Ep. 55 - Coryn Hendrix - Board Meetings Indy
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Episode Summary
This week, I talked to Coryn Hendrix, the founder of Board Meetings, an LGBTQIA+ and allies skate-and-social group here in Indianapolis that meets regularly at various skate parks around town. I had known about the predecessor to this group, Grind Culture, for quite a while, and I met the founder, Carly, basically a week before she left for California. So I was so overjoyed to see that Coryn was carrying the banner of queer skating in this city forward and had a great time chatting.
Sponsors:
City Rising (cityrising.org)
Proformus Urban Planning & Design
Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
1:34 Meet Coryn Hendrix
3:57 Board Meeting Indy & its origins
4:35 LGBTQI+ skate community
10:27 Coryn's skating style
12:38 Roller skating history & culture
20:13 Indy skate parks
23:49 Lady Skate Squad
24:54 Why LGBTQI+ spaces matter
36:20 Canned questions
46:24 Previous guest Q
50:15 The Power of Fun
54:24 Q for next guest
Episode Transcript
Coryn Hendrix
Michael Zarick: [00:00:00] This week, I talked to Coryn Hendrix, the founder of Board Meetings, an LGBTQIA+ and allies skate and social group here in Indianapolis that meets regularly at a variety of different skate parks around town. I had known about the predecessor to this group, Grind Culture, for quite a while, and I met the founder, Carly, basically a week before she left for California.
So I was so overjoyed to see that Coryn was carrying the banner of queer skating in this city forward and had a great time chatting. Before the show, I want to thank everyone who helps support the show. And if you are interested in helping me sustain the podcast, you can go to support.thirdspaceindy.com, or you can do something as simple as clicking subscribe, liking the video, or leaving a review on your preferred platform.
Now, on to the show.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, t- that voice in your head that critiques you constantly, my friend Apollo taught me [00:01:00] to call that voice
Elizagirth.
L-
And we just like- Elizagirth? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's like- What, what is
Michael Zarick: the breakdown of that word? I need to know.
Coryn Hendrix: Well-
Michael Zarick: We're, we're, we're spelling it out.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. You got your Elizabeth and then girth.
Michael Zarick: Hello. My name is Michael Zarick and this is Third Space Indy. In 1989, a man named Ray Oldenburg wrote a book called The Great Good Place, and in this book he coined the term the third place.
This describes a place that is outside of your work and outside of your home that you can go be with others and build community. So I've made it my job to find people all over Indianapolis who are doing their very best to create those types of [00:02:00] spaces. Today I'm joined with, uh, someone based in counter culture, I think, at least in, in a lot of different ways.
and someone who is doing something that I've always found, like, really compelling and cool, um, which is skating. Uh, so that brings me to today's guest, Coryn Hendrix. How you doing?
Coryn Hendrix: I'm doing well. How are you, Michael?
Michael Zarick: I'm doing really well. First of all, I have to say this into the microphone, that you are the most accommodating guest so far.
You brought two chairs and you brought a blanket for us to sit on. You also scouted like four locations for us to be, and you offered a specific tree to sit under, which we are sitting under.
Coryn Hendrix: Well, yeah.
It didn't take much. I know sometimes skateparks can be intimidating, and, um, so but I n- I really love this spot.
It's a spot that my friends and I have gravitated toward every time that we come here as a group, and I have some great memories under this tree.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Is there something specific about [00:03:00] this tree, or is it just, like, because it's a good, it has a good view of the skatepark?
Coryn Hendrix: I think it's really because this, uh, obstacle behind us is just a great beginner obstacle really.
Mm-hmm. So, like, uh, my friends who skateboard especially would learn kick turns here, and the, just, like, the f- first basic steps, and yeah.
Michael Zarick: Okay. Any time... I will interrupt you, but any time you use a skate term I'm gonna say, "What does that mean?" Okay. So what is a kick turn?
Coryn Hendrix: A kick turn is when you go on a skateboard up a ramp that, I guess up anywhere, and then you lift your front wheels, spinning them around, and then go back down.
Okay.
Michael Zarick: Got it. I think the most, like, common knowledge for, like, skateboarding is, like, an ollie, which is just a jump. Yes. Yeah. But also still extremely hard to do as far as I know.
Coryn Hendrix: I can't do
Michael Zarick: it. so for those who may not know who you are and what you do, let the people know.
Coryn Hendrix: Okay. So I am the [00:04:00] founder of Board Meeting Indy, which is sort of a spinoff of an existing skate meetup called Grind Culture Indy, and really Grind Culture Indy expanded way beyond being a skate meetup.
So we are really just a branch that is only a skate meetup at this point. But, uh, the, the skate meetup has traditionally always been in the Factory Arts District parking lot. It's just a place, it's very informal. We just play music, skate around, talk, do crafts. And, uh, it has always been... Uh, Grind Culture was a, a she/they skate meetup, so it was supposed to be a place where, um, skaters who aren't as comfortable sometimes in skating spaces could go and be together and feel safer.
And over the years a lot of us started loving skatepark skating, so now that it's Board Meeting, we're kind of switching up the locations, and, um, giving [00:05:00] people a chance to go to intimidating places with other s- now we're specifically an LGBTQI+ and ally skate meetup. So- Got it ... he/hims are welcome
Michael Zarick: Okay. I was wondering that.
Coryn Hendrix: But you have to be cool with queer and
Michael Zarick: trans people. Listen, I understand that, uh, test very well. It's been laid upon me a lot, um, especially as, like, a, a heterosexual... Heterosexual? Is that the right word? Yeah. Heterosexual, uh, cis male. Yeah It's like, I- that test has been laid upon me- Yeah ... and I think I've passed sometimes.
Coryn Hendrix: You know- I...
Michael Zarick: Wait, not sometimes. Every time. Don't hurt me.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, yeah. I, I think our bar is more of neutrality even that I- people who have come to Grind Culture and Board Meeting have always been amazing and supportive. We've never... It's never ever been a place that someone has been kicked out of, so-
Michael Zarick: That's an impressive stat.
Coryn Hendrix: That is impressive. It is just a magical [00:06:00] place. I, like... I, I do think Macy and Carly made it a magical place, but I definitely witness now taking over that everybody who shows up contributes to that, and it is awesome.
Michael Zarick: one thing I really love about Grind Culture and Board Meetings is the name. Yeah. It's, like, such a...
