TED

At the end of August 2009, I signed up to the Talks video podcast in iTunes. Since then, some of the smartest, most insightful, talented funny and inspirational people have accompanied me on my morning and afternoon commutes. I was the guy with the iPhone, standing near the front of the tram, occasionally smiling, giggling, nodding, saying “ahh” or tearing up. With over 900 talks available, I had quite a bit of catching up to do. I’d watch anywhere from two to four per day, depending on their length.

Talks expanded my brain. They made me think in ways I haven’t thought before. They inspired my work, they inspired my life. They’ve created change. They cost me hundreds of dollars in book orders from Book Depository.

A bit of bittersweet news: Yesterday morning, in an aeroplane somewhere over Lake Eildon, I finally caught up with the video podcast series. There are no more new ones for me to watch. I’m going to take a bit of time off from them, let them pile up again.