Life 2.0

On The Road... Again.

Disclaimer: This is the shallow end of the pool as it pertains to any serious eye opening, brain jarring, knuckle scraping, break through insights about the human condition-except how quickly a somewhat normal person can go ballistic over a piece of machinery that isn't working as advertised. That being stated, it was a vast, week-long maze of regional jet travel, hanging out with country music star John Berry, eating my way through Nashville, the near demise of my trusty, dusty Dell laptop, and my subsequent return to Chicago. Then it was on to the bustling metropolis of Appleton, Wisconsin wherein I met Jorge, the Yoda of the IT universe, and all was well again in the world...for now. If you have ever wanted to take a hammer or other blunt object to your laptop or PC...this episode is for you.

Episode #100-Back to The Future

I'm back from a month-long hiatus, and we've officially hit the 100th episode of Life 2.0. 

Wasn't sure what was going to get me back into the bully pulpit of podcasting, and as it turns out, the catalyst was a trip "Back to the Future" to my alma mater, Schurz High School in Chicago, and conversation with four students in their junior year (and a full class in the audience as well)-as to how they see the world-with a measured dose of perspective from the guy who sat in the same chairs as they do now, back in 1974.

I was in fact able to get in the desk chair-but getting out...meh. I've gained four or five pounds since Nixon was president.

I've done thousands of shows in the past two decades plus, incredible conversations, enlightening perspectives, salient points, from the famous and infamous-however- whenever I talk with young people, I am reminded that all is not lost, and that they are far more informed, connected and passionate about their place in the world than we give them credit for.

HIGHER GROUND

My self-imposed hiatus ends today, on New Year's Eve 2019. This is the 99th episode-filled with rants, raves and reflections about the past 365 days, the ongoing impact of my conversations with some of the most incredible people in the world, why making "New Year's Resolutions" is not a good idea, why I am no longer the sheriff of "Truth Town" and a few thoughts about my old buddy John Denver, who would have turned 76 today. 

Hold on to your lug-nuts, we are moving into a new decade. 

Corbin's Legacy

Corbin Leafman was an extraordinarily compassionate, caring and creative Kindergarten teacher who taught in schools with disadvantaged students. She made it her mission to never let a child go hungry…not for a meal, a day, or a weekend.  She was known for always walking through the lunch line holding up a $20.00 bill to make sure that the cafeteria lady knew that none of her students were to go without a hot meal.

Corbin died in 2015 at the age of 31 from cancer. She was adamant about being remembered, not by her death but by who she was, how she cared and the way she lived. Corbin's Legacy was established in memory and honor, a dedicated teacher, colleague, steadfast friend, and devoted family member, and champion for children.

This episode is a partial rewind to 2016, and my conversation with Corbin's mom Joan Leafman, and how she has been guided by the spirit of her daughter, to continue making sure that children who suffer from "food insecurity" do not go without.

It's Giving Tuesday, and your $20 donation will feed one child, 42 meals for two weeks over the upcoming Christmas break- go to www.corbinslegacy.org to change the world, if only for a little while.

The Monday Memo

So what's worse? The sin of commission or the sin of omission? Its been a week of lessons around those two concepts, from getting rear-ended at a stoplight (sin of commission) to the perp leaving the scene of the accident (sin of omission) to forgiving myself for an error in my new book (commission AND omission) along with a deep dive into the life of an incredible man named Ervin Erdose M.D. who rose from the horror of a Nazi concentration camp, to save lives all over the world, before he passed away recently at the age of 97.

Acts of Beauty-Hillary Raimo

When it takes me an hour to come up with the name of an episode, because my guest covers so much ground in such an incredible way, you know its gonna be a great conversation. Hillary Raimo is a renaissance woman in every sense of the word. Best-selling author, award winning photographer, vaunted artist and enduring presence in the world of digital radio. As a multi medium artist, Hillary creates "acts of beauty" across all her platforms, and we cover some heavy duty topics ranging from the challenge of dealing with alternative media information to personal responsibility in the digital age to the importance of having conversations that can lead to transformations. Click to purchase her book "The Hillary Raimo Show Transcripts."

My Dad - Jarrett Payton

20 years ago today, November 1st 1999, Walter Payton passed away at the age of 45. His death sent shock waves throughout the world of sports, but his legacy is intact and lives on through his son, Jarrett and daughter Brittany. I've watched JP grow up from the 12-year-old who gave the Hall of Fame induction speech for his father in 1993, to his time at the University of Miami (2004 MVP of the Orange Bowl) to his stint in the NFL to becoming an entrepreneur and father, and now as the afternoon sports anchor on WGN TV in Chicago. Its a very powerful and provocative conversation with Jarrett Payton as he shares his memories and moments of his dad-Sweetness.

Halloween TBT

Halloween comes in a close second to Christmas for the holiday Americans spend the most money on for decorations. When I was growing up, the ghoul filled scare-fest was always in the #1 slot around our castle...er...house. My dad was a banker for about 11 months a year, but then came the ramp up to Halloween and he transformed (with some help from my mom) into a mashup of Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee as "Dracula" and for twenty years, our basement became a maze of horrors. Wonderful memories in this episode including an insightful and frightful TBT conversation with the original "Ghost Hunter" and historian, the late, great Richard Crowe from 1999. 

Author's Proof

It's been nine years since I wrote "Every Moment Matters" and thirteen since my first book "Living An Uncommon Life" was released, so why in the world would I go through the maze of publishing a third book? I call it..."The Nudge." I've learned over time that if I don't follow that "inner push" I come down with a serious case of "spiritual constipation" (for lack of a better term.) My latest book is "Pheonmena: Sacred Moments, Messages, Memories & Other Sh*t I Can't Explain" wherein I share many true-life events, the most incredible, humbling and awe inspiring experiences of my life. Like the desk drawer in an empty classroom that revealed hope for a little girl with terminal cancer, the mysterious voice that spoke the name of a man who died tragically over a century ago, the "visits" from a powerful Native American chief and the daughter who reached past the veil of death, to ease the pain of her grieving father, and more phenomena that I absolutely cannot explain.

You can pre-order the book by clicking the title.

Travels with Charlie

Any guy that is an aficionado of the animated series "Beany & Cecil" is okay in my book.

Charlie Meyerson not only has a beanie copter hat to prove his loyalty to the classic cartoon, but an Edward R. Murrow Award (which is nearly as important) on the shelf as well. Charlie has delivered award-winning Chicago-area news for a long time — including more than 10 years at the city’s legendary progressive rock station, WXRT-FM 93.1; almost nine years at pioneering “smooth jazz” station WNUA-FM 95.5; almost 13 years at Tribune Co., as senior producer and Daywatch columnist  and then as news director at Chicago’s premier news/talk station, WGN-AM 720.

Its a dive into the deep end of journalist integrity, the importance of being relevant and the ongoing, uphill climb to uncover the truth, in an unprecedented era of fake news.

You can connect with Charlie at www.chicagopublicsquare.com 

Photo credit: Steve Ewert