Becoming Wilkinson

Adam Ross is a writer, a three-time Moth StorySLAM winner, and a three-time Moth GrandSLAM performer. His stories have been featured on The Moth Podcast and the Bawdy Storytelling Podcast. He has performed at curated storytelling shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Chicago and New York City, including Strong Words, GatherNYC, OUTspoken, This Much is True, Talk Therapy, Bawdy Storytelling, and Better Luck Next Time.Adam has been writing both fiction and nonfiction stories since he and his nerdy friends started ditching recess in the 4th grade to create short plays and home movies.  He is currently producing a short film dramatization of his shocking “Since We’re Being Honest” story.  In addition to Adam’s creative projects, Adam has spent the last two-decades working for technology companies in various legal and business capacities, where he has almost mastered the art of cat­-herding.  Though he doesn’t enjoy long walks on the beach, Adam does enjoy being a part-time science nerd, political junkie, and gay rights rabble­-rouser.https://adamross.me/ http://Twitter.com/adamross http://Instagram.com/adam.ross.storiesPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Shawn Smith shares his stories of coming out in the rural midwest.His involvement in an emerging Gay college campus organization began a path of LGBT activism, advocacy, and community-building as the Gay Rights Movement began to coalesce in the mid-70's across America. Lured by the freedom and anonymity of big city life, Shawn shares his adventures along the road to freedom of sexual expression.A writer and storyteller by trade, he's now quasi-retired and slacking poolside: A dirty old man enjoying the free and Fabulously Gay life that Palm Springs has to offer.Contact Shawn at: macgizmoguy@hotmail.com  Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Aaron Jay Young grew up in a very conservative, religious home in Pennsylvania. He escaped at age 19 and he's spent his adult life on a journey of growth and self-discovery.  Today he's an amazing portrait photographer based in LA and Palm Springs.  I'm proud to have had the chance to get to know and interview this beautiful soul.In Aaron's own words:"My work is my passion. It is a culmination of all my life experiences - the pain, the trauma, the work I’ve done to find forgiveness, love, and compassion - not just for myself but for others. The process allows me to see other people, their pain, their joy, their vulnerability, and capture it authentically. It is with my camera that I take this journey; through self-portraits and through portraiture of others. It’s a very intimate experience; when a subject is in front of me, whether it’s for 30 seconds, or much longer. There is an undeniable connection that is established. We exchange a sense of trust. All other distractions fall away and it is my sole purpose to see them and to capture those moments of truth. Self-portraits are a way for me to expose not only my own inner world, but the inner world of others; to capture emotional states that are not encouraged to be shown in our society. Yet this is the very essence of what everyone can relate to throughout their own moments in life".  Aaron Jay YoungWeb:  https://www.aaronjayyoung.comEmail:  aaron@aaronjayyoung.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Matthew Hardy is a New York City based actor and musical theater writer. His musicals can be seen Off-Broadway, at theaters across the United States and as far away as Poland. As an actor he has performed in theater, film and television but has recently made the leap to the tiny screen where you can find him on tiktok singing impromptu songs in his underwear.www.matthewhardy.orgwww.tiktok.com/@matthewahardyPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Rob Ollander-KraneRob grew up in New Jersey where he met his husband Jason 43 years ago at 19 years old! It was there that he also started his career in retail and Human Resources…a career that led to Harvard Business Case creating a case study that focused on the innovative work he did in Performance Management.The two left New Jersey for the greener pastures of California and settled in San Francisco in 1987. Two years later, they were among the first gay men to both legally adopt a child. Their son Craig, now 37, lives in Virginia with his wife and 4-year-old son. Rob is a real gay grandpa!A few years back, Jason and Rob relocated to Palm Desert and retired. But that hasn’t slowed Rob down. Since moving here, he has become a singer/songwriter, penning three songs after unsuccessfully trying to write songs for many years. The trick he discovered…a song writing camp in the Catskills run by his favorite band, the Milk Carton Kids. But if that wasn’t enough, he also started a gay country western dance space called Palm Springs Country Dance Association where he and 50 others dance every Friday night. Seems Rob is a bit of a renaissance man. What will he do next?Come dance at the Palm Springs Country Dance Association: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3149602058688600Listen to Rob’s favorite band: https://www.themilkcartonkids.comAnd check Rob out at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rob.ollanderkranePhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Ram Charan has been passionate about exploring consciousness through meditation and healing work for decades. A native of New York, he has spent the greater part of 30 years in India where he gained a deep appreciation and understanding of spiritual awareness practices and intuitive wisdom, which finds expression in his practice of integrative bodywork and transformational coaching. He combines this with extensive training in multiple holistic therapeutic approaches. He received his coaching training and certification through Coacharya in Chennai, India. His bodywork and coaching styles integrate his skills in a wide variety of manual techniques with a subtle understanding of the healing value of deep presence and conscious dialogue. He teaches and works extensively internationally and is based on Cape Cod from Spring through Autumn. For more information about his coaching and bodywork services, see: www.healherenow.comwww.adamramcharan.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

