Going Deep: A Gay Guide to Reality – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This post is sexually explicit and very AIDS-y. Two states older gay men know well. Those adhering to the standard narrative I wrote about in my last post will find this content disquieting. 

So, with that warning, here goes.   

*

A few months ago, on my knees, among hundreds of bodies writhing around me, a cock in my mouth exploded with a rare load in the G-dosed molly-spiked energy of a dance party dark room. I looked up and smiled with gratitude at the guy, who nodded down at me with a satisfied grin. 

No thoughts of death or disease, just the pure ecstasy of pleasure. 

No awkward whispers of HIV status. No recent funerals. No belongings to sift through. No forever friends with months, weeks, or days to live. No wondering who will die next. No wondering if it will be me. 

Just raw pleasure thanks to drugs that now shield us from transmission–from drama. 

And as I make my way back to the main party, it hits me that this is it. This is as good as the celebration of the end of the plague is going to get: a gaping void of drama. 

It makes me wonder if my nightmare memories are true. 

Did a male nurse sit across from me in the San Diego County Health Office in 1986 and tell me that I had less than eighteen months to live and I most likely would not see the age of 23? 

That same year, did a scumbag named Lyndon H. LaRouche get Proposition 64 on the California ballot that would have placed HIV+ people into concentration camps? 

Did my best friend Alvin die the next year? Did I give my first eulogy at 22?

Was I getting bloodwork done every three months, for free, at the Edelman clinic in West Hollywood, where the new library is now? In 1991, did tears steam down my face when I looked at my chart and saw that my T-cells were about to fall below 200, the point at which all the opportunistic infections that pave the way to death begin? 

Was I the only one there to take care of my boyfriend Tony until he died because his parents couldn’t cope with finding out their son was gay and had AIDS all at the same time? 

Did I give my second eulogy at 26 on the baseball diamond of Poinsettia Park without their permission after Tony died? 

Did I hook up with a guy, use a condom to fuck him, and then a few days later see him on the street in front of the parking garage where I work when he asked casually, “You’re negative, right?” 

Did that happen again with another guy, in bed, right AFTER sex? 

Was there a constant debate about who should disclose first? The negative guys thought it should be the positive guys. After all, they had the deadly concealed weapon. The positive guys thought it should be the negative guys. Hey, you guys have the most to lose. I was always honest, always used a condom, and thought the person who cared the most should start the boner-killing conversation. 

Did I start having sex exclusively with HIV+ guys because of all that drama and the weight of possibly infecting someone else? 

Yes! The drumbeat of AIDS-driven fear was ever present. 

Like, when two guys with British accents took me into one of the cock sucking booths at the Zone sex club in Los Angeles. The sexual heat between the three of us was fierce, and I loved that they took turns using my ass. I’m still perplexed by the look on one of their young faces after he came. It turns out he wasn’t wearing a condom. His load was inside me. Was that an expression of guilt, fear, shame, or something else? It certainly wasn’t ecstasy. 

For those of us who were positive, the drumbeat pounded like a metronome: every three months, bloodwork, results, doctor visit, repeat – bloodwork, results, doctor visit, repeat.  

The guys who were HIV-negative got tested when they thought they should. Having a negative result was a reprieve, tempting these men to stretch the time to the next test when the ax might fall. 

Finding ways to get off with another guy without causing more death led to lots of jerking each other off, in-person voyeurism, and dry humping. 

Eros and death were constant companions. 

Finally, a rich and famous straight guy named Magic Johnson was infected and was willing to talk about it. This normalized the disease enough for non-gays to start understanding. “Oh, you have what Magic has,” is what a friend of mine reported his brother saying. 

Magic is how my husband, who’s almost 17 years younger than me and was born the same year AIDS was identified, learned about HIV. Hiding in his parents' room, he watched a kid's show hosting Magic Johnson. 

Going to funerals became a regular occurrence for everyone affected by the plague, HIV+, HIV-, gay, lesbian, and straight. No one was spared the losses. 

“What do you think when you’re having sex with a guy you haven’t talked about HIV with?” I asked my brutally honest HIV- best friend. 

“Are you Satan?” was his honest answer. 

So, what do you think about me? I thought. 

In places like Los Angeles, positive guys started having their own sex parties. I visited the Downey Boys party, where I met my first “bug chaser.” He was a negative guy who was so stressed about becoming HIV+ that he wanted to force his seroconversion. 

