Group of retired friends set up ‘Old Coots’ booth at farmers market to give free life advice
There is nothing more precious in life than getting advice from someone older and wiser than you. But sadly, not everyone gets to enjoy having their grandparents around. Some people have no one to turn to when it comes to getting solid life advice.
This is the gap these retirees wanted to fill in peoples’ lives. And this lead to a wonderful initiative by them… Keep reading to learn more about it!
A group of friends who have known each other their entire lives would often meet at their regular spot; a coffee shop located in their town of Salt Lake City in Utah. Their gatherings and sharing of stories is what led to them coming to a brilliant conclusion; they should share these stories with other people!
One of the members of the group 69-year-old Tony Caputo noticed something; a farmer’s market on the other side of the street with hundreds of attendees!
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He coined an idea in the group; setting up a stall there to give people advice. The other guys loved it. And so, next week they set up a booth with a large sign overhead which read “Old Coots Giving Bad Advice”, “It’s probably bad advice, but it’s free”.
The men were open to answering questions on just about anything. But they did have two exceptions; religion and politics.
They sat waiting to see if anyone would approach them to receive some advice.
After a few people trickled in and had a good experience, the word seemed to have gotten around since they had a huge line form in front of their booth. People approached the ‘Old Coots’ as they called themselves to get advice on a myriad of topics. From problems with school and work, to relationships and love, and even on what cell phone or internet plans to get!
The men take their positions seriously and give their best to every answer. “We always listen carefully,” said Tony, “and we don’t give gratuitous advice.”
The group consisted of 4 or 5 males and slowly realized they could not best answer questions posed by young women.
They added some women to the mix to help their female customers and attract more people to their booth as a result of the diversity!
The booth became so popular that people came from all over just to see them! This led to the group starting a Facebook page and ultimately a podcast so people could phone in with their questions for their favorite ‘Old Coots.’ Who knew a simple idea of a booth at a farmer’s marker would lead to a successful podcast for these old timers.
“They know everything, simple as that!” said one fan.
“These are the wisest old coots you’ve ever asked advice from,” another added.
Their popularity even led them to an appearance on the Good Morning America show! The men have really made a name for themselves with their genuine personalities and earnest advice!
What a lovely initiative to start a booth just to give free advice to young people! Share this piece with your friends who might enjoy learning about these wonderful ‘Old Coots.’