Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always

Host:
The night was clear and cold, the kind that made the air feel sharpened, awake with electricity. Through the large windows of a quiet diner on the edge of the city, the faint hum of passing cars blended with the old jazz crackling from the radio. Neon lights from a nearby gas station reflected off the chrome counters, painting streaks of blue and amber across the glass.

At a corner booth sat Jack and Jeeny — two souls wrapped in thought, the kind of stillness that comes only after long hours of wrestling with uncertainty. Between them lay a single sheet of paper, its words bold and unwavering, like a voice from another century calling across time:

"Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!"
— Thomas A. Edison

The light flickered over their faces as the hum of the city outside softened into quiet.

Jeeny: (softly) “Thomas Edison said that during one of America’s darkest financial periods. You can almost feel the weight of it — not just as a piece of advice, but as a call to the human spirit. ‘Be brave as your fathers before you.’ It’s not just about economics; it’s about resilience, legacy, and faith in progress, even when everything seems to be collapsing.”

Jack: (leaning back, voice low and gravelly) “Yeah. And coming from Edison, that means something. The man failed thousands of times before he invented the light bulb. He knew what it meant to keep moving forward when failure was the only thing staring you in the face. That quote isn’t optimism — it’s discipline in the dark. It’s saying: even when the lights go out, you still have to build the next filament.”

Host:
A silence fell between them — not heavy, but thoughtful. The sound of rain beginning to fall on the window carried the rhythm of the words they had just spoken.

Jeeny: (watching the rain) “What I love about this quote is that it reminds us how cyclical things are. Depression, recession, hardship — they come and go, like the tides. And yet, every time, people rise again. There’s something profoundly American in that spirit — that refusal to stay down. Edison wasn’t just talking about business; he was talking about human endurance.”

Jack: (nodding) “Exactly. ‘Be courageous’ isn’t just motivational fluff — it’s a command. A reminder that courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about acting despite fear. Every generation faces its own collapse, its own test. But Edison’s saying what every builder, inventor, and dreamer knows — progress is made by those who move through the failure, not around it.”

Host:
The light outside the diner flickered as a passing car’s headlights washed briefly across their faces. For a moment, the neon reflections looked like fire — small, flickering reminders of resilience against the darkness.

Jeeny: “It’s funny how we forget that people before us faced things just as terrifying — wars, depressions, collapses — and somehow they found a way through. Edison’s words feel like a bridge to them. ‘Be brave as your fathers before you.’ He’s telling us to remember our inheritance of strength. That courage is something we carry in our bones.”

Jack: (his voice softens) “Yeah, but I think it’s also a challenge. Faith and courage aren’t nostalgic — they’re active. Edison’s not saying, ‘Hope it gets better.’ He’s saying, ‘Make it better.’ The line that gets me is ‘Have faith! Go forward!’ It’s not passive belief — it’s faith in motion. It’s grit. It’s saying that despair doesn’t build anything. Action does.”

Host:
The rain had grown heavier now, its rhythm almost musical — like a heartbeat for the night. The sound filled the quiet diner, creating a small cocoon of introspection.

Jeeny: (smiling faintly) “You know what it makes me think of? That idea that courage is contagious. When one person moves forward in darkness, others follow. Edison’s words weren’t meant to be poetic — they were meant to ignite something. To remind people that hope isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsibility.”

Jack: (his grey eyes reflecting the rainlight) “That’s right. And it’s not about pretending things aren’t hard. Edison lived through panic, failure, bankruptcy — and still said, ‘Go forward.’ He wasn’t delusional; he was determined. It’s that stubborn belief that tomorrow can be built — even if today looks like ruin. It’s what separates survivors from dreamers who quit too soon.”

Host:
The faint glow of a streetlight outside caught on Jeeny’s hand as she lifted her cup. Her fingers trembled slightly, not from cold, but from something deeper — recognition.

Jeeny: “You know, Jack, I think that’s what courage really is. It’s not the absence of fear or doubt. It’s the decision to build anyway. To keep laying bricks even when the blueprint’s blurred by rain. Edison wasn’t telling people not to be scared — he was telling them to keep working through the fear. Faith is just another form of forward motion.”

Jack: (with a slow nod) “And courage is another name for endurance.”

He looked out at the wet streets, glistening with reflections of red and gold lights. “We talk about innovation like it’s glamorous. But it’s not. It’s persistence. It’s the quiet act of showing up again and again, even when there’s no applause. Edison knew that. Maybe that’s why his words still feel timeless — because courage doesn’t age.”

Host:
The two sat in silence for a long while, listening to the rain’s steady percussion. Outside, a single streetlamp flickered, holding its glow against the storm.

Inside, Jeeny smiled — a small, steady smile — as if she’d just remembered something vital.

Jeeny: “Maybe that’s what faith really looks like — not waiting for the sun, but learning to work by the light you make yourself.”

Jack: (quietly, with a half-smile) “Yeah. Edison would’ve liked that.”

Host (closing):
The rain continued, soft but unyielding. The two sat together, the hum of the diner a low reminder of life still moving, still building, even in uncertain times.

Edison’s words lingered in the air like the glow of a filament — steady, patient, alive. Be courageous. Have faith. Go forward. For in every storm, the light begins the moment we choose to create it.