Have you ever changed your mind about something? This week’s episode of Good and Decent digs into two intriguing stories about experiencing a radical change of heart: tattoo artists who help people cover up racist tattoos, and a man who decided to “live off the grid.”
Randy Orak chose to sell his car and ride a modified bike everywhere. This decision wasn’t simply about living eco-friendly or enjoying biking to work — for Randy, it was something that felt in sync with his soul. Leaving his tech job propelled him into the world of gardening and agriculture.
“Going from video production to farming is a pretty stark comparison,” Randy says, “It just brought me back in touch to being outdoors, being at the mercy of the world around you.” Randy has attempted to live as simply as possible to mitigate the ways he participates in consumerism. Every time he bikes through town, people see his commitment for living intentionally.
Ben and Sara discuss how radical changes of heart can come all at once, or little by little. Ben discusses his own change of heart inspired by Randy — helping the Earth by cutting back on waste and even composting. Sometimes a change of heart propels us toward something that is less “convenient,” as Ben says, than what the mainstream culture offers. Sara adds her own experience on farms, revealing that a change of heart is often uncomfortable and challenges us deeply.
Randy’s story is about “changing direction,” as Sara puts it. It’s about changing direction in your life to remain true to who you are. No one knows the inconvenience and discomfort of this kind of change of heart than tattoo artists who transform tattoos with hate symbols into ones of peace and beauty. Ben and Sara bring that story into their conversation to explore how changing your heart can have ripple effects on your community.
This episode of Good and Decent begs the question: are you feeling drawn to have a change of heart? If so, how? If not now, when?
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