In switching this show from another platform, some episodes did not transfer, so I'm reposting them here. This episode originally aired on 05/08/26.

In today’s episode, I sit down with 81-year-old storyteller, lifelong learner, and future podcaster Ardean Maxey for a moving conversation about aging, memory, community, libraries, loss, change, and the stories that connect generations.

We talk about:

• party line telephones & frozen TV dinners

• adapting to grief and change

• growing older without giving up curiosity

• Prohibition-era whiskey flights in a biplane

• and why maybe… we’re just supposed to have fun

Ardean shares memories from ranch life in California, stories passed down through her family, and her dream of creating a podcast for older adults. She envisions a place for connection, laughter, and meaning in life’s later chapters.

One of my favorite moments:
“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails.”

This episode feels like sitting in a warm kitchen listening to someone who has truly lived.