A Peace of My Mind

Vanessa Weyaus is a member of the Lynx clan of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Her name in Ojibwe translates as The Shining Light in the Sky Woman. Vanessa spent years in addiction, eventually living on the streets and running from the law. When she tired of it all, she turned herself in during a routine traffic stop. She was offered treatment, but chose to serve her prison sentence instead and has now been clean and sober for more than six years. Her recovery date is January 8, 2019. She now works as a substance use disorder counselor for the tribe.Many thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board and the arts and cultural heritage fund for supporting this work.John Noltner is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

John Gerber is a graphic designer and a fine artist in Minneapolis. He describes himself as someone who thinks and feels deeply. He has had an on again / off again relationship with alcohol. He stopped drinking completely between the ages of 30 and 40, but when his 40th birthday came around, he decided to celebrate. He describes it like this: "Then between 40 and 60, I think I drank probably to make up for those 10 years."John never hit a rock bottom but he noticed things about himself that he wanted to change. He said, "Between 40 and 60, I think some things would've been better had I not been drinking at all." He has been sober since August of 2023.Many thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board and the arts and cultural heritage fund for supporting this work.John Noltner is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Casey Pytleski is a mother, a wife, and a recovering addict. Although she had experimented with my substances as a youth, it was an unexpected introduction to meth as an adult that led to a quick addiction and unraveled the idyllic life she and her husband had created. At the time of our interview, it had been 89 days since her last use. 

Welcome to A Peace of My Mind, a project that uses storytelling and art to rediscover what connects us. I'm John Noltner, the founder and director of A Peace of My Mind and I have the good luck to travel the country and the world interviewing people to help reveal the beauty and wisdom that is all around us….if we choose to see it.This new season of the podcast is called Sobr. S-O-B-R and we are exploring stories of addiction and recovery. I stopped drinking on August 10, 2022. It was the day I turned  55-1/2. And now I am gathering the stories of others who have decided that sobriety…for them…is easier than moderation. Whether their addiction was alcohol or drugs…these are stories of people who found a way to make a change in their lives when their lifestyles were no longer serving them. The road is not always easy and the path to recovery is not always a straight line. But there is always hope and tomorrow is always a new day. So together, we are going to explore the struggles, celebrate the victories, and reaffirm that we all have choices to make along the way. Welcome to A Peace of My Mind. Welcome to SOBR. I'm glad you're here.

Joe Davis is a spoken word artist in Minneapolis. I interviewed Joe in front of a live audience for one of our Creative Changemakers events on July 25 at Squirrel Haus Arts in Minneapolis. He joined us with his band Poetic Diaspora. Enjoy a little music with them and then our conversation.

Jan Selby is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been screened internationally in settings ranging from film festivals and art museums to university classrooms and on Public Television. BEYOND THE DIVIDE premiered at Montana's Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and won Best Feature Documentary at the Peace on Earth Film Festival. After a year of traveling to festivals world-wide, BEYOND THE DIVIDE was broadcast on Twin Cities Public Television, which led to national distribution by American Public Television.Jan's previous film, A CIRCLE AND THREE LINES, won a regional Emmy, screened at numerous film festivals including the Woodstock Film Festival and was featured in the Walker Art Center exhibit, The Reel Thing. Jan is the founder of Quiet Island Films where she brings her documentary and storytelling experience to projects for corporate and non-profit clients.I interviewed Jan in front of a live audience before screening her film, which she has now made available for streaming for free on the website for BEYOND THE DIVIDE.Between the interview and Q&A segments of the podcast, you will hear musician Chris Koza play the title track from the film.

Duncan Gray is a retired Episcopal Priest and was the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. I met him at St. Peter's Episcopal church in Oxford, Mississippi, where he was rector, like his father before him. His father served from 1957 to 1965 during the turbulent era when James Meredith was the first Black man who was allowed admission into the University of Mississippi.St. Peter's organized itself in 1851. The church building was completed just prior to the Civil War in 1860. Its first service was just prior to Mississippi's secession and, according to Duncan, “has a history of being an enlightened community in some pretty difficult times in Mississippi.”

Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar is chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. She has spent decades helping her community fight for federal recognition of their tribe and finding resilient solutions to the political and environmental challenges that have seen their traditional lands literally wash away into the Gulf of Mexico.(We did this interview on the front porch, on a windy day, along a busy road, so there is some background noise, but the conversation is rich.)

Greg Campbell has gone home to die. His liver and kidneys are failing and on Wednesday, March 8, he left the hospital because he didn't want to die in an institution. He has chosen to die at home where he finds peace and love and safety.We talked about his faith, his desire to teach people that they don't need to fear death and the deep joy in having time to say goodbye to friends.Greg said, "Am I sad? Yeah. But this is the trail I'm on. And I have to finish the trail."

April Grayson was born and raised in Mississippi. She left the state after college and returned again 10 years later to tell stories about her home state and, in particular, about the Civil Rights Movement and the history of race in Mississippi through oral history and documentary films. April is the director of Community & Capacity Building at the Alluvial Collective, formerly the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, an organization that works to hold space for difficult conversations.We talked about her love of storytelling, her work to build healing dialogue and the difficult history she finds in her own family's story right down to the name she was given.

Randell Sam is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. I met Randell while spending some time with the Water Protectors near Palisade, Minnesota. After a brief introduction in Ojibwe, Randell shared some of his history with alcohol and drug addiction. After years of using, he found the true meaning behind his Anishinabe name, which is, “I Am The Walking Light.” Randell plays an important role in the recovery movement in his community, fighting the opioid epidemic. Through living honestly and practicing truth, love, and humility, he's able to continue connecting and supporting others to stay sober. He's found his life's calling, sharing that he recovered loudly so addicts don't have to die quietly. 

Harvey Goodsky, Jr. lives in McGregor, Minnesota. As a part of the Sucker Fish Clan, he carries the responsibility of being the shepherd of the land. His priority is to keep that teaching and learning alive through his own seven children and their future generations. Harvey opens our interview with a message in his native language, Ojibwe. We talked about his childhood and growing up as Anishinaabe, his connection with their land and learning the clan's traditions. He shared the historical challenges that his ancestors have gone through and the contemporary struggles of today, losing touch with nature and lack of infrastructure in their community. 

Sandy Gokee is Anishinaabe—Bear Clan—and lives in Ashland, Wisconsin. For the interview, we sat outside at a park overlooking Lake Superior as a storm skirted around us, so you might hear a little wind and maybe even thunder in the recording. Sandy introduces herself in her native language, Ojibwemowin. She shares her concerns about the invisibility of Indigenous people and how imbalanced life is between human and non-human beings. She also talks about the importance and frustrations of educating others on her community's cultures, beliefs, and treaties, so that they can heal and restore the harmony and balance in their way of life. 

Afton Thomas is the Associate Director for Programs at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. Afton talks about Oxford as the progressive south, and the importance of continuing to share stories of the past so we can live better today and in the future. At the time of this interview, Afton's involvement and voice in the community had led her down a political path as she made the decision to run for Alderman in the city she now calls home. 

Mary Dougherty lives in Bayfield, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Superior. As she says, just about as far north as you can go in the state without getting wet. She is the author of "Life in a Northern Town: Cooking, Eating, and Other Adventures along Lake Superior."We talked about preserving the watershed of the world's largest fresh water lake and how we need to look upstream at the sustainability and health of the community's surrounding it in order to preserve the wellbeing of this vast, yet fragile resource for generations to come. 

Mike Radtke is the operations manager for the Madeline Island Ferry Line in Bayfield, Wisconsin. He started there as a captain and over the past 32 years, he has made the 20-minute, 2.5 mile journey between the mainland and the island thousands of times. We talked about his observations of how Lake Superior has changed through the years, his family's long-time habit of hosting international exchange students and the beauty and richness of life in a small town. 

Michael Skoler describes himself as a reformed NPR correspondent, a dad, a meditator, and a backpacker. Michael is the communications director for Weave the Social Fabric Project, an initiative of the Aspen Institute, designed to address the broken social trust in America. We spoke about  his work in Africa during the Rwandan genocide, his desire to care open-heartedly and his goals to foster community at a grassroots level with the Weave Project.

