The month of January 2017 will be one that I will remember for a variety of reasons. I saw La-La Land. I marched with more than 6,000 people in Greensboro (along with the millions worldwide) to show my support for equality. And the era of Donald Trump as our President began.
That last one was the original reason that this blog started. I had initially wanted to hunt down Trump supports and ask them why they voted the way they did and see if I could help change their minds. But to be honest, this project got away from that idea on day one and became so much more than that. I started to realize early on that instead of bringing up that one particular thing, it was far more interesting to learn more about the stories the people I interviewed had to share. I realized that I had been guilty of something that I had railed against...politicizing everything!
Everyone that I interviewed this month had a story to tell that wasn't all-consumed by national politics. The media makes it seem like this is the biggest thing to impact people's lives, and at times it is. But is it really the only thing that defines someone? I don't necessarily think so, and I honestly think that it is this hyperbolic environment, created by some in the media, that has lead us to a division of teams, the Reds vs. the Blues. That's a game that apparently cannot end in a tie. There's got to be a winner, and in the end, we're all losers.
We are also all travelers on this spaceship called Earth, and we've all got a part to play in the larger narrative that is existence. Some of us will be main characters on a global scale, and some will of us will be bit players. But that doesn't mean we don't all have something to contribute. It doesn't mean we don't all have something to say. I think that everyone has a story, and that ultimately, if we stop listening to those stories, we start to say that people's lives don't matter. And if we stop talking to one another, if we stop making connections, and if we start saying that people's lives don't matter, are we ourselves actually living?
It's important, then, to not just wait for your turn to speak and then shout over the last person that was talking. You have to instead listen, you have to understand and comprehend, you have to empathize and internalize what someone else has just said. And you have to be willing to entertain new ideas. You have to be willing to have your views challenged, and if they are wrong or misguided, you have to be willing to admit that changing your mind is a good thing.
Over the last month, I've gotten the opportunity to explore faith more. I've gotten the chance to learn that people have wildly different backgrounds than my own. I've been able to learn more about co-workers, and I've been able to connect with old friends. I learned more about my parents, and I learned more about myself. I've learned that my little bubble is actually bigger than I thought it was, and that the people I've surrounded myself with, either directly or indirectly, have various and interesting ways of seeing the world.
I'm excited to continue to learn more about the people that surround my life, to hear more of their stories, and to see how we can all reconnect to make our future a brighter one. I encourage you to do the same in your own communities, and in your own lives.
My previous monthly projects have been a way for me to start off the new year with a fresh outlook and perspective, and The Interview Month has been no exception. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have had talking with people and writing about those conversations. Thank you again for following along!
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