Linda Adams and Ruth Lynch

00:00 Good morning. My name is Ruth. Ellen Lynch. I'm 59 years old. Today's date is Monday, August 30th and location. I'm located in Amarillo, Texas and my conversation Partners, Linda Adams.

00:16 Good morning. I'm Linda Adams and I'm 65 years old. Like Ruth Ellen said, it's August 30th night at 2021. I'm in Garden City Kansas at my home at the Southwind golf course and my conversation partner is Ruth, Ellen Lynch. Whom I have heard sing.

00:49 Linda, why did you want to do this interview today?

00:52 I have heard some of these on the radio and they were excellent and it seemed fun. I've been on the radio, some, I'm a big supporter of hppr. I played piano for 3 hours on hppr. And I love the station. I was supporter for decades. I started supporting public radio when I was in undergrad school and it was really important to me in my youth because it was the only radio station that had anything to offer me at all that I wanted.

01:28 So you take radio out of the piano on the radio for three hours without doing a pledge Drive. Yes. I said, well, tomorrow, when you come to do this pledge Drive. Why don't you just play piano the whole time?

01:42 Oh, wow. Okay. I'll do that.

01:51 What made you want to do it?

01:53 Don't we started the occult things to do and to say that you're part of history at the Library of Congress that mean that it's a pretty impressive thing to say.

02:07 Well, I have your bio here, but I now I can see it.

02:13 So I'm looking at your bio Ruth Ellen. And I see that you prefer to use both your first and middle family names in honor of your aunt and your grandmother. I know that you're a single black female with no children and that you live in Amarillo.

02:33 And you don't fit into a lot of boxes that a person might check throughout life. I think that's very interesting and you live by the Golden Rule treat others the way you want to be treated and that's important to me, because the golden rule is the basis of Realtors ethics. I own a real estate company and Realtors have to operate by the Golden Rule. If, if you're a realtor, you you pledged to do that and your parents taught you, well, really great lessons to be respectful of others. Your political your active, in your community, and your outgoing, which is very special.

03:17 Well, I think we have a lot of similar interest with both museum at musicians and striking your chakra, both musicians and were active in the community and we're very outgoing. So some of the similar interest. In fact, when I was looking at your bio, it's connected with me right away. So I think that's great that we have common ground to even begin with a lot of times people when they come together all the QC, or the opposition that they have in one another. Instead of common areas that bring people together. I think there's so much fraction in this world now and we're so divided and I just wish we could all see each other as human beings and just get along with one another. I think that's the most important thing.

04:06 Well, you're certainly right. I see that. You have your own band important for me to get out and feel that passion that I have in myself and I'm very creative. And I've learned through the years that my music can talk to me people. So it's important to me to keep that live in myself that passion. Why did myself

04:39 Well, the first time I heard you saying it wasn't long before I had my phone out and was recording you.

04:45 I think it was at your church because I attended church with Valerie and Play Grey's, PPR to play Steven Johnson member going to your church, picking up here. That must be like when I read your bio. It's like, I'm pretty sure I've been here before. So if you come back to Garden City ever, you're welcome to come sing at my church. Okay, I will take you up on that. I definitely will, I will

05:15 What is an experience that you've had in your life that helped shape who you are today?

05:23 Well, like you my parents were so important. They were kind of incredible people. They both came from horrible circumstances, but they made themselves in the good people without a lot of help from anyone else, and they've been filled in their children really great values.

05:44 And my my dad friends since had lost for parents by the time he was sixteen and still had one left, but she lived b99, but he was, he was used to nobody last thing in his life. Nobody's sticking around, but he invented himself from scratch, and my mom did to she. She imagined her to be in the world, and she became that. Now, my parents were wonderful parents. So I had this, this great benefit of their guidance and love, always. And so, it seemed kind of easy to become the right kind of person with them looking over my shoulder and expecting things, but they did it themselves, which I think is so remarkable.

06:33 Dale, strong characters.

06:41 My dad always talked about when you go to college. Now, not ever. If you go to college. He didn't have the opportunity. So he insisted that his his children would go and he would pay for it. Oh, that's wonderful. It was a lot because he was a poor farmer, but he had his values, right?

