Follow me on Twitter: @mk1157
Being involved in some way with politics and even writing about it here at Huffington Post, I try to read everything I can to keep myself as informed as possible. But I have to admit, sometimes the topic can become not only tiresome, but downright depressing, and I find that I need a break.
Problem is, with how much I have on my plate as far as obligations involving family, business, and philanthropy, I really have no time for new hobbies, or any hobbies for that matter.
Thankfully, at the behest of a friend, I recently began listening to non-political podcasts when I fly on business and I have to say, doing so has really helped me relax and unwind on some fairly long flights.
I’ve also found myself mostly listening to podcasts that talk about the past, rather than the present. My mind has gone back years and sometimes decades to old sporting events, as well as retro music. These days, I don’t get the opportunity to watch that much sports or delve into new music due to my busy schedule, so keeping up with the current scene can be very difficult. However, thanks to some of the podcasts I have found, I am discovering that enjoying memories of the past can be just as rewarding.
One such podcast is called “Play Like A Jet” and features in-depth interviews with former players from my favorite football team, the New York Jets, about certain New York Jets seasons. What I really like about this one is it is unique – it is done in a timeline like format, where a player comes on the show and goes through all the details of that season from a player’s perspective, which really helps make that season come alive again. A recent series on 2008 with former safety Kerry Rhodes was an especially fun trip down memory lane.
And on the music end, I’ve found the “Throwback Podcast” to be a lot of fun. So far I’ve listened to all of the episodes and especially enjoyed the one about Live’s “Throwing Copper,” which I never bought but still remember hearing constantly on the radio back in the 90’s. It reminded me of how much I prefer the mainstream music of that decade to the music of today, and hearing about some of these songs again has made me think back to what seemed to be a far happier time, or at least a lot less constant negativity.
I mentioned in my column yesterday that we have all lost the ability to talk to each other and rational discussion has become impossible, but these podcasts have helped me remember times in my life when I didn’t feel that way. And the beauty of it is, there are so many podcasts out there, covering virtually every topic imaginable. If you like standup comedy – odds are your favorite comedian has a podcast. Favorite sports team? Dozens of podcasts likely exist about them. You love television and movies? Music? Food? Cars? There are podcasts for EVERYTHING.
They are often raw, unfiltered, and the last place where people can have honest and enjoyable conversations without fearing a fight breaking out. It’s like the wild wild west of fun and interesting content out there, and I’m genuinely glad I’ve delved into it. As I alluded to yesterday, I’ve been largely able to keep my sanity in these crazy times, and being able to escape into entertaining shows like these is part of the reason why.