Kermit Polling and Ranae Moran

00:02 On Kermit polling. I'm 60. And today is December 28th, 2020. We're at the Red River radio Studios doing the virtual recording. My partner is Rene Rene Moran and we are course obviously one small step Partners. But so we're also longtime friends and colleagues. My name is Renee and I'm here at the red Yoshi Diez in Shreveport, Louisiana for my one small step conversation and my conversation partner is Kermit polling. He's been out a long time friend and also my work colleague.

00:50 Okay, Renee. I'll follow I'll ask you why did you want to do the interview today?

01:00 I thought it would be a good thing for us to sit down together and participate in the storycorps one small step project because I do feel like it's a very important project this bringing people together to have these types of conversation. And you know, I do know we have political conversations quite a bit because we can talk

01:25 Okay, and I'll say that I did this I could be perfectly honest. I was inspired a little bit by Dave I say and when we started preparing to do the the livestream event and I think I actually just came up to some extent when I interviewed him for he asked if I had done one of these interviews and I thought he meant facilitating a man. I said while I facilitated however many it was at the time because no no no, I want to know if you did this.

02:03 And at the time I totally caught me off-guard and I started said I had because I know we've been talking about this but he then talked about it. So he was the guy that created all of this and he finally did one himself after a couple years. He waited and he found it one of the most rewarding things that that he had ever done and they gave him a real feel for how I felt and I thought well if he is willing to do that and do that with his obviously his his story Corps staff there and everything else then I should be willing to do it too. And you know, we've we've certainly know that we look at things from from different points of you so I thought it might be a nice nice thing to do.

03:01 Yes, I will have known you for a long time, but there are some things about your life going up, but I don't know about of course. So could you tell me a bit about what life was like for you growing up in Cleveland, Ohio?

03:17 Sure, well.

03:20 My parents were an interesting combination. They were from totally different backgrounds. Like my mom had a had a Catholic upbringing. She was raised by her aunt because her mom didn't want to be a part of her life. My dad came from a Protestant background. And in those days, I guess he was from the the hills of West Virginia and my mom was raised in a big city area his family.

03:55 Really didn't approve at all and certainly didn't approve when he converted to Catholicism some years years later, but I love my mom and wanted to do whatever he could to to be with with her. But there always was that little bit of family Strife in there. And so that probably affect a lot of what I did cheat. She hadn't always wanted to become an opera singer. She gave up all of that because my dad didn't want her to attempt to be a performer. So I've always thought she's lived her life vicariously through your mind. And of course, as you know him, you know being being a musician is for me the biggest part of my life and I'm looking at things from from that perspective is an artist and all of that pretty much my focus and I would say even that led me into radio and everything else.

04:55 I wanted to know every aspect of what it was. Just performing. But how do you record the darn things that you make it sound good and and and I loved it enjoyed all of that. So what about you? What about your your background? He was not a good bit older than my mother. He was actually born in 1918. My mother was born in 1941 and my dad.

05:30 He and his family had a farm and so like a lot of children back in those days. He he only went through the 6th grade in school because he had to stop going to school to help his family on the farm.

05:46 But he can he was very very smart and he continued to study on his own and told his self everything about reading and math and he was an Avid Reader and a very hard worker and my mother she was salutatorian of her school. She grew up in in Frierson went to school in Stonewall and she she went to business college afterwards, but when they got married like a lot of women in the day, they would get married and they would start their families and they would stay at home with the children isn't going to work. So that's what my mom did.

06:23 My dad worked very hard to keep me and my two brothers and a Christian school because I was really important to him that we were raised with a Christian background and a Christian education. And even though that was really hard because we were poor he kept us in that school until he passed away in 1983. Went there all the way through 11th grade and then my senior year he been diagnosed with cancer and I asked my parents if I could go to a public school, but one thing to have that experience because I've been a Christian School from kindergarten through 11th grade, but also I knew if that comes to that education was a burden even though they wouldn't admit it and I just want to take a child. That's pretty much how I feel that.

