My Childhood Fascination with Radio
What got me interested in podcasting? Thank you for asking.
I made my first radio. It was a crystal set on a wooden board. I was ten years old.
The faint and scratchy sound coming through the military headphones was magical.
My Uncle Carl owned an electronics store in Glasgow, Kentucky and I got the parts and instructions from him.
My Dad had his radio on much of the time. At my grandparent’s farm house in Monterey, Tennessee, I would wake up in the morning to the sound of the radio and the sight of my granddad sitting close to it listening to the news.
I got my first transistor radio for Christmas when I was about twelve. I loved listening to the radio jocks in Louisville on WAKY and WHAS.
I imagined that I was making the morning announcements, and interviewing guests. The talking part was more interesting to me than the music.
College Conversations
When I began college at the University of Kentucky in 1967, I began meeting people from other regions of the country.
My favorite activity was to sit and talk with folks in the dorm, or at the K-Lair Grill. I mostly asked questions and listened.
The Pipe and Tobacco Shop Show
Later I managed a tobacco and pipe shop at Fayette Mall, named A. David LTD. It was modeled after an old English shop. We had an antique wood table with a chess set and chairs for guests to sit, smoke their pipes and talk. I loved it.
I often thought that it would be great if I recorded some of those conversations so others could enjoy hearing them. I imagined myself as a talk show host.
The Launch
Around 2007, a friend told me that radio-like shows were coming to the internet and that anyone could have a show. I was intrigued, and I mentioned it to my wife.
Then one day she brought me a Lexington Herald newspaper article about podcasting. It had a story about a graduate student at the University of Kentucky who hosted a podcast from her dorm room. Her show was called A Single Serving of Koke, which was a reference to her name. She had conversations about activities around campus, upload them to her podcast site, and anyone anywhere in the world could listen. Amazing.
I bought five books about podcasting, figured out the technology, and launched my first show, Kentucky Voices and Views.
It was about interesting people, places, and activities around Kentucky.
After a while, I suspended that show and then revived it later. You can still listen to the second KVV show episodes at www.kentuckyvoicesandviews.com
Now, I have launched The Break Out Session Podcast, where we explore ways to increase our confidence, connection, and professional presence.
I interview people who are achieving goals in all walks of life. Some are money making ventures, while others are meeting other non-profit personal or charitable goals.
I love hearing people’s stories. Conversation is music to my ears.
Take-Aways
- There is value in looking back at what interested us in our earlier years.
- Be alert to ways to incorporate those interests into our lives today.
- Enjoy exploring new technology.
What about you? Did this story bring up any memories from your earlier days that you can examine?
Do you have a different takeaway?
