I love podcasts. They entertain me, educate me, enlighten me, and quite often bring me joy. I discovered them about two years ago, and started listening as I walked in the morning and on long car rides. The collage at the top of this post shows the logos for some of my favorites. During this time of social distancing and sheltering in place, it seems to me that podcasts are one of the many ways that technology can help us maintain our positivity. If you have never listened to a podcast, here are some instructions on how to get started.
Yesterday was a long, exhausting day. Sam, his dad, and I drove down to Cincinnati (two cars) to move Sam out of his dorm room, which is actually a one bedroom apartment. The drive itself was fine. The move itself was busy but fine. It was the threat of COVID-19 that made the whole process exhausting. It’s nearly impossible to drive four hours somewhere and back without getting gasoline or visiting a public restroom at least once each way. Sanitize, sanitize. Then the actual move required us to make several trips into his dorm, up and down the elevator, to get the job done. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. We tried to use elbows and coat sleeves as much as possible to touch things, but even then the need to sanitize (even if it was purely emotionally-driven) after every encounter with a strange surface was draining.
On the drive home I had Sam in my car, and we were both wiped out and our anxiety was manifesting itself as crankiness. Then I pressed play on an episode of The Moth. The Moth is a podcast produced by Atlantic Public Media. An episode consists of three or four stories (one story per storyteller) told in front of a live audience. The stories must be true, “as remembered by the storyteller.” Each episode has a general theme. Moth stories have made me laugh and cry (sometimes within the same story), and they always renew my faith in humanity.
As we drove along, me focusing on the road, Sam listening while he also played a video game, I could feel the energy in the car shift. Sam cracked up at something one of the storytellers said, and the sound of his laughter calmed me more than the content of any of the stories we heard along the way. It was magical, the transformation that occurred. When we arrived back home, we were still tired, but our spirits were light.
I hope you’re all hanging in there!
Love,
Michelle xoxo