07:19 So no ice cube first who's been the most influential person in your life. And what are they teach you?

07:28 The most influential person is a little difficult person for my sky because I've been a lifelong Christian and I was raised in the church.

07:39 A Skype since my life at 5 years old and you know that's always been a huge part of who I am. But also my dad I feel like I learned a very strong work ethic and from my mother. I really learned Devotion to family and also

08:03 Being selfless and and thinking about others and trying to care for others win when they remade because that was something she and she really did.

08:13 So he's in the most influential person in your life reflect.

08:23 And those types of questions, which maybe I don't know maybe I probably should obviously been a wife on Christian and got his played a big part of that in my life as well. Yeah, you were talking about your parents wanting you to to have a Christian background of being in school and going to private schools in Alabama course, I did the same thing for Catholic schools, but they were rum went all the way from kindergarten through 12th grade graduated from Catholic High School. So that was a big part of that and every every aspect of everything I did from the time that I was a kid and it focused around that and the schools and I certainly had a huge musical influence in a man named Wayne Miller who was first off

09:23 Conductor of a Youth Orchestra that was catholic-based Youth Orchestra around Cleveland. But also when I went to high school was my band Orchestra teacher and all of that at at the school and he encouraged me from the time. I was young to expand he was always giving me solo opportunities. He actually had had argued I wrote music even back then and he had likes of the band the orchestra playing like my stuff is very encouraging I didn't in some ways. I always felt kind of funny cuz his daughter was like the violinist in the community and actually she's very prominent violinist in Chicago right now. So I always felt like it and it's kind of tough, but that competition kind of help him. He told me to really work at what I was doing and I'll have to say my mom my dad.

10:23 My mom, I think I said from within her opportunity to be on the stage of her life. She is very encouraging and basically let me do anything I wanted to do was in musically to try to encourage that and probably why I never looked at least seriously in any other kind of a direction hard hard work and discipline and you know how she ever took a ruler on my hands but maybe practice

11:00 What a lot of people don't know about you is that you didn't start out playing the volume. You were actually a child prodigy on piano to play piano. So there you go. That's an example of the the violin thing happened because at my school

11:19 I guess one of the great fortunes of having gone to those schools is that their hearts related programs and are sports-related programs, by the way, where where am I on the best in the Cleveland area? So yeah, the violinist came through and played in a classroom and I want I knew I wanted to do that and I sign up for it and and I and I tell this to audiences sometimes when or if I'm speaking lights rotary or something and I'll go that well, but here's the thing. My parents didn't know about it until they got the bill. That's absolutely true. They got the bill in the mail and

12:08 Very fortunate in that regard. So so your background in your your your Christian background go to private schools and all that. Where do you think you got your or less your your your political philosophies from what was your influence and in that?

12:32 My political influence wasn't as much the Christian School at my church as as it is that

12:40 As Christians in Christ followers are certainly a certain kind of morality that you follow and moral issues that you believe in but I would say Wesley. My political beliefs came from my family members. My grandparents my Aunts Uncles my mother and father.

13:04 They were all conservative. I have to say I've had more moderate, you know, I'm independent. I don't label myself one way or another one another just like even being a Christian. I don't label myself with a certain religious label, you know, I believe in God, but I don't like being late and I don't like political labels of liberal or conservative.

13:37 That's it for my family.

13:43 What about you? Where did your clinic off your your initial early political views? Where did they come from school? I would be the nature of a Catholic school. And and I was I at you could you underline the word about a devout Catholic probably to the point where I wasn't really thinking about what things were but I wanted to go by the rules track. I remember getting into a screaming fight with my mom because she was going to go stay in a Protestant church and we were taught at you and say you could even go in the Protestant church and I don't even remember why they taught us that because it doesn't make any sense, but maybe that's just the way things were the sixties. I don't know but

14:31 So my dad's family.

14:36 So his whole family they were very devout Methodist, very conservative and I hate to say it. It's it's not a bad thing. He'll people but they were real people in my grandfather was a coal miner and he died years later from from the cancer lung cancer from his years of working in the coal mines and my grandmother made potato chips Frito-Lay. We go down there and we guess it couldn't do it now, but by golly we can fix up right off of the conveyor belt. Love it very very devout and they had they were very fixed in their ways and they cannot understand why might my dad would want to marry this this Catholic Polish Girl from Pennsylvania to Cleveland, but he he at least then was independent enough to be able to to do that now he was farmer.

15:36 More conservative than my mom my mom overtime yet more and more liberal thinking I believe she's been at least since since I was born a lifelong Democrat my dad kind of rotate it depending on what was going on.

15:56 But they were both sleep deeply affected by the Kennedy assassination. And I and I remember that taking being such a big important part of my family's discussion that was kind of the first time that I've ever looked at anything. I didn't really know what it was. I mean, I was a little but the second Kennedy assassination by then. I was a little older and started putting things together. So

16:23 It was kind of influence to me. The other thing. I know this sounds weird is Star Trek my dad and I every single Star Trek episode ever think about what the idea was that they would be a future where everybody would you least it was unified. Everybody got along people didn't have to worry about things like money. They didn't have to worry about what health and all this other stuff. It was all provided for you so that you could go and do whatever it was that you wanted to do with your life. And and I always think I'll even though that's ideal. If it's it seems to me that to be a sensible place or sensible thing to reach out for

17:57 Kermit Kermit

18:05 Ronald Reagan was probably the biggest influence on my political views as far as you know, when I was a little older we were in high school at that point and he came here and he spoke in the Centenary gold Dome and we get our school take us to hear them has lots of schools in the community did and just hearing what he had to say and the way he worked to try to unify people and you work for peace around the world. I think that he has learned a lot of my political beliefs.

18:40 But I wanted to go back and ask hermit like her and I knew you were tracking and I was going to ask you how Star Trek and influence you against you and you were saying that the way even though it's a fictional show that you stand in the future.

19:00 Why you taught thought that that?

19:05 And you thought they seem to provide for everybody. How how does that play into your political beliefs today and how you feel that people should be careful or or or

19:20 How do you think they should be cared for more from individuals are nonprofits I would do explain that a little take an awful lot of free stream don't have to worry about it. People shouldn't have to worry about that. People shouldn't have to worry about if they go and get a surgery whether it's going to drive him into bankruptcy in all of that. All of that is is backwards. I got the whole Star Trek work is that all of those basic necessities? I mean, I don't explain how they just say that it's that this is the way it is and that yes, there are in fact the show highlighted cultural differences between

20:20 American woman and in fact, he was the first interracial kiss ever on television, which was a lot for the sick. It had Asians have had Russians and all of these people combined and yet the Earth as a place to to live didn't have the wars between all the different factions and all of that right the whole thing as a planet. We all learn to get along and we all share our resources and we didn't realize their difference is that yet and yet it's one Earth kind of background. So yeah, that's fantasy. But then on the other hand I looked at in in in my life family, even though my dad was conservative. He admired greatly FDR my mom absolutely did as well. And if you look at all of the programs that were attempted to started back then things like Social Security little later.

21:20 Wasted all these things with a shared resources people pulling their shared resources together and making it a better place was great. The minimum wage that was started started then all of these things. That should have made life better had we may be stuck with them. I don't know. I've got a soft spot and Roosevelt anyway, cuz of course I'm named after, you know, Teddy Roosevelt stuff. So I always thought that was funny. That's one family with the split. But at least it all kind of seemed like I was coming together and all the protests and everything else felt like like like people were looking for the same thing. So I guess that's where that the kind of comes from.

22:03 We know there was a church in the book of Acts in the Bible were there people shared all their resources between one another nobody claimed possessions as their if anybody was in need they gave freely of what they had and they all cared for each other and it said and no one was lacking.

22:26 And I think there's ways and Society for us to care for each other in that way. I don't necessarily believe that that needs to be this government doing it. But I do believe that in the country with the resources that we have the wealth that we have that there shouldn't be anyone going without enough food shelter or healthcare for sure.

