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and yet this is the more radio our I'm Jennifer hits Our will transport. You two grand slams around the country with your story, from and about Minnesota Miami San Francisco, New York Allay and Ohio grants, I'm sorry competition, but the judging is subjective. I always like to stress that everyone and grants Lamb is already a winner. They have to qualify with previous lamb went to get in. For the most part, the people who judge grants lambs are chosen from the audience. They don't have fancy degrees or credentials and anyway, storytelling isn't algebra. So there's never one correct answer. I'm saying the system is imperfect and in that imperfection there's some beauty is here's. The thing after anymore.

Oh, if you pull the audience and say which was your favorite tonight, everyone has a different answer. Each teller is a winner for somebody you're about to here six grants, Lamb stories and here something a little different, the last in this hour, we didn't allow it to be judge, you'll understand when we get there. This first story is by TIM Loop it involves and not so ancient niece art firm. I think it's not form, I guess so you can be the judge. Here's TIM Lopez live at the mass. all right. So about ten years ago I was working as a bartender at eighty g. I Fridays in the valley just north of LOS Angeles and today's was a pioneer in what is known as flare bar tending, which is aggressive if when buoyant style, a bar tending immortalized,

Tom cruise in the nice ADHD cocktail, which he plays a young hot, shot bartender who uses his bottle flipping shenanigans at eighty, I Fridays location in Manhattan. Now, after this peak floorboards, ending, went into a bit of a decline as did fridays overall cachet reaching rock bottom in the ninety. Ninety nine film office space, in which the entire concept of flair, so thoroughly ridiculed that Fridays corporate actually went out of its way to effectively ban every, flare related from all of its restaurants afterwards, so all the time arrived their liberty effectively been forced into the shadows and had gone underground was about to become a kind of a lost art, but there were always persistent rumours that there were bartenders that we're still practising it in secret,

attention of someday bring it back with those rumors were confirmed in two thousand and five, when corporate announced with mild fanfare, the two thousand and five t dot gi, DOT, Friday's regional Barfleur championship, in which one representative from each location in southern California, we're all to meet up together and compete against each other in this grand spectacle of bar tending tomfoolery. Now I signed up for this evening only partially, because I really have anything else going, I'm alive and also

because you know I thought it was a good way to find out that it was a way for me to express myself in a semi, theatrical manner. Now I was given three months to prepare, which meant that, true to form, I didn't do anything resembling serious preparation until the days before the event and, furthermore, my training regimen consisted entirely of getting drunk and watching key scenes from cocktail a high speed on the data tournaments. I was feeling a bit underprepared, but then I thought

that it- and I was like yahoo- really can be here to watch this three thirty p m. On a Monday now I was expecting a handful of bargaining nerves and know the usual assortment of degenerate bar flies that you find it easier Fridays happy hour, but apparently they dont quite a bit of publicity for the event, because when I arrived, the place was packed, it was five deepen the bar, the restaurant was completely filled up and they were offered to for wondering specials and unlimited Jack Daniels Appetizers the place was not. I had friends came showed up without telling me they were going to do so, and there was a camera crew there. It was videotaping event for broadcast not just to the entire restaurant, but also to every participating tv. I Fridays, restaurant in North America. At that point I began to to worry and that worry escalated into full blown panic. When I got my

Let us look at the competition now, these worrisome legitimately bad as individuals who took whereby containing very very seriously and they all came out and they all had a very elaborate choreograph routine that was set to music and there are doing elaborate tricks like flipping, multiple bottles at the same time, an flipping bottles and catching them on her forehead and one girl threw it took three maraschino cherries and threw them up in the air and then cut them on a cocktail spear wedge between your teeth. It became very obvious very early that I was not going to be competitive in this. What made it worse, those critical last, so I basically how to stand. and watch as these people just got up there and is absolutely shredded the bar. Well, I stood up to this. and withdrew into a personal shames viral. So now, and the last guy before me. He gets up, and this guy looks like a flare. Bartenders dream like love and he's like sleeved up needs are met.

