View From a Hearse

My guest is Sherry Harder from West Salem, IL. After the recent loss of her beloved husband, Sherry honored his wishes in a remarkable way. In his obituary, she included a simple request: If Rod impacted your life, please perform a random act of kindness. What followed has been nothing short of extraordinary. Acts of kindness have rippled outward—from Illinois to Canada, to Minnesota, to Georgia,...

My nephew, Mitch Goddard, joins me on View from a Hearse to talk about his debut novel, Beneath the Flame Azalea — a page-turning mystery inspired by the mountains of western North Carolina. An avid fly fisherman and Ole Miss journalism graduate, Mitch fulfilled a lifelong goal of writing a novel at age forty while balancing family and career. We talk about the moment the story first took shape on...

This is a live presentation from an event I did for a rather large ladies' banquet at Smoke Rise Baptist Church in Stone Mountain, GA, in March of 2022. There is a message or two here, but humor is involved.

Our granddog, Mister Elwood , was a Standard Golden Doodle, they say. But he was anything but standard. He came into the world almost 11 years ago. He left us much too soon. This is a little of his story and my feeble attempt to describe the impact this rambunctious, clumsy doodle had on Luke, Drew, Lennox, Hines, Lincoln, and Naia Goddard - and on all of us who knew him. Dogs like Mister Elwood t...

My conversation is with 99-year-old Walter Forsling. He talks a lot about his life, the changes he has seen in his lifetime, and his service in the US Navy during World War II. Few members of the Greatest Generation remain who can be interviewed for a podcast. Walter Forsling is one of the few.

My guest is my lifelong friend, Bunny Fuller Harris, Taylor County Lady Viking and Lady Georgia Bulldog extraordinaire.  She provides a behind-the-scenes look at receiving the call informing her that she had been selected for the 2026 Class of the Georgis Sports Hall of Fame.  She also discusses her journey to get there. Bunny also provides details about the induction weekend and invites her teamm...

A poem I wrote in 2003 to honor my mother in law on her 75th birthday, She was not the Widow of Zerapath, but the lessons from her life are very much the same.

We know he was assassinated on September 10, 2025, in Utah while debating those who oppose him. In this episode, you will hear enough from him to form a better opinion - especially if you have heard only soundbites taken out of context. I'll let you decide.

As I began to put this 15-minute episode together, it became clear these deleted voicemails were not only a microcosm of my career but also of my life. You will listen to controlled chaos until it not controlled anymore. I believe you can relate too.

From cleaning lady to boss, Bibiana left Colombia South America at the age of 25 to make a life for herself.  She had to start from scratch but she is accomplishing more than she could even imagine.  There are huge lessons here including love of country, the power of single acts of kindness and a never give up attitude. Bibiana Rummier will inspire you and you will agree she is simply amazing. 

My oldest sibling, Mac Goddard, died two months ago on May 24, 2025. He was 83. On his 75th birthday, I (along with several others), said a few words to him and about him at the gathering. I just found an audio recording of my remarks. For posterity's sake, here it is. The message is only about 10 minutes, but the life lesson lasts a lifetime.

Jim Cumbee is a lawyer who later received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has served as Assistant Attorney General of Missouri, worked on the staff of the Governor of Missouri, spent years as a commercial real estate developer, and held executive positions at the Walt Disney Company. He also purchased a Gospel Music Radio network, grew it, and sold it. Today, as a very successful business...

My guest is Bobby Ward, a member of the Miniature Golf Hall of Fame and winner of two US Opens, and a Masters, among about 200 other events. He talks about his putting career, the game, and its bright future. You will learn about this incredible game and be inspired to find the nearest facility to you and take it up. This is really good stuff.

My brother Mac died on May 24, 2025, after a brief illness. This is a little of his story and passion as I know it, as we begin to turn the page from a tough few weeks.

Rick Knight was a highly popular radio personality in Macon, GA, during the 1980s and 1990s with the "Rick Knight Road Show" on WDEN until he was terminated from the station, and his life fell apart. Rick ended up serving time in a Federal Penitentiary. This is a story of wrong choices, consequences, accountability, and redemption.

A 12-minute or so snippet of a "View from a Hearse" live performance. Funny only. And sometimes that is enough.

Be sure to go to YouTube and search "View from a Hearse Podcast" to see the slides that go along with this incredible story of an immigrant family who moved to a small rural southern town and made a life for themselves and those who came after them. You will be inspired by how these families found the American dream.

The Annual Georgia Strawberry Festival will be April 25-26 in Reynolds GA. The festival kicks off with Gospel Fest on Friday evening (25th) and all the other festivities being Saturday morning, April 26th. I have three of the ladies behind it as my guests and they will talk about what you can expect.

Randy Toms, a former two-term Mayor of Warner Robins, GA, and retired Lieutenant with the Warner Robins Fire Department is my guest. He currently serves as Executive Director at the Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training Council. Randy is an expert on fires: That is literal fires and spiritual fires. A gifted communicator, and ordained minister, he teaches others how to live "Out of the Fire....

Ephraim K Johnson was a special needs man who taught me much and had no idea he was teaching. This is his story and his story causes us to consider the real purpose of our lives. If you have a special needs person in your life, this will hit home.

On the 10th anniversary of this death, this is a rerelease of "Steve Mack Unveiled,' which was first released in November 2023. My guests are a few of the people who worked for him and with him and they speak of the lessons he taught.

Laney Blair (LB) Davis is my guest and maybe the biggest 20-year-old UGA football fan ever. Inspired by Loran Smith while in high school, she began writing letters to the late great Larry Munson in heaven to keep him up to date on Georgia football. Her only dream was to become a student at UGA. When the time came to apply, she was rejected. She thought her dream was shattered but realized it was o...

A reading of a couple of blog articles I wrote about 15 years ago on pain and the lessons we get from it.

Boaz Shalgi, who was featured here on Episode #120 in June of 2024, speaks to me again from the land of the Bible with updates on Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the ongoing war and conflicts. He also speaks of how this war has impacted his family. As before, if you want to help him and his family financially, you can contact me at goddardrb54@gmail.com, and I will give you instructions. Also, if yo...

A lesson on kindness. This episode will take only five minutes of your time.