The Journey Begins

In 1985 I left the Treasure Valley (That little blip you see of the mountain time zone in the pacific time zone where idaho takes a tiny bite out of oregon) like a rocket, vowing to only return for the occasional holiday because I was an artist out to explore the world and the big cities. In 2011 while still in the midst of an artistic career as an artist, designer, performer and workshop artist I am facing the reality of Nyssa, family, aging and love. My dad is 82 and my uncle is 86 and despite years of being feisty independent scrappy nisei farmers, they now need some help. I freelance and it seems the universe has allowed me to be able to keep my artist life and still be able to care for my family. The only catch is I base myself out of my home town, a border farm town on the Oregon Idaho border, let's call it Ore-Ida and Back to Los Angeles when I happen to have a performance or a workshop. I am left of most lefties and after 26 years I find myself smack dab in the middle of a political Red Zone. These are old friends and family, familiar folks with backgrounds I well understand--why are we on such polarized "sides" in this country? I want to find out while I am back home. I also want to find out if one person can make change if they speak respectfully and honestly with people. Will a human approach build a bridge? A social experiment begins.