It was a hot and sticky walk to the radio station for our 50th show. I was nervous. I’d actually been ruminating on this show since we decided to tackle this topic. 50 seemed like a good marker for the beginning of a new set of chapters for Brunch & Budget on Bondfire Radio and for doing something we’ve never done before – spend 4 episodes on one subject.

We knew a topic like the prison industrial complex was something that needed at least 4 shows just to scratch the surface and the more we were researching and putting together the series arc, the more we kept uncovering how deep this whole thing really goes.

So I was nervous about this show. Nervous in a way I hadn’t felt since the first show, actually. There were so many moving pieces, so many links and sources – which facts would help you as a listener hearing about the prison industrial complex for the first time, make connections to your daily life? Would our passion for educating people about this come across in the right way and not just pass people by? And the question that probably nagged at me the most, is this really going to make a difference? What would that even look like?

We walked out of the studio in the bit of a daze when we finished, happy with the show, but mentally and emotionally drained. I just wanted to hug the dog afterwards. I’ve had a few days to reflect on whether or not I feel like the show “made a difference” and it did. It changed the way I think about prison, crime, and how the economy is fueled. It made a difference for me.

We all have been in a place where we were waiting for a sign that we’re on the right track or doing the right thing or talking to the right people. Things can feel so big and impossible and it makes you nervous to take the next step. Do it anyway. It will make a difference.

Also try to have a dog handy to hug when you’ve finished.

Brunch & Budget on Bondfire Radio is doing a 4 part series on the prison industrial complex and how it affects your daily life. Listen to the first episode here.

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