Measuring time with podcasts
Keeping time, losing glaciers, pickleball drama, women's sports bar, build your own prince, Taylor Swift, how to socialize.
Lately I’ve noticed a shift in the way I think about time, or more specifically the time it takes to do things. You know how we sometimes put off tasks because they feel daunting or like they’ll take a long time? By listening to podcasts while doing so many different tasks, I’ve grown a better understanding of exactly how long a task actually takes and it makes me more willing to do things because I have that perspective and context. I know that if I have to clean the bathroom and I’ve got a good 45 minute episode in my queue, that task is going to fly by. Or if I need to drive somewhere and I’ve saved an hour long interview, it will make the drive feel shorter. But I think this has also spilled over into tasks where I don’t have a podcast on. Simply because I might be better able to estimate how long it’ll actually take, based on measuring other tasks with podcasts, so I can more easily convince myself to do something. This is obviously all pretty anecdotal but it was an interesting realization for me. Podcasts put time into perspective. And it just so happens that these aren’t the only time-related thoughts in this week’s Podstack!
But first, my favourite holiday decor every year from Lauren.
This week’s podstack
How To Keep Time - How to Waste Time
Chronophobia - the fear or worry of time passing. How did we get to the point of measuring time and what we consider “wasting” time? This new series about how we keep time, will both make you more aware of how you perceive time and maybe help you let go of it. The first episode features Oliver Burkman, who has written about our obsession with optimizing ourselves and our use of time. Conventional productivity advice promises that you’ll get to this point where you’re on top of things, but in reality you don’t ever reach that point. If you’re always focused on making sure you’re using your time “well”, you might miss out on enjoying it and this episode helps re-frame what we consider ‘wasting’ time. One of my favourite re-frames is that it’s not as highly respected to have a hobby, or something you do just for pleasure, whereas having a side hustle is more accepted. The second episode, about how performative and compulsive we are about being busy, will also make you re-think so many things! (transcript)
Speaking out re-thinking things and time, this is such an interesting episode to have after How to Keep Time because they are thinking about time in such different ways. First, make sure to put your headphones on for this. I actually switched from my AirPods to my bigger noise-cancelling headphones and re-listened to the beginning of this episode. The montage of sounds that are attempting to capture the sounds of a volcano are incredible. The sheer size of it is so hard to capture. A cool windy winter soundscape then begins as the narrator describes this moment in his childhood when he realized he wasn’t seeing the true reality of the night sky. He asks what does it mean to be the first generations of humans who don’t have access to the dark sky? Together, two artists focus on understanding and capturing space and time. Whether that’s through voice recordings and volcanoes, or the sounds and study of glaciers; they both study time through destruction and human impact. This is on a physical and environmental level, but with an artists’ angle. Their scripts, the sounds, and the way they illustrate this loss that we’ve detached ourselves from is incredibly powerful to listen to. There are so many moments I want to highlight, but learning about the monument that remembers the first ever glacier we lost to human-caused climate change is a heartbreakingly memorable one.
What Next - Pickleball vs Everybody
This episode describes pickleball as a Diet Coke version of tennis and I laughed out loud. It kinda is! But why is it causing so much drama? It’s been around since 1965 but there’s been such a surge since the pandemic started that there’s now some rivalry between pickleball and tennis players. This sport is getting funding for spaces at a time when lots of things are getting cut and there are even celebrity tournaments that you can sometimes watch! It’s pickleball pandemonium! But not always in a positive way. The original pickleball haters are home owners because they’re annoyed with the sound that comes from people playing for 15 hours a day. These people are concerned that it’s causing their home values to go down. Sure this drama might seem silly, but why do these fights over public spaces matter? (transcript)
Cruising - The Sports Bra (Est. 2022)
I’ve listened to stories about the Sports Bra, the first women’s sports bar, before but this one might be my favourite. It goes a little deeper and gets more personal with Jenny, the owner and founder. She talks about what finally made her pursue the idea she’d been joking about for years and how it was made possible. Since Jenny started creating the bar in 2021 funding was tough to get, so she did a kickstarter to help. She almost didn’t ask for enough money because she felt like it was too much to ask strangers for, but she got the valuable advice to ask for what you need and it literally paid off. Jenny’s mom is also interviewed on the episode about her fears around Jenny starting the business and how she feels about it now. I think my favourite part was hearing some of the stories Jenny shared of people who have come in and expressed how grateful they are for this space. It brought me happy tears and made me thankful there are a few more across the US now. I hope that trend continues! This TikTok led me to the episode if you want to see what the bar looks like!
Build a Prince - Part 1. Build a Prince: A Royal Christmas Love Story
Imagine Princess Adelaide’s frustration when she learns that, despite having a PhD and dedicating so much time to preparing to lead her country, old patriarchial rules require her to be married in order to take the throne as Queen. She is definitely not a damsel in distress, but maybe letting someone into her life could end up being a good thing? Even if it starts off as a fake romance? This holiday rom-com is like a Hallmark movie for your ears and kinda perfect for when you’re too busy running around but still want to enjoy that classic busy girl meets chill guy who shows her how to relax and slow down kind of story. The characters are fun and you can totally picture it like a movie in your head as you’re listening. This was a needed break from all the info-heavy things I’ve been listening to and it’s a nice bonus that the runtime for the whole series is under two hours!
Person of The Week - Person of The Year
Whether you like, love, or don’t care for Taylor Swift, you probably heard about her this year. On the outside, I think it could be easy to make a lot of assumptions about why she was named Person of the Year by Time magazine, but this brings depth and insider info about how that decision was made. She and her presence this year are a reflection of culture and culture isn’t always put at the forefront, but this panel points out that there is a lot to be taken seriously about Taylor Swift and how she reflects power, which is often what this distinction is about. It’s power and pull. Whether or not you agree with the choice, it’s very interesting to hear how it was made and how previous years have been decided.
A social life, with friends - On bringing people together
Having a thriving social life is hard. Being a good host is hard. Maybe we’re expecting it all to happen naturally or without effort, but fostering all kinds of relationships requires your energy. The first two episodes of this show are a great introduction to Madeleine’s mission to study and provide advice for our social lives. The first episode gives an overall look at trends in our social behaviours and tips on how to make changes. The second episode, about how to gather, really struck me. You know how you go to some events or gatherings and there are people who just exude warmth and welcome? Tina Roth Eisenberg is one of those people and she takes her work as a gatherer very seriously. With all the gatherings she has held, she gives a lot of specific things to do to inspire gatherings and help people feel comfortable at them. You can’t be a chill host, you gotta be intentional and thoughtful if you want your gathering to foster connections.
More sweet treats
I’m still watching winter TikToks from Svalbard, including this sweet Santa tradition.
Meanwhile, there’s this winter “wonderland” in Canada.
The struggle of gift giving vs gift bribing is reeeeal.
Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!
🎵His name is Grimm and he lives on Svalbard, an island close to the North Pole 🎵
Thank you for sharing my wreath!!! 💕💕💕