{"id":133,"date":"2018-04-03T20:16:25","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T20:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/twispmovie.com\/?p=133"},"modified":"2026-06-23T03:04:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T03:04:05","slug":"the-honor-of-sharing-others-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twispmovie.com\/index.php\/2018\/04\/03\/the-honor-of-sharing-others-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"The honor of sharing others’ stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

My greatest joy in creating this documentary is getting to interview the remarkable people who live here\u2014people who have chosen the road less traveled; who have discovered the joy of serving others, or of creative expression, or of doing it yourself. To live here, most have had to forego the “American dream” of wealth accumulation in exchange for things that money can’t buy–scenic beauty, clean water and air, plenty of outdoor recreation, a community that pulls together through thick and thin.\u00a0 Poignantly, I\u2019ve learned that all <\/em>people have a story worth listening to\u2014particularly when we\u2019re face to face and I can look into their eyes as they tell it.<\/p>\n

Not everyone is comfortable telling their story, or revealing themselves in that way; some people may require more of my skills as an interviewer than I\u2019m able to deliver in that particular moment. But if I\u2019m able to spend an hour deeply engrossed in another\u2019s viewpoint, the experience changes me. Something of the speaker becomes part of my own sense of the world. For hours, or days, afterward, I\u2019ll carry them with me; I\u2019ll hear their voice in my head. I\u2019ll interpret events as they might interpret them. I\u2019ll see their face as they talk.<\/p>\n

Interviewing someone frees me to truly listen. If they say something I don\u2019t agree with, I might ask them to say more about it, or to address the point of our differences, but I seldom feel the need to debate with them about it. I feel no need to \u201ceducate\u201d them. That\u2019s not my purpose in conducting the interview. Rather, it is to reveal what they <\/em>think, or feel, or believe. At that point, interviewing someone becomes a bonding experience. Plus, the process of editing the videos allows me to see and hear their stories over and over again!<\/p>\n

Just this morning I edited this clip of KTRT manager, “Voice of the Valley, Don Ashford. He’s got plenty more to say, but here’s 10 minutes’ worth.<\/p>\n

Thank you, Don.<\/p>\n