07:04 I have always said that my whole life growing without was like, Leave it to Beaver. My mother worked in the home of my father outside the home. And a lot of my favorite memories are coming home, They'll be fresh baked bread with Bobby. That was like my afternoon school snack and it was a wonderful childhood on the baby, in the family. Me to my father passed away in 72. And, of course, that changed my life drastically and my mother start working outside the home. But

07:39 Until I like became an adult about my own home and moved out and realize the responsibility of caring for yourself and your cooking and cleaning and cutting the grass. And, you know, everything else doing live to take care of yourself in your obligations. I never realized how much my mother did if I was growing up after my father passed away and she made it look so easy. So I'm not going on anything that I can do to make my mother's life. Easier was my Midol. I wanted to make life easier, because I'm sure she has sacrificed so much for me to make sure that I had everything that I needed and wanted and deserved, it didn't answer, but she made sure that I had everything that I needed. So I always admired her for that.

08:25 So unfortunately, I've lost both of my parents. My mother passed away in 2006, but I had to live in Memphis, Tennessee and I was able to come back home and spend a couple of years with her before. She passed those papers for that.

08:41 I used to have my mother come. Stay with me for about a month, every winter. She was in on a farm, in South Dakota, until she was 89. And then she moved into town for four years before she passed. But she, she loves coming here for a month every year, and we had such good times and such in-depth conversations. When you have a road trip from South Dakota to Kansas twice a year. That was, that was a good time. And then, my partner Ron Carlson insisted when we got together that I call my mother every day. And that was such a blessing because she only had half a year. There was no, I had no idea that's her. And there was near but he insisted that. I start calling her every day. At first. She was confused by that. She didn't understand like it's something wrong, but then she got used to it and she started to enjoy our conversations and relax.

09:43 So Linda, what was the most influential person? Who is the most influential person in your life? And what did they teach you? Well, and it wasn't I wasn't a good student so it took some doing

10:02 I would have to say my parents but also God. I feel like I want to say that I'm

10:12 Your guidance and always trying and tap into that energy for myself. A few years ago. I was questioning why I was still in Amarillo. And what was my purpose? What am I doing here? Why haven't I moved on? And

10:29 I was kind of lead in in a journey home. One evening. I was kind of a reroute it on a different route and that ended up saving someone's life. Oh, wow. Did suicide, boys feel like I need to listen to myself and, you know, my conscience and do when I'm being told and I will benefit from that as opposed to getting myself in trouble. So it was a really odd incident because I was going home, a different route and will I said I needed to go to the ATM and get some money and I was downtown. So I went there on my way home. I went over a bridge and this lady was standing at the top of the bridge. And I thought was that strange and came back around and stopped and asked if she was okay, you know, if you need help looking for a ride and she never really respond that. She just kept looking off in the distance. So I took off thinking, well, you know, whatever. I'm just going home.

11:29 And when I got to the end of the bridge at the base, my spirit said to me, if you wake up in the morning and find out that she jumped off this bridge, you'll never forgive yourself. And I said, you're right. He called 911 and told him what I just witnessed is the lady got so excited. They've been looking for her because that's what she said. She was going to do is jump off a bridge. So I was able to go back and observe her and by the time she put one leg up over the bridge and luckily, the puppy stop there and rescue her before she left. So that made me realize that, you know, I I do have a purpose. I am important. If I just listened to my conscience and let that be my God, that everything will be okay. So that was a very powerful moment for me. I'm a little hard of listening. So when God speaking to me, I am not always quick to it as quick to respond as you were there, but for a couple of months about

12:29 Twenty or thirty years ago. I kept a notebook. And when I prayed, I wrote down what God said to me, and it was remarkable and I can't believe that I've ever quit that practice because of course, that's that's the source of our wisdom. It right there. And in our day-to-day existence that we forget to take care of ourselves and you're physically spiritually, nursing, our body, all of it. We just existing and we need to take more time to become one with ourselves, you know, 100 years ago. We didn't have television and cell phones and the radio. So we people survived the best way that they cut, that was dependent upon themselves for their existence. And they have some diversion is now that it's just

13:28 If you get lost so easily one time a few years back. When I moved from one home to another, I couldn't get cable TV because the walls of the house where concrete and required special equipment and Personnel to get the home prepped for this cable television. And so, for two months, I didn't have TV and I wrote more letters and I talked more to people on the phone and I read more books. So, in, every way, my life was better, but as soon as I could, I got TV and made my life worth again. Yeah, you put Lee. Forgot about those habits to develop.

14:12 But one thing I'm trying to do is, you know, I send out cards, just all I'm thinking about you today. Happy birthday. Because that's a dying. Art, people that very much anymore.

14:25 You're my friend, Marsha, right since the most beautiful cards and it you see her her name on the return address and you get excited cuz you know that there's a cold inside this envelope. All you have to do is open it and you're going to be blessed. And I love that. My daughter is very good at writing cards, and she's very good at speaking public speaking too. But the rest of us need to step it up and and practice that.

15:03 So will you describe in your own words? Your personal political values? Yes. By by my own admission. I am deeply conservative and often vote Republican.

15:17 And that is because I want.

15:22 Our country and our state, and our local municipalities to use funds. Very responsibly. I'd like minimal Taxation, and still provide all of the essential things. That our government can provide things that we all value. Like fire department. So armies and Roads and libraries and schools. I want all of that stuff without without it being an unbearable tax burden to the populace. So it's a it's a fine line to to walk to provide to provide for the citizens.

16:02 In a sustainable way. That's not short-changing future Generations.

16:11 How about you? I think I kind of straddle the line between being a liberal Democrat, and it's important for me to support the political process. I think everyone should vote in every election year, has a right to life for us to have them. And there's so many people in my community that just don't. Give it a second thought. That's so frustrating for me because it's so important in your voice to be heard. And that's one of the easiest. Most simplest ways. The weekend, make a voice notice to do it through the political process. So I'm on my way as encouraging others to make sure that they get out and vote on to be tuned in to what's going on in the world. We can't bury our heads in the sand anymore. You need to be aware. What's going on and your surroundings, in your community, in your world. And it's important for us to do that.

17:11 A matter of survival, so

17:17 I think that everyone should be raised to talk to school to be self-sufficient. Yes. There is a part of the government that handicapped people with a and everyone. Anyone might need help from time to time. But to make it a career of federal age is where our government spells and such a huge way. Instead of it always being a handout. I should just be a assistance and it should be limited not, you know, 40 years and you still at the same point that you were when you began. So, except for the disabled for the disabled exactly. Someone who's unable to care for themselves. And that's a different story. I also feel that our seniors. We don't care for our seniors, as well as we should have. They become a certain age and we just kind of throwing away their unforgotten. And, you know, I was people work so hard to shape our country and we're going to fit fitting the fruits.

18:16 Fair Labor need to honor and respect him more and I know that in other cultures, they do that. So I think it's important that we make sure that senior citizens are care for, you shouldn't have to decide on whether or not you have money for food or medicine or a place to live. Those things should be given where you live in the greatest country in the world. And yet, we have people who are unable to care for themselves. And that, that that makes me really sad. So we're supposed to be on opposing, political sides, but I have to say that I agreed with every single thing you said, and I wanted to Echo your ideas about how everybody should vote. If anybody listening to our conversation is not registered to vote. I would want to encourage them to get registered to vote. So that at the next opportunity they can. And I wanted to say,

19:16 Do that. It's become much easier to vote early. So if if, if a Tuesday is your work day and it's difficult to vote, just vote before that day, get an early ballot and get it done. And I'm proud of my, I voted early stickers and lining them up on my car window and proud of them as funny that you say that because I vote early too. And if I wait till the day of election, something always comes up and I don't want it Fat Tuesday. I don't know why. It sounds like it would be doable and then that day comes and it's crazy day. Yeah. So yeah, that's funny because I just want to get it out of the way and it's such a good feeling thing to know that you were part of that process, that your voice matters. Even if you won or lost at least you were part of that.

20:16 Which is bright.

20:20 So is there some is there something about my belief that you don't agree with but still respect.

20:30 I guess I would have to stay, maybe your political affiliation.

20:37 And I mean that's a stretch because we seem to have so many of the common beliefs to where labeling people is something. I really try not to do because when you label someone and You Begin judging them, but I disagree on anything, I would have to say maybe that, but we have so many other things in common. So that's not really an important matter to me at this point. I agree. My dad was a staunch Democrat and my mother is a republican. So most of their lives. They've both canceled each other out, but they loved each other very much.

21:17 So, do you ever feel misunderstood by people with different beliefs than you?

21:22 Yes.

21:25 Anti-vaxxers do not get me.