fine, is extremely attractive. To step like slightly more latino to me, and he gets up there and is absolutely destroys and he's routine is set to the beastie boys. You gotta fight for erect a party. So during the chorus he's like you, got a fight flip for your. I catch catch upon the those ape ship, my heart I go over to my manager, I'm like you, I'm not going out there. I can't do this. I can't follow this guy and he's like what like what you have to know you and

My colleague here like I'm not doing it, would make a fool of myself out there, and this look comes over his face and it's a look that I am very familiar with and it's a look of disappointment and it's a look that I've been looking at. Basically, my turtle life I'd I'd seated on the faces of my parents, and I told him I was dropping out of school. I saw it on the faces of every employee. I ever had every job equator been fired from a seat on the faces of girlfriends who were breaking up with me for something I did or something I didn't. do, and I realise this is my pattern. This is my imo. I would get into something with enthusiasm and with promise and with potential and then when it came to him to do the work I would bail and at the moment of truth I would quit and you know, maybe that's why I was there

ten years at a high school. I just move back home and you know I was working at a chain, restaurant. I really didn't have anything to be proud of, except for this, and I can't even get that right and you know so. I said you know what fine I'll go out there I'll do it in a minute, ok great, and then they called my name and then he says, wait what songs you want, and I still looked at him and I said it doesn't matter and I went out there- I loved the fish the crowd, everybody eagerly, anticipating some new form of bar trickery- and I didn't know what I was going to do and I was panicked and then I heard the music start in the song that he chose was bill.

I don't dance with myself and I laughed and I so loving. Historically and then I started my foot like this and then the next three and a half minutes a procedure make complete an absolute mockery of the art in craft of flare, Barton I did comedy. I was basically doing tricks that I wasn't landing. I was slipping bottles and dropping them and breaking them. I was feeling alcohol and bar mix lower over everyone. What I was doing it with gusto- I was doing it with her. I was doing it like. I meant it, and yet I got the absolute Louis for that anybody ever accorded it when determining I'm. Not yours et figured everything on my life afterwards, full disclosure. Here it is ten years after this I'm still a bartender but at least I know that I've got plans

that was layer, bartender tender, TIM Mopeds. Was raised in LOS Angeles, where the story takes place, He lived in New York now and works as a writer. An improvised still bar tends to make ends meet, but this time I am saddened, upscale italian restaurant, so there is very little call for Tv I classic cartels like the Scooby, snack and ultimate mudslide next a story from Miami Grand Slam where we partner with public radio station W L are yours. Polite Simon, live at the moment. The appeal I am five years old, I'm dress like

the clown. I'm waiting in the wings waiting for my cue have butterflies and my stomach. I start to pray. I say God. If you help me not mess up. I promise I'll, stop bugging my brother and are even let my little sister borrow my stuff all of it. This is a big deal, the Nutcracker song. dawn and the bulgarian us come on stage. I take a deep breath made the sign of the cross. I stepped out on stage and all of a sudden out of, Nowhere a stage. Mom comes from behind snatches my glasses off and says

sweetie late. Let's take these off you'll, look better without them on stage now, so I start to panic. I e the stage Look like I normous blobs, the clown ballerinas. Just look like an endless sea of white face paint. I told myself you have to get off the stage, but I can add. over the stage begins. I don't know where it ends. I tie that I would fall off, which would be much worse so. I say self stick to the back, see with the pack just try to fit in so it doesn't work I spent a nice spin, I run into all the clowns and I look like a five year old drunk I get off the stage and I'm done

stated. The older ballerinas had told us that if you wanted a good part at the end of the year performance and, most importantly, if you ever wanted to have a solo which was my dream, you had to nail the Christmas show, I did not nail the Christmas shop, so my parents. They try to make me feel better. They say e clowns are supposed to be goofy. No one can tell every spinning everyone was a little crazy say, say: you're going to get a good part, don't worry so on. They were wrong. They were very wrong. The end of the year performance and we're going to perform Cinderella and some all get to be Cinderella. The prince or fairy godmother, or even the evil step sisters anxiously await to see what I'm gonna be

and I'm I'm given the role of fairy dust. Yes You didn't know it was a role, its role, so the teacher says to us girls. This is a very important role. Without very does the magic can't happen and we're five, but we know we know the truth about team. Us we're like the bottom of the valley, totem him we're like love like right at the bottom, so I say to myself: will that wasn't my fault like amateur redeem, myself and they're, going to see that I am solo material, so I say to myself: you're gonna be the best piece of fairy dust. You're gonna be amazing. So I practice- and I practice I don't even know

how I practice being varied us, but I do but a week before the show I have a not so great idea, I'm playing in the swings within the backyard. My sister and I say Elisa. I have an awesome idea. While I swing and I met the highest spot like swinging super fast, throw me a ball and I'm gonna catch it now she's three and she says I don't think, that's a good idea and she's only three, but I'm five. So I say sister I know stuff, I'm the boss, so I swing and I swing and I go higher and I go higher when I can see the roof of my house. I see now throw it now.

So. She throws it and I catch it and when shot like, neither of us thought I could catch it. But I like gold, the swing with both my hands, so I'm like smiling and then I'm like, oh my god. So then I fall and I break my wrist so badly. I have to have a cast from the tip of my finger to the top of my shoulder like this whole thing and I'm like short and five right, My whole size of my body, so everyone assumes, are not going to be in the show, but I mean come on. I can't do that. So the doktor comes into the hospital room and nieces sweetie. What color would you like your Cassie trying to make me feel better software for six weeks, its Miami it's the summer really hot and I say doctor leave my cast. Why? Because next week I'll be playing the role of fairy dust so come round to on the stage first pieces of fairy does flutter crust.

stage me and my Jain Normous White cast, make our debut and while the other ballerinas are waving, their hands like the link is really gently and softly. I my are my Judd. It less like a graceful like piece of dust and more like a hammer like this, and I try my best to not hit anyone cuz. The doctor had told me that my cast is really heavy and I could actually like knock someone out. So on so the show's over and my parents, who so great they collect when they say I e how you are the best peace of dust we ve ever seen at birth, but I want to know the truth, so I turned to my brother Eddie and they say how to go, and I can tell you is like trying to think of something nice to say and he's thinking and he's thinking and then. Finally,

He says. Well, it was really easy to see you on stage so fast forward. Twenty five years later, I find out I'm going to be telling a story at the Olympia theater. I call my sister Susie and I say: hey have you ever been there? What's it like? Is it big, And ass, a sister you ve been there, that's where we performed are ballet and my heart stops. Unlike no freedom way like this is the stage of the clown debacle this- is the siege of the fairy? Does fiasco and I'm going back to that stage like who knows what's going to happen in the next few weeks?. So I'm thirty one, but I'm five again. I'm waiting in the wings waiting in the front row. Butter lies in my stomach, praying to God

I don't mess up extra pair glasses in my pocket. Why did taken me a few more years than I thought and it might look different than I imagined, but I think in my own way. I finally got me. I think that was Pillar Simon telling her story at the Olympia Theatre in Miami. The very stayed with a fairy dust fiasco happened within two decades ago. I think she knew this time. You the is a licensed clinical social worker. She has a private practice that offers bilingual mental health therapy to families and individuals, polar still lives to dance

He has this one signature move. It's called the fairy, does spray much unforgettable, just getting in just a moment when the moth radio, our continuous quilting and great leaves and other acts of kindness, the moth radio hours produced by the lantern public Media Woods whole Massachusetts and presented by PR ex list.

About what is professional today on linked in important conversations are happening around what it means to be a professional right now linked in members, are talking about things like needing more flexibility around where we work how we work and even taking time away from work to focus on family or mental health, because there things should not stunt career development and growth; instead, they should enhance it, as we show up on our own terms, members or even pudding, with most important to them in their job titles. With things like podcast host, Slash activist, Slash mom, I know I'm gonna update my linked in to say, executive producer, Slash story, director and writer. Slash aunt, Slash, hiker, an avid traveller professional is ours to define and are authentic self is our professional self. So, if your linked in doesn't reflect who you really are update your job title post, your truth show the work,

the authentic professional you enjoying the conversations redefining professional I'm linked in linked in welcome professionals. The mouth is brought to you by progressive. Have you tried the name, your price tool, yet it works just the way it sounds. You tell progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. It's easy to start a quote and you'll be able to find a rate that works, for you is just one of the many ways you can save with progressive, get your quote today at progressive dot com and see why four out of five new auto customers recommend progressive progressive casualties. Friends, company and affiliates pricing coverage match limited by state law. This is the moth radio, our from pure acts on Jennifer Hickson this hour was celebrating the moth grasslands around the country here from New York,

is Tom Nine and live with them on this story. Happens. Well, I, my older brother and older sister are in great school in Canton. Ohio in a public school called edge, failed to place it in time. It would be accurate to say that the civil rights movement is in full swing, so it was a while back. it begins. When I come home from school in the day, I am frustrated and approach. My mom and sheepishly ask her to no longer put middle eastern food. In my lunch and my father and her become quiet, he dropped his crossword puzzle. They'll Guys and my mother through questioning, gets me to reveal that the students on giving a very deep

call time, and I experienced a lot of condescension when I pull out food that doesn't look like everybody else's. So I asked my mom from now on. We do peanut butter and jolly on wonder bread and an apple and kind of turn, down the volume on this, and then my brother and sister pipe in and say they'd like the same because they were going through, it is well. I must tell you that can't know higher is not the same as the cat in Ohio that I went to great school in its far more diverse its progressed a lot, but at the time I went to school, there were no african Americans in my school There are no Asians. I don't think there is anybody from India, nobody from Latin America, not as students, not as teachers, not as administrators. It was primarily a homogenous protestant.

ethnic community on a patchwork of some a fluent families, mostly working class and some financially challenge. Families too. in the midst of that our family was slightly slightly slightly exotic. My father's family was from Syria, my mom's family from Palestine. We had looks that weren't exactly conforming to what I went to school with we had food that was different, rehab holiday customs that were not the same as everybody else. and in the midst of all of this, in the midst of this kind, duty that we worry, and sometimes we wish we could stick out My mother didn't say too much about that. She didn't have a lot to say at the time that I on this issue, but what

I can tell you- is about a week later at school. The teacher announces that we should not bring lunches the following day. Nor should we bring lunch money for or the cafeteria that we're going to have some sort of a special food event and the next day at lunch unbeknownst to me incomes, my mother, incomes, my mother, with boxes and trays of middle eastern food. the teacher introduces, sir? This is MRS Nine and this is Tom's mom and let me tell you about her she was an artist she drew like an artist. She spoke like an artist, shed the attitude of an artist and she pulls up the food she starts serving the kids could be. This is a big

It's a you'll, find it on the homes of kings and queens. You find it in the homes of the most humble people. Try this here, here's some These are little triangular. Bread, pies and they have made in the more they have spinach in them and they have pine nuts and onions and she pulled out the two bully she pulls out a homeless He pulled out other things barber, A new Shen, her homemade bread. She had big bread for the entire class and gave them something take home and she's. being charming and she's being funny and is rising up the students and they're laughing and blowing a gasket, because earlier these snarking kids, making fun of everything that I'm eating, and here they are sucking down my mom's food that she made for US day after day and year after year. and she did the same thing the next day and my brothers class and the day after

that in my sister's classes as well. Now I would like to tell you that this ended some of the low grade region issues that my brother and sister and I faced while we were in public school. It did not, but but it took a significant edge off of it and she, if I think about now, was a hurry early pioneer of diversity in a very crafty way, using middle eastern hospitality, and when I think about how cool that was verses. What her other options may have been, calling the principle and so would you mind not picking on my kids. She took a different route I will have to say something else.

just recently occurred to me that I owe a debt of gratitude to the principle, MR hardly who paddled me more than once and mighty sure. My second grade teacher MRS Wing ITER, who also had to have I had to help this all happen to make this make to make them a thing for all my student friends happen and the last thing I don't think my mom would think of it in these terms, but I will say that you can't disparage somebody. You can harm somebody you can. and humiliate somebody when there's sucking down your mom, because you can't do it so for that I owed for that lesson from the. I owe a debt of gratitude to my mom, a lawyer Muhammad gathered mercifully honoured. Thank you.

Tat was Tom Tom, bland identity, development strategies and a graphic designer. He also makes a blog about Middle EAST culture. You can find a way, get them off dot org? We can also see a picture of Tom and his door. The mother. Can I make a shameless request again invited over four launch. Missus Norman hey, do any of these stories inspire stories of your own? Did your mother's greatly ever change, hearts and minds. We want to hear your stories you can purchase by recording your idea right on our side, the moth dot org or, if you're, not a very computer, savvy person- you can do it the old fashioned way via telephone this number down- eight seven- seven, seven, nine nine m o t age, that's, eight, seven, seven, seven, nine, nine, six, six! Eight for keep that number. and your bedside, and when yours

broken middle of the night with the story you want to tell you can call us where open twenty four seven. I know story is from Susan woman she hold it out a show in Brooklyn. Here, Susan live at them. At my quilting guru, Marianne, in the summer of two thousand one in the fall. We joined quilting guild. And then nine eleven happened. So We did what quilter stew, when terrible things happen and also one happy things happen. We make quilts Mary and decided that she wanted to make quilts

for the nine people who lived in her time The families of the nine people that were lost So she went online to some quilting sites and invited people send her quilt squares of red right and blue. She take the squares, put them together and make a quilt. she got so many more square Then she imagined- and you know from a she got them from nineteen states from Canada and also from New Zealand. So it was

to be quite a task and even though Marianne is a talented quilter and she wanted to get them done in a timely fashion, she needed help. That's where I came in, I volunteered to help her and ass. I was putting together these blocks. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and compassion of these unknown. Quilter is who sent these blocks with such love. So we worked, quilts and we finish them. Next came the delivery. I must admit that I was extremely anxious about that. How, with these people feel when some strangers were going to give them a quilt quilt for their loss. There was no way could be equal, and then I thought.

How are we going to deal with sorrow That they might present to us so came time for the delivery and the first recipient, was a teacher who lost her twenty six year old daughter. We went to school and there in the principles Us she was surrounded by her loving colleagues, and she spoke about that daughter. Then, he slowly unfolded. The quilt and with tears in her eyes. She wrapped around herself. We wept as well next us, since we had so many blocks Marion's let's make some for your town new Rochelle. So will the next time that we, to deliver. Them was to a woman

who had lost her husband. She was pregnant at the time and now she was a single mother Next one was a woman who lost her husband, took the quilt and said to her A five year old look with these nice lady stared help us remember, daddy, obviously more tears from some of us and as I thought about it. I was so ambivalent, like what good was this? What was I doing? Why did I think that this would have import or meaning to people? Was it for me or was it for them? At the time I was teaching elementary school and I took

My quilts to show the fifth graders and I asked them the same questions I'd, ask myself. One child said you know when you're scared, you like to hide under things I better quit. It would be good. You could put you of your head and you'd feel safer. Then another child said you know, would tell the families of the dead person that that persons not forgotten- and I thought I taught a lot of years and I should have expected that children would go right to the heart of the matter. Several years later, my husband and I went to Quebec City and we wanted, I have one last stroll on this beautiful prominent in the city and a young woman came up to me and to me not to him.

and said we just got here? Would you take a picture of me? fiance said sure where you from New York. Where a New York Westchester County, O wherein Westchester newer Shell, I said Me too, do you live near Davis school. She stopped and looked at me and said. Do you know me, I said: did you receive a quilt. in memory of your husband. She nodded. And then I said, I helped to make it and I delivered to your home. We threw her arms around each other and once again I wept at the at the end,

This experience I find that I'm not quite as ambivalent as I was I dont do it lightly and there is still some sense of what good is it. But now I know that the recipient will feel the quilt will enjoy. The touch of the will also feel the comfort that with which these quilts have been given and will accept them. In those terms, thank you that we season woman live and work in New York, she's, a retired teacher and spends a lot of time with a guild called the village squares quilter. They may quilts for people in need victim, Disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Fukushima, but also people in shelters, refugee,

veterans and even babies in I see you at the hospital in white plains to see pictures of some the quilts and the story. The ones put together for the nine eleven victims visit them off dot, Org, where you can also download any of the stories you here today. coming up life death and the pursuit of happiness, more grand slam stories when the moth radio, our continues the mouth radio hours produced by atlantic public media in woods, whole Massachusetts and presented by the public radio Exchange, Pierre Ex DOT, Org you listening to the moth radio, our from Pierre acts, I'm Jennifer Hickson timeframe

asked who grassland stones this next one is from Minnesota. Here's John Kaden on Thanksgiving of two thousand third. In my family got together to do what we're all hopefully going to be doing on Thanksgiving, which spend time with family he delicious food drink. Some wine have good dessert, good conversation every one of my family. This thing's have now having an outstanding time, especially my grandfather. Normally he's

Wonder go home at around eight thirty, during after family dinner, she's gotta make his nine pm bedtime, but Nike politely refused my my father's invitation to bring him home saying you know, I'd like to stay a bit longer, I'm having a good time just taking everything in so my dad said: okay and he stays a while longer, which turns into a lot longer and at eleven. Thirty is finally ready to go home everyone's in the living room, lounging getting pretty tired, so he and my dad over to the front door they get their coats on, but before he leaves he tells my dad. I'd like to go back into the living room and living room and tell everyone good, bye, one more time so go he heads over and we get up and we hug him goodbye and we wish him well and say, happy Thanksgiving and they leave and they go outside.

Wait a minute later the front door burst open and my dad yells ever come here. There's something wrong with dad and at once my entire family gets up every rush towards the door. I had over to the home phone and grab it assuming that I called nine hundred and eleven, but my older brother is already on the phone with them. He used his cellphone we had outside, and my parents, minivan had just reached the end of the driveway. It hadn't even turn to go straight at all, inside the interior lights, are on in my my grandfather's and they are not moving my mom's a registered nurse and she's looking for some sort of a sign, something that does that he still here she rubs hard on his sternum, but there's no response. She checks this pulse and there's nothing beating

She looks over to my dad and his face is one of shot: This is a man who retired as a general from the military he'd know, how the ledge knows how to make decisions. He knows he's got a plan all times, and I look up to him for this, but to night he doesn't have a plan, he doesn't know. No one can be prepared for this. and it shocks me because he is the person I look up to and in the car right now. Not moving is the person that he looks up too, but I see his mouth to which my grandfather's mouth twitch and I'm hoping that it's a sign of there's something they're. So we decide to pull him out of the car and lay down on the hard rocky asphalt and start compressions mail.

brothers on the phone and use coaching us through this thirty compressions in between each breath to the tune of staying alive or another, invites the dust. But tonight I was humming staying alive So I do these compressions, my mom's breathing for him and I'm just hoping wielding life back into my family and friends, but nothing

going when I get to emotionally and physically exhausted from this, my younger brother stepson and takes over and I stand up and for the first time I hear sirens half in the distance- and I know where they're going for the first time in my life when they finally get there, the emptiness and the police officers, and they take over the hook up the defibrillator, but it can't find any pulse any semblance of a heartbeat ticker that kept his heart going had quit. There's nothing. We do except for cry, and so that's what we did we went inside and we cried has a family, but we were thankful one more time on that thanksgiving for the man that she was tall of us, that he got to die without any pain, with a full stomach Surrounded by family, we are thankful that me, my brothers. We can all.

