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Part Of A Community

Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Mark Des Cotes, I teared up while listening to the last episode of SILY, and I believe if you aren’t learning, you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday I springboard off of what Darrell talked about.

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Today’s Fun Fact of the Day: Since today Wednesday, September 30th is International Podcast Day I thought I would share some facts about podcasts. At last count more than 46 million americans listen to at least one podcast per month. That’s roughly 17% of the American population. This number grows by roughly 2% every year.

Here’s What I leaned yesterday
How am I supposed to follow what Darrell put out yesterday? That was such an emotional episode that I almost thought about hanging up my hat and saying, that’s it, I’m done, because it’s all downhill from there. I know this is not a competition between the two of us but if it was, then Darrell just blew me out of the water. I mean he made me cry.

I was listening to Darrell’s episode while driving to meet with a client. I was so overcome with emotion that I ended up being late for my meeting because I had to wait for my eyes to dry before going in. I mean, hearing that story really touched me. I sent one of those tulips to Linda, but other than hearing that she had received them I had no idea, until now, of the impact that action had.

I’ve never met Linda in person. I only know her through social media and brief forays into the Golden Spiral Media live chat room. But through those small interactions I have gotten to know her. I comment on things she posts and she comments on mine. We’re part of a community, a kind of family if you will, and family means something. When Darrell told me about Linda loosing her son, and told me about his white tulip initiative there was no hesitation, my tulip was in the mail that day, because that’s what family does. We’re there for each other.

Darrell talked about the community that’s blossomed around podcasting and I can attest to that, both here on Stuff I Learned Yesterday and GSM, as well as my own shows at Solo Talk Media. There’s a bond that forms as you get to know people, even if you never meet face to face. We’re redefining what it means to be friends. By definition, a friend is someone with whom you have a bond of mutual affection. Years ago that meant someone you knew personally face to face but the internet, social media and podcasting has broken that barrier and has allowed us to expand the boundaries of our circle of friends to include people from anywhere in the world.

Podcasting has allowed me to get to know, and become friends with people like Barb, who’s stories about her mother are helping me better deal with things I’m going through with my father. And Stephanie, who was a major influence in my podcasting journey. There’s Bonita, who’s wisdom I just want to soak in. Emilee who’s sense of humour I just adore. Geoff, our tastes are so similar and yet we come at them from completely different angles, which fascinates me. Chad, our minds are so synced sometimes it’s scary. And Wayne, who I have met in person, and who I know I can bounce things off of and get an honest answer from. I could keep going. These are just a few of the people that I call friends that I would not know if not for this wonderful medium of ours called podcasting.

And even if I never meet any of these people face to face, I’m still a better person for knowing them.

Here’s what I learned.
We teach our children to be weary of the internet. It’s as dangerous a place as the dark corners of the cities we live in. But we also need to teach them of the wonderful opportunities that are out there, and the great people they can meet.

I know this doesn’t apply to all of you but to me the internet is still a fairly new thing. I remember a time when my entire world was bordered by a couple of city blocks. As I grew up those borders expanded to include my entire neighbourhood, then my whole city. But our kids are growing up in a world where borders don’t mean the same thing. There’s no place on the planet they can’t reach out to.

My son is into backpacking and talks to fellow enthusiasts from around the globe. They talk about different trails, equipment, supplies, skills, and all sorts of things. One day, when he can afford it he plans on meeting some of these people and going hiking with them. That wouldn’t be possible without the internet. And even if he never does go, he’s still forming friendships that could last for years.

It’s sad when you hear of people, especially children who feel so isolated, unwanted, unloved. Because It doesn’t matter what you’re into, what your hobbies are, your beliefs, your dreams, your goals. You are not alone. There are communities out there just waiting to welcome you in. Be it social media, podcasts, forums, blogs whatever. Friends are waiting to be found.

Being a podcaster means I open myself up to the world. I don’t know everyone who listens to me. I don’t know what affect I have on them. But I can tell you I try to get to know everyone that reaches out to me. And when someone emails me thanking me for what I’m doing, and sharing what it means to them. It’s humbling.

And that’s why we do this. We don’t podcast because we like the sound of our own voice. We do it because we’re looking for that community of like minded people. Our people. And if we’re lucky, we get to call them friends.

I’m Mark Des Cotes and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.

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