1
00:00:05.800 --> 00:00:11.000
You're listening to StoryHelix, intertwining
stories past, present and not yet imagined
2
00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:15.359
in Lane County, Oregon. What's
up, earthlings? I'm Leah Velez
3
00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:20.960
and I'll be your host. The stories
that follow our raw footage. So let's
4
00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:30.390
open up out your nuggets and give
these community submitted stories listen.
5
00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:36.399
I think belonging feels like a warm sense, uh,
kind of a comforting sense, like you
6
00:00:36.439 --> 00:00:43.119
aren't being pushed out or pulled in, you're just there. The moment I
7
00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:49.240
felt I belonged was probably, I
would say it's it was in this classroom
8
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:55.600
and also just kind of because this
classroom has felt like a safe space so
9
00:00:55.799 --> 00:01:00.920
far and I really enjoyed like talking
and having this these type of conversations and
10
00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.640
like the things that we're learning right
now. I think it are really interesting
11
00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:12.879
and important. I think the people
are they're all from different backgrounds, they
12
00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:19.480
all have interesting stories or interesting things
to say, and I think I've also
13
00:01:19.560 --> 00:01:26.599
been pushed out of my comfort zone
to talk more or to kind of be
14
00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:33.319
open about my ideas and share them
as well. But very specific moment when
15
00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:37.560
I felt that way, and I
think that was like in 2016, which
16
00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:42.000
was during like the whole border wall
dispute, which is still going on.
17
00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.480
I think I felt the most like
I didn't belong at all, like anywhere,
18
00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:51.120
because of there were so many things
on one side and so many things
19
00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:56.400
and not other side, people supporting
it, people not supporting it, and
20
00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:00.760
I've always felt like I was in
the middle of that conversation because I was
21
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.480
someone that was born here with parents
that were born somewhere completely else that I've
22
00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:13.000
only been to once. So I
think during that time in school and just
23
00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:16.960
anywhere, I felt like I felt
really weird, like I didn't belong,
24
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:23.159
like I wasn't allowed to go here
there or stuff like that, which was
25
00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:30.120
a very odd feeling to have.
I think it's not a place that has
26
00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.400
usually, I mean there's people in
it, but there's nobody like that lives.
27
00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:37.719
I'm sure there's people that live there, but kind of like going to
28
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.120
parks and stuff, I felt belonging
only because it's very calm. It can
29
00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:47.479
be kind of a reassuring place.
It also has my favorite things, which
30
00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:53.960
is like nature and animals and all
that, and I really enjoy parks.
31
00:02:54.159 --> 00:03:00.199
I feel very belonged there. I
think in some cases it still feels I
32
00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:06.439
don't belong. In some cases I
will like notice the way people look at
33
00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:12.479
me or maybe how they perceive me, like with friends. I've had this
34
00:03:12.599 --> 00:03:17.240
like one the thing happened where I
felt like I didn't dig into it,
35
00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:23.719
but it just felt like because me
and my friends went to a store and
36
00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:28.319
we were like speaking Spanish a lot
and then somebody, like a store person,
37
00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:31.800
was kept kind of watching us and
looking at us, and I don't
38
00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:36.120
know if my friend pointed out and
I was like, I didn't really notice
39
00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:39.719
that, or you know, it's
just or incidents. That happened with my
40
00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:46.919
mom, I think, because her
her accent is very thick and sometimes like
41
00:03:46.390 --> 00:03:52.280
she doesn't know English that well or
doesn't like she talks, but it's hard.
42
00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:57.360
So I think back on those type
of things and I'm like, okay,
43
00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:02.479
yeah, I still feel kind of
weird about going to places, but
44
00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:09.319
I think it's it's changed. I
hope it changes more, you know,
45
00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:23.519
for the better, of course.
Thanks for listening. You can find us
46
00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:28.600
wherever you listen to your podcasts.
If you've got your own Lane County story
47
00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.439
to tell, we'd love to hear
it at StoryHelix Dot WordCrafters dot org.
