Episodes

Jerry considers some of the common complaints about sex-within-long-term-relationships, with a focus on the messaging that we've internalized along the way. The distinction between seeking mutual sexual pleasures and some people's understandings of the responsibility to merely fulfill obligations are considered. An upcoming day-long Zoom workshop, Rekindling Sexual Connection, on August 15th, is offered to help people beginning talking about what they most need and haven't been able to talk abou...

Some thing(s) have been percolating, in the arena of being annoyed/confused or just disappointed, by many of Mr. Dylan's ways ever since I first heard listened to him as a 12 year-old in the basement of my suburban home. I finally get around -- 59 years later? -- to unpacking them and having a reckoning, of sorts, with Robert Zimmerman/Bob Dylan.

Spanning back the last fifty years brought up some vivid memories of my early reactions to Bruce. The evolution of my response might of interest to you or completely insignificant. You have your own reactions and trust your own ears, eyes, heart and brain. But my taking to The Boss wasn't immediate. I guess I don't like being bossed around. But....well, listen for yourself.

Just back from a weekend group experience at a small college in western Massachusetts got me thinking about what it is about groups; why they can be so extremely powerful in either a positive or negative direction. People are not wrong to approach them with caution; what, exactly, are we getting ourselves into when we interact with strangers and allow ourselves to feel, and say, what's been on our minds in our previously-quiet isolation? With thanks to all the people who've ever uttered a senten...

I had the privilege of interviewing my friend Ron Plue and discussing the ins and outs of life, itself, from his vantage point of nearly 91 years. Spiritual development, points of view re: optimism and pessimism and the inevitable losses that come with aging are considered in light of the power of living in the moment.

I interview author, and friend, Stephanie Clare Smith about her stunning memoir, "Everywhere the Undrowned." The book is writing at its best as it revisits (through lyrical memory/reflection) the images associated with the summer of her abduction/kidnapping as a 14 year-old left alone in New Orleans. Decades later she cares for the cognitively-declining mother who had left her that summer in the first place. This book is not only for "survivors"; it's for anyone who wants to thrive in life with ...

Some reflections on The Beatles' song/purported-advice 58 years after. Does it hold up? Was it ever true? Nope. Well, what then? What is needed, and how do you get it? I prefer the words of Procol Harum: "For the answer lies in learning, and in teaching we are taught. There's nothing hidden anywhere, it's all there to be sought."

13 days later, some reflections begin to come into focus. Regardless of your vote, there are real reasons to be concerned. It is time for all of us to turn into adults once again.

The long-awaited sequel to the 2020 Election coverage, with our team of ace reporters-and-citizens-in-the-field, including New Jersey correspondant Joe Nolan, Mrs. Kinda Needamap from Coxsackie, NY, Vidar Hageman from West Virginia, and international political scientist and Director of the America Only-Friendship Studies Dept (non-social-media division) in Moscow, Russia, Ms. Marina Upintheskya Hatchaplotnik. Learn what it all seems like in New Jersey, upstate NY, West Virginia and Moscow. And s...

In this episode, Jerry revisits and reflects on the concept of forgiveness, exploring its complexities and the importance of personal growth. He discusses the limitations of unilateral forgiveness and emphasizes that true forgiveness is a process that requires understanding and personal investment. Jerry also highlights the significance of letting go of past hurts and the need for meaningful change in relationships.

Jerry explores the impact of our familiar and cultural tribes on our ability to connect with others. What this all means for the crazy-time that a national election brings for the next 5-7 months is profound, as people face the choice of either hating people we see as essentially different from us or reaching for connections and enjoying the good things that follow. (What are your thoughts? You can communicate directly with Jerry here: https://www.podpage.com/showing-up/contact/)

After a long hiatus, Jerry Sander returns to the show, with reflections about 2023, where he's been and some hopeful energies for 2024.

Jerry & Kristy consider the different ways we leave each other and the variety of responses it evokes. Healthy alternatives are considered.

An extraordinary interview with an extraordinary person -- Hans E. Hageman. His lifestory continues to unfold in the direction of working to heal the world. Through his work with people often written off as "too difficult" or too dangerous to embrace Hans continues to inspire the rest of us to go out of our comfort zone.