21:30 And,

21:32 I, I sometimes post things on Facebook, about how effective covid vaccines have been and how, how protective they are the people who get them, but there are people in my family and in my friend Circle, who disagree and

21:52 It's, it's a difficult thing. It's, it's a source of contention because it's such an important issue for people on both sides. And I don't, I don't even understand. I don't understand their side and they send me, they send me blogs and they send me slogans, and they send me memes. But I, I don't understand their side. So, just to think the single shot could save not only your life or someone else's, that's a miracle to me in a, in a shot. That's the miracle of my brother had told that during the height of it. And there was a. My sister and I, we didn't want to say it didn't ever want to bring it to fruition. We must say, he may not survive, but it was and he spent over 30 days in the hospital. And I think, if anyone has ever known anyone that's had covid and it's been extremely ill. Then it's not a hoax. It's something that can

22:52 Destroy your life, no matter day. So it's really scary. So I don't understand someone else that voices, that concerned that they don't believe it's what unit 1 millions of people across the world have died, lots for four friends and one girl, and in my Women's Chamber of Commerce, lost three family members and almost lost her mother too. But yeah, the tragedy of it to of two of them. Three of my friends that died were musicians and not terribly old and yeah, it's, it's very frustrating. I myself was afraid of dying of covid, 4 in the vaccine came out. So, when the vaccine was becoming nearer and nearer, I was isolating more and more because I wanted to stay safe and be able to get that vaccine and be able to really live again. I didn't, I didn't want to

23:52 Risk, missing missing that vaccine when it was so near.

23:57 The most mind-blowing thing is to think that we are living during the pandemic to me that something from the Dark Ages that I never thought. I would live doing the time of a pandemic of 1918 flu. And I'm like, wow, that's a long time ago. Exactly. That's even before my parents were born. So, you know, it's it's so long ago and I guess it's been predicted for decades, but this was going to happen and we've had Ebola and SARS and some other outbreaks.

24:31 But this one really caught hold everywhere.

24:36 And I I think it's left. No life. Untouched. Exactly, unless you know, you live in a cave somewhere.

24:48 Well, I think the most irritating things for me are people that are like, I'm an American. This is my ride. I can do whatever I want to do and I think in this instance word, affects the greater good of mankind, we should have rules and regulations, set by government, and health officials to protect everyone's life and in my individual rights because you don't respect me or individual rights to tell you, you know, but to say I'm not going to. It's my right, not to get a shower. It's my right not to stop at the stop sign, or it's my right to not stop at the red light. I need to wear a seatbelt. Exactly. Those rules are in place for a reason because they affect the greater good of the community and it could save your life. So to me, that's the most important thing of all Halo vs. Individual rights as opposed to rights forever.

25:48 Yeah, do you ever feel troubled by people with the same beliefs as you?

25:55 No, not really. Am. I was trying to think of maybe perhaps someone that's really extreme with it, but I don't have any friends or family members with extreme beliefs. We also seem to have the same thought patterns, religious believes. No, sorry. I don't ever

26:19 I mean, like, someone just picked up on a soapbox and it's just like beating it into the ground that would become irritating. But I don't ever feel like I've been misunderstood by someone. Well, I've had went when President Obama was elected. I had friends who were tea party people and I like I said, I'm ultra-conservative and I believe in conservative values and conservative government and conservative spending. But these people were lambasted Obama for no particular reason and here was a man doing the best he could with the situation. He been handed. He was he was a brilliant public speaker and everything. He said in speeches, pretty much was right on and these friends of mine. Couldn't hear it or understand.

27:19 Or are appreciate the value of his words.

27:26 So that was frustrating to me.

27:30 I think there's someone that you know this so righteous that there's nothing you could do. That would ever change their opinion. You know, they they know what they're going to believe what they believe and you know, there's nothing we can do. That's never change that. That's just who they are and you either love them or you just accept them for you know, who they're. All right. I had a lot of friends that when Trump was elected president and they said that their support of them. It was like, well, I guess I don't know you as well as I thought you did because you know, I can understand why you would vote for him and that kind of fractured some of the friendships that I had two people and we never really recovered because it's kind of gone like our separate way. And I don't know if I hope that perhaps we can find Common Ground again and develop relationships with each other.

28:28 I don't know, but that was a fraction that has occurred in my life and still people that I missed that, I don't have contact with anymore than those other so, well, I guess it wasn't as important as I thought it was. But that was kind of a life lesson for me to see how political views and values could affect friendships with someone that I cared about her travel with a me. A couple people we've got on vacations together and we will see each other socially, that is just nothing. There's no contact whatsoever and liked on Facebook. I had to put like being as active on Facebook and befriending people because of some of the things that they would say, and I'm just not as

29:20 Play, send it to social media anymore, as result of some of that.

