Yesterday morning, I got together with a long time friend named Heidi. We figured out that we have known each other likely 30 years. We are seasoned women, she is 61 and I am 65. We have lots of life behind us and hopefully, much more ahead of us. She too is a peacenik, as well as a mental health/human services professional. She is also a singer song writer and the mom of her darling child Deanna. She had lived in this area for much of her life and then moved westward to Colorado where she lived for many years.
Recently, she returned and we have gotten to see each other a few times. Conversation flows easily, as if we never stopped talking. We spoke about love, relationships, boundaries, health, the state of the world, and the choices we make that lead us to where we are the moment. We mused about going back in time and changing our decisions, and then realized how much of what is good now, was formed in the bowels of some of the hardest times in our lives. I call it the ‘if not for.’
When we were seated in the dining room, we noticed a long table filled with animated older women. One in particular, stood out to me. Short cropped white hair, encircled with a floral corona, wearing a lavender t-shirt with the words, “SWEET OLD LADY? MORE LIKE BATTLE TESTED WARRIOR QUEEN.” I knew immediately I needed to chat with her. We walked over to the table and asked who they were. Turns out that this bevy of beauties play Mah Jong together at our local Senior Center. They were from their 80s on up and I think there was one centenarian.
Carolyn informed us that she was the self proclaimed Queen of the Universe. I asked to take a photo with her and of the other WWOWs. (Wise Wonderful Older Women) and they agreed. She told me about her spiritual practice which is Buddhism. We figured out that we live a hop, skip and a jump from each other. We shared our names and her face lights up as she says, “I know you. I read your writing.” Turns out that we are actually Facebook friends. Thank you, Carolyn, for making my morning. I think about the encounter as ‘right place, right time.’ If Heidi and I had chosen another restaurant or had arrived sooner or later, we would have missed this experience.
Heidi and I hugged our goodbyes and I went on my way to my next fun opportunity to connect with a surprising kindred spirit. A few years ago, I heard about StoryCorps on NPR. They record conversations with people who have stories to share.
“StoryCorps is committed to the idea that everyone has an important story to tell and that everyone’s story matters. Our mission: to help us believe in each other by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all — one story at a time. Since our founding in 2003, we’ve helped nearly 700,000 people across the country have meaningful conversations about their lives. These recordings are collected in the U.S. Library of Congress and in our online archive which is now the largest single collection of human voices ever gathered.”
I applied to be part of another project they sponsor, called One Small Step which was created in 2018, so that I could have a meaningful conversation with someone whose life experiences might have been different from mine and had shaped their socio-political views.
“Created by StoryCorps, One Small Step is an effort to remind the country of the humanity in all of us, even those with whom we disagree. The initiative brings strangers with different political views together to record a 50-minute conversation—not to debate politics, but to learn who we are as people. Audio recordings of each interview are archived at the Library of Congress.”
A year went by since I originally filled out the forms and it occurred to me to re-apply. I did so a few weeks ago and then received an email asking if I could do a last minute recording yesterday. Could I ever?! I was excited and nervous, wondering how the conversation would go. They matched me with a young woman (young enough to be my daughter) who lived in the South all of her life, with a dramatically different religious, cultural and political background than mine. When we met ‘cyber-face-to-face’, we relaxed as we came to realize that despite where we began, we have ended up in similar places spiritually and politically. After more than an hour speaking, we decided we wanted to stay in touch. I told her that I wish I was as savvy when I was her age. The interview will be archived in the Library of Congress in a month or so, and I will share it once it is released.
Right after that, I hopped into my car and headed 45 minutes away to a Democracy Caravan in the presence of a rally by ‘he who shall not be named,’ in Newtown, PA. When I arrived, I saw a gathering of people in my age demographic, only one I knew, and the rest, others who are part of our community’s social justice teams. About three dozen cars lined up with pro-Democracy, pro-Biden/Harris signs, ready to encircle a few mile course, passing by the NAC (Newtown Athletic Center) and the office of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick who claims to be independent in his decision making, but more often than not, voted with his MAGA colleagues. We honked horns as we passed those two landmarks. Prior to the cars leaving the parking lot, Congressional candidate, Ashley Ehaz motivated us with a brief speech highlighting the importance of her winning the seat held by Fitzpatrick and President Biden winning the November election. She told us that their competition is one to watch.
As I drove around, I considered something my conversation partner in One Small Step had said. She told me that she was experiencing hopelessness about the state of the world and she wished she had grown up in the era that I had. I reminded her that when I was growing up, the Viet Nam War was occurring and the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK had taken place. There was social and political unrest. I assured her that people of my generation are still hard at work, addressing the crucial issues of general human rights, climate crisis, women’s rights to body sovereignty, gun safety and the importance of making the world a better place for the next generations.
I intend always to make pro-social choices.
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Internal images courtesy of author
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock