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#24 - I’m the Ghost That Haunts My Own House

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Manage episode 499932306 series 3603349
Content provided by Zach Ancell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Zach Ancell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

In this anonymous call, our caller lost his wife in a sudden car accident. Just before they even made the first mortgage payment on their home. The timing was cruel, especially after years of saving and sacrificing for the life they planned to start “someday.”

He describes himself as an optimistic nihilist. Someone who believes there’s nothing after death, and finds that reality liberating. For him, knowing this is the one shot we get makes every choice matter more. We talk about the tension between planning for the future and living for today, how grief reshapes your relationship with time, and the loneliness of carrying loss when the world has already moved on.

And between the moments of pain, there are flashes of wit and unexpected laughter. A reminder that even in loss, life still shows up.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Book recommendation: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
  • Losing his wife in a sudden car accident and the plans they never got to live out
  • Why he sees death as freeing through the lens of optimistic nihilism
  • The danger of saving everything for “someday”
  • Dark humor as a coping mechanism for grief
  • How modern death practices have become impersonal—and why that matters
  • The difference between offering someone a “blanket” or an “axe” in grief support
  • Why he believes funerary rituals are for the living, not the dead

Amori - Your Mortality Companion
Visit amori.life and use code WHENWEDIE50 to get 50% off your download.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show

Stay Connected
✨ WWDT+: Early Episode Access
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
🎵 TikTok: @whenwedietalks
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📚
Anonymous Book Recommendations
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts?
We want to hear from you! Call our voicemail at 971-328-0864 and tell us what you believe happens when we die. Your message might be featured in a future episode and could help inspire someone else on their journey. Or, if you're interested in having a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

Have feedback about the show? Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to send a text or email—we’re always open to hearing what’s working and what’s not.

  continue reading

44 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 499932306 series 3603349
Content provided by Zach Ancell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Zach Ancell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

In this anonymous call, our caller lost his wife in a sudden car accident. Just before they even made the first mortgage payment on their home. The timing was cruel, especially after years of saving and sacrificing for the life they planned to start “someday.”

He describes himself as an optimistic nihilist. Someone who believes there’s nothing after death, and finds that reality liberating. For him, knowing this is the one shot we get makes every choice matter more. We talk about the tension between planning for the future and living for today, how grief reshapes your relationship with time, and the loneliness of carrying loss when the world has already moved on.

And between the moments of pain, there are flashes of wit and unexpected laughter. A reminder that even in loss, life still shows up.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Book recommendation: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
  • Losing his wife in a sudden car accident and the plans they never got to live out
  • Why he sees death as freeing through the lens of optimistic nihilism
  • The danger of saving everything for “someday”
  • Dark humor as a coping mechanism for grief
  • How modern death practices have become impersonal—and why that matters
  • The difference between offering someone a “blanket” or an “axe” in grief support
  • Why he believes funerary rituals are for the living, not the dead

Amori - Your Mortality Companion
Visit amori.life and use code WHENWEDIE50 to get 50% off your download.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show

Stay Connected
✨ WWDT+: Early Episode Access
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
🎵 TikTok: @whenwedietalks
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📚
Anonymous Book Recommendations
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts?
We want to hear from you! Call our voicemail at 971-328-0864 and tell us what you believe happens when we die. Your message might be featured in a future episode and could help inspire someone else on their journey. Or, if you're interested in having a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

Have feedback about the show? Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to send a text or email—we’re always open to hearing what’s working and what’s not.

  continue reading

44 episodes

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