29:26 That's probably healthy.

29:29 It is, it is. I don't know why. I kind of feel like people put their best lives there. The other not talking about real life issues. It's always those photographs of them having to find a traveling and if they don't talk about the baby being sick or, you know, the hardships of life if it's always something beautiful and Grand and that can be like a mental.

29:53 It can cause Havoc to other people who are reading it. Think of a why is my life that way about mental health and and what we need to do to encourage and improve and maintain that.

30:14 I you said you like to travel and where's the last best place you've been?

30:21 Well, my dog was I want to go across the pond. I haven't been across the pond. So, and I've traveled to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean I've been to.

30:35 South America. That was really an enlightening experience to be traveling from these Villages and you would see like these mud hats with open doors and windows or glass on them. And you passed by children, her out, just playing and laughing and having a good time, and you don't hear that in America. Everyone is inside on video games and watching movies and television. You don't see kids that playing anymore. So yeah, yeah. Wouldn't believe that was kind of like wow that was kind of a spiritual thing because it took me back to. Okay. Listen to Children laughing and playing. It was it was such a beautiful thing to have an experience. So my goal is to know, do the England into Italy in degrees celsius? Some of the countries that I would like to visit maybe go west.

31:35 Delta Hawaii, Hawaii. So expensive and overrated, but is Italy and England were great. I loved visiting their, what about you, but it's in the other places to use, then I've been to Europe a lot of times and I loved it. It's been a lot of years since I've been, but it was super fun. I've been to the Caribbean and Mexico and not to South America.

32:05 Been around 12:50 State While most of the 50 states. I've been to Alaska and Hawaii.

32:14 I wanted to ask you. Is there anything you learned about me today? That surprised you?

32:22 I guess that we have so many things in common. Now, we really do. We do, I was expecting there to be a lot of opposition, but, you know, every time you mention something like early voting. Yeah, I do that too. We have a more common ground than we do opposite. I think so too. Yes. This surprisingly just how much we have in common, and I guess until you connect with the person, you know, you can have a Sumptuous about someone and not really know them until you start the conversation with them. And I always, I always liked your music. But now I like you was thinking about your person that I could do have, is a friend. Yes. I hope you'll make it to Garden City sometime soon.

33:20 I guess Sunday is coming up there. I always look forward to going to a Garden City. So hopefully we can get all this tackled with the pandemic and people will be driving a little bit more. And do you have any ideas how we could come together as a country after this pandemic? And this divisive election?

33:41 I think if we just start looking at each other as human beings that were all born into this world and we're all going to die and how we live our life supposed to experiences in between a what shape has. But our Common Grounds that were human beings. We are all in this together. We are we are and we all need love and stuff here, you know, if you can you should just to have someone give you a hug or touch your arm, let you know that they're there and I support you, that makes such a big difference. We see the last two years has been. So from each other that the human touch just needs so much, you can bring some comfort and joy to a person. So, we need to look inside instead of outside of our being look inside, a heart.

34:32 Learn more about each other. I, I think that makes a difference. My mother would always tell me I guess I was always a compassionate child and was always, you know, wanting to. She always tell me you can't save the world, but then I decided I can one person at a time. So that's kind of thing. I found is that every person has an interesting story. If you would just ask them. The right question. They had something to share with you, that would be impactful or entertaining or moving. Yeah. Yeah.

35:11 Yeah, so far. It's specially good to talk to older people and find out where they've been and what they've done.

35:19 It's a wealth of of wisdom and knowledge.

35:25 Well, I always thought that I wanted to live my life to the fullest and that I got going to have any regrets as I age. I don't want to have any regrets, what I should have done. I wish I could have done so it's important for me to keep them in task and fulfill that mission for me. And it makes me feel like I'm I have a purpose now that I'm living my life.

35:52 Well, God bless.

35:55 Thank you. So was I who you expected me to be?

36:01 I'm not exactly know I, when you describe your political views, and I agreed with everything that was confusing to me.

36:10 It can be confusing because when you said that, you were Republican and you know, you are not going to get these thoughts and images, but then he keep talking and says there's okay, but we have so many common things that we share with each other. And I asked her if she had longer to talk you Friday, even more common ground.

36:41 Fabulous. I'm going to stop the recording now. I don't feel like that do it. Do either of you have a final thing to say to each other before. I should have put it in the sink. I'm good. I'm going to stop.