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Hey guys, Jo here. This

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episode of Committed is brought to you

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by my brand new novel, The Sicilian

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Inheritance. This is honestly

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Committed coming out in February. So

1:00

pre-order The Sicilian Inheritance today. I promise

1:03

you it's going to be your new favorite book. Some

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people like to deep clean every Saturday

1:08

morning. I prefer

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all, I'm Jo Piazza

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and you're listening to Committed. Now

1:44

I've done hundreds of interviews for

1:46

this podcast over the years, and

1:49

I have to say they really helped me

1:51

think about what marriage is, what

1:53

love is, what partnership is,

1:56

and also how those things change and

1:58

evolve over the years. Today

2:02

I want to bring you a special episode.

2:04

This is from another show that I really

2:06

love, something that I listen to on a

2:08

very regular basis. It is the Love

2:11

Letters Podcast. And

2:13

this episode blew me away so much that I actually

2:15

asked them. I was like, hey guys, can we put

2:17

this in our feed so our listeners can hear it?

2:21

Here's the story. Ever since

2:23

Massachusetts governor Maura Healy was

2:25

a kid, music has played a major

2:27

role in her life. Songs

2:30

like Eye of the Tiger got her pumped

2:32

for basketball games. She

2:34

caught sets from Joan Baez and Melissa

2:36

Etheridge while working as a cocktail waitress.

2:40

And when she came out in her early 20s, she

2:42

found solace in the Indigo Girls. These

2:46

days the governor uses music to center

2:48

herself, especially during

2:50

difficult moments. And

2:53

I imagine there are plenty of those as governor.

2:56

She and her partner Joanna Lidgate sit

2:58

down with host Meredith Goldstein to talk

3:00

about how music helps them in their

3:02

lives and in their relationship.

3:05

I found this so

3:07

relatable. I will tell

3:09

you that sometimes I am sitting down with my

3:11

husband Nick Astor. Sometimes there

3:13

is just friction. We're getting on each other's

3:15

nerves. Someone forgot to pick up one of

3:17

the kids. I've been making doctor's

3:19

appointments for the past six months and I'm

3:22

freaking exhausted. And

3:24

then we put on a certain album and we

3:27

can breathe again. I

3:29

think that's true for a lot of couples. And

3:31

it's true for Governor Healy and Joanna because

3:34

politicians, governors, they're just

3:36

like us. Enjoy

3:38

this episode of Love Letters. On

3:48

the night of January 5, 2023,

3:51

Maura Healy laced up her Chuck Taylor

3:53

high tops and hosted a massive party

3:55

at TD Garden, Boston's big

3:57

sports and concert arena. She

4:14

was celebrating some big achievements that day,

4:16

being sworn in as the first

4:18

woman elected governor of Massachusetts and

4:21

the first openly lesbian governor in the

4:23

United States. So the

4:25

headlining musical act at the party, it

4:28

had to be someone good. For

4:30

Governor Healy, there was only ever

4:32

one joke. That

4:48

singer-songwriter, Brandi Carlile, performing her song,

4:50

The Joke, at the inaugural ball.

4:54

There was one person I knew I

4:56

wanted to have play, and that was

4:58

Brandi Carlile. I love what

5:00

she represents. I love her music. I love

5:02

what she's done, particularly for other women and women

5:04

artists. And so it was

5:06

just completely surreal. I don't know if

5:09

I'll ever have that kind of an

5:11

experience again. Brandi

5:14

Carlile's performance that night signified an

5:16

important element of Governor Healy's background.

5:20

Through all of her firsts, her successes,

5:22

her bruising battles, through

5:24

the high and low moments in politics and her

5:26

life, she's turned to music to help

5:29

her get through. Ever

5:31

since she was a sporty kid growing up on the

5:33

New Hampshire seacoast, Maura Healy

5:35

has had a soundtrack. From

5:41

the Boston Globe and PRX, this

5:43

is Love Letters. I'm Meredith Goldstein.

5:53

Thank you. I

6:08

consider myself a pretty politically engaged person.

6:11

I follow politics. Plus, I

6:13

work for a media organization, so especially in

6:15

an election year, I try my best to

6:17

stay informed. No surprise,

6:19

I am particularly interested in the experience

6:21

of women who are in positions of

6:23

political power, and how their

6:26

work affects their relationships. That's

6:29

why I wanted to talk to the governor of

6:31

Massachusetts, Maura Healy, because she is the

6:33

first woman to be elected governor of my state,

6:36

and she has a longtime partner. Her

6:38

name is Joanna Lydgate. She's an

6:40

attorney who heads a nonprofit dedicated

6:42

to protecting elections and democracy. In

6:45

the 14 months that Governor Healy has been

6:48

Governor Healy, she's been at the

6:50

center of fierce political battles over how

6:52

to support the thousands of migrant families who've

6:54

poured into the state, and over

6:56

affordable housing. She's had

6:59

neo-Nazis chanting anti-immigrant slogans outside

7:01

her house. Recently

7:03

she faced scrutiny for her decision to

7:05

nominate a former romantic partner to the

7:07

state's highest corp. Amid

7:09

all of this, I reached out to Governor

7:11

Healy's office to ask if she might be willing to

7:13

talk. Because this whole

7:15

season is about help, I wanted to

7:18

know what kind of help she and Joanna get

7:20

as they deal with the ups and downs of

7:22

public office. Their answer

7:24

surprised me. I

7:31

guess I was expecting it to be a person, or

7:33

maybe a community of people. But

7:35

what Governor Healy and her partner wanted to talk

7:37

about most was...music. As

7:40

someone who often turns to playlists for support,

7:43

I understood, and I wanted to know

7:45

more. So I visited the governor

7:47

and Joanna recently, at their home outside of

7:49

Boston. We sat in their

7:51

living room. They wore matching slippers. And

7:54

over mugs of tea, they talked about the ways

7:56

music has been a big help to both of

7:58

them. In

8:00

their careers and in their

8:02

relationship. To be

8:04

clear, this is not an interview about

8:07

politics. it's a story about a partnership.

8:09

With a lot of pressure put on it

8:11

and how music help them cope. Don't.

8:19

Let your musical education, service and. How you

8:22

got into music when you were young?

8:24

So. Gov. May. We

8:26

begin with you what's your first musical.

8:28

Memory. I. Think my first

8:31

cancer was cool and the gang

8:33

and the Boston Common at some

8:35

time like late seventies, early eighties

8:37

as a big deal. So mai

8:39

music in L and born in

8:41

seventy one so. I. Really came

8:43

of age in the eighties. Proud

8:45

of that. Did you

8:48

grow up in a musical household? Know

8:50

my dad play piano? We all like

8:52

music. I mean playing sports. There is

8:54

always music. Paid played the. Pumps.

8:57

You up in. That sort of how I kinda

8:59

music. Although I have to say I

9:01

was a cocktail waitress at a great

9:03

club in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. So.

9:06

Great bad as their folks on

9:08

the way up on the way

9:10

down everybody from Joan Baez to

9:12

Melissa Etheridge to the Indigo Girls

9:14

see less South Side Johnny in

9:17

the Ask reduce. It was really

9:19

a rains and I love them.

9:21

I love delicious. To

9:23

enter eminase the same question of what

9:25

are your earliest musical memories. Of.

9:28

My first concert was the Rolling Stones.

9:31

Ah, really great for a long letter.

9:33

And you know, my mom when she

9:35

was younger actually played his heart and

9:37

saying in coffee shops here in Boston.

9:39

and she did a lot alike. Joni

9:41

Mitchell, Joan Baez, So that was a

9:43

lot of the music I listen to

9:46

you know, in the car on family

9:48

road trips and really started going to

9:50

concerts you know, in my twenties and

9:52

starting to. I was living in New

9:54

York at the time, discovering. At.

