It has only been 4 weeks in the new administration and what was only historical prior to these events taking place are now becoming all too real. The takeover of freedom of speech and keeping our arts for entertainment and learning is now politically correcting itself to the extreme right.

The Foundation has conducted interviews to find out where the “public” opinion is right now. A fear to speak out is 90% of their reactions. Once I tell them what we do and why, they open up like fountains sharing what they feel, what they have heard and what they are doing to stay safe. Me, being the executive director, somehow opened a conversation four police officers who asked me not to take their picture or identify their names. “We love our Hispanic friends in Los Vegas. We protect them but as you can see, we are not on the Strip right now. We are in the community where they serve their community. When we take our breaks, we stagger them so someone is always barked near the restaurant.”

I didn’t see one “Strip” looking person for the whole hour I ate my delicious food, just beautiful Hispanic people. What a loss for them.

Meet John. As I was doing my morning meditation, I watched John clean the pool from the wind blown night and now the calm blue sky morning warm enough to feel the air softly on my skin unlike the cold snowy day I left behind in Oregon. I instantly felt a vibe from John that he had a story to share, so I drew him into conversation with me. At first, he was distant, but that did not last very long as I told him that I am a retired photo journalist teacher and that I am collecting stories from everyday people on their feelings today about where they are at with the world. “I am John and I am from northern England born in 1974 and came here to the States with my parents.” By that time my mine wandered to England, and to confess my mind is not as sharp as it once was remembering things told to me but here is the memory of our conversation. HE SUPPORTED TRUMP. THINKS BERNIE SANDERS IS A COMUNIST, MARRIED A WOMAN FOR HIS GREEN CARD AND SUFFERED THROUGH 17 YEARS BUT HE DID LOVE HER. HE CARES ABOUT PEOPLE.

Wait, something we could connect with. Caring for people. Our conversation continued in this direction. I would ask him questions about what he cared the most about them, and both of us were equal ground on that. I asked him what his sources of news were. He was surprised that his source did not share the images and news that I showed him from the world sources. Finally I had to leave to catch my plane, but I want to return and do a formal interview with him on video. I want to make sure that he is heard like all my friends, but I asked him if he would take me to the gun range with him so I could prove to him that a hippie liberal loves her guns too!

Ricardo and I had an accidental dance together at breakfast. He entered the door I was exiting from and nothing spilled as if we planned to do the twist and turns to avoid collision. We both laughed and warmly greeted each other as I walked back to my room with my meal. One of my quarks is the enjoyment of dining alone, which shrinks have told me is a result of the constant fighting at the dining table while growing up which blew up like a volcano when may father screamed louder than I ever heard him, “SHUT UP AND ACT LIKE A NORMAL FAMILY!!!’ I have literally been spending 69 years attempting to find out what a normal family is.

Later, as I hugged all the people that took such fine care of me at the hotel and rolled my bags to the counter, guess who was the shuttle driver? Yes, Ricardo! He put my bags in the car and we were off. Again, a wonderful man I want to sit down and have a real video interview with. We laughed and shared all the way to the airport. I mentioned John to him and he said everyone there liked him. That made my heart feel good. we hugged, took my traditional picture, and I told him I would see everyone again.

My interviews continued in San Francisco where I want to put the collection of the Bay Area art so it can be viewed one on one which my father wanted. Those stories will come on screen shortly but I do want to share that I have personally been financing the Surendorf Foundation since COVID dried up our donations. If you have some extra love for the arts to share, I beg you to send it our direction to the link below. I know that now is the time.  https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/surendorf2artfoundation/campaign/CharlesSurendorfIIArtFoundation33776