Obviously, it's, like, co-opting, uh, such, like, boring, elder millennial, terminology, which is, like, Grind Culture, which is like millionaire grind set, like, lock in, do your most. But you guys are such a... Grind Culture is, like, such a relaxed space, and then because you're the offshoot, you're Board Meetings, which is another- Yes
like, obviously very creative, like, way of co-opting something kinda boring. Um- Was that an intentional decision on... Did you come up with the name?
Coryn Hendrix: Uh, Carly actually came up with it the day that we... I visited Carly, the founder of Grind Culture, moved to California at the end of last [00:07:00] year, and I visited her at her new home, and we came up with this idea.
And it just, she said it, like, two seconds, no, no thinking involved. So-
Michael Zarick: Maybe it was, like, a self-reflection. She's like, "If I could go back." Yeah. Yeah. "This is what I would've done."
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. And we're really leaning into it because we're also gonna do a professional development, which is, like, little training sessions with some of the-
more advanced skaters. And so, yeah, definit- the... I remember their first merch was a shirt that said anti-grind Grind Culture. I loved that.
Michael Zarick: Um, so for you, who has now come into a sort of pseudo leadership position, or maybe not even pseudo, an actual leadership position, like, how did you sort of stumble into this?
And, like, how does it feel to be an organizer in this way?
Coryn Hendrix: Well, when Carly told us that she was moving, she had assumed that the, that it just, you know, wouldn't go on anymore. And [00:08:00] immediately, for a lot of us, the question was more of who is gonna do it than is it going to c- to be done. And we wanted to make sure that we did it in a way that respects Grind Culture, of course, because they continue to...
I, I'm not really sure what they're gonna do next, but I know that they are continuing to create new things. New ideas are cooking. Mm-hmm. So-
Michael Zarick: Yeah, shout out to Macy Letgo ... shout out to Macy.
Coryn Hendrix: She's cool. She is so cool. And, doing amazing things outside of Grind Culture as well. And anyway, uh, we let... There were people who had wanted to do it, and something kept them from being able to, and it finally got to the point that Carly was gone.
So that's when I said, "Okay, I'm gonna go see Carly, and I just need this to keep going," because it's been really... The, the things that the connections I made in Grind Culture have [00:09:00] done for my life are actually crazy. I met my boss roller skating past her at the- At
Michael Zarick: your current employer?
Coryn Hendrix: Yes. Oh. And I am a water engineer.
I'm not, not a
skate- ... related person. But, uh, I met her skating past her at the Feast of Lanterns- Mm-hmm ... when my friend Jodie, the lead singer of Public Universal Friend, was headlining. And Martha, whose kid came to Grind Culture, puts on the Feast of Lanterns.
Michael Zarick: Yes.
Coryn Hendrix: So-
Michael Zarick: Hi, Martha Hi, Martha I think he listens sometimes, maybe
Coryn Hendrix: Um, everyone in the city, I love you.
Michael Zarick: That's- That's a sweeping statement
Coryn Hendrix: Well- I can
Michael Zarick: think of at least one person I do not love in the city
Coryn Hendrix: That's really fair, but- Yeah. Um, all the, all the people I can think of right now, I love you.
Michael Zarick: Okay.
Um-
I accept
Coryn Hendrix: Uh, but y- yeah. So I met my boss there. She's an incredible woman. [00:10:00] Um, a- other people have gotten jobs, even found homes that were not, like, on a public market, you know?
Yeah Selling my neighbor's ho- my neighbor selling their home, and yeah, it's just been a cool space to get the community that I feel most people are starving for today.
Michael Zarick: okay, first of all, I wanna talk about you a little bit, uh, in terms of, like, your skating, uh, prowess. Ooh. Every video you post on Instagram is you in roller skates, as far as I know.
So do you do only roller skating, or do you do skateboarding, or you mentioned cycling earlier. Um-
Coryn Hendrix: Ah. Yeah, I really deleted my Instagram at some point in my early adulthood, and then I got it back because my friend Jenny introduced me to park skating. Mm. So I really only had Instagram for that, and it is, you know, as you are getting to know, when you're on a skate algorithm, you see [00:11:00] there's this...
It's a really great space for sharing that, sharing tutorials and, you know. So I still use Instagram as a social media now, as a social medium,
Michael Zarick: Yeah. But more so, like, uh- In terms of, like, what you're doing when you are skating, like, are you doing skateboarding, or are you only doing roller skating?
Oh,
Coryn Hendrix: yeah, I do skateboard, and, uh, I don't practice it much. It's almost like a reprieve because I do push myself a lot with roller skating. And with skateboarding, I've dropped in once without help, and never again. It has been years since I did that, so that's... I practice maybe once every three months.
Michael Zarick: Roller skating? Or roller- Skateboarding ... skateboarding, sorry. Yeah. Um, but skating, roller skating.
Coryn Hendrix: Yes.
Michael Zarick: Four wheels, not inline.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Uh- Quads ...
Michael Zarick: what, that's a great, that's a way better statement. [00:12:00] what is it about that, uh, about, uh, quads that you find compelling, and, like, what do you, is it, like, a freedom of movement type thing, or?
I, I made the joke earlier that these are actually your real feet- Yeah ... 'cause you're wearing them right now. Yeah. Um,
Coryn Hendrix: I've absolutely gotten the comment from people that I look, like, short, or I just don't look like myself when I'm not wearing my skates. And I also, I feel a lot more comfortable in them. So I think definitely if you're ever standing next to me on my skates, I'm, like, constantly moving.
Mm-hmm. And that is really appealing to me. And I definitely, I love- The history of, like, dance on r- on roller skates, and roller skating has always been a subversive space. Back when roller rinks were segregated, um, it was a place that Black people would commune together and have fun especially, and create new things [00:13:00] together.
And that always appealed to me. My, my pappy was a roller skater. My mom was a roller skater and I have her 1980s roller skates.
Michael Zarick: Oh, for real?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Yo.
Coryn Hendrix: Um, but I think it's alway- it's appealed to us for the same reason. And then doing it at the park also kind of combines, almost an abolitionist space o- of, like, prison industrial complex abolition, it's maybe not quite so, maybe people don't have the theory as much as an- an-
Michael Zarick: Well, listen, when you think a lot about, like, things, like for example, the way I think about, like, third spaces and community spaces, and, like, the reason they are the way they are, it makes total sense to draw those types of connections.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, what, what exactly... Finish the, finish the statement. I wanna hear it.
Coryn Hendrix: I love that this place is a place that imagines the world could be better with less policing and [00:14:00] less violence against people, and everything good about the skate park comes from that to me.
