No. 035 — James Rutledge

“Joel?”

“Yes! James? Good to meet you!”

The first time I ever laid eyes on James was when I opened the door of my home prior to recording this podcast with him. The experience was a new one for me, being the very first time that I knew no more than a person’s name before having them on the show. James is a friend of a friend, and someone I was told had an interesting life. He reached out to me on his own to express interest in being on the podcast, and I was happy to honour him by having him over to record some of his story with me.

James and I sat down not knowing anything about one another. Over the course of the conversation I would come realize that he and I differed from one another in a number of ways — and yet each of us had enough humility and perspective to sit down with the other and talk. I think that far too few of us are really willing to do this: to hear someone out even when we don’t totally agree with them. When was the last time that you shared in conversation with someone totally different than yourself? I know it isn’t something I make a habit of doing. Yet I can say with confidence that this experience was something I grew from, and I am happy to have had it.

I hope that this conversation inspires you — to listen to someone else, to hear them out, and to learn, even if only how to disagree with grace. The world is much bigger than you and I, friend.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 034 — Jon Schultz

Interestingly, Jon and I met through my work before I realized that he was the older brother of a dear friend of mine. Having learned that, he and I began enjoying one another’s conversation even more during the short interactions we had while I made his caramel latte, which I did on a pretty regular basis. It was suggested to me by another friend (Jon’s oldest friend in fact) that Jon would be a good guest for the podcast. So plans were made, and a recording was scheduled.

Recently I’ve been enjoying making this podcast simply as an excuse to talk with people whose company I enjoy. This episode was certainly one of those times. Knowing Jon already, and reveling in the chance to chat without an espresso machine between us, I didn’t enter into this recording with much planned. We had some whiskey, chatted about nothing of very great importance for a while, and gradually wound our way through topics to end in much the same place we had started: friendship. I hope you listen to this conversation with that in mind, that in listening you’re choosing to sit on the sidelines while two friends chat.

This is my encouragement to you, to simply talk with a friend, for fun. Enjoy each other’s company, ask random questions, share stories. It’s one of the greatest privileges we have as humans.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 033 — Bradley Riggs

With this episode of (un)COMMON I’ve been reminded once again of how much I enjoy conversation for conversation’s sake. To enjoy the privilege of simply sitting down with another human being and talking, deeply and intentionally, without ulterior motive, but merely to share thoughts and ideas, to exchange perspective, what a joy this is. I had interacted with Bradley a good bit before sitting down for this recording, and still had little to no idea what we would discuss. And I’m genuinely glad that it happened that way. Going into a recording without expectation allowed me to speak freely, off the cuff, and forget worries about covering specific topics or manufacturing conversation around things I’d already decided I wanted to address.

If you’re like me, you may have a habit of rehearsing conversations in your head before (or after) actually having them. I do this all the time, and have to put effort into pulling myself back to reality. Every time I talk with another person I am reminded how one-sided these inner monologues are, and am inspired to really listen to others, to ask questions, and pay attention to the responses I receive. This conversation with Bradley was a refreshing moment of reality.

I hope that you listen to this podcast. Not merely because it will benefit me in some way, but because I believe it’s important to learn to listen to others, and not only listen, but interact, to share time and experiences with people, to invite them into our lives, to let them get close enough that they might offend us. I hope that this podcast inspires you to get to know someone else, and that you realize how truly uncommon the people around you are.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 032 — Scott Wood

One of the greatest blessings that I’m privy to in my work as a barista is the numerous connections to people that I’m able to build, sometimes with little effort. Cafés are interesting melting pots; you meet just about every sort of person there that you could imagine, and here in Northwest Arkansas there is no shortage of pots full of varied experience. Several of those who I’ve recorded the podcast with recently have been persons I’ve met simply as customers at the shop I work in, who I thought I could have a good conversation with. Sometimes I’m able to begin a relationship that will extend beyond our time shared in front of a microphone, and in this instance I truly hope that is the case.

I have had the opportunity to get to know some of Scott’s family before sitting down for this conversation, and have some mutual connections, so I wasn’t going into this recording blind, so to speak — meaning I had reason to suspect that Scott’s story was a significant one, and one I could stand to learn from and be inspired by. I was not wrong in that assumption. Scott has been through a great deal in his life, and not only did I stand to benefit from my time with him, but I was truly encouraged by his words and wisdom as well. A man of overcoming, faith, and determination, a man who has seen tremendous darkness, and held onto something that brought him through to the Light, Scott Wood has a story worth hearing, and a perspective I think we could all benefit from.

I truly hope you will listen to this conversation, and give yourself the time to meditate on what it contains. Keep an open mind, friend, and remember: this is only the beginning of the conversation.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 031 — Durgan Maxey

A good friend of mine recently invited me to celebrate the 4th of July with her family. And even though I didn’t stay long enough to watch any fireworks (something I’m not actually fond of in any case), I can confidently say that it was the best American Independence Day that I’ve yet experienced. Great company, conversation, food and fun.

One of the people with whom I struck up conversation during the course of the evening was a man named Durgan Maxey, who I had met only very briefly prior to this wonderful party. Durgan and I began talking, and discussed his work, his business endeavors, his family, and much more. Before too long the two of us were diving straight into some recent personal struggles that Durgan and his wife had been working through, and the evolution of his thoughts around “church,” faith and fellowship. As I stood and listened I knew this was someone I wanted to talk with more.

