Housekeeping notes first! I’ve made a decision, and that is to really concentrate on doing this “column” of mine as a podcast each week. I like engaging that way, and it kind of gives my fingers a break from typing (although the editing is another story altogether).
You have several options on how to receive those podcasts, along with the ones we do for Vodka Friday – if you so choose to imbibe. (we are still doing videos for Vodka Friday each week on YouTube, too!)
On Thursdays, you’ll want to check the “Our Podcast” link on the front page of our site, and that will take you directly to where our podcast is being hosted. I am in the process of getting the podcast out to quite a few different podcast apps: Google, iHeart Radio, AmazonMusic/Audible, Pandora, TuneIn+Alexa, PlayerFM and Listen Notes, but each one of those takes their own time getting the podcast up and all of that. The easiest way to get it, I think, is subscribing to Podbean, where we’ve hosted it. I am going to try to remember to continue doing short little blogs like this so that I can embed it right here. Failing that – subscribing is easy, and you’ll always be notified that we’ve published a podcast, and you won’t miss a thing.
Now on to the show!
Do you ever feel as though something or someone has taken the wind out of your sails? Maybe you have a certain thing – perhaps it is Duran Duran – that makes you joyous and happy. It lights you up to see them or hear them, right? Do you ever feel as though life sometimes likes to get in there and make a right mess of it all, so that you can’t or aren’t able to enjoy that ONE thing that makes you blissful?
I sure did. And if you listen to the podcast today, you’ll hear all about what happened, and what I’m doing – and still working on – to protect my darn bliss! I hope you check it out!
-R
So many points made that I agree with. I will just say that this fan community is a bit difficult because there has always been this competition on who is the “better” fan. I’ve never subscribed to the theory that the fan who sees them more or spends more is a better fan. I’ve had many issues with the fan community and like you, I have considered completely breaking away. I haven’t seen them in years because at times I felt insecure and my bad experience with rude fans really turned me off. .I’ve been doing an inventory of my life as ell, I just turned 50 and starting to realize nothing lasts forever. I’ve started to do activities I always wanted to but never had time and am of the believe now if people don’t like me, their problem.
THANK YOU for this awesome podcast Rhonda! I downloaded it and went for my walk while listening to this 2nd episode, about “Don’t Let Anyone Take Your Bliss Away”. This really hit me as listening to my own story. Everything that you mentioned was exactly how I felt and feel about being a Duranie. My own personal experience has been that I have tried to make new friends within the Duran fandom but I have realized that it’s not as easy as one might think. You think that with the fact of we all have the same love of those 5 boys that it would be a piece of cake to make friends, nope. I have realized that a small percentage of those fans will accept you with open arms and actually make you feel so good and friendship will blossom to traveling to see each other. A bigger percentage, for me and my experience, has been from making you think that they are willing to let you be their friends, to being ghosted OR being looked down at because you are not meeting their expectation of being a “decent” Duranie. I thought it would be so much easier nowadays with technology to make that kind of friendship, easier than 40 years ago when the only thing we had was friendship books and letters written on paper and mailed with a stamp. I have realized now is that I rather have the quality of a few friends than a large number of friends that will stab you in the back or take advantage of me and I am good with that.
When it comes to myself, I also thought that I was not good enough (appearance wise) to be part of the fandom and that is why nobody wanted to be around me. That was back in the day that appearance was what defined me as a person. Now, if you don’t like the way I look, it’s your loss not mine. I know that I have a pretty good personality and that I get along with anyone really, as long as you give me the chance! Now I can say that I have really good and strong friendship with several Duranies and I’m cherishing them and I am grateful for those friendships.