You’re in the Listening Room, a podcast series by The FLARE Substack. I’m Chevanne, the voice behind both.
If you’ve been a fan for a while or at least gone through my podcast archive, you know that each year on October 3rd, I share an audio presentation. Today continues that tradition as both a celebration of a medium I’ve become more passionate about over time, audio performance, and of my birthday.
I’m 40. Saying it out loud feels heavy because this time felt so far away when I was up at night watching X-Files reruns or reading Fear Street novels as a teen. Time is no longer a slug, but an arrow and I feel it.
My birthday has always been a big event with high expectations, mostly of myself. In recent years, however, I haven’t been able to meet them because it is after all, just another day. I remember telling someone it had never rained on my birthday. It was always sunny, until one year it wasn’t. As I got older, big plans for solo vacations were rapidly scaled back by my own fear and sometimes family obligation.
Was this day a happy event? I’d spent a long time thinking so but a therapy session revealed I was unwittingly raging against this feeling of being in the same place, of doing the same things. I was disappointed but showed up every October 3rd as if the sadness never came.
This year, rather than work myself up with expectations of this big day, I’m changing the narrative. One relates to feeling like I’m in the same place. If I cannot be somewhere new, I can find something new in the places I already go. I’m hoping to lean into that shift and adjust my expectations. In the end, it’s better for me.
I’m also making October 3rd a beginning. Nothing has to be formed and ready but it’s a good day to get started. I’m starting now.
At the end of the show transcript are two deals for a Forever Founder and Forever Fan, both 40% off for life.
Now let’s get to the fiction.
In this season, we meet David, who signs up for an extended sleep study to find a potential cure for his insomnia. He adopts a rigid routine designed by a researcher and his assistant who use certain cues to induce his sleep. David doesn’t know he is being studied in other ways as well.
We go into his dreams but it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to leave them, as the waking a sleeping worlds become two sides of a coin.
To note, this story is still under construction. It’s a potentially complex topic I’m working through so the goings may be slow. Feel free to email theflare@substack.com with questions or insight.
Episodes will premiere each week on Tuesdays at 2pm starting October 15th. Hope to see you there.
Happy listening!
I’m offering two deals for founding and yearly subscriptions starting today. As always, thanks for your support of this newsletter and of my work.
Put in $120 for your founder discount. I’ll send a confirmation to approve the Forever Founder status.
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