview with me and we'll wait til we can sit together for his job interview with me. He's heading into a new job end of the month and it's a whole different atmosphere on the streets now with the fire department!!! Very proud of him. Love you. oxox

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Joan Stommen's avatar

He’s a fireman? Did I know that before? Bless him for being a first responder! Thought he was a linesman. Nothing but praise for your uncle …we all learned so much from him! I love that you knew it was a moment to grab, got organized and made it happen! Well done as always, my friend! 😍🤗👍

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Oh no - Ian got a job with one of the oldest groups in S.F. that travels on calls with the Fire Dept. to emergencies with the homeless. He’s the mental health assessment/mitigation side of things - and he starts next month. It will be very different from working in a smaller more controlled home environment. We're so proud of him. Our oldest son Max is a linesman in NorCal now. He was a linesman in SoCal for 7 years. Our daughter (middle child) is a high school math teacher ✨

We’re going to visit our Uncle Jim in the fall. Can't wait! Maybe we'll do another chat!

I need to catchup with your writing. I never see you at all in my feed or the silly carousel 🙃

Love you. And happy weekend to you friend 😘

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Joan Stommen's avatar

Thanks for clarifying! I remember now! My granddaughter works with detective bureau in intelligence…they have mental health counselors that join when needed. Unfortunately, it’s often same people. 😔🙁

I’m

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Oh I remember that too! It is going to be different for Ian once he hits the streets. He will have "set" shifts - but I'm sure that could change too. I think it's important that there are a variety of mental health specialists out there.

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SonOfaGunn4321's avatar

What a great conversation between 2 men with such knowledge & wisdom akin to their generations. Totally enjoyed this family chat at the kitchen table!! 😁

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Right? I loved it :). We are blessed to have this for our family and future generations. Treasures from two different generations. We need more of this. Thanks little bro. Love you. ox

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Jody L. Collins's avatar

Deb, this was a fascinating conversation and as somebody who has grown up with war all her life, I really had no idea about the phrase "forever wars" generated to support a military industrial complex. I so appreciated Jim's perspective and his clarification about the current president's decision, which is making more sense than ever. Thank you for making a space for this to happen.

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Thank you so much friend for listening to this. Jim is such a blessing to our family. He truly is the salt. Wise, well read and a man of great faith. I learned a lot too. Having Ian interview him was so awesome. I have more compassion for our younger generation as well -- and how much is coming at them from media. We didn't grow up this way -- it's very different now. Can't believe we pulled it off! ox

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Beryl Gunn's avatar

Such an interesting discussion with a military Uncle & a young Nephew graduate from a prestigious university. I really enjoyed listening to their thoughts on past & current world events. Love them both!! ❤

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Right mom? I feel so completely grateful to have grabbed this! It was really just there in front of me but with all that was going on - food to make, conversations to be had, dogs barking, phones ringing, etc., we just did it. Outer body push! A real gift for years to come. I loaded the recording onto Uncle Jim’s laptop. A total treasure. I think we will go see him for his birthday in October :) Love you mom. Thank you for listening. oxox

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Trudi Nicola's avatar

I’m going to listen to this tomorrow Debs as it’s bedtime. Thank you for sharing it!

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Thank you so much Trudi! It’s a solid conversation. A real treasure.

I am so very behind. I just saw another one of your poems about Michael’s art and I think I have much to catchup on. Now you aren’t as much in my feed either! And you were always there. UGH!!!!!

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Trudi Nicola's avatar

Not to worry! We know where to find each other! 🤗✨

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

We do!! I love knowing I have my friends here no matter what. Life can be so busy! I’m just regaining my energy from this past long visit with family :)

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Joel Wisniewski's avatar

As a former Hospital Corpsman, my core beliefs are always directed toward helping people. Unfortunately, rogue nations always have their core belief in controlling people. Think of the countries that do not value human independence (make that mental list in your mind). I predict that the violence will only escalate.

The discussion was very thought-provoking. Because war is so awful, our brains try to construct guardrails to control the kinetic action of warfare. But our desire to control the reaction to a desired outcome is impossible. There are no rules in war.

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Joel,

"our desire to control the reaction to a desired outcome is impossible." Exactly.

Thank you for listening to this conversation and also for your service. You see things as most of us do. It's why it was so special to have Jim speak - because he actually (not supposed to say anything) received a certain shaped emblem (award) for putting the minimization of collateral damage first and totally succeeded in Desert Storm. It's the reaction, as you stated. The sheer desire for power, which is fueled by evil, that we will never have any control over. So we go on. We live while we have life. And we try and talk to each other. It's time the generations were able to do this. Tech has greatly divided us all. In more ways than ever. ox

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Carly Owens's avatar

What an interesting conversation. Thank you so much for sharing Uncle Jim with us. I deeply appreciate the history lesson, and the perspective on recent escalations. Definitely left me with lots to think about.

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Oh gosh Carly! Thank you!! This means to much to me and to us that you took the time to listen and comment. What an absolute blessing our Uncle Jim is and Ian “last minute” joining him to do the questions. It all just came together in the midst of lots of good conversations over tons of food in the last several days. A true blessing. I’ve listened to it again twice and have gleaned so much. Especially how you are all growing up. I mean, I know this, but I really began to see more clearly, and have more empathy over what your generation has had to deal with - in this fast-paced tech world where so much is coming at you. We, on the other hand, have had to try and keep up with it - but were far more attuned to a slower more reverent pace in our growing up. This can clash in an impatient nature between the generations and nothing is accomplished. I hope this finds you well. I’ve been a bit in outer space with Substack’s algorithm - so I will check in with your stack soon. oxoxox

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Barbara A Chobocky aka Báčí's avatar

Excellent Podcast

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Thank you so much Barbara! I can’t believe we pulled it off. Such a busy four days with company and I saw this opportunity and it came together. It’s not only valuable to my family - but a good reminder that we can speak to the varying generations and not fall apart.

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mary e's avatar

Looking forward to hearing this conversation! My husband is a retired Navy veteran and we have been having some really in depth conversations the past couple of days.

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Deborah T. Hewitt's avatar

Ahhh, thank you friend! and WOW, a Navy vet! Thank you for his service. I think your husband will really like listening to our Uncle Jim. We have been talking about this as a family the last few days as well -- and there is so much to say -- but getting this podcast together has been a total blessing -- especially for our family. I loved the idea of letting our youngest speak with our oldest living male relative -- both equally passionate about people. Two entirely different generations. I absolutely love their voices. ox

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mary e's avatar

Thank you for sharing this conversation!

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