I'm quite an effusive person and I am certainly hyperbolic. I remember reading in Time Out about someone who was overheard saying "I exaggerate all the time. I exaggerate about a million times a day" and questioning if I had been the one overheard. I'm an all in kind of person - I commit to things and it's just in my nature to go all in, I guess. This makes me sound like a mega-tool, I know. But really I'm just trying to give some context to how deeply my affection for things can run - why surround yourself with things that you only have lukewarm feelings about? Sod that! My affection for podcasts... will probably become obvious as I get more and more carried away with this declaration of love, but at least you can now consider yourself vaguely prepared.
Earlier this year I went to Toronto for five days on a solo trip to activate my visa. I haven't been on holiday by myself in a long time and it was one of the best experiences of my life I've had recently. I came back like a living, breathing, embodiment of Eat, Pray, Love. I was irritating. So irritating. I didn't bleat on about 'flow', but I wasn't far off... That said, lentils and tranquillity aside - it was an overwhelmingly positive experience and one which I hadn't really expected to be. I was walking ten miles a day, reading loads and listening to hours and hours of podcasts. I came back feeling happy in myself, in my own company and so much more interested and curious about the world then I had been before I went away. I never once felt lonely, or isolated - mainly I just felt really happy. I think I owe podcasts a lot for that - strange as it may sound - but since moving into a house and living by myself for the first time, they have often kept me company. As much as I love music, it is nice to have patter sometimes - particularly when it is something to laugh along to (special thanks to My Dad wrote a porno!).
I can't remember exactly when I got into podcasts but I'm a huge convert. I am subscribed to about 30-35 and I'd say I regularly listen to at least 20 of those. Others, I have to be in a particular mood for and some I just stopped by for a peruse, have ambled on and keep them as I may return at some point although it's unlikely. I've been meaning for ages to write some words and thoughts about some of my particular favourites and this is what has finally broken the long overdue blogging hiatus.
I think one of the things I like so much about podcasts is that I find them so absorbing. I get completely and utterly sucked into them and have found myself walking along busy streets, laughing uproariously, crying and uttering an opinion out loud as if I'm having a conversation with an invisible person. Also, the absolute GLORY of the fast forward 15 seconds button. Apple piss me off a lot (headphones jack) but I can almost forgive them because of the fast forward 15 seconds button. If I'm not enjoying a story or a segment, boom, it's gone, I've moved on. I am ruthless when it comes to those 15 seconds and I think the entire podcast experience is better because of it - I don't get dragged down listening to something I'm not interested in or that I'm just not enjoying.
But most of all, what I love about podcasts, is how some, (and I'm conscious of not reverting too much back to eat, pray, love mode, here) have had a genuine impact on my life. They have changed how I think about experiences and opportunities I've had and how I approach things now. If I ever met Dan Savage, I would say thank you for opening my mind, for introducing me to things I would never have come across otherwise and for making my life better.
At least, that is what I imagine I would say. I would probably say nothing of the sort and make a fool out of myself. Quite possibly, I would fall over. These things happen.
Now that I have reached the end of this post (spoiler: this is the end), I've realised that this will certainly be a part one post. I started out with the intention of writing about some of my favourite podcasts, why I love them, stand out episodes etc etc - I fully intend to do that but it seems I had more to say then I had anticipated. Next time.
