Tag: Gratitude

I once went to a family gathering and a couple of my cousins were talking about something technical and I understood maybe 5% of the conversation. I just sat there and listened, fascinated. I wanted to learn more, but didn’t want to slow down their dialogue so they could bring me up to speed.

Being the friendly folks they were and seeing I wasn’t really participating they tried to bring me into the conversation with phrases like, “What do you think?” or “How would you handle this situation?”

I remember giving neutral or unhelpful responses like “you guys know more than I do.” It was awkward. But only mildly so. I was just at the beginning of learning.

I loved that whole family event–even the conversation I didn’t understand. It gave me insight to a whole new view of the world and a workflow that I didn’t know existed. I committed to wanting to learn more about this type of technology. I also liked the format of listening to someone else’s smart conversation.

So, it’s no wonder I like listening to podcasts.

One of my favorite podcasts is The Ubuntu Podcast. Ubuntu is a very powerful brand of Linux. Behind Ubuntu is a strong corporation delivering on its commitments and vision of the future. There’s also a great team at the company working to make that a reality.

The podcast isn’t about what the company is doing.

This podcast is best described as a group of team members & users getting together to chat. To my American ears their British accents help increase the appeal of the podcast.

It would have been rude for me to ask folks to break down the topic during that one family gathering where we lad limited face-to-face cousin time. With the hosts of the Ubuntu Podcast I don’t need to ask them to break it down. They provide show notes for when there’s a topic I want to spend more time exploring and I can do it at my own pace. In the meantime the way they talk doesn’t have me feeling like I’m inadequate because I don’t understand.

Listening to their podcast feels like you’re sitting around the table and part of the conversation. The hosts are humble, and present their topics in almost as if they were a chat at a local pub and you happened to stop by. Their tone is welcoming to friends new and old.

I can’t put my finger on why I love this podcast. But there’s no mistake when it comes to my feelings about it. I love it. I’m glad the team takes the time to make it. I’m glad to add their conversation to my life.

Thank you.

If the conversation ever goes technical on our next family reunion, I hope I’m prepared.