Friendship!
With this holiday episode, we return to our series on Friendship, with a really amazing assembly of listeners and guests giving their thoughts on this vital topic.
talkin' 'bout Our Generation
Especially during the holidays, friendship IS vital. Isolation, a lack of connectedness and a lack of social interaction can lead to serious mental health problems, depression, illness, and even shorten our lifetimes. And according to a recent U.S. Surgeon General's report, as many as half of adults are quietly coping with this "Epidemic of Loneliness."
We need friends. We need each other!
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But this collective commentary also celebrates what a wonderful thing friendship is; it binds us together, gives us that warm feeling of belonging, it makes us laugh and is a central core of happiness. We just can't live without it.
This collection of views on friendship comes without any interruption from us. Some speakers introduce themselves, some don't. But listening to this flow of thoughts and feelings from a wide variety of people is a form of universal experience. There is considerable common ground, as well as some unique perspectives. Overall, this assembly of thoughts and experiences is uplifting, informative. and thought-provoking.
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Hopefully, this episode will prompt you to think about how friendship affects your own life and inspire you to think about what friendship means to you. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Just let us know at rob@OURGENPOD.com if you add your voice and we'll call you back and record the conversation.
Many thanks to those who shared their thoughts many months ago, and have probably wondered where they went. Our apologies; we had to put the podcast on the back burner while we took a job to pay the bills,
But as many people said, that's one of the great things about friendship, you can drift apart, but when you hook up again, it's like you were never gone.
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We're working on our next episode in our
series on Friendship. We'll hear from Dr. Rebecca Adams, an expert on Friendship, focussing especially on how it affects us as we age.
Meanwhile, LISTEN NOW TO OUR HOLIDAY EPISODE ON FRIENDSHIP!
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We welcome Guest Writers on our Blog.
Read the brilliant piece on Friendship
by our very good old friend and a very wise man, Todd Taggart.​​​
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OURGENPOD is a
COMMUNITY!
We are seeking ways of increasing listener participation, and sharing the sense of purpose that drives us. You can watch Julian's brief intro to get a sense of what we are about.
We had a very cool app that allows you to call in and automatically record your voice. Unfortunately, we've had to suspend that while we cut costs and seek a sponsor and more donations.
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Meanwhile, if you want to be a part of the conversation, just let us know at rob@ourgenpod.com, and we'll set up a recording session.
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And please, consider making a donation.
The podcast does not make money; it is a financial drain. But gives PURPOSE. We are just two seniors doing the considerable work to produce OURGENPOD, coping with health issues, caring for our beloved sick kitty and the enormous vet bills, and fending off debtors and struggling to come up with the rent, facing eviction from our home of 35 years.
We really could use a little help from our friends right now.
Help Us Fight
the "Epidemic of Loneliness"
Especially during this season of gathering with family and friends, it may be difficult to think of "all the lonely people," as the song goes. Yet in America, there are millions of our fellow citizens, friendless and alone during this special season...and every day.
The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an alert about "An Epidemic of Loneliness" silently spreading through our generation that threatens our health, our happiness and our longevity.
If you're not feeling it yourself, you can bet you know someone who is,and we can help.
Read about how we're combatting this serious threat on OURGENPOD through our outreach, and episodes like our "Friendship Series" and help out if you can.
Please lend a Hand!
In this season of sharing and giving, we hope you can lend a hand and
help us keep this podcast (and us)
going. Our purpose is to bring people together, create a virtual community where we can share what we care about, and hopefully help
lonely people find fiends and feel like less alone.
We hope you agree that OURGENPOD is a cause worth supporting.
Our Heartfelt Thanks!
A few accolades from our Guests & Listeners ...
"Julian and Rob provide such a great service for the 55 Plus demographic. It is so under-served with good, cool, hip information and opportunities, and they do just that.”
Michael Shrieve
Musician, Drummer for Santana at Woodstock ‘69
Member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Guest on Episode 9
"I love the last episode on friendship! I had been thinking about that very
topic after my mother passed recently; Who was there for me and who wasn’t and why.
