When Tamara and I first connected and I heard about her podcast "The Recovering Liberal", I thought this should make for a juicy conversation. There is a part of me that loves talking to people with really strong views, to see if we can find some common ground even though we see the world so differently. I also enjoy the "intellectual sparring" part of it, that usually comes with those types of emotionally charged conversations. What I got in this discussion with Tamara was so much better than that though. Rather than an irrational, extremist who thought their view of the world was exactly right, I found myself talking to one of the more rational, humble, and open minded people I've had the pleasure of speaking with on this journey. 

I know that doesn't always make for all the exciting sound bites and social media buzz, but it does make for a much deeper, more insightful, learning experience. Even more so because Tamara has such a self awareness about her own personal journey, which included struggles with addiction, shifting away from an extreme liberal view point, and ultimately identifying the pursuit of truth as her most important value. The words she uses are " the perspective I bring is quite simply how an ordinary person begins to explore beyond headlines and really understand the heart of these issues, so that they can make more informed decisions for their own lives and choices." I would argue there is actually something quite extraordinary about that approach to life.

We covered a lot of ground in this discussion and explored what pursuing the truth looks like for Tamara. We talked about the subjective nature of truth, how having a moral high ground can be dangerous, the difference between liberals and conservatives, and explored some recent political stories (e.g., attack of Nancy Pelosi's husband, January 6th, Tulsi Gabbard etc.). The thing that was consistent throughout the discussion (despite my probing and pressing) was Tamara's consistent approach to be as objective and humble as she could be. Although it wasn't the conversation I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot.