Dassa’s a little tuckered-out from this morning’s walk, cool kitchen floor tiles waiting for her just around the corner. It’s my second day having to wear my NUUSOL Cascade flip flops due to scraping the back of my heel over and over again a few days ago due to my socks drifting below my heel. I was too distracted, and lazy, to stop and pull them up. Now, I just have to wait and let it heal.
Fortunately, I have three pairs of NUUSOL flip flops specifically purchased to reduce the pain and discomfort I feel from Plantar Fasciitis every time I finish my morning walk. Man, I can not overemphasize how much they help. Walking the seven or eight miles in them is actually quite comfortable and effortless which I didn’t expect.
The song filling my soul space when approaching home was ‘Drift Away’ by Dobie Gray. It was one of the hottest hits of 1973 when it debuted on the radio, reaching #5 on the pop charts. It was Gray’s most successful single.
Funny how the curiosity of dreams and ambitions can lead people to places they could never imagine. If the journey is rough, then often the rewards are something special. This was the case for Dobie who was born in 1940 to a sharecropping family in Texas. Age 20, he followed his aspiration to Los Angeles longing to be an actor.
Dobie took some drama classes appearing in several productions while singing, playing guitar, and writing songs for room, board, and survival as a black man in the early 1960’s. After some failed attempts recording songs, a guy named Sonny Bono introduced him to small independent Stripe Records and convinced him to change his name to Dobie Gray, morphing multiple times before from Lawrence Brown to Leonard Ainsworth to Larry Curtis, then Larry Dennis.
Sonny Bono at the time was working for Phil Spector, a record producer. He went on to star in the ‘Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour’ on CBS, writing, arranging, and producing a number of hits, such as ‘I Got You Babe’, playing bit parts in many movies and shows, then entering politics as a republican Mayor of Palm Springs. Sonny ultimately became California’s 44th congressional district’s House Representative from 1994 until his death in 1998. Cher spoke endearingly at the funeral. Inscribed on his tombstone is ‘The Beat Goes On’, a song he wrote, composed, and recorded for Sonny & Cher.
Sonny was born in Detroit and moved to L.A. in his early years. Two people from divergent Mid-American cities meeting on the Pacific West Coast pursuing their dreams, night and day scratching their curious itches; both having success in their own right. Dobie’s first inkling of a hit was ‘Look at Me’ later made famous by the Righteous Brothers. His first big hit came in ’65 with the release of ‘The “In” Crowd’. Dobie, a talented songwriter, musician, and actor who eventually settled in Nashville, a city resembling his youthful country gospel roots.
‘Drift Away’ captures and calms my mind every time I play it much like Bee Gees ‘To Love Somebody’. Sometimes it’s difficult to put a finger on ‘special’ and that is the case with these songs. An emotional jailbreak takes place where burdens, chores, hurts, or pains are overtaken with good, peace, contentment, and gratitude.
Gratitude is something I heard for over three hours after pouring myself a delicious cup of Blackout coffee. Lex Fridman hosting guest Ivanka Trump, someone I have only heard speak in sound bites. So, I was curious. As God is my witness, by the end of the podcast I was left thinking of her as a dear soul. A young lady grateful for her father and mother (who passed away a couple of years ago), yet blazing her own adventurous trail with grace, sensitivity, and humility.
You may of heard of a guy named Donald Trump, brash talking hard hitting New Yorker and former president. Ivanka does not have her father’s personality. I’d say her skin is thinner, but thick enough. The contrast is crystal clear as Lex’s questions are answered with clarity, sensibility, and heart. Honestly, as a father of two girls myself, I appreciate the love for her dad and his positive influence in her life. I value the adoration for her mother who was a strong, smart, athletic, and beautiful role model for Ivanka.
From a young age Ivanka was influenced and exposed to Manhattan’s real estate market. She became intrigued with architecture, design, and artistry. As she grew into the business, Ivanka learned how diverse, complex the industry actually is bridging engineering, construction details, time management, staying on budget (or under), and finishing on time (or before). ‘Confidence of youth’ was a phrase used when referring to her early years. She was filled with unbridled ambitions, acknowledging that this passion was a prized prerequisite for a tough world.
Ivanka continues to challenge herself with new hobbies such surfing and jiu jitsu. After four years of working in the political arena, she expressed that it was a grind, time consuming, and difficult. Yet, it was essential in changing her for the good, entering neighborhoods otherwise not seen and speaking with people otherwise not heard. She was shocked, burdened, and motivated listening to deeply personal stories, their most intimate experiences.
Prior to politics, engaging with people of extreme walks of life did not really exist for Ivanka. She thought she was well travelled, living a full life. But, being senior advisor to the President of the United States opened her mind intimately to an unfamiliar world. In her fashion business, she was sensitive to women’s needs, but unlike the political world furthering her motive to help people. In hindsight she would have regretted not saying ‘yes’ to helping her father as president.
Listening, speaking with people across the aisle, and not thinking you have a monopoly on ideas became a glaring fundamental truth. Ivanka often had to convince people with opposing views about policies that were near and dear to her heart. The Great American Outdoors Act was one of several issues passed in Congress each of which took time, meetings, more meetings, and even more meetings to accomplish. It provided 1.9 billion annually over five years toward US national parks and public lands addressing deferred maintenance needs. This being only one important, but miniscule policy of the endless list of policies.
Lex asked how difficult it is to see (feel, carry with you) all the suffering in the world? “You feel it intensely,” she said, adding Human Trafficking as an example. One story shared was about a young woman in college who was lured by a man she thought to be a decent guy. They began dating. This thug gets her hooked on drugs, convinces her to drop out of college, then sells her (for sex) over the next five years. This young victim only escaped because she was arrested which actually saved her life! Now, this resilient trailblazer is extending support for those exploited like her.
A philosophy Ivanka came to accept is to live life in accordance with one’s priorities, not attempting to balance life. An attempt to balance life can never be done day to day as something will always skew it this way, or that. She relates this to her four years of government service which took so much out of her, adding that the average time in a job at the White House is a year and a half because it is grueling. So, it seems to me that living each day in accordance with one’s priorities allows a person to have little guilt, more joy, and the capacity to sleep like a baby (as long as the ‘wee one’ lets you 😉).
Now as a parent of three Ivanka looks to Arabella, Joseph, and Theo as unique individuals. Her empathy has increased enormously with them, and others because of a life lived. Her children have also been her teacher, realizing that her plans for her kids don’t always match their interests. Interestingly, Ivanka acknowledges that conflict between her children is a good thing at times (as long as it doesn’t involve physical fighting). She had to learn to resist ‘playing the record forward’ in her head causing future concerns about things that didn’t exist. Basically, reminding herself to just chill out and enjoy her children in good times, challenging times, and otherwise.
In closing Lex speculates that Ivanka’s Bucket List of things to do in life is enormous. Together they have a good laugh, Ivanka sharing that she hopes to never exhaust all the things she is curious about; such a great attitude. In fact, one statement she tells her kids when they say they are bored is ‘only boring people get bored’. There is too much to learn.
I’m reminded once again, it is important to listen to people, ask questions, and have an open mind. This world is saturated with quips, bits, posts, and short sound bites. How blessed we are to have such things as longform podcasts allowing for extended conversations which often dispel myth and ignorance. This gives me a hope and belief that humans naturally are more curious and forgiving than they sometimes are made to appear.
Take care, my friend 👍
