Interview Part III

It seems in life that even the best laid plans can be laid to ruin. You can account for traffic, backup files on a computer, have an alternate speech if things go south. You cannot account for the weathermen telling you a Cat 4 hurricane will grind up the Gulf Coast and wash away your house after previously stating ‘it’ll be okay, we’re luckily not on the Atlantic.’ But, given those circumstances, I think I did the best with what I had.

My original plan was to interview a cook where I work, only for work to be shut down for three days and begin to smell like rotting queso on day four. “Interview Part II” was my backup plan, a different coworker a bit harder to reach, and everything was good to go. Then my family decides to spontaneously evacuate after being on the fence about it for three days and, ironically, the power still goes out there and cell service is shot.

So, my interviewee and I decided on a preliminary call first, before the dust settles, then a followup later to answer my questions in full. What I have as a result of that is a half-filled word document and even more questions without answers. But we’re making it work, improvising as we go to get this done, and that’s a huge part of why Kristen was my Plan B. She sticks with it, even with a not-so-metaphorical hurricane looming over her threatening to ruin everything she’s worked for, to wash away that secure house at any second and leave her stranded on a mattress raft with a shoddy ore up one flooded street of a creek.

And that’s why, when this interview finally, eventually happens, it will have definitely been worth the wait.