My daughter is about to start her senior year of high school, which is something that older folks say.

When did that happen?

That I became an older folk.

Oh, that's right.

It happened incrementally in a linear fashion, irreversibly, constantly defining predictability, just like it does always.

That's right. I forgot. My daughter, heading into

senior year, thinking about colleges and tests and, let's face it, adulthood, was heading into

second grade 10 years ago when I began to kick around an idea for a podcast. Yes, she was

barely out of first grade when I started to reflect on all the

conversation I'd been having with comedians and musicians over the past several years,

all the interviews I'd done with folks like that, and about how often, how remarkably often,

depression came up in those conversations and that research. I had been hosting this show

called Wits, National Radio Show, Comedy and Music Show, big live event here in St. Paul,

where we'd have these great musicians and comedians each week. More about that show later in this

episode. And depression kept coming up as I learned

about these folks we were having on as I did my research, especially the comedians.

And the public radio guy in me, the journalist, the liberal arts grad in me, the guy who

notices things that seem odd or interesting and wants to know more.

Because that instinct had served me well in life, it made life richer and more rewarding,

and it made me better at my job in public radio. That instinct started going off.

I'll give you an example of that instinct. When I commuted to work

to KUOW, the public radio station in Seattle, where I lived, I would go through a little corner of

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