Latest / Be A Global Citizen! / 187. Chirag Patel: Human Connections and the Willingness to Engage with Others

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187. Chirag Patel: Human Connections and the Willingness to Engage with Others · Be A Global Citizen!

0:04
Hi there, and welcome to Be a Global Citizen, the podcast that
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explores the concept of global citizenship through the lens of
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value creating education. My name is Scott Bauer and I'm a
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SOCO researcher and educator. I hope you find the discussion,
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stories, and insights on this podcast to being valuable and
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inspiring as we strive to become global citizens who are
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committed to living a contributive life.
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Enjoy the conversation. Hey guys, I'm Chirac Patel, born
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and raised in Los Angeles, CA. I'm a former writer, former
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media creative, and most recently an educator, and I'm
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happy to be on the Be a Global Citizen podcast with my friend
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Scott. Hey Chirag, so happy to have you
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on the podcast and I'm really excited to learn more about your
0:55
background. You're a great friend, and, you
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know, I'm really inspired by the work that you do as an educator
1:02
and the energy and the commitment that you bring into
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the school environment. So really excited to hear about,
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like, what makes for a great school leader.
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And So what were the major influences in your life that
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kind of shaped you, formed you, forged you in the fires, you
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know, like, you know, the classroom And yeah.
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And then also what's kind of on the horizon for you?
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So thank you so much. And wanted to just kind of give
1:28
you the space to share a little bit more about your background,
1:31
some milestones, anything that you like to share with the
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listeners about what brought you to the work?
1:37
Yeah, absolutely. You know, education and the
1:40
pursuit of knowledge is something that's always been
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really kind of intrinsically linked to the type of person
1:46
that I am and that I've, you know, typically always been.
1:50
I'm the son of two immigrants who came to this country to
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pursue the American Dream. I was born shortly after their
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arrival here. And very early on in, in my
2:00
childhood, you know, I came to the realization that I really
2:05
needed to kind of learn and adapt to, you know, really kind
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of living in this dual identity role here in the States.
2:13
You know, being raised with like the cultural values and the
2:16
foreign perspectives of my parents, while also navigating
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the very real nuances of, of growing up in, in a different
2:23
nation than the one that they, you know, were originally from.
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And kind of the dichotomy of that and really kind of pulling
2:29
and learning from those two halves of myself.
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I didn't speak English when I went to school.
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English is my second language. So that was kind of the big wake
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up call to me in terms of, you know, my, my earliest core
2:41
memory is being in preschool being, you know, one of the very
2:44
few kids that didn't speak a word of English and really
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having to kind of navigate that. And really early on, that that
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experience really galvanized me to want to push myself to learn
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and adapt and, and kind of survive.
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And that pursuit just never, never left my core being.
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I've always, you know, really been driven by, you know,
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bettering myself, learning new things, trying new things and,
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and just gaining all these perspectives from, you know, the
3:14
unique wonders of the world, so to speak.
3:18
My intention was not to originally be an educator.
3:22
I'd always kind of looked at different career fields.
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I knew I wanted to go to college and originally I had kind of
3:28
studied communication and philosophy in in particular,
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just, you know, what does it mean to know?
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One of those early philosophy classes really dove into that
3:39
theory of like, what is knowledge?
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What does it mean to learn right?
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You know, is knowledge real if it's not shared and, and all of
3:47
those fun things. I originally worked in finance
3:50
for a while. I had graduated in 2008 during
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the financial crisis and the housing bubble bursting at the
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time when my first job was working for Bank of America in
4:03
their corporate office in their division that was essentially
4:06
trying to keep people in their homes who are in danger of
4:09
defaulting on the fraudulent loans that had been given out to
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them. And I, I learned in that role
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very early on that there was a component of, of helping others
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and a component of giving back to those in need.
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And it, it helped me realize that in my career path, if I
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wasn't doing something that didn't have an impact or didn't
4:34
have meaning, was it ultimately worth doing?
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You know, we all need money to survive.
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It's a very real reality of the modern world.
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But you know, if you're able to find a gig that supports your
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lifestyle while also giving you an opportunity, you know, to be
4:51
a, a part of a bigger picture story and to really give back, I
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think that's where you'll find a degree of happiness and
4:58
satisfaction in the work that you do.
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And so I started to, to look at other opportunities that that
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gave me a chance to do that. I worked as a journalist for a
5:08
while. I wrote, wrote in the small
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business section. I wrote as part of the breaking
5:14
news desk and I was also part of the life and arts section where
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I got a a taste of really kind of connecting through art and
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culture, which then kind of spun off into opportunities to work
5:26
in the media industry. I was a camera operator and
5:29
editor, but my bread and butter was really on the production
5:32
side of things. And I worked on some short
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films, some documentaries, did some commercials.
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And it was also another creative outlet for, you know, just
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really kind of giving back to the work that I was doing.
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Whether it's telling a unique story or sharing perspective or
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using the creative arts to really kind of fill different
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parts of our soul or our being right, Whether it's through
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entertainment or whether it's through like emotions.
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It was really cool and unique outlet.
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Around this time, I decided to pursue higher education.
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I went back to school to get my masters and as part of my
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master's program, I pursued a teaching credential.
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And the idea was not to go into education, but more so as a fall
6:17
back for when I was old and Gray in the years had an opportunity
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to retire. And, you know, maybe I could
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teach a part time class here there, you know, give back to,
6:26
to the youth with my life experience and, and all that
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stuff. Coincidentally enough, the week
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that I graduated was the same week that the media company I
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was working for shut down and they handed out mass layoffs.
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And so I did what what a lot of people do when when faced with a
6:44
situation like this. I called on my buddy and I was
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like, Hey, drop what you're doing.
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We're going to the bar, we're going to have some drinks and
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we're going to commiserate. And it was just such a random
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experience. You know, we're, we're at a bar
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in the middle of the week and, you know, I'm, I'm telling him
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how I just, you know, finished school and I'm losing my job and
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I don't know what I'm going to do.
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And, you know, that fear of the unknown and that uncertainty was
7:07
kind of being expressed over some libations, so to speak.
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And I ran into a friend of mine at this random bar that I hadn't
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seen for 10 years. We went to high school together.
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And, you know, we're catching up.
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We're chatting, I'm telling him about my recent news and he's
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there with this girl that he brought.
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And she's listening intently. And she's like, you know,
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interjecting. And she's like, wait, so you
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just finished your, your master's program and you have a
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teaching credential. And she's like, oh, you've
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worked in these other fields. You used to be a writer, you
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know, you used to be in finance. You know, you have a sense about
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you. Are you interested in teaching?
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And I'm like, what? And she's like, I work for the
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school. We're hiring part time.
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I think you'd be a great fit. Like, what do you think?
