Start With a Seed

It's been a year since I did my first interview with Ilene Kouzel, a friend dying of ALS, on the topics of Conscious Living and Conscious Leaving.  Almost to the day. Ilene died last October.

Nick, Ilene's husband, had recently asked me for the audio file of our "lost interview," one of the later interviews when I mistakenly rigged up the digital recorder to capture my voice but not Ilene's. Nick is writing a book about their experience with Ilene's disease, month-by- month.  He's working on the chapters detailing last summer. So in retrieving the audio file for Nick, I realized that I've been on this journey for about a year.

The seed that I planted when I emailed Ilene about interviewing her has taken root and become a wonderful tree with a strong trunk. In typical Ilene fashion, her response to my invitation was all about creating and sharing more with the world:

"I am excited and honored to do this with you.  Mostly, as you said, another chance to be creative together again!

And as you, I am so dedicated to getting info to others that can help with their journeys.  More than anything this piece keeps me around.

So let's talk and figure out how and when to start.

YEAH!"

Ilene sent the above response on April 19, 2006. Our first interview took place five days later.

Some seeds that we plant, we may never see the end result--ripe fruit, healthy bushes, or even groves of trees. Other seeds, we are rewarded many times over by seeing the results of our efforts, and being taken to fresh, unimagined places. That's what it's been like for the seed of an idea on interviewing Ilene.

The fourth episode of the podcast, Conscious Living, Conscious Leaving should be out in early May. Starting with the third episode, there is a small fee (99 cents) to get the interview. All profits for the podcast go to the ALS foundation and the Ilene Kouzel Scholarship for Diversity in Leadership. We will continue releasing episodes throughout 2007.

Comments

[margarita]

Carol,
Touching words. You really captured the essense of the excitement that took hold for both of you. Thank you for the courage to ask permission! We will never be the same again.