I arrived late to the podcast party. And, man, was I missing out. Who knew that behind that little purple “Podcast” icon on my phone lived such a wealth of information and entertainment? Answer: Almost everyone, other than me. Why were you all trying to hide this world of goodness from me?
No matter what your interest, there is a podcast for you. Mystery, history, business, celebrities, inspiration, comedy, self-improvement, sports, art. There are even podcasts tailored for kids. Currently, Baylor and Ryan are all about “Wow in the World,” an NPR podcast for children. It’s a silly and informative show that addresses everything from why our knuckles crack to 3D printing. We turn it on in the car on our way to karate practice, and the whole family learns something. It’s way better than caving and letting the kids use the dang iPads during the commute. (Don’t get me wrong – podcasts have not conquered my offspring’s iPad addiction. Ha! Please. Don’t be ridiculous. I am convinced the only thing that will end that madness is when my dear hubby finally breaks down and tosses the tablets in the lake, as he has repeatedly threatened to do.)
Meanwhile, I have become a content-devouring monster in the past couple of months, since finally crawling out from beneath my rock and stumbling upon podcasts. I subscribe to a new show nearly every week, but some of my favorites are:
- “RISE Podcast with Rachel Hollis”
- My newest favorite, “RISE Together Podcast with Rachel and Dave Hollis” (I might be an itty-bitty bit obsessed with Ms. Rachel Hollis. But you will be, too. Trust me.)
- “The Goal Digger Podcast”
- “For the Love with Jen Hatmaker”
- “How I Built This with Guy Raz”
- “HolderMess: the Holderness Family Podcast”
These folks seriously cannot release new content fast enough to satisfy me.
I’m not lounging around on my couch listening to podcasts all day, though! Instead, I use podcasts to make all of life’s tasks more bearable. I listen to podcasts while washing dishes, folding laundry, weeding, driving, running, what have you. I actually look forward to tackling these previously dreaded activities now, because it means I get to listen to another episode. Instead of: “Oh, man, I still have to fold that mountain of clothes in the laundry room…,” it’s: “Yay, a new episode of RISE came out today, and I have an excuse to listen to it!” Look at me, multi-tasking and bettering myself while providing my family with clean clothing. I mean, talk about virtue. I’m flippin’ Super Mom! Now, kiddos, give Mama 10 minutes to finish this podcast, er, fold this load of laundry, in peace.
I know there are other ways to occupy your time while performing those mundane daily duties. You could chat on the phone, sing along to your favorite tunes, brainstorm your next big adventure, listen to a book. And I do love to listen to books on Audible, too, but, truth be told, I would still rather read a book than listen to one. And, unlike most books, podcasts are free! That’s right. Free.
I have picked up so many gems from podcasts already. I discovered the Enneagram (Again, late to the party!). For anyone out there who also missed their invitation, the Enneagram is basically a model of various personality types. After hearing half a dozen different podcasters talking about this, I took an online test (okay, I took many tests), and I am conclusively a 4. I pulled Dan into my craziness, and he found out he is a 4, too. I don’t know what it means to be in a double-four marriage, but I betcha there is a podcast out there that could tell me.
I also learned that I have synesthesia. Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay! Apparently, synesthesia is a phenomenon in which stimulation of one cognitive pathway is tied to another. There are several types of synesthesia. I experience spatial-sequence synesthesia, in which months are perceived as having specific locations in space. I posted a blog entry awhile back that actually touched on this, without even knowing it was a thing at the time! (http://jessicavanbommel.com/2018/03/13/i-heart-winter-sort-of/) And then I heard someone describing themselves and their synesthesia on a podcast, and there you go, I learned another little tidbit about myself.