Michael Zarick: Hm. Is it sort of like that counterculture idea of, like, having freedom of movement and expression?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I do think that is where the roots come from. Like, and the music that people listened to when skateboarding first became popular in the, you know, 1900s. Mm-hmm. Uh, I don't wanna wrongly cite skateboard history, but, you know-
Michael Zarick: That's okay. Yeah. Like- That's what the internet's for. Look it up.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. It's always been associated with punk rock, and we still have, like, concerts at Major Taylor whenever they're done with construction.
And-
Michael Zarick: Oh, I've heard about that.
Talk to me more about skating. Like, what about, Maybe from a less, um, theoretical or, uh, logical standpoint, like- Okay ... from, like, what is it you enjoy about movement? Is, are there specific tricks you like to [00:15:00] do? Yeah. Um, maybe, like, different aspects of different parks that you like. That's a lot of questions, but- Sure.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I love spinning. I truly feel-
that, that's, like, the best nervous system regulation you get. Also, I'm an engineer, so my emotions are very logical.
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm.
Coryn Hendrix: But I, yeah, I, I mean, the feeling of the speed and the feeling of fear and overcoming fear, and usually, especially because I usually try not to come alone if I can help it-
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm ...
Coryn Hendrix: you know, the encouragement from other people.
Even, honestly, any time that I am alone, somebody is there to be encouraging and, and to be encouraged, which is also fun. You get to celebrate other people's wins even if you don't get any.
Michael Zarick: Yeah, definitely. One of the coolest places I have ever visited is the skate park at Venice Beach in Los Angeles.
Coryn Hendrix: I was there when I visited Carly.
That's actually where we were the day that we came up with this.
Michael Zarick: [00:16:00] Ah, okay. But what I love about that space, because it, it's like, it's a very touristy place, but I think a lot of the people who hang out there are not tourists. Like, they're just, like, locals who, 'cause it's, like, such an iconic skate- Yeah
place. But I love that there's just, like, people there watching and, like, cheering you on when you're, like, out there doing whatever you're doing. Yeah. And I think that's a, a really cool thing about, like you said, like, about skating and about this culture. It's like, um- It's, in most cases, like very uplifting.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: And those guys are celebrities in a way. Like, there are so many videos of the same guys online, but when Carly and I were there, they were just, we were introducing ourselves and talking like old friends, and w- we all watched the sunset together. That's the crazy thing about skating. No one here is pretentious.
Well, I won't say no one, but- It's a, it's culturally a non-pretentious place.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. And I, I think a lot of, I wonder if a lot of that has to do with, like, how humbled you get when [00:17:00] you fall on your ass.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. You learn to laugh at yourself. I mean, I do think sometimes, uh, skate- tr- traditional skateboard culture, you hear a lot of people, like, yelling at themselves or being, basically beating themselves up for not being able to get something.
But me and my friends, we are constantly laughing at ourselves falling, and just having a grand old time.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Have you ever, like, eaten shit and, like, gotten hurt-hurt, or no?
Coryn Hendrix: I have.
Michael Zarick: Okay.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, I'm about a year out from a concussion, actually.
Michael Zarick: How's that going? Are you doing all right?
Coryn Hendrix: I'm doing all right, yeah.
It was very rough, and I was, um, I, I was planning to take my licensure exam for engineering at the, like, right after I got it, and I did take it, so it ended up working out, but it was, like, truly one of the hardest things I've ever gone through, just maintaining a full-time job and that-
Michael Zarick: Yeah ...
Coryn Hendrix: goal.
Michael Zarick: Well, I'm gl- I hope you're doing better.
Um, [00:18:00] you seem to be doing better. Um, so we're here at Willard Park on East Washington. and the skate park is behind us. There's people actively skating. Is there something special about Willard Park that you like other than just, like, coming here with the blanket that we're sitting on and, like, sitting under the tree?
Uh, more so, like, focused on the skate park itself.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I love the bowl behind us- Mm-hmm ... as well. It's just a ... It's ... All this was built around the time I moved to Indy, which was 2021, and the bowl is a place where you can truly just flow around. Like, if you know how to carve, then you can just go infinitely- Yeah
until your legs give out, which is- Yeah ... one
Michael Zarick: way to overthink Carve means, like, uh, keep momentum?
Coryn Hendrix: Yes. Well, carving would be- See, I told
Michael Zarick: you I'm gonna be asking.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. For me, carving would be, um, you go up a ramp and you stay facing forward the whole time, so you have to make an arc to face forward as you're going back down the ramp.
Michael Zarick: Got [00:19:00] it.
Coryn Hendrix: So yeah, you make, like, a sunset.
Michael Zarick: Oh, I see. You
Coryn Hendrix: carve. And it's l- it's similar to surfing on a surfboard, so similar physical mechanism. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Lots of- And I- It's all physics.
Coryn Hendrix: Yes. They were developed in tandem, these surfboards and skateboards, and skateboards were based on the original roller skates.
Michael Zarick: Oh.
There's a guy who, uh, rides down the Monon on, like, what is effectively skis, but with wheels. Oh my gosh. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Coryn Hendrix: No. I haven't seen that guy. He's
Michael Zarick: got, like, uh, ski sticks- What? ... but his, uh, it's, like, long roller skates that are like platforms. Whoa. And then he's, like, using ski poles to, like, move himself.
That's incredible. It's funny to hear you make, draw that connection between roller skates and skateboards, but also see some guy with, like, two small skateboards on his feet basically.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I thought for sure you were gonna bring up the unicyclist.
Michael Zarick: Well, there is a [00:20:00] unicyclist also.
Coryn Hendrix: One time I passed him on my bike with my roller skates around my neck, and I was like, "I have 10 times as many wheels as you."
And we laughed
Michael Zarick: our butt off. You said that to him?
Coryn Hendrix: I did. We laughed.
Michael Zarick: Um, what are some other parks around town other than Willard that, like, uh, you really enjoy going to?
Coryn Hendrix: So Major Taylor- And then also, sorry ... is great.
Michael Zarick: Extension of the question, what aspect of them do you like?
Coryn Hendrix: Okay.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Major Taylor is near and dear to my heart, because my first experiences there were concerts, and it's usually skaters, uh, in their own bands, um- And just, so part of it becomes a dance floor, and we all stay off that part skating-wise.
But I don't know. The, it's definitely a place that I feel connected to everybody that's there. It's the oldest park, I think, um, at maybe 30 [00:21:00] years old-ish.
