This Is The Best Time Now (W18)

Woman 18 (W18) was 41 at the time of the interview. She grew up in a military family and her immediate family currently lives in the KC metro. If you were (or are) an NKOTB fan you will love this little fun factoid! A friend of mine has been friends with Donnie Wahlberg for years. We have spent time with him on several occasions. For a while I dated one of the NKOTB bodyguards.

She has a lot to juggle right now. Based on our conversation she is in the midst of multiple changes. Her early 40's have found her enmeshed in professional and personal life changes. I asked her what is working best in her life right now and after a quick, knowing laugh, a scrunched facial gesture, and a swirl of her glass of wine she emphatically replied. I could almost see the laundry list of emotions and events scrolling behind her eyes.

Post Waffles (W12)

Woman 12 (W12) is 26 years old. She is sweet natured and quick to strike up a conversation. In some ways she is youthful and innocent. In other ways she is wise beyond her years.  She told me that she agreed to be interviewed because she felt the push. I couldn't ignore it.

There are many sides to her and in our short conversation I am sure we only scratched the surface. It would take a lot of time and conversation to gain real insight into her heart and mind. The things about her that struck me initially were her level head, her loving heart, and her desire to live in community.

You see when you spend time with W12 you often get the chance to spend time with her son. Being a single mom means that when she is not at work he is typically by her side.

Here is part of our email chain to set up the interview:

Me: Don't know what your schedule is with your son but I am pretty flexible. let me know when would be the best time for you. looking forward to it!

W12: I have [him] 24/7/365. He's pretty easily entertained with a kindle though! We could do coffee before 11.

Growth (W10)

My Dad is a giver to a fault. He is six years younger then my mom. He retired the year before she was diagnosed with alzheimers. He has given up his dream retirement and travel to take care of her.

W10 credits her father for teaching her about kindness. Based on our interview he is selflessly
dedicated to caring for his wife. W10 tries to spend weekends with her parents when she can. It was heartbreaking to hear about her moms condition and how advanced it is at such a young age. It was equally heartwarming to hear that she and her father have stepped up to the plate during what must be an incredible trial.

At 33 years old W10 says she feels most powerful when she knows what she is doing. Examples of when and where she feels powerful are when she is in the kitchen and when she is watching baseball. She is a devout St Louis Cardinals fan for sure!

When I asked about what made her decide to be interviewed she told me that she likes meeting new people. She was recommended by a mutual friend and said she enjoyed reading the stories.

She told me, "I think singles should speak up." (Now that is a thought I agree with)

Conversations Worth Having

It has been an incredibly thought provoking week! Several people have already raised their hand to be interviewed. (3 down, 67 to go) So, I have been thinking a lot about what I will ask them. I have been thinking about blogs, writers and peers that are candid and self aware, disarming and able to get to the heart of a matter with great sincerity.

Friends continue to ask me what my real goal is. What it "really is". My agenda is simply to have a real conversation with single people who are living life in Kansas City.

I hope that my curiosity will be inviting. I hope that 70 like-minded, inquisitive people will jump at the chance to join me in this experiment. I hope that 35 men and 35 women will have the courage to share their reality/their story with me in a single conversation.

Since I don't always have the right words and obviously brevity is not a gift I possess I thought I would share examples of bloggers who offer up topics for conversations that I think are worth having.