Episode 30 - What Does It Mean To Be A Man?

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Darron and Jeff grapple with the idea of masculinity and what it means to live as a man in 2023. First they briefly touch on how masculinity is frequently discussed in the context of “toxic masculinity” and then begin to examine how they have come to understand what it means to be a man. This leads to a discussion of their relationships and experiences with their own fathers, how concepts such as masculinity might exist on a spectrum that changes over time, and how we might move forward and build a more positive and affirmative vision of masculinity. Although this conversation is very much an attempt to make meaning for themselves, it is by no means an end to their thinking on this subject, and is in fact quite the opposite - an initial conversation about a complex topic they plan on delving into more deeply in the future.

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Episode 29 - Vacation Part 2: It's A Process

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Darron and Jeff follow up on a conversation they had back in November 2022 about the nature of vacations. If you haven’t heard that episode you might want to go back and listen (or maybe relisten) for context. The occasion for the conversation is Jeff’s return from a month-long summer vacation journey up and down the east coast. They discuss the general contours of Jeff’s trip, the experience of parenting while traveling with young children, Disney World, seeing and appreciating the country you live in, the terrible beauty of modern civilization, instant gratification culture, and the value of seeing ourselves engaged in processes as opposed to experiencing outcomes.

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Episode 28 - Alcohol: To Drink, Or Not To Drink?

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Darron and Jeff explore their current relationships with alcohol. As this episode was recorded a few months ago, they discuss Jeff’s experience and thoughts on his dry January attempt, how the social context of any behavior influences our participation (or non-participation) in that behavior, why we keep drinking when we know it’s not good for us, alcohol and cultural evolution, alcohol’s acceptance in both American culture and in both of our their own lived experiences, why it can be so hard to stop drinking, and how and why Darron made his decision to stop drinking back at the end of February.

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Episode 27 - A Gluten-Free Beautiful Illusion

Darron and Jeff discuss Darron's recent diagnosis and early experience with Celiac disease. They talk about what led to the diagnosis, how it impacts his identity as a bread baker both personally and socially, and how he views his personal medical needs in relation to others and the rest of the world at large. They use the example of quitting drinking as an analogue to explore the social reality of these types of life changes, whether we choose them or have them thrust upon us. Finally they talk about how amazing modern science is, the role of learning and the importance of love of learning when we suddenly find ourselves in new contexts, and how we might instill this love in young learners.