Michael Zarick: Mm. Which is consistent with, like, when skating became popular. Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. And I am impressed. I've tried out the, like, other regional cities, other regional small cities, and really our skate parks are above par I would say, or below, whatever is good.
Um,
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Do you like the, so on, at Major Taylor is, so there's Major- Major Taylor, like, roller drum, velodrome? The
Coryn Hendrix: velodrome.
Michael Zarick: And then just south of that, right- Mm-hmm ... is the skate park. Yeah. And it's all, like, one, I don't understand the layout I don't think, 'cause I've never been over there. Okay. Um, but it's like a big park.
Yeah. And then just the skate park is just part of it. S- Yeah ... so what you like, what you find c- most compelling about Major Taylor is, like, the communal aspect of it, just, like, hanging out and, like, the concert series and like the- Yeah ... sort of emotional memories of-
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah ...
Michael Zarick: the concerts here or, um, music?
Coryn Hendrix: It's [00:22:00] also, it, for a while it was, like, the only park that had lights, which is-
Michael Zarick: Ah, that's key.
Coryn Hendrix: It's a choice. It's a very deliberate choice. But now Willard still doesn't have them, but Lawrence Park got them as well. I, okay, Lawrence Park I have to brag about, because it's actually my favorite park here, um, if Lawrence counts as Indy in this, in that context.
Michael Zarick: Lawrence counts as Indy. Yeah. Township.
Coryn Hendrix: But, uh, so it used to be in bad spirits, but this skater Casper Jones, and Chell, who runs Lady Skate Squad, kind of campaigned to get the city to believe that fixing it up would be worth their while. Mm-hmm. And so they had artists paint it with these gorgeous murals just across the entire thing, and they've really improved the surface, and they put lights [00:23:00] in, and it is just glorious.
Honestly, that one might be similar in age to Major Taylor, but it w- it was so not usable before that I didn't find it on a map, even though it's the closest one to my house.
Michael Zarick: Wait, I think I missed which one that is. Sorry.
Coryn Hendrix: It's called Lawrence Park. Oh,
Michael Zarick: Lawrence Park. You said, you mentioned Lawrence, so.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: That's so funny.
Coryn Hendrix: Or we call it LP.
Michael Zarick: LP. Uh, let's talk about... I've lost the name, but you mentioned Shell.
Coryn Hendrix: Chel, yeah. Chel. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Uh, and Chel leads the organization called what? Lady
Coryn Hendrix: Skate Squad. Lady
Michael Zarick: Skate Squad. Yeah. And you're a member of Lady Skate Squad.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Uh, what is Lady Skate Squad?
Coryn Hendrix: Lady Skate Squad is a...
So we have a weekly meeting. They have more sporadic meetings at different skate parks around the city. I think they're a bit [00:24:00] more skateboard. I might be the only quad skater who's a regular there. Mm. Or I was in the past. But it does spread like wildfire once people see that it exists sometimes. But then, yeah, the...
I would also say Grind Culture and Board Meeting are both really, really beginner friendly. And Lady Skate Squad is beginner friendly, but it is especially a good place to be inspired if you want to really push yourself to be more of an advanced skater. Yeah,
Michael Zarick: it's like the... It's like, uh, leveling up a little bit.
It's like moving up in- Yeah ... in tier or whatever.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. The skaters there inspire me so much, actually. Claire, Charlie, if you're listening. You guys are so cool.
Michael Zarick: so let's scoot back to Board Meetings.
Yeah.
What is it about providing space for LGBTQ+ folks [00:25:00] and allies, um, that you find so compelling?
Coryn Hendrix: First of all, I love people in this community. The creativity is off the charts. The willingness to find fun and to cope with the difficulty of life with fun and community, it's just a great place to be. But also, uh, Indianapolis is a friendly pocket in a pretty unfriendly environment for queer people. So it just...
Truly coming to the skate park in a group, we all feel safer. People who would not be willing to go to the skate park are willing to go because we are all there together. And yeah, I just, I truly think it just, like, feeds my soul to hang out with other queer and trans people.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Is it, um- [00:26:00] Is there a level of, like, um, mentorship or camaraderie that comes with, like, hanging out with people like yourself?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I think so. There are a lot of thing- the- a lot of stereotypes, or, like, intra-community stereotypes. I don't think other people think they're stereotypes. Mm. But I don't know, like the carabiners thing. I don't know what it is . I
Michael Zarick: don't know, what does that mean? Okay.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I don't know anything.
Coryn Hendrix: Maybe I should give away the, the low-low.
But yeah, carabiners are very lesbian, or Sapphic. They can... Yeah. Gay ladies love carabiners. I
Everyone... They, like, carabiners are so practical, and that's kind of why it became a thing- Ah ... because, like, especially, like, butch lesbians have a history of just being great tinkerers- Mm
and, like, amazing at just, "I see something that needs to be done, and I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna figure it out." And so they need a carabiner for, like, their 50 [00:27:00] keys and tools.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Uh, we're in the midst of Pride Month. We sure are. is there anything special that you guys do for Pride Month?
Coryn Hendrix: Mm, in the past, there has been...
Usually, I think Carly would get a dessert and maybe some rainbow decorations, which is something that I probably will do. But I'm gonna... The first two weekends of Pride, I'm just going to enjoy the events other people are putting on- Mm-hmm ... because it's very busy out here.
Michael Zarick: Wait, you said, you said to me, uh, on text, like, before we met, you were like, "Pride Month is a full-time job"- It is
or something like that.
Coryn Hendrix: It is. Yeah, tomorrow I have Girl Pride and also rehearsal to be in the marching band for the parade, for the Pride of Indy Marching Band. Wait.
Michael Zarick: Okay, this is a new aspect of you. What instrument do you play? I
Coryn Hendrix: play the flute.
Michael Zarick: You play the flute? How long have you been playing the flute?
Coryn Hendrix: I p- played from ages 10 to 18, and then I picked it up last year again to play with Pride of [00:28:00] Indy Band.
Michael Zarick: That's... I need to hang out with Pride of Indy Band. I have heard of them before.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, they're awesome.
Michael Zarick: Um, my wife played the flute at one time. What? If I'm wrong, she'll fight me, but I believe she did.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Uh- She should join the Pride of Indy Band.
Michael Zarick: Anyone's welcome, I'm pretty sure, right? It is- Yeah ...
Coryn Hendrix: yeah. Allies welcome.
Michael Zarick: Is playing with the Pride of Indy Band, like, just for funsies, or are you, like- I don't know how to ask the question. What compelled you to pick up the flute again?
