Courage and the Board, Switch, and Belt (Maxim Part I)
Note: This episode is a repost from a Substack post dated November 18, 2025. It’s being reshared now that The D-Minus Diaries podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.
In this episode, Jim Jones takes listeners back to the first hard lesson that shaped his life. Long before leadership courses, military training, or professional success, there was a classroom, a lie, and a wooden paddle with holes drilled through it.
What follows is a raw, honest story about discipline, fear, consequences, and the moment a childhood mistake turned into a lifelong rule. Jim reflects on how early correction, uncomfortable as it may be, helped forge character, courage, and clarity later in life. From old-school teachers and Appalachian parenting to biblical wisdom and modern cultural shifts, this episode explores where discipline ends, where abuse begins, and why the two are often confused today.
This episode includes an audio version with added sound effects, bringing the story to life and placing listeners back in the classroom, the hallway, and the living room, where the lessons landed hard and stayed forever.
If you grew up in an era where boundaries were firm and lessons were unforgettable, or if you wonder why kids are out of control and some adults end up in what Jim calls the house of bad decisions, this episode is for you. And if you didn’t grow up that way, it may make you think twice about what correction, courage, and love really look like.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast
You can listen to this episode for free on all major platforms:
- Substack
- Spotify
- YouTube
- Overcast
