225: What if you stared into the abyss?
This Is Actually Happening
Wondery
4.6 • 9.9K Ratings
🗓️ 8 March 2022
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“People who are grieving a serious loss, and you’re staring into the abyss, they understand intimately the loss that we are all going to face, what we all will see.”
Today's episode featured Frank Vaughan. If you'd like to reach out to Frank, you can email him at [email protected].
Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits
Episode Summary: At the peak of his life, having built a successful marriage, family and career, a man faces a series of compound losses that put him through a dark night of the soul.
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Website: www.thisisactuallyhappening.com
Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com
Content/Trigger Warnings: cancer, terminal illness, alcoholism, death, animal death, compound loss, explicit language
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Intro Music: "Illabye" – Tipper
Music Bed: Ambient Themes by Nigel Coutinho
Services
If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264
National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is actually happening features real experiences that often include traumatic events. |
| 0:04.2 | Please consult the show notes for specific content warnings on each episode |
| 0:07.6 | and for more information about support services. |
| 0:17.8 | People who are grieving the serious loss and you're staring into the abyss, |
| 0:22.5 | they understand intimately the loss that we are all going to face |
| 0:27.8 | what we all will see and I felt like the abyss was staring at me. |
| 0:43.0 | From Wondry, I'm Whit Missaldine. You are listening to this is actually happening. |
| 0:48.7 | Episode 25 |
| 0:59.5 | What if you stared into the abyss? |
| 1:08.2 | Hey, prime members, you can listen to this is actually happening. |
| 1:12.0 | Add free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. |
| 1:15.9 | Let's say you love sports but are also, you know, a busy person. |
| 1:20.3 | You want to know the latest sports news but don't want to sit through a two-hour podcast. |
| 1:25.2 | All right, if we're talking about you right now then check out the new podcast from Wondry. |
| 1:29.2 | Listen to the lead starting five on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcast. |
| 1:47.4 | I was born in the 50s. My parents were together from a very young age because they met on my |
| 1:55.1 | mother's farm. My mother had ten siblings and they lived a little bit of farm in the middle of |
| 2:00.4 | the depression. My dad went off to World War II, came back married my mom and they had a really |
| 2:07.6 | typical 50s thing. Early 60s when I was about seven years old, my dad suddenly got leukemia |
| 2:17.5 | and he would show me his fingernails and his fingernails would be really pale and he said, |
| 2:21.6 | you know, I'm getting some blood, I'm going to feel better. And then one morning I got up in the |
| 2:27.0 | morning there was all these chairs gathered around and there was all these relatives there |
... |
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