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is the Executive Director of the Religion and Society Program at the Aspen Institute and the author of The Light We Give, How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. We talked about his love for basketball, his advocacy for religious pluralism and a surprise lesson he learned one day recently when he forgot his earbuds while going for a run.

Shane Claiborne is a speaker, activist and author. He founded the Simple Way, an intentional community in Philadelphia, building a neighborhood of belonging. And he leads Red Letter Christians, a group that tries to live “like Jesus meant the things he said.”I interviewed Shane at the Sojourners office in DC right after the Moral March on Washington, led by the Poor People's Campaign.We talked abut living simply, living courageously and about surrounding yourself with good people.

Lauren Reliford is the political director for Sojourners in Washington, DC. Her work is centered on applying social theory, spirituality, research, and practice to the political policy that guides our nation. We talked about her political theory, her efforts to influence policy makers to legislate for the common good, and her inclination to care deeply.

Bill Mefford is the Executive Director of the Festival Center in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington DC. The Festival Center is an outreach of the Church of the Saviour, designed as a hub for supporting community centered ministries and nonprofits, and to train faith leaders for mission and justice. We talked about his journey from Evangelical to liberation theology, his understanding of proximity and immersion with those who are marginalized that can lead us to liberation and his commitment to stay in relationship with people he disagrees with.

Mitchell Atencio is the associate news editor at Sojourners. Born in Atlanta, he now works out of the Sojourners D.C. offices on Capitol Hill.  I interviewed Mitchell three days before the Supreme Court released its ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.We spoke about his work in media, his ongoing process of challenging his own assumptions, and his decision to be discalced out of religious conviction.

Sister Jenna is a spiritual mentor, the founder and director of the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Museum and the host of America Meditating Radio.We spoke about her meditation practice, her understanding of the obstacles that impede our progress toward peace, and our ability to see the divine in one another.

Andrew Cheung is the senior pastor of Washington Community Fellowship, a Protestant community located less than a dozen blocks from our nation's capital that strives to practice love as a lifestyle.We talked about his interest in crossing boundaries, his personal walk through life with a sense of wonder, and  our ability to create healing for one another.

Rose Berger is the senior editor at Sojourners magazine. She is a poet and a Catholic peace activist. She's traveled to conflict zones around the world to be in fellowship with faith communities who are working toward peace.We spoke about her trip to Ukraine, her belief in nonviolence and finding the courage to live an authentic life rooted in her faith.Read more about her trip and why she went at this link.

Adam Russell Taylor is the president of Sojourners, a faith-based organization exploring the Christian call for social justice. I interviewed Adam at the Sojourner's office in Washington D.C. on the eve of the Poor People's Campaign's Moral March on Washington, where I joined Adam and tens of thousands of others in a call for moral revival in America. We talked about America's troubled history with race, the role faith plays in racial healing, and the opportunity to build a Beloved Community that allows all people to thrive..

Katey Zeh is the CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. She's an ordained Baptist minister and the author of A Complicated Choice, Making Space for Grief and Healing in the Pro-choice Movement. We talked about the history of religious leaders who have helped women get the healthcare they need, the political moment we are currently in, and her decision to no longer spend her energy debating the morality of abortion, but rather tend to the care of people in crisis.

Izzy Collett is the co-founder and owner of Desert Adventures, an outfitter in Boulder City, Nevada that takes clients on outdoor adventures. With more than 20 years of paddling experience, Izzy is a searcher, always looking for new answers. We talked about lake levels, wilderness ethics and the little things we can all do to make a difference.

Colby Pellegrino is the Deputy General Manager of Resources for the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is the driest metropolitan area in the United States with an annual rainfall of just four inches.We talked about the increasing population of Las Vegas, the unprecedented drought and the innovative water conservation programs the city has developed in the face of it all.

David Arend was named the Deputy Regional Director for the Bureau of Reclamations Lower Colorado Basin in December of 2021. His responsibilities include oversight of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. I interviewed David at the Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nevada.We talked about the multiple factors that are lowering lake levels in Lake Mead, the history of the Colorado River Compact and some of the ways states, water districts and tribes are cooperating to address the challenges.

