Americans Leaning In K. Belle

The first thing I will say about this particular interview is that it is a huge deal that the interviewee allowed me to walk through these questions with her in the first place. She is my Grandmother and approaching her to discuss this topic required a lot of vulnerability from me too, because I wasn’t sure what to expect in the slightest. I just knew that it was incredibly important for me to try to connect with her somehow around this topic. She and I are on opposite ends of the political spectrum and for most of my life, I have been afraid to talk with her about any aspect of politics, but in this interview, we do, in fact, find common ground in our discussion on what it means to be an American. Lots of common ground. I know she has strong opinions and I respect her right to have them…and that goes both ways, which is what paved the way to this interview in the first place. Enjoy, and thanks for joining me on this journey.

This interview is a little different, in that, it is probably fair to say that the person it features is the reason I started this podcast. This man is very dear to me, but he and I are on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Following the 2016 election, as time went on, and the political polarization in our country intensified, and the dialogue grew increasingly ugly and unproductive, I felt myself growing resentful, almost fearful, of the things that I assumed that this person stood for. Rather than cling to my assumptions, however, I decided it was worth it to me to find the common ground with this person that I care about, to ask questions, and to lean in. I wasn’t sure what I would learn and I was nervous to find out, but I knew that I had an advantage over some of my fellow Americans who don’t have a human anecdotal reference point who proves every time you talk to him that the “other side” is, in fact, not full of spiteful, ill-informed, idiots hell-bent on destroying America as we know it. 

Based on my own experience with this particular interviewee, despite political differences, you may, in fact, completely relate to their view on what it means to be an American, which is as much of a solid start as I could have hoped for. 

  

This interview was particularly special because it was with one of my grandmas, or Nana, as we call her. She is 91 and has lived all over the country and traveled the world. She, more than anyone I know, embodies the principle of Carpe Diem, which is exemplified by her continued tenacious love for travel, making new friends, learning new things, and reading. To give you a sense, she elected to take her whole extended family, myself included, to Glenwood springs, CO to go ziplining for her 90th birthday just last year. She and I have had a lot of conversations about life and the times over the years, so some of what we discussed in the interview was no surprise to me. I did learn some things, however, and was humbled by the opportunity to be on the receiving end of so much wisdom and history. 

I met this respondent a few years ago when we were both participating in Maker Faire. His background is, as he will tell you himself, unconventional and varied. He is an artist and an educator and at present is engaged in an endeavour that builds community, educates, and empowers through the building and celebration of art cars. I asked him to participate because in several of our conversations, it was clear that he had a perspective on this subject that is worldly, wise, well-articulated, and simultaneously tinged with shades of jadedness and tentative optimism, the latter two of which we may all be able to relate to. Without further ado and enjoy…

This next interview is a little longer but packed full of insights from this interviewee, who I met hosting on a ranch in Southern Colorado. He grew up in the Midwest but has traveled and explored quite a lot since then, started two businesses, and has recently moved into a van to travel even a little more. Here, he shares his views on what it means to be an American for him, as well as some of the revelations and his focus in his recent explorations…

I met this interviewee at a ranch where my boyfriend and I were doing some hosting in Southern Colorado earlier this year. He’s 20 years old, and a political science major at Mississippi State but over the summer, he came out with two of his buddies to work on the ranch. When we all got to talking in the kitchen, I realized how intelligent and interesting they all three were. I wanted to find people of all ages to participate in this series, so I asked him to be a part of it. In spite of being young in terms of chronological age, here he expresses his views with the gravity and maturity of someone much older. Without further ado…