Joaeph Garcia and Jace Freyman

Joseph "Joe" Garcia and Jace Freyman share that they wanted to participate in an OSS Conversation because they don't have many opportunities to talk to others, especially of different viewpoints.

Joe traces his history from his grandparents fleeing their property and losing everything during the Mexican Revolution, to his grandfather working as a miner, to the family dream of once again owning land, to growing up poor and eventually going into civil engineering, much like his uncle who was at Pearl Harbor.

Jace traces his history to his grandmother being smuggled over the Berlin wall and meeting his grandfather, to his grandfather's early death and grandmother's schizophrenia, to his mother being raised by her older siblings. His parents were never in a formal relationship but his father's parents met his material needs. He was a gifted and anxious child. Based in part on a desire to understand the mental illness in his family, Jace studied psychology then philosophy. He witnessed people with severe mental illness and the class issues connected to this.

Joe talks about being a civil engineer.

Joe shares his economic fears for this country and how this might affect his grandchildren.

Jace shares his fears as a transgender person. He shares his hopes around people having conversations.

Joe shares his goals to not judge people, as guided by the Bible, and references abortion. He shares his experiences with Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Mother Teresa.

Joe talks about when his wife had ovarian cancer at age 42 and their children were young and the way he prayed not for her healing, but for guidance on how to get through it.

Joe shares a desire to speak with Jace again and "break bread." Jace reflects that people's stories are more than imagined.