9:57

That time the young new artists like Brandi Carlile

9:59

who was play. There are a lot. Estimated

10:01

folks that we listen she now are

10:03

actually people I've listened to for ashley

10:06

twenty years or more now. Long.

10:09

Before Maura Healey with a lawyer for

10:11

political leader. She was a basketball player

10:14

and a good one to. She was captain

10:16

of a college team at Harvard and she

10:18

went on to play professionally in Europe for

10:20

a. Couple of years. Isn't

10:22

about playing music to. Like. Get you ready for

10:24

that can hang them reading a music wanted to

10:27

play. I had a

10:29

tiger. I played for a little team. Called him

10:31

to fall through the tigers so that was like

10:33

our in our one of far. Mask.

10:36

Of him we were the warriors

10:38

Cilicia. As some warrior. They.

10:40

Still never get old if you ask. Any of us

10:42

who played. It's it's.

10:45

It's it's still immediately like give

10:47

you some this url russian of

10:50

Joy Air or something. A.

10:52

Fuzzy about era doesn't hold up for like. Height.

10:54

Yeah, I'm in college for me as

10:56

a problem and Donna to sake? let's

10:58

go. I'm. Thinking about

11:00

some of the artist that you mention and

11:03

lyrics seem really important. Some. People

11:05

are it's like they're not hearing at some people are

11:07

much more of. The music and lyrics.

11:09

and I'm wondering. In

11:11

younger years. As

11:14

you were growing up meeting people.

11:17

Having more public identity coming out all

11:19

the it's there were certain artists were

11:21

even lyrically. The. Messages

11:23

they sent. Spoke. To

11:25

you. You. Know I think

11:27

about when I was coming out my

11:30

early twenties and for me, it was

11:32

really important to have the Indigo Girls.

11:34

This. Is the governor again. I. Know

11:37

it sounds cliche, but in a year

11:39

twenty twenty one, twenty two years old

11:41

trying to figure yourself out and the

11:43

Indigo Girls really spoke to me, Chasing

11:45

Chapman really spoke to me. I mean,

11:47

to the point where I went out

11:49

and buy a car, of course, and.

11:51

Started. Lessons and never really continued with

11:54

them. But you know I was. I

11:56

really needed music in that time. I'm

11:59

really. Glad you notice that about illness

12:01

or of the songs that we like.

12:04

And then. Common thread

12:06

of lyric says really important

12:08

and. For. Me I

12:10

was an English major in college and

12:12

thought a lot about becoming a writer

12:14

and so for me it's always been

12:16

about storytelling and answer poetry and and

12:19

I think that's what really drives me.

12:21

It's a particular is a sense as

12:23

the stories they tell. When.

12:25

You begin elections, how did you

12:27

want to incorporate music? Whether it

12:29

in your personal life or in

12:32

the actual. Events You spoke

12:34

at least it did. You begin to think

12:36

of it as something that accompanied your your

12:38

experience. Well. I ran

12:40

for. Political. Office for the

12:42

very first time in my life. To.

12:44

Become attorney General and see the Massachusetts

12:47

and I live an unknown candidate. I'd

12:49

never been in politics as a lawyer

12:51

I worked in the train general's office

12:53

but a lot of people thought it

12:55

was crazy that I was running and

12:57

I was up against the establishment that

13:00

we were greedy little grassroots team and

13:02

wanna think she had to do is

13:04

go to your political convention for and

13:06

nomination and for that can match I

13:08

had to pick a song and it

13:11

was like oh yes. Cerebral a

13:13

sprain. I

13:26

love that song. I still have that sounds I

13:28

remember when we played it it it seemed said

13:31

to resonate with a lot of people. On of

13:33

it became my campaign phone. After

13:35

that, did you have other songs that

13:38

you would gravitate toward when you. Ran

13:40

and continued your career. I'm.

13:43

The first woman to be elected

13:45

governor in Massachusetts. I'm also as

13:48

the first gay woman to be

13:50

elected governor anywhere in the country.

