The Ones Who StayA tribute to the quiet heroes of hospice—the ones who hold the light steady when the rest of us can’t.

When you’ve sat beside someone you love in their final days, hospice is no longer an abstract idea—it becomes something deeply human. My guest, Melissa, and I have both been there, and it changed how we understand care, dignity, and presence.

Melissa has spent more than 20 years working in senior care and hospice. In this conversation, we unpack what hospice really is, challenge the stigma around it, and honor the compassion of those who choose this work.

They are the ones who stay when others have to step away.

This 10-minute episode goes out to anyone who learned something the hard way—with scraped knees, bruised egos, and just enough stubbornness to try again. It’s for the ones who are still at it decades later—moving a little slower, maybe, but no less determined. “I Quit Golf” is, strangely enough, not about quitting. It’s about that voice in your head that refuses to accept that getting older means backing down.

In this episode, we pull up a barstool and explore the stories, sounds, and spirit of the neighborhood pub. Your favorite bar is a place that holds us together when the world feels scattered. The bars also reflect who we are and our desire for something easy. Membership is earned over time. The review process is informal but stringent. Conversation hog? You’ll know it. Complainer? No thanks. Bars especially hate complainers. It’s tough to learn appropriate tavern patter. Nothing is to be too extreme in emotion; keep the vibe upbeat. Want to grind that axe? Take it somewhere else. Neighborhood pubs aren’t just places — they’re memory keepers, refuge stations, and the heartbeat of the block.

Every day, 11,000 people in this country step into a new chapter at age 65. Where do they go? How do they build a life that feels full, connected, and purposeful? In this episode, we discover insights into the trends shaping senior care—and the emotional work of navigating change with dignity and compassion.

Higher education is a $700+ billion-a-year industry. But for most families, it’s not an industry — it’s a life-changing, six-figure decision. And yet… how many parents really stop to ask the most important question: Is this degree going to be worth what we’re paying for it? We comparison-shop for cars. We inspect homes before buying. We study interest rates before taking out a mortgage. But when it comes to college — a purchase that can easily rival the cost of a house — many families rely on reputation, rankings, or emotion. In this episode, we step back from the glossy brochures and the campus tours to ask the harder questions: What are you really paying for? What’s driving tuition prices? Which paths deliver a return — and which ones might quietly erode value over time? Before you write that first tuition check, listen in. Because, unlike a car or a house, you can’t resell a degree that doesn’t deliver.

Across cultures and throughout history, we may disagree on almost everything, but we agree on one thing: something must be done with the dead.

When that universal impulse meets culture, belief, and change, things get fascinating. Join us as we explore death, its rituals, and the powerful influences reshaping them around the world

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My friend Ray is a playwright and an actor, and is navigating the challenges of living with Alzheimer's. Ray and Pat, his wife, share just a small sample of their insights on resilience.

Originally coined by the British as British Regiment Attached Traveler, “BRAT” described children who moved alongside military families. Today, the word has taken on a new meaning—Born Resilient and Tough. In this episode, three BRATS reflect on growing up in military life, leaving home for college, building families of their own, and uncovering how constant movement, adaptation, and service shaped who they are today.

In this episode, we go backstage with Jeannie, a Broadway dresser who’s been pulling theater magic out of her apron since 1994. From legendary productions to last-second saves involving gaff tape, Jeannie shares what it’s really like to be there when the curtain goes up, to see history made, and to have lived through Broadway finding its way during 9-11, and the pandemic.

After listening to this episode of Common Ground, we hope you’ll discover, as we did, that life offers endless chances for renaissance. With each new coming of age, we strengthen the confidence to trust ourselves, soften noisy inner critics into wise inner guides, and learn to step back from anxiety—sometimes even laughing along the way.