Back from colleges all across the MID West to see him on this last night that he was here with us. We were thankful that he got to see on that night, his late wife, who said that he had been dreaming of recently we're thankful that we could be a family and support each other and pick up where maybe one of us had fallen short that night with such a terrible, tragic event I am thankful for my grandfather, who he was. He would have turned ninety years old on Tuesday and everything's, giving we think of him. Thank you. That was John Paden talking about his beloved grandfather, Bob TV John was born and raised in Minnesota and works as an engineer. He recently got married and was sorry that his wife never had a chance to meet his grandfather. You can

said to them off dot org, to see a picture of John and his family, with his grandfather a final story. Tonight was told at the San Francisco Grand Slam where we partner with public aid, Stations cake you ye D and take L Debbie theme of the night was leaps and one of the story tellers took the theme very, very seriously: here's the lumber Castro Theatre my twenty first birthday in the emergency room, as my college best friend gave birth to a kidney stone that we named Emma. Emma Stone, now also the day that I held her hand for the first time I had wanted to hold her And for a while wanted to do other things for a while to leg, kisser or ten,

or how I accidently fallen in love with her. We don't we known each other for eight months, but I was drawn to her intoxicating blend of charisma and kindness from the moment that I met her. It took me six months of wondering if I had done friendship wrong. My entire life was this sort of intensity normal between female friends, before I dawned on me that what I was feeling with something different something more but something more was impossible for us. She was straight and I was only just beginning to realize that I was apparently bisexual. taking chances was never my forte, so it seemed far safer to preserve our friend As it was then to take risk everything by telling her how I felt Even high on by it and still waiting the kidneys don't to pass. She is adamant that she was not going to miss in classes the computer student and I lived on campus,

so she asked if she could stay in my dorm for a few days, while she recuperated, I agreed, nervous how this new proximity might complicate things she recovered by the end of the week, but she never moved out. I like living on campus. She told me by way of explanation, and I was happy to have her stay. I did notice the distinct change in our ship, however, after she moved in there an added sense of intimacy that came along with our new living situation. We were, or of a unit than individuals we he lives together together and indeed just about everything else and between together. and with this change I began To unravel my mind began to interpret, looks that she gave me or words that she said as clues that she was interested in me. Romantically

for example, in April. She heard can't fight this feeling by Oreo Speed wagon for the first time and she began to play it. Repeat constantly. Whenever I was around in June over dinner. I told her that she had the most beautiful eyes she choked underwater and had to excuse herself from the table to recover. In July she began to hold my hand in the car whenever we drove places, Maybe she likes you to my heart, told me, but brain knew. I was just wishing to hard for something that I would never get, and so I did my best to ignore the Konrad signs. I August I could no longer handle the anxiety that the situation gave me. I knew you need to know where I stood where she stood. I knew I should tell her the truth and be honest, but I just couldn't find the right time and then one Sunday in early September

just around midnight. I walked her to her car and I kissed her on the forehead. Now. This was a gesture we both did upon occasion, but this time was different. This time she said. Missed. I stared at her unable to speak and she had to front with us. Is there something you want to tell me. it was time it was finally time and so with a rush. of adrenalin. I told her everything I told her how I had been in love with her since February. I told her how worried I was that she would reject me. She laughed and said: do you remember that time when I had a kidney stone and you came to the hospital, held my hand and took care of me. While I had a crush on you, then already, but that's when I knew I loved you.

It was such a surreal experience feeling the access of my life rotate with one simple exchange All of the anxiety that had plague me four months shifted in to a sea of butterflies, a flutter in my stomach and as I kissed her for the first time. Finally, it felt so right, And you know what it's still feels right. It's been a number of years since that night and she remains my favorite person. My best friend My grandmother once told me that the smartest decision she ever made in her life was to marry her best friend. So here I am,

We would then be remembered in San Francisco and act to her. You heard one of our San Francisco hosts Dire Lexman Alliance. You probably guessed it, but after the proposal, carryin leaped out of her seed ran to the stage into deeds of arms- in short, she said yes

The crowd went wild now before I follow this up with a little interview from someone. I think that when you hear from I want to say a few things to any of you, there is to ask someone to marry you fair warning. that: we're not so keen on them off stage becoming a destination for proposals, kind of puts everyone on the spot. also, are you gonna try to top deities proposal because I know recommended it called me before the grand slam to discuss her story. And together we decided that we would not have been judges score proposal because number one awkward and number two it wouldn't be that fear to the other storytellers. Did you hear that crowd? I mean imagine following act so please? Oh you! Romantic! Stick to the mountain tops the park benches in the rain, the sandy beaches. I once gotten if some subway train the eight trained to be exact, whatever works, if you want to tell you intended a private moth,

story about why you're so in love? I highly recommend, and now, as promised here is some involved in this story that we haven't heard from yet carryin deities beyond, say I called her at her apartment one morning so carrion. I just wanted to talk to you and ask you what the experience was leg for you sitting out there in the audience. Did you you suspect anything. Now I didn't suspect anything. Dd actually had told me that the story that she was going to tell that night would be about her siblings, which is usually she tell stories about so she had made a fake story in case I had asked her what she was going to talk about, and she was all prepared, lie to me and to do it ever she needed to do to keep the secret she usually she's not successful at keeping secrets from me, but this time it worked yeah when we spoke DD said like I have to go, get my decoy story. Do.

You know she's gonna, wanna know what I'm talking about felt for her having to think of two different stories. So at what point in the story, did you say wait a second Well, when she first started talking and she had opened up with her internal, I thought wow, this sweet she's telling a story about us, but it took probably and tall right before she asked me for me to actually realise what was going on bawling my eyes out about halfway through the story with how sweet everything was, but I didn't really know that she was going to ask me to marry her in front of all these people and tall right before she popped. The question right when you ve started to feel her voice, breaking up yeah exactly right on that point where she got a little Terry. That's when I realized what is going on feeling that I wasn't sure if I was supposed to get up and go on stage or if I was just supposed to stay in the audience and somehow signal to her that I was going to accept her for her. So I'd taken my shoes off and I just decided to run up there and be with her because that's what felt

so dear okay, so is there anything that you like to say to duty that you, you didn't, have a chance to that nine onstage from a lot of people and now a lot of people are gonna, hear her side. the story again and I wondered if there was anything you wanted to add. While I would just like to say that I love you very much, Eddie and even though you stole my thunder of proposing to you on our trip to Europe during the summer, I'm really appreciative that you know you took that leap and told that story in front of you know the fourteen hundred well, that were there and I'm really excited for our wedding and to you now on a high moon and to spend the rest of my life with you. Ok tears, and I hope we can talk that I think we that has to be the end of the interview. I can't go any further

Oh the wedding is planned and in case you were wondering I asked and yes Oreo speed wagons. I can't fight this feeling. Any more will be featured prominently at the wedding. God help us all that's it for this episode of the moth radio, our do not fight the feeling. People call up here, line and please be shorter, join us next time. your hosting is our with Jennifer Hickson, the rest of them. Austria Actuarial staff includes Catherine burn. Sarah, Hey Berman Sarah asked engineers and make bowls production support from too Lou Lee monster: your true is remembered and firm by the story. Tellers. Our theme, music, is by the drift other music in this hour from Travis shook Billy Idle, the bomb class, go Philharmonic and Arctic Express Elsa noon

Chile Gonzalez Bill, Brazil Duke Levine and Oreo Speed wagon. You can find it's all the music we use in our website? The moth radio hour is produced by me, Jay Allison, with Vicki Merrick at Atlantic public media in woods, Hole Massachusetts. This hour was produced with funds from the national endowment for the arts. Radio hours presented my pr x for more about our podcast for information on pitching as your own story and everything else visit our website, the moth dot org.