Confessions of A Mid-Centurian
SamfunnFiksjonAll journals are confessions. Welcome to” Confessions of a Mid-Centurian,” the podcast that delves into the coming-of-age stories of an Italian American male who reflects on his youth in and around New York City during the transformative years of 1955 to 1969. Join us as we journey back in time with our host, Richie, a man in his seventies, a man with a wealth of memories and experiences to share. In each episode of” Confessions of a Mid-Centurian,” Richie takes us on a nostalgic trip through the sights, sounds, and emotions of his youth. From the bustling streets of Little Italy to the vibrant neighborhoods of Brooklyn and the rest of the world, Richie paints a vivid picture of a bygone era filled with hope, dreams, and challenges. Through his heartfelt storytelling, Richie invites listeners to experience the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and tribulations of growing up in a close-knit Italian American community. From family dinners around the kitchen table to summer days spent playing stickball in the streets, each episode offers a glimpse into a world steeped in tradition, culture, and love. As we follow Richie’s journey from adolescence to young adulthood through the filter of 3/4 of century of life, we witness the pivotal moments that shaped his identity and values. From his earliest memories, his first crush to his first job, from navigating the complexities of friendship to grappling with societal changes, Richie’s stories resonate with universal themes of growth, resilience, and self-discovery. Through ”Confessions of a Mid-Centurian,” listeners are not only entertained but also enlightened about a pivotal period in American history. Richie’s anecdotes serve as a bridge between the past and the present, reminding us of the enduring power of storytelling to connect generations and preserve heritage. And heck, maybe laugh a little too. Can’t hurt! So, come along on this captivating voyage through time and memory with Richie as our guide. ” Confessions of a Mid-Centurian” offers a rich tapestry of narratives that celebrate the human experience in all its complexities, inviting us to reflect on our own journeys of self-discovery and transformation. Join us for an unforgettable exploration of the past, present, and future through the lens of one man’s remarkable life. Welcome to ”Confessions of a Mid-Centurian,” where every story is a treasure waiting to be shared. All journals are confessions. Come here mine....... Always welcome your input at: Confessionsofamidcenturian@gmail.com
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- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales: The Hand with the Knife & The Twelves Brothers (00:17:01)
We continue bringing much needed fairy tales to our all-to-real world with this duo from The Brothers Grimm. Written in the early 1800s and first published in 1812, each of these short tales tell how our behavior creates consequences. These tales also remind us of the supernatural, the creatures of legend, elves, fairies, angels, witches, heavenly intervention. And these tales remind us how far out-of-touch our modern world is from imagination, Mother Nature. What is a constant between these tales and today is the breadth of human behavior- from the most noble to the most horrific, from selflessness to sheer selfishness! Enjoy, and may my gentle readings bring you a few moments of the world as seen by The Brothers Grimm. Thanks for listening!
- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales: The Wolf & 7 Kids, The Nightingale & The Blindworm, Stolen Pennies (00:16:09)
We continue bringing much needed fairy tales to our all-too-real world with this trio from The Brothers Grimm. Written in the early 1800s and first published in 1812, these short tales each tell how our behavior creates consequences, up or down. Today, I read for you The Wolf and the Seven Kids, The Nightingale and the Blindworm and The Stolen Pennies. Enjoy and share and thanks for listening. More from The Brothers Grimm next time!
- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales #4-Good Bowling & Card Playing (00:09:11)
The world needs some fairy tales these days, folks. So here I go- at least a Baker's Dozen tales from The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm. This is the tale of Good Bowling & Card Playing.
- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales #3- The Virgin Mary's Child (00:11:01)
The world needs some fairy tales these days, folks. So here I go- at least a Baker's Dozen tales from The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm. This is the tale of The Virgin Mary's Child.
- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales #2: The Companionship of the Cat and Mouse (00:06:11)
The world needs some fairy tales these days, folks. So here I go- at least a Baker's Dozen tales from The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm. This is the tale of The Companionship of the Cat and Mouse.
- Brothers Grimm Fairy & Folk Tales #1- The Frog King or Iron Henry (00:09:38)
The world needs some fairy tales these days, folks. So here I go- at least a Baker's Dozen tales from The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm. This is the tale of The Frog King or Iron Henry.
- Stickball Memories Pete Hamill and the streets of Brooklyn (00:09:42)
Pete Hamill was a NYC-based columnist and novelist. This reading is from his larger work "A Drinking Life" and is all about the ancient and street-sacred game of stickball, an urban urchin variant of baseball played barehanded on the side streets of Brooklyn to this very day, using sawed off broom and shovel handles as bats and a bouncy pink rubber ball called affectionately "a spaldeen". I hope you enjoy this throwback reading and my after-comments! Thanks! Next episode will drop on Friday this week (9/12/25)
- Was It a Dream? 1903 Short story by Guy DeMaupassant (00:14:00)
It's Sunday 9/7/2025 and while summer is winding down, the stores are already hawking Halloween "stuff" so that took me to rediscover, and now read to you all, the 1903 Guy DeMaupassant short story "Was It a Dream?". My end remarks tell what I think the moral/meaning of this wonderfully powerful very short story has for us....... Thanks and more to come- next episode will be a baseball reading since we here in the USofA are transitioning from the baseball end season and championship run to the great game of American football.
- The Legend of Leonard Abruzzi and The Bishop's Ring (00:11:10)
Tues 9/2/25- Let's go back to June 1968- NYC Brooklyn movie theatre- my high school graduation ceremony and let's see what happens when ancient tradition meets late 1960s rebellion and social renewal! Enjoy and thanks for letting me enjoy my 5-week August sabbatical- much needed and much renewal! More to come- back to two episodes a week- usually Mon/Fri.... Appreciate you all!!!!
- The Joys of Growing Old Part 2: Joy #2: We Handle our Relationships Better (00:19:02)
Hello out there in NeoSeniors Services Nation and, if you have enjoyed our podcasts before, welcome back …to those of you just discovering NeoSeniors podcasts, welcome aboard. This is our newest addition to the podcast series titled “The Joys of Growing Old”. And today, I am focusing on the the 2nd of my Six Joys of Growing Old. At some point, you may want to go back and listen to the earlier podcasts in this series/collection. And I think you will begin to sense that while I call these joys “mine”, they are yours too! For sure! The next podcast after this one in our Joys of Growing Old series will focus on the 3rd of my 6 Joys of Growing Old….”We Are More Contented”. I promise to be more consistent in my podcast publishing......it's a long story... If you do find a new good insight into your Emotional Mindfulness from this podcast, feel free to subscribe and like us and make comments either at this podcast site or via email to NeoSnation@agedandwise.com . So, here we go….. Joy of Growing Old #2: We Handle Our Relationships Better". PS: May be experimenting with a metronome on this one...If so, if you hear a metronomic sound, please let me know if you like it...am open to sound scaping a bit and your ideas for sure.....! Thanks! And enjoy.....
- Listen to your Inner Voice- It Could be a Wake-up Call! Guest spot for Retirement Wisdom LLC (00:32:58)
Hello NeoSeniors Nation! This podcast is a special edition! I was honored to be the guest on this podcast for The Retirement Wisdom's Noteworthy Series (http://www.retirementwisdom.com/). This podcast title: Listen to Your Inner Voice – It Could be Your Wake-up Call Welcome to this podcast which is the third episode of the Retirement Wisdom's Noteworthy Series, which highlights an article that we think warrants your attention and host a conversation with a relevant guest. Today’s article is The Power of Wakeup Calls by Gregg Levoy (Psychology Today – July 2017). Our guest is Richard Losciale, who experienced his own personal wake-up call that changed the way he lived his life – from being focused on the aspirational to being focused on the inspirational. As Rich listened to his inner little voice, he worked hard to recover from being near death and transformed his life by shifting his mindset to his higher purpose and developed a stronger sense of who he is. His company, Neo-Seniors Services LLC , focuses on improving the well-being and mindfulness of those who are looking to optimize their senior years and live better lives. You can learn more about me (Richard Losciale): Neo-Seniors Services LLC website And you are invited to Subscribe to The Retirement Conversations' Podcasts The Retirement Conversation is a free Retirement School on the non-financial side of retirement. Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe today to have our conversations with authors, experts and interesting retirees come directly to you.