Even on the International Mister Leather convention floor, arguably one of the most sex-positive spaces in the United States, bareback porn exhibitors were banned. The wails of drama surrounding that decision are legendary. 

First, there was no treatment for the disease, and then AZT, Saquinavir, Viramune, Combivir, Crixivan, and others came out. Some needed to be taken every four hours, some with food, some without food. AZT made my mouth taste like metal all the time, and Crixivan made my urine thick and burn. 

Finally, the “drug cocktail” came out. One pill, twice a day, that didn’t make my dick burn. 

And very quietly, everyone stopped dying. 

“I wonder what everyone’s going to do when we finally have a cure?” I said to my sober HIV+ friend Randy over brunch with six other gays. “Can you imagine the party we’re going to have?” 

He leaned across the table and said in a whisper, “It’s already here.” 

He was right, but it was still easy to get infected. 

And then, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylactic) came out. An HIV- guy could take one pill a day that was more effective than a condom at stopping the transmission of HIV. 

Then we found out that guys with an undetectable viral load do not shed the virus. It was dubbed U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable). Which was a bit irritating to me because I’d been undetectable for at least five years by the time that information was made available. 

I had been less of a poria than I thought. 

The final drama tsunami came from Michael Weinstein, who ran and still runs the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). He called PrEP a party drug. He said it was dangerous and a lot of other nonsense. The man just hates sex, finds delight in curtailing it, and worries PrEP will both encourage sex and lower his client base.  

Some gays had a religious-like attachment to condoms. It was a price we paid to show our love for our brothers, they explained. To them, having condomless sex was an insult to our community. It was impossible for them to grasp a new reality where pre-AIDS era gay sex could once again be enjoyed. 

But the new reality played itself out with real-life data. The pages and pages of obituaries in Frontiers Magazine (essentially the gay press in Los Angeles) were gone from the bi-weekly publication. And once the obituaries where gone, so were the condoms. 

We let Michael Weinstein and the condom worshipers talk themselves out, and about a year later, their tsunami of drama fell to a whimper. 

And then…

Silence. 

Like having my windows open as my next-door neighbor's leaf blower groans away, I became so accustomed to the loud drama that when it was turned off, the silence was deafening. 

Like AIDS deaths and all the drama that came with it, never happened. 

To add a sexual cherry on top of this good news, we now have a drug protocol based on how gay men actually fuck, which is a lot, for preventing most of the other sexually transmitted infections PrEP doesn’t prevent. DoxyPEP uses an antibiotic that’s been around for ages to minimize the transmission of common STIs. 

So now, the only reason for a person to hate sex for pleasure is because a person finds pleasure in hating sex. 

See the Standard Narrative. 

So now what? 

First, we need to repair the damage done to our sex spaces. Let’s look at those laws still on the books requiring owners of sex establishments to go around with flashlights checking guys fucking in their venue's dark rooms, steam rooms, and rooms that aren’t allowed to lock, making sure cocks going into buttholes have condoms on them. 

While we are at it, let’s make these sex spaces communal gathering spaces for gay men. Let’s follow the European model of bathhouses where a gay can get off, then talk about it over drinks and dinner in the same venue. Let’s allow them to offer spa-like services like massage. 

These arcane rules in our liberal cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, need to be changed. In my post, Feeling Sexy and Socially Homeless, I argue that these spaces not only give us orgasms, but they also give us a sense of purpose and meaning, two perceptions of reality that actually lengthen our lifespans.  

But we can’t do that until we believe we deserve a place to be who and what we are. 

What will it take for us to believe that? 

What will it take to break the silence? 

“Hey! It’s you guys. I didn’t know you’d be on the ship!”  

It takes me two full seconds to recognize the tall, lean Italian with dark eyes and grey-speckled beard stubble before a surge of joy-filled love overtakes me. I embrace him with one arm and squeeze my husband’s wrist in the elevator bay crowded with men in costumes. 

“Dennis! Look who it is!” 

We are taking a bathroom break during the first themed dance party of the seven-day March 2024 Atlantis Events (99% gay) cruise on the Valiant Lady, a Virgin Voyages ship that left from and will return to San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

The theme of tonight’s dance party is “Tropical Heat,” we are wearing black lines of “warrior paint” on our faces, red headbands, red tights, and the one pair of black Adidas sneakers that will need to support every activity this week. 

