A Perfectly Imperfect Union: Reflections on America 250 with John Harrison

<p> Hey there. It's Michael. Welcome to Whole Again, the show here to support you in creating a meaningful life and becoming the person you're becoming. And I'm excited to share a new series with you that will air this summer as America turns 250 years old, which is still pretty young relative to many other countries across this big blue marble that we all share.</p>
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<p>The series is called A Perfectly Imperfect Union. In 2022, I rode my bike across America from Astoria, Oregon, to the Lincoln Memorial. My wife drove our RV, and she had two co-pilots, Jester and Hope, two springer spaniels. And when we did it, America was coming out of the pandemic, and we were hurting.</p>
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<p>Hurting from things that had happened prior to the pandemic, of course, going through what we all went through. And at that time, and this is something I still believe today, is that we were entering an inflection point. An inflection point for us to hopefully pause, breathe, and reflect on who we wish to become as individuals, as communities, and as a country.</p>
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<p>As I pedaled across America, I wanted to share America's beauty with others, her natural beauty and the beauty of her people. And I also wanted to share where we were hurting. As America turns 250, I believe Kintsugi, which we use as a metaphor here at Whole Again, is a perfect one for where we are as a country.</p>
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<p>There's so much beauty to celebrate, and we can also acknowledge that parts of us feel broken or are broken, but we can find a way to come back together, just like Kintsugi teaches us. And when we do, we don't try to erase or cover up our scars or blemishes. We highlight them in gold, and we celebrate them as symbols of our strength and resilience.</p>
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<p>Kintsugi is called the "golden repair," and, in essence, we can see beauty in something that's perfectly imperfect. During this series, I plan to speak to at least two people in each state and the District of Columbia. So 102 conversations with real folk, as I like to say. We're going to let the celebrities and the big influencers have their day somewhere else.</p>
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<p>But here, I want to reach out, talk to real people, and listen to their reflections as they think about America turning 250 years old. And my hope is that you'll tune in to at least one, if not all 102. Because my theory going into this is that you'll hear different perspectives. Some may be aligned with yours.</p>
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<p>Others may not. But my hope is that you hear the goodness in your fellow citizens and realize, as Maya Angelou shared with us, "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. I've had the privilege of traveling all over the world and across this country, and this belief is something I hold deep inside me.</p>
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<p>So yes, I do believe that we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. So if you're ready to get to know one of your fellow neighbors, take a healthy breath in and a slow, releasing breath out, and get to know John Harrison.</p>
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<p>John, my friend, welcome to A Perfectly Imperfect Union. I'm so glad we get to do this together, so, uh, welcome. </p>
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<p>Thank you so much, Michael. Glad to be here. </p>
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<p>Yeah, this is one of our, um, LinkedIn social connections, and now we get to actually talk in real life. It's, uh, pretty cool. I love it. So for those that don't know you, who is John Harrison, and where are you calling in from today?</p>
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<p>I'm a longtime business leader who's worked in large and small companies, now doing a startup and trying my hand at entrepreneurship. </p>
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<p>Nice. </p>
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<p>Um, I feel like I'm the most fortunate person alive because I had, uh, leaders who believed in me, literally changed my life, and gave me opportunities to do things I didn't even know existed when I was at university.</p>
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<p>Oh, that's so cool. </p>
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<p>And I'm calling in from Little Rock, Arkansas. </p>
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<p>Little Rock, Arkansas. That's, uh, that's awesome. So you're the first person in this series That's coming to us from Arkansas. So for those who don't know Arkansas, we live in a big country, and not everyone has been to every one of the 50 states.</p>
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<p>So share something really cool about Arkansas that m- many people m- might not know about. </p>
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<p>Well, there's one thing... You know, the, the people are amazing, uh, and we live here by choice, but one thing that is absolutely unique about Arkansas in the world is it's the only place where there's a publicly accessible diamond mine.</p>
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<p>Oh, wow. Really? </p>
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<p>And Crater of Diamonds State Park is about an hour away from Little Rock, and if you find a diamond there, it's yours to keep. </p>
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<p>Cool. </p>
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<p>And the next question everybody asks is, "But does anybody actually find diamonds?" And in fact, last year in 2025, uh, there were 403 diamonds found over the course of the year.</p>
