What to expect from the next conclave? Robyn Curnow reflects on the options for the cardinals as they chose a new Pope.

Robyn has covered many papal deaths and reported on the politics of the Catholic church.

Pope Francis was a different kind of pope to John Paul, and Ratzinger who succeeded him.

Both John Paul and Francis were epoch defining popes.

John Paul was one of the 20th century's great leaders against communism. Hewn from stone behind the iron curtain he was unbending and formidable. Dogma and traditionalism held fast.

Francis was from Argentina... a priest who came of age within the legacy of liberation theology. A woke pope, perhaps, but man of his times.

She wonders, if like the American presidency, the papal shifts will swing like a pendulum between left and right in the upcoming conclave.

SIGN UP FOR A FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

http://www.searchingforamericapod.com

http://www.instagram.com/robyncurnow

http://www.instagram.com/searchingforamericapod

http://www.x.com/robyncurnow

What do you think of when you read the words... STRIP MALL?

Firstly, there's no stripping. No pole dancing. No one dollar bills.

Secondly, they're everywhere and form the backbone of Main Street - the small mom-and-pop businesses that underpin American capitalism.

The rows of grubby one-story shops occupy a slice of real estate along side main roads and intersections. We have a bunch littered around us. Odd places, but filled with fascinating slices of Americana.

In just about every strip mall, even if they're near each other, there is nail salon run by a phalanx of Vietnamese, an eyelash extension shop run by an African-American woman in sequins and a Chinese dry cleaner. Fast food chains are hard to avoid but but if you trust the locals you'll find some of the best places for Ho Chin Minh City pho, Mexican burritos or Korean hotpot.

Stores and restaurants in strip malls are not fancy. Mostly rundown. Often near a Dollar Store or charity shop.

You have got to know where the gems are.

Hiding in plain sight, in a nondescript plaza near us, is a legendary drinking hole.

It's modeled after Cheers, the bar in the TV series, where everybody knows your name

http://www.searchingforamericapod.com

http://www.instagram.com/searchingforamericapod

http://www.instagram.com/robyncurnow

http://www.x.com/robyncurnow

http://www.youtube.com/@searchingforameriapodcast

When politics get crazy who do you listen to? Your financial advisor who’s watching the stock market? A friend in government?

Robyn Curnow turns to her favorite analyst when times get complicated.... her 101 year old grandmother.

She's has lived through world wars that redrew the map, economic depressions that shattered lives, technological revolutions that have fundamentally altered how we connect and communicate. She’s seen empires rise and fall, social norms transform, and scientific breakthroughs once relegated to science fiction become everyday realities.

What does to she remind us when the only certainty is uncertainty?

Not every fleeting headline demands our constant attention.
Some storms will pass.
History is littered with bad leaders, and stupid people.
Our time is no different.

Listen to Robyn Curnow dissect the lessons of the view long.

(Plus... hear what her grandmother's secret is to a long life.)

http://www.searchingforamericapod.com

http://www.instagram.com/robyncurnow

http://www.instagram.com/searchingforamericapod.com

http://www.x.com/robyncurnow