American Tributaries Michael Whidden

Melaine Oster lives in New Jersey and is a registered nurse working in interventional cardiology at a hospital in New York City.  She was inspired to leave her job in copywriting and become a nurse in the wake of the tragedies of 9/11.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*her education and career path
*the difference between a bedside nurse and a procedural nurse
*the reason we should all be more patient when our doctors are backed-up and appointments are delayed
*why romance is unlikely to happen in the hospital, despite what “Grey’s Anatomy” and “ER” depict
*some of her first emergencies as a nurse...which happened on her honeymoon
*shortcomings she sees in the healthcare system

Melaine finds hope in the decency of her coworkers and the many positive qualities of the younger generation.

Jessica Lauren Walton lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC and recently completed a memoir about her years overseas when she sought admission to the highest echelons of the Israeli intelligence community.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*how a Mormon friend sparked her curiosity about her Judaic roots
*the Torah and secular knowledge as dual sources of wisdom which are not mutually exclusive
*her journey from Montgomery County police internship to Bar-Ilan University outside Tel Aviv
*the indelible impact of her friend Roman, an elite Israeli commando originally from Siberia
*Judaic origins of some fundamental U.S political principles
*observations about the U.S. after she returned from Israel in 2017

Jessica finds hope in the power of storytelling and its ability to allow us to step into someone else’s shoes.

You can learn more about Jessica at www.jessicawaltonwriter.com.

Jeremy Parzen lives in Houston TX with his wife and two children. His life started in Chicago, but he grew up in La Jolla CA. He then attended UCLA and worked in New York City before moving to H-Town approximately fifteen years ago.  With a PhD in Italian literature, Jeremy has spent significant time in Italy and is a widely-respected expert in Italian wine, but his appearance on the podcast is not necessarily related to wine but to his life as a Texan.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*his observation that Texas of the 2020’s is akin to California of the 1970’s
*the geographic prejudgment he frequently encounters from people outside Texas
*Houston’s rich racial diversity compared to other places he’s lived...and the city’s own past
*heartening experiences with political diversity, whether family, neighbors or strangers
*our obligation to treat all people like human beings, including giving space to evolve

Jeremy finds hope in his belief that the United States is finally starting to have serious discussions about how to become a real democracy.

You can learn more about Jeremy on his website www.dobianchi.com. And if you’d like to visit Texas and connect with him, please contact podcast host Michael Whidden at mjwhidden@americantributaries.com.

John Ceriello lives in Brooklyn NY and is the Captain of the FDNY’s Rescue Company 1 – which is the department’s “rolling tool” kit, equipped with equipment necessary for “technical rescue” that might require getting through walls, lifting things and extractions – in Manhattan. He grew up on Long Island, where his father owned a service station, and became a FDNY firefighter in February 1988.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*a routine day for his company, which includes a lot more than simply emergency responses
*hydrants and parking in NYC
*fire safety now compared to the late 1980s
*the kitchen as the #1 spot for fires and how to respond to grease fires: use baking soda or a dry fire extinguisher or the pot lid
*driving in NYC traffic during an emergency call
*the importance – for civilians – of closing doors to help limit fires

John finds hope in believing that the vast majority of people are good, even if there are bad times, there are good times on the other side and that struggle is part of life.

Mary Slone lives in Doty Creek, Kentucky, in the eastern portion of the state, and is a veteran educator at Floyd Central High School who loves and lives the power of storytelling.  In 2021, Mary received a “High School Teacher Achievement Award” from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*the power of story exchange and the program of Narrative4
*how a slice of pizza formed the bridge between eastern Kentucky and Bronx students
*the Slone family’s “Squirrel Festival” 
*Mary’s inestimable Mamaw, Normy Lou Turner
*so many vivid phrases like “wears me slap out”, “all that and a bag of chips”, “they don’t care if it snows oats” and “this side of glory”
*and the correct pronunciation of “Appalachia” is finally settled for this long-ignorant New Yorker

Mary finds hope in her Christian faith...in knowing people are always more than their worst and and not as good as their best...in the many people trying to reach out and build connections in our world...in a good book...in a good book...in our ability to choose to “err on the side of beauty”.

Seth David Radwell lives in New York and Los Angeles and wrote the earnest, insightful and wonderfully thought-provoking “American Schism: How the Two Enlightenments Hold the Secret to Healing Our Nation”. Before working on the book, Seth had an extensive, successful corporate career in publishing, skincare, cosmetics, technology and consulting.

Our discussion covers, among other things:
*his motivation for leaving corporate America to help repair our civil discourse
*the impact of the printing press, yellow journalism and social media
*America’s dual roots in the Modern Enlightenment and Radical Enlightenment
*the essential nature of education for a representative democracy
*how the growing disparity of wealth has negatively impacted American society
*structural and mindset/value changes that would help improve civic relations

Seth finds hope in the groundswell he sees from the “frustrated majority” who recognize that we must change to improve how we function as a society.

You can learn more about Seth and his work at www.sethdavidradwell.com.