One of the great things about listening to podcasts is that podcasters love to share their favorite podcasts. Okay, some of them have to promote other shows produced by the same company they work for (kind of like network shows and cross-promotions), but the good production companies tend to make a lot of good shows, so the tips their podcasters give usually pan out for me. Consistently solid companies are Panoply, Gimlet, Radiotopia, PRX, and NPR, among others. I was listening to On Being (a podcast sure to be discussed multiple times on this blog, since Krista Tippett does the BEST interviews of the most fascinating people) when they promoted another podcast called "10 Things That Scare Me," a mini podcast. They billed it as a great exercise in empathy. Oh, man. That's right in my wheelhouse. I'm all about empathy.
That empathy was put to the test when the podcast featured Anthony Scaramucci (former Trump administration member) as one of its guest. Ugh. But you know what? His list, in addition to confirming he's a conceited slimeball, was enlightening, and he and I actually share a couple of fears, like that he'll return to Washington someday. Ha! Anyway, the episodes are only about five minutes each, with the guest literally listing ten things they're afraid of, adding a little bit of exposition here and there. It's, in turns, funny, heartbreaking, endearing, and poignant. And the host of the show always shares one thing at the end of each episode that scares her. They're usually hilarious, but at the same time, very relatable. There's a real comfort in knowing we're not alone, even in some of our strangest worries. Check it out on the podcast app I'm sure you've downloaded by now so you can listen to all of my recommendations. Or........... visit the 10 Things That Scare Me website.
And here's my TEN THINGS THAT SCARE ME list. I'd LOVE it if you'd share a similar list for yourself in the comments to this post.
- Tornadoes.
- Walking out of work or the store to find my car's been stolen.
- My kids never leaving home after they become adults. I mean, I love 'em, but... absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
- Our landline voicemail inbox, which is always full. (Yes, we still have a landline, for emergencies.) I never check the voicemail. Just so you know...
- Food poisoning.
- Dying last in my family. My husband and I argue about this all the time. He says there's no way I can die before him, because he'll be lost. He has a point; I know all of the account passwords. Still, I'm terrified of having to bury him and my kids and living to be super-old. I know I won't be one of those active, fun, fit old people, still bee-bopping around in her nineties. I'm already past my bee-boppin' days.
- And on that note... Alzheimer's or dementia.
- Snakes.
- Ruined vacations. It happens so rarely that we have the time, opportunity, and money to go on vacation, so when the stars do align, and we're able to go, I fear all the things that can go wrong. We've been relatively lucky, but last summer, it did rain for much of our beach vacation. Oddly enough, though, it turned out okay. We napped during storms and watched a movie or two, then took advantage of the dry times. We're a pretty resilient bunch.
- Skunks.
That’s a good list! I’ll have to think about my own ten.
ReplyDeleteP.S. one of my resolutions was to create a binder of information in case I die, because if I go first, Jim would be lost, too. It’s got EVERYTHING in it.
That binder is a great idea. I really need to do something like that.
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