Not long after the 4th Durgan showed up at my place in his little Toyota van and we sat down with a couple mugs of tea and had a chat. From running to AI relationships, to Francis Chan and F3, this conversation spanned an interesting swath of material, and I was blessed and encouraged by it. Durgan is truly a kind soul, and an intentional conversationalist to boot. If you never get a chance to talk with him yourself, I hope you will at least take the opportunity to listen to this conversation that I got to have with him.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 030 — Tuck Johnston

Since moving to Arkansas there have been a handful of people I’ve met who have served a certain role in my life — that of being blatantly honest and straightforward with me no matter what the question or conversation. Tuck Johnston is one of those people, and his heart and mind have been of incalculable value to me. If you don’t have someone around you who you know with certainty will tell you what’s true, not merely what you want to hear, then you need to find someone who will.

Knowing Tuck, I’ve known for a while that he would be a fantastic person to record a podcast with, though the timing of things would certainly be tricky. Tuck has been through a lot in his life, much even in the last two years alone. Frankly, if I’d been totally in control of when I recorded and with whom, I’m sure more than a few of these conversations would have turned out very different than they did. It just so happened however that when Tuck came over to my place some weeks ago to catch up, we would learn that the time had indeed arrived for him to be on the podcast. So we picked a day, and the countdown began.

I was blessed by the conversation he and I shared. We talked about a lot, and yet only scratched the surface of any given topic. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to this episode of the podcast, and keep an open mind while doing so. Remember: this is only the start of the conversation.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 029 — Louie Cortese

In the middle of April of this year I went out for coffee with a friend, and we walked around a little town called Cave Springs and took photos. While we were chatting Joe reminded me that I’d mentioned wanting to record a podcast with someone I’d never met, and told me he’d found the person I should do it with. We joked about how he shouldn’t tell me the guy’s name or anything so I’d be able to start totally fresh with him, but I ended up meeting Louie coincidentally some weeks later. As it turned out, I was glad to chat with him briefly and get an idea of how I’d like to approach recording with him.

Fortunately for me Louie was actually keen on being on the podcast, and made time out of his very hectic schedule (which we talk about) to come over to the studio and sit down over coffee with me. The next couple of hours learning about Louie’s life was certainly an adventure, and a fun one at that. I hope you’re blessed by it, and challenged to pursue meaningful conversation in your own life. Remember: everyone has a story to tell.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 028 — Paul Schuman

I met Paul at the coffee shop I work in, and was struck by his genuine conversational attitude, and his real desire to listen to others — even when it came to the twenty-something baristas making his coffee. This is something I got to experience for myself firsthand, and even if I didn’t have the kind assurances of other friends that Paul was a great guy, I think I could tell on my own that he was someone worth knowing better. So I did the thing I am doing more often these days, and asked him if he wanted to be on my podcast. He said that he’d love to, and we made plans.

It was a great pleasure and privilege getting to talk with Paul for this podcast, not just because he’s a good conversationalist, but because he has lived a lot more life than myself, and carries with him a wisdom that never comes off as pretentious or overbearing. Whether or not anyone else hears it, I benefitted from this conversation — and I do hope you’ll choose to listen to it as well.

Whatever you receive from listening, I hope at the very least you will be inspired to ask deeper questions of those around you — and be prepared to really listen. We all have a great deal to learn from others, and yet doing so takes practice. So why not start now? I’m sure you can think of someone in your own life who you’d like to know more about.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 027 — Zach Crabtree

Welcome back to another episode of (un)Common People. The conversation that follows is one that contains adult themes and explicit language, so listener discretion is advised. Zach and I discuss his relationship to drugs and alcohol, walk through his journey to sobriety, and talk about spiritual life and practices. A lot is touched on in this two hours, and I hope you are challenged and encouraged by what you hear. There is always more. Let this serve as an inspiration to you to dive deep into conversation with someone in your life.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play

No. 026 — Nathan Burford

On a rainy day back in October 2017 I rolled into a town I knew next to nothing about, in a state the name of which I was still a bit unsure of saying. Out of desperation and a dash of hope I had made up my mind to try to find a home in this place. So I decided to look for a church, and hope that someone in it would be able to take me in while I got on my feet. Wandering into one I discovered through social media that Wednesday, I met the worship band while they were practicing. One of the guys who was there, the bassist, would end up becoming one of my dearest friends in Arkansas.

In the next few years that followed, Nathan and I grew much closer, as a result of attending church together, and having our community group in his home. He and his wife Grace walked with me through some of the most challenging times in my journey thus far, and Nathan, through his incredible faith, beautifully intelligent mind, and belly-laugh-worthy sense of humour, has been an invaluable companion and resource as I’ve wrestled with matters of faith, religion, God and science.

When I began recording the (un)Common People podcast I knew Nathan would end up being a guest, and after nearly two years, the conversation was finally able to happen. Truly, it was a special one. I hope that through it you come to understand better what a friend Nathan has been, and why his perspective has been so valuable to me since making my home in Arkansas.

Music created and provided by Maarten Schellekens

Intro: Sunday Morning (Mallet Play with Violin and Piano)

Outro: Mallet Play