inspiration – Tate Basildon

This Summer Reminded Me I’m Not the Person I Used to Be

Some summers slap you with sunshine, and others hit you with the reality of chronic illness, sarcoidosis, and that rebellious heart that never reads the room. This is the story of one overly ambitious chef who pushed too hard, paid for it immediately, and finally had to accept the uncomfortable truth: the “old me” isn’t coming back, but the new me deserves just as much care—ideally before collapsing into a lounge chair like a wilted basil leaf.

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The Dad Who Showed Up

Living with sarcoidosis and heart failure, I’ve learned a thing or two about showing up even when life doesn’t make it easy. My biological father didn’t, but my stepdad—my real dad—did. This is a story about humor, strength, and learning to face illness with a smile instead of a complaint.

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From Blog to Broadcast: “Still Breathing Against Odds” — My New Podcast for the Tired, the Dreamers, and the Chronically Determined

If you’ve ever wanted to hear my blog posts read aloud—sarcasm, soul, and all—then you’re in luck. My new podcast Borrowed Air is the audio version of my life: a mix of chronic illness reflections, creative chaos, and a chef’s musings from the edge of exhaustion. Perfect for anyone who loves real stories told with humor, heart, and honesty.

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The “What If” Game and the Man Who Didn’t Know He Was Sick Yet

There was a version of me in 2002—forty years old, a working chef, exhausted in ways that made no logical sense, and listening to doctors insist that every alarming symptom was “stress.” Now that sarcoidosis is a familiar part of my vocabulary, looking back on that time feels like watching a movie where you want to yell at the character to turn around. Revisiting that moment made me rethink the “what if” game entirely and wonder how differently life looks when you finally know what your body was trying to tell you.

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When Life Cancels Your Walk and Sends a Rainbow Instead

A chef living with chronic illness discovers that sometimes life’s soggy disappointments lead to unexpected beauty—like when a canceled dog walk turns into a rainbow moment that slaps you with perspective. A story about resilience, humor, and finding color in the drizzle.