13:52

and so. Probably. Not surprisingly, a

13:54

lot of songs that we end up playing

13:57

when it comes to my rallies or a

13:59

lot of sciences. strong female artists,

14:01

right? Whether it's Pink or Taylor Swift

14:03

or, you know, we could just go

14:05

down through the list of like powerful

14:08

girl rock albums, right? Are you two

14:10

Taylor Swift people? Oh,

14:12

totally. She's amazing. She's amazing.

14:14

She is amazing. Yeah.

14:17

The talent of her songwriting and,

14:19

you know, the incredible athleticism of

14:21

her performance, like how

14:24

can you not just be in awe of that? In

14:34

whatever way you're comfortable, I

14:36

don't know if both or one of you would like to take

14:38

this question, but can you tell me the story of your

14:41

romance and how long you've been together

14:43

and, and whatever you want

14:45

to tell us. We're both

14:47

lawyers. And so we met as

14:49

lawyers in the attorney general's office

14:52

in Massachusetts and ultimately fell in

14:54

love. And now I'm

14:57

lucky to be with Joanna. She's,

14:59

I don't know if she'd say she's lucky to be with me. She's

15:03

got a full-time career and, you

15:05

know, as busy as a mom and

15:08

doing all sorts of things in addition

15:10

to being the first partner now of

15:12

the state of Massachusetts. So it's

15:15

been a lot to take on this past year. And

15:17

I'm really lucky that she's put up

15:19

with me and withstood the

15:21

challenge of what really

15:23

was a big year in office.

15:30

I would love to know, and maybe Joanna, you can take this, like the role

15:32

of music in your relationship, like

15:35

when you started sharing songs, any

15:39

concerns about each other's music tastes, it seems

15:41

like they match up quite nicely. But

15:46

tell me about that aspect

15:48

of the relationship. They

15:50

do match up, although I love to do karaoke and more.

15:52

I don't, not as much. I like to lip sync karaoke

15:55

with a group. What's your karaoke

15:57

song? I'll

16:00

do anything from the 90s, like any hit from the 90s.

16:02

I'm all over it. Also, pretty

16:05

much any Taylor Swift song, thanks to my daughter. You

16:08

know, I think music from the very beginning

16:10

has been a big part of our relationship.

16:13

We always have kind of playlists that we share with

16:15

each other. And

16:17

I think especially in a world that

16:21

can be really intense and fast moving

16:23

and sometimes chaotic, you know, having her

16:25

in the job that

16:27

she's in, raising two kids. I travel a

16:29

ton for my job. I think

16:31

we both find that music really grounds us and

16:33

really calms us. So, you know, sometimes

16:36

if it's a tough day, I'll literally just, you

16:38

know, lie down for a minute and listen to

16:40

a song. It's kind of like my

16:42

form of meditation. This

16:44

job is governor and there's a lot of

16:46

stress with that. There's a lot of on

16:48

the go. There's a lot of crises. There's

16:50

a lot of great in it

16:52

too. But I think that music

16:55

just helps with the stress level.

16:57

The other thing is that, you

17:00

know, with our schedules, we're so often

17:02

shifts in the night and we

17:04

really need to organize around planning time to

17:06

get to spend together. And I think one

17:09

of the things we've been able to do

17:11

over the last year and during the campaign

17:13

the year before was organize

17:15

around concerts, just going to shows.

17:18

And that's been really nice because

17:20

we may be grouchy at one another or

17:23

angry at one another, or we may be

17:25

caught up with the drama or the stress

17:28

of our individual days. But I think it's

17:30

really been helpful to us to kind of

17:32

like get out to see live music because

17:34

there's nothing better than live music and it

17:36

really takes you out of your head. I

17:40

love going to the movies and I

17:42

have realized one of the reasons is,

17:44

my God, it's like my only anxiety

17:47

free place because I'm in the story,

17:49

I'm in it, but also it

17:51

would be rude to check my phone. Like I'm

17:53

following the rules by just being present and

17:55

no one's looking at each other, but live music is

17:57

like that too, right? I know people have phoned me.

