Contemplating Life with Chris Young

This week we explore the transitions I’ve had to go through in my life as it relates to my ability to get out into the world and do ordinary things like enjoying a movie with my friends. It’s based on an essay I wrote for my writing seminar. Note there are lots of movie clips in the YouTube version of this week’s podcast so you might want to watch it on YouTube.

This week I go off on a political rant that was inspired by a Facebook post I saw recently. My basic thesis is don’t blame the messenger for the message. Links of Interest CompuServe Information Service: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompuServe Pledge of Allegiance on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance Political comedian Bill Maher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mah...

Although I had planned to take a break until after the first of the year recent events have caused me to produce this episode which I will be releasing to both the public and my Patreon supporters simultaneously because it is quite timely and I believe very important. Check out this political rant that raises an issue that should be important to all Americans. Links of Interest Text of the Constit...

This week we continue my nostalgic look back at my college days. We talk about my third semester at the downtown campus where I met a woman who was the first able-bodied woman I ever dated. Links of Interest “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (1965) song by The Beatles on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27ve_Got_to_Hide_Your_Love_Away “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” (1965) song b...

This week we continue my nostalgic look back at my college days specifically my third semester at IUPUI in which most of my classes were at the downtown campus which had notably better wheelchair accessibility and girl-watching opportunities. Links of Interest IUPUI website: https://www.iupui.edu/ IUPUI interactive campus map: https://map.iu.edu/iupui/index.html Cavanaugh Hall: https://exploring.i...

This week we continue my nostalgic look back at my college days specifically my second semester at IUPUI and my first-ever programming class. Links of Interest IUPUI website: https://www.iupui.edu/ Demonstration of a 2-5 Chinese Abacus: https://youtu.be/PbGft644WUE?si=HIjzXcdWnPPW1rRS More about types of abacus than you ever wanted to know: https://youtu.be/DSrAvn_znlc?si=-Ksn82F_orOGcpVW Bowmar B...

In this episode, I continue reminiscing about my college days at IUPUI. Specifically this week we talk about my trouble learning a foreign language. Links of Interest IUPUI website: https://www.iupui.edu/ Computer languages… FORTRAN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran BASIC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC IBM 360 Assembly Language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC Algol: https://en.wiki...

In this episode, I begin a series of episodes about my college days working towards a degree in computer science at IUPUI. This week we talk about getting into college. Not just being accepted but getting in the building in a wheelchair which wasn’t exactly easy. Links of Interest IUPUI website: https://www.iupui.edu/ FAQ about the split between IUI and PUI: https://www.iupui.edu/vision/faqs.html...

In this episode, I conclude a series of episodes about my life of ministry in my local Catholic Church. I discuss the struggles I had with our new inexperienced pastor in my experience of a miracle worthy of canonization of a saint. Links of Interest Contemplating Life episodes about religion in my faith journey: https://contemplating-life.com/blog/category/religion/ St. Gabriel the Archangel Cath...

In this episode, I continue a series of episodes about my life of ministry in my local Catholic Church. I discuss more work on the church finance committee and talk about my relationship with my pastor and good friend Father Paul Landwerlen Links of Interest Contemplating Life episodes about religion in my faith journey: https://contemplating-life.com/blog/category/religion/ St. Gabriel the Archan...

In this episode, I continue a series of episodes about my life of ministry in my local Catholic Church. We talk about the struggles of maintaining a budget in a Catholic parish in the various strategies we used to meet those challenges. Links of Interest Contemplating Life episodes about religion in my faith journey: https://contemplating-life.com/blog/category/religion/ St. Gabriel the Archangel...

In this episode, I continue a series of episodes about my life of ministry in my local Catholic Church. We talk about the struggles of maintaining a budget in a Catholic parish in the various strategies we used to meet those challenges. Links of Interest Contemplating Life episodes about religion in my faith journey: https://contemplating-life.com/blog/category/religion/ St. Gabriel the Archangel...

In this episode, I share the story of two relationships that I had in 1989-1990. One of them left me bitter and angry. The other one left me fulfilled and affirmed. This was originally written for the writing seminar I’m attending. I hope you enjoy it. Links of Interest St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church Indianapolis: https://www.stgabrielindy.org/ Author David Gerrold on Wikipedia: https:/...

In this episode, I begin a series of episodes about my life of ministry in my local Catholic Church. So that time was serving as the parish’s computer consultant setting up a database of parish records. I talked about the ups and downs of automating parish communications. Links of Interest Contemplating Life episodes about religion in my faith journey: https://contemplating-life.com/blog/category/...

In this episode, I will outline the advocacy efforts of my late mother Fran Young, and how I joined her in those efforts. Although I will be bragging about some of my own accomplishments, this really is a tribute to my mom who was such a dedicated advocate and volunteer in a variety of activities. Everything I accomplished in this area was based on her example of hard work and dedication to human...

This week we conclude my two-part series on how I would change the world if I could go back in time and why the science fiction story had planned to tell based on that concept probably would not work. Links of Interest George W. Bush on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush Dick Cheney on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney 2000 US presidential election on Wikipe...

This week we begin a two-part episode where I describe how I would change history if I could go back in time. This fantasy/mental exercise was going to be the basis of a sci-fi novel I might write someday. Links of Interest War of 1812 on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812 Treaty of Versailles on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles George Santayana on Wi...

This week we reflect on some of the major historical events that I witnessed in my 68 years on this planet. We especially talk about my recollections of 9/11 given that is episode will be released on that anniversary. Although I tried to keep this podcast in a listenable format, the YouTube version has lots of interesting images and video clips so you might want to check out the YouTube version in...

This week we conclude a series of episodes that began way back in Episode 15 as I recounted the story of my journey through a special education school from kindergarten through high school and attending a regular neighborhood high school part-time for my sophomore through senior years. Links of Interest Article about Roberts School including a photo: https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/james-e-robe...

Links of Interest “Up with People” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_with_People Song “Up with People” performed by Up with People on YouTube: https://youtu.be/skK1CKKlc0M “South Pacific” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pacific_(musical) “The Man Who Came to Dinner” on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Came_to_Dinner “Arsenic and Old Lace” on Wikip...

This week we continue with stories from my senior year at Northwest High School and Roberts Handicapped School. Links of Interest Linear air track demonstration: https://youtu.be/i1KNLp6N8eM Newton’s cradle demonstration: https://youtu.be/XiVJTY2-M0A Wheatstone bridge circuit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatstone_bridge “Hocus Pocus” by Focus on YouTube (Seriously you gotta see this): https://...

This week we continue reminiscing about my high school days and tell the story of a murder mystery I wrote for a creative writing assignment during my junior year. Links of Interest “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe complete text: https://poemuseum.org/the-cask-of-amontillado/ Quora questions about icicle stabbings: https://www.quora.com/Has-a-murderer-ever-used-an-icicle-as-a-weapon Sh...

This week we continue reminiscing about my high school days traveling back and forth between a special education school and my regular neighborhood high school. I tell the tale of my friendship with a girl in my senior year. Links of Interest Northwest High School on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_High_School_(Indiana) David Gerrold at IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0314775/...

This week we continue reminiscing about my junior year of high school traveling back and forth between a special education school and my regular neighborhood high school. Links of Interest Northwest High School on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_High_School_(Indiana) Indianapolis Star article looking back at the history of IPS desegregation: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/h...

This week we continue reminiscing about my high school days traveling back and forth between a special education school and my regular neighborhood high school. Links of Interest Northwest High School on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_High_School_(Indiana) Indiana Department of Vocational Rehabilitation: https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/rehabilitation-employment/vocational-rehabili...