So what is it like to interview your husband on your podcast?
Actually… a little nerve-wracking. You’d think, “But he’s your husband, how hard could it be?” And yet, when we recorded, we sat at our kitchen table with two mics, cords and wires draped everywhere, all hooked up to my MacBook Air. Thankfully, Hidden Chapters is audio-only because we couldn’t even fit ourselves in the Riverside video frame.
But funny as it looked, it was worth the time. I got to sit down with Chris and give him space to share what’s really been on his heart.
A few weeks ago, we went out for a breakfast date at The Flying Biscuit. Some of the BEST brainstorming happens over bacon, eggs, grits, and coffee/tea. 😂
That morning, we talked through what he wanted to share about his book or his Army journey. As close as I am to Chris, I’ve lived every high and low alongside him, but I still wanted to frame questions that would help listeners hear more than what’s in his book Walking Away from the Ledge. I wanted the “hidden chapters” behind his book and his heart.
Our brainstorming even followed us into Costco (clubbin). Our discussion brought up some real emotions. Some anger, frustration, and grief. But once we sorted through those, I wrote out the questions that would highlight the heart of his story: his feelings on the pullout of Afghanistan, 22.5 years in the Army, the struggles and addictions we faced together, and the resilience that came after.
When the day came to record, Chris’s emotions had settled. He wasn’t scripted, but he knew where he wanted to take the audience. My challenge? Asking questions I already knew the answers to, but in a way that would bring value to others.
And then came post editing (if you read my last post, you know my editing frustrations). I’ve listened to the recording several times, made sure the edits sounded as best at it could, and now his episode is ready. Hidden Chapters Season 2 officially begins Friday, September 12, 2025 with Chris’s story.
But before that, I thought I’d share how our story together began.
A Blind Date and One Red Stoplight
On September 10, 2004, my co-worker convinced me to meet her husband’s friend Chris. I wasn’t interested in dating after a recent breakup, but she kept saying, “You have to meet him! He comes over for dinner and eats any leftovers, he’s great!” (such a sales pitch!)
We agreed to a double date at Texas Roadhouse in Fayetteville, NC. Except… I showed up an hour and fifteen minutes late thanks to traffic. At the end of dinner and nice conversation, Chris called his parents and said, “I think I found the girl I’m going to marry.” Meanwhile, when my co-worker asked me how it went, I just said, “Yeah, he was nice.”
The next day we saw each other at a company party but didn’t exchange numbers after that weekend. Exactly a week later, a Friday afternoon chance encounter (fate) happened as we drove up side by side, both in our black cars, at the same stoplight on Skibo Road! And this time… the rest really was history.
Why This Matters Now
That blind date on September 10, 2004, set the stage for a whirlwind season. Just two months after we met, Chris deployed to Iraq for a year. We learned a lot about each other through letters, emails, and keeping up with a long distant relationship in that deployment. He came home, we got married, and then one week before our first wedding anniversary, he deployed again, that 12-month tour was extended to 15 months.
The rhythm of our marriage has always carried the weight of the Army: long deployments, homecomings, raising our daughters in between, and three more deployments with an aviation unit to Afghanistan. Over 22.5 years of service, we lived through the challenges and the sacrifices that come with military life.
So when Chris opened up in this episode about his frustration with the Afghanistan pullout, it comes from those 21 years of lived experience, years of being gone from family, of missing milestones, of giving everything to serve. That frustration is relatable, and this interview finally gave him a chance to put words to it.
And the timing feels significant: 21 years after our first date on September 10th, his episode will release on September 12th, right after the anniversary of 9/11, the day that set the course for so many deployments, including the ones that defined our early marriage.
Wrapping It Up
Interviewing Chris reminded me why I started Hidden Chapters in the first place: to uncover the parts of our stories that usually stay hidden. His story is personal to me, but it’s also universal, about service, sacrifice, and what comes after.
Audio Clip for Episode 1:
Here’s to new chapters, both on the mic and off.
Season 2 of Hidden Chapters has launched!
Listen to the Full Episode here:
P.S. If you’ve lived through deployment, as a soldier, a spouse, a child, or a friend, this episode will resonate. I’d be honored if you’d listen and share it with someone who needs to know they’re not alone.
All the links to connect with Chris:
📚 Purchase "Walking Away From the Ledge" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/aIIhZxm
🇺🇸 Parade Deck blog: Volume 1
🔗 FB: Chris Kruger
🗒️ Substack: https://substack.com/@theaccidentalauthor
