Our lives move in patterns long before we notice them. We learn what keeps us safe, what helps us belong, and what allows us to move through the world with less risk and less pain. In this first quiet gathering of Circles | Edges, Aaron invites listeners into a candlelit, late night space to reflect on those familiar cycles and the masks we wear to survive them. Beginning with a story from his nursing education and expanding outward into the ways we protect ourselves emotionally and socially, the episode lingers at the moment when...
Our lives move in patterns long before we notice them. We learn what keeps us safe, what helps us belong, and what allows us to move through the world with less risk and less pain. In this first quiet gathering of Circles | Edges, Aaron invites listeners into a candlelit, late night space to reflect on those familiar cycles and the masks we wear to survive them. Beginning with a story from his nursing education and expanding outward into the ways we protect ourselves emotionally and socially, the episode lingers at the moment when awareness begins to stir. This is not a search for answers or solutions, but a place of arrival. A pause at the edge of what feels familiar, and an invitation to consider, together, what it costs to stay protected and what becomes possible when we start to notice.
Key Takeaways:
- A reflection on why late night talk radio once mattered and why that intimate, solitary voice still feels necessary today
- The origin of Circles | Edges and its intention to explore shared human patterns without chasing solutions or certainty
- A nursing school story that becomes a metaphor for how emotional and social masks interfere with real connection
- An exploration of how masks form, why they feel necessary, and how they quietly create cycles of disconnection
- A gentle invitation to consider what it might mean to pause at the edge of a familiar pattern rather than rushing past it
About Aaron:
Aaron Tabacco, PhD, has spent more than thirty years guiding people through growth and change, often in complex and high-stakes environments. He currently serves as Director of Staff Experience in the UCSF Department of Medicine. With a background spanning nursing, neuroscience, education, coaching, and mediation, his work centers on helping individuals and organizations navigate identity, connection, and transformation with greater clarity and care.
Known for his grounded presence and compassionate communication, Aaron works with students, clinicians, faculty, executives, and senior leaders across healthcare and other industries. His approach integrates relational depth, reflective practice, and a commitment to creating more humane, integrated ways of working and living. He lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he continues a lifelong engagement with writing, music, and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest alongside his husband and three adult sons.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-tabacco-phd-83359b9/
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