Tune in to podcasts.
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I know they’ve been around for quite a while, but lately I’ve become a big fan of podcasts. Apparently I am part of a growing number of seniors who are listening to them. In a recent poll, about half of those 55 years and older had listened to a podcast in the last month and it appears this number has been steadily increasing.
In case you haven’t checked, there are millions of podcasts out there. So where does one start to listen? Well,the first thing is to dowload the app if you want to listen on your phone. On your computer, most podcasts are just a search away. The app is free and so are podcasts for the most part. Some that are produced by nonprofits and businesses ask for donations but still let you listen for free. The podcast app is also free to download. I have it on my phone. Once there, the world explodes with the sheer number and variety of podcasts. It can be a little overwhelming. Kind of like eating an elephant, so you do it one bite at a time.
Friends and family can be the source of podcast suggestions. A friend turned me on to The Daily. Produced by the New York Times,these short interviews and stories (usually only about 20-30 minutes) give a quick yet indepth look at a hot topic of the day. It’s an easy way to stay informed.
My daughters have tuned me in to several podcast topics. One daughter jogs and drives a lot so she uses those times to listen. She suggested Ted Talk which conveniently comes in both audio and video, so you can listen via a podcast or view a talk on the website. TED stands for technology, entertainment, design and hence the topics are varied and wide ranging. The program describes itself as a community of curious souls, searching out interesting and engaging people to present “talks.”
Another one Mollie suggested is The Moth, again both a podcast and a radio program. It promotes the art and craft of storytelling. Always done in a live setting before an audience (although it’s virtual now), the stories are real, at least to the extent the presenter remembers them. They’re happy, sad, touching and sometimes unsettling, but always entertaining.
A source I rely on for quality listening, both for podcasts and radio listening is NPR — National Public Radio. I make no bones about it — I am a loyal, dedicated, unabashed listener (and donor) of public radio. It’s a gem in our country, and I always keep a watchful eye for some elected official who wants to do away with the small portion of its financial support that comes from public money.
NPR sponsors several wonderful podcasts. Take Planet Money, a podcast that actually makes learning about economics fun and enjoyable, not to mention relevant to seniors our age.
The host of This American Life, Ira Glass is first class. His unique voice, his wittiness and style always entertain me. His stories and the people he interviews are full of big feelings, funny moments and surprising plots. It’s like little movies on radio.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include on my NPR listen list The Best of Car Talk. Click and Clack, the Tappit brothers hosted a radio program for years Saturday mornings on NPR. They would chuckle and chortle their way through questions from callers on all things cars — and maybe just a few other subjects they just had to include. One of the brothers is deceased, so no new shows are being produced, but their reputation and laughter live on in the podcasts.
Two podcasts I recently discovered came via a story on NPR where the two hosts were interviewed: Anna Sales of the Death, Sex and Money podcast and JoAnn Allen who hosts Been There Done That. The two joined forces for a live call-in show (again on NPR) specifically asking older adults how they’re doing in these crazy times. It was called “Getting Real about Getting Older.” Listeners were asked to talk about how COVID and other circumstances have impacted their lives this past year.
The comments were wide ranging both in topics and emotions. One caller blamed the pandemic for “taking two years out of my life.” While an 82 year old living alone reminded us all we need to keep upbeat and find things to do. She made “doggy bags” for her nieces and nephews for Hanukkah. The thank you notes she received filled her day and her heart. Some of the callers just needed to get something off their chest, like the woman who was clearly bitter about her husband’s death. He died while hiking. “What an idiotic way to die,” she lamented.
The hosts did an excellent job of calmly interviewing all the callers. JoAnn Allen is a veteran journalist and very astute in the questions she asked her guests. Her podcast Been There Done That is like that, too, as she features real life stories of and by the Baby Boom Generation. Anna Sales’ podcast deals with all those things we think about a lot but don’t necessarily like to discuss –like death, sex and money and much more.
These podcasts and so many others remind me that we all have stories to tell, and in many cases we want to tell them — if only we were asked. I’d actually love to do the asking and produce a podcast. I even have the Podcast for Dummies book. I’ll see how I progress on that front. Listening to wonderful podcasts may inspire me.
The trick sometimes is finding the best time to listen. Driving is still my preferred way, except I’m not doing as much of that these days. When my husband and I are in the car together I search for one that we’ll both like. Fortunately, that’s pretty easy to do. The Daily and Ted Talk are two of our favorites.
Some people enjoy listening as they walk outdoors. I’m not quite there yet. I much prefer listening to the birds or just enjoying the quiet of the outdoors. But I am going to try listening while on the treadmill, exchanging the tv remote for some good earphones.
The beauty of podcasts is there is a topic out there for everyone, and there are good reasons to listen to podcasts. It’s free entertainment; you can listen anywhere and there’s a lot to be learned — which is important for a long lived life. So take a bite of the elephant. It’s pretty tasty.