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And I sent her my resume. Didn't really think too much
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about it. You know, Fast forward, I've
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been in the educational space during the last decade, served
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as a teacher, served as a youth mentor, after school program
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coordinator and kind of worked my way up into administration.
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And I've had a tremendous time in that space.
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It, it really hit a switch for me and, and it really clicked
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that, you know, working in the educational space, it's a
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challenging industry to be in, to say the least.
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Any, anyone that you've met that's been a teacher will tell
8:22
you very quickly that it's not for the faint of heart, but it's
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immensely satisfying in a way that I was not expecting.
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And I truly blinked and 10 years went by and I've been in the
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space and it's been one of the great honors of my life to be
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able to kind of, you know, give back to those in need, to be
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able to share with them and, and be a part of the success of
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young people. And just to continue my original
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love, just the pursuit of knowledge and the pursuit of my
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own growth. Working with educators, working
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in an educational space, There isn't a day that goes by where
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you're not learning something new or picking up a bit of
9:01
knowledge or, or getting a unique perspective.
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And so it's been tremendous. And yeah, here I am now just
9:08
going from career to career. Who knows?
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Maybe next I'll be a firefighter.
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We'll see. Firefighter, I mean, you just
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added to the diverse portfolio. I'm not sure if you're
9:18
surprised. I mean, that's, that's
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incredible. Thank you so much, Sharag for
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for sharing all of that. And it's just, I mean, there's,
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I feel like there's definitely this through line, right, of
9:32
being very, very concerned and very intentional with the kind
9:37
of like impacts that you want to have on, on those around you.
9:41
Because I think one of these criteria that you, you touched
9:45
upon for your career was to find a degree of happiness and
9:49
satisfaction. And you realize that that wasn't
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going to be in a paycheck, albeit, right, you need to
9:58
paycheck. Sure, we all do.
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But definitely there was this maybe this like kind of
10:03
searching for like, you know, what is it?
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Is it the intellectual kind of outlet?
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Is it the creative outlet? Is it the community of people
10:10
that I find myself with? But then ultimately where you
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landed up in education? I know that initially it was
10:17
with futures and then futures right became fusion.
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And Fusion Academy, yeah. Right, yes.
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Oh, important clarification. Right.
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So these are private schools and, and they really emphasize
10:30
the one to one nature of, of how they approach schooling.
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And So what better way to make an impact on another person than
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really, you know, them sitting right in front of you and
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getting to know them and genuinely caring for them.
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And I'm sure that being in that role meant a lot because from
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what it sounds like in your upbringing, you probably felt
10:55
misunderstood because of the language component, right?
10:59
Because of the sense of like, do they, do they really understand
11:02
what I'm going through and they don't know my first language and
11:06
also my culture. And yet here I am having to
11:09
navigate these dual identities and yet still kind of really
11:14
assimilate towards the American way of life just to make it as
11:18
part of your survival like you talked about.
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And so I'm, I'm, I'm curious because I, I, I kind of want to
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like, you know, rewind the clock a little bit more and understand
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very formative time of your life in preschool where, yeah,
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learning another language, probably everything seemed so
11:36
confusing and like, maybe one thing works, but then it doesn't
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work the second time. Or maybe 1 friend gives you a
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certain kind of, you know, response.
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And then, I don't know, I'm sure that there was just a lot of
11:47
confusion through that period. But what what really helped you
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aside from just the hustle of like learning quick and
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surviving, like you said, But was there any particular teacher
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or particular friend or maybe it was the help of of your, your
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family? But like, what helps like anchor
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you and kind of like guide you through that confusion of just,
12:09
you know, adapting quickly to a new environment?
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Yeah. Absolutely.
12:14
You know, there's every person that's dealing with a challenge
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needs to kind of lean on the tools and the resources and the
12:21
supports they have around them, right?
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For me, first and foremost were my parents.
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You know, God bless them. They work their lives to give me
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and my sister everything that we could have ever hoped for.
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And you know, they were, they were tough.
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And, you know, they really instilled this, this, you know,
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core value of my grit and resilience in me at a very young
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age. But they were also there when I
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needed help, when I needed support.
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I mean, honestly, when I needed to kick in the butt, right?
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So, so first and foremost, just just them being there and being
12:53
supportive was, was immensely valuable.
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And I think that core value of just resilience and grit was a
13:00
key part of it, right? It's, you know, giving up and
13:04
quitting, not to say this in a negative way, but it's, it's the
13:09
easy route. It's the separation from the
13:11
challenge. It's the distance from, you
13:14
know, what's ailing you, so to speak.
13:16
The hard part is, is the grind. It's the perseverance, it's the
13:20
push through. It's the effort.
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And I think having a desire to want to kind of prove myself, a
13:28
desire to want to push through was necessary to really kind of
13:34
get through that. You know, I, I was put into
13:37
preschool very young. I was almost a year behind the
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typical age group. I'm a August baby, and my mom
13:44
and her infinite wisdom was able to kind of push me through at
13:48
the ripe young age of three into preschool.
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And so being young, not speaking the word of English, it was
13:55
challenging, right? But.
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I was in a. School environment where despite
14:00
those those, you know, handicaps, so to speak, I had
14:04
very patient educators. I had, you know, very thoughtful
14:07
and kind students around me that were, you know, willing to help.
14:12
And when you're in a situation where it feels like, you know,
14:16
do or die, you respond quickly. And, and English just started
14:20
pouring out of me quicker than I anticipated right after those
14:24
first few months. I was able to communicate after
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that first year, you know, I was, you know, talking it up
14:29
with the rest of them as best I could.
14:33
But yeah, I just, you know, really leaning on the support
14:36
system of your community and just really relying on your
14:39
internal values and your internal characteristics and,
14:42
and having faith in those things was really key.
14:47
Yeah, no, I mean, I feel like parents, right?
14:50
They're the first the first teachers that we have lifelong
14:54
teachers, let me tell you. And lifelong, right, Yeah.
14:57
And it's wonderful when I think especially as like, you know,
15:01
like a son or a daughter, like, right, like Speaking of your own
15:04
parents, you're able to identify core values that you really hold
15:08
near and dear to yourself because it's a form of, you
15:11
know, appreciation of like, wow, you know, like truly that like I
15:15
am who I am because of this, that lesson, right?
15:20
This core value that they passed on and indefinitely, you know,
15:24
grit, resilience, being able to go from 1 industry to another to
15:28
another job. And, you know, and then landing
15:32
in education of all places, the one place that you didn't think
15:35
you would go. And I just find that so funny.
15:38
Like I wasn't planning to be in education.
15:41
And then the reason why you even like added the teacher
15:43
credential was just as like a a retirement court.
