A Road Trip And Lost Time: A Father And Son Reconnect After 30 Years
For many of us, living through this pandemic is a reminder of the importance of strengthening our connections with loved ones. Now, reflections from a father and son who did just that.
When T. Chick McClure was growing up, they were really close to their dad, Chas McClure. They spent time fishing, sledding, and swinging a bat in the backyard. But when Chick was 14 years old their parents divorced and their dad moved away for his job in the Navy. They spent the next 30 years having a distant relationship, speaking only occasionally.
Chas McClure and T. Chick McClure in McClure Pass, Colorado. Photo Courtesy of T. Chick McClure.
But after 30 years Chick decided to change that. Not long after, Chas responded by inviting them on a two week road trip through the Southwest. They used StoryCorps Connect to remember the trip that brought them back together.
Originally aired August 14, 2020, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Top Photo: T. Chick McClure and Chas McClure in Los Angeles, California. Courtesy of T. Chick McClure.
Strangers Talk in Hopes of Bridging Their Political Divides
Here at StoryCorps, we’re used to hearing conversations between two people who know and love one another.
In this story, we eavesdrop on a conversation that’s a little bit different. It takes place between two strangers, and was recorded as part of One Small Step, our new initiative that brings people together from opposite sides of the political divide.
In summer of 2018, Tiffany Briseño and Israel Baryeshua met for the first time in Denver to have this discussion.
Photo: Tiffany Briseño and Israel Baryeshua pose at their One Small Step interview in Denver, Colorado on July 18, 2018. By Camila Kerwin for StoryCorps.
Originally aired November 9, 2018, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Trump Supporter Finds a Surprising Ally at an Anti-Trump Rally
It was days after the 2016 election when Joseph Weidknecht, a Trump supporter sporting a sign that read “Proud to Be Deplorable” and a “Make America Great Again” cap showed up at a march protesting the election of Donald Trump in Austin, Texas.
Amina Amdeen, a Muslim student at the University of Texas, was one of the marchers who came to the peaceful rally that day before part of the protest broke into violence.
Though they come from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they came to StoryCorps to remember a moment that day that unexpectedly brought them together.
We’re presenting this conversation through One Small Step, StoryCorps’ new national effort to encourage people to engage in a conversation with someone they may not agree with politically. Learn more and participate.
Top photo: Amina Amdeen and Joseph Weidknecht pose near the Texas State Capitol building, where the two initially met when an anti-Trump protest turned violent on November 13, 2016. Photo by Catalin Abagiu for StoryCorps.
Middle photo: Amina Amdeen speaks to a crowd at an anti-Trump protest on November 13, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Photo courtesy of Dave Creaney/American-Statesman.
Bottom Photo: Joseph Weidknecht holds a poster reading “Proud to Be Deplorable” at an anti-Trump protest on November 13, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Photo courtesy of Dave Creaney/American-Statesman.
Originally aired September 28, 2018, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Jenn Stanley and Peter Stanley
During the 2016 presidential race, many families are finding their viewpoints incompatible with those of even their closest relatives. So rather than spend their time constantly arguing, they have agreed to just avoid discussing politics all together.
Jenn Stanley, 29, and her father, Peter, have experienced a strain on their relationship for years. Political discussions regularly leave them angry and frustrated with each other. Jenn, a self-described liberal who turns to yoga to clear her head, writes about feminist issues for various publications and produces a podcast about women’s rights. Peter, who relaxes by shooting his guns, works in construction and began voting Republican in 1980 during the Reagan revolution.
Whenever they are together and the news comes on the television, they argue.
When Jenn was younger, she considered Peter to be her best friend. She played softball—which she hated—because Peter liked baseball; he coached her team because he thought she wanted to play. But as she got older and left for college, their views grew further apart, making it difficult for them to talk about many of the things that are most important to each of them.
They came to StoryCorps to try to put their differences aside, and listen to each other’s points of view.
Originally aired November 4, 2016, on NPR’s Morning Edition.