In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, and Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Sean Rhodes for a deep, funny, and incredibly moving conversation about life, identity, and starting over—this time at 60. From our shared memories of dot-com days in San Francisco to us riding my motorcycle around the city, our chat is full of laughter and reflection. But it’s also a look at how we evolve—sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity.
Sean opens up to me about being adopted and the complicated emotional layers that come with it: the search for identity, the scars from being raised by alcoholic parents, and eventually finding his birth mother decades later through a DNA test. His story isn’t wrapped up in a neat bow; it’s raw, real, and still unfolding. That’s what makes it so powerful.
One of the most poignant parts of our talk is Sean’s decision to end a relationship that wasn’t serving him during one of the most emotionally pivotal times in his life—turning 60. Having already ended a 20-year partnership years earlier, Sean found himself once again choosing growth over comfort, clarity over complacency.
Reinvention isn’t easy—especially later in life—but Sean approaches it with a mix of vulnerability and courage that’s incredibly inspiring. He doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. What he does have is a deep understanding of what it means to keep going, even when the path ahead is uncertain.
We also talk about the AIDS Lifecycle Ride, a cause close to Sean’s heart. This year marks the final ride after 30 years of raising money and awareness for people living with HIV and AIDS.
“This is the last AIDS life cycle. This has been going on for 30 years, from San Francisco to Los Angeles … and the funds go directly for helping people with HIV and AIDS … It’s been one of the few bright examples that show the resilience of our community to the world.”
For Sean, this isn’t just a bike ride—it’s a celebration of community, resilience, and the power of showing up. He’s raised over $7,000 and will be riding 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles to mark the end of an era. His gratitude for the community that surrounds this event is palpable—and contagious.
I ask Sean about some big—and sometimes overwhelming—themes: grief, self-discovery, and spiritual belief. But our conversation never loses its humor or its heart. That’s something I really love about talking to Sean. No matter how deep we go—and we do go deep—there’s always space for laughter and lightness.
We talk about the pain of letting go of a 20-year relationship and what it feels like to ask yourself, “Am I going to be alone now?” That kind of question doesn’t come with easy answers. But Sean’s honesty in sitting with it, sharing it, is what makes this episode so powerful. We explore what it means to keep evolving, even when the world tells you your best years are behind you.
“Breaking up with Brett was the right thing to do, but it was also scary as hell, you know, to find myself 60 by myself, all alone. And the question of, am I going to be alone the rest of my life?”
At the same time, there are these wonderfully unexpected moments—like when Sean starts talking about his love for fonts (yes, fonts!), or reflects on the Yelp-style review his Grindr profile might get. It’s those quirky, deeply human details that make this conversation feel like you’re right there with us, maybe over coffee, maybe on a long walk, just being real.
As for me, revisiting our shared history—was a reminder that we’re all constantly becoming. I’m not the same person I was back then, and neither is Sean. And that’s not just okay—it’s something to celebrate.
This episode is a full, messy, beautiful portrait of what it means to live authentically and imperfectly. It’s a reminder that even through loss, change, and aging, there’s joy in becoming who we’re meant to be.
If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s too late to change your life, this episode is for you. If you’ve ever felt the ache of loss, or the thrill of rediscovering your strength, you’ll find something here that resonates.
You can support Sean’s final AIDS Lifecycle Ride by visiting aidslifecycle.org and searching for participant Sean Rhodes (#45616). The ride takes place the first week of June.
You can listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack, and YouTube. New episodes Wednesday. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.
Until next time, be bold, be free, be you.
David
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