RUSSELL POEWhen he was a young man, Russ Poe had a professor who told him not  to follow his passion of becoming a teacher.  Years later, with a lot of life experiences under his belt and with three children of his own, circumstances in his life changed and he was able to once again come back to his passion. He returned to school, obtained the necessary teaching credentials and began teaching.That was twelve years ago.  having moved from the Chicago suburbs to the desert, he now teaches middle school in Desert Host Springs.He shares some insights from teaching middle schoolers and also manages to share a few life lessons with us.Borrowing a line from a Ben Rector song, he says:"I'm living my best lifeI wake up with the sunriseIt does not look a thing like I thought that it wouldI've been getting my steps inAnd I sleep with my best friend..."Russ says that he feels like he's cheating at life.  His second chapter is starting so well...He lives with his wife and three children in Cathedral City, CA.Contact Russ via email: russp1968@gmail.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

RICKY REIDLINGRicky was born in the small southern town of Winder, Georgia on May 15th. Doing local theater productions since he was a kid he got his first real break when he was 15 when he was asked to audition for "Annie Get Your Gun" playing 'lil Jake, Annie's brother. He won the audience's over with great reviews to follow. Ricky continued acting in various productions throughout his career and finally decided to make the move to California where he was referred to a talent agent by a well known casting director and appeared in several films. Ricky then decided to start his own entertainment company where he would write/produce/direct and act in some of his own productions.Ricky is a filmmaker, writer, actor and creator of the Cable series BoysTown, the feature film HEELS and the T.V. pilot Some Kind of Wonderful.Some Kind of Wonderful  Website:   www.skowseries.comRicky's IMDB profile and info: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1579379/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ricky.reidlingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickyreidling/Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

I met Tom Grissinger online more than 20 years ago.  We had initially considered dating but that didn't work out.  We remained friends over these many years.In this episode, he discusses the  rather unique grieving process he used in dealing with the unexpected death of his partner Kelly Turner.We bounce around on many topics, including why he chose to father four children for four lesbian couples, some crazy dating stories and why he's so obsessed with game shows (and how he managed to successfully go on so many of them).Lastly, he chats about his latest ventures in writing plays and storytelling.Tom lives with his husband Andy Kelchner and they spend time between their homes in Oakland and Palm Springs.Contact Tom via email: tgriss@gmail.comPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Who is Alex Stratikis?  Here's his story in his own words:"Hi, I’m Alex Stratikis, founder of Autism Adventures Abroad.  I’m a 20-something travel blogger/writer (I’m also a Japanese to English translator too!) and I just happen to have an Autism diagnosis too. I was inspired to start my blog and establish this website to encourage other young autistic people who are ambitious about exploring the world to push their boundaries and give traveling a go, even if society may convince them otherwise. I could never have imagined that my life would turn out the way it has!I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 6 (I now simply identify with the broader Autism Spectrum). I always knew there had to be a bigger, more interesting and exciting world than the small ex-mining community where I grew up in Scotland. I dreamt of living in Japan and from the age of 13 I began to study the language, I eventually studied for an Honours Degree in Japanese at Newcastle University in England and graduated in 2019.I traveled myself for the first time abroad at the age of 19, to Japan and spent 6 months in Tokyo, studying at a language school.  Those were some of the best times of my life. I learned a lot about myself, my limits, my likes and dislikes, I really pushed myself to try new things and explore new places during my stay.I started to develop connections with others who like me were living in a foreign country and this was a key point I noted.  Nobody was there to judge anyone else’s differences, everyone was there to connect with the people present, most of whom were of different cultures to themselves.I was raised in Scotland (I’m Greek/Scottish) and really struggled socially throughout my childhood, I struggled to make friends because no-one I knew seemed to be interested in the things I wanted to talk about and here I am now at the beginning of an incredible journey that has seen me travelling (mainly solo) to over 30 countries, 6 of which I have lived, worked and studied in.  I now have friends in countries all over the world!I have a real interest in visiting sites and venues of historical and architectural significance (I did think about studying archaeology at university before I settled on Japanese).I post regularly on Instagram, photos and stories from my travels so please take a look, like my posts, leave me a comment and if you like what you see, follow me and I might just follow you back"!Alex's blog:  https://www.autismadventuresabroad.comFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AutismAdventuresAbroadAlex's travel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autismadventuresabroad/Alex's tip jar/donation: https://gofund.me/20645a45 orhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlexStratikisPhoto: Copyright Wilkinson/2022Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com