Happy Friday! It's Friday, April 5th, 2024. I'm Kevin Roman. I'm a designer, stylist, and generally all-around happy guy. Every week, I share a great thought and a great song. We all deserve a dose of encouragement, a fun tune, and a reason to smile. This is Happy Friday. Happy Friday! Happy Birthday! Welcome to the third season of HAPPY FRIDAY! And yes, yesterday was my birthday. Did you forget? When I moved to Chicago 24 years ago this week, I was making a new beginning and I christened this new persona “NewKevin.” New things can be amazing. They’re fresh, invigorating, and their novelty makes you want to share them. Today, I thought I’d go off-script a little and share some questions that I’ve been asked. The best part of sharing is that it brings us all a little bit… Ring, ring. Oh, just a sec. Hello? Hey, you ready? Who’s this? It’s NewKevin, NewKevin 25. You weren’t expecting me? I got some questions for ya. Oh, yeah, sure. Did you send a list or something? Chill out, it’s your birthday week, I got this. Just some questions people’ve been asking. Ya’ know, just to share a little. Ok, yeah. Did you know this is the first episode of our third season? Yeah, so I heard. Which brings up the first question: Do you listen to yourself? Oh, listen to each episode? I do… and I don’t. If I’m uneasy about the audio, I won’t listen to an episode for a while. But when things are on point, listening back just reinforces that confidence. But I’ve listened to myself so much by now, I’m totally over that “not liking my own voice” thing. Well, good for you. Who do you think is your audience? Oh, um, it varies. I’ve got old friends and even their college kids to some of my senior mentors and old colleagues. I mean, HAPPY FRIDAY is now downloaded in 101 different countries, so… But, who do you speak to? Um, my friends, anyone who’s questioning things, anyone who wants to be better, wants to be happier in this crazy world. I think I’m talking to myself or anyone who feels like I do. Alright, on a more superficial note—what’s your favorite food? Oh, sweet and sour chicken, and chocolate chip cookies. That would be my last meal. And Peruvian food. As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve found the greatest Peruvian restaurants from Hong Kong to Shanghai to Philly—Peruvian is like the New Mexican. Any desert island discs? Oh, music? Can I bring a few? The Turning by Leslie Phillips, Diana by Diana Ross, 1980. Anything by Sade. Tin Drum by Japan. Classics like Cher and Whitney, obscure tunes like Stephen Duffy and Peter Murphy. And I’ve a soft spot for the 80’s. Where is home for you? Technically? Boston, Philly, now Chicago, sorta? What is home? I’ve talked about this! I’ve had so many homes: Peru, Costa Rica. I don’t think I can pick just one. Home can really be anywhere. It’s wherever you make it. What is your biggest fear? Not having time to finish what I want. Not just today; in life, in general. Time is so limited, and I beat myself up about it a lot. But, I’m getting better! Oh, and being drafted! When I was younger, I was terrified about being drafted. And knives—always knives. On that thought, what the thing that hurts you the most? This’ll probably sound selfish, but being misunderstood. Especially when it’s beyond my control. I like to be in control of myself, so being misunderstood puts you in a completely impossible position and a lot of times you can’t change it. What would you go back and tell your 15-year-old self? Oh! I’ve said this before! I would tell my 15-year-old self, “You need to chill the fuck out!” That about says it! But, we have come a long way! Now, think back. What is your earliest memory? When I was really young, we took a road trip across the country—I think we only got as far as St. Louis. I don’t remember most of it. But we travelled in a camper built on the back of a pickup truck, and the outside of it was shingled, with wood shingles, and they were painted… hot pink. They say we don’t hold on to memories made before we’re like 4-years-old, but I remember waking up in that hot pink camper like it was yesterday! What is your most prized possession? Hmm, most prized? It’s not anything expensive. Those things can be replaced. It’s gotta be something rare—like physical photos that are irreplaceable. Or, here: I have in my living room a small, feathered fan. It’s from when we lived in Peru. But I don’t have it because I brought it—I don’t really have many things from my past. I have it because my grandmother visited us while we lived there and, years later, gave me this fan so that I’d have something to remember. And now, it’s connected to my memory of her. Great, well, I gotta go… Wait! Aren’t ya gonna ask me about my greatest love or the secret to success…? Yeah, they’ll have to tune in later for all that. I’ve got future NewKevin stuff to attend to! Talk to ya’ later! Oh, Happy Birthday! Well, thanks calling! When we meet an old friend, we often say, “What’s new?” What do we mean? We mean, what’s new in your life, what’s happening, share yourself with me. That’s all I try to do here on HAPPY FRIDAY: share a little bit of myself, a little of my thoughts, a little of the things I’ve found to make each new day a little happier. Being happy isn’t about “stuff.” That’s not the kind of “new” we need. We need to tap into the power to look at every day as a “new” day. As Edith Wharton, designer and novelist, said, “True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.” We get obsessed with new things. “Shiny and new,” right? I watched an amazingly deep interview with RuPaul and Oprah. Every other line, RuPaul would say, “None of this is rocket science! We already know these lessons. We just need to be reminded.” That’s true wisdom. When we find ourselves needing change, needing something “new,” we don’t need to look outside ourself. We need to look at ourselves. What do we already know? How are we getting in our own way that we need to take a new look at? Maybe we just need, as Miss Patti said, a “new attitude.” Chromeo knows the deal in their song, (I Don’t Need A) New Girl. I hope you like it—Every week, find a link to Friday’s song in the show-notes in your podcast app and online at the website happyfriday.fm—and remember: “True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.” Thanks so much for listening… Thank you, NewKevin! Lots of new thoughts in my mind for the year ahead! Connect with me online and on Instagram @HappyFriday.FM Now go have a Happy Friday!