A Community Thread

I met David through my partner as they often overlap in their work. David has been nothing but smiles and genuine friendliness every time I've seen him. He's a pleasure to be around because of his optimism and his seemingly effortless way of being present. He's one of the few people to recommend someone (Susanne) to this project without having already participated. And then, with a splash of irony, the person he recommended ended up recommending him. I am so glad for that because he has so much to offer anyone who will take the time to read or listen below. I enjoyed chatting with him and getting to know him on a deeper level and I look forward to our next encounter.

If seeing the Roman Collar inspires a reaction in you, I'd like to encourage you to put aside your initial response and read on. I went into my meeting with Jim with an open mind and an open heart and left feeling handsomely rewarded. I mention this only because I spent a significant portion of my life involved in religion and have been deeply scarred by it. Many years ago, I decided to live my life away from the church, but I believe it is very important to allow others space for it. I try very hard to withhold my judgments around all things religious, but I'll admit that I often fail at that. So, I don't want to tell you what to do, but if you have any judgments of your own on this issue, please put them on hold and hear what Jim has to say. I know I was deeply moved and inspired by our conversation. And I'll even go so far as to say that I felt some healing take place in my heart as we talked.

Susanne is a slight diversion from the usual method of meeting someone for this project. A mutual friend of ours, David Lutz, reached out to me and her and highly recommended that we connect. Shortly thereafter, she called me on the phone to suss out my ideas and goals with the project and then agreed to meet me at her home. I was struck by her enthusiasm and found it all too easy to smile with her as she so passionately spoke about things that matter to her. We had a very lovely and very warm visit and made plans to engage further about potential future partnerships. She definitely lives her role as connector.

Angela recommended Casey to me. She had very nice things to say about her and also sent me a link to this article that Casey wrote. It was pretty great to get a peek at who she was before meeting her. We were able to set up our meeting quickly and she invited me to come to her co-housing community. When I first arrived, Casey gave me a tour of the grounds and we chatted about any number of things. By the time we sat down for the interview, we had already developed a level of trust for each other and it made for an open and honest conversation. It is clear to me, and I am sure it will be to you, that Casey sincerely gives a damn about community. She brings a lot of heart and skill into her work and is an absolute pleasure to be around. Keep an eye out for her and her projects.

Shimiko introduced me to Alyson. I didn't know her, but I was familiar with her name as she has been following this project on Instagram since it's early days, coming to know about it after I featured her friend, Libby. She also knows a handful of other people I've interviewed, which seems to be a testament to the quality of this community. I met Alyson in her home and we got right to the interview. She wasn't feeling at the top of her health game on this particular morning, but she was gracious enough to keep our appointment and managed it just fine. It's obvious that her relationships and her work mean very much to her, as does her role as a mother.

Paul Evers passed along Josh’s information. Josh immediately accepted the invitation and invited me to join he and his family for dinner before even having met me. The timing for dinner didn’t line up, but Josh’s hospitality proved to remain rich throughout our conversation. Quite a lot of chatting, or maybe connecting is the better word, tends to happens before and after the official interview and I haven’t quite figured out a way to present that aspect to the world, but maybe that’s part of the future of this project. I can’t quite put a name to what happens when two strangers meet and immediately decide to be real and raw and honest with each other, but, whatever it is, it happened at Josh’s kitchen table. It felt very warm and restorative - the conversational equivalent to a homemade bowl of soup when you’re ill.

Erin facilitated my meeting Moe and warned me she might be very busy but encouraged me to persist because my time with her would be "golden". Well, it is true that Moe is very busy, but she graciously made time for this interview and we set up a time to meet at her home. And Erin was correct in saying the time would be golden. Moe's husband, Jim, made me a cup of coffee and I acquainted myself to their sweet dog, Finn, while Moe took care of some last-minute business. Moe's got irons in many fires, but put everything on pause for our chat and was completely present. I was so impressed with her introspection and capacity for empathy. And I genuinely appreciated every moment with her. She gifted me with refreshing feelings of hope and inspiration and I can only hope that was reciprocal.

Katie recommended Cate to me. In our initial correspondence, Cate warned me about the plastic cows, but I had forgotten that tidbit, so they came as a surprise when I saw them along her driveway. She was walking her four dogs when I arrived, which was just perfect because I brought my dog along. So, the first thing we did was take a walk to let the dogs acclimate to one another. And that set the tone for what would be a few hours of learning about each other. Cate made some cacao and we chatted and shared experiences and thoughts. She was up for it wholeheartedly. And I was up for it wholeheartedly. And when two people are equally up for it, a really beautiful energy settles. I got the sense that Cate is pretty much up for it, whatever that is, all of the time.

Angela got me in touch with Paul. He tried to get out of the interview by immediately referring me to his wife, but I twisted his arm. I make a point to not do much research on folks before I meet with them as I prefer the genuine nature of meeting someone face to face. My only point of reference for Paul was an image that Angela sent to me as Paul (spoiler alert!) dressed as Santa Claus, so I was surprised when Paul answered the door as a much younger man than I imagined. We exchanged a few emails before meeting and even spoke on the phone and his kindness in every interaction really made me excited to meet him. We sat over coffee in his living room and chatted about many things before we got into the particulars of the interview and it was during that time that I understood his genuine, kind nature and the sincerity in his interest and care for others. We ended our time together with a hug. That’s how nearly every one of these interviews ends. And isn’t that remarkable?

I came to know Kristy by way of Katy. And it just so happened that I heard some of Kristy's story on the Dog and Pony radio show on KPOV just before meeting her. I didn't know what she looked like, but as I made my way into the front door of her office, she was standing right there with a smile and an anticipatory look that likely matched mine. We sat and chatted for about an hour before the interview even started and chatted for another hour after it was done. Her warmth and enthusiasm are such wonderful traits as is her willingness to ask questions and listen and learn and share. I really enjoyed my time chatting with her. It's no wonder that she is finding success in her endeavors.