Bob Pondillo started in radio at fourteen and never stopped telling stories. In this episode he takes us from a tiny Ohio radio station to 30 Rock in New York, through his years writing comedy for radio stations around the world and teaching screenwriting and media history, and into his newest chapter as a novelist. Every one of his books began as a screenplay, and he shares how that happened, the stories behind a few of his novels, and his thoughts on AI and what it's doing to our heads. He also tells the story of a dream that became an award-winning short musical, and leaves us with an idea every creative person should hear.

His newest novel, My Name is Wallace, is a sweet and funny story about a lonely man who falls for an AI companion, and it has plenty to say about where the AI companionship industry is heading.

Mentioned in this episode
The New, True, Charlie Wu (Bob's short musical film): watch on YouTube
Pew Research Center: pewresearch.org

Connect with Bob
Books: bobpondillobooks.com
Instagram: @bobpondillo
Facebook: facebook.com/bpondillo and his author page

Connect with Darrel-Lynne:
Instagram: @dee_ogsoul
Website: ogsoul.ca

Today I'm chatting with Joey Payeur, the sports reporter who covered my high school rugby team in Fort Saskatchewan 25 years ago, and a friend I'm so grateful to have back in my life.

Joey's story starts before he was even born: a great-grandfather found as a baby on the side of a road in Belgium, and a dad who arrived in Canada with $300 and met Joey's mom at Expo 67 while running a carnival ride. From there, Joey takes us through growing up on a farm near New Sarepta, skipping ahead in school and being the youngest, easiest target in the room, and the college years where he finally found his people and almost lost his footing. He shares the mentor who stood in his corner when it counted, the years of moving across the country for newspaper jobs, and the school tour that pointed him toward teaching.

Joey also opens up about the hard moments and the lessons that came with them. He gets candid about how alcohol gripped his life and the difficult lessons that came from that. He also shares what's bringing him joy right now, plus an important final reminder for all of us.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts, impaired driving and a serious car accident. If you're struggling, you can call or text 988 anytime in Canada.

Connect with Joey:
Instagram: @jp9997
X/Twitter: @jrpayeur

Connect with Darrel-Lynne:
Instagram: @dee_ogsoul
Website: ogsoul.ca

Today the tables are turned. Hayley Musgreave came on the show a few months back, and the second we stopped recording she said she wanted to interview me. So this one's a takeover. She's running the show and I'm in the guest seat.

We go into my mental health story, which I call rounds instead of episodes (a nod to my boxing days), because every one of them felt like stepping into the ring. Round one hit in 2012 and took my job, my apartment, my education and my freedom with it. Round two came in late 2016 with a house and a mortgage on the line. In between: hospitalizations, diagnoses, medication, and a voice that showed up one morning in the shower and asked me to listen.

We talk about what actually moved the needle, which wasn't what I expected. It started with my dad telling me to do whatever I needed to do to keep the house, leading to my neighbour renting my basement, which revealed the thing I'd been missing entirely: I was alone all the time. Everything else came after that. Diet, walking, sunlight, sleep, magnesium, and eventually coming off medication in 2021.

Hayley asks about spirituality and we go all the way there.

Synchronicities, God, an Akashic reading about a girl in room 402, and a dream eight months later. We also talk about my husband Joel, the box of wedding letters we've had sealed for five years and are about to open, Karl our beloved cat, my twelve month painting project, and the teacher I'm still looking for.

The heart of this episode is a story my old supervision teacher told about a little boy who rocked on the couch, and the caregiver who sat down and rocked at his pace before slowly changing it. That's the whole thing. If someone you love is in it, don't try to pull them out. Get in there and rock with them first.

Thank you, Hayley, for flipping the tables. This was a healing conversation.

Connect with Hayley:

Instagram: @thehayleydawn

Connect with Darrel-Lynne:

Instagram: @dee_ogsoul

Website: ogsoul.ca