Nomad PJ Laughlin shares Five Things He's Learned about America
View the latest in our ongoing series of messages, ideas, and inspiration – shared directly from Americans we admire.
Hello, and thanks to you again for being part of Five Things I’ve Learned.
We’re looking forward to our newest collection of live classes beginning in September. In the meantime, we’re offering new entries in something we’re equally proud of – our ongoing series of reflections about our country from people we admire, Five Things I’ve Learned about America.
Today: A reflection from the road from nomad, chef, and biker PJ Laughlin, sharing lessons learned while biking across the country.
Five Things I’ve Learned about America
“My name is PJ Laughlin, I’m 32 years old. I’m originally from northern New York. I lived in Northwest Montana for about 10 years. Things that are important to me are bikes and bike advocacy. I’ve been traveling on a bicycle for about a year and a half now.”
Generally, the smaller the group the more welcoming we are.
“We’re able to express ourselves more clearly, more truthfully, more authentically in smaller one-on-one or three-person groups.”
It's good to accept help.
“The sort of macho, “No, no I can do it myself” mentality: By definition, that limits community – because part of community is helping others and if you’re not allowing yourself to be helped you’re keeping yourself on the outside.”
Every one of us is shaped by our geography.
“I have always been a mountain person and will continue to be a mountain person – even though I have thoroughly enjoyed time in desert, time on the seacoast, time in lowland forest.”
Privilege is real, and it’s alive and well in this country.
“(There are) things that I can get away with that other people – people of color, people of different minorities – would very likely have the cops called on them.”
We don’t need to be so afraid of our neighbors.
“When I get to stay with someone, I get to be the recipient of their generosity and I get to help them feel a connection to someone who might not be their neighbor, who might not be a community member of theirs, but just another human. That in turn can help us both feel less disconnected, and less afraid of people we don’t know.”
MORE ABOUT FIVE THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT AMERICA
Five Things I’ve Learned about America presents live, personal conversations with leading thinkers, organizers, and advocates for our democracy. We’re also soliciting and sharing written pieces, short videos, and other bursts of ideas and inspiration from people whose ideas and experiences are equally inspiring and instructive.
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