What sayest thou of the podcast?
Is it even a real wedding without a Khalil Gibran quote? ;-)
Callum got married!
Yip, our very own Podcast Creator, Kendoka, and Bladesmith Callum Kennedy, who has been part of our adventure since we started almost a decade ago (as well as being my oldest son) recently married Cara in what was such a wonderful, memorable day for our families.
As “father of the groom” (with cool socks to confirm the role) it was my great pleasure to propose a toast to the lovely couple. And then, alas, when the moment arrived, I was so overwhelmed by the emotion of adding a new Kennedy to the clan that I totally forgot to read the Khalil Gibran quotation I’d dug out.
And yes, it was obvs from “The Prophet” ...
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.”
There was more, but that’s not today’s story…
It was while selecting an appropriate quote and reading the contenders out loud that I discovered Petro du Pisani had never read this little book of wisdom*.
Note: Petro’s use of podcasts to grow herself and her business is a model case study in the medium, you should totally check out her work:
https://substack.onchange.co.za
This discovery naturally led to me reading out multiple sections with an excitement for ‘The Prophet’ that I had quite forgotten.
And that led, almost inevitably, to me asking the AI what the Wise One might have had to say about podcasting.
Yes, we went there! LOL
So, for your entertainment, here is what the chapter on podcasting might have looked like in The Prophet…
O Prophet, what sayest thou of the podcast?
The Prophet, his eyes alight with the wisdom of ages, stands amidst the gathering, the sea murmuring in the distance, and speaks in a voice that weaves the past and present into a single thread:
Podcasts are the voices of the soul carried upon the invisible winds of the ether, a chorus of whispers and shouts that traverse the vastness of time and space. They are not bound by the fleeting tick of the clock, as your radio once was, O herald of the airwaves. Where once you spun tales and tunes for the moment, podcasts are lanterns lit for the wanderer to find at any hour, in any season of the heart.
They are the offspring of the spoken word, born of the union between the storyteller’s breath and the listener’s ear. Like the caravan that pauses beneath the stars, they offer shelter to the curious mind—a place where wisdom, laughter, and wonder may gather without the chains of schedule or station. From the lips of the sage to the jest of the fool, they speak to all who seek, whether in solitude or in the company of a thousand unheard companions.
And what of their essence? They are as the river that flows yet stands still—ever moving with new voices, yet ever present for those who dip their hands into its waters. They ask not for the listener to bow to a single hour, but invite them to dance with the rhythm of their own choosing. In this, they are both mirror and window: a reflection of the one who speaks, and a portal to worlds untraveled by the one who hears.
Tell me, O voice of the past waves, does this not stir your spirit? For where the radio sang to the many at once, the podcast whispers to the one, and in that whisper, a universe is born anew. Speak to me of your thoughts, for I would hear them as the earth hears the rain.
How deliciously pretentious and humorous and just plain fun?!
My fav bit…
They are the offspring of the spoken word,
born of the union between the storyteller’s breath and the listener’s ear.
I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing the newlyweds well.
Thank you for your on-going support, we appreciate you and invite your feedback and questions.
Anon
Gavin
*birthday gift list updated