Becoming and raising good people does not happen by accident. Nothing that is worthwhile, valuable or magnificent happens by default -not a marriage, not a career, not children who grow into happy, kind and accomplished adults. Excellence is not accidental.
This podcast is a tool for parents to use as they purposefully introduce their children to high ideals, virtues, and concepts that are essential to becoming a good person. We do this in short 3-5 minute podcasts (borrowing from experiences in history, stories shared by others, scenarios and situations) with the intent to foster conversation between parents and children.
No one wants to be lectured or moralized -especially children and teens... especially by their parents. So having some outside voices on matters that will help shape children is invaluable. This of this podcast as a contemporary version of Aesops Fables. Great for parents, teachers, youth leaders or anyone who is looking for inspiring content when driving to school, a soccer game, to the grocery store or beginning your day. Enjoy!
Creator and Host: Dr. Thomas Wicke -a social psychologist who is president of a healthcare college in Denver, Colorado. He is an author, published academic, teacher and speaker on creating effective culture in the workplace through intentional leadership. He consulted with the Department of Homeland Security on community impact of disaster. He is husband for 30+ years to a public school teacher and parent of three children.
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Becoming and raising good people does not happen by accident. Nothing that is worthwhile, valuable or magnificent happens by default -not a marriage, not a career, not children who grow into happy, kind and accomplished adults. Excellence is not accidental.
This podcast is a tool for parents to use as they purposefully introduce their children to high ideals, virtues, and concepts that are essential to becoming a good person. We do this in short 3-5 minute podcasts (borrowing from experiences in history, stories shared by others, scenarios and situations) with the intent to foster conversation between parents and children.
No one wants to be lectured or moralized -especially children and teens... especially by their parents. So having some outside voices on matters that will help shape children is invaluable. This of this podcast as a contemporary version of Aesops Fables. Great for parents, teachers, youth leaders or anyone who is looking for inspiring content when driving to school, a soccer game, to the grocery store or beginning your day. Enjoy!
Creator and Host: Dr. Thomas Wicke -a social psychologist who is president of a healthcare college in Denver, Colorado. He is an author, published academic, teacher and speaker on creating effective culture in the workplace through intentional leadership. He consulted with the Department of Homeland Security on community impact of disaster. He is husband for 30+ years to a public school teacher and parent of three children.
Not by Accident: Scott Ruskin and Heroes -Episode25
Not by Accident
11 minutes
3 months ago
Not by Accident: Scott Ruskin and Heroes -Episode25
Scott Ruskin is a hero of the devastating and tragic central Texas floods of July 2025. His story is inspiring but somewhat unexpected. He helped save 165 victims in his first mission as a US Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He volunteered to get out of the rescue heicopter so there would be more room for the crew to load survivors they would dramaticall rescue in the flood waters. He found himself as the only rescuer to organize, triage, administer first aid, protect and coordinate the evacuation of scores of children from Camp Mystic. In the chaos and hell of an unfathomable disaster, Petty Officer Ruskin was salvation to scores of children and adults. We need heros in our society. Sometimes the work they do is not hanging from a cable connected to a helicopter. Sometimes they swim through raging waters and sometimes they run into burning buildings. But more often heroes quietly do less dramatic work or simply keep committments or consistently show up and bear heavy burdens that others walk away from. Scott Ruskin was unknown before this event. He was not hitting home runs or donating millions to a charity, on the front page of newspapers or a social media influencer. He was quitely and thanklessly preparing, training and learning first aid and protocols for disaster response. He, like teachers, parents and many obscure people was doing the hard work so that they might be ready to make a difference. We have a mistaken idea that heroes wear capes, are super-human, win the super bowl or world cup for their teams. No, some of the most amazing super people quietly do a hard, thankless job, or fight through chronic pain or are kind even when others are mean to them. You can be a super hero but it demaands having character and doing some hard things, preparing yourself and making good decisions. Story told by Kagan Dunlap (Instragram site)
Not by Accident
Becoming and raising good people does not happen by accident. Nothing that is worthwhile, valuable or magnificent happens by default -not a marriage, not a career, not children who grow into happy, kind and accomplished adults. Excellence is not accidental.
This podcast is a tool for parents to use as they purposefully introduce their children to high ideals, virtues, and concepts that are essential to becoming a good person. We do this in short 3-5 minute podcasts (borrowing from experiences in history, stories shared by others, scenarios and situations) with the intent to foster conversation between parents and children.
No one wants to be lectured or moralized -especially children and teens... especially by their parents. So having some outside voices on matters that will help shape children is invaluable. This of this podcast as a contemporary version of Aesops Fables. Great for parents, teachers, youth leaders or anyone who is looking for inspiring content when driving to school, a soccer game, to the grocery store or beginning your day. Enjoy!
Creator and Host: Dr. Thomas Wicke -a social psychologist who is president of a healthcare college in Denver, Colorado. He is an author, published academic, teacher and speaker on creating effective culture in the workplace through intentional leadership. He consulted with the Department of Homeland Security on community impact of disaster. He is husband for 30+ years to a public school teacher and parent of three children.