- Realities of the New Retirement (00:03:07)
Please enjoy this short pod! We here at NeoSeniors Services are committed to helping us all Optimize the Aging Experience with motivational presentations and events.....check us out at at https://agedandwise.com Email us at: neosnation@agedandwise.com We are here to help!
- Winning the Seniors' Dating Game (00:03:15)
Enjoy this short pod! We here at NeoSeniors Services are committed to helping us all Optimize the Aging Experience with motivational presentations and events.....check us at at https://agedandwise.com Email us at: neosnation@agedandwise.com We are here to help!
- You Gotta Play Your Ball Where the Monkey Throws It!!! (00:03:39)
Enjoy this short pod! We here at NeoSeniors Services are committed to helping us all Optimize the Aging Experience with motivational presentations and events.....check us at at https://agedandwise.com Email us at: neosnation@agedandwise.com We are here to help!
- The Joys of Growing Old - Let our journey begin! (00:11:12)
This one is a refresh from a while back.......First in a 7-10 part series on The Joys of Growing Old.......My story on how I prefer to use the term "Growing Old" as to "Getting Old" and then we dive in from there........Thanks, dear NeoSeniors Nation. At this special time of the rolling calendar, I am thankful for all of you and the gift of life we are sharing together....even if we don't know it or each other! Peace/Out and standby for Part the Second : The 1st Joy-We Grow a Better Handle on our Emotions)..Merry merry...RL NeoSnation@agedandwise.com
- Summertime and AI: 1833 to 1934 to 1950 to 2025! (00:08:01)
1833: CF Martin Guitar Company began in Nazareth PA. 1934-35: Porgy and Bess written by George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward 1950: Your presenter born 2025: Artificial intelligence evolves Herein is an 8-minute episode wrapped in the confluence of American guitar making, American music, American struggles, your presenter and AI.......Let's see what happens! Thanks for listening, subscribing, liking, following, commenting or generally enjoying these Confessions of a Mid-Centurian. Next episode will drop Friday July 25!
- Crazy Nights at the Ballpark (00:12:57)
Long time MLB umpire Dave Phillips and outstanding baseball author Rob Rains collaborated on a collection of baseball stories and historic anecdotes titled "Centerfield on Fire" for Triumph Books. Today, I read the story "Crazy Nights at the Ballpark" which is a true tale of the intersections of Disco, Beer, Weed, Baseball and marketing gone rogue! Hope you enjoy it and thanks for liking, subscribing, commenting, sharing or otherwise engaging with Confessions of a Mid-Centurian". Next episode will drop Monday July 21 and is entitled "Summertime, Gershwin and AI"!
- The Television I Remember! (00:17:39)
So, let me tell you about the television shows I enjoyed in my early days. Let’s say from when I was around 5 years old to 8 years old, smack dab in the mid to late 1950s. How many do you remember? What other shows formed your early TV experiences? Love to hear from y'all. Maybe I've mentioned a show or two you will discover together and maybe, just maybe, you can turn me on to a vintage show that I can enjoy today! Thanks! Next episode will drop Friday July 18th!
- Do I Believe in Miracles? (00:09:17)
Do I believe in miracles? One word answer is a resounding “YES!!”. All of us are both blessed and blighted in this life- me included. In an age dominated by data, algorithms, and empirical validation, belief in miracles is often regarded as quaint—an emotional remnant from a time when humanity lacked the tools to understand the natural world. Screw that line of thinking! Come and listen to my reasoning! Agree? Disagree? Comments welcome! Thanks!!!!
- The Scariest Conversation I Ever Had! (00:15:18)
Today, we get into our Wayback Machine to Neu Ulm Germany late 1980s and I relate the true story of The Scariest Conversation I Ever Had. This is a cautionary tale that asks us to somehow break the historical chains of prejudice, otherism, hatred, racism, abuse of power and get our humanity optimized, not our barbarism! Can we do it? Heck, my money is always on our better angels to prevail. Don't prove me wrong! Thanks for listening, subscribing, liking, commenting, sharing this episode. Next episode will drop Friday 7/11/25.
