ReBooTed

In April 1997 I made the best worst decision of my life. I decided to leave radio.

There were many reasons for it, I wasn’t happy after being passed up for a job I felt I was qualified for. I was also told that my skills were needed in a different part of the organization. But I didn’t want to be working in that part of the organization. Also,I was on the verge of turning 30, and wanting to start a family. If I wanted to pursue radio we would need to leave Denver, and I did not want to do that. So I decided to to pursue other options and found a job in the insurance industry, as a claims adjuster. It is a decision that has served me well; I have been able to provide for my family and for the most keep my brain active enough not to go and chew up shoes. (If you have dogs you understand.)

Now I don’t know what would have happened if I had stayed in radio in Denver. Not any value in mulling over it. But what I can tell you is I have never lost the drive to talk to people through a microphone and want to tell their stories, that’s why I wanted to be a radio news reporter in the first place. Now being an insurance claims adjuster satisfied most of my needs; I got to talk with people, I helped them solve problems (who doesn’t like helping people) I got to learn something new everyday. Even better I was making good, then very good and then great money. We started our family and live the American dream.

But, and you knew there was a but, I never lost my itch for radio.

I still filled in at the station from time to time for a couple of years. Election nights, the last name on the sheet to fill in a shift; you get the picture. but between kids and job I just couldn’t do much, and honestly I was able to put the radio bug in my back pocket and forget about it, but it still itched.

Seven years ago I got the chance to audition for and was selected to be the public address announcer for the University of Colorado women’s basketball team. That got the juices flowing again. I built a studio in my basement and started playing around, teaching myself how to do the digital editing thing. I also did some one work for friends.

Over the last year or so I have made hard pushes to get back into radio. The public radio stations have had openings and I put together, with the help of a friend, several audition pieces. I got nowhere. As a result, my creative juices have heated up. I’m also writing more and I want to share my stories with the world and while I’m at it I might as well blog. So here it is, I have found a work around I think will satiate my needs. This website that will host:

– Blog

• Podcast
• My creative writing

I know, I’m late to the party, but I am here, and that’s what matters.

Here are a few details, I’ll start with he podcast.

I have been a fan of podcasting since it began, and I am late to the game in terms of putting one together, but I have never really been able to figure out what I want to do with the podcast format. Until recently. I figured it out after talking with my cousin. He teaches genetics at the USC medical school and I found it fascinating talking with him about his journey. In fact whenever I find out someone has their PhD I just want to talk with them about it. So that’s my podcast, I’m going to interview PhDs about their journey to their dissertation and beyond.

The focus of the interviews will not be solely on their research. But it will be on what drove them on their journey. Why did they choose the topic of research they chose? What was it in their formative school years that led them down the path? What roles did mentors play in their journey?

I’ve thought about this now for a bit and, after listening to several other podcasts where musicians and authors were interviewed, I think there is correlation between someone that gets their PhD and a musician/artist/writer. A person puts everything they have learned into their first album/book or dissertation. What was that journey and what did they do after that? Did they stay on the path, further their research, or did they find something else?

So if you have a PhD or know of any PhDs call me, I want to hear their story and I think there are others that might like to also.

I’ll talk about the other parts of www.themountaingeek.net later.

But for now, here’s the beginning of ReBooTed.