Spencer Downing
Episode 31

Narrator:

Welcome friends to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Join your host Japhet De Oliveira with his guest today and discover the moments that shape us, our families and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, welcome friends to another fantastic episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. I have a new guest and this time this guest is live, sitting opposite me. Even though he's smiling, he's holding all of his voice in which is really fantastic. I wish you could see his face. So this is really rare. Often my guests are online and he's nodding in affirmation. He's trying to hold his voice in because he doesn't want to reveal who he is just yet, but it's going to be great.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And so I'm excited to have this guest here. And the way it works for anybody who's brand new is that we have 100 questions. First, 10, are really easy and so are all the others kind of. From 11 to 100, our guest gets to pick and they get to choose how vulnerable they want to be, how deep they'd like to go. And we just get to share stories and experiences that actually shape our guest into the leader that they are today. Right. Let's dive in and straight away, I'm going to begin with the very first one. Can you tell us your name and does anybody ever mess it up?

Spencer Downing:

My name is Spencer Downing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

And it is a name that is a bit annoying to native Spanish speakers.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, really?

Spencer Downing:

The "sp". "Sp" is not the thing that they love to say.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I never knew that. That's great. So otherwise, it's pretty straightforward.

Spencer Downing:

It's pretty straightforward.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Good, good. What do you do for work Spencer, at the moment?

Spencer Downing:

At the moment, I am the Interim Executive Director of the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless in Boulder, Colorado.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right. But you've had quite a varied career.

Spencer Downing:

I have had a non-linear career. That is correct.

Spencer Downing:

That is not something I would recommend to any young person. Please do not become an expert in anything.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right.

Spencer Downing:

That is my career. Are you wanting me to say what my career is?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. I mean, I think it's good for our guest to be able to-

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, I'm sure.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Know a little bit out...

Spencer Downing:

In many ways, I do not belong on this podcast because...

Japhet De Oliveira:

... oh, really?

Spencer Downing:

I've listened to this podcast and I know the kind of people that you have on this podcast. And you have people who are accomplished. They are solid. They are exemplary and that is not my situation.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Sure.

Spencer Downing:

To give a thumbnail, I spent most of my career expecting to be an educator and I taught at a university for a while. And I had a significant life change in that I met somebody and we tried to do things long distance for a while and one of the careers had to go, and that was mine.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

And so then I started working in nonprofits. And there's a bit of a story and it may not be that interesting, but I ended up directing a center for people experiencing homelessness in Hollywood, California. Did that for a few years. And then my wife's job brought her to Colorado, so I followed and I've worked in nonprofits here. And I've had a bit of experience in leading in transitions. And right now, the shelter is going through a transition. So I'm really excited about the work and I'm really excited for the shelter to find someone else to do it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, for our guests, because Spencer is being a little bit shy here, he is also, I should refer to him as Dr. Downing, because he is also a professor of history and he has been a professor of history. He's well-read, well-versed and he is also an executive coach. He's a trainer. He's a really great leader. He has helped lots of nonprofits transition. So he's done quite a varied career. So when he says, "I'm not able to bring any of my stories and experiences." I'm like, "Spencer, yeah, okay."

Spencer Downing:

Okay. And as everyone says, "You are the best PR anyone could hope for, Japhet."

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, I'm glad you're here.

Spencer Downing:

Thanks.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I'm glad you're here.

Spencer Downing:

Thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And we're excited to be able to hear a little bit more about that. So this morning, tell me in the morning, what's your drink of choice? Do you start your day off with water, coffee, tea, one of those green smoothies?

Spencer Downing:

I love a perfectly done... One must do this precisely.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

You need to get your Brita filter. I have no idea why you hate Brita filters so much, Japhet.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Because it tastes horrible.

Spencer Downing:

It doesn't. It doesn't and I don't even have one. I really enjoy the first thing to be a very cold drink of water even as I will then guzzle coffee for a long time just like everyone else.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

And I really love that coffee that has been in the pot overnight that I can then put some milk in and then put it in the microwave. And I do it precisely, to one minute, ten seconds because I'm very careful about the way I prepare my rancid coffee.

Japhet De Oliveira:

For anybody who likes coffee, just stay there with us. Stay with us. It doesn't diminish you, Spencer. We just appreciate you in a different way. Spencer, where were you born?

Spencer Downing:

This will resonate with some people. I was born in White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights in the eastern part of Los Angeles.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Spencer Downing:

And I love the fact that I was delivered by the woman who delivered my mom.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh my. Oh, fantastic. Yeah. Oh, have you been back to that area?

