My Ode to Public Radio

This probably won't surprise you, but I love public radio.  Granted, there is something about radio in general that calls to me which is probably why I majored in it during college (that part probably is a bit surprising).  Given that my affinity is more for radio's roots and less for it's modern commercial permutations, public radio more often than not fits the bill.

I thoroughly enjoy shows like Talk of the Nation, On Point, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, This American Life, Car Talk, and A Way With Words.  Of the shows produced regionally I prefer Garden Talk, Here on Earth, Old Time Radio Drama, Simply Folk, Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know, and Chapter a Day.

Chapter a Day in particular I find resonates with me on many different levels.  It brings back childhood memories of listening to a particularly good storyteller.  It also fills the need for that traditional radio experience as Jim Fleming has the quintessential radio voice.  Listening to him read makes me feel a lot like I imagine my cat does when she curls up on the couch for one of her many daytime naps.  It's a fantastic way to pause in the middle of the day and slow down a bit.

Listening to public radio (or an archived show) is one of my favorite things to do when Baby M is feeling particularly fussy.  More often than not she eschews the rocking chair in favor of being held (or cuddled close in the sling) while I rock and sway back and forth.  She enjoys the rhythm and I enjoy the fact that I won't miss out on a scene like I would if I were watching a movie.  Instead, all that's required is my ears and a mind that can track with what's being said.  The rest of my senses can focus on the baby in question.  I can cuddle her close, inhaling her sweet baby smell and listen right along.

Edited to Add:  Jim's reading chapters from "Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting" right now.  Oh, and yesterday Jean (Here on Earth) had Jeremy Rifkin on discussing his book "The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis" which was really interesting.  So interesting, in fact, that I found a way to get it on Hubby's I Pod so he could listen to it too!  I've already got Rifkin's book requested at the library.