“Oh, my gawd! It is so good to see you!” says Dennis, squeezing through the crowd to give him a full-bodied hug. 

We met this man and his beautiful husband precisely three years ago on this same ship in the Mediterranean, out of Barcelona. Our connection on the dance floor translated into two memorable visits to our private stateroom with the four of us. It was a connection unlike most of the others because of its effortless blend of intense erotic pleasure and sensitive, emotional openness. I was genuinely sad when we said goodbye in the galley food area on the last day of that cruise in 2021. 

This is what keeps us coming back. Freedom. Joy. Sex. But mostly, love. 

These cruises provide what is no longer offered on land (in the United States): a 24/7 space dedicated to gay men’s comfort and delight for all ages and body types. 

This is my seventh cruise with Atlantis, and I’ve learned that the cornucopia of activities available makes it possible for every kind of gay, no matter his age, body type, activity interests, or cultural inclinations, to have a blissful journey. 

These cruises have something for every kind of gay. 

* Circut Party Gays 

* His body and wardrobe are maximized for dancefloor impact. 

* Wearing either a minimal thong & face full of glitter, or a full-blown themed group costume with yards of fabric blowing in the sea air, posing for a group photo. 

* Often embodied in one of the most objectively beautiful physiques on the ship. 

* Pupils dilated, he sometimes never sees the light of day. 

* He emerges after dark, is at least an hour late to the party, and routinely closes down the after-party at 6:30 AM.

* Standard Narrative Gays

* Wearing the latest short-sleeved button-down shirt from L.L. Bean. 

* They are having the cruise your mom might have.

* They have booked as many excursions off the ship as possible.

* Discussion about open relationships never happened before the cruise, and they’d prefer that other gays stop bringing it up.

* Alcohol is the only acceptable drug, and there is always a drink in their hand.

* They have a persistent neurotic expression, asking, “What if pics of this get out?” 

* Old Gays 

* Wearing whatever the fuck they want, which is either complete comfort or full fabulous. 

* These men are genuinely happy to be alive and willing to engage with anyone who makes eye contact. 

* They make eye contact.  

* Many are up early, enjoying the sunrise.

* The oldest (I chatted up a 92-year-old) get decked out in the party themes of red, white, pink, etc. Find a seat overlooking the dance floor and remain transfixed for hours, chatting with the oldster beside him as the Virgin staff keep them hydrated. 

* Sluty Gays

* Wearing their best guy-getting gear. Often in St33le shorts. 

* Looking for every opportunity to suck it, stick it in, or receive. 

* Down Low (DL) sluts project all their assets: butts out on the dance floor, styled super sexy on the pool deck, etc., but need to be out of sight of their friends to “go downstairs.” 

* Open sluts, wearing something similar, will make offers and respond to sexual proposals casually, without shame. 

* Guys in Slut Mode stalk the dick deck (a part of the ship designated for anonymous sex), know the good bathrooms for hook-ups, and are always ready to “go downstairs.”

* Sober Gays

* They show up to the party ready to engage (dance, hookup, whatever) without needing their drugs to kick in.  

* They are at the dance parties early and seldom see the sun come up. 

* Their erections are much more predictable than dosing Circut Gays and drunk Standard Narrative Gays. 

* Their conversations are much easier to follow. 

* They have Bill W. meetings to assist with cruise overwhelm. 

* Twink Gays

* Rare, but there.

* Cruises take money and planning. Both are rare attributes of youth. 

* Often part of a red state May/December coupling.

* Free agent twinks also appear to be seasoned circuit party raver types. 

* They are thoroughly informed on party protocol but still new to the planet, so what you see is usually what you get. 

* Foodie & Spa Gays

* The food on this ship, in particular, is varied and impressive. On other ships, it has tasted like a bland mall food court buffet. Virgin Atlantic attracts men with sensitive pallets and inspires food simpletons like me to humbly bow in the direction of the chef. 

* The spa is an oasis within the oasis of the ship. An oasis from complementing clever outfits, commenting on the music, or sharing your plans for the evening.

* Show Girl Gays

* These cruises deliver what every audience member anywhere has ever wanted. They make you laugh, they make you cry, and they make your dick hard.

