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The stories we overlook, and the ones we never think to ask about. From one friend to another, and beyond—sparked by curiosity and kept alive through conversation.
I think that's the cool part of LA is you kind of can constantly reinvent yourself, really. It's kind of necessary, I think, to survive here, to to have that ability to to continuously reinvent yourself.
Living Biography:Conversations matter, especially in a world of constant rush and endless noise, where checking in too often means scrolling through social feeds. Sometimes, all it takes is a stubborn kind of curiosity, the kind that pauses, listens, and draws out the stories we overlook, the ones we never think to ask about. This is Living Biography, where we reaffirm our shared human story, from one friend to another and beyond, sparked by curiosity and kept alive through conversation.
Living Biography:There's an interconnectedness between us and the places we've lived. We shape our communities and in turn, they shape us. But what is that place that left a lasting impression on the course of our lives?
Living Biography:Cassie Colby is one of those somewhat rare native Angelenos. Before our conversation, I had a feeling what their response would be: Los Angeles. And I figured Cassie's perspective on the city might be different from mine as a transplant from New York. Well, from this conversation, Cassie opened my eyes to a new appreciation for LA, with all of his dreams, beauty, and challenges.
Cassie:I would honestly say that LA is the place that, like, really shaped me. You know, I was born at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, like, right in the heart of LA, and, you know, I'm one of those rare native Angelenos. So I've also lived in other places too, but I feel like this city has, like, really just shaped me more than anywhere else.
Living Biography:From the start, I wanted to ask about something that had been on my mind lately, the challenges of LA: the fires this year, political tensions, the housing crisis, affordability. How did Cassie personally feel about all these changes?
Cassie:I think LA is like such a tough city, and I think people come here expecting to gain or take from the city. And I don't know if people necessarily move here wanting to give back to it. So, of course, like, when you start to take too much from something, I guess more, like, negative things can come out or, like, it just loses its shine or or whatever. You know?
Living Biography:I asked Cassie what was the most obvious shift they'd noticed growing up here.
Cassie:I just keep thinking about traffic for some reason. I feel like traffic has gotten worse. I honestly just remember like, growing up, I remember LA being, I don't wanna say cleaner, but just there wasn't as much smog, you know, there wasn't as much traffic. It was just really, it was just really beautiful, I think. Not that it's ugly now, but I think that the cost of living has something to do with it, unfortunately. And it's just more of a I don't know. It's just it seems like the city is more depressed or something, or it's just more depressing to live here. It's harder to live here.
Living Biography:LA is a tough city. It can be, in their words, soul crushing. But I wanted to know what keeps Cassie grounded and still caring about the city?
Cassie:Just seeing all these different types of people living in such a close proximity to one another and and respecting each other's cultures and all the different restaurants and everything, honestly really grounds me versus being somewhere where it's very, I guess, is the word homogenous? Is that the word? Just one one thing all the time. I definitely feel like I thrive more in a city that has more diversity, and I think that's the really that's the beautiful part of living in LA, I think any big city, right, is being able to experience different people, different cultures, different backgrounds.
Living Biography:I've always felt Cassie and diversity went hand in hand. Having grown up on Long Island myself, where I was one of just a handful of Asians in my entire school, I was curious what it was like for them to grow up surrounded by LA's diversity.
Cassie:I'm gonna throw you off. I was in such a, I grew up in such a homogenous, I think, environment. I grew up in a bubble. You know, in my middle school, I think I was, I think I was the first non white student to go there. I was the first black student to go there. And then at my high school, out of a group of a 100 I went to an all girls Catholic private high school in LA and out of like a 100, I think maybe I think we had a 110 or a 115 people in our class. It was only me and one other black girl in the class. So I didn't really, I didn't I don't think I had like a very, I don't know. I didn't have a very diverse experience growing up really, to if I'm being super honest. And I think that, you know, going off to college and then coming back, like, that's when I really, I think, that's when LA really started to shape me because I got to meet more people and, you know, I got to live in different areas of LA.
Living Biography:I did not know that part of their story, that they actually went to a very homogenous private school. How interesting is that to live in one of the most diverse cities in the world and yet end up in a bubble?
Cassie:Really, I just remember feeling so uncomfortable in my own skin. That was like my, even though, like, I had friends and stuff, that was still like my kind of, like, a core experience growing up in that type of bubble, you know, in LA. So, yeah, high school was just a lot of me figuring out many different things. And then on top of it, you know, I realized that I was gay too. So just adding, piling things on, you know, trying to kind of exist undercover. But, yeah. I had a typical experience, I guess, but at the same time, internally, I was really craving to, like, I think, be out in LA, like, and experience all of these different cultures. But instead, I just kind of existed in a bubble.
