
I have been a huge fan of NPR for most of my teen/adult life and unless I have kids or crazy music people riding with me, it's about all I listen to. I first started listening after a friend introduced me to This American Life, a storytelling show hosted by the amazingly wonderful Ira Glass and featuring people with stories to tell. I was having a hard time really describing the show so I went to their website to get a little help.
"We're not really formatted like other radio shows at all. Instead, we do these stories that are like movies for radio. There are people in dramatic situations. Things happen to them. There are funny moments and emotional moments and—hopefully—moments where the people in the story say interesting, surprising things about it all. It has to be surprising. It has to be fun." -ThisAmericanLife.org
When I worked in the darkroom, I would have days where I wouldn't see anyone for hours so I would pop in my headphones and listen to This American Life while I worked. Well, sure enough every time it got good and sad, someone would come into the lab and find me sobbing and mopping. Awkward. There is no other show on the radio that touches my heart and lifts my spirits like This American Life. Here is a quote video from Ira Glass that I really appreciate because I do feel like I'm in this phase that he talks about... fighting my way through. I love him.
So, after a few weeks of just tuning in for the heartwarming stuff, I started turning my dial to NPR during my morning and evening commutes and now it's about all I listen to. Well, I think it's no secret that public radio and television are only able to function because of grants and donations and right now NPR and ETV are having a pledge drive to raise contributions for the next year of radio and television. I'm so proud to say that after years of leeching- I finally donated. I didn't give much but I gave what I could and it felt amazing!!! They're even sending me a bumper sticker that says "I Love NPR". Anywhoo, so back to the reason for this blog... I'd like to encourage each of you, my wonderful readers, to do one of two things.
The first challenge is for those of you that are not NPR listeners and I'd like to encourage each of you to give NPR a chance. I always hear non-listeners talk about how liberal and one-sided NPR is but when I listen I only hear programming that is educational and inspiring. Here are a couple of shows that I really appreciate and that I think you would too-
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