Chronically Illing Out | E49 - Building the Start of the Week

Summary

Nick, Beth, Doc Steph, and Soso opened with a living armadillo, a salty squirrel, and a meme war. Overall, today was about growing up. Steph described her son turning up grumpy and private at lunch, and the relief she felt. A kid who doesn’t want to talk about his life has a life of his own. Beth, after raising four kids through their own chronic illnesses, is still finding herself, now through kindness rocks, a new business license, and her first public outing with her walker.

From children’s TV — Number Blocks, Alpha Blocks, Quebec’s publicly funded Passe-Partout — the talk turned to who pays for education. Nick traced the damage from standardized testing, property-tax funding, and voucher schemes, arguing that No Child Left Behind “ended up leaving all kids behind because no kid could get ahead.” Steph pointed to Nikole Hannah-Jones’s writing on choosing public school for her own daughter. It raises a hard question: can a family’s choice ever fix “a systemic problem”?

The panel didn’t settle it. They did make the case that schools built around play, field trips, and real life skills are a choice a country makes, not a luxury. Their closing line said the same about community: “We’re done being sick of this shit. So now we’re doing this shit.”

~ Nick Paro, Beth Cruz, Stephanie Wilson, and Soso

Disclaimer

Chronically Illing Out is a podcast and weekly roundtable discussion that provides a safe space for real chronic illness and mental health conversations—by people with lived experience. We are not trained professionals—and we do not claim to be—rather, we discuss our stories and current events to build community and solidarity. Know that you are not alone—and if you are in crisis, call/text 988.

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Nick’s Notes

I’m Nick Paro, and I’m sick of the shit going on. So, I’m using poetry, podcasting, and lives to discuss the intersections of chronic illness and mental wellbeing, masculinity, veteran’s issues, politics, and so much more. I am only able to have these conversations, bring visibility to my communities, and fill the void through your support — this is a publication where engagement is encouraged, creativity is a cornerstone, and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community!

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Thank you Mack Devlin, Amy Gabrielle, Amelia Hall, MSW, CPACC, Laura Tompkins, Rose, and many others for tuning into my live video with Stephanie G Wilson, PhD and Beth Cruz! Join me for my next live video in the app.