His name is Daniel. He has a tattoo with what we think is his son’s name across his neck. We were about to cross the state border, leaving Missouri without an interview from this place of contrasts – of natural beauty and inner city poverty – and we were miserable…

The week leading up to our meeting with Daniel is almost indescribable. Traveling from the fire red sands of Utah through the resourceful Rockies and on to the wholesome mid-West was like traveling through Europe – the landscapes are entirely different, as are the people, and the feeling of each place. Arches National Park, Utah remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of the trip thus far. Our day of hiking had us caked in red dust, gnat bites, sunscreen and mosquito spray. But most of all we were drenched in awe at the magnificence of these rock formations, like Mayan gods erupting from the salt lake. Colorado is self-sufficient and down-to-earth. In Grand Junction we stayed with Dennis and Connie, artists who make lamps from gourds and door handles from garden forks. Connie moved us deeply as she spoke of caring for her son under difficult circumstances, “He has taught me to fight.” Harvard friends revitalized us in Denver with their generosity and laundry facilities (humidity and socks do not make good travel companions). The Great Plains of Nebraska include fields upon fields upon fields, occasionally punctuated with minute museums commemorating pioneers and the near extinction of buffalo and Native American tribes. Nebraska City was a gorgeous, tree-lined surprise. Home of National Arbor Day, everything here closes at 5pm. You can feel homegrown values in the air. It was here that we met Gail, manager and curator of Wildwood House, an 1869 Victorian country home. Decked head to toe in Victorian dress, Gail was humorous, honest and warm. She talked about her kind husband and her horses “who help me with people – I am learning to listen more.” Kansas City, Missouri knocked the wind out of us. The barbeque more than lived up to its reputation with its sweet smokiness. But we were drained by contemplation as we saw the economic downturn etched on too many faces in the inner city. Our hearts were heavy as we headed to the blues of Memphis. On the state line we pulled into a rest stop and there we met Daniel…

He is a young man, softly spoken. Although present, he keeps his eyes lowered. Our six minutes with Daniel were some of the most poignant yet. He is a man of few words. But then few words are needed when a man who has seen the harder side of life chokes up – almost imperceptibly as he talks about his kids. “I would be nothing without them.” There may be something fundamental in our humanity beneath our diversity and differences. But it is early days in this research and it is too soon to tell. For now, we are content to ponder the possibility while challenging our assumptions and reminding ourselves to allow the themes to emerge unbridled from the interviewees themselves.