Coryn Hendrix: It is just for funsies in essence, and like there's some physiological thing of it's extremely easy to connect with other people and co-regulate when you're playing music or singing together.
Mm. And I know that because I did like choir band and pr- you know, musicals and stuff in high school and, um, junior high, but I have been missing it dearly. And just hearing s- a simple concert band song that you're in, [00:29:00] actually in the middle of and part of making is one of the coolest feelings ever. Yeah.
Even if you're not very good, which I am not.
Michael Zarick: But at least you like feel a part of a whole kind of. Yeah. You know, it's like the output is beautiful even if the individual pieces, uh, are a little rough around the edges.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. And I, I know that if there's something I can't play, I'm just not gonna play it because there are like nine other flautists around me.
So it's just- Um, so
Michael Zarick: you meet, you the royal you, Board Meetings meet in the parking lot near Factory Arts District fairly often. Mm-hmm. Do you set up obstacles or... 'Cause it's
just a parking, it's flat.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: What's going on there?
Coryn Hendrix: They do, they put in little curves, which they put in because people drove really aggressively there, but-
Michael Zarick: Yeah, no surprise.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. We use them to do little tiny tricks on. People have brought t- [00:30:00] uh, rails that you can, the portable rails. I don't own any obstacles, so I can't bring them myself.
One time Carly and Macy rented a quarter pipe. Uh-
Michael Zarick: You can rent a quarter pipe?
Coryn Hendrix: You can. What? So, you know, anything is possible. But we don't take money, and we don't s- make money.
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm.
Coryn Hendrix: So, so far we don't spend money, and by we, I mean me.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Definitely. For-- I, I mentioned at the beginning that I find skating, like, really compelling. Um, I've always, like, thought skaters were really cool, and I think a lot of that comes from my experience playing, like, Tony Hawk games when I was really young. Which are not as common anymore. Like, How do you find that, like, people come to you, and, like, how do they get into it? Is it just sort of, like, a yearning to be with other queer folks? Or is there, is it, like, I don't know, did they read a book or see a video or, I don't [00:31:00] know.
Coryn Hendrix: I think a lot of people hear word of mouth or they see it on Instagram, and, or the person who told me about it just skated by.
My, my friend Jenny ha- she's moved to Denver since, but she has an amazing little German shepherd that loves to skate with her. So she just, you know, holds the leash and, and she's an inline skater, and just goes, and we, you know, we would skate up Mass Ave that way, and m- sometimes on the Monon. And s- one time she skated Bonsai right past Grind Culture, so.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Again, it's a magical place. Yeah. And now they've just opened the other side of the Factory Arts District, so d- we didn't, there wasn't a lot else there for a while, although it is on Pogue's Run Trail. It's basically on the Monon. There's a Pacers Bike [00:32:00] Share station there. Mm-hmm. and there's, like, a gorgeous little park, Windsor Park, as well.
Michael Zarick: Well, there's, like- Or the- It, there's Spades Park ... is it, okay, Spades Park Which is in the Windsor Park neighborhood. Windsor Park is a little bit further behind it, but it's still in the Windsor Park neighborhood. But Spades Park is the one that crossed from the Kan-Kan.
Coryn Hendrix: Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's just a little, like, native plant area and fire pit right on the, in the- Oh,
Michael Zarick: and that tiny little park is Fletcher Park.
Fletcher Park. Not to be confused with Fletcher Place.
Coryn Hendrix: Fletcher Park. Uh,
Michael Zarick: my mother listens to these podcasts, and if I were like, "Mom, Fletcher Park is not in Fletcher Place. It's in Windsor Park Wow ... near the Factory Arts District," she'd be like, "My brain is melting."
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. And it, Fletcher Park is really just, like, a tiny thing, but it's actually, now they've opened, Center Point Brewery has always been there, and they just opened the [00:33:00] Daisy Bar and Legacy Tokyo, and they have, like, vintage pop-ups in this new building, and no one has told us not to skate in the new building, so.
Michael Zarick: I, um, well, I will say it's, like, really open. So I regularly use that building to go to the bathroom, and I just ride my bike straight into it. Yeah. So it's like no one, it's like a, I don't feel like I'm impeding on anyone. There's no one ever in there.
Coryn Hendrix: Right.
Michael Zarick: And it's, like, a concrete floor, so you just, like- Cruise on in.
Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: I think biking and skating are very similar in that you get to see the city in a very different way- Yeah ... going around that on, on your feet or your-
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Do you skate long distances? I know that you have an e-bike.
Coryn Hendrix: Uh, I don't have an e-bike.
Michael Zarick: Am I just making that up? I just...
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, I don't have one. I just use the Indy Rides free-
Michael Zarick: Oh
service. So you do ride- Like- ... e-bikes ... crazy.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Got it. Yeah, I used it today to go to the library
Michael Zarick: and- Let's go.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, I was [00:34:00] free stuff maxing.
Michael Zarick: Hey, I have to plug this every time. If you live in Marion County, did you know that you can get free 30-minute bike rides on the Pacers Bike Share?
Coryn Hendrix: Unlimited.
Michael Zarick: You just have to check in every 30 minutes.
I've never done it 'cause I have my own bike, but, uh, I'm working on it.
Coryn Hendrix: I do it all the time.
Michael Zarick: Uh, so the question was, do you go a distance on skating?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, sometimes. The furthest I think I've gone in a day was about 12 miles.
Michael Zarick: Oh my God. Yeah. That's far. It is far. On a not bike.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. It really, really depends on the terrain a lot because if, if you're on a road that's rough, it's kind of like using a jackhammer-
all day.
Michael Zarick: Like- Your, like, legs become jelly.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, OSHA would not allow it. But then if you're, if you were on this, which is, like, the epitome of smoothness- Mm-hmm ... uh, then I, I could just skate on that until I have to, like, eat and sleep
Michael Zarick: Um, if you were trying to sell [00:35:00] skating, whether it's, uh, quads or skateboarding, to someone, and you're trying to get them to join board meeting or not, just, like, get them into the, the hobby, what would you say?
Coryn Hendrix: I would say this is a perfect way to shed the responsibilities of everyday life and the false formalities of everyday life and any performance you feel that you have to do, and just feel free to move however feels right, to learn new things, to make mistakes that you accept and learn from, and meet people that will make your life better.
Michael Zarick: I love that. You know what? Your description actually made me think of ceramics. Because, like, when you talk about making mistakes, like, you have to be so willing to just, like, let things go-
Yeah ...
uh, when you are, like, learning ceramics at first. Yeah. And I imagine it's, like, weirdly [00:36:00] similar.
