Sidewalk Ghosts

With a 6-percent chance of survival, todays stranger-now-friend, Morgan, helps us look past Cancer and teaches us to better see the world around us.

Celebrity designer Danielle Judd shares how a life-threatening illness and a promise to God gave her another chance. Even  an opportunity to better the world.

A creative genius and humorist turns the glass slipper upside down, and as she does, she helps us to better see each other…

As she tributes the brutal loss of a high school friend and of difficult childhood years, today's Stranger-now-Friend Tracy, teaches us how the pain of past can become joy and purpose.

As she talks of the loss of her son to suicide, Chris opens her heart to others living the same pain, and the influence we each have on those around us.

He's lived prison, addiction, and pain. But as we listen to his emergence from a dark and troubled past, today's Stranger-Now-Friend, Mark, points us toward a life-altering power.

Leaning into a new form of F-bomb, Former California Councilmember Allen Warren, points all of us toward the big resolve

After a short marriage and facing the pain of a young divorce, today's stranger-now-friend, Bisi, opens our hearts toward a brighter future.

A self-proclaimed “fish out of water,” Actor Jon Heder, reveals his spiritual outlook in a way that inspires us all to look beyond the expected norms.

In a world where we are rapidly becoming digitally separated, today's Stranger-now-Friend, the young and wise Saif, proves the rising generation just might be the ones who can get us back to loving one another.

Cutter is his name, and as he speaks of a world full of comparisons, he inspires us to question the meaning of success.

Musician, writer, and director Mauli Bonner points us toward a better future, and a view of an enslaved history we should never forget.

In a style only she can carry, today's Stranger-Now-Friend, Educator Afua Daines, points us toward a castle she calls “Beyond Measure.”

Actor Patrick Roper thinks not of his battle with life-threatening Cancer but instead points his wisdom to a place where we can all thrive.  

Unleashed past the expectations of the world, musical artist Radhika Vekaria invites us all to a symphony of our own making…

A 6-year-old and a mother point us toward the ultimate healer.

Overcoming the lows of life and thoughts of suicide, he turns our hearts toward the blessing that we all have in store…

He sold me my new…used car, but more than that, he revealed the past he lived and to whom he gives credit…

A global traveler and producer shows us a pathway to better seeing the worth of our diverse selves….

A spokesperson for the gifts we each have to offer, she defines a word that can resolve the pains we bear…

She viewed her death, and as she spiritually screamed a question in anger, she found a path that can guide us all…

Raised on darker streets, they have turned their lives toward bettering the lives of our future leaders…

Transcending the abuse of childhood, and touched by the spark of one individual, she is healing the hearts of many.

As she fights against the darkness of human trafficking, she reveals a superpower within the reach of us all. Lucy My mom grew up in an orphanage. She was born in Nineteen thirty-five, and I think she went into the orphanage probably around Nineteen thirty-eight or thirty-nine. But it wasn’t until I was an adult ... Read more

A teacher, father and self-defined anarchist speaks of a better world.

A non-typical life coach and speaker, reveals his life to grow us past suffering.

A seasoned career man drops his walls to speak of higher priorities.

A crazy weirdo artist who makes skull stuff talks of the world we are walking toward.

On her own, she faced her obstacles. On her own, she found a new life, and on her own, her love for a new country blossomed. Yet in listening to the compassion in her countenance and in absorbing the respect she has for the diverse people we are, it is all so apparent her eyes are not focused on herself. An advocate for the worth of the individual she is. And via the love she shares with others she examples a gateway past the barriers that transpire to separate us...

At 27, his words are mature beyond his years. In them bold permission to look away from the safe-haven of popular trend and beyond the cliques of globally thrown perspectives – Even cause to inventory our own lives in realizing just how powerful our individual impact upon others can be. ..

A rebel against the lineage and expectations of her history, she has lived a full and colorful life. On her resume a list of risqué appearances and life experiences that have giving her not only the credentials to have authored 3 books, but also bragging rights to own the narrative of a life lived on the edge. Memoirs of first love, of motherhood, of survival, of abandonment, and of pains turned to gifts in living forward by the beat of her own drum...

His name Landon, hers Alex... He, son of a best friend... a person I’ve vicariously watched mature from questioning child to wise young man. She, a new entry in the journals of my life: A unique individual, who just as each of us do, lives forward by the light of her trials and victories. Through better and worse they each have navigated, all the while holding close to a set of values that some may share, and others may not. Of their personal choices, of their tribute to grandparents, of their families, and through their views on the value of friendship, they speak of not only the reach our individual influence has upon the world around us but of ideas that can be applied toward the growth of our own spirit...

This is a story written by an author, who, on a day that has gone stressfully sideways, has found himself calmed by the words of a most generous communicator. His name is Jason, and in England he resides. Yet even though we are separated by histories, cultures, and time zones, he stands like a new neighbor. Even a good friend who has reached out to ground me in managing my own distractions and frustrations; and at this very moment of producing this episode, his wise and humble outlook toward the youth of tomorrow has de-escalated my agitated outlook, and in listening to him, my hope is that he may benefit us all in the same way...

And even thought our history, race and gender are radically different, both Shannon and Heidi held me as if I was blood related family, and as I dropped my walls to breath in their light, their sisterly tenderness and love filled my chest. I gained not only a vision as to who they are, but found myself taking inventory of my own past and present. To look toward the individual responsibility we each have as part of the billions of caretakers who walk this planet – and in that, inspired to throw a question to us all:  How do we clearly see through the lightening bolts that life offers us...

