011 : A Toast to Change with Erin Gruwell
09/27/20 • 59 min
Have you heard of the term six degrees of separation? The idea is that all people are six or fewer away from each other. Back in 2006 I was on a flight from Spokane to Seattle, Washington and sat next to an extraordinary human.
Like most flights, if you're sat next to someone friendly, you eventually chit-chat and have a brief encounter with them, and I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a woman who shared she was headed to her movie premier in Seattle. I later found out that she was Erin Gruwell, the dedicated teacher known best from the famous film "Freedom Writers."
To my surprise, "Freedom Writers" became a big blockbuster with lead actress Hilary Swank at the helm. The movie is about a dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school with a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their future. She assigns reading material that relates to their lives and encourages them all to keep journals. Those journals not only formed a movie, but formed the Freedom Writers Foundation. Erin Gruwell, that dedicated teacher, was that amazing inspiring lady that sat next to me on that flight in 2006. "Freedom Writers" became a movie I adored.
As Choose Your Attitude Podcast formed, and we reached out for guests, Erin Gruwell was at the top of the list. We reached out to Erin a week prior to the George Floyd protests.
It was like fate set us up to connect, and discuss the current situation.
Here's our chat...
Message form Erin Gruwell:
"I was humbled by Nicholas and Brianna’s tragic story of love and loss, so it was my honor to take part in the Choose Your Attitude Podcast. Brianna’s story is heartbreaking, but can act as a guide for anyone looking to create their own destiny. Nicholas’ determination to turn his pain into purpose proves that even in the face of adversity, the human spirit cannot be broken."
Erin Gruwell : @FreedomWritersFoundation
Have you heard of the term six degrees of separation? The idea is that all people are six or fewer away from each other. Back in 2006 I was on a flight from Spokane to Seattle, Washington and sat next to an extraordinary human.
Like most flights, if you're sat next to someone friendly, you eventually chit-chat and have a brief encounter with them, and I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a woman who shared she was headed to her movie premier in Seattle. I later found out that she was Erin Gruwell, the dedicated teacher known best from the famous film "Freedom Writers."
To my surprise, "Freedom Writers" became a big blockbuster with lead actress Hilary Swank at the helm. The movie is about a dedicated teacher (Hilary Swank) in a racially divided Los Angeles school with a class of at-risk teenagers deemed incapable of learning. Instead of giving up, she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning their future. She assigns reading material that relates to their lives and encourages them all to keep journals. Those journals not only formed a movie, but formed the Freedom Writers Foundation. Erin Gruwell, that dedicated teacher, was that amazing inspiring lady that sat next to me on that flight in 2006. "Freedom Writers" became a movie I adored.
As Choose Your Attitude Podcast formed, and we reached out for guests, Erin Gruwell was at the top of the list. We reached out to Erin a week prior to the George Floyd protests.
It was like fate set us up to connect, and discuss the current situation.
Here's our chat...
Message form Erin Gruwell:
"I was humbled by Nicholas and Brianna’s tragic story of love and loss, so it was my honor to take part in the Choose Your Attitude Podcast. Brianna’s story is heartbreaking, but can act as a guide for anyone looking to create their own destiny. Nicholas’ determination to turn his pain into purpose proves that even in the face of adversity, the human spirit cannot be broken."
Erin Gruwell : @FreedomWritersFoundation
Previous Episode
010 : Let's Talk About Racism
After the horrible events of George Floyd and then the protests following, I reached out to Bryce Smith, a friend of mine, to help try and create a deeper understanding of racism, and where as a white man I could/can do better.
I was taken back when he confronted me for reaching out, but as I listened to Bryce wholeheartedly, it was then made clear to me Bryce's frustration and hurt. Something I could never truly comprehend as a white male.
We had many conversations regarding current events and racism, and as our talks continued, we felt it was important to make it an episode in our podcast and share what we were unpacking, discovering, and coming to realize.
We discuss with another guest (and friend!) Ben Valdez about breaking down the construct of racism and our current status, today.
Here's our chat.
Bryce Smith : @BryceWillardSmithe
Ben Valdez : @Ben.Valdez.5249
Next Episode
012 : Sober Life with Ashley Rhyner
Life is a difficult journey. We of course all strive to live our best life, however, it isn't always perfect.
When we grow up, we sometimes fall into difficult choices/circumstances. In high school, I had the privilege to go to school with a beautiful human being that has been through some turbulent times.
Ashley Rhyner experienced her parents splitting, her father coming out as a gay man, and her step dad passing of cancer. As a young girl, the process was extremely difficult, and in trying to find strength in such a difficult set of circumstances, she fell into 10 years of hard drugs and alcohol.
Ashley is a prime example of why we must not look at circumstances and judge the people experiencing them, but instead, take a deeper look into their crisis, and help them heal.
Today Ashley is three years sober, and now is a mentor for many others going through the same struggles.
It's all perspective.
Ashley’s heart and attitude for life made her the perfect guest, and she constantly inspires me to this day.
Here's our chat.
Ashley Rhyner : @Rottenharls23
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