As promised, the rest of Harold’s interview! Recap:
Harold:
So, he… [is] a double leg amputee. I think its above the knee… As a teenager, he was building his own prosthetics and that’s how he fell in love with it. And, so in the TED talk, you see how he built feet for a woman who [is] a dancer— Who [is] a below the knee amputee. And she was dancing across the stage and I cried a little bit… It was wonderful.
And there are women in his team! There are!
Pebbles:
So, aside from career-wise, who is the person you look up to the most?
Harold:
My mama! Um, one thing I admire is dedication and just sheer resilience and my mom has all of that… She overcame poverty in Dominican Republic. She risked her life to come over here. And now, we’re slowly overcoming poverty here!
She works really hard to make sure everyone in the family is happy, not just her… She’s a giver… Yeah. Besides her? Elon Musk. If I could make up my own father, Elon Musk would be my father.(Chuckles)
Pebbles:
What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from her?
Harold:
From her? Like I said earlier, it’s dedication…. She was on a boat, with more people than should be on a boat. She’s afraid of the ocean. She can’t swim. All of these things! And she still did it.. Because she was determined to make a better life for herself and for her family. She came and had no support, she made friends, she made family. And to create a life like that, all by yourself? I think that would inspire anybody. I’m just lucky enough to have that as a mom, you know?
Pebbles:
So, for you, does feminism have a specific definition?
Harold:
Hmm… I think— What is it generally? It is the notion that women and men are on an equal playing field in all aspects of life. That, I agree with. Except biological things, of course… It’s kind of a varying definition for me because I’ve spoken to women who want equal pay but won’t open a door for me. Its like… You can’t…(Chuckles) Sexism is sexism… Men [also] feel so entitled to certain things just for the sole reason that we’re men. And that’s it. I don’t think anyone should feel entitled to anything… Aside from basic human rights. But, honestly, I’m just rambling. I don’t know if I’m answering the question or… I don’t think I have an answer, which is why I’m rambling. (Laughs)
Pebbles:
That’s alright! It seems obvious to me, but do you identify as a feminist?
Harold:
I like to, yeah. I feel like I still need to educate myself more. There’s definitely things that I see more and more often and I get pissed off about. Even in movies, or hearing guys talk about women. You ever hear a guy say, like, “Oh, I would sleep with her!” And I just start thinking, like, “ Bro, would SHE sleep with you?” (Chuckles) You’re not asking that question. That question is equally, if not, more important… You’re judging… Like it’s only your decision. But it’s not true… [There are] so many things men need to unlearn. It’s easy to say, but hard to do.
Pebbles:
Would you feel the same way, if women simply objectified you and nothing more?
Harold:
… My aunt was howling out my window at construction workers who were working right beside my window. Saying, “ Hey, cutie!” And they looked up in disgust… like, “Oh my God, who is yelling these things?!” And its crazy, when a woman will compliment a guy like that, out of nowhere, she must be crazy or something. Something must be wrong with her… It’s like we want women to not want us but only want us… But, yeah, it would bother me if I was seen, for example, like a piece of meat.
Pebbles:
Final random question—
Harold:
My favorite color is purple!
Pebbles:
(Laughing) No! Okay, Justin Bieber, if you were trapped in your favorite place in the world forever, who would you take with you?
Harold:
Holy crap! That is intense! Because on one level, I know my mom’s gonna take care of me. On another level, I don’t think she give me the level of physical and emotional support I’m gonna need. (Laughs) And if I’m trapped forever… Alright. I’m gonna bring a woman that I can start a family with. We could start over! Yeah!
Next week: My brothers, Raphael and Erikson!
I really enjoy getting to know more about my friends and delving into the psyche of the men around me. Hopefully by next week all of my illustrations ill be back on track!
