Living at the Mercy of the Moment. A Podcast for the Pandemic.

This is the 20th and final episode of our podcast. INIT Jeannette is joined by her extraordinary sons Jonathan and David. We talk about what has taken place over this past year and what lies ahead. Thank you for being part of this adventure. May all your moments be merciful and may we be partners in building a more just and righteous world. May we be changed for the better.

In this impassioned, important episode we discuss the irresponsible and inexplicable allegation that those of us who are taking the necessary precautions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus or somehow nervous Nellies, hysterics, anxious folk. Somehow I am seeing more posts on social media about people who are tired of being cowardly because they have opted for caution. This is one of our most vibrant conversations.

In this episode Jeannette , David and I discuss a recent article in the New York Times by Roy Scranton about the high likelihood that we will never get back the world that existed before 2019. Instead of feeling fatalistic, we acknowledge that this is a sane and centered approach to our near future and that the pandemic was a wake up call about the crisis our planet faces. This is one of our most impassioned and relevant conversations to date. Don’t miss it.

In our most candid conversation yet, Jeannette and I go rogue, throwing the script away and discussing the events of last week, namely, the Trump insurrection at the Capitol building. Despite some technical difficulties this is a raw and real conversation about where we are and where we are heading.

In this extraordinary episode of our podcast, I am joined by Jeannette , her son David and David’s friend Jen who has lived with epilepsy for the last 20 years. Jen takes the lead in our candid and important conversation about the importance of truth telling in the face of disability...and why the world must begin to hear hard truths about the struggles of others. Power through some of the technical glitches and prepare to be shaken and uplifted by this episode.

In this episode we discuss the individual and collective trauma of this moment when there is not just loss but cruel separation and the lack of closure. We also get personal as Jeannette interrogates me on the unexpectedly joyful insights I gained after my father‘s death. This is a raw and deep conversation

In this emotionally charged brand new episode, Jeannette and I discuss my father’s death on October 31, the Biden victory and the blessings of a good life and death. We go completely off script to get to the real stuff of life. Our longest episode so far it invites engagement and response. I’d love to hear from you.

In this episode we discuss the world our elders are bequeathing to us and what we are handing over to our grandchildren. Jeannette also discusses the virus that likely causes multiple sclerosis and it’s link to the virus that is rampaging our world right now, namely COVID-19.

In this episode, recorded more than three weeks ago, Jeannette and I discuss the legacy we have been given and what we are passing onto our grandchildren In the course of the pandemic. While this was recorded nearly one month ago it did not get posted due to a death in the family which is the topic of episode 11.

In this episode we are joined by Joanne Lockman, Jeannette’s cousin and close friend. The two discuss their shared childhood and Jo-Ann‘s memories of visiting Jeannette at Letchworth village, The infamous institution for the criminally insane where Jeanette spent a portion of her childhood as her father was a residential doctor. We segue then into a conversation about standing up to the disabling of our democracy, continuing the theme of our previous episode. We also touch on a very touchy topic: the rioting and violence among the ultra orthodox in Borough Park and our responses as Jewish women.

In our latest episode I speak with Jeannette about how our American democracy has allowed itself to become disabled and what we can do to stand up to it. In our most emotionally riveting episode yet Ee talk about resisting the various insults to our personal and national integrity. This episode is for everyone who wakes up and thinks: WTF?

Continuing our conversation on the importance of friends in developing resiliency, we are joined by the extraordinary Kelsey Hildebrand. And in segment 2 Jeannette and I get into some deep waters discussing the absence/presence of God in this broken world.

In episode six Jeannette and her friend Adela discuss the early days of their friendship when they used to go dancing and we talk about making peace with the loss of a beloved activity due to disability. Jeannette shares the stressful events that happened during the recent hurricane and gives us more important tips for resilience during the pandemic.

In Episode Five, Jeannette and David discuss a terrifying about she had with C Diff, a near death gastric experience. We reflect on the partnership that has made her survival possible and discuss supporting one another during the pandemic. We discussed some terrible truths about MS and offer some word play for the acronym: Much Suffering and...Masks Stupid! As always Jeannette offers a frame from the wisdom she has gained for anyone who is struggling to survive during this time. Don’t miss it!

In today’s episode -- the fourth in our series -- we discuss the ravages committed by MS on the human body and compare it to the ravages inflicted by COVID-19. We also talk about the human propensity for denial and ultimately... the importance of hope and the importance of fighting the good fight.

In this episode, I discuss with Jeannette our common bond and how we came to meet, which has to do with a little girl wearing a red dress and bronze shoes. We explore the concept of sisterhood and its many manifestations. As always, Jeannette offers candid commentary on our present calamitous moment... and ways in which we can transcend it.

Jeannette Perutz Elsner's childhood contained many losses, chief among them the loss of security, safety and normalcy. The fact that this took place during the 1950's and '60's...the era of Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver made the bleakness of her life even more isolating. But there were other losses Jeannette suffered. Join us for Episode Two where we follow up on the September 2018 trip to Letchworth Village, one of three mental institutions where Jeannette spent her childhood and segue into the topic of loss...something we can all relate to during the COVID pandemic.

Join us as we wrap up the surreal trip to Letchworth village, the mental institution where Jeanette spent a portion of her childhood and talk about the multiple losses in her life and in the pandemic stricken world.

In Episode One -- Journey to Letchworth Village -- we are joined by Jeannette’s son, David Elsner. Two years ago the three of us undertook a remarkable, difficult, almost surreal journey to Letchworth Village, an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Rockland County, NY. That journey was transformative as it revisits the site of Jeannette's childhood trauma. Join us as we discuss that day...and its ramifications some two years later.