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<p>You know, as you're sharing this, John, what, what, what it's coming up in my memory bank is that there was a story, I think it was in The New York Times, 'cause they do the weddings of the week, about a woman who went to this diamond mine- </p>
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<p>Mm-hmm ... </p>
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<p>to get her diamond engagement ring. Or, uh, I'm getting some of the facts mixed up 'cause the memory's a little fuzzy, but, like, it was such a cool story.</p>
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<p>Now that you bring it up, I'm like, "Oh, my God, it's the same thing." </p>
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<p>Exactly, and it's the only one in the world. </p>
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<p>Very cool. And as a cyclist, I will say Arkansas has some of the best gravel bike riding in the country because I, I do think the connection is to the Walmart family. They've done a lot to really develop the trail system in Arkansas so people can just really experience the wonderful outdoors- </p>
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<p>Yes</p>
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<p>and all the nature that Arkansas is. And I will, I'll echo your comments about the great people. I've been to Arkansas a couple times through work, and each time I've gone, really cool people. So awesome. </p>
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<p>Thank you. </p>
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<p>Very- so let's say you're sitting around a campfire, maybe a fire pit in the summertime with all those cool people from Arkansas, and someone brings up the topic of America at 250, and they ask you, John, "What does America mean to you?"</p>
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<p>What do you say in response? </p>
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<p>It really is the land of opportunity. Um, it's a place where you can control your own destiny and write your own future, whether that's personal or professional or both. That means you're responsible for charting your own path, but you're also responsible for the outcomes, whether you like them or not.</p>
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<p>Hmm. Yeah. </p>
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<p>Um, but that's why my great-grandparents ca- uh, you know, came across an ocean to build a better life for their families. My in-laws moved here and started a business. My dad had several small businesses, none of them wildly successful, but yet he was controlling his own destiny, and, and just a few months ago, three partners and I launched an AI services company, so we're trying to write our own future as well.</p>
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<p>I love it. Where did your grandparents come from as they went across the big ocean? </p>
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<p>Uh, Western Europe. </p>
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<p>Western Europe, all right. And do you know much about how the family landed in Arkansas? </p>
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<p>Actually, we're here because of a job transfer. Yeah, so on my mom's side of the family, they, uh, much of them settled in the, uh, Pennsylvania area.</p>
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<p>My dad's side of the family was in, uh, uh, Texas. </p>
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<p>Okay. </p>
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<p>And through, you know, through the magics of, magic of connections, they met, married, and here I am. </p>
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<p>Here you are. I love it. I'm in New Jersey because of a job transfer. I'm not from here originally, but you know, uh, we, we do m- you know, people do move around a lot.</p>
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<p>But again, as I mentioned earlier, big country, not everyone's been to every state. So you mentioned AI and the AI startup. So one topic that is front and center, I think, to a lot of Americans' current day is AI, and it seems like everyone has a different relationship. I'm, I'm sort of hesitant to use that word, but maybe a different attitude as it relates to AI.</p>
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<p>There's the camp that will say it's gonna destroy us and eat us alive, and then there's a camp that says it will pro- provide ultimate freedom. So you as a startup, um, leader in AI, like, what's your take? I'd love to hear. </p>
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<p>Well, we wouldn't be going i- you know, starting a business if we thought it was gonna eat us alive.</p>
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<p>Yeah. Absolutely. I, I, I don't take you as an evil person, John. </p>
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<p>No, it's, it, it, it, it really is, um, I think going to be a phenomenal opportunity for us. Companies are making some very serious missteps- </p>
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<p>Hmm ... </p>
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<p>um, because they're looking at it for efficiency purposes, which is good, but it's as if they're trying to bake the same pie faster by getting a more powerful oven And instead, you know, they, they really need to look at the opportunity side and say, "Gee, if, if we can help our people be more efficient and free up valuable time, how can they help us go bi- uh, bake a bigger pie?"</p>
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<p>I just picked up a pie from the grocery store last night. Blueberry, my favorite pie. So- Mm ... great reference. And now- ... now I'm getting hungry as we talk. So, for the layperson who may have dabbled with a prompt in ChatGPT, do you have any recommendations? Like, is there one thing you would recommend to just the common, common American folk so they can get a little bit more knowledgeable about AI?</p>
