I've been telling a lot of people, in person and through my podcast that I have been busier now, than I have ever been. There seems to be more to get done at home. There is more to do at work. And I don't know if I am just not managing my time properly, but I don't even seem to have time to just sit and enjoy. And, as I have noted, I wish I had been this busy when I was 20 something - because I just don't have the energy these days.
Of course, part of it is life. My doctors have discovered that I need things to be attended to, more than just once a year. Yes, plural...doctors. Lessee...there's my GP, I have a dermatologist, a CPAP specialist, an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat doc), an allergist and an oncologist. I'm clear, by the way - I had a spot on my face, and most recently some numbers weren't right in my blood...but, my body isn't doing anything nefarious to me...so, I'm good. But, I am due for a "procedure"...yeah, that word entered my lexicon. Nothing major - a deviated septum. I've asked the doc to perhaps shape the outside of it while he's there...I've asked for "The Bruce Willis". I'll see what he can do. I'm just waiting on an appointment now.
Part of my busy-ness has been of my own doing. Ever since November of 2023, every week, on Sunday - I have produced a podcast about my look at Canada. "Canada, as I see it" began as a bunch of essays on some uniquely Canadian facts that were on one of the many t-shirts that I own. That, in itself was one of over 100 shirts that I wrote about back in 2020, when we were all working at home. Well, those Canadian-themed essays have been re-written, and produced as a weekly "look back" at what makes my country great.
Last weekend was the first in over a year-and-a-half that I did NOT produce one. It is NOT because my subject matter has strayed from the "shirt subject matter" lately. It is NOT because of what has been going on in Canada, and on the world stage lately. In fact - that has been a great opportunity for me to learn about our legal system, and to help relate that to you. I got a couple of really good shows on those subjects!
No, it has a LOT to do with me wanting to step back, so that I can look at preparing more ahead of time (that was always the plan, but I just couldn't get ahead of the game!). I started doing the podcast because I wanted to - and lately, it felt more like I was doing it because I HAD to.
I do enjoy it. And there are people all over the world who appear to enjoy it too.
In fact, there is one person who emailed me, and said that she had taken history in University, and didn't get as much out of it, as she did with my podcasts! Funny thing that...I never considered myself to be a teacher of any type - I just like to talk (and well, write). Another thing along those lines (tangent coming up...) - my wife makes and sells greeting cards - mostly at church bazaars and Legion craft shows, but a couple of weeks ago, we helped out her cousin at a street festival in Bowmanville (the whole family makes everything from garden accessories to miniatures for dollhouses). Well anyway, it turns out that I have developed into a bit of a salesman - I didn't realize it at the time, but they told me later that I was basically walking circles around the several tables that we had, schmoozing and talking to anyone who dared stop at our location! I paid for it though...by the time we got home (a little over an hour away), I put my feet up, and fell dead asleep!
I plan on returning with more podcasts in September, and HOPEFULLY the project that I started promoting LAST fall. I want to get back into a little more production. I'm looking at story-telling, and maybe radio dramas. This break will give me that time. It's a lot easier to write when you don't HAVE to. I may leave a laptop up at the cottage so that I can write when I get the inspiration.
Please feel free to comment on anything I write here.
I'll be doing less "novel writing" on Facebook. In fact, if you're reading this, you have clicked on a link from there. I've set an automated thing up to point you here. I want to use Facebook for what it was meant for - sharing cat and baby bear videos, and making smartass remarks on my friends posts.. I'm done with scrolling past the detritus that is sucking what little time I have left in my day. I want to read, write and laugh.
When you do comment on something here, it may take a day to actually show up. Right now, my comment sections on here have been the purview of Russian bots trying to sell anything and everything..most of it not safe for work or children's eyes. I have been manually getting rid of it, but will put in for an automated spam scraping system, should actual people actually read my words on here! For now, I have to personally approve any message. Please be patient.
You'll definitely be seeing more of my musings on here. It's a lot easier to just write - especially when the inspiration is there - AND I have the time.
Thanks for checking this out everyone.
If you have any suggestions about what I can talk about on the podcast, email me at AsISeeIt@whorpole.ca
Or, if you want to see what else I have going on in my life, wander on over to my website:
whorpole.ca There, you can see all of the links from previous podcasts, check out the entire shows, or see what Caroline has been up to with her greeting cards - amongst MANY other things.
There you will also see an opportunity to contribute to the cause.
My podcasts aren't monetized yet (I need to reach a certain threshold of listeners - currently sitting at about 18% of what I need) - so I have added a link to "Buy Me A Coffee" on that page. That gives you the chance to drop a few coins in my pencil cup, to help me produce more podcasts and other things for you. It's the yellow button at the top right of the first page on my site.
OR, you can click HERE.
That's it for now. I just wanted to touch base and let you know why you did not see a new podcast last weekend. I'm good - I'm just resting.
Talk soon!