I’ve never enjoyed radio. I find the ads annoying, the selection of music isn’t for me, and talk radio in northeast Ohio too conservative/Glenn Beck-y for my tastes. Ever since I started driving, I plug my iPod in rather than listen to FM radio. And, because of this decision, late last year I discovered the joys of podcasting.

I discovered podcasts last September. It was a very dark time in my life. I was up against a deadline to get a Magento web store done for a very demanding client. To meet this deadline, I was on a 48 hour programming marathon and vowed not to sleep until it was completed. At hour 36, when I was at my lowest, I checked my RSS feeds to distract myself from the misery that was my life. It was there that a came across SplitSider’s ‘A Seriously Comprehensive Guide to Comedy Podcasts’ and discovered the Nerdist Podcast.

Radio for Comedy Nerds

The Nerdist Podcast is hosted by fellow nerds Chris Hardwick, Jonah Ray, and Matt Mira. The started the podcast in February of 2010. By the time I discovered them, they were already thirty some episodes in.

After scrolling through the catalog of back episodes, I settled on podcast #31, with David Koechner, Fred Willard, and Tom Kenny. I was immediately transported to the Land of Comedy Nerdom, which most people will know as Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. Because of my sleep deprivation, I don’t remember much of what I heard, but I remember being the happiest I’d been in a long time and getting odd looks from my boss when I started singing along, at the top of my lungs and off key, to the live preformance of the SpongeBob SquarePants’ theme song.

At this point in my life, I was working two jobs, going to school full time, and having panic attacks all the time because their never seemed to be enough hours in the day to get all my work done. The Nerdist podcast was the one thing in my life that made me happy. It literally saved my life.

Enjoy Your Burrito

It wasn’t until I heard podcast #39 with Rainn Wilson that the podcast evolved from being a source of entertainment into a way of life.

I’m a huge fan of The Office and combine that with the Nerdist podcast, I’m on that like a hipster is on herion and Animal Collective. Listening to it on the way home that day was a spirtual experience. Going into the podcast, I assumed that Rainn Wilson was actually Dwight Schrute off camera. This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth I discovered. In fact, I think Rainn Wilson might be the nicest person I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to.

But it was in this episode that Jonah Ray told a story that I especially could connect to. It was about how there was a point in his life where he was so miserable that the only highlight of his day was eating a delicious burrito for lunch. And, as he ate the burrito, this happiness faded, because once that burrito was gone, he’d have to go back to doing things that he did not enjoy doing. To conquer these thoughts, he’d just keep telling himself to enjoy his burrito rather than dwell on it’s demise. This roughly translates to the concept of living in the moment instead of worrying about the future.

And then, everything clicked in my head. I realized I need to focus on what was really important to me and only do things I enjoyed. I quit one of my jobs, asked my parents for financial help, and focused on my schooling for the first time in my life. Last semester, I pulled a 3.45 GPA at Kent State and made the Dean’s List.

Repaying the Debt

I know that what I’ve said in this post seems a bit extreme. I understand it’s a bit crazy for me to say that three comedians that I’ve never met saved me from the ‘abyss of my life.’ Let’s be honest here: All the problems I’ve had are ‘First World Problems.’ How narcissistic to I have to be to complain about having two jobs as a web designer when the unemployment rate is around 10%. I should probably stop hogging them, but I digress.

And yes, there have been other big factors affecting my life (counseling, anti-depressants, a loving family, etc.), but I honestly feel without the Nerdist podcast giving me support, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. I know I wouldn’t be writing this post, nor would I be (trying) to write comedy. As a fan, I want to repay this debt however I can.

My current dream is to go out to California once I graduate with my computer science degree. Once I’m out there, I’d be honored to help you however I can with the skills that I have. I’m a web designer by trade, but I have experience webmastering/interning, so you know I’m super good at fixing a server/remembering how you like your coffee.

If that request is too creepy, I understand. I just want the whole world to know how much your podcast has personally affected me. Thanks for the ride so far guys and can’t wait to see what you’ll do next week.

Some quick facts about the new site:

• It was designed by Jayson Shenk and coded by myself, Eli Gundry
• It was coded in HTML5 and CSS3
• It is built on top of the WordPress blogging platform

Be sure to check back often. I will be updating this blog often and hope to have lots of interesting content coming soon.