By: Ken Boone It's always good when a person like me finishes something he starts. It punches a big hole in the idea that I'm wishy-washy. Although not true, that reputation was something I had to live with for a long, long time. It's hard to believe that I'm putting the finishing touches on the 35th and final episode of my podcast, "From Grievance to Gratitude". Yes, that's the same title I use for this blog, since it was meant to a companion to the blog. Since I consider myself more of a writer than a talker, my plan was to use the podcast to fill in the blanks. The first few episodes were painful to record and probably even more painful to listen to. But since I didn't expect the show to garner a large following of listeners, I was able to toil away in anonymity. One can be quite bold when one knows he's not being heard. The main purpose of the show was to give me experience behind the microphone. Since I produce several podcasts hosted by other people, I felt it would be a good idea to practice what I preach! The first few episodes featured me mouthing off about the perceived slights I endured in both my early and later years. However, I would intentionally double back and express the gratefulness I felt when I found the silver linings. At first, the gratitude was pretty hard to spot. But over time, it began to take over the episodes, as well as this blog! Through sickness and health, these two outlets were welcome companions. I couldn't wait for Monday mornings to post links of my latest blog post on social media. Wednesday mornings were reserved for posting the podcast episodes. I'd swell up with pride when I found the posts and episodes when I would conduct simple Google searches. I guess that made me "bona fide"! For us old heads, it's like seeing you name in the phone book for the first time. But I digress... The only time I took a break from blogging and recording was when I was recovering from a serious illness last Fall. I was in such bad shape that I had to be hospitalized for five days. When I was being admitted, I was asked what activity I did that gave me most pleasure. Without giving it any real thought, I blurted out "creating podcasts". That information was posted on the white board in my room. It was also entered in my medical files. In fact, every time I meet a new provider from Atrium Health, that factoid always comes up. What an amazing ice breaker! With the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, podcasting has suddenly become an important part of the corporate communications strategy for companies large and small. Demand for quality production to go along with corporate messaging has translated to a busy time for me in the near and possibly distant future. I'm ready, willing, and able to do my part. A casualty of this spike in activity is my little podcast. It doesn't have a huge following, but I used it as a barometer of personal growth. As mentioned several times recently, the gratitude began dwarfing the grievances. I found myself with very little to complain about! I will be replacing my little podcast with a new show with a possible launch date in June, 2020. It will focus on survival stories of people working in the gig economy. While I will cover many industries, the main thrust will be on the creative freelancers, like musicians, videographers, writers, etc. I'm excited about this new chapter, but I hope that the show is short-lived, for obvious reasons. I'll continue writing this blog with new posts every Monday. And I'll continue my current practice of groping around in search of grievances. And I'll continue to measure success by "great job, Honey" I get when my wife Celia hears the episode playbacks. I also measure satisfaction by the smile that's reflected back at me every time I look in the mirror! Stay blessed, my friends!
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About the AuthorAs owner of the Descant Music & Media Group, Ken is a creator and producer of several podcast shows. He is also a music producer, as well as a writer and an accountant for small businesses and nonprofits. Archives
June 2020
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