What if the things you loved most as a kid still hold clues about the life you actually want now?

I still remember Yankees games crackling through a transistor radio tucked under my pillow long past bedtime. For Ben Orlando, it was realizing those moments were never really about baseball at all.

I'm talking with psychotherapist, writer, and Midnight Library of Baseball host Ben Orlando about masculinity, nostalgia, and what happens when men lose the thread back to themselves.

We explore why the hobbies we dismiss as "not serious" often point to something much deeper, and why reconnecting with joy and authenticity matters even more as we get older.

You'll hear about:

• Why certain childhood memories stay with us for life
  
  
• How men lose themselves in careers and responsibilities
  
  
• The importance of reconnecting with joy and nostalgia
  
  
• Why hobbies and passions matter more than we think
  
  
• The emotional power of shared memories
  
  
• What older men regret most at the end of life
  
  
• Why it's never too late to reconnect with yourself

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Resources

• Podcast: Midnight Library of Baseball
  
  
• Website: midnightlibraryofbaseball.com
  
  
• Instagram: @midnightlibraryofbaseball
  
  
• Therapy: benorlando.com

Many fathers spent their lives learning how to provide for their families. But emotional connection often became much harder to pass down.

My guest today is Marc Azoulay, therapist and founder of Men's Therapy Online. Marc works with men navigating relationships, identity, purpose, and emotional health across different stages of life.

In this episode, Marc shares his own journey through addiction, recovery, and self-discovery. We look at the emotional disconnect many men experience with themselves, their children, and each other.

You'll hear about:

• Why Marc believes many men were never taught emotional connection
  
  
• The frightening turning point that forced him to reevaluate his life
  
  
• How different generations of men struggle with identity, work, and purpose
  
  
• The reason why emotional openness between men still feels uncomfortable
  
  
• How curiosity can help parents strengthen relationships with adult children

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Resources:

Mens Therapy Online

What happens when life forces you into a chapter you never planned for?

After decades building a successful career in technology, writing books, and growing a business, Jeffrey Ton suddenly found himself stepping away from work to become a full-time caregiver for his wife following a devastating diagnosis.

In this episode, Jeff shares how revisiting memories of traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail with his wife helped him process grief, rediscover meaning, and reconnect with the person she has always been beyond her illness.

Their journey became the foundation for his newest book, Uncharted Moments: Love, Legacy, and the Lewis & Clark Trail.

In this episode, we covered:

• Why becoming a caregiver forced Jeff to let go of a business and identity he loved
  
  
• What anticipatory grief taught him about navigating uncertainty and change
  
  
• The remarkable story behind retracing the Lewis and Clark Trail together
  
  
• How slowing down changed the way Jeff and his wife experienced life
  
  
• The powerful lesson Jeff learned about pausing during chaos
  
  
• How one simple phrase became a philosophy for navigating difficult seasons of life

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Resources

Website: www.JeffreySTon.com


Amazon: Uncharted Moments: Love, Legacy, and the Lewis & Clark Trail by Jeffrey Ton


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