Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Support the show

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback What happens when you strip away the complexities of modern life and spend five months walking 2,650 miles through some of America's most breathtaking landscapes? Mary and Jason Kosch did exactly that when they hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican border to Canada, and their journey reveals profound insights about human capability, resilience, and the transformative pow...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Death often reveals what truly matters in life. When our friend Gary Anderson passed unexpectedly last October, we found ourselves reflecting on the extraordinary power of enduring friendship and its ability to shape our lives in profound ways. This special episode brings together the voices of Gary's longtime friends to celebrate a life well-lived through stories, laughter, mus...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Superintendent Laurie Putnam shares her inspiring vision for public education, emphasizing hope, truth, unity and growth in the St. Cloud Area Schools District. Through candid discussions on leadership challenges, the importance of diverse representation, and an innovative community school model, she highlights the imperative to rethink success metrics in education with a commitm...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Explore the future of with Dr. Lorin Robinson, a distinguished journalist and author, as he unveils the real-world strategies needed to combat the relentless march of global warming. Dr. Robinson, who has spent years dissecting the complexities of climate change, provides a sobering look at the current state of our environment in his latest work, "Surviving the Warming: Strategie...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Finding genuine male friendships and expressing emotions can be a complex journey, especially when faced with societal expectations. Join us for a heart-to-heart conversation with our lifelong friend, Neil J Meyer, as we break down the intricate dynamics of male companionship at different life stages. Neil's candid reflections illuminate the stark differences between male and fem...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Meg Kissinger, a distinguished journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, takes us on an intimate journey through her life and work as she shares stories from her memoir, "While You Were Out." Raised in a family shadowed by mental health and addiction issues, Meg unveils the silent struggles that shaped her perspective on mental illness. Her investigative work on America's mental he...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback In this episode you will be transported to 1932, right in the middle of the Great Depression, as we sit down with the incredible Kruschel siblings: Bill, Dee Dee, and Fritz, ages 99, 98, and 96. We promise you’ll learn not only about their struggles but also the heartwarming moments that defined their childhood. From family trips to Big Marine Lake and singing during long car rid...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Join us as we share the remarkable life of Bill Kruschel, an extraordinary 99-year-old, whose journey from a World War II Navy medic to a beloved member of the White Bear Lake community is nothing short of inspiring. This episode paints a vivid portrait of Bill's early years in St. Paul, Minnesota, his experiences during the Great Depression, and his career ascent at 3M. Bill att...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback This is the second episode featuring child psychiatrist, Dr. William Dikel. Dr. Dikel pulls back the curtain on the often overlooked role that education systems play in addressing the mental health needs of children and youth. Dr. Dikel helps unravel the complexities facing schools that are caught between scarce resources and the pressing need to collaborate with exte...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Embark on an enlightening exploration of the complex world of children's mental health with us, as we sit down with child psychiatrist, Dr. William Dikel. As a vanguard in child psychiatry, Dr. Dikel offers a wealth of knowledge on how our societal systems can better support youth facing mental health challenges. Our conversation delves into the heart of the matter, dissect...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback When the gentle hum of an engine gives way to eerie silence, the vast expanse of Lake Superior transforms from a peaceful oasis into a formidable beast. This is the chilling setting that Mark and Julie Wolak bravely stepped into, and their fight against the capricious whims of nature takes center stage. Vivid storytelling whisks you away to the heart of a raging storm, where they...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Join us, your hosts Mark and Joe, as we look back on a year where Stories in Life shared tales of human spirit and determination. We reflect on connections made across 20 countries and bonds with over a thousand followers who've become part of our journey. We relive the moments of courage, goodwill, and determination that have echoed through our show, celebrating the ...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback This episode unfurls a captivating tapestry where our friend, Dr. Mark Larson shares a theory of the emergence of the 'age of the heart,' a transformative shift in societal values where empathy and emotional intelligence reign supreme. Listen as we sketch the lineage of societal evolutions, from the bygone days of small family farms, the industrial clatter to our present digital ...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Ever wondered about the sheer transformative power of gratitude and giving? Join us on an inspiring journey as we share this incredible story of gratitude and meaningful community change. Hear several first-hand accounts from Dan Kuzlik, whose humble beginnings in Chicago led him to dedicate three decades of his life to supporting a small community in Chimbote, Peru. ...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Do you remember your favorite teacher? The one who not only taught you academic knowledge but also shaped you into a better individual? Our guest, Emily Boyle is an experienced middle school teacher who embodies these qualities and more. Her knack for building a meaningful relationship with students and parents alike is both heart-warming and inspiring. She gives us a peek into h...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Imagine being a kid again, sitting in a classroom, listening to your teacher passionately discuss how important it is to learn and to be your best person. Then imagine seeing that same teacher put her heart into making sure that you are seen, heard, respected and asked to be a responsible and capable person with others. That's the everyday reality for the students of Emily ...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback As the hosts of Stories in Life, Mark Wolak and Joe Boyle take time to reflect on the journey so far. Stories In Life - On the Radio with Mark and Joe has reached over 525 downloads across 15 countries and 125 cities and towns at the halfway marker of this first season! We reflect on our original purpose and plan and assess how we are doing so far. We invite your suggestion...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback This is the third episode of a three-part story told in detail by Alphonse Wolak, a young soldier who enlisted in the Air Force and served as a side gunner in a B-24 Liberator in WW2. Alphonse Wolak was 18 when he enlisted and shares his raw and riveting tales from the frontlines of European Theater at age 81. You'll be on the edge of your seat as he recounts the fateful ...

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback Ever wondered what it was like to be a side gunner in World War II? Prepare to be transported back in time as we hear from Alphonse Wolak, a B-24 Liberator gunner, who lived through the harrowing experience of being shot down and captured by German soldiers. Guided by his first hand story, we navigate the chilling realities of war, unveiling the physical and psychological demands...