18:00

out and they take, but it is a time

18:02

to enjoy something with a lot of people,

18:04

but there's anonymity in it as

18:06

well, I would imagine. Absolutely.

18:09

Yeah. And I think it's people

18:11

just being able to be in

18:13

the moment, kind of carried away to somewhere

18:16

else. Sometimes for me, those

18:18

will be like the best two

18:21

hours of the month if we get to go

18:23

to a show. And in the dark too, which

18:25

is nice sometimes. Because

18:28

being in the dark, swaying to a power

18:30

ballad is the opposite of Maura Healy's life

18:33

on most days. Sometimes

18:36

I get critiqued in the press

18:38

over things that are my official

18:41

actions that I take, decisions that I

18:43

make. Sometimes it's critique over things that

18:45

are more personal. For

18:47

me, I don't distinguish between the

18:49

two. I think for me, it just becomes

18:52

probably a cumulative toll that I'm not even

18:54

aware of. I'm not really aware

18:56

in the moment of what I'm absorbing,

18:59

but I know that for me and

19:01

for my team, you're definitely

19:03

taking in and absorbing a lot. And

19:05

so I think I try to, and

19:07

always need to try to do a better

19:09

job of recognizing

19:12

that and taking a moment to

19:14

reset. When

19:20

we come back, Governor Maura Healy and her

19:22

partner Joanna Lidgate share some songs that help

19:24

them find those moments of reset. In

19:27

fact, they put together a whole playlist. Spoiler

19:30

alert, there are a lot of really good songs on

19:32

it. That's after the break.

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This episode of Committed is brought to you by BetterHelp.

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21:12

Hey guys, Jo here. This

21:14

episode of Committed is brought to you

21:16

by my brand new novel, The Sicilian

21:18

Inheritance. This is honestly

21:20

the best book that I've ever written.

21:23

I love it so much. The

21:26

Sicilian Inheritance is a twisty, turny

21:28

family murder mystery set on the

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beautiful and sometimes dangerous island of

21:33

Sicily. And it's

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incredibly personal. It's loosely based

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on the real life murder of my

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great, great grandmother, Lorenzo Marcella. The

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Sicilian Inheritance comes out on April 2nd, but

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it is available for pre-order right now wherever

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you get your books. And

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if you pre-order and email

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me your receipt to [email protected]

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or DM me at Instagram,

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I will give you a

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free lifetime subscription. to our

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newsletter over the influence. We'll

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be posting exclusive pictures, videos, and show

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transcripts for the very new season of

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Committed coming out in February. So

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pre-order The Sicilian Inheritance today. I promise

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you it's going to be your new favorite book. Okay,

22:22

we're back. So you've heard from

22:24

Maura Healy and her partner Joanna about the role

22:27

music has played in their life together. But

22:29

now we're going to take it a step further because

22:31

when we sat down for the interview they shared with

22:33

me a 13 song

22:35

playlist featuring some of their very favorite

22:38

tracks. I asked them to explain

22:40

why these songs made the list, why

22:42

they find them so meaningful. Here's

22:44

a sampling. The first

22:46

song on their list is You and Me on the

22:48

Rock by Brandi Carlisle. Here's

22:51

Governor Healy. Probably our

22:54

relationship anthem. This

22:56

is a song that Brandi wrote

22:58

for her wife Catherine. It's about

23:00

faith and family. It's about creating

23:03

a home and you know

23:05

building that foundation and that rock. It's

23:08

a song that we played a lot of times this year to get

23:11

us through challenging times and

23:13

you know other times and it

23:16

was really special. We got to

23:18

see and watch Brandi and

23:20

Catherine perform it at my

23:22

inauguration. And

23:35

when might a person want to turn that on?

23:39

I think this song is one

23:41

that we come back to actually again and

23:44

again all kinds of different moments whether it's

23:46

just feel-good song to play in the kitchen

23:48

while you're making dinner or a song

23:51

to play in the car when you're driving and

23:53

what were you gonna say?