15:47
Like, yeah, wow. So, but you're so fortunate that
15:51
you were able to do that because, you know, ultimately it
15:54
LED you back to that career where the, you know, deeper
15:58
satisfaction from, you know, knowing your impact and having
16:03
those interactions with with with young people think it's
16:06
really, it's really wonderful. But yeah, so makes a lot of
16:10
sense, right? I think immigrants as in general
16:13
tend to have that resilience piece very core to them, but
16:16
it's I think more so like how you apply that in your own
16:20
unique and you know, case and and yeah, and then kind of
16:24
persevere and then learn through those struggles.
16:28
So I think that's that's really amazing.
16:31
And you know, one of the things that kind of got me thinking
16:35
about with, you know, like your, you said, your parents being a
16:40
big influence, but I also think, you know, the, the, the, the
16:44
other ring, right, because of concentric circles, like parents
16:46
are like closest to you and they're impacting you.
16:48
But one step outside of that would be friends that we have
16:52
along the way. And, and you know, I'm sure you,
16:56
there's probably so much you can speak to between like preschool
16:59
up until like now, but like friends that have made a big
17:02
impact on you. But I'm, I'm just like, I, I
17:05
love the story of you at the bar and you're with a friend and
17:09
then a friend of a friend basically had a fortune.
17:13
Like the, the, the fortune telling, the crystal ball.
17:15
That's what it is. And just said be a teacher.
17:18
I foresee from the limited information you told me that you
17:22
will be a teacher. But yeah, like maybe could you
17:25
speak a little bit to maybe like, well, First off, why did
17:29
you reach out to that friend and actually went to the bar?
17:31
And then also maybe speak to the role of like loose connections
17:35
between friends and how that ultimately LED you to like a
17:38
total shift in your career. Because I just feel like that's
17:42
really these are invisible bonds.
17:43
And yet it's, you know, it's it's powerful.
17:46
So I'm just curious if you can maybe kind of hone in on that,
17:49
that story a little bit more. Yeah.
17:51
Absolutely. You know, like I mentioned
17:54
earlier, I'm, I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and I
17:57
think it's somewhat of a unique situation to be in if you, you
18:03
know, live in Los Angeles, especially like in, in a bigger
18:05
part of the city where it's kind of thriving and diverse.
18:08
And, you know, there's a lot of industry.
18:10
Not very many people in LA these days are actually from LA, which
18:15
is always interesting. I almost like, get like, I'm
18:17
almost excited to meet another Los Angelino and I'm like out
18:20
and about, right. But, you know, I've been lucky
18:23
enough to have built some friendships with, with people
18:26
that I've known from my youngest years up through now, which is
18:31
incredible. And I've been able to maintain
18:33
those relationships. And, you know, human connection
18:36
is such an interesting and unique thing.
18:39
There are individuals in your life who, you know, you may have
18:43
known or connected with that various stages, whether it's in
18:47
your adolescence, whether it's at a former job, whether it was,
18:50
you know, in school or, or, or what have you.
18:54
And you may have known that person intimately in that
18:56
moment. And then, you know, life takes
18:58
you in different directions and you kind of lose touch.
19:01
But the second you see that person again down life's road,
19:04
it's almost like you pick up right where you left off.
19:06
And that, and I do believe that's a fundamental outcome of
19:12
that really strong initial connection that was made, right?
19:16
If you're genuine, if you're kind to people, they will
19:19
remember it, whether it's consciously or subconsciously.
19:23
And then Fast forward to that next moment, you're able to kind
19:26
of pick up where you left off. And so they're like threads,
19:30
right? The, the, the 6° of separation
19:32
between Kevin Bacon, like that game that people play, right?
19:36
It is, it is true in, in life, you don't need to be a famous
19:39
celebrity to find these unique connections between individuals.
19:43
And so one of the things that I've really kind of held myself
19:48
accountable to is is really just treating people well in the
19:52
moments that I have with them, whether it's small, whether it's
19:55
fleeting. You know, it could be a lifelong
19:57
friendship. It could be, you know, someone
20:00
that have a more intimate connection with.
20:03
It could be someone that I'm in line with at the grocery store,
20:05
right? If you're going to put out
20:08
positive vibes, if you're going to put out, you know, patience
20:11
and kindness in its own unique way, those those same things
20:16
will be reciprocated because people are more likely to return
20:19
the favor if they've received it from you initially.
20:22
And so meeting that friend at the bar that I hadn't seen in in
20:25
10 years, and then having that individual have their friend
20:30
provide me an opportunity that that turned my life in a
20:33
different direction was just through that genuineness of the
20:37
connection, me having that, that trust developed with that
20:44
individual, that individual in their own way, having trust
20:47
developed with the other individual, were able to make
20:50
that connection, right? The young lady who offered me
20:53
the opportunity for this new job in this new career field,
20:57
trusted our mutual friend. We've made those connections,
21:01
right? And so it's easier to make the
21:04
recommendation when you have that trust.
21:06
It's harder where you just have a random person like, Hey, give
21:09
me a job, right? Hey, vouch for me.
21:12
It's like based on what, right. You got to you got to kind of
21:15
earn it. You got to kind of make that
21:16
happen. And you know.
21:19
I, I also think it, it does tie into that original pursuit of
21:23
knowledge and, and the desire to kind of want to learn and grow.
21:27
I was always fascinated by the unique differences of the
21:30
individuals around me. And, and a lot of people joke,
21:32
but if you look at like my close friends circle, it's literally
21:35
like a cornucopia of the different ethnicities of the
21:38
world. Like you can line us up and it's
21:39
like the shades of the rainbow going from like light to dark.
21:43
But like when we're, when I was in, you know, elementary school,
21:46
middle school, high school, when I was in college, like when we
21:49
go out today, I literally have random people comment like, what
21:53
is happening here? Like what is this like multi
21:55
diverse, like like rainbow flag, like group of friends that you
21:58
guys have? Like how did that happen?
22:00
And I think it's just from that genuine interest in getting to
22:02
learn from people. And I think we're training the
22:06
favor being willing to kind of share of myself and, and share
22:09
of my experiences for those who are interested.
22:12
You're able to build that that uniqueness.
22:16
Last thing I'll say is, is I don't take any of my friendships
22:18
for granted. You know, as I've gotten older,
22:22
it becomes more and more challenging to want to kind of
22:25
give up a free day to go do an event.
22:29
This is going to sound really negative.
22:30
It's not meant to be negative. But there are times when I'm
22:32
like another baby shower, another engagement party, like
22:37
another, you know, birthday dinner at a restaurant.
22:39
It's like I want a Saturday for me every once in a while.
22:43
But I always tell myself, you know, make putting in the
22:45
FaceTime. It has value.
22:47
People are going to remember that you showed up for them when
22:49
they reached out to you to do so.