22:49 That we agree on that we don't always agree on the way as it should a car, you know, I also believe in education and I feel like that a lot of the problems that we have are due to not making sure that all the people in our communities receive the right kind and quality education and trying to say no and you know a quality education that we're not making sure that everyone has

23:18 Enough support in the educational system to be able to successfully get all the way through high school and come out with resources and where they can like rise up and do better in their life, especially here in our area that's an issue.

23:37 Graduation weight

23:39 I feel like that's how you feel. Like that's how you know that we can change a lot of these things in regards to Poverty is giving people.

23:51 You know educational resources to where they can.

23:56 Be what they want to be in life.

24:00 It always bothered me here. I mean, I'm in Louisiana and I'm 36 years, right? That's more than half my life. Of course. I had a conversation with one of our state senators some time ago and asked why education wasn't more of a priority and at the time I was thinking of college degrees that that type of thing not for myself, but I was involved well both here and at LSUS, but also have lots of Faculty at Centenary College at that point, but

24:38 And she just looked at me and she just said will you realize that most of legislator legislature? They don't have to grease these are not these are not people that that that did that they might have very successful businesses, but they they don't understand from first-hand experience of what a college education will will do and it it really surprised me because I

25:04 I just caught me off-guard that people that would have such a position, you know, representing us would would not necessarily come from that kind of a background should proceed but it also clarified for me why we have so many issues and it's not that there can be other program some people and not everybody has to have to have a degree for Pete's sakes but there needs to be I think some sort of encouragement to help people want to to do something against that improving oneself thing that maybe goes back to when I was a kid, but I think like you were saying about you know, the health care of everything else somehow finding a way to provide for it. I think that has to be an education to because I'll wait.

25:57 Only improve the overall quality of life. I would think.

26:06 So

26:09 As we were saying we do differ politically not an extremely but we differ you're more liberal or moderate. Is there anything when we talk to each other about politics that frustrates you in real life?

26:32 Well

26:35 Yeah, sometimes have to be perfectly honest cuz I think sometimes when we do discuss this and that you and maybe I do this to but let's let's just put all this on you at this early listen all the way through and jump to a conclusion about where I'm going with something when you may not necessarily go know for sure what I'm what I'm doing.

27:11 You know I try I really try and 2 to look up information. I mean my gosh, I've been involved with this the station for so long and I guess it's just a matter of discipline. I tried to do that and I certainly can't quote Bible passages the way you can or your family cannot like that but don't have the memory for but sometimes so with with with political stuff I do I do I do try to do that. Sometimes I think maybe you're missing where I'm going already decided. I'm going to think of something a certain way.

27:56 And I don't know maybe you think I do the same thing for you.

28:02 Bring me my frustration when talking about about politics of you. Is that quite often? It seems like you'll read something and you'll just assume that it's a fact and I'm an avid researcher is you know, I write so are we such a lot?

28:22 Until I feel like I do more research and really try to get to the source of their fax more than you sometimes and and that's my source of frustration. I feel like I'm say will Kermit no go and read this because when I arrive at 6. That they've gotten to all the facts I go in our research it before I form an opinion and I feel like a knot.

28:56 Not you as often as some others, but sometimes people just hear something from I guess basically there.

29:06 Side and they don't take the time to research all the facts and we can all the sources before they make an opinion.

29:14 That's where I get frustrated will let me ask you this. Then has there ever been a time or can you think of a particular incident where the say we've had a discussion like that? And you've actually changed your mind?

29:33 I know, you know pause, you know, and I'll consider it you recently this last weekend were telling me about something that I haven't gone to read about yet and

29:57 I'm actually change my mind though.

30:02 Have you ever gone on to research anything? I told you to go on a research further to see if you would change your opinion trying to find out where she get that wacky idea from or anything like that. No, I generally take seriously and I will I will try to figure that out. So

30:29 So actually yeah the checks put put the store. So, you know, even if you have made up your mind or whatever. Have you ever had any doubts about about your beliefs or ideals in that way?