23:55

I was gonna say too when we may have a

23:57

fight about something or we may be like

24:00

going through a tough time. And it's the

24:02

kind of song you put on and it helps you like

24:04

reset and remember what

24:07

it's about. The

24:10

next artist on their list is Chris Stapleton.

24:13

Here's Joanna. Chris Stapleton is

24:15

someone we both love really

24:17

every song of his. And

24:19

we were really lucky

24:21

to get to see him perform

24:23

live. Most recently here in Massachusetts

24:26

with his wife, they

24:28

put on an amazing show together. This

24:31

song that we, I would say

24:34

the song we probably go to the most

24:36

is Starting Over. It's been a year

24:38

of a lot of transition for us and our

24:40

family and new beginnings.

24:43

And I think this song

24:45

really speaks for itself. ["Starting

24:48

Over"] This

24:59

is a real feel good song

25:01

for me. The song, a good

25:03

reminder that, you know, it's all

25:05

gonna be okay. This song also sounds like

25:07

it could be good for people coming out of a

25:09

breakup or just starting anything new.

25:12

I'm just looking to give listeners

25:14

a real guide here for their own playlist.

25:17

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I think it's coming out

25:19

of a breakup or starting

25:21

a new relationship and

25:23

just to help you know it's

25:25

gonna be okay. Next

25:29

up is Lori McKenna. Lori

25:31

is an acclaimed singer-songwriter from outside Boston

25:33

who performs her own material but has

25:35

also written a number of hits for

25:38

major country artists. Here's Joanna

25:40

again. I would like

25:42

to have put every Lori McKenna

25:44

song on this playlist, but instead I

25:46

chose one song which

25:48

is Happy Children. My

25:51

kids are 10 and 12 and this year, I

25:56

think Focusing on their happiness

25:58

has really been. And North

26:00

Star for me Laurie cause it

26:03

true North and the song and

26:05

I think for me as a

26:07

mom remember aims to focus on

26:09

throughout all of the ups and

26:12

downs and all the chaos and

26:14

olive the demands and stress of

26:16

her job book their job is

26:18

really. Just. Are a member of

26:20

the Kids Are. The kids are okay because are

26:23

more than okay with that line. United. If

26:26

you only get one thing, that's a given.

26:28

I hope you have happy children. I

26:45

can a lot letters for the calm from

26:47

people who are just like or thousand. A

26:50

long term relationship or marriage and parenting And they

26:52

are. Hard

26:54

at it sounds like so that seems like

26:56

A and you're only as happy as early

26:58

sappy child's It's so true. Another.

27:02

Artist on the list with local ties is

27:04

Tiny Habits A Tree A lot of Boston's

27:06

Berkeley College of Music. They got their start

27:08

singing in a stairwell of their college dorm.

27:11

Here's. Gov. Haley talking about their

27:13

song many things. Your

27:16

harmonies are incredibly. Beautiful And

27:18

the sun speaks to how much

27:20

the tiny moments really matter in

27:23

a relationship, and it's something I

27:25

have to remember. Sit and do

27:27

a better job with It's. It's

27:30

really not the big gestures though. those

27:33

are important but that's I'm going to

27:35

make. Relationship: It's a small things in

27:37

the tiny things that help you build

27:39

the relationship. That a liar and. That's.

27:42

Why? It's good for me to play this

27:44

a lot and remember that. Especially

27:50

Love. The lyrics were it's the same

27:52

level as a verb. it's an action

27:54

has sought asylum, a Nasa. The

28:04

next track on their playlist is Look Up

28:06

by Joy. A Lot of Cool, a singer

28:08

songwriter who grew up in Arizona as the

28:10

daughter of Nigerian immigrants to elicit they

28:12

got a meet when she performed in Boston

28:15

last year. She's. Such a

28:17

talent! I think she's got so

28:19

many great songs this one looked

28:22

up is a reminder to take

28:24

a bead when things are hard.