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"The Woodstock episodes were also interesting. Brought me back to my teen years and how my mother wouldn’t let me go with my neighbor! Imagine that!
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"Best of luck with future podcasts!"
Silvia Gambardella
Subscriber
"I am so glad I had a chance to listen to your Thanksgiving episode - It was thoughtful and timely and personal - really nicely done, I thought. When have any of us really read the Mayflower Compact and reflected on its true meaning and what they wanted to achieve? Or considered the intolerable conditions on the voyage? Or that a woman's significance was simply as someone's spouse...? Or related their hope for their future with what they would think of the country today? Or what our ancestors would think of US?
"So much to think about."
Gail Zetter
Subscriber
“I just want to let you know that the most recent episode of the podcast really knocked it out of the park.Dr. Shrand’s cure for incivility is indeed an excellent prescription for some of what ails our society.
Julian’s interviewing skills are excellent. He truly LISTENS to his guests and responds with thoughtful examinations and questions. Your podcast is always enlightening and makes me stop and think about matters that underly the angst that many of us feel daily. Solutions to big problems are not easy to find. But episodes such as the one with Dr. Shrand and the earlier one with CATHERINE RYAN HYDE certainly gives us all food for thought. Keep up the good work, gentlemen. We, your audience is listening. And remember, kindness is contagious.”
Eric Seedman
Subscriber
The State of Civility in America Series
“Civility is a value I care about. It’s the heart and soul of the original “Pay It Forward” idea,and is a central theme in my other 43 novels as well. We hear a lot today about the decline of civility in America, but what I feel we need is a more positive approach. How can we do better?
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"So I was honored to be the first guest on talkin’ ‘bout Our Generation’s’ series on “The State of Civility in America.” My interview with Host Julian Simmons was positive, friendly and thought-provoking, and I look forward to hearing future episodes. I believe this podcast is serving a very valuable service, the kind I envisioned when “the Pay It Forward Movement” first took hold. I encourage everyone to listen and lend their support to this timely and important podcast.”
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Author of the NYTimes Best-Selling Book,
“Pay It Forward”
Guest on Episode 11
"My readers often tell me that my characters make them think more about how we treat others, and how they can be a better person. Of course I’m thrilled if I can nudge my readers toward a kinder, more caring way of treating one another.
"I just want to say in support of your podcast ... the fact that you guys are taking on civility in a historic and liminal moment that has allowed rampant incivility to take over so much, I think what you're bringing to the conversation is important. And just as importantly, I think the fact that you are finding ways and finding people to come on to talk about civility is something that is fresh, because we're swimming in so much of its opposite and people will hear this and, and hopefully it will stimulate a movement to create civil spaces in our society."
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Dr. Shepherd Siegel,
Author of "Tricking Power Into Performing Acts of Love"
and "Disruptive Play: The Trickster in Politics and Culture."
Guest on Episodes 14 & 16
“I just finished listening to podcasts three and four. Each podcast is getting better and better. It's great. Although not a hippie, my friends and I were all about the music in college. My kids cannot believe that I loved Hendrix and Santana as well as John Sebastian and Lovin’ Spoonful. There was a real sense of community and caring for one another, and caring for the earth as well. I clearly remember the very first Earth Day. Thank you for your efforts to promote community and a sense of camaraderie among us,Julian and Rob. This podcast reminds us how being gentle with each other is a good thing.
Thanks!”
Arlene Wong
Subscriber
Wow. I just finished the podcast with Carol Green and Richie Havens. I'm just leaving this message because I want the producers directors to understand how awesome it was for me to be taken back to that time. You know, peace, love, and freedom, which I hadn't thought about in so many years, it's kind of relevant to today. So, I'm feeling good. It reminded me that we can still hope and believe and have faith that it's all gonna turn out okay in the end. So, thanks. Looking forward to the next podcast!
Suzette Fowler
Subscriber