We hit 1,000 plays of our podcast today.  That means someone listened to or downloaded our episodes 1,000 times.  Now obviously in the grand scheme of things that’s not much.  Most other podcasts like have 1,000 download days.  Heck, there may be some that have 1,000 download hours.
 
But for us?  A little random podcast of movie reviews created by six friends in my living room?  It’s kind of a big deal.  We’re six months in and while we aren’t seeing exponential growth, we are seeing consistency.  We’re seeing people check us out all over the world.  That’s really cool.  We don’t have lofty ideals of being podcasting superstars, but we are wanting to expand.  We’re still having fun doing it and can’t wait to continue.
 
We have some great episodes coming up and a summer slasher kick-off that we enjoyed recording.
 
Personally I have a few ideas for some podcasts that I’d like to get going.  If I could quit my job and do this full time I would.  Well, I’d probably spend half the day reading and then podcast, but you know what I mean.
 
Oh to be independently wealthy.  HA!  There’s a big thank you in order to everyone who helped us get off the ground.  A big thank you to everyone who listened and who will continue to listen.

​www.geekendcast.com 

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?
 
This week’s podcast is all about one of my favorite movies, Safety Not Guaranteed.  The premise of this movie is of a magazine writer and his coworkers travelling to find the man who place the ad: "Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before."  While trying to determine if he’s just crazy or not, they all end up going on personal journeys in the process.
 
It’s hard to give a full review without spoiling the ending, but what I can say is that by the time you get to the end, you’ll be completely on board.  Mark Duplass is charming and earnest.  Aubrey Plaza is reserved and awkward.  Both of the characters they play blossom on screen and their burgeoning love story does not feel forced or contrived.
 
Overall the movie is enjoyable, but it’s the ending that will grab you and stay with you for a while.

Here’s the thing about a movie like Silver Linings Playbook, I think that maybe you need to have experience with mental illness to fully appreciate and understand this movie.  I don’t mean that there’s no way you could understand it at all, just that it helped to have gone through some of the things that the characters do.
 
Growing up and well into my young adulthood, I struggled with depression and anxiety.  I won’t sit here and tell you that I’ve been “cured” of my depression, but I can say that it has lessened to a dull roar in the back of my head.  I still have anxiety about a number of things.  Sometimes it manifests as a worrisome internal battle as to whether or not I should say or do something.  Other times it’s trying to convince myself to leave the house altogether.  I’ve missed too many outings because the mere thought of going in public left me terrified for no discernable reason.  I toe the line between “being particular” and having genuine OCD.  Members of my family also struggle with various shades of mental illness such as Bipolar Disorder and have manic episodes not unlike the ones depicted in the movie.
 
Everyone deals with their mental illness differently.  Some need medication, others therapy, others ignore it completely and hope it goes away.  Whatever the method, there’s still too much of a stigma with regards to the various mental disorders.  They are far more common than people think.  If you are suffering and need help you should absolutely reach out to one of your local organizations or even online as there is a plethora of support for you.
 
Take a listen to the episode.  I hope that it helps you in knowing that you are not alone.

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help