Out In The Open·Full Episode

Letting Go

We all have it. Some of us hoard it. It can give you a sense of power, agency and self-worth. But ceding control — whether by choice or circumstance — can open doors to a whole new kind of empowerment. This week, Piya asks: When is it time to let go of control?
(Magnus Berg)

We all have it. Some of us hoard it. It can give you a sense of power, agency and self-worth. But ceding control — whether by choice or circumstance — can open doors to a whole new kind of empowerment. This week, Piya asks: When is it time to let go of control?

Here are the stories from this week's episode:

Why Manitoba First Nations are approaching new education funding with caution

Dakota Plains First Nation hasn't had a high school graduate in almost 30 years. A new, first-of-its-kind, Indigenous-run school board that comes along with more funding could turn things around... but other First Nations in Manitoba have already rejected the idea. We visit Manitoba to find out why.

'It very much feels like my body has betrayed me': Grappling with the gradual symptoms of disability

In 2015, Bronwyn Berg fell and hit her head on the floor. At first, doctors believed she had a concussion. Since then, her symptoms have mounted, leaving her with seizures, involuntary movements, and inability to walk. She talks to Piya about how disability has redefined what control means for her.

This mom's struggle to let go of her teen started way too early

Garvia Bailey is preparing to give up control as her child approaches adulthood. But that process of letting go started long before her daughter became a teen, when they discovered she has sickle cell anemia. Bailey explains in an essay for Out in the Open.

'I remember just relief': What it's like to check yourself into a psychiatric ward

Brynne Frauenhoffer had been coping with severe anxiety and depression since she was a teenager. But a few years ago, in her early 20s, something was different. Brynne tells Piya it took checking herself into a psychiatric ward for her to find the control over her life and mental health that she was seeking.

Letting go on the dance floor became a metaphor for life

In salsa dancing, there is a leader [traditionally a man], and a follower [traditionally a woman]. As OITO producer Debbie Pacheco explains, having to let go of control as a dancer came at a time when letting go off the dance floor felt impossible.