22:51
I do think it's really important so, you know, lean into those
22:54
small moments and those small opportunities.
22:56
It can have big dividends and returns.
23:00
There's a lot of wisdom that you were just spouting.
23:03
Love that. Because, you know, I don't think
23:05
people really think about friendship in in those kind of
23:09
like deeper ways and, and value it And, and not just say they
23:13
value it, but show through their actions, say they truly value.
23:17
Right. Right.
23:17
Yeah. When you were talking about
23:19
like, so sometimes, you know, on a Saturday, I say like, oh, I
23:23
don't want to go to that baby shower.
23:24
And, uh oh, another text message from Scott.
23:28
Better leave him at Red. No, just kidding.
23:31
Just kidding. At the very At the very.
23:32
Least technology, right? At the very least, Yeah, yeah.
23:35
Well, I mean, so, yeah, but like what you were sharing that
23:38
really. Yeah, really spoke to me
23:40
because, you know, we're talking about human connections and then
23:44
how human connections gives way to friendships.
23:46
But they're they are the threads.
23:49
But then there's this. I'm not just thinking of like,
23:52
what do you call it? Like some kind of like artisan,
23:54
right. Like a, a Weaver, right, who can
23:57
actually take those threads and very intentionally and with
24:00
great skill produce the fabric that, you know, they can say is
24:06
like this is this is my arts, right?
24:08
This is, this is like who I am, right?
24:11
Because I, I so much of like when you, you know, you could
24:15
say a lot of people can learn like who you are through the
24:18
friends that you, you know, surround yourself with.
24:21
And yeah, and, and it's just, it's really cool that you were
24:24
able to like, speak so confidently about like how how
24:26
diverse your friends are maybe in one metric of like
24:29
ethnicities and, and colors and shades.
24:33
But at the same time, right, there's there's something deeper
24:35
like underneath that that really, you know, bonds you to
24:40
them, right? Like could be a particular
24:43
movie, right? Or it could be sports, right?
24:46
Yeah. The shared interest side of it
24:49
or just kind of where you happen to be at that point in, in your
24:51
life when you when you did initially connect.
24:54
But the point for me that really stays with me and this is
24:57
probably the hardest thing to do is like showing up for others
25:00
and being fully present in, in those moments and not letting
25:04
them just kind of slip away because, you know, everyone's so
25:07
busy. And I think we tell ourselves in
25:10
somewhat self limiting ways that we have so, so much bandwidth,
25:15
bandwidth. Hence they give me a break on
25:17
Saturday. Like, but it's like in those
25:22
moments that I think also ties back to your core values of like
25:26
even resilience can and grit can be applied within friendships.
25:29
Because I don't know about you, but I've definitely had my share
25:32
of like friends where I was like, you're kind of pissing me
25:36
off. You know, like we're like, come
25:37
on, man, what's what's up? And we just never know what's
25:40
kind of fully happening on their end as well because life gets
25:43
messy. But but it's just so wonderful
25:45
that you really put that, that effort in upfront And you know,
25:50
that a kind, a kind gesture, a kind word, even just a smile.
25:56
Maybe it's just in passing or maybe it's like a smile emoji.
26:00
I don't know if you're texting texting, but like, it's, it goes
26:02
a long way, right? People want to to be be
26:05
acknowledged. People want to feel connected.
26:08
And and yeah. And I think that's just like so
26:11
important. I think as we move further into
26:16
adulthood. Yeah, it's, I mean it's, it's.
26:18
It's an inherent human quality, right?
26:20
Like we, we learn who we are as individuals and our place in the
26:24
world through the external acknowledgements that we get
26:26
right. You know, I had AI had a
26:29
professor when I was in college who had shared an anecdote with
26:34
me that really, really resonated.
26:36
We're talking about like homelessness and, and you know,
26:38
what the experience of being unhoused would be like for an
26:41
individual. And, and we had talked about,
26:45
you know, when you when you have someone on the street who is
26:49
struggling and you know, they may have 100 people that pass by
26:54
them in the day. And if even one of those
26:57
individuals acknowledges them in the moment where they stop them,
27:00
whether it's to ask for money or to ask for directions or ask for
27:03
help, you know, not everyone has the capacity to give back and
27:07
help others, right? Whether it's a financial
27:10
request, whether it's a time commitment, whatever it might
27:13
be, everyone is struggling in their own way.
27:15
But even the simple act of like stopping, acknowledging that
27:18
individual, looking them in the eyes and just having a brief
27:21
conversation helps that individual know that they are
27:25
still there, that people are still noticing them, that they
27:28
have an inherent value versus being passed by 100 people who
27:32
refuse to look you in the eye, refuse to stop and say hello,
27:35
treat you less than you are. What are the ramifications over
27:39
time of that experience? Right.
27:41
And it's those small things of just acknowledgement that help
27:44
us know who we are. So like in a friendship, if you.
27:49
Leave someone on red. You're basically putting them in
27:52
a situation where they're turning the gears in their head
27:54
and they're making assumptions. They don't know if you're busy.
27:57
They don't know if you're ignoring them.
27:58
They don't know if you're mad at them, right?
28:00
They don't know if you don't care.
28:02
And so you're either intentionally or unintentionally
28:05
giving them the opportunity to kind of take something and run
28:07
wild with it as opposed to like, hey, I'll get back to you about
28:10
that. Hey, really busy right now.
28:12
Let me follow up or, hey, I'm not interested.
28:14
Whatever it might be, you get an opportunity to control the
28:18
narrative, like the very least acknowledge the individual who's
28:21
reaching out to you and giving them a degree of like concrete
28:25
validation or, or understanding of the situation.
28:29
I think it's very, very fundamental to all of our
28:31
interpersonal relationships. Right.
28:33
Is is acknowledgement. Yeah, well.
28:36
So yes, I totally agree with you.
28:38
I've, I've had my fair share of being left on red and then vice
28:42
versa as well. And I know that it can, you
28:44
know, lead us to think in many different ways of like what's
28:47
going on and they must not like me.
28:50
But you know, those are like, I would say considerations, right?
28:54
They go a long way in terms of making that effort.
28:58
But it, you know, like, I think it's, it's, it's in the realm of
29:02
education. It's like, well, were we taught
29:04
to do that right? Was it modeled for us ourselves?
29:09
Or did you just, I mean, Chirag and not, not everyone's like you
29:13
were you just like you just left the womb and you were just super
29:16
kind and considerate and always texted people back right from
29:18
the beginning. Is, is that what we're talking
29:20
about or you just, you know, special in that way?
29:23
Or my question is like, like, how did you become a good
29:26
friend? That's.
29:28
A great, great question. It's it's a learned experience.
