It was the spring of 1979, more than nine years since Colette, Kimberly and Kristen MacDonald had been brutally murdered in their home at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in the early morning hours of February 17, 1970.

Now, in a few short months, in mid-July, Brian Murtagh, an attorney with the United States Justice Department in Washington, D.C, and I were going to prosecute Jeffrey MacDonald, Colette's husband and the father of Kimberly and Kristen, for their murder.

It was a circumstantial evidence case. We were going to rely a great deal on forensic evidence, such as blood, fibers from clothing, fingerprints, or the lack thereof, a footprint, photographs from the crime scene, an analysis of the murder weapons, medical records of the family and much more to prove our case.

Jeffrey MacDonald had spent much of the time since the murders telling anyone, including the media, his story. He said his family was killed by hippy intruders, at least four, and that he had almost been killed himself, having been seriously wounded. He may have talked too much.

We did not believe him or his story. We believed a careful examination of the physical evidence at their home, totally contradicted all that he said had happened.

But this was 1979, not 2023. He was a young doctor, claiming he was innocent and wrongfully accused. He was presumed innocent. Really. He had great lawyers. Wade and Bernie were two of the best.

Perhaps born out of necessity, due in part to our youth and the fact this was our first murder trial, we adopted the KISS strategy...keep it simple stupid! We didn't know that was what we were doing...we just did it.

This podcast tells how we planned to prove our case, and how we hoped to beat the odds and beliefs of so many who thought we had no chance.

This was the spring and summer of 1979, when what we really wanted was to catch lightning in a bottle.

A Harvard University Medical School study, 85 years in the making, is very clear on the question of how to have happier lives in the world. As the New York Times recently reported, "strong relationships are what make for a happy life".

While I have done a recent podcast on Finding Happiness, this one is a bit different, perhaps in response to last week's podcast in which Jade Neptune, a young writer and college graduate spoke about college suicides and loneliness.

No one can say that he or she has the absolute right answers to these age-old questions. But it only takes one strong relationship to make a difference in our lives. More than that, and you are playing with house money.

In this podcast, I talk about this Harvard Medical study and the articles by the New York Times. There is the secret power of the short phone call, the small talk that has big benefits, writing notes of gratitude, the importance of work friends, and trying hard not to cancel our plans.

Last week I was with a great number of friends in New Bern for a seminar discussion that turned on happiness, fighting loneliness and living a purposeful life. They shared with me and each other recent events in their lives on their own struggles with friends, illness and even death.

Still, through it all, everyone of them has hope for the future and strong beliefs as to how they manage to live happy lives.

Whether it is through acts of unconditional friendship, writing notes of gratitude, or simply making new memories as well as remembering old ones, they continue to try.

They believe, as do I, in a place called Hope.

If you want to feel better about the future and the next generation, just become a client of Patrice Nealon's Digital Marketing class at N.C. State.

For more than seven weeks and counting, going towards the rest of the semester, teams of talented marketing students have worked to give me their best creative ideas as to how better to market my podcast Grit: Stories of Resilience.

Not stopping there, they are also putting together feasibility studies and marketing strategies for a second possible podcast dealing with the ever-popular true crime genre in general, and the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case in particular.

These students envision video podcasts, complete with still photos as well, and even clip previews of podcasts before they air.

So, following their lead, the balance of this week's new podcast is a preview or preamble of what a finite number of episodes on the MacDonald case, from my point of view, would involve.

You might ask what does this long- ago murder case have to do with Grit. However, this case is perhaps the longest running federal criminal case in United States history.

Scores of lawyers over the many years since the 1979 trial have worked tirelessly to uphold the jury's conviction. They have succeeded.

They are not household names. But they are some of the best lawyers anywhere. They have shown, despite many challenges, the very best attributes of Grit...in all its forms.

This podcast is the beginning of the story.

Happiness, I believe, is what people in the world want most in their lives. Attaining that is a lifelong pursuit, with sometimes different results, depending on where we are and what we are doing.

There are lots of books, college courses and even podcasts and apps for smart phones on how to live a happier life. It is becoming a well-plowed field. I am not sure there is any one way to make that happen. Rather finding happiness is a uniquely personal trip. What will make one person happy might not work for another.

This podcast then is a story of my attempt in part at finding happiness and telling you about it. Family, faith, friends, doing something in life for other people, practicing kindness, and just showing up every day are all important.

Still, it is in the details of our lives where happiness often resides. The key is to recognize them, build on them and not turn away when everything does not go our way.

At the end, what is it that you want others to say about you? How do you want to be remembered, even if for a short time? Answering those questions is one of the best guideposts for living the life you want to have. Good luck!

One of the most challenging things to do in life is something new, something you have never done before, such as go to college, start a new job or changing to another job, or just plain starting over in your life.

All of us have some fear of the unknown, fear of failure or at least some nervousness about the future. But if we try, if we are optimistic, if we keep on, keeping on, we just might make it after all.

I know something about getting knocked down, even if I punched myself. Still, I learned how to get back up, and many of the experiences in my life before then helped me prepare for that. So, it is with you. The tough times in your life that you have already overcome prepare you for whatever may come in the future. That should give you hope.

At the same time, we all might need a little push. That is what this podcast is about. It is never too late to start over, no matter your age or station in life. Never. The only limitations on any of us are the ones we put there ourselves.

Madeline Albright, in her last book, told us that in the end, we must put on our boots, grab a cane if we must and march.

When Anne Drescher was in her second year of Doctoral studies at the University of North Carolina School of Psychology, she developed and taught a course on Mental Health and Wellness for UNC undergraduates. It was so successful that the course continues to this day and hopefully will be expanded to all freshmen at the university.

Today, Anne believes students are often stressed, overwhelmed, socially isolated and many times unprepared for the new experience of college. This is the beginning of a new school year and thus what better time than now to talk about the challenges many of our young people are facing, too often alone.

Hear Anne talk about the struggles of going to college, the role of parents in helping their kids adjust to a new life away from home and how to make this four-year experience be one of the best times of their lives.

John Drescher knew he wanted to be in the newspaper business at the age of 15 when he became a reporter for a neighborhood newspaper in Raleigh. In the following years, he was the Editor of The Daily Tar Heel, reported for The State, the newspaper of Columbia, South Carolina, wrote for the Charlotte Observer, becoming its Metro Editor, and then in Raleigh, first a Managing Editor and ultimately Executive Editor of The News & Observer.

Then came Washington, D.C. and national politics, finally landing back home in Raleigh as a Contributing Editor for the newly established digital magazine, The Assembly.

It is here at The Assembly where he believes the future of his news reporting is to be, as he and others there take an in-depth study of the issues of our time. Check it out at www.theasemblync.com.

In this candid and riveting podcast, John speaks to the decline of major print newspapers across the country, the rise of the Internet and online news reporting, and where we go from here.

You will not want to miss John Drescher, who's lifetime experience in the writing of the news, has given him a front row seat in the protection of our democracy. Hear him share what he has learned with you.