Spencer Downing:

I have. My father was the pastor at White Memorial Church for about 10 years when I was in my thirties and early forties.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Spencer Downing:

I'm old, but yeah. So it's a place I've been to again. I wouldn't say that I know it well or have the deeply strong ties that many of your listeners will, but yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, but that's that's great. We actually, we are going to be filming a Christmas program there. It's beautiful. Wow. That's that's really good. When you were a child there, what did you imagine you were going grow up to be?

Spencer Downing:

An interim director for a center for homeless people. Like from the time I was a young child, that was what I thought I want something temporary yet controlling.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. I can tell.

Spencer Downing:

I did think that I would grow up to be a scientist at one point.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Really?

Spencer Downing:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. And then personality-wise, would people describe you as an extrovert, as an extrovert? And would you agree?

Spencer Downing:

They would call me an introvert. They'd be right. I would be an extrovert.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You'd be an extrovert?

Spencer Downing:

Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. And they would be right? You would agree.

Spencer Downing:

Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

Unlike so many people on this podcast where they call me an extrovert, but I'm really not.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, you'd be amazed. You to be amazed. All right. Habits. I mean, we're here really early in the morning, but are you an early riser or late night owl?

Spencer Downing:

I am convinced that the early risers rule the world. And I used to think that it was because they're early risers, but I now believe that it's people who want to rule the world believe rising early is virtuous.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, I like that.

Spencer Downing:

Whereas we night owls enjoy the world you run.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. That's fair. That's fair. That's good. And then let's just talk about this morning.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, this morning.

Japhet De Oliveira:

What's the first thought that went through your mind?

Spencer Downing:

The first thought that went through my mind truly is I woke up. I'm very new to my role.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

And I'm full of anxieties. And literally one of the anxieties is for, I have no control over this, but I was thinking about how there needs to be more housing in our city. And the first thought I thought was I'm not going to go back to sleep. I might as well get up and, and do something. So, which is really, that's so annoying that that's what I'm thinking about. But I was really thinking about primitive supporting housing units.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

Which is lame. So lame.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, well it wakes you up.

Spencer Downing:

It does.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It wakes you up [inaudible 00:08:47]. That's good.

Spencer Downing:

Really does.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It's good. So then in this new role, and when you think about your leadership, are you a backseat driver?

Spencer Downing:

I actually am okay with letting somebody else drive when they're in the driver's seat.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right. We've seen our 10 questions. So easy.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It was so beautiful.

Spencer Downing:

Smooth.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Now you get to pick between 11 and 100, where do you want to go?

Spencer Downing:

Well, let's see. 95.

Japhet De Oliveira:

95.

Spencer Downing:

No one can see this.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, nobody can see this. I'm using a random number generator.

Japhet De Oliveira:

He has his iPhone and he's... I don't know what okay. A random number generator is really great [crosstalk 00:09:28].

Spencer Downing:

Well, no the problem is unlike other people, I've actually had the opportunity to listen to this. So I actually know some of these questions. I know the corresponding numbers and it's just not fair.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, that's really good. All right. So 95, here it is. Tell us about how you see your faith and life intersecting.

Spencer Downing:

This is the question I didn't want to answer, which is also 100. So many people that you talk to are solid, even as they wrestle. And I am less solid and I'm not so sure that I wrestle, but my faith includes things that are not necessarily tied to doctrine.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

And to make that real, I'm increasingly compelled by faiths that include multiple practices. And one of those is there's this church that got started called the Church of Universal Suffrage. Are you familiar with them?

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no.

Spencer Downing:

No? They got started in Tennessee when Tennessee was suggesting that people be prevented from bringing water to a voting line. And what they said is, well, our religion is that everyone should vote and in our spiritual practice is helping everyone vote. So now it is not that we are helping people in line with water, but it is our sacrament that people vote. And although that might be a joke, the belief in supporting humanity, the belief in supporting that which provides good or that which enables good might be part of my faith practice these days. And it is, and so how does that intersect with my life? It may lead me to choose things like working on homeless systems. So that's one answer I have to the question today.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. Well, it's just the ability to be able to see that they actually do intersect and how you describe your faith. Is beautiful. It's good. All right. Where would your number generator like to take you today?

Spencer Downing:

All right, let's try it. 24.

Japhet De Oliveira:

24. All right. This is fantastic. I'm actually curious, I'm going to explore this as to what numbers people do pick and why they pick them because there are some numbers that people have missed entirely.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, like 19.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So I'm curious. Tell us about a time you were over or underdressed for an occasion.