29:32
You know, if you if, if you were to have met my teenage self, my
29:36
young adolescent self, I was definitely a very different
29:40
person than I am today. A lot more brash, a lot less
29:44
patient, definitely a lot more kind of like me oriented and
29:48
self oriented as opposed to like other oriented or outwardly
29:52
oriented. But again, I think it comes
29:55
with, with life experience. I think you have to kind of
29:59
learn to do those things. Learn to be a good friend, learn
30:02
to acknowledge others, learn to give back, learn to be frugal or
30:06
or giving with your time. I don't think it's necessarily
30:10
something that everyone is uniquely born with.
30:12
Absolutely. There are people that are just
30:14
inherently kind. To this day, I'm boggled by
30:18
those people. Because I'm just like, wow.
30:20
Like you were just just a beautiful person.
30:23
How? Why for me, it was, it was
30:26
learned, right? I had to, I had to adapt those
30:28
skills and really make them part of who I am through shared
30:32
experience. You know, some of it has been
30:35
mentorship and seeing others do it and the impact that it's had
30:38
on me and, and those around them.
30:41
I think other, in other situations, it was having the
30:44
opportunity in my career to be in managerial positions where
30:48
part of my, you know, quote, UN quote, job duty is to be in
30:52
charge of others. And anyone who's been in a
30:55
managerial position will know very quickly that you're not
30:58
just managing the tasks of, of those who you support.
31:02
You're managing personalities, you're managing needs, you're
31:05
managing emotions, you're managing motivations, right?
31:09
And so in that experience, you kind of learn to like, not be
31:11
self focused, but be team oriented, right?
31:15
I think sports was something that also helped me kind of
31:18
learn how to work with others and, and, you know, the
31:21
understanding of, of the needs of those around you and how to
31:24
work together towards a collective goal in trauma,
31:29
unfortunately, but dealing with, with traumatic situation,
31:32
dealing with loss, those things have a very profound way of, of
31:38
shaping who we are either positively or negatively.
31:42
And, and you know, those were situations where in my life
31:44
I've, I've had certain Thomas that have informed me to be a
31:48
better person, which is a good thing, But the unfortunate
31:52
reality is I have to go through a bad thing in order to gain
31:55
that positive skill set. But all of that is to say that
31:58
it, it is learned. And when you're dealing with
32:01
these different experiences in your life, the one area where
32:05
you do have control is what you're going to take from those
32:09
experiences if. You're going to ruminate.
32:11
And be negative. If you're going to take an
32:14
experience and your first thought is revenge or pay back
32:17
or getting even, that's what you're teaching yourself.
32:20
And whether consciously or subconsciously, that's the type
32:23
of person inevitably you will overtime become versus are you
32:27
going to take a situation and look at the bright side, look at
32:30
the positive, take what you can take from it to help your own
32:34
personal growth in a in a good direction with intentionality
32:40
and with effort. That's that's the hard part.
32:44
That's where the work comes in. And so for me, I think I've
32:48
become the person that I am today through those different
32:51
experiences in my life and really challenging myself to to
32:55
find what I can and kind of add it to my repertoire to become
33:00
the type of person that I ultimately have become today.
33:04
Yeah, and thank you so much for that very thoughtful answer.
33:07
And and it was a loaded question.
33:10
What does it mean to be a good friend?
33:11
Like damn. OK.
33:13
And I didn't think I answered that part of the.
33:15
Question. Oh my God.
33:15
No, no, no. No, it's good.
33:17
You, you, you from some from what you shared, there's like it
33:20
ranged the gamut of different experiences and basically saying
33:23
that like all of them or valid, right?
33:26
All of them are important and factor into like decisions that
33:30
we make. And and I think ultimately it
33:33
comes down to like, you know, is this, will this serve me towards
33:38
being a better friend? Or is this something that maybe
33:44
you know, or or doesn't right, But like the relatability factor
33:47
of it. I I totally understand and also
33:50
thinking like more from like the, the empathy side of things,
33:53
right? Putting myself in in their shoes
33:56
and being like, oh wow, you know, like maybe a growing up I
33:59
was very short tempered and, and you know, the quick to like, you
34:05
know, be angry, right? So maybe that didn't make them
34:09
feel very good or maybe I've experienced it myself.
34:11
And then I say, whoa, so that's what it's like, right.
34:14
So I feel like in a, in a sense, having that range of experience
34:17
is really important, regardless if you just, you know, are just
34:21
naturally kind. And because I think, you know,
34:24
then people are, are suspicious or they're like, what's what's
34:27
going on with you? And, you know, I'm the same way.
34:29
Sometimes I'll meet super sincere people and I'm like, I
34:32
don't, I don't know. I'm, I'm just waiting to see
34:34
like the little like, you know, like the little, like, you know,
34:37
crack in the armor and just being like, OK, I see you.
34:40
I mean like a good a good. Kind of metric for like
34:43
friendship is, you know, how often how often are your friends
34:47
showing up for you versus how often are they showing up for
34:50
themselves? So like every time you hang out
34:52
with a friend or every interaction with you have, you
34:54
have with a friend, if they're always kind of showing up with
34:57
me focused agenda or a me focused perspective, or are
35:01
they, you know, finding a balance.
35:02
And, and I don't think it necessarily has to be fully in
35:05
One Direction or the other, Like everyone's got to find a balance
35:08
between the two. But but the, the friendships
35:11
that I've had that I've been the longest lasting, the, the most
35:14
impactful have been those friendships where those
35:17
individuals have shown up for me when I've needed them too.
35:21
And that's kind of been like the solidifying thing, like, Oh,
35:23
that's how I know you're a real friend.
35:25
You're not just here because you're trying to get something
35:27
out of the situation. You're not here just for the fun
35:30
times or the good times. You're here when I need you to
35:33
be here and it's unconditional. And and that's how I know you're
35:36
a friend. And then you.
35:37
Build trust from that, right, yeah, that's like that the out
35:40
the outcome. And, and I think, yeah, that's
35:44
what lets it be so like lasting, right to say that, wow, I, I
35:48
have trust in this person and I know that person also has trust
35:51
in me. And, and then that's kind of
35:54
like getting into the place of like, yeah, friendships these
35:56
days, you know, like, oh, I got like 1000 friends on, on.
35:59
I don't know. No one uses Facebook anymore, do
36:01
they? Facebook, Instagram, that's
36:04
about it. Yeah, exactly right.
36:07
But but there's no deeper value in that, right?
36:11
Because you're not nurturing it and you're not thinking in, in
36:14
this kind of way of like what I can do and what am I doing to
36:16
show up for others and vice versa.
36:19
But then like the deeper value comes in like those critical
36:21
moments when you really need someone, right?
36:24
I, I think about myself like, oh man, when I broke up with, with
36:28
my, you know, my girlfriend and it's like, oh, no, you know,
36:31
like the world is falling. And then you have that friend
36:33
that's just like, yeah, I'm here, man.
