24. Wait for Your Pitch - Brendan Stackhouse

Today we have a special treat, a sort of peak behind the curtain of my past life. Welcome my childhood friend, Mr. Brendan Stackhouse! Brendan is an educator and theatre director and producer, and as we discover, may actually be my oldest friend. We laugh about the very humbling growth from wishful adolescence to responsible adulthood. We reminisce on how fearless we were, how creative we could be when there was no doubt and no anxiety. As we’ve grown older, we’ve tried to keep our sense of play and certainly draw on some hilarious memories to do so.

Brendan shares his thoughts on being an English teacher, noticing how every kid has an iPhone and TikTok and is smarter than we ever were. But all that access to the world is still paired with a childish naiveté, and we still need to learn how to be human beings and connect with one another and understand behavior. Brendan reminds me that although we were absolute fools when we were younger, we’ve grown to appreciate that all great things take time. And as we abandon the miscalculated pressure of fear, we’re kids again. And we realize, it’s gonna happen for you when it’s gonna happen for you. Just wait for your pitch. Enjoy!

Books mentioned at the end of the episode: New Kid by Jerry Craft, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Stars in the Sky by Casey Grant, and Dear Martin by Nic Stone.