Two kinds of people get called elders. Only one of them actually is one.

In this episode we get into what separates an elder from an older -- and why it matters more right now than at any point in most of our lifetimes. This isn't about age. It's about whether you've given up or not. And it's hurting the old and the young both, at the same time, for the same reasons.

We talk about who actually benefited when families went from one income to two, why we spent more on education and got less, and what happens to kids when the village disappears and nobody's left to pass anything down. I'll share a story from my own family that proves none of this is abstract -- this is real life.

And through all of it, one thing keeps coming back. Elders -- real ones -- are the ones who can actually fix it.

We identified the cancer today. Next episode we talk about what to do about it.

Remember when? I do. This episode walks through my own life — how I grew up, what changed, and where we are now. Family, community, trust, and the phone that never turns off. It's not a comfortable listen. It's not supposed to be.