Spencer Downing:

Oh, gosh. This one is tough for me. The thing that comes to mind wasn't actually a time that mattered. But when I was in high school, I was seeing somebody or I was dating somebody who didn't go to a boarding school like I did and had proms. And it never occurred to me that, like it seemed to me ludicrous that you would pay money to wear a tuxedo. And I would've shown up in something completely underdressed. And I would've been mortified and I would've mortified her, but it was stopped by a snowstorm.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

So how's that for...?

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. It was good.

Spencer Downing:

As an Adventist kid, it never occurred to me that you would do something. We had banquets and you were suits and things, but...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Not the tuxedo.

Spencer Downing:

Paying money to wear clothes didn't make sense to me. Now I say that to somebody who values a good suit.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I do. I do. I really do value suits.

Spencer Downing:

And that isn't me.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I know. I love them. I love them. I'd wear a suit every day if I could. Yeah. All right. Where next?

Spencer Downing:

67.

Japhet De Oliveira:

67. I love this number generator, right. What is the best picture you've ever taken and why?

Spencer Downing:

Well, I love pictures of my kids. I love some pictures of places that I've gone on vacation. I especially love pictures of my kids when they're looking awkward or crying. But truthfully, the thing that immediately comes to mind is a picture that I took. It's unremarkable except that it was with a person who was living on the streets and we were involved in a march end homelessness in Los Angeles. And later that person got housed.

Spencer Downing:

It's a totally boring picture, but it was a moment of solidarity with somebody who not only meant a lot to me, but what I loved about it or continue to love about it is that the kind of work that we were doing was one based, that valued relationship. And to me, that was an embodiment of not seeing a person as the subject of a picture, but this is somebody who is meaningful to me. We knew each other by name and saw each other regularly. This was not just a passing thing. And eventually I would... when I worked in that, I did not go, these are my friends, because I find a kind of falsehood in crossing those boundaries. But later I would call that person a friend, so.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. The picture of significance is the story. That's great. All right.

Spencer Downing:

35.

Japhet De Oliveira:

35. I didn't even have to ask. All right, you found it. Share a special interest or unique talent that you have.

Spencer Downing:

The interest I have that I want everyone to adopt is that I'm addicted to BBC radio Four Extra, which is where the BBC catalogs all of its old dramas and comedies. How's that?

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's great. I love it. I love it.

Spencer Downing:

You all should listen to it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. Good, we'll encourage our listeners to do that. That'd be great. Brilliant.

Spencer Downing:

40.

Japhet De Oliveira:

40, all right. Tell us about a time that you failed.

Spencer Downing:

God, I was in the first group of people to do Teach for America.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

And we imagined ourselves as going into America to where there was great need and we were going to provide the thing that children didn't have.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

And anyone who's an experienced teacher, and they said it at the time, that's a ludicrous proposition in so many ways. I think anyone who has taught, especially taught at a lower level of school knows the feeling especially in the first years knows the feeling of failing every day. And that was among the early introductions to living in constant failure.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hey.

Spencer Downing:

And I now work to end homelessness.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. Yeah. No, no, I hear you.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, but that is own place I failed.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Let me ask you 40a. It's not on your random number there. What would you give as advice to someone who is feeling like right now everything they're doing is just failing? How would they pull themselves out? Can they pull themselves out? What would you say to them?

Spencer Downing:

For me, there's been plenty of times when one feels like one is not doing the thing that brings real change or the thing that brings success. And there are eventually moments when one keeps going at it that you do have those moments of success and fastening onto them can be helpful.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

Remembering the reasons why you do what you do can be helpful. Very, very occasionally one gets, I had one of the best things ever. A person I taught a long time ago wrote to me to tell me about how much he remembered my cautionary lecture on Afghanistan back in the early two thousands. And he said, "That has really stuck with me. And as things were winding up, I want you to know how much that meant to me." And a couple weeks ago, I got an amazing photo that I love.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

Of a person with the key to his apartment, who I'd known for years on the streets from 10 years ago.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Spencer Downing:

And he's finally in an apartment. So those are things I would... And it's years and years and years later. I got gray hair. I'm old and those things are driving. And then I would also say that there are some really interesting kinds of... There are any number of terrible performers who if they keep performing all of a sudden become classics.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, it's true.

