Laty - 10
Laty - 10/111
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “Just being alive! Just being Present!” Laty explained that he finds delight in a lot of things right now. In a time in our lives when everything is uncertain and often pretty dark, Laty is filled with gratitude and optimism.
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I’m a person of action!” Laty explained that once he has his mind set, he gives it 150%. “I don’t half-ass stuff!” “I go above and beyond.”
Q: Do you have a life dream or goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: This was the greatest non-answer ever…and I hope it’s an indication that Laty’s life is happy and fulfilled. Laty explained that he was just contemplating this question the night before. Laty doesn’t really have a life goal right now, but he wants to think of something meaningful so that he can work towards achieving a goal.
Please don’t misunderstand this answer…Laty has his hands full as a business owner of one of Klamath’s most loved restaurants, Thai Orchid, and he’s involved in more community committees than I can even remember! He’s a kind, caring person who’s making a difference in our community at so many different levels.
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: “The solution for so many problems…THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!”
Thank you, Laty! I so needed to hear this reminder right now! Laty and I had a conversation about the pressures that we’re all under right now. “I hit a pandemic wall,” Laty explained.
We’ve all been in survival and self-preservation mode for months. We’re exhausted. We’ve never had to navigate a global pandemic before, and we’re finding ourselves in situations that would have been unimaginable just a year ago. Personally, I’ve never been more on-edge than I’ve found myself lately. I’m finding that even the most optimistic, easy-going, and go-with-the-flow people I know, have hit that wall within the last month or two. It’s manifesting in different ways for each of us. “If we can just think before we react,” Laty counseled. I can’t even imagine Laty being a person who needs to carefully choose his words or his actions and reactions, because his nature is just so good, kind, and thoughtful. I must confess - it’s a bit reassuring to know that even someone as amazing as Laty has to remind himself to think before he speaks.
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (Do you have a personal legacy statement?)
A: “I want to be remembered as someone who was true to themselves, that I have sass and personality, and someone who was just colorful and positive.”
If you’ve ever met Laty, even just once, you would agree that he’s all of this and more! (A kind, caring, giving person who’s working to create a great community for us all!)
If you’ve hit that pandemic wall, know that you’re not alone. This is worth repeating - if you need help or support, please reach out to friends, family, or a professional.
Jonathan - 11
Jonathan - 11/111
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “I enjoy reading, recreational activities, engaging with the community, and discussing issues that affect everybody.”
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “I’ve had the chance to work with great students and organizers in the the Klamath Basin.” Jonathan is a teacher, and also one of those great organizers in our community!
Q: Do you have a life dream or goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: “I’d like to continue to organize for progressive goals in our area, and continue researching for my academic work.”
I can't predict the future, but we can be certain that Jonathan is dedicated to achieving progress that will benefit our entire community. I'm positive that Jonathan will help us to progress. Keep your eyes out for good things to come!
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: “We need a new deal for rural areas to address poverty, work/employment opportunities, and that will encourage a strong sense of empathy for people with differing socioeconomic backgrounds, and provide for the greater good for all.”
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (Do you have a personal legacy statement?)
A: “That I continued to grow in teaching and academics, and that I tried to do the most good for people and society.”
Jonathan is another new friend but in the short time I've known him, I know that he's sincere and authentic in his desire to bring about positive change for our community.
Michael - 12
Michael - 12/111
Q: What’s something that brings you delight?
A: “Being.”
Q: What’s something great about yourself? (a trait or accomplishment)
A: “That’s not up to me to determine. I don’t have an opinion.”
Q: Do you have a life dream or goal, and how are you working towards it?
A: “I just am.”
Q: Is there a problem for which you have a solution?
A: “Self Reference.”
I asked Michael for clarification, "does that mean that we create our own problems, and that we are also the solution?” Michael responded with a smile, "think about it..."
Q: How would you like to be remembered? (Do you have a personal legacy statement?)
A: “I don’t have any desire to be remembered.”
I actually swapped the order of the subjects from last week and this week, so my memory isn’t as fresh as it should be, and I’m depending on the notes scribbled in my journal. I know I'm failing to adequately recall and recount my conversation with Michael.
Let me just tell you a little more about him. Michael isn't one of those people who knows a little about a lot…It seems like he knows just about everything about everything!!! (And I know he'd disagree with my assessment of him.) The second time I met Michael, at the Klamath Tool Library, our conversation was so in depth, he had to send me on my way with HOMEWORK! He’s helped me so many times that I’ve lost count. Do you know about the Klamath Tool Library? It’s an actual “library” of tools. For a small annual fee, you can “check out” any tool they offer for up to two weeks at a time. I utilized the Tool Library to borrow tools for farm projects, and would end up staying as long as they would let me, just absorbing knowledge from Michael and the other volunteers who happened to be there at the time. I learned a lot about soil, compositing, gardening, and farming from Michael. He’s one of those people who can explain complex material in such a way that you can understand it, even if you’re brand new to the subject matter.
Every time that I’ve ever interacted with Michael, I’ve left him having learned something new. I anticipated that he’d have some great answers to these interview questions, so I was caught off guard when he provided "vague" answers. Michael completely flipped the script and had me contemplating not only these questions, but my entire project! (But in a good way.)
After we finished the interview, I explained that I want these to be positive questions, resulting in positive answers, and remarked about his short answers. I want the the subjects to be able to highlight themselves. I like that people get to shine the spotlight on themselves, and it is my hope that subjects leave our experience together feeling a bit happier.
Michael understood my intent, but he’s at a different point, perhaps more enlightened, than I am presently. Michael remarked, “ego is an artificial construct…our personalities just get us through this space time continuum.” Michael knew the type of answers for which I was hoping, but by answering the way he did, less was more. Michael explained, “the individual is a reflection of the community.” I added that the reverse is also true, “the community is a reflection of the individual.” Michael’s final words to me were, “our identity is a reflection of unity…identity is in our unity.” Wow! My mind was spinning after this.
I left Michael questioning everything, and when I question things, I can over-think to the point of giving myself doubt. I questioned why am I even doing this project? Is it as simple as that this project gives me a “gym” where I can exercise my photography muscles? Why do I ask the subjects these particular questions? Are these questions providing any worth or value to the subjects? Do the subjects feel better when they get to talk about themselves, their dreams, their great traits, and the things that bring them delight? Is this an ego thing…for both myself and the subjects? Does any of this matter? Will any of this matter? Is this a pointless vanity project? I know Michael didn’t intend to cause me to doubt this project. He wanted me to dig deeper.
If the individual is a reflection of the community, than I am seeking to learn about our community by learning about “111 Faces” within that community. In learning about our community and the individuals in this community, I’m learning about myself. (this is a worthwhile pursuit.)
If there’s anything I’ve learned from Michael from the interactions we’ve had so far…it’s that I have so much to learn. (and I'm going to keep on doing that!)
Thank you Laty, Jonathan, and Michael, for being in this project, and for all the work you do for our community!
Thanks for reading!