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<p>It's, it, it's interesting. I had a friend ask me one time; he said, "How do I learn about AI?" I said, "Pick a tool. ChatGPT, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, name it." First prompt is, "I don't know anything about AI. Can you teach me?" </p>
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<p>Oh, wow. That's a, that's a great prompt. Yeah. That's great. </p>
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<p>And, um, but it's like anything else.</p>
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<p>You, you have to learn by doing. I li- I like to say, Michael, nobody ever learned to ride a bike by reading a book. </p>
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<p>Absolutely. You gotta put, you gotta put in the reps. </p>
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<p>Yes. </p>
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<p>You gotta do the work. Yeah, you gotta turn the pedals, and that's how you learn to, to ride a bike. But I love that prompt. But really basic, uh, uh, but maybe not too many people have actually thought about using AI to teach them about AI.</p>
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<p>I love it. So one of the things that is also, you know, part of the news and part of our culture really for a number of years now is this feeling that we're divided, we're separate. There's a, there's a lot of angst in the world. So if you look at our, our country, and I, I use Kintsugi for my podcast as a metaphor 'cause we can break and we can come back together.</p>
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<p>So in this, in this spirit of if there was one thing you could repair or help the country heal or, uh, come together on, maybe not perfectly, but maybe a m- a first meaningful step, uh, what would, what would that be for you? </p>
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<p>It's a great question. I-- From my observation, it seems we've lost the willingness to be respectful and civil towards each other, even when we disagree.</p>
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<p>Um, and it, it's almost as if you see everyb- everybody becoming a narcissist, whether they're running stoplights or red lights or, um, you know, what have you. But we've got to regain that respect for each other and being civil to each other so then we can have honest discussions and debates about points we disagree with.</p>
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<p>You know, we've gone, Michael, in our lives from having those discussions and debates to poking each other in the eye. </p>
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<p>Yeah. That, that, that is a very fitting description. Yes. Uh, we used to be able to have those conversations without just losing it all- </p>
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<p>Mm-hmm ... </p>
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<p>and, uh, a-attacking the other person. Yeah. I'm, I'm with you.</p>
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<p>Uh, Shane, who I interviewed a couple weeks ago for this series, she's from Pennsylvania, and she... Her, her big thing was like, how do we find the respect again for each other, even, even when we don't see eye to eye because we're not gonna see eye to eye on everything, and we don't have to, to your point, poke each other in the eye in order to win the argument, right?</p>
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<p>And so we can be curious with each other. Yeah. </p>
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<p>And, and that's the key, you know, being curious to- it's an opportunity to learn. I'm part of a group that gets together once a month, very different personalities, very different, um, um, backgrounds, and we don't agree on a lot of things, but around coffee we have some very interesting deep conversations, and it's a lot of fun.</p>
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<p>You know, so we can do it, we just need to regain the will to do it. </p>
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<p>I agree. Well, when I was riding my bike across the country, I stopped into a cafe in Rushville, Indiana, and as I walked in, it was the Moose Cafe and Antiques, and there was this big round table, and there were like 12 people around the table of different generations, um, different perspectives.</p>
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<p>As I came in to get my morning coffee and my muffin to fuel the rest of my ride that day, they were in great debate, but they... I could tell that there was a respect. You know, they were arguing back and forth on whatever the topic was. And, you know, when it came time to leave, they, they were curious about me 'cause I walk in with all my cycling gear.</p>
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<p>I, I look like an outsider because I was an outsider. But when I left, I was like, wow, like, th- those 12 people, and even from my perspective, I would add a 13th and a different perspective on things, they all, um, they all said, uh, you know, "God bless you," you know, uh, "Safe travels." You know, they, they found a way to, like, ease their differences in that moment and then look to a stranger and just wish a stranger a safe voyage, and I thought that was, like, one of those moments of the trip that really stuck with me.</p>
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<p>Absolutely. </p>
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<p>So you mentioned pie, but I wanna switch gears to cake because what's a birthday- </p>
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<p>Without a cake ... </p>
