Amped

While sitting in a hotel conference room in the fall of 2010, a collaborative idea was born.  If you ask the people who were present, it was a moment of inspired brilliance the result of which was certainly going to change the perspective of thousands of amputees. My friend Dave and I were going to join forces to create a podcast where pertinent issues were going to be explored and debated.

Dave and I are both bloggers, both amputees, and both genuinely respect each other. Many times it seems that this is where our similarities end. It is amazing how two intelligent individuals can hold such opposite views on a myriad of topics! Our experiences since becoming amputees are many times bipolar, forcing us to view issues through different perspectives. Since the first moment our podcast was conceived, we were both excited about sharing our diverse experiences on a designated issue.

Unfortunately life intervenes and enthusiasm wanes. Dave and I have seen each other numerous times over the past year and half and our excitement about the podcast was always reignited. We leave every meeting with the promise of creating the podcast and the vow to make it a priority. After a few email exchanges, scheduling conflicts have always forced our great idea onto the back burner.

Finally,  Dave and I had managed to make good on our podcast promise. Utilizing Skype last March, we recorded what would become our first podcast. It took me another six months to upload and edit the recording. (Thank you Dave for being patient with my procrastination!)

Perhaps one of the reasons for the delay is the fact that I absolutely hate the sound of my voice. With the absence of facial expressions and body language, I sound uptight and high strung. I am hoping that as I become more comfortable with the format I will sound more relaxed and (to quote my mother) less "bitchy."

Regardless of my feelings towards my voice, our first podcast has finally been uploaded. I am excited to announce that the first installment of "Amped" is now live. We chose to discuss a polarizing issue that has been the source of great debate between Dave and myself: TSA. I hope that you enjoy it- after all it took us three years to make!  Please keep in mind that this to-be-continued project is a work in progress.