Coryn Hendrix: There w- was once a Grind Culture person whose friends, uh, whose friend MK was lending us her garage and kilns to do hand-building ceramics.
So Grind Culture is also the only reason I've ever done ceramics.
Michael Zarick: Oh, that's funny.
Coryn Hendrix: I still have my spoon holder.
Michael Zarick: We're going to move on. That's what I call the canned questions. Third Space Indy is sponsored by City Rising. City Rising is a social impact studio. Most recently, they implemented an eviction data dashboard that looks to highlight and reduce the impact of the over 30,000 evictions, mostly affecting Black and Latina women, uh, and their children that, uh, Indianapolis faces every year.
learn more at cityrising.org. City Rising has sponsored a question, which is, what is a third space to you?
Coryn Hendrix: A third space to me is... I, I listen to what you said about it being the [00:37:00] idea that it's a place that conversation is mostly- Mm-hmm ... is the main, uh, event.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: And to me, that rings true, but, uh, doesn't have to necessarily be verbal conver- conversation, just, like, co-creating reality with the people around you.
Michael Zarick: Ooh,
that's poetic.
Coryn Hendrix: I've been reading.
Michael Zarick: I've been reading. I went to the
Coryn Hendrix: library today.
Michael Zarick: What, um, would you say, like, that's how you feel about skating? Like, you're just sort of ex- goodness, that was aggressive. Uh, you're existing in space with people and, as you say, co-creating your existence?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah, totally. I think people are always looking for new ways to interact with this space, every, even coming here year after year, and always finding, easily, new things to try.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. That makes sense. Uh, next question, related to the previous one. What is a third space or place that has existed for you previously, but no longer does? [00:38:00]
Coryn Hendrix: Good question. I will, I would say the pottery nights that we used to do would be a good one. It, it ended up kind of petering out because people got busy, and it was hard to commit to something regular, which I think happens to a lot of spaces.
Mm-hmm. And spaces can be ephemeral, but-
Michael Zarick: Ugh.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: So good. Yeah. No, you're like, right.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. That, so I d- I feel like some spaces are amazing, but, you know, they are, they're in their place in time, and that taught me f- I do have a knack for skating, I think, and I would go to the rink as a kid, so it wasn't that hard for me to pick it up once I wanted to, but ceramics was humbling.
I c- my, I have the spoon holder, but, like, I have to wash it painstakingly by hand, because, like, s- [00:39:00] uh, clay will chip off- Mm-hmm ... if I'm not careful.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: Because it's not good.
Michael Zarick: But- Your spoon holder?
Coryn Hendrix: It's bad.
Michael Zarick: Have you ever considered running it back and reattempting?
Coryn Hendrix: Well, I'd need a k- I would need access to a kiln, and I know there are lots of them in the city that I could easily access.
So actually, maybe I will run it back.
Michael Zarick: There's at least one person who listens to this podcast who has access to the kiln. That I know of, actually, like, multiple.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. I'm a big, uh, fan of a lot of ceramicists in the city, I will say. I just got this awesome mug from Dirt Girl where she puts, like, a bow a- around the top- Yeah
sort of, of a frill. Uh-huh. And then it's got a cat whose belly is a strawberry. So...
Michael Zarick: Wait. So it's a cat, like, on its back, and its belly is a strawberry?
No, it- Or is it a
cat head- Cat head on a strawberry body ... and the cat's body is a strawberry? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.[00:40:00]
I don't know Dirt Girl
Coryn Hendrix: Well, she's awesome. Mm. I met her at Fuck Yeah Abortion. I don't know if you'll- ... bleep that.
Michael Zarick: That's, like, such an aggressive name. At first it made- No matter how I feel about it, it's still an aggressive name.
Coryn Hendrix: I know. But that's kind of the point. I think a lot of it... It... And, like, the point of pride is not, like, the opposite of, like, of humility.
It's the opposite of shame, and I feel like the same thing with Fuck Yeah Abortion. Like, it's in your face because there's so much, uh, because people expect you to be ashamed, and that is ridiculous, frankly. Yeah. So, and it just makes everyone's lives worse. It makes the people who are ashamed, their lives worse.
And I don't know, it keeps, it keeps everybody stuck in that idea that you have to fit into a [00:41:00] certain criteria, and you have to have one idea of success that you pursue, and if you don't get it, then really, what's the point of you being here? You know, that's kind of the, the darkest possible side of-
of what counterculture is counter to. But
Yeah. It has... I, I definitely grew up, like many people in the Midwest, especially like many queer people in the Midwest, feeling very controlled, feeling very stifled, and lost even- Mm-hmm ... because things about me were considered to be taboo, and things that I should change. So, fuck yeah, abortion.
Michael Zarick: Do you feel like you are, uh, doing better now?
Coryn Hendrix: Oh, absolutely, yeah. Yeah? Yeah. Oh,
Michael Zarick: wait, wait. Uh, this is... Easy transition [00:42:00] here. Uh, we, before we talked about... You'd mentioned something, which was that, uh, you're 28.
Yeah.
And you said, "Michael, you're not old when you hit thir-" What? Thank you. Uh, you said, "When you, when a queer person hits 30-
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Like- ...
Michael Zarick: their
life gets immediately better, and when they hit 40 it gets even f- better still."
Yes. And I said, "I don't understand that." And you said, "I have an explanation." Yeah. So please share.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. It's basically what we were just talking about, that a lot of queer people grow up not understanding themselves and not getting the love that they want and need. And then once we are adults with autonomy, we find each other.
We share that love with each other. We realize that it was ridiculous to feel shame over this thing that hurts no one and is just a part of who we are.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: And I mean, life just gets better and better. I also think at least... Well, I, yeah, I think in the Sapphic world, [00:43:00] there's something very attractive about people who are older They...
I've never... Like, you never feel like, "Oh..." I guess I can't say what people who are 40 feel like. But it doesn't seem like people turn 40 and they're out of the game, you know? It's like I'm just, I'm more comfortable in who I am than ever. I know who I am. I'm accomplishing my goals in life. And often I'm still looking for love, because I'm looking for love in a tiny community that, you know, isn't immediately visible all the time.
Like, you don't just see someone at the mall and, uh, assume necessarily. Yeah. That's another good reason that queer people hang out, because then you know that the people you're with are queer, and you don't feel like you might accidentally make someone [00:44:00] uncomfortable who might really not like that .
