The spark came back. After years of stop‑start attempts, grief, and a creative blackout, we rebuilt a season anchored in adventure—small, daily acts of courage and a few big ones too. From a solo motorcycle ride to Montana to quiet porch conversations with Pop, this year was about sticking with the craft, telling better stories, and letting a community shape the mic as much as the mic shapes the community.
Fletch discusses the roots of the show and how a year of adventure showed up in tighter storytelling, richer interviews, and the season’s heartbeat: ordinary people taking brave steps. He then caps it with a moment on the porch as Pop draws the adventure book giveaway winner and adds a handwritten note, because we know that connection matters as much as content.
Then we look ahead. Season 6 turns toward midlife shifts: the real work of change in purpose, identity, career, location, health, and money. We will rethink the tired “midlife crisis” trope, and meet a lineup of people who changed lanes late to hear the costs, the fears, and the unexpected wins. Our goal next season is simple—normalize reinvention, lower the hurdles, and map the first steps so you can try your own pivot with a little less dread and a lot more courage.
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Guest Information
Joe Fletcher (Pop)
Born in Somerville, NJ in 1930, Pop is a regular guest of theMangoTimes Podcast. He spends his days tending to his garden and relaxing on the back porch (summer) and in his smoke shop (winters). He is a voracious reader (1-2 books each week on his favorite Kindle) and focuses on biographies and histories. Pop loves to take your questions, so feel free to contact him here: Let’s Connect.
Resources and Links
Episode 44: Top Five Adventure Books
Music used in this episode:
- Life of Riley and Carefree by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100449
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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