30:42 Well, my political beliefs aren't.

30:47 Set in stone. Like I think that's what's wrong with our country right now is everybody is taking these very divided stances and they're submitting themselves into those dances that are not willing to listen to any other information or change their opinions or come together and find a middle ground. I'm not like that. You know, I believe the more information you take in the more you're learning that should affect your opinions. It should

31:19 So that's one thing that bothers me about people just voting straight party lines. When you vote straight party lines, you're not giving yourself in your room to make an intelligent informed decision. Like there might be somebody in the opposite party that actually cares more about the issues are important to you than the one that's just running it in and you know, I'm the party tickets at that you align yourself with

31:44 So

31:47 That's where I come from. I come from a point where people should make very educated informed decisions and not just staunchly read themselves into one party and Wednesday. Answer the other.

32:02 Well, so

32:06 I have never really aligned with one party or another ever even though my my mom's Democrat. My dad was was Republican. I mostly exclusively so but he certainly in later in his life. He was

32:22 Republican and they wouldn't they always make up Point by the way of going and voting both of them so they could cancel each other out.

32:35 But so I really like you I have issues with just saying, okay. I'm going to be in this party and whatever this party says, you're a great guy. I am a voting download party like a real good example for my mom.

32:56 And I found this very responsible of her me and you know, she's she's older. She's 85. She really really really really wanted about this this this last election. All she cared about was voting for the president. I have asked her and said well, well did you look at any of the candidates down either, you know either way and she goes well, I don't know who they are. So, why would I you know vote for someone that I don't know who it's what's going to be on new. Nothing about them. I'm not going to just approaches to vote because I'm supposed to vote for someone and that's kind of all the way that the ways that I've thought about it and there been times when I come up on something to do, you know, I didn't look at this. I didn't know this was so it's kind of been that way. I try not to be that way but I

33:42 Yeah, it is how I look at it because you know, I don't know myself just because you know, I I think a certain way that that is enough of a reason. I don't know if I really know that I'm in agreement with whatever it is 4 but there were times when I've changed my mind about things. I know what would probably absolutely shocked you two to think that there have been a few times when I've actually thought the president has done the right thing and it but I think you know that I'm not appreciative of him for a lot of reasons. I think you just did the right thing and signing the budget Bill buddy buddy. Just did so well.

34:33 There's an awful lot of stuff. I don't agree with what from time to time. I can be convinced.

34:38 You know that I need to look at it again.

34:44 Well, that's when I stopped at the pandemic, but I wanted to ask you before we do that what good if it is you think comes from our political differences in our political conversations.

34:54 Well, I think our country was designed for people of different opinions be able to work together and it's a little wacky that for the most part. It's a two party system and that's the way it's almost work since the beginning of her more parties in the beginning. But the whole the whole idea is that my gosh we're letting people to have these kind of discussions based on what we believe the whole point is that we have people of different opinions, the advantages things don't happen to fast disadvantages when you get into a time like now, but people just have grabbed onto whatever side they are. Nothing gets done so that disadvantage. I don't think it's been

35:40 Such a big problem until more recently, but but I do think it is to our advantage that we have a system set up for people to have those cuts.

35:55 I was talking about us personally like having the Deep Well, I think probably you and I also get pretty stuck in our room actually talk about things in an environment where we can exchange ideas and

36:27 Can't get mad at each other. We actually are, you know forced into listening each other that we would have these these headphones. No, I think it I think it's good. I think it's just people like you and I or on the grander scale.

36:43 I think we should be doing this. Everybody should be doing.

36:47 I think for as long as I've known you we'd like to try to have debates not just some political issues cut all sorts of issues. I think sometimes I play Devil's Advocate just to

36:59 Take the other Viewpoint sometimes just to try to

37:05 Not just debate with you but kind of expand your viewpoints and get you to see things from all sorts of different angles. So after I think that's part of my conversations with you, how long is the Kevin pandemic affected you the most, I know it's really hindered your musical performances and that's been a source that's hard for you. But how has it affected you?

