Digging in Our Dirt

Ep. 9: Two Stories Wide, Pt. 2

In this episode, Culley and Maryll continue their reckoning with their fathers’ beautifully curated bluster as the iconoclasts start to lose their luster. We examine the cost and complicated perks of witnessing both the peak and the fall of the idol, and the pressure of sustaining the "greatest hits" for a man who is the last to admit his own reality. It is a look at the loyalty required to hold up the pedestal even as the myth begins to crack.

Ep. 8: Two Stories Wide, Pt. 1

In this episode, Culley and Maryll examine the foundational stories their fathers told—the ones that hardened into legend. We revisit the ‘greatest hits’ of their self-mythology, deconstructing the narratives that both created and fed the iconoclasts. In doing so, we recognize the essential role of the Greek chorus—be it a chorus of one or many—because a legend cannot exist in a vacuum, and every iconoclast requires an audience to sustain the myth.

Ep. 7: Family Affair, Pt. 3

In this episode, Maryll & Culley take a quick but thoughtful look at what really makes someone family. Do you have to share DNA to belong—or is family defined by something deeper, like love, loyalty, and lived connection?

Ep. 6: Family Affair, Pt. 2

Maryll & Culley unpack the layers of extended family—how relationships shift when you marry into a new one, and the surprises that come with it. They speculate on Spencer Gifts inventory and reflect on inherited family patterns: how easy it is to fall into them, and the awareness it takes to break free to build family on your own terms.

Ep. 5: Family Affair, Pt. 1

Maryll & Culley reflect on what it meant to have their fathers return to their lives in grade school and beyond. They explore the responsibility of parents and stepparents—what was said, what wasn’t—and how those silences shaped them. The conversation also touches on Culley’s half-sister, the steady influence of their grandparents, and the complex emotions of welcoming fathers back into their worlds.