Pods and Blogs and odds and sods…

As the title might suggest, this is a blog post about many things. Firstly, Podcasts or ‘Pods’ for short. I am enjoying doing the podcasts more than I thought I would. I did my first interview via ZOOM yesterday and posted it on here this morning. Call me biased, but I think they came out rather well, after I edited a few things out. Mainly gaps and ums and ahs that both of us were guilty of.

When I first started on this idea of doing a Podcast alongside my Blog, I wasn’t sure if I could find enough to talk about to justify its existence. However, I seem to be OK for material so far. At the beginning of my foray into Podcasts, I wrote quite significant scripts and read from them. The result was very wooden, I felt, and I was told by my two best critics that they came across that way too. So, I threw away the scripts and just went for it off the cuff, no script, at the most a few bullet points if anything. The thing that I find then is that if I start with the germ of an idea and I start talking about it and/or writing about it, they tend to take a direction of their own and before you know it, you’ve done half a page!

See above – half a page!

I haven’t even got to the bit, the germ of an idea that started me on writing this. I was looking for some advice online about how many seasons and then how many episodes a person ‘should’ (hate that word!’) stick to. Those of you who know me, know that ‘should’ is one of my most hated words. It is so laden with expectation, that I do try hard not to use it. Naturally, as with any speech you can find yourself falling into use of that terrible word. My favourite words, by the way, are Penultimate and Serendipity!!!

Only just getting to the point that I thought I would start on. That’s just what happens and I like that it is that organic and not overly controlled or manufactured.

Anyway, the point is….

Gosh that is taking a long time to get to…

Here I go. I read in one article and a couple of others that one thing that ‘should’ (eek) happen is that there should be an order to the podcasts, so that listeners know that they need to tune in regularly so they don’t miss out on information that may be useful to them. They don’t recommend free form type of Podding, they are very much of the opinion that there needs to be order in these things.

Now this Blog – pardon me ‘Mr scripted and organised’ is about my life. My life isn’t scripted and organised – heaven forbid – how boring would that be!? My life happens when whatever is happening at the time happens…

The order for my Blog is that it started at diagnosis on 15/12/2020 and almost every thought and occurrence of my life has in some way found itself into this blog. ‘Mr scripted’ says it can be hard to find something to talk or write about. I don’t find anything of the sort. I have been writing and/or doing podcasts for the last 2-3 days. No problem coming up with something that I hope is useful to say.

So, I’m still not sure how long a series might be for my Podcast and I am not going to be ‘shoulding’ myself and placing an expectation that I provide anything that is over scheduled. I mean, the only way my previous work as a Social Worker worked for me was that I did my own appointments in a way that suited me. I also took coffee breaks when it suited and was good at balancing my work with taking regular breaks. I can’t work in any capacity if I don’t have freedom of thought and movement. It was getting to the point in my previous employment that a sense of rigidity felt like it was creeping in and I did not like that one bit! I get being accountable, but there is my way – I got the job done and up until Parkies interfering and I think I did a pretty good job all in all – or there is an over micromanaged way that I can’t bear.

So, whatever is top of mind. Whatever is happening in my life will in all likelihood find it’s way into my Blog and/or my Podcast.

Unscripted

Unhindered

Unexpected at times

Unhappy at times – this blog is nothing if not honest!

So, I will continue to fly against the strictures of structure. I will talk about what is occurring for me, both in my general life and in relation to my Parkinson’s. My way works for me and I hope that people who have followed my blog – some for many years – like that they don’t always know what to expect!

This post has said little about Parkinson’s. It is about me. My journey that Parkies stuck it’s thumb out and hitched a ride and now I can’t get rid of him! It was always meant to be and I fully expected to be the one in our generation who got Parkinsons. Don’t ask me why or how I knew, but I did and I was proven correct and here I am. Both my parents had Parkinsons, so I am carrying on the legacy.

They could have left me something nicer!

So if you have got through this huge Blog page, hopefully you will join me for the ride that is ‘Parkies and me – my Journey with Parkinsons’. You won’t always know what to expect, but then neither do I!

Happy New Year and I hope you follow me and see what happens in the rollercoaster life that is my husband and I’s life, with a sprinkling of my children’s and grandchildren’s place in our lives. They certainly add a lovely flavour to our lives. My life would certainly be a dull old place if they weren’t in it as far as I’m concerned.

Here’s to a happy New Year.

I can’t wait to see what it will bring.

P.S. for any of you who would like to listen to my Podcasts, try this link and you should be taken straight to my podcasts. I enjoy making them and if you enjoy my poems, I think you will enjoy listening to me reciting them.

https://www.youtube.com/@parklandssue

Let me know if you manage to get in. I want my blog followers to be able to access my podcasts too, so hope it works.