Through her listening eyes and seeing mind she advocates for no self-gain or grandeur. Credits her most humble outlook to the pained past and nurturing courage of goodly parents. Her very presence blossomed from seeds planted by a father, who in his own life had first hand witness the worst of what humankind can do. She is grounded. Transparent, as welcoming me into her life, I was overwhelmed by her love for the value of human life. And as we talked of the fragility this living experience extends to each of us, she entrusted me in seeing the torch that flamed her legacy. And as she did, I re-imagined not only my own life, but saw a fire of hope that I pray burns into the hearts of us all...

A messenger for change and a survivor of a profiling war, his stripes are worn and innocent. From the darker streets of a 1970s Harlem his disciplined heart has glowed him past the pull of drugs, his forgiving spirit beyond the murder of friends, and an ability to give credit to others, entryway to healing the trauma and temptation of the troubled birthright that has been graced upon him...

We talked of our pasts, of our reasons for doing what we do, and to that point, even shared a few hidden secrets in our closets. All the while, her listening eyes hearing beyond the noise of first impression...

Within her a life-decision stretches the walls of her heart. Yet strong she is in her conviction to balance a choice, that to her, grounds the very person she is as well as the spiritual outlook she strives to live by. A palpable essence that all so real in meeting her is one that testifies of her compassion toward others, herself and her acknowledgement of a loving God...

I waited a little apprehensive, even nervous, as I anticipated their arrival; two individuals of global visibility who, as entertainers and advocates for the betterment of society, carry a monumental list of life accomplishments; so as the new guy on the block of outreach, yea, the thought of meeting them left me somewhat weak kneed. The place we were not important, and the date and time irrelevant for the telling of this story. What is of center topic is the spirit I felt as I received a most sure and evident answer– A peace and acceptance, if you will, that, swelling in my chest as they entered the room, clicked all so relevant to the mission of Sidewalk Ghosts. We all have an inner glow that is of profound impact on this world we share, and no matter if we are living in the limelight or not, if we listen to it’s pureness, it has the presence to flow into the hearts and lives of others...

So there I was, scraping the tiredness out of my eyes as I she pulled me to the truck st op cooler. Her sugar-laced beauty whispered a sweetly terrible taste as the simple thought of her awakened me. Her magic crushing my reasoning, I submitted to the anticipation of her promise. She was my compulsion, and with 600 miles of Los Angeles to Salt Lake City still ahead, the cobwebs hanging in my head exploded my craving for her...

I’ve been stuck in a battle. A struggle that after 15 years of watching the area behind my house decompose as ignored weeds grow to the height of property destroying trees, my restrain has worn Origami thin. My families sense of security and privacy in question as looking over my now leaning and cracked wall, I watched her and a few others inventorying the property...

Her eyes glowed a radiant blue as I approached her, and with her jaw dropped to breath the midnight air, she exhaled with the thunder of a confident and roaring voice. And as her tone settled to a purr, I began to see past her dark exterior...

I know it’s July, but something inside me has zoomed my heart back to the week before Christmas 2011. A usual night, on a usual drive home, when without my seeking them, they popped into my view. Like a mob with a cause they crossed the street, their numbers hard to ignore, as following them a press pool of photographers worked to find their shot, their flashes further grabbing my attention, as with every pulse of light, distracting streaks of brightness bounced across my windshield... #4change, #diversity, #dogood, #homeless, #humans, #podcast, #podcast4change #4change, #sidewalkghosts, #socialchange, #socialgood, #soclalgood #aging #alzheimers #dementia #caregiving #love #caregiving

At megaphone volume, they laughed unmentionable concepts into the public air. At levels that anyone within 20 feet could hear, a series of most detailed and pornographic descriptions of things they would do to the woman they were staring at. Now, I’m a father, son, brother and husband, so to hear what looked like two professional-looking gentlemen go down such a perverse pathway of though toward womanhood, well, that struck me as grotesque. I pictured them with their families. Wondered if they would view their mothers and sister the same way. And as I did, I was again schooled in reflecting upon an old and most over-used statement, what you see on the outside is not always what’s on the inside...

I reflect on the good and bad of my father. A good man, yet for all his positives, he was equally flawed. We all have histories, and as living #humans, experience ranging from great joy to deep pain. No one is exempt, not ourselves, not our parents, nor their parents and on and on. Some had it easy, others, not so much. Why some are dealt unfair cards? I wish I had a reasonable answer. It’s easy to analyze the hows, but to fully explain thy whys is ever daunting. A question I often explore as I work to heal my own garbage as well as witness attacks on others #history, beliefs and perspectives.

I’ll just call her Aunty, and there we were, two people from drastically different backgrounds, sitting together in her living room. Around us walls filled with a mix of photographs, recognitions, tribal masks and musical instruments that symbolically told of African roots and her 81 years of life as a black American...

The echoes of snores and other embarrassing body sounds bounced off the granite walls, as all around me hundreds of families huddled into makeshift homesteads. The clock struck 12:03 am, and with the second announcement of what seemed a boarding school inspired lights out, I wiggled to find any comfortable sleeping position. A sadly impossible proposition as, with perfect comedic timing, my air mattress squeaked away every pound of its firmness...

On a humble little shelf sat family photos, black and white images, some faded. On the front of the stack, an 80-year-old picture of a little boy sitting on a pony. Is that you? I asked...

Rikki was her name,and in reviewing her narration, it seemed she tapped into a most personal and intimidating question: WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE?