This shows supported by the Schubert Organization, in partnership with the Kimmel Cultural Campus, presenting Rogers and my stones, Oklahoma at the forest theatre. This is ok, as you ve, never seen or heard it before. We imagined for the twenty first century and Tony award winner for best revival of musical this Visionary production allows the classic Musical and our country to be seen- in a whole new light coming to Philadelphia March, eight through twentieth for tickets visit tell a charge dot com. The mouth is brought you buy prick as if 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 fight

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from here next month. Radio, our I'm Sarah asked engineers from them off and if your new to the show welcome at the mouth, we produce events where all kinds of people tell true personal stories for audiences all over the world, and we share. a few of them here. Each week with you. We have four stories for you in this hour Other worries about the dangers of commuting to the Congo. Amiss fit becomes a pole of and comedian, hurry Cannonball Lou tells us about the first time he confronted Heckler first step is any course in and he told the story at a mass night in Berkeley. California, here she is live at them off.

So when my son Jonathan was little, he asked why he didn't have any brothers and sisters and I said we Didn'T- need any more kids because we got the one we want it, and it was true ever time. John, a for school for camphor cause. I felt, is heartbreaking. Sense of loss because- Your main instinct as a mother is too high hold your child as close to as possible. The problem is but your main job as a mother, is to prepare your kids separate, is the cruel catch. Twenty two of parenthood. Now we brought Jonathan up as a SEC. or two after the Holocaust. My parents had turned away from the old beliefs, my vagrant mother used to say, if damage

the God. I don't like him on young cook or whether rest of our Bronx neighbourhood was all dressed up and going to Temple my mother and I would seek downtown to see a Broadway musical, because and I say this with jewish pride yeah. poor is the east the day of the year to get theatre tickets. So we were outsiders, ok, No pass oversight, or so poor and parties, no Hanukkah manures. No, nothing and I what my son of the same way, but when he turned thirteen we thought he should have some kind of coming of age party, so we sent him for some lessons and jewish culture and we, via a bunch of friends over for lunch and jobs,

Read a paper cold jewish values in the modern world, and then I had this great idea. I got each guests to give Jonathan a list of their ten favorite books and their ten favorite movies so that he could grow up with his own person. an all liberal arts guide and the actual just is the way we do things that micro, where we get together for a party we get creative. We do funny skid, centre regional songs and do you know satirical speeches, so this alternative bar mitzvah was just another offbeat party and everybody loved it, everybody except Jonathan, he hated it and he accused us a b,

Hippy dippy, cheap bows. Why didn't? I have a real bar mitzvah with a big party in a fancy restaurant. I would have gotten a lotta checks instead of those stupid lists, and I explained that we don't necessarily do everything that other people do. We make our own choices. Okay, so Tarzan grew into manhood and we did become good friends. We have a lot in common. We both like comedy and ethnic food and Texas, hold him, and we talk about books and movies, many from those stupid bar mitzvah less. So I've got a good thing going here and I don't want to mess it up

so when it comes to his personal life, I try to keep my opinions to myself, which I can assure you is a real challenge. He announces that he's going to go and work in London for a year, and I pretend that this is good news. Oh sweetheart, that sounds wonderful and when I'm really thinking is he's going to be looking the wrong way. Traffic get hit by a bus he's gonna get caught. Bronchitis from that miserable climate. he's going to learn to think of toast as a meal the. Only good thing about working in England is that the Brits know Jack about jewish culture. So ever John or feels like coming to allay for a visit. He just makes up a holiday.

guys I'm gonna be out next week. I have to be with my parents for the first five nice of kids Yes, of course Jonathan. Please accept, The very best wishes for a wonderful kiss now, its eyes, income, home. He analysis that he and his New York girlfriend Elisa have gotten engaged and once again I have to pretend that this is good. You, oh sweetheart, how wonderful it is a big fat lie are going to tell you something. The fact is, I would be perfectly happy of my Son states single forever. That way, I would remain the leading,

in his life. I wouldn't have to share him on holidays, and I wouldn't have to watch him making Google eyes at some draw But there is this nasty rumour going around that I might die one day and I don't want my child to be alone. So, ok, I'm fine with this stupid marriage until the following week, when Jonathan calls and tells us the wedding plans, it is going to be a huge traditional black tie affair in New York. When he moves back from london- and here we go again- oh sweetheart, that's out of wonderful! I I take