Spencer Downing:

And if you do it enough for long enough people start going, oh yeah. You know what? That's really awesome. So those are things that I think of.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's true. That's true. That's encouraging. There is the possibility. Well, I hope that our listeners take courage. That's good. Thank you, Spencer, for 40a. And that was an extra random. All right. Where next?

Spencer Downing:

45.

Japhet De Oliveira:

45. All right, here we go. When people come to you for help-

Spencer Downing:

Huh.

Japhet De Oliveira:

What are they usually asking for? I wonder.

Spencer Downing:

Although I've worked really hard to be the guy who has no help to give to somebody on the street. That has been... Yeah, that I worked really hard for people to know don't go to that guy.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. Huh.

Spencer Downing:

And in fact, one of the things that I used to imagine myself as doing was ignoring people to their face while trying to help them behind their back. Yeah. I'm not somebody that I think people perceive as being all that helpful so they don't come to help very... They don't ask me very often.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. That was good. I think. But I like that you're working behind the scenes is great.

Spencer Downing:

33.

Japhet De Oliveira:

33. Here we go. Tell us about the best gift you've ever given someone else then since you're work behind the scenes.

Spencer Downing:

Oh, yeah. Thank you for prompting me on that. It's hard to tell, but I suppose it is true that I worked with a lot of people. It is not I, but I was in community with a lot of people to begin a process of creating a structure. How's that for super exciting. And anybody can... or so I'll choose one.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

And anyone can look. The Atlantic magazine, which is a magazine some people have read. They did a short documentary about a few years ago, about five years ago on something called Hollywood's top 14.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

And the top 14 is a concept in which the community will focus on just the 14 people they deem the most vulnerable and the community circles around them in ways that are probably not a evident to those individuals.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Spencer Downing:

But they are striving to get those people in sustainable situations.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Nice.

Spencer Downing:

And my boast is that when the concept was created, I was the guy at the whiteboard with the pen. So maybe that counts. I don't know.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's fantastic. Well, good structures that actually last is amazing.

Spencer Downing:

I love good structures.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. No, that's good. All right.

Spencer Downing:

81.

Japhet De Oliveira:

81.

Spencer Downing:

And by the way, again, I do so, that is amazing work.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

That is not Spencer work. That is...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Like together.

Spencer Downing:

Really, but Douglas and Anthony who are in that movie are amazing people.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, I hear you. I hear you. All right. 81, here it is. What is something you've given your absolute best effort towards and why was it important?

Spencer Downing:

I suppose that I gave a lot of effort to create the place that now exists as The Center in Hollywood. And it is now an organization that has flawed like all organizations are flawed, but is run by amazing people who became friends of mine and will tell me endlessly how I screwed up. But it does good work, so.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It does good work. It does good work. I think that's actually, that's beautiful. I like that sentence. We're going to remember that it does good work. To be part of something and to create something that actually does good work, irrespective of some of the things that are bumps is a good thing.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. That's fantastic. Thank you.

Spencer Downing:

84.

Japhet De Oliveira:

84. Where do you go to find peace?

Spencer Downing:

I don't know that I've heard you ask this one yet. Where do I go to find peace? I do the simplest thing. I just go walk around. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah?

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, and that often is where I end up having to go wherever I'm out, I'm walking around to building thing or something like that, or a neighborhood.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Are you listening for things? Or are you with music? Or are you just silent? Or just walking?

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, I don't use... I spent much of my life listening to stuff and for in those moments, I'm usually just perseverating in my head, but I'm trying to get it out of my body.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hey, that's good. That's good. That's good.

Spencer Downing:

I'm sorry the answer isn't better.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no.

Spencer Downing:

We live near the mountains and you're supposed to go into the woods and you're supposed to... I was really proud at one point of adding mindfulness practice.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

10 years ago before it was as hip as it is. And I truly believe in that, but is that the thing I do? No.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no. I know. Apple watch would be very disappointed.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah, 50s Apple watch is very disappointed in me.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

57.

Japhet De Oliveira:

57. All right. If you had to endorse a brand, what would it be and why would you?

Spencer Downing:

Wow. Never fell in love with a company. Hmm. What is a brand that I believe in enough that I would endorse?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

This is the part you can [crosstalk 00:24:44].

Japhet De Oliveira:

I am Spencer Downing and I support...

Spencer Downing:

Yeah. I am Spencer Downing and I support... I have a really hard time thinking of it, but I'm going to say Toad & Co.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay, and I'm -

Spencer Downing:

The clothing manufacturer, and I can't even buy their clothes there because I'm cheap. They make high quality clothing and they are absolutely committed to employing people and supporting organizations that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's great.