36:35
You know, like, you're not, you're not a bad guy or you're
36:38
not things are going to get better.
36:40
Or like, hey, let's go to that bar that Sherrod went to.
36:43
I hear it changes your life and your destiny, like, whatever you
36:48
need, man. And, and I, I, yeah, I just, I
36:50
think that's so, that's so powerful, right?
36:53
Showing up for others when it matters most.
36:55
And you don't know, right. That's another thing too.
36:58
You don't know if that was actually a critical moment.
36:59
Maybe they were just calling you to say they, you know, had
37:03
really, they they went to an Italian restaurant.
37:05
It was delicious. And you're like, geez, OK,
37:07
thanks man. And he just hangs out.
37:09
But maybe right, It's like you breaking up with someone or you
37:12
got fired and, and you really need someone to just like talk
37:16
it out with or to hear you. And so, you know, I mean, I, I
37:20
love this conversation about friendship and, and how that
37:23
builds trust because ultimately that is the kind of like fabric
37:26
within society that really needs to be like strengthened more now
37:32
than ever, now more than ever. And and I do think that there
37:37
with especially the thread and like the fabric analogy that
37:42
speaks to quality of like interconnectedness that actually
37:45
can maybe serve as a bridge to the concept of global
37:48
citizenship that I wanted to hear your thoughts about.
37:50
Because, you know, I don't think it's necessarily the like, you
37:55
know, did you travel, you know, all these places?
37:58
I think it's something much more ordinary, you know, but that
38:01
ordered. But but what could be more like
38:04
wondrous than having that friendship that's lasted
38:07
decades, right. Yeah.
38:09
Through thick and thin, but it starts ordinary.
38:12
So I'm just curious like if that resonates with you and then if
38:15
you can expand on that a little bit more in in the context of
38:19
just what does it mean to be a global citizen?
38:21
Yeah. You know, travelling the world
38:24
is, is a very unique opportunity.
38:27
And I and I fundamentally believe that every individual
38:29
should take the opportunity at some time in their life to
38:32
travel a part of the world that's so uniquely different
38:35
than their home circumstance. Because I think it's profound
38:38
and I think it's very impactful and I think it helps kind of
38:42
breakdown some of the barriers of bias or mistrust or even just
38:47
ignorance. Right.
38:49
But I don't think to your point, you have to necessarily travel
38:53
in order to be a global citizen. I'm even something as small as
38:57
having a connection with another person immediately opens up your
39:02
life experience to new perspectives, new ways of
39:05
thinking, you know, new ideas and new activities.
39:10
Even if it's just through conversation, even if it's just
39:12
through hanging out, you're naturally going to get something
39:16
different because it's coming from an external source.
39:18
And so I think friendship is is absolutely a key, key, key
39:23
component to making yourself more worldly.
39:26
I mean, I think it's like the very least barrier of entry,
39:30
right? Is that part of it?
39:33
You know, global citizenry is such an interesting concept.
39:36
And I think in in our modern world, it has become almost
39:42
mandatory to the human experience.
39:44
We are so connected with one another across the globe in such
39:50
infinitely, you know, finite ways, something as small as
39:55
social media, television, you know, reading a book.
39:59
Those things can come from, you know, anyone anywhere, right?
40:03
Our ability to access these things is instantaneous in a way
40:08
that throughout human history has not always been.
40:11
There was a time where. It was the norm to grow up in
40:15
whatever part of the world you grew up in, whether it's like a
40:18
village or a city and just live and die there, right?
40:22
And, and really be defined by, by that experience.
40:25
And that's not, that's not a bad thing.
40:28
But in the modern world, you know, you can be in a village
40:33
in, in China and be watching this podcast with, you know, 2-2
40:37
guys from Los Angeles, you know, talking about friendship.
40:40
And you're immediately learning from, you know, 2 individuals
40:44
whose cultural background, national background, you know,
40:48
political beliefs and everything are fundamentally different than
40:50
yours. But you're, you're learning and,
40:52
and kind of getting that perspective from them.
40:55
So in order, I think to be an effective global citizen, you
41:01
have to be willing to engage with the other.
41:04
I think that's, that's the core, core, core proponent of it.
41:09
And I think in doing so, you have to do it with an open mind.
41:12
You kind of have to, to take the biases away.
41:16
You know, we as human beings will form our biases.
41:21
We will form our opinions. It what makes us us.
41:24
It's what makes each individual unique.
41:27
But I think it's important to not form those opinions or those
41:30
biases or those perspectives until you had an opportunity to
41:34
share, until you've had an opportunity to try, until you've
41:37
had an opportunity to listen. And then from there, based on
41:41
that experience, right, Feel free to make your own opinion.
41:44
I have nothing but respect for it.
41:46
I think all global citizens kind of engage in the world around
41:50
them with that fundamental tenet as their guiding force.
41:54
Being willing to try, being willing to listen, being willing
41:57
to share. You know, it's just such a an
42:04
interesting melting pot that we find ourselves in, in the modern
42:07
world where there's so many kind of voices that have an ability
42:12
now to speak out into the void, where there's almost an
42:16
overabundance of sharing. And I think what we've what
42:21
we're starting to lose a little bit in that is I find that there
42:26
are more and more people shouting into the void without
42:29
the intention of someone else actually hearing.
42:33
I think it's more so the act of the shout, whether it's for
42:36
clout, whether it's to build a following, whether it's for
42:39
likes, right? Whether it's from this, this
42:43
feeling that, you know, my perspective is, is the right one
42:47
or better than the others. I'm finding that we're kind of
42:51
just throwing our perspectives into a vacuum.
42:53
And in certain ways, we're forgetting how to listen and how
42:57
to absorb and how to actually share and, and engage in that
43:01
content. And so I think what my, I think,
43:05
what my perspective is right now with global citizenry is really
43:09
leaning into that, that absorption part of it, right?
43:13
Leaning into the listening, leaning into like the
43:16
intentional kind of understanding and learning
43:18
component of it. I think that's what makes a true
43:21
global citizen is really just kind of engaging in that way.
43:25
Yeah, no, thank you so much. Shrug.
43:27
And I, I completely agree with you.
43:30
I do get this sense that people just want to shout into the
43:33
void. And it's, you know, very
43:35
attention grabbing and it can be even somewhat reactionary as
43:39
well. Yeah.
43:40
And, you know, quick to judge and to make a point and have it
43:44
stick. But rarely do we have the that
43:48
that that sense of, you know, measured introspection, where
43:53
we're willing to like truly learn from another by listening
43:57
and, and being OK. You know, if it's, if it's not
44:00
quite what you believe in or if it's just, you know, totally
44:04
different. Because I don't think that terms
44:08
of like, especially like where what we, what we see happening
44:11
in the world around us that things are going to get better
44:14
just by, you know, one person kind of having that domineering
44:18
like effect of like this is this is the narrative.