volume and get on the phone with a year to brigade other out of their minds. Is too big. It's two formal and his two June was I mean, for starters, what is is blue? Ty nonsense. We are not there the people who hang out in taxes and evening gas and wisest as a huge guest list. People are not going to fly to vent. From all over the world for glasses. campaign, as I'm chopped, liver and then one of my girlfriend says to me now: Annie, try and remember. This is not your wedding, and this is absolutely true. My waiting was a totally different story. No engagement ring no bridle shower no give registry. My husband, Benny comes from Denmark. We met on a blind date in February and we got married.

because he could get his drink. Are a lot of my friends were worried and they said to me that it was insane to marry a toll. stranger. Well, that was forty. Nine years ago, and there are still Jays when I believe my friends were right anyway for teeny tiny wedding Betty and I managed to find a laid back rabbi. Rabbi Lenny, who agreed not to mention God, jury the ceremony because, as I told you, I'm not a believer, religion has too much blood

on its hands. For me, being jewish means. Simply honouring the time, honour practices of eating, ouch, bargain shopping and clubs control is too hot. It's all where's that draft. So the worse element for me in Jonathan Insane wedding plans is all this traditional stuff that is fiance grew up with a rabbi: chanting, prayers, a Hebrew, marriage contract and one hundred baby Blue Yama goes purchase from under the hopper dot com. Meanwhile, things start to get frantic and expensive. I have to buy gown, we have to fly to New York Benes Huge Danish, jewish gentle families flying in from Copenhagen

I have to take them for dinner. I figure we'll do Chinese as an introduction to jewish american culture. Then things go from frantic too in say now. I want you to hear this carefully. Betty's brother is coming in with his two ex wives, and they are all saying in the same room with one king size and now. You know why the Danes are the happiest people in were I went to a wardrobe sale at a tv studio. I found a beaded gown that still have twelve hundred dollar price tag on it. I got it for twenty bucks and save the price tag in case. I want to resell it on Ebay,

Benny dug up his old tubs from nineteen sixty seven, which still fit perfectly as long as he didn't try to button it. Much to my amazement, people actually did fly in from all over the world plus, I have to admit everyone looked so beautiful in their fabulous evening clothes, and then this really strange as surprising thing happened. Rational then a goal me got a little shiver when bellies very assimilated family put on your workers for the first time in their lives.

The ceremony began with for young men carrying the hope of the wedding canopy down to the front of the room. This category was very simply draped with leases, late, fathers, prayer, shawl and again I got this. Little shiver. Then the music changed Annalisa the bride entered. She was wearing her great grandmothers, lace, wedding veil I wear my son looked at her I felt that same heartbreaking feeling of loss that I used to feel when he went off to school to camp to college. Only this time he wasn't coming back. He was marrying her and divorcing me, taught him to make his own choices and he was choosy her

traditions over mine. He was separating, and I guess that's the way it's supposed to be then just like it fiddler Jim and broke the glass everybody yelled must we'll dance back up the aisle. I we give dancing and singing and laughing intriguing eighty, the whole day, long and all all the things I worried about the formal attire, the huge crowd, the jewish stuff turned out to be all the things I love most about the wedding. I am so glad I did a mother's job and kept my big. Mouth shut, thank you that was any poison Annie is a woman. After my own heart she said,

organ sharper and she's written a book called bargain junkie living the good life on the cheap. I talked with Annie after she told this story, Annie What was crafting this story like for you well, Actually, the story originally was developed forth. A theatre group that I am a member of jewish. Preserve LOS Angeles. We're doing so with the theme of oh mother and so that That's where we started, but there when I brought it to you, you had a different taken, so we actually reshaped story for the moth and then wasn't there point anyone. You said you hated me. Yes, I hated you big. as as a writer weed, I consider myself a humorist. I getting less and less and I and what you kept taking up my laughs So, yes, I kept saying all this horrible woman is the boss he's taking everything funny

and then I said well, Annie The story is, is seeming very performance. See It just seems very big and we have to talk but that I didn't know what happened you can say you do it does it shouldn't sound, acted and it is our written I said well, but the thing is I'm an actor and writer Would you really thing? Is I'm gonna have to pretend to be real a person and that didn't you decided what did we just? We may believe I was a human and thank you for that. I thank you for go in Annie to see a photo of any Courson and her family go to them all thought Org, while you're there you can find extra related to any of the stories you here on the moth radio, our coming up next Highschool aborting team with three members, their names, Jack Daniels

Jimmy Dean and Matthew Dicks. radio hours produced by atlantic public media and woods whole Massachusetts and presented by p r exe. This is the moth radio, our from Pierre Ex I'm Sarah asked engineers are stories in this hour take place in New York, Edinburgh, the Congo. and our next story, a pole, vault pit Matthew, Dicks, told the story at an open. MA stories land with this theme ego the early part of this. Story is about the difficulties of growing up with his last name. If that would bother you,

tuna and again in a few minutes. Here's Matthew, dicks, live at them So it's the spring of nineteen. Eighty six and coach Cronan has decided. We need to more pull Walter's for our high school track. We have Jimmy Dean, his eye, one pour water and- To me: is a senior and he's a stoner, but he's the best pour water and all of Massachusetts and nineteen. Eighty six. He can vault seventeen feet in winter meat, but some major called relays and in those meets need, have three competitors and all of them competitors and the need to score opening height or nothing counts. Opening height is seven feet, benches and so every one of those meets throughout Jimmy's entire career. We ve never scored any points, so coach Cronan, besides he's gonna fix it, he's gonna, find to Nepal, water and so he takes all the mediocre sprinters and all the mediocre, long tempers and I qualify both times,

Any brings us all down to the poor won't pit to have a full forward. Now, pull loathing is an interesting. Sport require strengthened, speed and precision, but mostly you just have to be crazy. Take a pool about twelve feet. Long, you hold one end of it at the end of a runway. You run ass, fast, ass. You possibly can for eighteen steps. During the last three steps raised the pull over your head, you Jimmy Other, under the pole, into a metal box set into the ground, you throw your feet directly into the air. You throw your head directly to the ground. Pull back on the pole and theoretically, it throws you over the bar. I did not vote that first day I went laughed French. My knee and literally ended up in a golly, but the pole

was still in my hand. I had not let it go and therefore I became a pole Walter two of us didn't, let it go, and so that day the pull vaulting team, probably the best nimble, loathing team ever of Jimmy Dean, Jack Daniels- you decks and so fast forward. First relay I've been practicing for about six weeks with Jack and occasionally reaching opening high. and I know all the pressures on me jack- is your older than me, and I want to be good cuz, the real secret to team sports. Has you want to beat your opponent what you? What you really want? Is your team, like you, and the only way you can get them to like you is to either perform at a very high level or to perform higher than the mediocre people on your team. I cannot perform

a high level, so my goal is to be Jack and hope that he is mediocre and I don't like Jack to begin. Where he's better looking than me he's faster than me, and his name is Jack Daniels and my name is Matthew and people look at me and go o d. I said I don't know it's like more than one penis and I'd like to complain about my name, but my father had to God s name Leslie, and he goes by less tax and I have to. I have to uncle heralds and they go by Harrigan. So I don't complain about my neighbour often. However, one thing is a lot of weight and winked of all, and so they need to let you know, because this donors, like Jimmy who are paying attention and so the way they let you know is the, the official will announce Smith Jones on their Peterson in the hall

for me. I would hair gets up Dick saw India then the whole breaks your concentration when you're getting ready to lot. So I have a lock Darwin against me that day, so I did He was at the end of the runway. and by some miracle miracles I mean opening high on my first ball and at that I realized I was going to be. Mr dependable. I was going to be better than Jack, no matter what and when Jack missed his first fault. I can't tell you how good I felt and then Jack. Miss this second bought for a moment. I thought the sun had come out and shine upon and then I realized that if Jack makes this third world he becomes Mr Clutch and Mr Clutch is damn well better than Mr Dependable this son of a bitch. I believed that moment had set it up. so that all the drama in

The attention would be on him and on his third and final attempt he would achieve opening high stealing my win, not allowing me to be better than me. and so Jack ran down that runway and I begged, I pleaded with all my mental energy. I just hoped that Jack would lose. I didn't help that the police break cuz. Then you would have an excuse. I wanted a bad plant. I wanted something bad to happen and it did on his way up. Jack's butt kick the bar and he failed, and I was happy and then something terrible happen. My team one, the meat. And they won by? Like fifty points and Jack missing the pole missing a bar? It didn't matter anymore. Nobody cared because we beat the team by fifty points. What I wanted was for us to lose by one point. I wanted to step onto that bus being the guy who clean

opening height and everyone staring at Jack, and knowing that I was better than Jack, but because we had crushed the team so badly, nobody paid any attention to me, and so I learned three very important lesson. number one. Although the world does revolve around me, not everyone notices instead of trapped like I'm, like the sun in the pre copernican world, where everyone refuses to acknowledge that revolves around me and I'm just going to have to accept that number two. I learned Well, I've got all my little mind games going, trying to become better than mediocre. Everybody else has a mind game and some of them actually have noblemen games like I want to win, and I want our team to do well and I want to support our teammates and while their due all that crap nobody pays attention to the rest of the mind games so, while you're thinking that

The world is revolving around you. It really is only relevant around me and everybody else is paying attention and the third and really the most important lesson. Is you don't get attention in life? By being the best of the rest, you really need to be the best. The best and that day and for many many subsequent days, I was not. Thank you that was Matthew Dicks. This story marked his first time at one of our story: slam open my competitions in New York, where we partner with public radio station W N Y see, and he won. He told us he was absolutely terrified him, but once he took the stage he said all of my fear disappeared and as of this recording he's told over forty stories at our open, my knights and he's one fifteen of them,

next up a story, Richard Matthew, a social scientist who commute to the Congo and other war torn areas. Richard was introduced to us by the World Science Festival and that's where he story was recorded, here's Richard live at the mall. I was. I was in a hotel in Goma, which is in the Congo, with a couple of swiss friends of mine. People have spent a lot of time working that area. We're sitting coffee and all the the door burst open and six people. come into the room and wearing bandanas over their face and they're carrying weapons, and they came up to us and they say what are you doing in our country. Why are you here? We don't want to hear now: com, a pretty tough, plays its full of rebels and uprooted people and soldiers and And the humanitarian workers, and and so on,

The lot of anger and frustration that city and things can spiral little control very quickly, as was trying to figure out who these guys were and what they were doing. The thought came to me if this goes badly. If things don't work out- and I don't don't get home cuz they're going to this- is going to crush my family at three young children, I say: they're, not ready to have their father died, Thousands of miles away in another country and a social scientists, and I work on environment and war zones. I look at withered things like drought can lead to conflict. I look at things like how diamonds get embroiled in conflict. I look up what happens to the Invite during the war and how the countries coming out of war, what we can help it gain the capacity to manage its resources, so it can deal with new stresses like climate change,. And they work in the field. So I spent a lot of my time in war. Torn countries in South Asia and Africa are usually

we're conservation organizations. I work with you in agencies have worked on a lot of you and missions in sub saharan african countries over the years. So when the opportunity came up, For me to join a team. There was going to do some work in the Congo. I was really excited about that and a business is an. It is a really interesting place to be able to go and and see and observe and I felt I knew it was risky There was a war going on and it was a risky place. Experienced a lot of risks in my life but the normal ones that you made in war zones. The disease is sort of crazy, unregulated traffic view. We very young soldiers waving the weapons around those sorts of things. I felt I was prepare for that, but I had never in my life experienced a group of people angry at me, so angry

and these people became more and more agitated. Their voices got louder and louder and when you have a group of people angrily you it's a very unnerve inexperience. Luckily, in that case some or congolese friends came in to expand, was happening things calm down. We were able to finish our work. In a few days later, as back on a plane heading home but on as I was going home most thinking to myself, these guys some interesting questions and some familiar persons important questions. How much do we really know about that? What am I doing there? Can I really be sure that I'm doing things that are there are important and valuable, but I'm not they just meddling and making things worse. How can I be sure about that. But it also triggered a different sort of question, one that I never thought of before, and that was I might taking on risks they might impo shoes cost in my family. Am I doing it? It was fun so, but I'm so attracted by the sort of work I was doing was I

putting my my own family in a position that was, there was simply not responsible trusting I get home sort of YO recount a little bit about about makes. differences in the Congo and tend not to talk a lot about these things. But a few days later I put my but he was five at the time they look to me says that these, as when you're when you in one of your trips When you really far away the debt, could you ever die whenever they took me by surprise? I never imagined that he was having a sort of I always thought I kept his tools really nicely separated. You know it so that what went on in one was an affecting the other one. I thought it was sort of a master at that keeping things boughs and separated.

And the little turbulence in my work world, but I was completely unprepared for little turbulence at home, I'm a social scientists so very quickly. I shared a few statistics that put risk into perspective. and showed it actually, it wasn't as bad as you might think. Now he looked at me any sort of rephrase the question he said: dead sometimes when I go to bed. I have this dream. I have this dream that you go to Africa and something horrible happens and you never come home. He said that I don't want that to happen now, when I heard that my first instinct the serum you're right, I'm not even sure what I'm doing is that valuable. So, of course, I will stay with you, but the fact is We had tickets for my next trip, I was, after the same region, so I knew I was going to able to reassure him right then, and there

a we're and back on a plane and heading back to the great Lakes region of Africa. I'm still think In my mind there really worth it. Am I being irresponsible? The southern part of EU and mission and my room, On that mission was to assess, sit, there circumstances in refugee camps, so I went from one refuge. he came to the next, we're going to one camp and I was gonna interviewer of young woman, so I'm going to her she's in its very very small dwelling I go inside is very hot, is very tight. She's sitting on the floor in a blanket yes, three children, sort of crowded beside her and the places completely empty was a couple of milk jugs wind up against one wall. had made no jugs. Otherwise, it's empty and the one shares are story with me. She says she said if a few years ago she and her husband, they were farmers learned the rebels were approaching their village.

So a husband such said to her it's time you ve, got to take the children and crossed the border get to a camp and that's a very difficult. Situation, if you stay too long, you can be horrified but if you leave to early, you can lose everything unnecessarily. So he said you Is I'm going stay here and find out what happens and in a little while I'll come after you sell, find you I'll get you we'll be back together, we'll start a new. If we have to So she went. She took her kids. She crossed the border, have got into a transit camp. She got shot but to a permanent camp and the years passed and she said to me some day. I know my husband is going to show up here and he's gonna come Miss Gray, say to me it's safe to go home now We're gonna, have cattle again we're gonna be farming. Again, my kids are granting milk from these jobs again she said. I know that's gonna happen so anyway. They thank her for the interview and I

I've been escorted around the camp by a young rifts, Gee woman, who is on the administrative Council for the cap as we're leaving. She said to me. She said to me that woman, husband has remarried and resettled in another country shows nobody is never going to come back and she's innocent that unusual things. happening more men, don't always come back some islamic promises, but things happen, and she said one is gonna, be alone forever nobody's ever going to remarry. Her That's what I settle it for me. I knew I would come back people who are uprooted by war and disaster who have lost everything. Those are the people whose needs are the most real and the most acute and they're the people who need other people to rally round and help them ever friend, James Urban Scheme, and he calls humanitarian work and imperfect, offering

anybody in the world has done more humanitarian work than he has any means? There is never enough, never enough resources to help, and sometimes you do the wrong thing. And sometimes you don't understand things fully, but you still have- to do something. No, I'm not a relief workers, but I know that I have a role to play that I can try to bridge places that have lots of resources to places that have very real and acute needs and that's something I can do, and I decided then that I had to continue doing it. so, a few weeks later I left Rwanda and I'm flying back home. I felt sort of sort of comfortable right. I decide. Ok, this was imperfect bottom. burdens, but also figure. There had to say something to my son. To reassure him and my son, is it is? It was very sensitive when I was young and then

words matters a great deal, and he would remember things forever so had to choose the right words for this kid. I don't want to screw it up and say the wrong thing and have a kid go get some more anxious. Everyone be the cause of assumes a night, there's. So I get home and I haven't figured what to say to him. So I don't say anything in few days. Past few weeks passed, I think, to be honest with you. I do. I still haven't broach the subject with em. Maybe I forgotten One day comes back from school, he's got, uprisings is dead. We did an interesting project at school today he said he said we had to read it viable somebody we thought of as a hero me said. I chose Thomas Edison Setting Thomas Edison has helped people all over the world, and then I thought Actually, it should be Abraham Lincoln, because Abraham Lincoln was the most important American. I said that's a good choice. I said the enemy, the folder and I opened it up and said.

Said my idea of a here was my dad because he takes really good. The care of the family and he helps people in wars. and I thought to myself that women in Congo who had met she had clarified my thinking convince me that I needed to continue it, but my son put the seal of approval on it. I still do that work I still go there. I truly believe it's imperfect, but it's important. I know, there's risk involved, The statistics are in my favor. but the risk can be managed at these as well the tell myself thank you That is Richard. Richard steelworks is essential scientists and he-

I'll brings his family to Africa with him from time to time to see a foot with him and his wife and kids in Rwanda go to them off that work after our break a committee at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival reaches his limit and lashes out radio hours produced by Atlantic, public media and woods whole Massachusetts and presented by the public Video exchange pr ex dot org. I'm saying all stinginess and you're listening to the moth radio, our our next, retailer joined us at a moth night produced with the annual aspen ideas Festival in Colorado. When our director developing MA stories. We asked people to identify a moment of change in their lives and committee. In hearty condinfoo, made a bold choice in deciding to tell this story. He'd never told it before.

areas live with them, so I grew up in Queens New York, which is the most diverse place. In the world, and I went to college and main, which is less so. I remember the admissions office telling me, don't worry hurry, they'll be a surge of diversity. When you get to camp is the sheer I did know there. I was the search, they were talking very strange it

and has been for years in Maine in their intention at times regarding raised, I felt awkward but generally response, but I did have this one terrible incident my senior year when I was walking home and of campus raining and it was dark and thousands three white do that never seen before chase me down a street in cornered me and then one day put his arms around my throat and they asked me what I was doing there. What are you doing here? Why are you here? What are you doing here over and over for ten minutes and they? Finally, let me go and they started laughing and if it was awful- and I think what was as terrible is that was what happened next day when I told my friends in the dining hall people I'd known for three years at that point and were white, I saw a lot of people trying to avert their gaze and in trying to change the topic and filling with the awkward about and remember telling one friend at camp.

if this happened me? After all this time in this town, I was a victim of a hate crime. I remember my friend saying: well, you don't actually know if it was a hate crime. I mean. Did you slurs? They use slurs and we know that they didn't they didn't actually use. Any slurs will then, is not actually Hake from. I don't think it's fair that your account seeing them of a hate crime, and I was shocked because I didn't know he was their defence attorney is. A strange and then I realized, no, he felt guilty for being white. It had nothing to do with me and raise really colored a lot of my experiences going to college and definitely impacted who I am today and definite impacts. My work as a standard comedian, by which I do for a living, which hardly surprising to some of you at this point when I talk about race a lot in my act like both big,

Racism, colonialism, slavery, right and then little our racism like when people come up to me and say: where are you from which I hate? Where are you from I'm from queens near I mean where are you really from which is code for no I mean, why aren't you white I noticed your skin was a different color than mine. Why Why? This? I noticed it with my eyes. You have pigment. Yes, you have pigment, Look I'll reason with you, I'm a race detective, and I'm here solve the case of what the fuck are. You. I say why a lot in my act like when I write top where people are MAC. I tried it like name them if their white like us. I was hanging over this white guy on France of this white woman in this way do showed up- and I always say the rays of the way, try to be

Because having why people generally don't have the race name, they just get to be american or people, you don't people of color. We get named all the time and story, so I try to be intentional in that way and poking be political. During my certain that comes with consequences, Rex I'll be on stage and I get hackles their love. Maybe my white comic friends don't get right. people say things like I did know up who did stand up. A girl guy loud anyone else mockery, and here the worst things are so that people say in the front row as people in the front row. It always terrible, no offense, but like there When you're at the front row in a comedy show it's like why you want to be in the front where you want to be terrible and talk to me and people don't like my act and because of the the racial elements of it like I'll, hear people whisper things at at me like loud enough, where I can hear it, but not loud enough for everyone else can hear, because their cowards, Randal sucks you suck. What are you doing here? What are you doing here? What are you doing here?

and you know I'm actually hinder, but I dont think they're worry about the new wants. And it's terrible because they whisper it rights and not everyone here is that I have choose. What I want to address. These jerks in the front row was actually just do the show that people paid to see people paid for babysitters. They there they pay ticket price. They patriot, two drinks to see me do an hour of stand up comedy, and why should I do re lit for some idiot? So I I eat it. I just eat it every time and I don't say anything cuz, it's bigger things to discuss right now. I know I'm talking about Mark Fuhrman this negative way, but I've actually had a great crew of traveled all over the world to do stand up comedy. I was in Denmark a few years ago. our, whose comedy festive when I get heckled and weighed never been heckled before a man got up in the middle of my show and actually yelled go back. to America,

Which is incredible, I've been told to go back to so many countries, never to America, we told you go back to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, whatever country our nation, is bombing, I'm told to go back there. I'd like the least fourteen time to go back. There was nice. finally, here America, a privilege to travel all over the world to do comedy and in two thousand eleven August two thousand and eleven I was asked to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland and I was excited about this- the Big international festival and at the same time, was nervous right because it's a month of doing stand at its very intense and in most of the audiences are white made up of mostly why people and I was nervous because there'll be located mostly audiences white, I'm brown, the skies always gray right in that

Edinburgh, Scotland's, like those whose overcast it's just white brown a white brown gray light Brown gray every day for a month like around how dates the strangest thing- and this goes, went, ok rather live up and down- and I never really crush did I always was Spine whose it was awkward and you could tell those audience members. It didn't understand that what I was doing was comedy rate. Why do I talk about re so much it's confusing ray and there is definitely a louder than one night. I was hanging out with my friend, whose it was a black comic was also at the festival, is having similar frustrations with his audiences and they're, not understand what he was doing and we were hanging out and

the sudden. This white man walks up to him and says: what's going on my brother and tries to give my high five talking in that Jovi way in my friend just ignore them we walk away and the twenty minutes later, a white woman walks up them in pulls his beard is touches, is heading thinks it's ok to just touch him: the CIA's ownership over him. It's disgusting in twenty minutes after that, at a party and we're just going to drink, and just forget this all happened. Another white woman comes up to him and says cabin and caravan and his name isn't cabin and he tells you that and then she says. Ok, can you look just like my friend Kevin? It's fair to assume at this point that cabin is black, I think, is also fair to assume Kevin does not look like him and my friend is frustrated and walks away, and I am furious. I'm furies that he's

dealing with the fewest shows have been terrible and I'm confused. Why? I'm here, a few days later in the middle of the fourth weak right towards the end, everyone's losing their minds a bit I'm on stage. Ten minutes in to a twenty minute said, is for comics on the bill. I'm in the middle and it's actually going well ten minutes and I'm actually crush them kill every job is hitting the way it is supposed to hit. It is amazing, I'm feeling great. I wasn't. I start setting up this joke about the fact we ve never had a female president in America and allow their has to do with sexism. The mill of setting up that job, I'm about to get to the punchline. When I hear

voice in the back of the room, yell palestinian power and and I'm confused. And then I start thinking. What's cause I'm brown and it's another ridiculous stupid. I ronicky races thing in some sectors interrupt me and so angry and I say palestinian power. Why don't you come up here? So I can kick your teeth in and it is the most the angriest, Harshest thing. I've ever said to another human being on stage or in real life, and it's weird honestly for me to say it right now in front of all of you. It is so weird that I said that, and I meant it in that moment. I was so angry that why do I have to be targeted just because I'm brown? Why do they have to say that why they have to interrupt me

So why are they have to make me feel bad nice it? Why did you say that? Why did you have to say that it? Because I'm brown? Why did you say that the rules- and I hear someone in the audience say that's not what she said now The first thing that hit me was she: it was a woman. Did I just say the worst thing. I've ever seen in my life to a woman felt horrible and pressure don't stand my ground as it, nor I heard what they said and then the ADI, in unison, says No, she did and then some

then said she said: men are in power which is not necessary thing to say it is kind of relevant, but definitely does not deserve a kick in the tea, and I felt terrible because I was wrong and I've never been wrong before about this. I have never been wrong. raised. I have never been wrong. I've been on stage so many times and of eight, so many terrible things and friends have come up do after the show that drew with that woman said. Did you hear that man's? Did you look here? Of course I heard it. Of course I heard, and I ate it, because there was a show to do and I ignored it, and this time someone said something, but they didn't actually say it. It was awful too, I start ups guys in which audiences never want to hear like I'm so sorry, I am so sorry- is that ok, you don't know what it's been.

I miss heard it in a people say all these races things to me, and I just thought I was another one of those things in my friend had these terrible racist things happen him the other day, and I just I heard that I didn't hear night, I'm so I'm so sorry there I'll send someone in the audience yelled out. It's ok Keep going so the show turn into an intervention at this point so Still, I start going to going to start the next joke and then a guy in the audience, yells out too. and I see no not to sensitive, just sensitive. I then someone else. Yes, it's ok just keep going either because they care about me or they.

I want this to be overwhelmed, so I finish the set. It goes fine in people, clap, maybe politely, and I get off stage and the host goes up and as a few jokes to starve for time into cleanse the collective palate and am anxious about what the other comics are going to say to me whether the white people backstage gonna, say when you see I've had enough experiences ray, and the next comic who was about to go on stage was a man from Northern Ireland named Paul curry. His last name very ironic at this point was his last name. Trying to hurt me and Paul gives me a hug, and he says you did well up there. I'm like no, I didn't take. We both saw would act like it was terrible. I was terrible up there. You don't need to say that imposed

No, you were great up. There are right. That was an honest moment. You gave them an honest moment in people, never get honest moments right and look here. What you said was wrong and it was awkward, but it was real re. It was honest, that's how you ve gotten. You explain to them why you felt that way and what you went through. They would never have heard that. No, I didn't know what it's like for you to be a brown person in this country. Doing your act and what you do, what you can they don't know that and you let them know that, and it was important that you did. It was honest and you should be proud of that. You did good up there. I thought a lot about then. I still think a lot about what Paul said, because it was an honest moment. It was wrong and it was real and it was genuine and it's the strength that I drew from that set its that strength, which allows me to tell the story

Do you now an audience full of mostly white people? Thank you very much. That was hurried and abundant hurry, as you now now is a standard comedian he's been

comedy central and Letterman. Can we posted a link at the march at work to his set from John Oliver's? New York stand up show from a few years back, which has three of the jokes he told in Edinburgh. He says the only unfortunate part of this set is his moustache and pitched too you are listeners. We want to hear your story. Tell us a short version of a big change in your own life by calling eight seven, seven, seven nine nine month, that's eight seven, seven, seven, nine, nine, six, six, eight four or go to the more thought, Org and report it right on our side. That's it for this episode of the moth radio, our we hope. You'll join us next groceries role. We saw Oersted Judas, Sir also directed the stories of Michel, the Russell,

Master actuarial staff includes Catherine Burns. Sarah Haber men Jennifer Hickson and make balls production support from Whitney Jones thanks to Tracy Day and brain green of the World Science Festival and Kitty Boon and Tricia Johnson had the aspen ideas. Festival more stories are true, is remembered and affirmed by the story: tellers moth, advance recorded by Argos Studios in New York City supervised by Paul Roulettes, earthy music, as by the drift other music in this hour from Poker Aramis. Abraham Hama Depot and feel, the bomb fine links to all the music we use at our website. The mouth is,

it is for radio by me, J Alison with Vicki Merrick at Atlantic, public media and woods whole Massachusetts. This our wits, produced with funds from the corporation for Public Broadcasting, national endowment for the arts and the John D in Kathmandu, Macarthur Foundation committed to building a more just verdant and peaceful world moderating hours presented by pr X for more about our podcast for information on pigeon, your own story and everything else go to our website. The moth dot Org Meet Dan. Dan build a kick ass by company, but his old software made it impossible to keep up with demand, it took so much time to just make things work. It was sucking the life out of him. Then he found oh do oh do automated his business by integrating inventory, manufacturing, accounting and marketing. Now he can meet the demand and grow even faster with the E commerce app thanks to

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