Seek out people with different lives and experiences
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to be intentional about encountering and building relationships
(00:24):
with people whose experiences are different from yours. In life,
it can be easy to live in a bubble, but
consciously bursting that bubble can make life more interesting. One
of the more fascinating demographic trends these days is just
(00:44):
how much people sort themselves into very similar communities. There
are the political implications, of course, says the US has
different states becoming known as red states or blue states.
Plenty of folks don't know many people who vote differently
than they do, even though obviously millions of people make
(01:05):
those choices. But beyond that, people sort on other factors
as well. For instance, if you have a professional degree,
which I know many of my listeners do, you might
not have many close friends who didn't go to college.
Your children most likely know children from other similar backgrounds,
(01:27):
and I know there are reasons for such sorting. But
even if your job and neighborhood are what they are,
it is possible to make some excursions outside the bubble.
Doing so reminds us that people have lots of different experiences.
So alongside your professional organization, which naturally has people with
(01:52):
the exact same job, as you join a civic organization
that recruits more broadly, if nothing else. As you meet
and volunteer together, you will meet people in different lines
of work and who might be at different life stages
from you. Many houses of worship draw their members from
(02:15):
all walks of life, which is great. Join the choir
or the church softball team and get to know people
you wouldn't otherwise. That said, if your house of worship
is a bit more homogenious, maybe it is time to
partner with a like minded church in a different neighborhood
(02:36):
to do some projects together, or field that joint softball team.
If you visit community institutions, you don't necessarily have to
visit the ones in your exact community. Many towns libraries
have multiple branches, and if you can return your books anywhere,
(02:58):
why not check out the story time and met class
options at a different branch. One of the reasons I
love my YMCA is that the clientele is more diverse
than the clientele I have encountered at other gyms. This
is true for the group fitness classes there as well,
so those could be worth checking out. Cast a slightly
(03:19):
broader net with the restaurants you visit for lunch. It
doesn't have to just be that upscale sandwich spot in
your office building. Even a coffee shop represents a choice,
and going somewhere a little different occasionally can remind you
that the world is a varied place, plus that diner's
(03:41):
coffee might be slightly cheaper. I'm just suggesting it. Even
our online communities can become bubbles, but they don't have
to be. I am not saying you need to expose
yourself to strident voices, but ask around to find who
your friends and colleagues consider to be the most thoughtful
(04:04):
voices with differing opinions. You might try seeking out and
following a few bloggers or influencers or podcasters whose lives
differ in significant ways from yours. These days, our life
bubbles can have walls that are a lot thicker than
actual soap bubbles. And that's not necessarily because we are
(04:27):
actively trying to limit interaction. It's just what tends to
be easiest. If you spend most of your time working
or caring for your kids, then you probably don't see
that many people outside your extended family and neighbors and colleagues. Anyway,
it does take effort, but at least from time to time,
(04:51):
maybe it is worth that effort, if for no other
reason then to remember what the broader world is like
in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
(05:16):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
That's b E the number four then Breakfast Pod. You
can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts
at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out
(05:39):
with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look
forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production
of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
(06:02):
The Gang Gang MHM
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
Show Links
AboutPopular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.