Nora McDowell is a member of the Fort Mojave Tribe in Mojave Valley, Arizona and was the chairperson of the tribe for more than 25 years. She's a part of the leadership team for the Water and Tribes Initiative and is passionate about protecting all natural and cultural resources along the Colorado River.We talked about the history of her community, their advocacy for the preservation of the environment, and their deep connection to the land and the water that sustains it.

Bri Hernandez Rosales is a graduate research assistant at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada and did her graduate thesis on the feasibility of rainwater harvesting for a local tribe. I interviewed Bri two days before she walked the stage to receive her master's degree in hydrologic sciences. We talked about her interest in water resources, her research on rainwater harvesting and her desire to make a difference in underserved communities.

Chad Taylor is the director of sales and marketing for Lake Mead, Mohave Adventures, and grew up on Lake Mead, when his dad was the general manager of Callville Bay Marina in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States, but is currently at historically low levels as the population in the southwest continues to grow and the region faces continued drought conditions.We talked about the changes in the lake levels, the ways his business is adapting, and his belief that humans will find a solution to this challenge, as we always do.

Seth Nickell describes himself as a husband, a father, a combat veteran, and a man of God. I interviewed Seth in Stanwood, Washington at a retreat for Project Sanctuary, a nonprofit that helps reconnect returning soldiers to civilian and family life. We talked about his decision to serve, the challenges of finding help for his PTSD and the things he's learned about himself along the way. 

Lisa Rutherford lives in Ivins, Utah, just outside of Saint George, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in America. Lisa spent two decades working for the oil industry in Alaska and is one of the founding board members and current advisors for Conserve Southwest Utah. We talked about water resources, smart growth, and resisting the ever-present temptation to consume.

John Weisheit grew up with a love for the Colorado River and has worked as a river guide for more than four decades. In the year 2000, John co-founded Living Rivers, an advocacy group that seeks a path to restoring the ecology of the Southwest, balanced with meeting human needs.I interviewed John in the cool shade of his backyard boathouse in Moab, Utah just after he returned from a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.We talked about working in harmony with nature, the ability of time in the wilderness to eliminate some of life's distractions, and the power of the individual to create change.

Eric Balken is the executive director for the Glen Canyon Institute, which is dedicated to the restoration of Glen Canyon and a free flowing Colorado River. Eric grew up and still lives in Salt Lake City, Utah where he developed an early love for mountains, rivers and deserts.We talked about the structure of the Colorado River basin, the challenges of a historic 20-year drought, and what a future without Lake Powell might look like.

Melanie Stanley lost her home and business in Blue River, Oregon in the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020. The Meyers General Store and Liquor Shop had been in her family for 29 years. I interviewed her on the cement slab that remained.We talked about the fire that devastated the town of Blue River, her commitment to rebuild and both her dreams and fears about what the future might hold for her community.

Jackie Davis is 12 years old and lives in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. She likes to catch snakes and salamanders in her yard. She'd like to work in claymation when she grows up. In late summer of 2020, the Holiday Farm wildfire swept through the valley where she lives and they had to evacuate. Her house wasn't damaged by the fire, but more than 500 other homes were destroyed.We talked about the fire, the things she brought with her when they evacuated, and what she loves about growing up in the woods of Oregon.Jackie was named for her grandfather, Jackie Herman, who I also interviewed for A Peace of My Mind.

Jackie Herman is a retired hair dresser from Brooklyn, New York. I met Jackie in Mackenzie bridge, Oregon, where he was spending time with his daughter, Kelly, after losing his wife of 59 years. We talked about his first date with Sheila, the business they ran together, and his journey of learning how to live without her.Fair warning, if the f-word bothers you, it might be better to move on to the next story, but if you can manage it, Jackie has some wisdom to share.

Kelly Britt Davis works in a rural health care facility in Blue River, Oregon. After navigating the first six months months of Covid, the clinic burned to the ground in the Holiday Farm Fire, a wild fire that consumed 175,000 acres and more than 500 structures at the end of Labor Day weekend.Our interview started by talking about the wild fire and moved on to address issues mental health, addiction, loss and recovery.At 15:10, a hummingbird landed on Kelly's microphone and she said, "That's my mom."Fair warning, that Kelly talks openly about her past challenges with mental health and the times she tried to take her own life. If you struggle as well, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

Darcelle is the oldest working drag queen in the world, at 92 years of age. Also the owner of Darcelle XV Showplace in Portland, Oregon, Darcelle's entertainment career has spanned more than five decades.We talked about how Darcelle started performing drag, how he has sewn more than 1,500 dresses, and the day he had to tell his wife that he was gay.

Derek Thompson is an activist in Portland, Oregon and the founder and Executive Director of Voices4Justice, an organization dedicated to bringing together concerned community members...clergy, law enforcement and elected officials...to engage in meaningful conversation that can change the relationship dynamic between opposing parties and factions.

Nathan Sheppard is a Lieutenant in the Portland police bureau. He is a father. Both he and his wife of 21 years are Army veterans who were psychological operation specialists. Nathan was happy to share his story, but he made a clear distinction that although he worked as a police officer in Portland, he was not talking to me as a representative of the police department, but rather as Nathan. He said, “I will definitely share my thoughts as a member of law enforcement. I think that that more members of law enforcement should talk, there should be more conversations. That being said, I'm not the public information officer for the Portland Police Bureau in any way, shape or form. My thoughts are my own. My ideas are my own. Although I don't think there's going to be anything that the police bureau would reject or renounce, this is not an official visit. This is Nathan.”We talked about what motivated him to serve in law enforcement, the challenges of historic unrest in the city and the various lenses through which he views current events as a black man, a police officer and a father.

Natalie Brewster Nguyen is an artist, a mother, a social justice advocate, a business owner, a writer and a sex worker. I met her in Tucson, Arizona.Because of COVID, I interviewed Nat outside on a windy day, in a busy neighborhood, so the sound quality is challenging, but the conversation is powerful and interesting.

Kate Adair lives in a women's shelter in Corvalis, Oregon, as she works toward more stable housing.We spoke of her journey that led to homelessness, her love of singing, and her desire to once again have a kitchen for cooking, a bathtub and a door that locks.I met Kate at the Corvalis Daytime Drop-in Center.

Sean Davis is a writer, a veteran and a wildland firefighter. He lives in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. In the summer of 2020, the McKenzie River Valley was devastated by a forest fire that quickly burned 174,000 acres and destroyed more than 500 homes.Sean says he has been to the apocalypse four times. He has seen difficult things and you will find that he shares those stories candidly. You will also notice that he shares even the most graphic details with laughter...not because he doesn't care, but specifically because he does.We talked about the ways he and others supported his community in the wildfires, the  PTSD he has struggled with after his military service, and the healing that writing and art have brought to his life.

Charlene Wicks is a snowbird. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, she has spent the past 23 years at the Gila Mountain RV Resort in Yuma, Arizona, and now she works there part time.She was working the front desk when I checked in. She said, "Come on...hop in the golf cart and I'll show you where your spot is. But don't tell your wife you're on a hot date!" Between that and the snowbird rendition of the song YMCA, I realized I wanted to interview her.We talked about the RV accident that took her beloved Bud's life, her journey toward healing, and the supportive community at Gila Mountain that became family for her.

Francisco Olachea "Pancho" Martin is a street nurse in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and works with Voices from the Border to support migrants waiting for their asylum hearings.We talked about his desire to change people's moments in the midst of difficult circumstances, his determination to pursue a nursing degree in his 50s, and the difficult realities he must accept while working in proximity with the cartels who control much of the migrant activity.

Paul Kaye is the President of Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens and the President of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness in Los Angeles, California.We talked about the labyrinth as a meditative tool, the richness he found in the altered rhythms of the pandemic and the need to find joy even as we care deeply for the needs of the world.

Noemi Aidee Tungui Aguilar comes from the Purépecha people of Michoacán, Mexico.  She is an activist and an educator, on a journey to celebrate her culture that was nearly wiped out through colonialism.I met Noemi at a Water Protectors camp near Palisade, Minnesota where she went by the camp name Luna. She traveled there from her home in California to protest the construction of the Line 3 pipeline and to continue her advocacy for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.We talked about the agricultural work that brought her family from Mexico to the United States, her embrace of and pride in her indigenous culture, and the urgency surrounding the epidemic of violence against indigenous women.