28:28

To use. For.

28:31

As famous as fan parenting,

28:33

fake housing and phone for

28:35

a walk. Stern remember that

28:37

he know even when like

28:39

feel. Hard. She calls it a

28:42

broken roller coaster setters that there's

28:44

still. Some. I

28:49

do need. And.

28:54

Then there's Tanya Tucker and or song The

28:56

Day my heart goes Still. The

28:59

governor says she enjoying. A saw Tucker perform

29:01

at the Fresh Grass Festival in. Western

29:03

Massachusetts and were moved. Her

29:05

story. Tucker had been

29:07

a big influence for Brandi Carlile and

29:10

other artists. But she fell

29:12

into obscurity until Carlisle recorded an album

29:14

with her and brought her back to

29:16

the spotlight. This is her comeback story,

29:18

Ray Again, a huge credit to Brandi

29:20

Carlile for bringing her out. Finally,

29:23

Now she's been inducted into the Country

29:25

Music Hall of Fame and so it

29:27

was super fun to watch her perform.

29:31

I don't see. A

29:34

good man. I

29:37

don't have to see my.

29:39

Heart. It's

29:42

a song. About Love. it's about living life

29:44

with zero regrets which I think is hard

29:46

for a lot of a sweetly carry a

29:48

lot of progress in a lot of baggage

29:50

with us or at least I do. but

29:53

I love this line. a note that in

29:55

in their son were says but it's the

29:57

good lord she come knocking at my door.

30:00

I had everything I wanted and more.

30:03

And. I think when that be nice If we get I'll say

30:05

that one day right? I

30:07

wondered if you might speak to. The

30:10

unique circumstances of the kind of pressures that are

30:12

put on the two of you that are not

30:14

like what other people deal with because it's not

30:16

even like being a famous actor. Celebrity where

30:18

you're allowed to like. Mess.

30:21

Up and all of these public ways and. Be.

30:23

Weird like itis I'm asking cause

30:25

I legit don't. Know what some of

30:27

the daily stuff you guys have to go

30:30

through with that? I wouldn't even think about.

30:33

I. Feel really lucky to have this

30:35

job. I'm honored to have this job.

30:37

It's also a job that does create

30:39

a lot of strain on our relationship.

30:41

It's it's it's not normal. Have to

30:43

say that you're constantly on right? and

30:46

I think it's hard in a few

30:48

ways. One, I have very little time

30:50

Might scientists is so taken up with

30:52

stuff on the job and that means

30:54

that we really need to work hard

30:56

to find time for one another and

30:59

to preserve that that space. That is

31:01

a challenge. It is always and. Work

31:03

in progress. I also think.

31:05

It's just hard because. It's

31:08

weird if your partner is the

31:10

governor. You can't go out

31:12

places you kick allowed to dinner without

31:14

of people looking at should look at

31:17

it or up and has come enough

31:19

to you. You can turn on the

31:21

tv without you know seen my face

31:23

on the screen. Or reading. About

31:25

me in in the paper and

31:27

I think that that just as

31:29

a really and a surreal an

31:31

experience for one's partner. In.

31:33

Addition to said you a year or

31:36

dealing every day was really big problems

31:38

you know that impacts a lot of

31:40

people and sometimes problems that don't have

31:43

an easy solution. So

31:45

having. A space to

31:48

come home to. Even. Later.

31:51

Than you'd like and having

31:53

some time to just relax

31:56

Seven a space that's. Normal

31:58

and com. They were kids still

32:01

need to be put to bed and math

32:03

homework still needs to get done in. Are

32:05

you listening to a song that. Maybe.

32:08

Makes you feel. Comfort.

32:11

Or. Com and up and

32:13

really important. I

32:24

definitely can come home depleted. A

32:26

motion later pleaded intellectually depleted, physically

32:28

depleted, and I think in a

32:30

when you think about a relationship

32:32

like that's not a great recipe.

