Encounters at Dollywood
Last weekend at Dollywood, we had a first: both my wife and I immediately recognized someone we follow on social media while at a theme park.
In the middle of all of the confusion and chaos that can be the crowd at Dollywood, a face instantly stood out to me. Even though I felt Jon Acuff was recognizable and that I could not be mistaking him for someone else, I turned to my wife, pointed in Jon’s direction, and asked her if she recognized that guy over there. She instantly smiled and then yelled out, “Jon Acuff!”
Jon shifted gears a bit, issued a huge smile, and waved.
Jon’s blog, many years ago, was what kickstarted my reading habit, something I talked a good deal about in the very first podcast episode. I have read several of his books and both my wife and I have been following him for years.
The guy produces some really great content and resources. He comes across as extremely personable as well, which is one of the many reasons we like the dude. Our brief encounter, however, was just a yell and a wave. We were escorting a group of adults affected by disability through the park and couldn’t really break away. Once that group left and we were waiting to ride the train, we saw Jon again and this time my wife grabbed her phone and went to get a selfie.
I wondered what the guy would be like. Would he be a jerk in person? Would he be as personable as he seems online? Would he be ticked off at being recognized and feel bothered?
He was as awesome in person as he is online. When I mentioned to him that his blog so long ago helped turn me into an avid reader, he didn’t use that moment to talk about his article, his resources, or anything about himself. He asked me, “What was your favorite book that you have read this year?” I loved that question. It was so refreshing to meet him and see what kind of a person he is. We didn’t do this of course, but he felt like the type of person you could have just sat down and talked with all day long.
No, I didn’t mention my podcast. I thought that would be awkward. I didn’t want it to come across like that was the main reason we ran over.
Soundtracks
Once we got home, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only was Jon’s book, Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking available as an audiobook, but Jon narrated it himself!
Out of all of the audiobooks I have listened to, this one stands out as one of the best. Hands down. The content itself is great and I found myself wanting to share any of it with my family who kindly sat there and pretended to be interested in everything I had to say. I have listened to audiobooks where the narrator was not AI, but certainly sounded like it, but worse. This book felt as if Jon was there telling the story. Not reading it to me. But telling it to me. It was so refreshingly well done.
Another bonus for Jon’s books is that they typically extend beyond just the book itself. He works hard to attach the overall message and purpose to a call to action. As mentioned in this audiobook, Jon offers some additional resources you can download to better apply the action items he discusses.
All around awesome guy on a great mission using his talents to help others. Worth checking out for sure.
Where to Find Jon:
e many reasons we enjoy what he does.