Before he began his 6-month walk across the United States, Tom Griffen waded into the Pacific Ocean, hugged his friends, and said goodbye to his girlfriend of 7 years. Tom age 45 and a former athlete and ultramarathoner, had finally decided to fulfill his decades-long dream of crossing America on foot. But what he thought would be a solitary 3,300-mile walk soon became a journey of self-discovery as a steady stream of strangers offered Tom help and compassion and Tom, who had never felt able to truly trust others and kept people at arms-length began to let down his guard. He discovered that the act of accepting offerings from these "roadside saints" was what helped him finally begin to feel comfortable in his own skin; he discovered kindness can’t be stopped.

https://tomswalkinglife.com

Walk across America/Revelation/Self-discovery

When Christine McLean left home as a teenager to escape her abusive father she didn’t think she’d ever look back. The domestic violence she experienced as a child left her with trauma, anxiety, an eating disorder, and a dangerous relationship with alcohol which plagued her for years. Now sober and with a family of her own, Christine reflects on the aftermath of childhood pain, the decision she made to allow her father back into her life, and how she found it possible to still deeply love the person who hurt her the most.

For more on Christine visit: 

https://detroitalabama.com

 Domestic Violence/Sobriety/Forgiveness

Addiction ran rampant in author Jason Allen’s family and disrupted every aspect of his life growing up working-class poor in a small, Long Island town. Against the backdrop of lush estates in the Hamptons, Jason and his friends worked long hours and partied hard every night until he too fell victim to serious alcohol addiction. His total self-destruction averted only by the close bond he shared with his mother and younger brother, he clung to his desire to make it off the Island and become who felt he was meant to be. Jason talks about the loss of his father to alcoholism, his new novel The East End, and how writing and sobriety saved him.

For photos and more on this episode visit: 

https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com

Addiction/Recovery/The East End

Instagram:: eastendauthor

Raised by Protestant Evangelical Conservative Christian Missionary parents Paul Boardman and his four siblings endured regular corporal punishment during their childhood in Tokyo at the hands of their father, a leader in their missionary community. From their earliest years and into young adulthood, he and his siblings faced dire consequences for misbehavior. As they grappled with the struggle to “be good” in the eyes of their father and church their shared trauma created an unbreakable bond between them. Paul, now a funeral celebrant, talks about his experience creating eulogies for the unchurched, the way in which grief stories are love stories, and how leaving the church made him feel more Christian.

For more about Paul visit:

https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com

Missionary/Child Abuse/Forgiveness