32:34

And so I think these accounts

32:36

I get it. Actually, it helps

32:38

to be able to come home

32:40

and play certain songs. It's be

32:42

in the space where with. Certain

32:45

certain kinds of music just

32:47

fair help restore my soul.

32:49

Because I've gotta do that in

32:51

order to have a successful relationship.

32:53

I gotta make sure that my

32:55

cup bespoke to so that I

32:57

can sell Johannesson and take care

32:59

of that relationship. To

33:08

witnesses that. One way they take care

33:10

of their relationship is by working out together.

33:12

Little to have a workout playlist. The.

33:15

A What goes on That oh my gosh,

33:17

that's like I can even that's very long.

33:19

That's. Some suddenly come next I would say

33:22

say it saying it is like more like

33:24

your basketball to from back in the day.

33:26

Yeah it's it's it's a lot more rap

33:28

and. Girl Power songs. Both.

33:31

Of which we need to power. Through or for.

33:35

One. Thing they don't always you together

33:37

for the laundry because apparently the

33:40

governor doesn't need the help. She.

33:42

Like Marie Kondo, she. Really a seal

33:45

gonna the. She enjoys going down to

33:47

the basement to clear things out and

33:49

organize that, sir. Is an

33:51

actual relaxation technique fan and folding

33:53

laundry which I am. So

33:56

lucky for. Her.

33:58

job in college because fully

34:00

laundry in the field house. Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

34:02

You're very good at it. Thinking you're in a

34:04

job like this, there's so much that's out of

34:06

here, control, there's so much chaos, there's so

34:09

many problems, right? That's why I'm

34:11

really happy if I can organize

34:13

a closet or do the laundry

34:15

and it's a project done, Tidy.

34:17

OK. At least I did

34:19

that today. I

34:23

don't know where we were going,

34:25

but Rosa Lita is on the

34:27

radio. This

34:33

is wonderful. Thank you so much. I'm just excited

34:35

to have a good new playlist. So

34:37

thank you for sharing. You're so kind.

34:39

Thanks for having us on. We're

34:45

going to end the episode with a

34:47

song that comes courtesy of another Massachusetts-based

34:49

artist who made Governor Haley and Joanna's

34:51

playlist. This is You're Going

34:53

to Want to Remember This by singer-songwriter

34:55

Mark Ireli. As Joanna put

34:57

it, it's a song that really spoke to

34:59

me about how fast everything goes by and

35:02

how even the small moments really matter.

35:20

That's just for playing. Love

35:32

Letters is a production of The Boston Globe and PRX.

35:35

Today's episode was produced by Jesse Remedios

35:37

and Scott Hellman. Ned Porter

35:39

does our audio mixing, sound design, and

35:41

mastering. Maddie Mortell does our audience engagement.

35:44

Special thanks to Linda Henry. Today's

35:46

instrumental music is from APM. Remember,

35:49

Love Letters is also an advice column.

35:51

Send a letter about your relationship

35:54

questions to lovelettersatboston.com. Find

35:57

episode transcripts and more Love Letters content

36:00

loveletters.show. My

36:03

sister will say the only Taylor Swift song I like or

36:05

the one she likes most is Are You Ready For It, which

36:07

is a fine song but it's a pop song

36:09

and it's not saying that much whereas I'm like

36:12

turning on folklore and being like would it take

36:14

me to the lakes. I'm

36:16

Meredith Goldstein. Thanks for listening.

37:05

That was the love letters podcast with

37:07

host Meredith Goldstein. You can

37:09

listen to love letters wherever you get your podcasts and

37:11

if you're a committed fan this is one of those

37:14

shows that you're just gonna love. Have

37:16

a great day guys and as always if

37:18

you have a story for committed please email

37:21

me. I want to hear from you so

37:23

shoot me an email at [email protected] and

37:25

let's get you on the

37:28

show. Have a

37:30

wonderful day. Love you all. you

38:04

Hey guys, Jo here. This

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episode of Committed is brought to you

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by my brand new novel, The Sicilian

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