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Totally. Uh, I really appreciate your perspective on, uh, aging, because... Well, okay. So when I did my 25th... No, 20th episode. It was my birthday Uh, and I turned 30. And I always had a joke... So here's a short story. Um, I always had a joke that when I turned 30 I was, quote, "nearly dead." Like, um, and I wanted to start a podcast about, um, talking to people who recently turned 30 or were going to turn 30 soon, and, like, get their perspective on life, uh, and, like, how, how much potential there was, like, going forward.
And the name of the podcast was gonna be Nearly Dead. Oh my gosh. 'Cause it's like a, it's like a very similar idea of, like, Fuck Yeah Abortion, where it's like it's not actually about that necessarily. Yeah. It's more about freedom of, of expression, that type of thing.
Absolutely. Um,
what is your, uh... [00:45:00] To, to tie it in, what is your expectation for yourself when you turn 30?
Coryn Hendrix: When I turn 30, I want to travel somewhere really cool that year, and be so organized about it that I get to go with people I love as well.
Michael Zarick: Yeah?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Well, do you have any, um, any ideas of where that would be?
Coryn Hendrix: I would love to see the cenotes in northeastern Mexico.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: There's a book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia- Mm
called Gods of Jade and Shadow that is set in that region of Mexico. And just the way she wrote about it made me... It's, it's like a, it's a h- a happy place in my mind. Uh, the only other place I've ever felt that way about was Copenhagen, because as a kid I read it was the happiest place on earth. And I did get to go there.
Michael Zarick: I think they still are. They probably still are. At least I like to think
Coryn Hendrix: so. I went in 2017, [00:46:00] and lo and behold, I was so happy.
Michael Zarick: Um, Every episode I ask a question from the previous guest. The previous guest to this episode was Hang Doan.
who is a content creator, drag king, artist, filmmaker, many things. Um, but they ask the question, "What can you do to stop being an enemy to yourself?"
Coryn Hendrix: Have mercy on yourself. Just, I actually make mistakes all the time, big mistakes, and I work in infrastructure. So obviously there are people checking me, and, and none of my mistakes are able to be that, that consequential, but they can be expensive. And it is just, yeah, f- I always wanna take accountability and not blame other people when the mistake is my fault.
Mm. But at the same [00:47:00] time, I do not have to think anything cruel about myself beyond that. I just need to know what, what about me made me do this, and what can I do to change my expectations or just get help to do this differently or change my behavior, you know? Yeah, t- that voice in your head that critiques you constantly, my friend Apollo taught me to call that voice
Elizagirth.
L-
And we just like- Elizagirth? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's like- What, what is
Michael Zarick: the breakdown of that word? I need to know.
Coryn Hendrix: Well-
Michael Zarick: We're, we're, we're spelling it out.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. You got your Elizabeth and then girth.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: And I think it's just to make it silly because- ... truly there- I think there are people who strategize different ways to deal with this inner critic, but first of all, [00:48:00] the inner critic is the same voice that judges other people, too.
And if you learn to be kind to yourself, it's easier to be kind to other people and treat them as they deserve. And yeah, but for me, making fun of that voice is an awesome way to just, like, minimize its impact.
Michael Zarick: Dope. I always say, like, we're our own worst critics all the time. I used to bake bread frequently, and I should get back into it, but- When you bake a loaf of bread, as the person who created it, and you do it fairly frequently, you go, "This bread sucks." Yeah. Or at least I would. And then you, like, give someone the bread, and they go, "Oh my God, thank you for this bread."
Coryn Hendrix: Right. And
Michael Zarick: you're like, "Oh, actually, the bread was amazing."
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. '
Michael Zarick: Cause y- you, even though, like, I think it's terrible, like the crumb was bad, whatever, it's, the other person's just like, "Thank you for this bread." Yeah. "It's delicious." And I think, like, when you think about the way you should view the world, it's like, oh, well, just enjoy the bread, [00:49:00] bro.
I don't know.
Coryn Hendrix: Just enjoy the bread. I think it, like, probably the hardest trick that I haven't learned at the skate park is when somebody compliments me, not immediately saying something cruel about myself. Like-
Michael Zarick: Hmm ...
Coryn Hendrix: or- Like
Michael Zarick: it wasn't that good or whatever?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Like, I'm, I'm good to someone who hasn't seen great skaters, but, you know, I've seen the Tony Hawks of quad roller skating- Yeah
and-
Michael Zarick: Uh, when y- when I see your videos on, uh, Instagram, maybe I should comment more and just be like- Aw ... "This is sick," but I am always like, "Dang, she can skate."
Coryn Hendrix: That's so sweet. I, yeah, it's always been hard for me to take compliments. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. We all struggle with that.
Coryn Hendrix: We all do, but I think it is helpful for, in a lot of ways, if you learn how to take them.
Michael Zarick: Totally. Um, is there anything else on your mind, on your heart, that you wanna talk about before we wrap up?
Coryn Hendrix: I feel like yes, [00:50:00] but I'm blanking right now.
Michael Zarick: We can take a moment and sit. Yeah. That's what editing is for.
Coryn Hendrix: Okay.
Michael Zarick: I love the sound of the skate park, by the way.
Coryn Hendrix: It's a great ASMR- Mm ... here.
Michael Zarick: It's just, like, clicks and scrapes- Yeah ... and, um, sometimes grunts Yeah ... when you take a tumble, but-
Coryn Hendrix: We've got a good crowd here, and there's not a lot of yelling.
I do, I have been thinking, um, a lot about... I read a book called The Power of Fun.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: Which is, uh, centers on the concept of true fun as something where you're experiencing play, connection, and flow at the same time.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: And obviously, my mind went to skating, because that's the easiest way for me to get into that all three setting.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Are you able to define those three words?
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Play can be a [00:51:00] pretty, it's a pretty wide definition. You, uh, and it varies between people. So you could be playfully having a conversation with somebody, or you could be playing by dancing or just being silly or being creative. Um, there are a lot of specific terms, like different ways to play that Catherine Price lists out that I can't remember all of, but...
Then connection, most people have true fun, which kind of you know you're having it, you know you're having it when you're having it. You're totally in the moment, and you're... The way that she asks is, "What's a time when you, you would describe as so fun?" And when people hear the so, they know, they know. Um- But so connection, that usually happens with other human beings.
And both connection and flow really require a break from distractions and, like, to focus on one thing for a [00:52:00] while. So a big part of the book is about kind of leaving your phone behind, which simulates fun by triggering dopamine over and over again. And dopamine is what tells you what is salient, what matters, what you should come back to.
