Detroit: Become Boyband

Exterior: Night

You are walking up to the front of your old podcasts new place. The podcast may live in a new part of town, but you know the people inside are what never changes. You slowly approach the front door and hesitantly hit your knuckles across the door.

*knock knock*

Door opens, revealing the podcast you know and love.

AP: "Oh hello! Listener its so good to see you! Yes, come in, come in! I know its been a while since you have been here last; make yourself at home!

Interior: House

As you enter this new house, the fear that the move would change your old friend quickly goes away, as you see three aspiring podcasters running around inside, coming up with wacky ideas and trying to get their audio to sound "more professional". As they zip by, you and Pineapple Ju- erm- Amateur Prose, (That will be hard to get used to) head toward the living room, where you both spend the next several hours enjoying a nice dry cabernet, talking about old times.

YOU: (chuckles): I can't believe this even happened. I always assumed that once you hit episode 20 the name was dead set. It still blows my mind you were considering changing it this whole time.

AP: (takes a final pull from their wine and sets down the empty glass on the coffee table): I am too, partially. It still doesn't feel real, like I am in a dream. To tell you the truth, listener, I think that it was inevitable. Just with the way the boys are always looking to grow and change, I knew I couldn't just let them...(sighs) It was either I adapt and grow with them, or they would outgrow me.

The conversation drops into a lull for a moment as you soak that in.

YOU: That's pretty heavy... but, you know, to keep this podcast together, I don't know if I would have done any different. Still bittersweet though, don't you think?

AP: Yeah... yeah. I still think about Pineapple Juice. How can I not? That was who I was. It was apart of me as much as Amateur Prose is me now. It's all me though, the experiences, the episodes, the arguments, and the laughs. In the end, I realized what matters isn't really what they call me, but the memories they take away from their time with us. I just hope that the boys and I can bring more people into the audience so more people can enjoy what we are making.

YOU: That brings up something that I have been concerned about, A.P. As your friend, I need to be blunt about this whole rebranding. Is that what this all is? Just to bring in more people? A marketing push?

Amateur Prose doesn't respond at first, and looks off into the distance. You worry you may have gone too far, but just as you open your mouth to apologize, A.P. points forward and you see what they are looking at.

AP (gesturing to the three hosts of the podcast): As apart of them growing, yes, there is truth to what you say, Listener. I can't deny it. They want to improve and hopefully get more of an audience. But that is really scratching the surface. The reality is, this podcast was started because three friends who love to tell stories wanted an excuse to create together. The podcast exists because of a deep love of creativity, and frankly, the podcast will exist as long as they are having fun. I am only trying to facilitate that creativity.

YOU: I didn't mean any offense, I was just-

AP: Don't apologize to me Listener. I know your heart is in the right place, and appreciate you looking out for me. You have been here for so long, your support means the world. Right now, these three are total amateurs. With any luck, by the time this podcast eventually comes to a close, I will have gotten them close enough to becoming actual pros.

YOU (raises glass): Well, I can drink to that! To Amateur Prose?

AP (a wide grin spreads across the podcasts face): To the future!

To the Future. . .