44:20
I think in, in, in, in opposite sense, more people need to kind
44:24
of have that that owns deeper sense of like, I know my voice.
44:29
And, you know, when you're confident in that, you don't
44:31
have to shout it. You can share it in a very
44:34
genuine way, but also have that sense of like engagement where
44:38
it's like, yeah, you listen to them, but then you also have
44:41
something very genuine to then follow it up if that person is
44:45
willing, you know, because sometimes maybe that's not the
44:47
case. And, and I, I get, I get that
44:49
it's hard though, because I mean, everything is so
44:54
instantaneous, instantaneous in, in, in this world.
44:57
And everyone is very quick to judge And you know, it's
45:02
tensions can be, can be running really high.
45:05
So is there like, do you have any advice for someone who's
45:08
trying to be a better listener to, to absorb and met the
45:11
message from another without it tainting them or and influencing
45:16
them in a negative way? I mean, because the way you
45:19
spoke about it, it sounded very nice and pleasant.
45:21
But, you know, I think people get visceral responses to some
45:24
of the messages that they do hear some of the rhetoric, like
45:28
what would you, you know, tell a young person or, you know, even
45:32
just, you know me as well, Like I'm curious, like, how do you,
45:35
how are you able to like take something in?
45:38
And then? You know, I don't know, like,
45:41
yeah, how do you become a better listener now?
45:44
Yeah, I know that. Yeah, it it's actually, it's
45:50
actually really, really interesting.
45:52
I having a strong opinion or a strong belief is not an
45:57
inherently bad thing. And it's OK to have a thought
46:02
that is in disagreement or unaligned with the thoughts of
46:07
another person. And I'd never want to put myself
46:10
in a position to tell someone that they're wrong because they
46:13
believe something that I don't, or they have an opinion that I
46:16
don't share, or they have a perspective that doesn't gel
46:20
with mine or is in direct conflict with my own.
46:23
I don't think that's inherently a bad thing.
46:25
Regardless of how extreme that person's belief may be, they
46:30
have the right to hold that belief.
46:34
But I think it's antithetical to being a true global citizen,
46:38
meaning a person that's engaging in the society in the world
46:42
around them to allow themselves to be closed off from hearing
46:47
another perspective or allowing another perspective to exist.
46:52
And I think that's a fundamental part of it.
46:54
So my advice to young people or to other people who who may be
46:58
kind of struggling with that is, is just to really challenge them
47:03
to be open minded, right? At the very least be respectful
47:07
of the other. And I think if we can do that,
47:10
then we can kind of live in a place where there's a certain
47:14
degree of harmony in our differences.
47:17
The reality of the world is there will always be differences
47:20
that will come into conflict and one needs to win out in the
47:23
other. We wouldn't have laws and
47:25
militaries and police and societies if if that wasn't the
47:29
case, right? But I think if we approach our
47:33
navigation of these these conflicting situations with open
47:38
mindedness, with respect, with a willingness to hear the other
47:43
side of the coin, so to speak, I think that's a huge, huge first
47:48
step. And at the end of it, if you
47:50
still hold your original belief, that's OK, as long as you were
47:55
willing to engage in the other and hear their perspective and
47:58
keep an open mind and, and you know, truly be willing to learn,
48:01
right? It requires.
48:05
Work, and that's the hard part. And I think that's why a lot of
48:08
people are unwilling to do so, because it requires effort.
48:13
It requires, it requires you to put something forward without
48:19
knowing that you're going to get the gratification or the result
48:22
that you're seeking. And so my advice would be just
48:25
really try to practice that perspective sharing.
48:29
Try, try, try to hear others out.
48:33
It's not easy. It can be painful, but if we
48:38
lean into it with that understanding of that core kind
48:41
of action point, I think we can make great, great strides and
48:45
and really just kind of coming together as as a society.
48:49
Yeah, no, thank you so much rug for for sharing that.
48:52
I think the keyword from what you shared is like respect and
48:57
being like the bigger person, right.
48:59
Saying that regardless of what, what it is that you, you believe
49:03
and how different it might actually be from what I, where I
49:07
stand, it's about respecting like what, what beliefs they
49:13
have and like, what led them to that.
49:15
And yeah, just accepting it and being like, OK, you know, 'cause
49:19
again, like, I don't think it's, it's gonna come from any kind of
49:22
like level of persuasion of like what you actually say.
49:25
But I do think that the, the way you let them feel like
49:29
acknowledged going back to, you know, even like the, the, the
49:32
homeless, you know, conversation of like people passing them up.
49:37
I imagine that's probably something similar to like a lot
49:40
of political debates happening right now.
49:42
People are just like politically homeless, just kind of like
49:46
walking past each other, pretending like they don't see
49:48
them or even just doing downright nasty things and like
49:51
kicking them. And, and it creates feeling of
49:55
resentment and the feeling of alienation and just kind of
49:58
disconnect. And, and I, I do think that as,
50:01
as human beings, we are wired to be connected and we do care a
50:05
lot about what other people say and, and you know what they do.
50:08
So I think what you, you shared about, you know, being very
50:13
upfront with the doing the work and saying, you know what, like
50:17
I'm going to do everything I can, even though it's difficult
50:20
and uncomfortable to like respect your position, doesn't
50:24
mean that you are going to subscribe to that or you condone
50:27
that. But it's also to kind of like
50:29
make sure that you know, you, you model for them the kind of
50:32
behavior that you're hoping for, while also, you know, kind of
50:36
continuing with like expressing your side.
50:38
If, if they do have some curiosity.
50:40
And I also think the word curiosity comes into play as
50:43
well. Sometimes we we think we already
50:45
know exactly what they believe in and we just like have it in
50:48
our head, but we we might not, you know, like, you know,
50:52
there's I think a lot to say of like how they articulated and
50:55
like where they coming from and why are they sharing it.
50:59
I think the yeah, that that that skill of, of really actively
51:04
listening and then having that default of like, I want to come
51:08
at this from a place of respect. Those are those are two
51:11
powerful, powerful things. And you know.
51:14
It's, it's so interesting because one of the things that
51:16
that I find people do is in these conversations, they may
51:21
think that they're respecting the other person's, you know,
51:23
opinion or perspective or, or value point, but they're
51:28
engaging in the dialogue or the discourse, not actively
51:31
listening, but actively or subconsciously trying to
51:35
persuade or change that person's opinion to fit their own right.
51:41
And that is fundamentally not respectful.
51:44
That is the exact opposite of, of respect and active listening
51:47
and, and truly and genuinely being willing to hear someone
51:51
else's side of the story, right. So you have to kind of, you
51:55
know, fight the urge to do that. And you know what we're, we're
51:57
talking about, like politics as an example of it.