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<p>without a cake, right? And so I know not everyone likes cake. I've already ch- talked to some people that are not cake fans, but we're gonna g- I'm gonna go on the assumption, John, that you might like cake.</p>
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<p>So what kind of cake are you ser- are you serving for America's 250th birthday? </p>
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<p>You know, taking a, a cue from the, from Neapolitan ice cream. Let's do a multi-layer cake of strawberry, chocolate, and, and, uh, vanilla. </p>
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<p>Ah. Yes. I like that. You're, you're, you're, uh, I think the second person that mentioned that, so I think that's a good choice.</p>
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<p>And since there are 250 candles on this cake, it's gonna take a while to blow them out, so as you blow out the candles, what's a wish that you wish to make for America on her birthday? </p>
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<p>That, that we repair the fracture we just talked about. Let's, let's find that we've... You know, once we find that civility and, and begin to have the honest dialogue again, as opposed to having individual monologues Then I believe that's the, the first step towards really repairing the fractures and putting us back on a common trajectory that we all can support and agree with.</p>
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<p>I think that's a good wish. So the last person I spoke to in this series was Raquel from San Diego. She claims they have the best weather. I did not argue with her. </p>
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<p>No. </p>
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<p>She has a question for you, John. </p>
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<p>Okay. </p>
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<p>And you get to ask a question of the next person I speak with, who will be Jake. So her question is: What helps you really come up with a good belly laugh?</p>
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<p>Like, what, what makes you laugh in such a way that, like, your-- the belly hurts? Does anything come to mind? </p>
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<p>It, it's, it's when... it's something very unexpected occurs. </p>
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<p>Yeah. That's a good... It's a good dopamine release when you can laugh in that way, like the unexpected laugh, and you're, you're almost crying as you're laughing, right?</p>
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<p>Yeah, absolutely. </p>
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<p>Awesome. Now, what question do you want to ask of Jake? It can be really anything under the sun. It doesn't have to be about America at two hundred and fifty years old. Obviously, Raquel's question was more about laughter than about America's birthday. So is there a question of curiosity that you have for Jake?</p>
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<p>Yeah. As, as he's had this conversation with you, what has Jake learned about himself that he didn't expect? </p>
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<p>Okay, cool. I like that. Well, I will ask him that in a few hours. John, thanks for joining me on A Perfectly Imperfect Union. I love the ripple that you're putting into the world, and I love the fact that you're trying to help us navigate AI in a responsible and in a very innovative way.</p>
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<p>So my recommendation to you is keep pedaling, sir, and thanks for being here. </p>
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<p>Thank you so much, Michael. Great to, great to see you again.</p>
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<p>So I hope you enjoyed getting to know one of your fellow neighbors from Arkansas, and I so appreciate John's wish to bring back some civility and maybe ease all these monologues and have more conversation. That's the spirit of our Perfectly Imperfect Union series, is to have conversation. Yeah, it takes some time, but it's the best way to connect and truly start to understand each other.</p>
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<p>Of course, I think we all know that if we really want to come together, it will take more than just wishing. It will take action, and maybe that action starts with a conversation, a conversation that allows us to be fully seen, heard, and appreciated, or I would say loved, one human to another, even if we don't see the world the same way.</p>
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<p>I believe that 97% of people are good. There's a like-heartedness in that goodness. And if we lead with our heart, we can be open to different mindedness. That's how we can come together and form a more perfectly imperfect union. If today's conversation resonated with you, I hope you'll share it with someone you know.</p>
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<p>And if either you or someone you know would like to join me for a conversation, please reach out. And until our next episode in our Perfectly Imperfect Union series, let's remember to celebrate our scars as golden symbols of our strength and resilience. Happy birthday, America. And don't forget to have fun storming the castle.</p>
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<p>And if you wish to learn more about creating beautiful ripples and how to prevent a bad moment from turning into a bad day, please visit my website, michaelobrienshift.com, and sign up for my newsletter called The Ripple Effect. And join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday here at Whole Again, and discover how you can heal, grow, and become more resilient, and celebrate our scars as golden symbols of strength and resilience.</p>
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<p>Until then, remember, you can always come back to your breath. You've got this, and we've got you.</p>