* These gays plan their day around the show. Dinner, a party, or a hookup must accommodate getting the best seat at the show.  

I’ve done Atlantis cruises as a Slutty/Sober/Circuitish/Show-Girl-Gay. 

On this cruise, I was mainly a Circuit/Sluty/Foddie/Spa-Gay who took advantage of the excellent room service options available 24/7. We only got off the ship once, for 45 minutes, to get shaving cream. 

There is so much we didn’t see. 

We planned our week's agenda to accommodate three nights of intense partying. All three party nights were followed by a day at the spa, dinner, and sometimes a show. 

That was my cruise. 

Here’s my advice: Have the cruise YOU want. No one is preventing you from doing that except for YOU. You are not required to attend anything, but everything is there if you want to taste the buffet. 

The only thing you can NOT do, is do it ALL. 

Make conscious choices, and you’ll be one of the men who crowd into the elevator on your way to your next pleasure with a smile on your face, sharing a silent nod of satisfaction with guys looking back at you who’d never look up from their phones on land. 

The ship is a magical, ephemeral space that lasts only a week (or a bit longer), where being a gay man is the norm, and straight people are there to serve you. Shared conversations occur between all types at dinner, the pool, after the show, and during parties. 

Are there some men shut down by fear & trauma and unable to communicate? Yes. Have compassion for their internal turmoil (regardless of how pretty or plain they are) and turn to one of the thousands of other men ready to embrace you. 

It’s great practice for “real life.” 

I’m glad I chose to dance with the men in front of me, ready to embrace me, rather than chase the ones I thought had the most social status because of their beauty. I made a conscious effort to refrain from trying to win the party. I’ve made the opposite choice enough times to know that kind of grasping causes me pain. 

Ironically, not trying to win the party, brought some underwear model specimens toward me for a few euphoric genuflections to Eros, giving thanks for our shared virility and their youthful innocence. It also brought me into communion with a pair of men, one 50 and the other 70. A couple I spent hours with celebrating the company of Dyonisis, allowing the wisdom of many years on the planet to inform the sweetness of the moment born from the light and shadow of life. Who, in addition to enjoying the passions of love and sex, were able to hold space for insanity and the ritual madness of our gay past the youth will hopefully never really know. 

So much is possible. 

Or maybe you’re more of a champagne brunch, drag queen, bingo kinda gay.  

Please sit down your coffee, hold my hand, and tell me all about it as the pink of the sunrise reflects off my tights, announcing the close of last night’s white party and the beginning of another day full of possibility. 

Sex / Love & Relationships / Spirituality & Intuition Bundle

In these courses, you'll learn tips, tricks and insider information from 3 generations of gay men.

You'll leave knowing how to prepare your mind, body, and spirit to give & receive the sex you desire and deserve.

You'll explore finding love in all the right places!

Find the inspired answers inside of you waiting to be discovered.

Evoke your true desires and empowering your own authentic spirituality.

Join All 3 Now! - For Only $97

Learn More about each Masterclass

________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't worry! We'll be doing it once more for those of you who haven't got the time but still want to go deeper, learn more about and improve the Sex, Love and/or Relationships in your lives.

When? January  23rd - 27th  2021

Learn More Now!

________________________________________________________________________________________

I need to get honest with you about sex.

Because I love it, and believe that celebrating mindful, “conscious sex” is essential for gay men’s dignity. 

My last "Being A Man," or BAM, episode was about moving from oppression to celebration; and I barely mentioned sex at all.

After a long discussion with my boyfriend regarding my struggle writing that episode, I realized that I had let my socialized, American, fear about sex, launch me into a clumsy, diatribe about fear itself, and my fear of just talking about what I really want.

So let’s talk about the sex we have and the reasons we can celebrate it.

After all, it just makes sense for a podcast “for gay men” to address the one and only thing that all gay men have in common, the urge to merge, the passion that surges in our balls, our gut, our brains, and our hearts, to seek out and touch other men, intimately.

We talked about:

• Consent [8:32]
• Sex and Relationships [16:29]
• Fuck Buddies [20:02]

Mentioned in this episode

• Be Here Now by Ram Dass
• Guy Baldwin
• Polyamory

Sex / Love & Relationships / Spirituality & Intuition today!

In these courses, you'll learn tips, tricks and insider information from 3 generations of gay men.

