The things that make you go hmm
Things that make you go hmm
The things that make you go hmm, hmm, hmm
The things that make you go hmm
Things that make you go hmm
The things that make you go hmm.
I was recently given some sage-like advice. You might find this hard to believe but I don’t have a filter. I will often react to the words or actions of another without thinking of the repercussions. Depending on the situation it can be hilarious or disastrous, and on more than one occasion, both. If you know me personally this is not news to you. If you just stumbled across this little journey of mine and this isn’t the first entry you are reading, this is not news to you either. I have begun to listen to podcasts at work. I have never been a big music guy. If we were together and I am choosing the radio station, we will probably be listening to Howard Stern on Sirius. For me it doesn’t matter if it is a repeat, best of compilation, new show or something related to the Stern World like the Wrap-Up Show, I am there. Recently Adam Corolla from The Man Show and Lovelines was on to promote his new book “Not Taco Bell Material”. The title referencing how he was declined employment at the fast food chain with the reason being he “just wasn’t Taco Bell material”…but I digress.
So a little over 2 years ago Adam was fired from CBS Radio and he started his podcast. It was originally run out of his house, in his office, but has grown so much he received a Guinness Book Of World Records award for the most downloads of a podcast ever. He has surrounded himself with a funny crew of people and his show is now on my daily listen file on Stitcher, an app for listening to podcasts. I have even gone to the archives to listen to older shows. Adam is irreverent and hilarious (2 things I look for in my man crushes) and has an everyman kind of attitude, unlike many others that are multi-millionaire pseudo-celebs and have forgotten where they began. He is a man’s man and even has separate podcasts about home repair and car repair. He does all his own repairs and even remodeled his own house. Before he became a radio/TV personality he was a carpenter and he remembers what it was like to be broke. Also, when you work for yourself no one can fire you.
The other day he was talking to Allyson Rosen, his version of Robin Quivers, the news reader on the Howard Stern Show. The main difference is Allyson is super cute and very funny in her own right. Adam and Allyson were discussing something in her personal life and Adam reminded her that before she reacted she needed to think of 2 things;
1) Is this going to make me money?
2) Is this going to make me happy?
He went on to describe that the answer to those 2 questions guide his decisions on a daily basis as much as possible. To say this was a cathartic moment for me would be to minimize its impact.
In his book, Adam describes his upbringing and how his parents were chronic under-achievers. He actually said that being goal-oriented and focused is not a Corolla trait and I laughed out loud. Adam’s father, upon divorcing Adam’s mother, moved in with his ex wife’s mother because he couldn’t afford to live on his own and she took pity on him. This is just one example of the lack of effort Jim Corolla put into his life. Adam’s mother was equally unmotivated and at some point he had to draw a line in the sand and say that on this side, he had to break the unambitious, uninspired, prosaic and even pathetic approach to life. Using the 2 questions above helped him become the man he is today. This may surprise some of you, but I honestly believe God has a plan for me and I just haven’t gotten there yet. Maybe the two questions will help me evolve a little further and become the man I could be… I can only hope.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it….
Again, good shit.