Everybody Needs a Natalie

What would it mean to believe that I'm not afraid of anything? It means that I will take the first step in telling my story, by giving someone the first word for theirs. Nick, I hope you write it all. Thank you. 

My second guest and I were casually chatting at the beginning of our call and my creative project went from zero to Nic Cage in 1 minute and 49 seconds. And I did it myself. 

My guest Jeremy and I sat down to talk about his D&D group that has been together for 22 years.  I planned to center this conversation around friendship, but it became something so much more meaningful about how incorporating play and creativity into your life metabolizes pain, fosters relationships, gives us access to emotional management tools, and can even help us define our entire identities. We talk about chosen family, and how to make friends as adults. I can't wait for you to hear this episode! 

I am absolute trash, as in, born into poverty & violence, and running from it the whole way. How many of us are just one step away from trash, and what does it mean to be trash? What does it mean not to be trash? Is "normal" just trash + middle class, all of the trauma being put to bed in nicer homes? 

Apparently, I miss way more than I thought I did. Sean and I try to introduce ourselves, but I wind up realizing we almost had our first fight the night before. The "fight" got recorded, so check back for part 2. 

A vulnerable moment as Sean and I talk about why it took us (me) so long to acknowledge that our friendship was something really special. 

I promised I'd come out of the gate hot, but for ~reasons~ I had to pivot. In Episode 1 we talk about the importance of having our lives witnessed with grace, and then we move into a practical conversation about how to comfort a grieving friend.