The mouth is brought to you by progressive. Are you thinking more about how to tighten up your budget? These days, drivers who saved by switching to progressive, save over seven hundred dollars on average and customers can qualify for an average of six discounts when they sign up a little off your rate. Each month goes a long way get a quote today. A progressive dotcom, progressive casualty, insurance company and affiliates national annual average insurance savings by new customers surveyed, who save, would progressive between June twenty twenty and may twenty twenty one potential savings will vary discount very and are not available in all states in situations Haymow listeners this year we are celebrating our twenty fifth anniversary- that's twenty five years of uncovering what it means to be human understanding, each other better and building community through true personal.

Stories in order to ensure that the moth continues to thrive for another twenty five years and beyond we're raising twenty five thousand dollars during the month of March. If you can give ten dollars fifteen dollars or even twenty five dollars, we would be so grateful text moth three hundred and thirty five, one thousand four hundred and forty four or visit the moth org to make your donation today, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Welcome to the moth podcast, I'm your host for this episode, Chloe Salmon this week, we're talking about friends, and the unexpected places we can sometimes find it first is Johnson survival.

Is it a story slam in Detroit where the theme of the night was lessons hears about life at the mouth? When I regained consciousness, I recognize my mom dared and a few friends standing over me looking concerned, someone asked so why are you ok? I didn't answer idea

However, I have one question o my mind. You see twelve years I was twelve years old and my birthday had just passed and I received the new be next bike. It was royal blew it had gold decals hand. Breaks in multi spoke wheels a picture there with the right pilot aboard that biker, probably jump over the school up the street and I'm sure I wild imagination is what caused me to challenge my friends to a jumping contest. Now the anti got out when one of them suggested jumping over a large bush there, for some reason was planted in the middle of his front line. Ok, challenge accepted the following Saturday: young there. There was a sin.

Ready to take flight and the day was perfect. The ramp was constructed of the finest components we had. Two car ramps play side by side with a couple of milk rates. On top of that, we had a slightly warped peace. Apply, would in a few bricks at the base to keep it all. Ankara, I'm pretty sure how it was done me we're using the same materials back there. We rode up to the start and spot in the first key takes off what a ramp. He jumps but goes off centre and lands at the right just clipping the bush when the second key it takes off. He decides to aboard his mission before reaching the round. The third contesting goals and actually clears the boys, but when he lands both of his face slip off the pedals, he not come

It is on a middle, so hard less out of curdling scream and instantly becomes a spectator for the rest of the event. We laughed at him too The four jumper goals clears the book Easley allows perfectly on the other side, but he can't stop fast enough and slams into a car in the driveway next door and matures last but not least, is why my parents out front now and the rest of the kids are parked and waiting, I'm in the zone, a picture of jump so epic that it should be on the front of a Wheaties cereal box. I decided to build anticipation by going through a serious opposes, and I ended all with the double biceps Iraq it off

from two houses away in the middle of the street pedaling as fast as I can, I'm whipping to the driveway headed straight for the ramp, perhaps a little too fast, because my right foot slipped from the pedal in the bike wobbles, but I recovered. I recovered just in time to hit the ramp and it's chips. I tried to save it by pulling the front wheel up, but it clipped something in OSHA. Here we go, my bike is leaving me. The grass is above me and the sky is beneath me. How can this be, but then the grass in the sky switchback and I violently splat and everything goes black, but I regained consciousness and my mom dad and friends are standing over me. I'm laid out flat, probably similar to a murder scene body schedule something they asked if I'm okay and I don't answer

but did have that. One question on my mind: hey how's, my bike, Medea nods and signals: ok, Mama rose arms up and walks away friends all laughing at me, but I learned three lessons that day. Lesson number one: if you're gonna Jumpsome Bush. don't prematurely celebrate, save it for perjury dismal lesson to speed is nothing without control when you're writing stay, super focused and may contained a rhythm and three. If you're performing any physical feet and happened, the blackout

in their wake up, surrounded by your friends, and parents always mean always check your. Let me first, that was about Johnson Civil, Sadly, passed away in August of twenty twenty, while rescuing through the young girls from the Detroit River. He was a Detroit native, a husband, father, artists and second generation firefighter survived was many time off. Storyteller he described. Self as a student of life and was a friend to many walls of arts, but he's took into literal heights. Our next storyteller is aiming even higher for a new friend, metaphorically speaking, Greg

