By the numbers, 2025 was not that out of the ordinary.
Fifty-two blogs were posted here, 26 episodes of The Palmer Files were published, and I had seven Proxycast appearances. There were also over 70 other podcasts which I produced across a few shows – The Good Government Show, Leading Iowa, and As Fate Would Have It.
All of that was done over the course of the last 12 months, but it wasn’t all clockwork week in and week out. I survived working ahead enough for a small paternity break early in the year, and then continued on with the added new normal of taking care of a small human.
And that’s not to say that other than that one major change, things were average. The Palmer Files also finally landed on AgentPalmer.com, complete with transcripts. It’s nice to have the blog and the podcast both under one roof, so to speak. It’s something I had been thinking about and working towards for a few years. Why not do it while being a first time parent? Why not, indeed…
At first glance of the upcoming year, 2026 will have at least one solo-ish episode of The Palmer Files and a very long blog post to accompany it. My wife will return to the podcast to discuss having a one-year-old. Somehow, I still plan on finishing The Proust Questionnaire. There will be more Star Trek on the podcast and the blog, and maybe even more than one blog appearance from Mrs. Agent Palmer.
And here’s the thing. I’m not downplaying the fact that I became a dad last year. Welcoming our child into the world may be the start of my greatest achievement, but it is not my only achievement.
This blog and the podcast are also my achievements. These pieces of myself that I put out there are more than text and soundwaves. They are the beginning of tangible connections, or at least the possibility of such connections. Through these mediums I’ve made genuine friendships. I’m not sure I could ask for more.
Late last fall, I received an email that put the podcast in perspective. Early last year, I eulogized composer and Palmer Files guest Andrew Belling. One of Andy’s old friends had found the podcast, and it offered some closure to her. She reached out to thank me for the conversation and for sharing it. This was not something I had considered as an effect of having and sharing these conversations. Talk about an eye-opener.
Of course, there’s the actual email correspondence with my author friends who are always so appreciative of my reviews. It makes me wonder if I may not quite understand just what it means for them when I write very highly of their work.
Afterall, and, no, I’m not asking for it, but people aren’t writing about blogs anymore. In fact, outside of that overwhelming email in response to one episode, I’m not sure I get much in the way of reviews for the podcast either. I don’t know what it means, other than that I’m happy to be able to help promote people’s work and make others smile.
And for 2026, nothing is really changing as far as what I put out there. I may be promoting both the blog and podcast more than usual, which isn’t saying much. Every creator I know in any and every capacity could easily be promoting more.
I’ll be doing, as I have for a month now, vertical video to promote the podcast. I’m not sure how things will change as a result, but I know it’s more than I’ve been doing, and that’s where we all start. If you’re reading this, you could subscribe to YouTube.com/AgentPalmer if you want to see what these vertical videos look like… Or they’ll be posted on TikTok at theagentpalmer, perhaps on Instagram as well where I’m just agentpalmer, or any of the other socials I happen to decide to share them on.
The problem is that most of my social networks have folded themselves up a bit. And like many others, I haven’t had the energy to rebuild them. I have actual social relationships that don’t require a connection other than a phone call or text message, after all.
I will have to decide where I put my energies going forward, but some additional promotion is coming. I am super proud of the blog and the podcast, and I want to share it. I just don’t always have the bandwidth to go on with the sharing of the thing, when it’s much more fulfilling to go on creating the next post or episode.
Nothing is really changing, yet I’m sure being a dad will change my perspective. That’s bound to be reflected in the posts and episodes that get created from here on out, if it hasn’t already started to bleed into the text and sound waves already.
What have I learned in becoming a father last year that’s related to everything I’ve just written? One thing more than any other, I have come to find that most people think that I should give up the podcast and blog. No one has expressed it directly, and most of my closest friends and family would never suggest such a thing. But I find that some acquaintances further afield are always amazed, perhaps shocked even, that I continue Agent Palmer.
To them, I just nod and move on. The answer to their shock is this: What kind of a parent would I be in setting the example that you have to give up your passion to be a parent? I don’t really want to say that “we contain multitudes,” but I do believe with the right balance, I can be a husband, a father, and Agent Palmer. I’ve done it for the predominant portion of this year. It’s a process of adjustment and balance, but it’s possible.
You don’t have to give up something you are passionate about to be a good parent. I would argue that if you can find the balance, doing both is more beneficial than just giving up. And I work hard to work ahead to make sure these things continue.
I won’t always have the time, but if I can write a few posts ahead or record a few episodes ahead, I can weather imbalance in a schedule or even writer’s block!
I hope you’ve had an enjoyable time with me on the blog and the podcast thus far. I don’t know where we’re going next, but it’ll be just as fun. I’m hoping you’re going to come along for the ride with me!
Happy 2026!