Life 2.0

December 31st would have been John Denver's 80th birthday, so I gathered up some of his friends to talk about his environmental impact, his musical legacy, and perhaps most importantly, the concept that one person can make a world of difference. My guests on this very special episode are educator Dr. Cheryl Charles, legendary country/western artist Michael Martin Murphey, and communications coach Donna Lipman, who share their thoughts, memories, and more of JD.

There's no going up the down staircase, in the "out" door, making sense out of the senseless, or finding the obvious buried in the absurd in this episode. It's time for some of my favorite Christmas music including Seymour Swine, Julie Andrews, John Denver, and John Berry. Also, I had to include the great story of how President Theodore Roosevelt's son Archie, saved the tradition of the Christmas Tree back in 1902 and a few thoughts on the sacredness of the season.

 

It is the news that no parent wants to ever hear...that your child has died. In 2016, 21-year-old Chris McQuillen and a group of friends, many home from college on winter break, had met up at a lake house in southern Wisconsin to catch up and celebrate the new year. At some point early in the morning, Chris and three friends went missing, and sadly, drowned in a nearby lake. Joe McQuillen began a journey that would make him a "reluctant prophet" when it comes to staying connected to his son after his death, and the many gifts that have come out of his grief.

Dealing with loss at the holidays is compound interest of the worst kind, but Joe insists that there is light in the darkness, if we look for it.

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier Life 2.0 podcast episode. But, just because it's a repeat, doesn't mean you don't have to pay attention, pilgrim...

16 years ago I shared the stage with a then-unknown (at least to me) Taylor Swift. In full disclosure, we were on the same stage, (an hour apart) however- we were in the same room, that's for sure. There was nothing in her presence or performance that night that would have led me to believe that one day she would be named the "Time Magazine Person of The Year" for 2023 and become a billionaire in the process.

 

Perspective of course, is everything.

50+ years ago I would have been up early on a Saturday morning having a great time with the "Thingmaker" cranking out rubbery-looking bugs, racing on my Hot Wheels set, or looking for an opponent to play "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots" (and you do know the whole blue and red thing is a reflection on politics right?...or left.) But fear not! This episode is about raising your vibrational patterns, and one of the best ways to do that is music-and at this time of year, there is no one better than John Berry 

When I had a no-show client, but a mic that was ready go to, I launched into a rare audio version of "The Wednesday Rant." It all started when I got a call to speak at a local college as a stand-in for another speaker who took ill.  While it's been a while since I've done a platform performance, the switches flipped, the words came forth and I had the opportunity to deliver the mail one more time. It's the best way I know to validate the fact, that I've won the lottery of life one more time-and so have you.

There I was, minding my own business on Thanksgiving Day, watching a football game between the Packers and Lions, when suddenly a Chevy commercial had me in tears. Not 24 hours earlier, I had been in conversation with Jerry Kramer (one of the greatest Packers of all time,) talking about the magic of music and recalling an event that took place a decade earlier, that once again manifested itself right on time. It is a reminder of the power music has when it comes to breaking down the demons of dementia, this time with a little help from John Denver.

After several conversations this past week about the concept of living a "brick and mortar" life, I was moved to make it the theme of this week's podcast. We're not talking about physical buildings but rather the bricks (events) and mortar (experiences) in our lives that have created the path we've traveled, the people we've met, and the importance of reconnecting with the past, to create a more vibrant present and future.

My cousin Rich "The Sarge" Hoffman has been a great influence in my life. I have clear memories of tracking his movements on a map of Vietnam in my bedroom as a kid when he put in two tours as a young Marine back in 'Nam. In all the years I've known him, we have never talked about his experiences there, and so when I reached out and asked if he would be part of this episode of the Veterans Day podcast- he said "YES" I knew he would have a powerful perspective on a very difficult time for him personally and for our country. Thank you for your service, Sarge, and to all of the DD-214 alumni.

Legendary Green Bay Packer guard and Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer and writer Bob Fox join me in discussing their just-released book Run to Win which is a compilation of stories and profiles from Kramer's NFL career under Vince Lombardi. The book also features some of Jerry's post-career adventures (like the time he almost punched out Elvis) reflections on the game and some of his most formidable opponents (doing battle with Merlin Olsen and Alex Karras) as well as his thoughts about the journey he's been on since he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1958. Run to Win is must read for football fans, especially those wearing the green and gold.