- I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman 1860 (00:11:17)
Just as the US was on the brink of its Civil War, the poet Walt Whitman wrote his short poem "I Hear America Singing". Some say he wrote it on the 3rd of July 1860 as he listened to the streets and open windows of his neighborhood in my hometown of Brooklyn NY. He was 39 years old, unemployed and living in a basement apartment with his mother and two sisters when he wrote this poem. He also spent some time that summer in Boston working on the first edition of "Leaves of Grass"- an iconic collection of his poetry. Walt worked on "Leaves of Grass" right up to his "Deathbed Edition" which was the version of Leaves that he wanted to be his legacy. Yes, Mr. Whitman, by the end of his life in 1892, he was sure of his talents. May we all be so insightful, eh? Anyhow, this is a powerful tribute to human work, done with high intent and purpose as the connective tissue of the great social-economic compact that we all participate in, however varied nation by nation it might be. Thanks and next episode will drop on Monday 7/7/25........Maybe we'll go to Germany for that one.....
- What Tom Waits Said: "Step Right Up"- Another Mind Greater Than My Own! (00:10:01)
One of my promises to my listeners is to bring them thoughts from minds greater than my own. That said, today it is the mind of Tom Waits. If you've never listened to his music- you are missing out on a talented unorthodox songwriter/singer/and more. Today, I read/perform the lyrics to Mr. Waits song "Step Right Up". Step Right Up" is a song written by Tom Waits and included on his 1976 album Small Change. The song is from the point of view of a snake oil-like salesman asking potential customers to "step right up" and purchase an unnamed miracle product. Waits guarantees that the product will "mow your lawn", play a "rhythm master", "deliver pizza", and locate lost slippers, among other miscellaneous things. Waits sings the song in the style of a carnival barker attempting to entice business. Waits wrote the song as a satire of products that claimed to do more than they advertised. For live performances of the song, Waits would use a cash register for the percussion! Thanks for listening, liking, subscribing, sharing, commenting, etc.! Next episode of "Confessions of a Mid-Centurian" will drop Friday July 4th!
- The Vietnam War Draft of 1969 and What Happened to Me (00:20:13)
It has been said that history goes in a straight line and human beings run in a circle. Seems there has always been a war happening, a war ending, a war rumored, a war wanted, a war feared, a war won, a war lost. Well, let's go back to autumn 1969 and see what happened to me then. Thanks for liking, subscribing, following, commenting, sharing, etc. Means a lot! Next episode of Confessions of a Mid-Centurian will drop on Monday, June 30, 2025. Wow- where did June go?
- May 1970- Kent State, Brooklyn College - War, what is it Good For? (00:11:55)
Well folks, looks like we're at it again! Let's climb into our wayback machine to May 1970. 4 college students were killed on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio and America was embroiled in the Vietnam War- they say (sadly) that every American generation has its own war and mine was the Vietnam War. Anyway, this is my story of me as a Brooklyn College upper sophomore, my dear dad's advice to me and my tiny involvement when Brooklyn College students surrounded the administration building to protest that war. Not being political here, just remembering a time 55 years ago that echoes right up to today. When are we going to learn??? Thanks for listening, subscribing, liking, commenting, sharing and all that. Next episode of Confessions of a Mid-Centurian will drop this Friday, June 27.
- What Charlie Chaplin Said: The Final Speech from "The Great Dictator" 1940 Movie (00:09:56)
The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first film with dialogue. Chaplin plays both a little Jewish barber, living in the ghetto, and Hynkel, the dictator ruler of Tomainia. In his autobiography Chaplin quotes himself as having said: “One doesn’t have to be a Jew to be anti-Nazi. All one has to be is a normal decent human being.” Chaplin and Hitler were born within a week of one another. There was something uncanny in the resemblance between the Little Tramp and Adolf Hitler, representing opposite poles of humanity. Providence was in an ironical mood when, fifty years ago this week, it was ordained that Charles Chaplin and Adolf Hitler should make their entry into the world within four days of each other. Each in his own way has expressed the ideas, sentiments, aspirations of the millions of struggling citizens ground between the upper and the lower millstone of society. Each has mirrored the same reality – the predicament of the “little man” in modern society. Each is a distorting mirror, the one for good, the other for untold evil. Chaplin spent many months drafting and re-writing the speech for the end of the film, a call for peace from the barber who has been mistaken for Hynkel. Many people criticized the speech, and thought it was superfluous to the film. Others found it uplifting. Regrettably Chaplin’s words are as relevant today as they were in 1940. Thanks for listening! Next episode drops Monday June 23!