'I called to request a song, I got a best friend'

This  particular telephone call, recorded 2022, one of our last conversations prior to Sean getting his wings. 

I at my home, he at his.  I held the recorder on my cell up to my cordless landline which I put on speaker.  

The week of the murder of George Floyd, Sean ask that I record our conversations, without his knowledge, to use to write our story.   

Sean asked that I immortalize  his Mother.

His Mother's wisdom, as Sean shared with me over our close relationship spanning many decades, changed me in profound ways, literally saving my life, many times over.

April 2022, when I created this soundcloud, I began uploading our conversations here, keeping them set to private.

Please read the BIO for our story, on this SoundCloud account.

A compelling story is being written, by me, for you all, as Sean wanted to be remembered for being his Mother's son, a Father, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend. 

Sean asked that week, when he learned of this SoundCloud archive of our time together in radio, that I use our real, full names, on this account.

Our stories are within these recordings, Sean Fredrick Chislom, my best friend, and I, Tanya Rae Cohen aka Sean the Man of Steel and The Neighbor Lady.

Thank you Sean, for our friendship, and the gift to tell our story, and your Mothers.  I love you forever and through Eternity.  

(This clip first publicly published on this 26th day of January, 2024)

I called to request a song, I got a best friend

Won't You Be Our Neighbor? Broadcast in 1998, Monday through Friday, at 8:02 pm, on a midwestern Active Rock radio station. Unearthed during pandemic, after being in a bunker for the past 23 years.  These recordings are both crude in their quality, creation, and content.  Welcome To Our Neighborhood!

Writing this update, 1/24/2023, with a broken heart and a grateful soul.  

Sean Fredrick Chislom, my best friend, dressed in his white tuxedo and golden wings, crown placed upon his head, flew to his Mother, Era Mae's, loving angel arms, 12/13/2022.
April 1st 2022, prompted by a new friend telling me "you're funny", I looked over my shoulder, and put eyes on the tote containing "The Neighbor Lady" cassettes that contain hours and hours of Sean & "The Neighbor Lady".  Woah just realizing this friend, David Lackey, may have been joking about saying I was funny.  It was April Fool's Day 🙂  
Grabbed the cassettes, cassette player, and held my cell phone up to record, to capture, these gems, created and uploaded these crude recordings to  new  SoundCloud account.  
Sean was battling health, hardcore, since far before pandemic.
Sean, was given the nickname, from the Sun Prairie Wisconsin paramedics, to the University Health & Hospital, "The Man Who Rode the Lightening".  
In February 2020, Sean told a roommate to call 911.  He was throwing heart rhythms that would kill.  The EMTs arrived, and told him, that they didn't have time to give him the shot/injection, that would help him through this shock they were going to give him.   They put a piece of mail, amanilla envelope with bubble wrap that was sitting on the coffee table, in Sean's mouth, for him to bite down on.
They hit him, and he laughed loudly with his full booming voice, while taking the jolt that put his heart temporarily into a safe rhythm. 
Sean was in the Meriter hospital cardiac ward, when the UW Hospital cardiac team walked in, and said, "we are here to see 'The Man Who Rode the Lightening'".  
I witnessed that interaction, just WOW!  These doctors were saying it like Sean was a SUPER HERO!  Super Natural Powers!  "The Man Who Rode the Lightening"!
I had a front row seat, to watching my friend, become a statistic of systemic racism in our healthcare system.  
These recordings, Sean went on, this past year, to play them for EMTs, Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers, Community Care Coordinators, and more people than I can even imagine.
We laughed, we listened, we basked in the glory of "what was",  were gratefully appreciating the "what is", and were making grand plans of "what will be".
In Sean's words, "The Neighbor Lady saved my life.".
This, because by playing these recordings, the healthcare, and all those caring for Sean, would learn his "baseline".  Those treating, caring for Sean, that he played these recordings for, heard how different he was, how declined he had become.
Difficulty in being well spoken, articulate, and, as a professional broadcaster, even in the worst health,  medical professionals, friends, even family, will not understand there is a huge neurological deficit, as the person is solid appearing in their faculties.   
This sadly, and tragically, was the case for Sean.
In Sean's case, a severe Copper deficiency, causing nuerological damage causing his muscles to not "communicate", he still spoke clearly, though with, for those who knew his "real baseline", was far off from his baseline.  
His legs were not working correctly.  His gate was staggered.  He was deteriorating, had become emaciated, often slurred his words.
The week following his double nickels birthday, Sean drove himself to the Stoughton Hospital.  It extended his life. 
Even wrote a post, tagging me, on  my FB wall.  We knew this would be an important day.  I was grateful he drove himself there, as I continue to stay in lock down due to compromised health.
Thank goodness, a great doctor, at UW Hospital, Dr Hauser, admitted Sean, from the obvvious appearance that he could not hold himself up, non ambulatory, and, he saw that Copper Deficiency from Sean's January 2020 Stoughton Hospital stay.  They learned he was in the tank with his Copper, and he stayed in the UW Hospital (Campus), for 34 days.  This particular hospital stay, occurred in the summer of 2021.  A day which began with, a horrific injustice, of what Sean and I refer to as "The Bush Story".  
He gave me permission, the last 2 years of his life, since the week following the George Floyd murder, to record our conversations.  He asked me to write his story.  He said, "do not tell me when you are recording, okay?".  I did exactly that.  Had no idea he would be an angel, before the writing was complete.
We had plans, for a show, and we were building our platform.  
Sean wanted to be known, for more than "some guy who did radio".  Sean did appreciate being enshrined, and his mom was quite proud to be there for Sean, when he was, at his Alliance Ohio Hall of Fame.  He was proud of playing football. He shared his life story with many.  I am grateful to be one of them.
Sean, wanted to immortalize his mother, her wisdom.  Sean's mother is the smartest woman I have ever been blessed to learn from.  I never met her in her earthly time.  
Stories, of a wise woman, who raised my best friend.  My best friend who bestowed all his knowledges from his mother, from his life's experience, along with all he wanted to teach me about radio.
His mom, Era Mae, her wisdom, gave me a road map to being a strong woman, the Matriarch of my family, to straighten my crown and with my chin up, with my clothing drenched in kerosine, I walk through fire.  I am 54 years old and here, living with "'profound intention", here, because of her, because of my best friend having the super powers, and celestial connection to me, to "see the Bat Signal".
I said to Sean, "The Neighbor Lady" saved me too.
Sean, honoring you now, and forever by immortalizing you, in written word, far beyond these recordings.
I called WIBA-FM in Madison Wisconsin to request a song, I got a best friend.  
Thank you Sean, With All My Love  💛💙 
T. Rae 🖤💛❤️💙
TW: Graphic Violence
Won't You Be Our Neighbor? Broadcast in 1998, Monday through Friday, at 8:02 pm, on a midwestern Active Rock radio station. Unearthed during pandemic, after being in a bunker for the past 23 years. 
These recordings are both crude in their quality, creation, and content. Welcome To Our Neighborhood!

I called to request a song, I got a best friend

Sean The Man Of Steel and the Neighbor Lady