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm.
Coryn Hendrix: And, um, true fun is y- a way to, to kind of redirect that compass to what you actually intend for your life. And it brings us together.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: Also, laughter is, like, a telltale sign that she lists. Hmm. Like, if you're laughing, you're probably having true fun.
Michael Zarick: That means I have fun a lot.
Coryn Hendrix: I also have fun a lot.
I think there's, like, a term in the book, easy to laugh. I can't remember where, like, what culture the k- term c- came from, but easy to laugh, uh, this is a key to make your life better is being easy to laugh.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: Something I have always been.
Michael Zarick: I love that. I will say, like, I think just, uh, [00:53:00] like I, I think doing this podcast, and I've been...
I feel like I've been at peace here with you, it's been very pleasant, um, is, like, true fun. Yeah. It's like sitting down with someone, most of the time I've never met before. Like, you and I have maybe been in the same space. You rode past me on the bike once. Yeah. But, uh, most of the time meeting someone for the first time, learning a little bit about them, and just, like...
And I can't touch my phone 'cause it's the thing recording-
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah ...
Michael Zarick: um, is, is like true fun. And I laugh a lot.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah. Yeah. I love that. You... And you're committing to your true fun. This is something that you're doing all the time. You've been really busy already this Pride Month with all the-
Michael Zarick: Oh, with the previous...
What do you mean?
Coryn Hendrix: It sounded like you had s- you know, back to back interviews-
Michael Zarick: We've got- ... recording ... I'm filling the month with gays. That's the I think.
Coryn Hendrix: We love to see it.
Michael Zarick: The... Oh, sorry, one last question.
Coryn Hendrix: Okay.
Michael Zarick: I, it c- it came back. One last question. [00:54:00] What question, uh, would you like to ask? Also, sorry, back it up.
Thank you so much for sharing. Uh, I really appreciated your final thoughts. Think about how you could have real fun people listening. Uh, but one last question. What question would you like to ask the next Third Space Indy guest?
Coryn Hendrix: If you could go anywhere with anyone at any time, what time, place, and person would you choose?
Michael Zarick: Time, place, and person. TPP.
Coryn Hendrix: Yes.
Michael Zarick: Uh, I always like to answer the question Time, place, and person? It feels so mean to pick one. Okay, this is... I have to do a quick aside here. Part of my issue with doing this podcast is I almost universally like the guest.
Um, and even saying almost feels mean. Like, I do like every single guest I've had on, and I-- [00:55:00] the issue I've had with doing this podcast is I have people that I consider friends, and now I have so many friends that I feel that I'm failing all of them because I don't have enough time to hang out with them.
Um- To answer your question, picking a single person is difficult. However, I do love-
Coryn Hendrix: Well, it can be a group of people, I think.
Michael Zarick: Oh, okay. Well, I do love my wife dearly. Um, and I also miss my summer camp friends. I would, uh... What?
Coryn Hendrix: That's just really cute. That just re- like, that brings back cute memories for me too.
Yo,
Michael Zarick: shout out Lizzie Jones. Yeah. Shout out McGee Catlett. Shout out Griffin Weber, he's getting married soon. Yeah. Uh, yeah, lots of people. Griffin, Griffin Cody. You're all, all of you people are out here. Um-
Coryn Hendrix: I don't have a wife yet.
Michael Zarick: Layla Blonovich, great last name. Oh, wait, no. Blonovich might be gone, she got married.
Um, what? Uh- It's just I can't ... if I could be, this, it [00:56:00] sounds, like, so sad in a way, but, like, if I could exist, uh, as I did in, like, 20... 2017 was, like, one of the best summers of my life- Okay ... at my summer camp. I really wish adults had summer camp and a summer break.
Coryn Hendrix: There is an adult summer camp.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Coryn Hendrix: My friend, Tena- It's not the same ... used to... Well, yeah. I, I've never tried it, but I do feel that skating has k- like, given me that, a similar... Mm. There's also a f- a concept in the power of fun of playgrounds.
Michael Zarick: Mm.
Coryn Hendrix: It, which is, like, a place where the rules are different than the rest of the world. Like, here the rules are obviously different.
Like, you're not walking in most spaces. Like, you're expected to skate. That's just a very obvious example, but I don't know. If you're in a, like, a pie making contest with people, you might, like, it might be okay to make fun of people in a way that's comfortable for everybody. Yeah. That usually would not be [00:57:00] cool, you know?
Michael Zarick: Totally.
Coryn Hendrix: To trash talk their pie. Yeah. But
Michael Zarick: the, yeah,
Coryn Hendrix: I feel like camp is the ultimate playground because you're in that space for days. Mm-hmm. You have time to really settle into the playground, and there are completely different rules from the rest of the world.
Michael Zarick: Definitely. And, like, the, very similar to the podcast actually, the very beginning of summer camp, like, showing up Sunday is way different vibe and, uh, emotion and energy level-wise than, like, Thursday, Friday of the week.
Yes. Um, from a comfort and, like, enjoy standpoint, but also, like, sadness 'cause you know it's ending.
Coryn Hendrix: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, wow. That's fun. TPP: time, person, place. Great question. Coryn Hendrix, if you would like to be found, where can the people find you or Board Meetings?
Coryn Hendrix: You can find Board Meeting @boardmeetingindy on Instagram.
You can find me @corynamintoastcrunch [00:58:00] on Instagram. I
Michael Zarick: forgot about that.
Coryn Hendrix: And Board Meeting also has a Discord, which at the moment you just have to message me to get into, just in case.
Michael Zarick: Yep. We do a little bit of gatekeeping.
Coryn Hendrix: Just a little bit of gatekeeping. Maybe just gate-watching.
Michael Zarick: That's funny. Um, thank you Coryn for coming on.
I really appreciate it. Uh, thank you for watching or listening to this episode of Third Space Indy. You can find Third Space Indy by going to thirdspaceindy on Instagram or by going to thirdspaceindy.com where I release a show notes and blog every week, except I'm literally months behind, but I'll get to it.
Shout out to City Rising and shout out to Proformus. Proformus is an urban planning and design firm that helps neighbors and communities shape the places they already love. Based in Indianapolis, they're here to help you make your place happen one block at a time.
That's about it. Hey, shout out as always to the local artist Jennasen for letting me use your song Scared Rabbit [00:59:00] as the intro music. Thanks once again for watching. See you on, at the skate park.
Coryn Hendrix: See you there.
Michael Zarick: Bye.
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