52:00
It, it's very hard for a lot of people to give up their core
52:03
fundamental belief because in a lot of ways it defines who they
52:07
are and how they navigate the world around them.
52:11
But it's OK to, to disagree, like agree to disagree.
52:14
It's a, it's a played out saying, but it's, it's so true.
52:19
And then another part of the respect component, you know,
52:21
working in education, I've worked with, with so many, you
52:23
know, young people where they're presented with a situation that
52:28
they either don't understand, they're learning for the first
52:30
time, they don't agree with. And so I hear this more often
52:35
than I can count the times I've heard it.
52:38
That's just dumb. And you know, I have this
52:40
conversation with my students all the time.
52:42
I'm like, well, is it actually dumb?
52:45
Or is that your reaction to your not understanding it right?
52:51
Is the perspective that you're leaning into based off of
52:55
knowledge, information, facts? If so, then.
52:59
It's hard to then say definitively that that thing is
53:02
dumb, right? It must have some merit if it's
53:06
based in those things. People share that perspective.
53:10
It's a real thing in the world. It may not gel within your kind
53:14
of circle or bubble, but it is a thing.
53:17
So rather than saying it's dumb, can we push ourselves to better
53:21
understand it to have the very least acknowledge its its
53:26
importance or, or, or its, you know, ability to exist at the
53:30
very least, right. And then, you know, they kind of
53:32
roll their eyes. They're like, fine, if you're
53:34
going to make me, I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna stop making me
53:36
think. I don't critical thinking.
53:38
Come on, Shrag, What are you doing?
53:40
Oh, forgive me. It's not like we're.
53:41
Out of school, but yeah. Oh, right.
53:43
Yeah, we are at the school. No, I mean, I think that's
53:46
that's that's so important. Again, that's an example of us
53:51
jumping to like just a, a conclusion, a simple conclusion.
53:55
That's dumb, right? We, we feel this need to, to
53:58
shout into the void when no one was asking for that.
54:02
We're like, it's OK. You could just say you don't
54:04
know. That's OK.
54:06
They're also normalizing that. I think across the board in
54:09
society would be really helpful as well.
54:11
Just bring a little bit of humility to the the complexity
54:14
of our our ever changing world might be nice.
54:18
I say that all I said that all the time as a teacher, because
54:22
when my subject, you know, global politics, so much was
54:25
just like up in the air. But I do think to kind of like
54:29
ended on like the hopeful note, right?
54:32
Each of those decisions rooting back to our core values and also
54:36
giving people that sense of, you know, that the respect, right,
54:41
that we were talking about is so important because it's
54:43
ultimately about like connecting, right, because you
54:45
don't know what those connections are going to yield
54:48
later down the line. And and when something does come
54:52
up, there's such such appreciation that comes from
54:55
that, right. How wondrous it was that, you
54:58
know, out of all the bars in LA, you know, that's.
55:01
Where you guys went? To and, and that led to such a,
55:04
a profound shift in your career, which led you to, you know,
55:09
really bring out so many skills and like allow you to then bring
55:13
this, you know, greater impact to the lives, you know, of, of
55:17
these students and, and the, the other teachers that you were
55:21
working with. So a lot of good things.
55:24
And, and it's just very evident from our conversation about
55:28
friendship that you really walk the talk.
55:31
And, and I'm honored to be among the, the rainbow of friends
55:36
that, you know, I don't know where I fall on that spectrum,
55:38
but, you know, I'm super, super happy that we can be connected
55:41
in this way and really appreciate you sharing your
55:44
story, Sherrod, with us. I found it very encouraging.
55:47
And all that's left to ask you the final question, which is
55:52
book or movie recommendation or any recommendation in general,
55:56
but would love for you to, to share something with the, the
55:59
listeners. Yeah, yeah.
56:02
Great. OK, that's fun.
56:04
Fun. I'm gonna recommend a film.
56:07
It's it's one of my all time favorite favorite movies and it
56:10
it kind of hits a couple of different areas, which is one of
56:13
the reasons why I enjoy it so much.
56:15
It's a it's a very little known movie.
56:17
It's called the fall. It was directed by Tarson Singh,
56:20
who was a former like music video and commercial director,
56:23
If I'm not mistaken. It stars Lee Pace.
56:27
It's it's first and foremost an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous
56:31
film. It, it's shot with just a high
56:34
degree of beauty in terms of like the backgrounds and like
56:37
the, the cinematography, the shot selection.
56:41
But the thing that I really, really enjoy about this movie is
56:44
the, the story behind it. It's, it's essentially, without
56:48
spoiling things too much, it's, it's a series of, of fantastical
56:52
stories that serve to tell a bigger overarching story.
56:58
It's about an injured stuntman in a hospital who begins to tell
57:02
a series of stories to a young child who's in the same
57:06
emergency ward as him in an effort to get her to do
57:09
something for him. And so he's manipulating her by
57:12
telling these fantastical stories.
57:14
And through the progression of the film, you get to learn more
57:17
and more about the different characters that that inhabit
57:19
like this hospital in the stories themselves.
57:23
They're like children's stories, but they're all shot and and act
57:26
and acted by like the actors in the film.
57:28
It's one of those movies where once you watch it from the
57:32
beginning to the end, the ending fundamentally changes the entire
57:36
movie. So then when you watch it again,
57:39
you see things and acknowledge things that you missed the first
57:42
time. And it's just like really
57:44
profound. So if you're interested in a fun
57:47
movie, a really kind of thought provoking film, that would be
57:51
the one that I would recommend in the fall.
57:54
Awesome. Yeah, I've I've never heard of
57:56
it, but then again, you did say it was a little known film and I
58:00
know you to be the film buff. So definitely I'm going to look
58:04
into this and yeah, excited to watch it.
58:07
So thank you so much, Chirag. It's been such a joy to to learn
58:11
more about your background. What, what, what made you like,
58:15
how, what made you the educator you are today?
58:18
And yeah. And I definitely like, enjoyed
58:21
deepening my understanding of like what it means to be a good
58:23
friend and, and how to navigate the complexities of the world
58:28
that we're living in. So, you know, I wanted to give
58:31
you the last word as before we sign off.
58:33
But any final thought or, you know, last comment you'd like to
58:37
share with the listeners? Yeah.
58:40
Stop and smell the roses. Again, another cliched saying.
58:44
But as I've kind of gotten older and, and you know, my life has
58:47
gotten busier and busier, having the opportunity to just stop and
58:51
appreciate the space that I'm in, the people that I'm with, it
58:55
makes me smile. So take whatever opportunities
58:57
you can in your life to just stop and take it all in.
59:01
It's worth it.