People of St Pete – Page 2 – Tina Stewart Brakebill

I love doing this pieces for Green Bench Monthly! They remind me how fantastic it is to LISTEN to a person’s story and not just hear someone’s voice. Listening not just hearing . It’s a great motto for life, not just interviews.

That motto came in handy the morning that Carl and I met to talk. It was so wet and foggy that my notebook paper quickly turned into a smeary soggy mess. So instead of just asking questions, we talked. I told him stories. Carl told me stories. And I felt like we got to a more interesting and “real” place then if I had just asked my planned questions. Lesson learned. Listen!

He’s an interesting guy. Check his story out at People of St Pete: Carl Williams

And full disclosure, it was too foggy to take a picture the day of the interview so I returned at a later date and we recruited a random stranger to snap a photo with my phone. Not the greatest shot, but ya take what you get when you flag a dude in the parking lot!

I recently moved to St Pete with my wonderful partner and I absolutely love it here! The reasons why are numerous. St Pete has fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, a world-class food scene, and a thriving cultural atmosphere. But I’ve found that it’s truly the people that make it special, especially those people I see every day—the store clerks and wait-staff, the bus drivers and baristas, the postal workers and park staff, the custodians and teachers. It’s easy to take these folks for granted but I know that each of them has a story. Those of you that know me, know that I LOVE to write about people and their stories. I’m lucky that a local magazine–Green Bench Monthly–is giving me a chance to do just that with a new column called “People of St Pete.”

This month, I talked with a fabulous woman named Barbara Riddle Dvorak. Like me she’s a writer and fiery feminist. She loves movies and her cat and her daughter (not necessarily in that order!) Interviewing her was loads of fun and we have become great friends. She is helping me to be more optimistic and I am helping her embrace her inner dark side! Head on over to Green Bench Monthly to read more about her. People of St Pete-Barbara Riddle Dvorak

Tag: People of St Pete

People of St Pete: Carl Williams

People of St Pete: Barbara Riddle Dvorak