Reflections on Life, Growth, and Connection with Rob Bell

In this episode, Neil interviews Rob Bell, delving into significant memories and experiences that shaped Rob's life. They explore Rob's childhood memories on a farm and a rustic cabin in Michigan, poignant historical events like the Challenger explosion, and discussions on the impact of environment and personal history on his outlook.

Rob articulates his philosophies on living a fulfilled life by being attuned to nature, engaging in creative processes, and embracing curiosity and connection with others. The conversation also touches on influences from music, the importance of empathy, and the evolution of personal growth in understanding oneself and others.

You can find more of Rob's work over at RobBell.com, and you can join his Patreon page to support his ongoing work.

Table of Contents

00:31 Introduction and Early Memories

00:56 Life on the Farm

02:24 Michigan Cabin Adventures

03:17 Significant Historical Events

05:53 Impact of Locations on Life

06:31 Connection with Nature

16:32 Influence of Media and Music

20:47 Reflections on Parenting and Influence

26:03 Current Phase of Life

29:49 Navigating Emotional Investments

34:24 Understanding Agricultural Perspectives

35:39 Shifting from Contempt to Curiosity

37:28 The Glitch in the Progressive Matrix

45:11 Navigating Parent-Child Relationships

52:28 Learning from Others and Self-Reflection

56:30 The Power of Perspective and Absurdity

The Significance of Place in Shaping Our Lives

In this episode of the 'From 78' podcast, I explore the subjective experience of time and the impact of physical places on shaping personal identity and relationships. 

I share personal anecdotes about the various places that significantly impacted my life, including a game store, a Borders bookstore, and a Denny's restaurant. I reflect on how these places provided a sense of community, facilitated friendships, and influenced my tastes and aesthetics. I also ponder the effect of technology on social interaction and question how I can create or find similar meaningful spaces in my current life. 

The episode encapsulates a sense of nostalgia, gratitude, and curiosity about the evolving nature of communal spaces.

00:31 Introduction and Greetings

01:03 Kolacky and Coffee: A Morning Ritual

02:10 The Importance of Plans

02:47 Wandering Thoughts: The Significance of Place

05:10 Reflecting on Past Experiences

07:39 The Role of Place in Personal Growth

10:56 Memorable Places: Game Store and Borders

17:59 Denny’s: A Hub for Connection

27:00 The Impact of Technology on Social Spaces

28:54 Concluding Thoughts and Gratitude

Reflections on Time and Longing

In this impromptu episode of the 78 podcast, Neil Gorman delves into his subjective experience of time, sparked by a spontaneous observation while driving past a middle school. 

The episode explores themes of nostalgia and longing as Neil reflects on his own middle school experiences, juxtaposing them with his life as an adult, and wrestling with the emotions these memories evoke. 

Introduction and Episode Context

Reflecting on Daily Routines

A Nostalgic Encounter

Memories of Middle School

The Longing for Youth

Adult Reflections and Realizations

Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

Embracing Uncertainty and Desire: A Reflection on Open-Mindedness

In episode 021 of the From78 podcast, Neil reflects on a personal anecdote about eating a bagel and connects it to his thoughts after reading a New Yorker article about Mahmud Mandani's 1964 bus trip across America. 

Neil then explores themes of open-mindedness, desire, and the subjective experience of time, questioning whether people today are still capable of embracing the unknown and unfamiliar without fear or defensiveness. Through these reflections, the host delves into the concept of desire within Lacanian psychoanalysis and challenges listeners to consider their own reactions to lack and absence.

00:00 Introduction and Personal Anecdote

01:52 Introducing the Main Topic

03:08 New Yorker Article Excerpt

05:41 Reflecting on the Past and Present

09:15 Exploring Human Nature and Desire

13:07 Concluding Thoughts

Episode Description:

In this episode of his podcast, host Neil Gorman delves into the subjective experience of time and reflects on his own emotional and cognitive journey from youth to adulthood. He discusses the shift from anger and judgment in his younger years to a more compassionate and understanding outlook as he grew older. Neil revisits previous themes, references the poem 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran, and shares insights about the natural progression of becoming a steward of the world. He also discusses the contrasting paths people may take as they age—either moving towards compassion or becoming increasingly bitter. Join Neil as he explores the complexities of time, growth, and the importance of compassion.

Warning:

This episode is a self-referential reflection, where I revisit some of the themes from prior episodes. It is very rambly, so if you like that kind of thing, you'll like this one. And, if you don't like rambling episodes, you should probably skip this one.

Themes & Returning Themes: 

• Dwelling in the house of Tomorrow when you're young, and moving out into the world of the present.
• The shift from being one who is going to inherit the world to someone who has inherited the world and is now a steward of that world.
• The loss of youth, the future, a large stack of tomorrows.... This makes some people soften and become more compassionate, and others harden and become bitter and brittle. 

Referenced: 

• The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
• F78 Episode 015 
• Nick Cave (Faith, Hope, & Carnage; The Red Hand Files) 
• F78 Episode 017 
• F78 Episode 018 

I talk about how it's been a while since I last produced an episode of this podcast. Between the release of my last episode (018) and this one (019), I went back and re-listened to all the episodes I made in season 2. This makes me reflect on two things. 

1. How technology lets me kind of travel in time, by letting present me listen to past me.
2. My general liking for audio as a medium.

Referenced:

TV show: Quantum Leap
Ira Glass
This American Life
Joe Frank
RadioLab  

Referenced in this episode:

• The Read Hand Files
• Nick Cave (Wikipedia) 
• Faith, Hope, & Carnage (Amazon) 
• Freud Morning in Melancholia (Wikipedia) 

Referenced in this episode:

• The Read Hand Files post I read out loud. 
• Nick Cave (Wikipedia) 
• The Botman's Call (Apple Music, Spotify) 
• The Murder Ballads (Apple Music, Spotify) 
• Faith, Hope, & Carnage (Amazon) 

Referenced:
In this episode, I read two short text sections from the book Carin by Kathleen Jamie.

Contact:
You can now email me your thoughts, reactions, questions, criticisms, concerns, etc. Just email from78 at surplusjouissance.com

In this episode, I discuss the process of aging and retroactively recognize that you've moved from dwelling in the house of tomorrow.

Referenced:
The Prophet, On Children, by Kahlil Gibran