Jonah Asks

Ten minutes of British phrases with a five year-old. 

Welcome back to Jonah Asks. This episode is about how we live. Using the Dalai Lama's "Instructions for Life," I consider each of these ideas and discuss self-reflection, psychology and how we attempt to build gratitude and awareness. To read the instructions themselves,https://thriveglobal.com/stories/instructions-for-life/ Thanks for listening. Be well. 

A quick recap of last night's party for my ESL class to commemorate the end of the school year, then an audio version of an essay I published on Medium. This essay is a tribute to Boston Celtics' guard Derrick White. If you enjoy basketball, the Boston Celtics, or underdogs, this is for you. Here's a link to the written essay:https://darkoindex.medium.com/derrick-whites-journey-to-becoming-an-essential-boston-celtic-8c2cf388caf4

Welcome Back to Jonah Asks!In this episode, we meet Emily. A visual artist, a lover of the natural world, a citizen of Portland, Oregon, and a compassionate human.music: "Colors" by Black Pumas"Karma Chameleon" by Boy Georgemovie clip: Steve Buscemi from "Fargo" Coen BrothersEmily's websitehttps://www.emilykepulis.com/OpeningGreetings, pandemic time, dogs0:16Art in the Family. Emily's mom and grandma have always made art. 0:21The Blank Page/Canvas.Emily discusses the process of confronting the blank canvas. 0:25Water Briefed, a series of printshttps://www.emilykepulis.com/water-briefed0:27Mortality and the Natural World0:37On Time: Sixteen Minutes Means Nothing0:39Restaurant Work0:45Working from Home vs Working at a Studio0:50To Minnesota! Emily's father's family arrived in the upper Midwest after migrations from Latvia and Germany and then England.  Her mother's family are from Austria and Bohemia.1:00To Parent or Not to Parent1:10Sustaining CreativityJonah discusses his mom and poetry. 1:14Anne Carson's poem - "A Salmon Answers When We Ask"A salmon answers when we ask. Some conversations are not about what they’re about. The word conversation means “turn together.” Turn a salmon turn home turn Prometheus a hopeful god. Turn organize his life! Do not turn betrayal not kiss. Night bones. Day sleeper. Girl. Not stark naked not stark itself. What do you want to be in your next life. A salmon. Why. A rescue. How. A play. Whose. A reading. When. A Friday. No. Is that why they call it the Rec room.-after Anne CarsonRichard Powers "The Overstory"1:20Noticing, Observing and Slowing Down

music:"Man Who Sold the World" Nirvana, Unplugged in New York (Bowie cover)"Given to Fly" Pearl Jam, Yield"Hunger Strike" Temple of the DogOpeningPatrick and I attended the same schools, from elementary through high school. Our paths diverged and we knew of each other more than we knew each other after a while. This talk was intriguing for that reason. Patrick was a unique personality within our school, a musician and theater kid, but I didn't really know him. In this conversation, we catch up on the last 25 years. Q. What does it mean to be a "humanist"?Humanism as a way of adding dimension to atheism. Growing up in the Episcopal church, Patrick's father was a key member of the choir and Patrick recalls a moment when he was twelve when he looked out at the parishioners and questioned the integrity of the ritual.Q. Did anyone actually believe in the message they were singing? 0:07After High School - Working Patrick briefly attended community college and worked his way through jobs, gaining experience. Applying for jobs without a college degree. "It takes someone to stop and actually read a resume to appreciate what your work experience means." Searching for Independence as a teenSchools: Tracking and Inequality and Arlington0:12Moving to DC and then back to Boston - Jamaica Plain0:18Family: Dogs and CatsPatrick has two cats. He also has a 12 year-old child. Patrick gained experience with infants and toddlers working as a "Mother's Assistant." He loved the Babysitter's Club books.0:238th Grade: Kurt Cobain's SuicideWe recall the time of Kurt Cobain's death (we were in 8th grade) and Patrick discusses Cobain's influence. 0:32The Sound of Freedom Nirvana, Pearl Jam, punk showsPatrick started attending punk shows at The Rat in Boston at 15. 0:37Social Anxiety: How to Not Look Not CoolThe exhaustion of people trying so hard. Patrick supports his child dealing with school drama."There are people that are waiting for that 1% of genuine emotion to come out of you because that's 1 more percent to make fun of." 0:40Social Media: Persona vs Actual LifePatrick and I discuss the complications of living a genuine and honest life, and how social media is often a projection of unreal life.  "Everybody is struggling in some way. Everybody. Providing the support for everybody can only uplift the group. Let's help with that."0:42Undiagnosed ADD - Until AdulthoodPatrick got A's and D's in school. If he wasn't interested or struggling with the topic he would give up. He was never diagnosed with ADD because he wasn't "bouncing off the walls."0:44 Teaching Teenagers - Jonah teaching high school0:49Student Experiences - Schools Jonah Gets Accepted to College Early...Then Stops Attending Classes After Lunch0:56Working Life: Patrick's Experiences "I kind of still don't know what I want to be when I grow up."Graphic design. Copying. Temp Jobs. Help desk computer support for an architectural firm. Patrick's knack for understanding people and social skills helped him in working at a help desk, sort of as an IT translator. Moving back from DC, Patrick was a stay-at-home dad for a while and he explored website design. Patrick continues to work for a web design company. "I will watch YouTube videos on CSS tricks at 10:00pm on a Friday, because that's what I like to do."1:01Fatherhood: New Dad, DaycareThree days old, she had a crying fit that lasted 20 hours. Daycare was tough. She was three when we moved back to Boston. "I'm a good father. I'm a shitty daycare provider."1:07At the Park: "Maybe I'll nod."One of our parent friends now came from those moments at the park. 1:09Connecting: Patrick Has Social AnxietyPatrick sometimes gets stuck in his head. Jonah can relate. 1:10Not Reading Books, Not Exercising"I fill my day with distractions.""A fiction book is a fantasy and escape is necessary, but I never do it. My wife reads all the time."1(continued)

John G asks seven questions.What is your biggest challenge?What are you most excited about today?What is your biggest regret? Do you hold on to it?Who do you miss the most?What are you doing this Saturday?Andy asks about writing.What is writing to you? What does it do for you? What happens if you don’t do it? What parts of writing do you find most interesting?What parts most challenging?Ben asks about technology. Which aspects of technology and which devices do you think have had the most positive and negative impact on our lives? How do you try to get the good things and avoid the negative impacts?