Spencer Downing:

Likewise, Silicon Valley Bank does that.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's great. That was great.

Spencer Downing:

Those two.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That was fantastic. Good, good. And I like the why as well. Brilliant. All right. Where next?

Spencer Downing:

64.

Japhet De Oliveira:

64. When you look back in your life, tell us about what was I thinking? Tell us about what was I thinking in the moment. Yeah, let me rephrase that. When you look back in your life, think about a moment and what was I thinking in that moment? There you go. I got the question out.

Spencer Downing:

Oh, I had the potential to maybe become a tenured professor and I walked away from that.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

And my thinking was that in the grand scheme of one's existence.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

I had spent... When one goes into academia, it's often easy to believe that your intellectual output and your intellectual accomplishments will be the contributing thing that you bring to the world. And it is simultaneously enormously satisfying and deeply crushing because one's self becomes contained in one's work. And it can become an... That's why there are so many people in our universities that are so depressed. They're literally spending their days saying, I'm giving up certain parts of my life so that I can have this accomplishment.

Spencer Downing:

And for me, I did think when I'm debilitated and old, what will matter? And then, and I guess I thought, you know what? It may be people and it may be deciding to be with people. And so I literally was making a choice to be with someone. And now that someone has turned into other someones. Yeah. There are times that I would love to be in that world again, but I'm not so sure that it's to the point of deep regret. I feel like that's a choice I might make again. That's what I was thinking.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful. Thank you. Well, we have time for two more numbers. So where do you want to go?

Spencer Downing:

51.

Japhet De Oliveira:

51. All right. Here we go. Tell us about something that you know you do differently than most people.

Spencer Downing:

You talk to someone who puts ketchup on their macaroni. And I was trying to think, what would I answer if I were asked that question?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Spencer Downing:

To go back to a theme, and it's a theme that I think is worth people considering. I maybe think about what it means to help someone perhaps differently than I certainly used to and what it means to interact with someone, especially a person who is living on the street.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Right.

Spencer Downing:

And I might speak to that person differently and also think about help differently. Definitely than I used to. In other words, I used to feel like I needed to give a tangible thing, even as it was difficult for me to have an interpersonal interaction and whether or not I do that differently from anybody else, I definitely do it differently from the me I used to be.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Spencer Downing:

And I feel more able to meet a person as an individual and a human being. And I feel very differently about the kind of transactional value of handing a tangible thing to somebody I don't know.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It's what I like about you, Spencer. It's the emotional intelligence and the ability to be self aware of your own journey and growth in our conversations that we've had. And in life that I see that you are a person who's willing to pause enough to reflect on where you've been and where you are today and actually make changes. And I think it's actually one of the great qualities that you have, one of the great characteristics. So last question, Spencer.

Spencer Downing:

69.

Japhet De Oliveira:

69. All right, here we go. Tell us about one experience that you'd like to relive over and over and over again.

Spencer Downing:

Oh my goodness.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. It's a good one.

Spencer Downing:

There's so many good ones. These questions are great. They're even more fun if one thinks of them as not the answer, but an answer.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes. Yes, yes. It's true.

Spencer Downing:

I'm going to use an example that is partly just to give a pitch, which is that anybody listening to this podcast needs to watch a film called Dick Johnson is Dead.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Spencer Downing:

But I'm going to say that I would love to have that kind of experience, but truly the one that immediately came to mind is the time that my very good friend, Mark, grabbed me when he'd just gotten his license and we went and watched the movie, Top Secret and almost wet ourselves laughing. And it is a silly movie and it's terrible movie, but were I to have that deep, solid gut-busting laughter that you get as a teenager, when you for the first time, see something absurd.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. Definitely.

Spencer Downing:

I'd do that over and over.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I'm with you. It's something about being with the right people who actually understand the same kind of things taking place and being in that space.

Spencer Downing:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. That's good. All right. That's fantastic. Well, Spencer, thank you so much for your time and for early this morning and for being part of this moment here and for sharing so many of the incredible stories and experiences that shaped your life into the great leader that you are today.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I want to encourage all of our listeners to actually share your own stories and experiences with each other, because I really do believe that by sharing your stories, you actually get to shape life. I want you to encourage you to actually listen to them as well, because I really also believe that by listening, you get to actually allow others to be able to shape your life as well. Look after each other. God bless. And thank you again for this moment.

Narrator:

Thank you for joining us for The Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch and submit your story and experience at AdventistHealth.org/Story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health, through the Office of Culture.