I'll told this story slamming Houston. Where the theme of the night was delusions. Here's drag live at the Doha. Can you hear me while this is awesome, Amazing see so many people out here for them off you. I think delusions get a really bomb rap I think sometimes delusions get us through some pretty hard times in life. when I was twelve, my folks split up emperor, brief period of time. A mother and I shared delusion that my mother, though, that my father could be a competent father. but after many nights it strip clubs driving home myself at thirteen fourteen years old when he was drunk. I gave up that delusion. And I sat watching the news- a lot worse drip clubs- I, unlike what was going on

behind me. I didn't like I didn't like what was going on. I just Focused on the tv and I watched the news, and I became a kind of obsessed with the news, and then I became obsessed with President Jimmy Carter, he just seem like such a nice guy. Yet sons he had a daughter. He seemed like a good dad in this idea start going in my mind. Many would call a delusion wanted Jimmy Carter to be my friend in the kind of rescue me from the crazy world. I was limit in so I called the White House too. Two four five six one for one for They wouldn't put the president on the phone.

And so I realized I was gonna have to get creative and this was way before the internet so used to call the reference librarians at the use and public library constantly for every relative of Jimmy everyone that worked in the White House every reporter, just anyone I could get- and I decided you know he didn't understand. I knew it was busy, but you know come on. We need to become friends So after you know about a year and tell people that Jimmy Carter, you know I was gonna, be my friend I. Why else would send me boxes and boxes of materials? Pictures though Carter, family, you know, kids to or the lighthouse autograph pictures of president. You want any of that. one day there is when they send a picture of the Carter family, his son Jeff Carter. There was a picture of his wife in net. She was, is pretty older woman, probably twenty three twenty four

So I called the White House two billion twenty four million five hundred and sixty one thousand four hundred and fourteen all the operators new me by this time, and I asked for annette- they wouldn't put her on the phone but they did give me her office number, and so I call- and she called me back immediately surprisingly,. and I explained to her that you know I was Really needing to get to know the president, You know I thought it was great add asked what he was like as a dad and what he was like at the White House and she said Greg. Does it there's no way I can have the present call you. You know that I will be happy to you know asking for an autograph picture. Haven't send it to you if it comes to dinner tonight, wow Jimmy comes to dinner. Tonight, that's pretty cool, but I didn't want an autographed picture, so I said: when would you put your phone number on it also? So if you promise to understand that he will not call you I'll put your phone number on it also.

This was in November. I think December January February, marched past by this Point everyone I knew knew that I knew the Jimmy Car was gonna. Call me in the only thing everyone you is that I was delusion on the present was never going to call me. I was baby sitting my church, one night foundering someone comes in and keep in mind. I had a lot of praying calls. Everybody knew. You know that I was trying to trying to do So my friend came in said Craig presence on the phone for you like, shut up, no really go pick up the phone, so I go pick up the phone, Mr Garriga Del, please this is he oh? In that case, this is the lighthouse operator please hold for the present

the United States, so im thirteen and I was still going out- the clubs and single bars every night and I hadn't slept much. I was trying to get my wits about me and try and figure out. Some was pulling my leg really well. And then a voice comes on he low. Well, President Carter and I understand from many people that you're trying to get in touch with me Can I help you with. and I fortunately because I was obsessed with the news- was I didn't care about anything on going on my personal life and I had known I've been delusional enough to know that we were going to be friends, so I started rambling about rambling about his administration the you know how he caught the hostages alive and the energy crisis, and he said well. I think we to meet next time. Euston nicer will yes, sir, And so the following September, he came through on a campaign, stop and we met and we were fortunate to meet virtually every.

