One Small Step

As we bring our One Small Step series to a close, we would like to say thank you to everyone who took this journey with us. Listening is an act of love, and saying "thank you" will never go out of style.

Carl Berger is 83, Tamara Weldon is 30. As their conversation unfolds, we can hear how skipping a generation makes crossing the age divide both a comfortable and heartening experience.

When she was 20, Clare Coonan stepped away from her traditional family upbringing.  When he was 50, Scott Swain took a similar big step.  

When Jessy McKee looked up to see his interview partner, he was surprised to see his high school science teacher, Tom Elder.  As they catch up, we find that Jessy has stayed with the family ranching business while Tom is still talking science. Here's what this conservative and this long-time liberal had to say to each other.

Amber Dubois is 34. Georgia Beth Thompson says she's chasing 80.  For these women, crossing the age divide ends in a resounding cheer --"Go, girl!"

While recording for One Small Step this summer, we found that crossing the divide between two strangers often began with the small step of sharing a personal story. Thirty years ago, Clare Coonan had something to tell her parents, and said she would be by at ten. 

When Steve McIntyre and Maughn Gregory sat down with One Small Step, they found their life experiences as liberals living in predominantly conservative neighborhoods had taken them down two very different paths.

While recording for One Small Step this summer, we found that two people often entered the recording booth as strangers, and left as friends.  Crossing the divide often began with the small step of sharing a personal story.  Thanks to Martha Ham for this story, recorded in Saint George. 

While recording for One Small Step this summer, we found that two people often entered the recording booth as strangers, and left as friends.  Crossing the divide often bean with the small step of sharing a personal story.  Thanks to Linda Stay for this story, recorded in Saint George.

Clayton Long lives in Blanding Utah; Liz Ballenger lives in Moab. They met halfway in Monticello, finding common ground for their love of nature and juggling the different cultures introduced to them throughout their lives. 

Cindy Perkins and her family have lived for five generations near Blanding, a community agitated by the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument in 2016. Jeremy Lynch moved to Moab to work with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. They met halfway in Monticello.

Kolby Sorenson is 27, Charles Salzberg is 75.  Ordinarily they would not mix, but when they came into the UPR studio, they discovered their life experiences had led them to a very similar place.

Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Tyler Riggs and David Faucett came into the UPR studio to talk, to listen and to hopefully bridge the current cultural and political divide.  Both recommended one small step we can all take. 

Today, we’re going to eavesdrop on a conversation between two strangers... It’s part of a new StoryCorps initiative called One Small Step that brings together people on opposite sides of the political divide.