Getting Old Quickly

165. The Song Is Ended But The Melody Lingers On

In Episode 165, Billy Donnelly mourns the loss of a member of the Drewpies family named Wendy. He shares his regret of never having had the pleasure to meet her and wishes she could have been able to attend one of the group's gatherings after having all been there during COVID for one another. He recalls some of her specific memorable quirks from the group and reflects on how her love and support -- especially for her local music scene -- touched so many lives. He also expresses a lot of anger at how she died and how it was likely preventable. However, the American healthcare system failed her. If inclined, please make a donation to the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition in her name and honor.

164. A Holding Pattern

In Episode 164, Billy Donnelly finds himself in a holding pattern. After beginning a new program intended to boost his self-esteem, he intended to come to the show with some of the new things he had learned as he got started. However, he could not get as deep into it as he would have liked to bring a decent understanding of it to this week's show. Therefore, everything is status quo as he introduces exactly what he's doing and how it was brought to his attention but with a wait-and-see approach for things to come.

163. Constant Happiness Is An Illusion

In Episode 163, Billy Donnelly comes to terms with the fact that the idea of constantly being happy is impossible, and yet it is still an unattainable pursuit that human beings embark on constantly. He discusses the chemical reactions in our brains that result from moments of happiness and how they then become like a drug that we want more of. However, that sets us up with a hunger that can't be satisfied, no matter what thing we get that we're told will make us feel happy. He shares that he used to feel as if there was something wrong with him for not being able to be happy all the time, especially as others presented themselves as happy non-stop. But he has learned over time that people show you only what they want to see, and while he may have been feeling bad about himself assuming they were living awesome lives, that wasn't the case; they were just hiding their unhappiness better.

162. We Are Paramore

In Episode 162, Billy Donnelly shares his experience with taking his daughter to her first-ever concert: Paramore. He talks about the ability to tap into a small corner of his daughter's life as she becomes her own person by sharing such a memory with her and what it was like to take in a show once again -- but through the eyes of someone whose never done it before.

161. The Class Of 1998 25-Year High School Reunion

In Episode 161, Billy Donnelly reveals that his high school recently held its 25-year reunion for his graduating class. In the process, he explains all the reasons why he didn't go to this one nor to any of the previous reunions held for the Class of 1998. He once again revisits his dislike for his high school experience, and even though he holds some fantastical ideas about what possibly attending would accomplish or prove, he realizes just how much more harm circling back to those memories could create.