This Is Actually Happening

“They were there to remind me who I was in the world, and it hurt too much on the inside, being hurt on the outside didn’t matter as much.” Producer: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits Episode Summary: A man’s rage grows after growing up with racism and abuse, leading to transformative encounters with brutality, violence and ultimately, inner strength. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Andrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/ Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happening Engage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/ Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link www.actuallyhappeningstore.com to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.  Content/Trigger Warnings: racism, racially charged language, violence, police brutality, explicit language Intro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Cylinder Four/Cylinder Five” – Chris Zabriskie ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“The hardest part about the whole thing is just not knowing; for a few hours that night I wasn’t me and that’s terrifying.” Producer: Whit MissildineEpisode Summary: A woman answers a Craigslist ad for a job and ends up on a harrowing night that doesn’t add upSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link www.actuallyhappeningstore.com to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: mental illness, racism, violence, murder, police brutality, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Re-Entry” – Lee Rosevere ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“You just think this is a nightmare, and then you realize nope this is my life, this is real.”Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew WaitsEpisode Summary: A mother faces the ultimate tragedy at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and serve.  Today’s episode featured Taun Hall. To find out more about Taun and Miles and the Miles Hall Foundation, go to justiceformileshall.org. There you can see the video mentioned in the episode, donate to the campaign, learn more about the case or get involved. You can also join the community on Instagram @justiceformileshall or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/justiceformileshallSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comAndrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link https://www.teepublic.com/stores/this-is-actually-happening-store?ref_id=9467 to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: mental illness, racism, violence, murder, police brutality, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Re-Entry” – Lee Rosevere ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“I did have a hard time ever really feeling safe anywhere, and the problem was just that inside of me it wasn’t safe so it didn’t matter where I was.”Producers: Whit MissildineEpisode Summary: After a brutal rape at age 11, a woman keeps her secret, only to be haunted decades later by events that compel her to confront her deepest fearsSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link https://www.teepublic.com/stores/this-is-actually-happening-store?ref_id=9467 to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: rape, sexual violence, psychosis, mental illness, suicidal ideation, homicidal thoughts, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: Ambient Themes by Nigel Coutinho ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Looking down the barrel of a gun is devastating….Although I was a kid it was very clear that there was lots of hate, and I was kind of frozen.”Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew WaitsEpisode Summary: Growing up surrounded by racism and police brutality, a man tries to understand and heal his past by seeing what’s really inside the belly of the beast.Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comAndrew Waits: http://andrdewwaits.com/Today’s episode featured scholar and novelist Dr. Michael Datcher. Michael is author of the critically-acclaimed  New York Times Bestseller Raising Fences, the novel AMERICUS and the book of literary theory ANIMATING BLACK AND BROWN LIBERATION: A Theory of American Literatures. You can find out more about Michael and his work at www.michaeldatcher.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link https://www.teepublic.com/stores/this-is-actually-happening-store?ref_id=9467 to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: violence, lynching, police brutality, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Cylinder Four/Five” – Chris Zabriskie ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“It felt like the earth had stopped rotating like I was trapped in this moment of just complete all-encompassing fear.”Producer: Whit MissildineEpisode Summary: A young woman hungry to explore the world goes on a trip to Tanzania and unexpectedly finds herself caught in an endless cycle of impending doom.Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comToday’s episode featured Emily Caldwell. You can find out more about her on Instagram @emilycaldwell589Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link https://www.teepublic.com/stores/this-is-actually-happening-store?ref_id=9467 to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, medical trauma, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Union Flow” – Spuntic ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“I would do everything I could that had to happen to engage with this object that I needed to do and then I would bury it….And I had to realize at a certain point that it was just not going to work.”Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew WaitsEpisode Summary: At a young age, a man develops a fetish for diapers that ends up reshaping the course of his adult life. Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comAndrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comToday’s episode featured Maz. His story and came to us by way of Dixie De La Tour of Bawdy Storytelling.Maz is a regular volunteer, educator, and leader in the kink community in Omaha Nebraska. He and his kink family, House St. James, have run the Sex-positive adult education organization, Omaha Dinner and Demos, for the last 3 years. If you would like more information about Maz, House St.James, or Omaha Dinner and Demos, you can find them all on FetLife at House_St_James.House St.James: https://fetlife.com/users/8118928Maz: https://fetlife.com/users/263789Dinner and Demos group page: https://fetlife.com/groups/119528 Special thanks to Sexual Folklorist Dixie De La Tour, Creator and Host of the incredible sex and storytelling series, Bawdy Storytelling. Dixie and Bawdy Storytelling have been running live storytelling events for almost 14 years (and a podcast for 4 of those years), and recently received a ‘Best Erotic Podcast’ Award from Oprah Magazine. You can find out more about Bawdy Storytelling’s podcasts and livestream shows at bawdystorytelling.com.Listen to the Bawdy Storytelling podcast at  http://bit.ly/bawdypodcastOn Twitter: @BawdyOn Instagram: @bawdystorytellingOn Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/BawdyStorytellingOn Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BawdyOn YouTube : http://bit.ly/BawdyTVSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link https://www.teepublic.com/stores/this-is-actually-happening-store?ref_id=9467 to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: fetish, age play, sexually explicit scenes, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Re-Entry” – Lee Rosevere ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“It’s like you’ve lost yourself completely, and you’re basically left in a million different pieces.”Producer: Whit MissildineEpisode Summary: A woman self-medicating for anxiety and depression spirals into an alternate reality after an other-worldly encounterSocial Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comSupport the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: www.actuallyhappeningstore.com to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: psychosis, drug use, demonic themes, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: Ambient Themes by Nigel Coutinho ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gwen, a producer and former booking manager for the Off the Cuffs podcast, delves into her complex relationship with disgust shaped by her rigid Christian upbringing. She shares how reclaiming control over her feelings allowed her to find beauty in revolting behaviors. The conversation touches on her journey of self-acceptance, the significance of kinks in fostering intimacy, and her transformative spiritual awakening. Gwen also explores how embracing specific fetishes can redefine negative emotions into powerful connections within the kink community.

“The mind almost has to find a way to prove that it’s not real. This cannot be happening.”Producer: Whit MissildineEpisode Summary: After visiting a psychiatrist for mild anxiety, a young man embarks on a wild spree that will alter the course of his life forever.Social Media: Instagram: @actuallyhappeningWebsite: www.thisisactuallyhappening.comIf you would like to be in direct contact with today’s storyteller for questions or comments, you can email him at aliveandwell11@gmail.com.Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/happeningEngage with the Community: Join the This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/201783687561039/Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: www.actuallyhappeningstore.com to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Content/Trigger Warnings: mania, violent crime, robbery, explicit languageIntro Music: "Illabye" – TipperMusic Bed: “Union Flow” - SpunticServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)Crisis Text Line: Within the US, text HOME to 741741See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.