This week we wanted to carry over the “we’re more than our hearing loss” attitude Julie and I have with our show to the blog. So we’re doing a get-to-know-you post. Here’s Julie’s.
Here’s mine:
1- If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Sacagawea.
A Shoshone woman hired by white Englishmen (both Lewis and Clark were born before 1776) to guide them through tribal lands bought by America from France. Now there’s a crossroads between a myriad of cultures. It’s a wonder anyone knew which way was down. And all roads seem to lead to Sacagawea.
She lived in the point of so many different intersectional identities I would love to hear the truth of the time, not the misogynistic, racist, capitalistic story we’re told. What was it like to guide men who thought her beneath them because of both her gender and her race? What did her Shoshone beliefs think about owning land? Did the expedition lump her tribe in with all the other tribes? What did she think about that?
I’m begrudgingly fascinated by the tumultuous toddler years of this country. Coming from the same cradle where The Sons of Liberty were fermenting their dissent will do that to you. The hiker in me loves the concept of the expedition. To see the untrammelled wilderness that was here before the Europeans came and forever changed the landscape – in both nature and people – is very compelling. Since it’s long gone, hearing about it first hand from someone with such an intimate knowledge of it would be a worthy silver medal.
2- What’s something you’re passionate about that most people wouldn’t guess?
The dangers of Capitalism.
I don’t understand why our perpetual gain economics can’t be replaced by doughnut economics. It’s got such a tasty name and everything! I read a great book on this (because of course I did) by Kate Raworth. I can’t do the theory justice but I’ll try to do it an injustice.
All businesses make demands of the ecology, be it putting pollution into it or taking animal habitats away from it. Right now, businesses don’t give a hoot and they pollute. But that’s not sustainable as we’re seeing with climate change. All businesses need people to, y’know, work. Right now, businesses don’t give a thought to work-life balance. But that’s not sustainable as we’re seeing with the long waiting lists every therapist has. Doughnut economics wants businesses to reign themselves in and stay in the middle, or doughnut, of these two things. The picture below is worth 1000 of my words:
I know why we can’t have doughnut economics, the golden rule: the people with the gold make the rules. Why would you take money out of your pocket to help others? I mean I did it – it took me until 2023 as a librarian to make what I made in 2013 as an Applications Analyst – but I’m special (at least that’s what my mommy says…)
I may know why but I don’t understand why. Just like I don’t understand why Wall St is needed. I’d also argue that, because of our stress on individualism and the free market, we’ve long since stopped being a true democracy. We’re more of a plutocracy or an oligarchy or maybe a hegemony. But to utter a word like “socialism” would get you digitally tarred and feathered. Which is why I think doughnut economics is the compromise. Now, if you’ll excuse me whilst I go hunt down a toasted coconut doughnut…
3 – If you could instantly learn a new language, which one would it be and why?
ASL
Sometimes the obvious answer is the only one to choose. Listening can be so exhausting. The thought of being able to communicate without asking anything of my ears is enticing. In fact, in loud environments, I sometimes find myself using signs I know to help communicate. I’m so intimidated by learning ASL that the fear has become the 800 pound gorilla in the room. I’d love to be able to defenestrate that damn thing by just knowing ASL already.
4 – What’s a topic you could talk about for hours?
Star Wars.
When I was a youngling I watched the original trilogy so many times that I could quote damn near the entire thing. I could tell you the names of many of the background characters and their history, even those who had no dialog. Tom and I went to see the midnight showing of each of the re-releases. As a teen, I had almost the entire Star Wars Micro Machine collection. I’ve read dozens of the books, seen all of the movies, and most of the TV shows. I even have Yoda slippers. There’s even a Japanese connection; Lucas has stated Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress as inspiration. Not to mention The Force being influenced by the Buddhist idea of a Buddha Nature and the Light and Dark side of The Force clearly a Yin-Yang thing.
I could expound upon the serious and the silly in equal measures. But I’ll spare you. Oh, but before I go I gotta say one last thing: Han shot first. (If you know you know….)
5- When you think about what’s next for Hearing Things in 2025, what is one thing you want to work towards to make it a reality?
Our book.
I’m miles more comfortable with the written word than I am with the spoken word. As Julie and I have shown (I hope), we’ve no small skill with writing. We’ve kicked around a couple of different ideas and even worked on a couple of them.
I finished a fiction book at the beginning of this year, have started the outline for the second, and a planned resolution for the third. I’ve also got 150,000 words in a non-fiction book under my belt. One of my dreams is to be published. Having a talk show was never part of the plan. Of any plan! It’s been as exciting as it’s been unexpected. And I love how Julie is a dynamo of energy and ideas. I never dreamt of being a part of anything that has as many tentacles as this.
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