He is proof that a person’s past does not have to define their future. Mayor Jason Salamun’s mother struggled with addiction. His parents divorced when he was young, and after that, the family’s housing ranged from none at all to crack houses and trailer parks. But his grandparents’ home was safe and loving, and with their encouragement he escaped his challenging childhood, moved to South Dakota to live with his father, and – eventually – entered local politics. We conclude our conversation with the mayor in this edition of The Escape Pod.

Bullet Points of Key Topics and Markers:

Topic #1         :54              Goals (including a world championship!)

Topic #2       7:42             Navigating challenging issues

Topic #3     21:00             Respecting resilience

Topic #4     38:12             Escapism, co-host-style!

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