37:33 Well, yeah, I fly performed if you can call it that exactly three times since last February twice on Christmas for very small groups. And then I did conduct something for the symphony. That was an outdoor concert end that has been really hard because I don't I've lost my sense of time. I've lost my sense of structure. I really have because my calendar my performing calendar affects everything even if the radio station it absolutely affects everything. So that has been difficult. It's been really really hard.

38:09 That's me and my son, you know, I I I was really hoping I don't want you know him to go away, but I think the best for him is yummy in his girlfriend. They want to move to Chicago they want to perform there and all that and that they've not been able to do that. They are wrong.

38:25 They are here. I mean, you know basically just stuck here anyway, because they have their their jobs they have what they're doing, but it's not ultimately what they want. So that has been really really hard. What about you?

38:42 Well, it is slave when we were put on lockdown and we were coming into work and

38:49 You know, they were telling grandparents not to go around their grandchildren because they could expose you to the coronavirus and it was really hard to.

38:59 You so isolated. I was isolated alone for weeks. Maybe about two months at home, you know feeling like, you know, you might not be able to go around your grandchildren or your grandchildren. And that was the most alone I've ever felt that I I talked to some other people here also single at the time they were flying the exact same way. They were feeling so isolated and alone.

39:30 But other than that once it's been good, you know when things looked at a little and we realized yes, we could go back around our grandchildren not just myself and other grandparents. I know that we weren't just going to get coronavirus from them, especially if we took precautions. So that's been great. I think that now we can be back with their families and not to worry as much and some ways that that's been a really good thing even though you still have to be a little concerned my

40:01 What year did my son-in-law Sean? He's a doctor he want that with coronavirus. That was a little scary, but he did well and my son Kayla and his I mean my son Chris and his fiance Kayla.

40:15 I'm just recovered from coronavirus and it hit them a little harder, but they seem to be doing okay, so it's me some scary times.

40:25 Jaw popping

40:28 Text put on traditional closing questions here. So that middle one. I think with anything that you learned about me today that surprised you.

40:44 What hearing more hearing about the relationship of you know your mom with you and also the differences between her and your father politically surprising?

41:00 Was there anything that you learned more about me today that you did not ready to go? I don't know why you said that but it just surprised I am telling you all the time and I'm not I'm not that I think you proceeded that way because I'm a fiscal conservative. I think our country's trillions of dollars and that and that concerns me for

41:34 My grandchild right now and

41:37 Great-grandchildren and people who come along after that. I think we should all care about that for our children and our grandchildren and the future at some point is going to be a reckoning of that Dad and that concerns, you know, somewhere fiscal conservative and I do believe that if you give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, but if you teach a minute to Fishkill eat for a lifetime and that goes back to that.

42:03 Song since I have that we need to provide more educational opportunities for people so they don't have to be so reliant on the government, but

42:14 That's the main way that you can label me conservative, moderate young. Like I said, I don't really like I said, I don't like being labeled 81 religion, you know as far as all of that.

42:37 Well, I'm just truly am I try to be even even running this place and all that but but there are there some places where if we've got to spend it. We need to spend at their Education Health Arts. I'm biased but that's just it.

43:00 Smell that until I guess you can go back inside education and event health and mental health.

43:21 Well, I think it's it's great. It's just got the thing. They're about to take away from the office and we are in a unique situation because we've gotten to experience lots of other people's conversations as well. But I personally think it's a brilliant idea. I I I just wish everybody could spend some time having these conversations and I think we don't learn to understand each other a whole lot more

43:47 LOL, I agree with you I think as we fit so I tended other people is one small step conversations. It's been so interesting to see how they thought they were going to be so different but then what's going together for a conversation, they realize that they had so much in common sometimes even their lives were so parallel. They can't even believe it has been very interesting to hear their Story season and Nancy them where I said they have more in common than they do different.