You'll leave knowing how to prepare your mind, body, and spirit to give & receive the sex you desire and deserve.

You'll explore finding love in all the right places!

Find the inspired answers inside of you waiting to be discovered.

Evoke your true desires and empowering your own authentic spirituality.

Join All 3 Now! - For Only $97

Learn More about each Masterclass

________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't worry! We'll be doing it once more for those of you who haven't got the time but still want to go deeper, learn more about and improve the Sex, Love and/or Relationships in your lives.

When? January  23rd - 27th  2021

Learn More Now!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Don Kilhefner (Listen to Wisdom of the Tribal Elder with Dr. Don Kilhefner from S1)
Don on Social Media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Sister Unity (Listen to The Queer Hero's Journey with Sister Unity episode)

Sister on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

 
Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sister Unity (Listen to The Queer Hero's Journey with Sister Unity episode)

Sister on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

 
Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Dear listeners - join us next week for our Sex, Love & Relationships virtual workshop!!

We'd love to see you join the discussion and connect in real-time. xo

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

Rev. Jesse Brune-Horan: (Listen to Rev. Jesse: Just F-ing Love Each Other from S1) 

Jesse on Social Media:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Joel Benjamin. (Listen to The Union of Sex & Spirit with Yogi Joel Benjamin from S1)
Joel on Social Media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YogaSmithSeattle.com

Sister Unity: Listen to the 1st Episode of the podcast with the hilarious Sister Unity.

Sister Unity on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

 
Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

“Ruminating” in Improvisation for the Theatre (pg. 137 - 168/435 in pdf) by Viola Spolin.

Sister Unity: Listen to the 1st Episode of the podcast with the hilarious Sister Unity.

Sister Unity on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

 
Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

Don Kilhefner (Listen to Wisdom of the Tribal Elder: From Revolutionary to Eldering with Dr. Don Kilhefner episode from S1)

Don on Social Media:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Listen to the very 1st Episode of the podcast with our beloved Sister Unity where we talk about The Queer Hero's Journey.

Sister Unity on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Sister Unity (Listen to The Queer Hero's Journey with Sister Unity episode)

Sister on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Hello GerleMen listeners.

She is hilarious. She is irreverent. She is devastating in her academic acumen and her theatrical talent.

And, although we may be laughing, her messages are packed with wisdom and insights many listeners will find life-affirming.

While we pause our regular episodes and prepare a spectacular Season 2 of the GerleMen Podcast, we’d like you to enjoy some short, bonus episodes, co-hosted by my dear friend and rambunctious orange Nun, Sister Unity of the Los Angeles House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

So enjoy the show my friends! We’ve packed all this awesomeness into some very short clips.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sister Unity (Listen to The Queer Hero's Journey with Sister Unity episode)

Sister on Social Media:

• Youtube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

 
Dr. Frankie (Listen to Intuition is Everything with Dr. Frankie Bashan episode)

Dr. Frankie on Social Media:

• Instagram
• Facebook: Dr. Frankie or Facebook: Little Gay Book
• YouTube

Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.

Hello GerleMen listeners!

I want to thank you for listening to the premiere season of the GerleMen Podcast as we wrap up Season 1.

On the show, we explored everything from “feelings” to “sex” to “spirituality” to “queer Hollywood” all sprinkled with the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic and a resurgence of social justice with Black Lives Matter protests.

A special highlight for me personally was the episode with my Momon Father where he told us about ‘loving-kindness.'

When this all started, I had no idea what was involved with producing a podcast. There were technical struggles. Like building an entire studio to host guests in-studio (only to have COVID-19 arrive the same month we started doing interviews), sorting out all the hardware and software, and then there was the content -- what were we going to talk about?

But that’s when our mission kicked in, lighting the path towards our desire to foster heart-centered connection.

During the summer break, we will be checking in every few weeks with a very special guest. And, if you have any ideas or suggestions for Season 2, please send them my way!!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Sister Unity. Find her on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Garrett McClure: Co-founder, Coach & COO
• Lesley Schroeder: Show-runner and Editor
• Ricky Londoño: Digital Media Coordinator
• Steven Le Vine: Publicist

Get connected:

• Subscribe to my newsletter and blog on our website.
• Email me directly at mike@gerlemen.com.
• Or join the conversation on Facebook.
• And, for your viewing pleasure, find us on YouTube.