Our special guest today -- someone who has never appeared as a guest before -- is author Jerry Sander, previously (and currently) the host of the podcast-in-hiatus (?) Showing Up. In this bracing interview Jerry explains the nearly one year disappearance of Showing Up from his loyal community of listeners and explains what 2021-2022 held for him. His book, The Guyland, an episodic memoir about growing up on Long Island in the late '60's, early '70's, is discussed and, obviously, promoted.

What if you found out, a lot later in life, that there were some very important things your about your family-of-origin that didn't quite add up? That there were some important things about the very essence of who you were, and where you came from, that they'd not told you? Author Christine Jacobson went through this experience and wrote about it. It brought her into contact with a side of herself she'd had a dim awareness of, and it didn't come without complications. Her book, Dancing Around ...

This is the second part of my interview with Don Lattin, author of a nonfiction "psychedelic trilogy" of books about San Francisco, Tim Leary, LSD, MDMA, Richard Alpert/Ram Dass, Aldous Huxley and the resurgent prospect of using psychedlic substances (legally) to assist psychotherapy. Will "psychedelic psychotherapy" come into being as a mainstream, insurance-reimbursable reality within the next few years? Isn't changing consciousness at the heart of what is being attempted with anti-depressant...

In which I interview Don Lattin, author of a nonfiction "psychedelic trilogy" of books about San Francisco, Tim Leary, LSD, MDMA, Richard Alpert/Ram Dass, Aldous Huxley and the resurgent prospect of using psychedelic substances (legally) to assist psychotherapy.

How does the love of music -- and the creative impulsive to change/adapt it -- get transmitted across generations? I interview L.A. musician and producer Josh Shpak about his journey. Learning from jazz masters, from legendary trumpet/trombone player Mic Gillette (one of the original members of Oakland's powerhouse Tower of Power) and a myriad of other influences on both the East and West coasts, Josh has matured into the rare musician who can create a jazz album of depth and unique sonic textur...

Three original members of the 1970's South Shore Long Island rock group, Primeval Ooze, reunite for conversation 50 years later. Topics include: what WAS that we did, and had, 1970-1972, what we went on to do in the decades that followed, the evolution of musical taste, and trying to wrap our heads around the fact that the young rock musicians of the past are now grandparents, have their Medicare cards in their wallets and have children and grandchildren who may or may not be interested in tales...

In which the discovery of cool is understood via the form of a Farfisa keyboard and the musical company of two preteen rock musicians. Guest interviewee is Marc Blam, the first guitarist welcomed to the finished basement of my suburban Long Island home in 1967. Spoiler alert: two old guys reminiscing. A playlist of relevant music is here:https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2yLgS45YaWhVXz0IC18jTM3qA0oTm5jt

Further discussion with Dr. Craig Heacock, adolescent and adult psychiatrist and addiction specialist in Colorado, and host of the psychiatric storytelling podcast, "Back From the Abyss." We discuss the uses and abuses of a range of substances -- some of which seem to hold promise for controlled use in the therapy process, and some of which seem particularly designed for recreational use. What is being seen in states that have already legalized recreational use of marijuana? What can be expect...

In which I speak with Colorado psychiatrist Dr. Craig Heacock about psychedelic drugs and their potential use as healing agents in therapy. Topics range from the prejudice against these previously-banned drugs, their link to the 1960's and ancient healing techniques. We explore uses and misuses of mood-altering substances, talk some about Timothy Leary, Ram Dass and what Dr. Heacock sees as a potential future for psychedelic drugs legalization. Dr. Heacock is the host of the psychedelic podcast...

Mitch Sumner, a young Hudson Valley musician, multi-instrumentalist and singer, is featured, along with his new album, CURRENT. Mitch's music defies easy categorization; it cuts across the decades in its use of sounds, layered harmonies, swooping Hammond organ, hot percussion and dreamlike vocal melodies. Mitch spoke to me about his influences, his formative years and how he puts it all together. https://www.youtube.com/mitchsumner https://www.instagram.com/mitchsumnermusic https://www.facebook....