Mother & son navigating the messy middle between the truths of a chaotic and beautiful world, together.
About Us
Jennifer Richmond
Finn tells me that if you've just met me, you'll know within 5 minutes that I lived in Myanmar growing up. In my defense, that was the watershed moment in my life. It defines me and was the springboard for me to study Chinese and go on to get several degrees in International Relations. My passion is helping people navigate cultures and the diversity of truths in between, and I'm blessed that my passion is also my profession.
Finn Higginbotham
I am 16 years old and a Theatre Arts student at McCallum's Fine Arts Academy. I have a passion for basketball, track and acting. History and science are my favorite subjects.
Introduction
Jennifer Richmond
The Challenge: read an article a day from both a "progressive" and a "conservative" view.
The Goal: Learn how to navigate the messy middle with compassion, and to communicate and articulate the truth you find in between.
In a world that is increasingly polarized, both my son, Finn, and myself often find ourselves caught in between two very different views. With the proliferation of media outlets catering to one view or the other, it is very easy to find yourself in a silo or an echo chamber, hearing only the views that mimic your own. This makes it difficult to understand, let alone respect, those with opposing views. In many respects, this is a luxury - you don't have to think critically, after all, everyone else in your various circles have the same view.
Not being able to afford this luxury, I have given us the challenge to explore the divide. While there are some truths that are undeniable - black and white - many "truths" are relative - relative to your upbringing, neighborhood, culture, etc. In essence the world is full of varying shades of gray.
The middle is messy and uncomfortable, but we believe that it's the only way to move forward and repair the breach.
Welcome to our blog and our navigation of the messy middle.
Finn Higginbotham
Recently people have been saying a lot of audacious things in media about the side they oppose. It seems that some news outlets are more focused on insulting the other party than actually telling news. Truth is no longer a factor but just a buzzword being thrown around to justify attacking people who look, act, or think differently than the people telling the story.
The moment the truth becomes a means to an end instead of a key factor in any form of communication is the moment things start to become ugly for all involved. I believe this is truly the highest injustice that one could do to the American public.
Now I cannot promise you, that you will agree with everything that is posted on this website. It will be the truth as I see it, and I welcome you sharing your truths and us moving through the middle together, with respect and dignity.
Note
Finn and I will both, separately, be writing our own blogs on what we find to be the "truth in between" - [truth]. We welcome comments, feedback and productive dialogue. In this effort of finding the "truth in between", we hope engage in compassionate and diplomatic dialogue that expands and enhances understanding.