time. He came to Houston thereafter. And when I was more school, I was about to ride in his car with to a ceremony at the meal, still marveling, that this and become real and we're leaving. Hotel and he says There's someone I want you to meet, turned around and face to face with Nelson Mandela and he says Nelson. Grace a young man but he's a very Friend of mine, that's a lie. Delusion, certainly well thank you. That was Gregor down Greg as he spent the first half of this life, creating the adventures he now tell stories about in the second half of this life. His favorite job is uncle both act in surrogate and a close second is co hosting. So what's your story, a story, teller

the programme on Houston. Ninety point, one Katy F, T Greg's partner in crime Floyd, the one dog, is the shows official mascots Greg's call with President Carter, with actually logged in the White House diary for that day in nineteen eighty you can check it out. Our website, the moth dot org, here's Greg follow up. He wrote about the beginnings of his presidential obsession. From the time I could read. I was obsessed with two subjects: Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy. When I was ten, I volunteered on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign making hammering in yard signs with my mother to my father's credit when I was eleven, he took me to Houston's Ellington field to see President Carter arrive on AIR force, one that magical day was one of the rare positive moments. I recall,

sharing with my father when President Carter began shaking hands. I shut my way to the front of the crowd and I shook his hand. Then I ran ahead. Push myself through the crowd. Again, I shook his hand again a maid. Singly. He looked at me and asked didn't know, shake your hand back there. You must have liked it. So I ran a head again pushed myself to the crowd and just before he walked to his car. I reached out my hand shook it for a third time. He looked at me smiled, raise three fingers and said that makes three I was done. The president of the United States had taken notice of me a few months later. My fifth grade teacher Linda bear it: had our class send a letter to the president and we

at an autographed picture back. We offer our names in a bucket to see who would get to keep the photo and Stacy Gilmore his name was pulled. I was not happy and thought I can do better than an autograph picture. My quest had begun that was granddaughter after his phone call with President Carter, Gregg said he made a problem to himself to cross off every name on the long list of people who wanted to meet, and so far been pretty successful. Gregg has met president. Reagan, Clinton and Bush senior and firstly, he's: Roseland Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Ladybird Johnson and in what he calls and active divine intervention, Jackie Onassis Kennedy. We also met Gregg, and these special way back in twenty fifteen, Greg was working as an uber driver and was just about to head home when he got one last passenger clasped his rider.

headed to the moth story, slam in Houston, Gregg City Listen to the moth radio hour before and thought he might be a pretty good storyteller. So he locked uber and through his name in the hat, Not only was his name pulled first, He won the slam that night with the story, you just heard the world serves to open backup. It might feel intimidating or scary to start putting yourself out there again, and maybe you are ready to launch herself into new friendships or ring up the president for a chat and that's ok. Just remember sometimes, is the small moments with new faces like a conversation with an Neuber driver, they can have the biggest impact. That's all for this week, Thank you to the storytellers who shared with us and to you for listening. Next time from all of us here at the mouth, have a story worthy weak

we salmon is a producer on the moths main sage and story, slim teams, a director on them in stage and a member of the pitch team. Your favorite moth moments come on showed is when the cardio is done, how sites go down and the magic this episode of the Mouth podcast was produced by me. Julia herself, with Sarah asked engineers and Sarah Jane Johnson, the rest of them its leadership team includes Catherine Burns. Sarah Haber men, Jennifer, Hickson, MEG, Bulls, Kate, tellers, Jennifer, Birmingham, Marina Cliche, Susan Rust, branding, Grant Inga good ASCII and altogether Montessori are true as remembered and affirmed by storytellers for more about her I'd CAS information on pitching your own story and everything else go to our website. The moth dot org, the moth pot gases presented by Pierre X, the public radio exchange helping make public radio more public at Pierre erects, DOT, Org.