Living Biography:After high school, Cassie left for university, and that opened their eyes to a whole new horizon. It began their next arc of life, a different kind of relationship with LA, one where they sought out both authenticity and broad-mindedness side by side.
Cassie:Yeah. Definitely coming back and, you know, after going to college and being away from LA, coming back and wanting to kind of start fresh and discover everything that LA has to offer also helped me kind of come into my own authenticity and like helped me, helped me discover who like, who do I really wanna be in the world. And I don't think that I would have been able to really do that anywhere else openly and freely besides here in LA, if I'm being real.
Living Biography:LA is a place where you can reinvent yourself, discover yourself, pursue your passions, or create something from nothing. Cassie started meeting people from all walks of life, each also striving to discover who they were.
Cassie:You know, I I rarely meet people that are from here anymore. So when I do meet new people, I notice they're from somewhere else, but they always share with me that they are coming here to be comfortable with themselves or learn how to, you know, be comfortable with themselves or experience other things that they weren't able to maybe in their, in their small town or whatever, wherever they came from. So I think the level of authenticity that people are able to bring when they live here in LA or when they when they come here even just to visit is something that, I guess, kind of continues to encourage me.
Living Biography:As we've said before, with this freedom and beauty come equal parts challenges. But just like how medicine can be bitter, those challenges were beneficial for Cassie's growth.
Cassie:LA is really, I think it demands a lot of grit and ambition and and confidence. You know, it can really break you too, right, if you come here to be an a singer, actor, creative of some type, any type of person, someone with a, you know, trying to be an entrepreneur or whatever. But I think at the same time, if if you're able to come here and kind of just be open and I guess surrender to LA almost and and really just try to embrace your authentic self, it can be so beautiful. And I and, yeah, that's what I've really learned from all of the lovely transplants that I've encountered and even friends who who still live here and I've just seen them transform too. So I think that's the cool part of LA is you kind of can constantly reinvent yourself, really. It's kind of necessary, I think, to survive here, to to have that ability to to continuously reinvent yourself.
Living Biography:The more people Cassie met, the more they explored the city, the less they felt the need to compare themselves or fit in. Cassie began to recognize a shared humanity with others, something deeper, and in that they found a sense of purpose.
Cassie:So I really wanted to figure out how can I give back? And I realized that under this very superficial exterior that I had built up, there was somebody who was pretty empathetic and really cared about others. And I found out that I was really passionate about healthcare and being able to provide compassionate care to people that really need it. And, you know, over time, I mean, I've been back from my undergrad program for eleven years now. And so over time, it's just kind of grown.
Living Biography:LA had supported Cassie, shaped them, and now it was time to give back, which they're actively doing today.
Cassie:I feel really honored to be able to support LA County in this way and be one of the only organizations that's really actually trying to build out and provide this type of whole person care. And, yeah, I think just seeing people suffer and then also myself having my own health challenges and, you know, in my family and everything. I just think that it's so important and that's kind of like everybody has the right to have to be healthy. Right? So that was one way that I figured that I could give back since everything else is so unbelievably expensive in LA. I decided to just kind of stick with health care and do what I can there.
Living Biography:So how did Los Angeles shape who Cassie is today?
Cassie:I think that the city has really shaped my my heart and my ambition to to follow my heart, really. And that's why people come here, right, to really be able to follow their dreams and their goals. So in in a way, I'm I'm doing the same thing, maybe different out of the spotlight. But, yeah, I think LA has, like, shaped that, my heart and and my actual identity or helping me shape my identity.
Living Biography:As we were wrapping up, I'm glad I didn't stop recording because Cassie went on a slight tangent that really expressed their love and hope for the city.
Cassie:Anyway, I'm really going off now. But, yeah, your question kind of made me refresh in my own determination to keep fighting in this city that seems like it's going downhill. It's on fire. You know, like, literally on fire. But Mhmm. Yeah. It's such a, it's such an important hub, I think, for the world, really. And if we can get it together, I think everything will be fine.
Living Biography:It's easy to go on and on about LA's flaws. Honestly, I complain sometimes too. The issues and injustices are real. But I was so glad our conversation ended on such a positive note. Cassie has this grounded sense of hope, one that looks reality in the eye and still asks how we can be a part of the solution. And I wonder if hope comes from the way that, it was through engaging with the people, the community, and the city of Los Angeles that Cassie discovered their own authenticity, learned to respect others, and found a sense of purpose no one could take away.
Living Biography:Thanks for listening to Living Biography. This show is hosted by Teemyo, dedicated to expanding dialogue and ensuring technology serves humanity, not the other way around. We release new episodes every week, sharing the stories of ordinary people that remind us of our commonalities, not our differences. If you like to be a part of these stories, reach out to us at pod@valuebridge.ai for an informal and friendly conversation.