≈ Comments Off on The Moth features one of our own :)
I’ve been having a great weekend since I saw one of our FGS tellers on The Moth video channel. Some of the best tellers in the PNW come through FGS, and I’m always happy to see them get a wider audience.
The last time I saw Harjas was when he flew back from NYC to be in a grand slam in Seattle a couple years ago. I’m thrilled he’s still going into the city to get onstage at The Moth. Congratulations Harjas!!
I hope a bunch of you are bringing stories to our show this coming Thursday. This month’s theme is “Doing the right thing (or not).”
≈ Comments Off on FGS: Stories of doing the right thing (or not) 2-19-2026
I’m pretty sure I remember every time I had the chance to do the right thing and didn’t. Sometimes I wake up from a bad dream where I regret doing something selfish 20 years ago and have to track someone down and apologize.
I don’t do that second part as often as I should, but I do it sometimes, and that makes it easier to do again. The times I’ve done the right thing are harder to remember. I guess that’s because I’m not wracked with guilt over them.
If I were working on a story for February’s show, I might talk about the time Chuck’s parents let me stay at their house for months without paying rent after my mom died. I had a little money from a life insurance policy, and I could have paid rent, but I didn’t. I spent that money on the usual dumb stuff an 18-year-old would spend it on.
When I was 50, I suddenly remembered that and called Chuck for his parents’ address. I wanted to send them rent money 30 years too late. Turns out they were dead by then, so I sent the money to Chuck. Part of that story would include the months I spent between the dream and the call, trying to talk myself out of sending that money.
Or I might tell the story of the time I asked my adult son what I did wrong as a parent. I was getting a lot of credit from people for being a single dad, and I felt bad knowing that growing up with me was no treat. It took me a while work up the courage to work up the courage to ask him what I could have done better. Then it took him a few weeks to get back to me. He was trying to spare my feelings.
But then he finally called and told me the one thing I did that really hurt him during those years. As I listened, I could feel myself slowly bending down over the counter with guilt. I remembered those words I’d said over and over whenever he struggled with homework. I’d tell you what they are, but I don’t even want to type them. That time it was easy to do the right thing and apologize. But I wish I hadn’t needed to.
These are the type of stories we’re looking for at our next show. Come tell a story about a time when you had to choose between doing the right thing and the wrong thing. What did you do and how did it play out? Did you do the right thing but secretly wish you hadn’t? Or did you do the wrong thing and regret it? We don’t talk about current events or politics at FGS, so these stories will have to be about the smaller moments in life where we were faced with a choice of right and wrong.
Practice the story out loud to as many people as possible and time yourself when you’re doing it. Please don’t get onstage if you haven’t practiced your story. The audience is giving you their time and attention. It’s not fair to them if you get up there and try to wing it.
All stories have to be under 8 minutes. Stories can be as short as you want, but not over 8 minutes. Stories also have to be clean in both language and content. Send me an email if you have any questions about that.
FGS themes are just suggestions, so you can come out and tell a story about anything as long as it follows our usual rules and guidelines.
Last Thursday was a perfect mix of laughter, drama, and all-around sweetness. Thanks to everyone who came out and helped make it happen. One of my favorite parts of the night was seeing so many people hanging out in the bar before the show, laughing and chatting. That is the perfect way to start a storytelling show 🙂
If you weren’t able to come out, we heard stories about exploding baby formula, the unspoken terror of the local blood drive, naked fishing in Australia, the excitement of applying for a job when no one will tell you what it is, a job where you spend more time documenting your work than doing your work, and a beautiful story of an unsung hero of 9/11.
We got to know the weird thing Jamie’s mother did as a nurse down at the old broccoli fields, and we found out how Abby discovered the greatest way to get out of a shoplifting arrest. What made these two stories even better was that Jamie’s mom and Abby’s dad were in the audience to hear them. I’m secretly hoping one day their parents will come and tell their own stories.
Craig told us about the fear of holding an 18-day-old baby, Carmen told us about the time she found just what she was looking for in an RV bathroom, and Brian closed the show by telling us why you should never try to cut down a tree with just your 10-year-old son and 80-year-old dad as backup.
Special thanks to everyone who let me extend the show a few minutes to tell my own story. I don’t like taking time for myself if we have a full show, but that night it seemed like I could squeeze in a little time for a story that I’ve been working on for a few months.
I don’t say this very often, but the real reason I run this show is to connect with people I would never meet otherwise. There’s something about sitting 20 feet from a stranger telling a true story from their life that makes me feel like they’re talking just to me. We have people who have been coming to FGS for years who have never told a story, but keep showing up to listen. I think part of why they come out is to feel like they belong. I hope everyone who comes to FGS feels like they’re right where they should be.
Our next show is February 19, and the theme is “Unselfish – Stories of doing the right thing”. Think about a time when you didn’t want to do the right thing, but you did it anyway. It could also be about a time when you wanted to do the right thing, but didn’t. Remember that we don’t talk about politics or current events at FGS, so these stories will have to be about the smaller moments in life where we were faced with a choice of doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Write me at freshgroundstories at gmail dot com if you have any questions.
Our good friends at 7 Stories in Burien are having their first show of the year this Friday.
It’s a great place to share a story you’re working on and get good feedback. It’s run by two FGS tellers who are great at getting to the core of a story and helping you figure out how to finish it.
Have a great rest of the month, everyone. I hope to see a bunch of you on February 19!
≈ Comments Off on FGS tellers has her play produced
Gretchen, one of the wonderful tellers from our show last week, wrote a play! And you can see it February 5-8 at the Kenmoor Community Club
It’s a “dramedy about what happens when the skeletons in the closet meet the ashes in the jar.” If you’ve enjoyed her stories at FGS over the years, you’ll want to catch her play.
Our next show is tomorrow! The theme is “Pressure – Stories of getting talked into things.” I hope a bunch of you bring stories to share 🙂
Themes are just suggestions, and you can tell a story on almost any topic as long as it follows the usual rules and guidelines. Here they are if you haven’t seen them in a while. Every now and then I update them.
If this is your first time coming to FGS, we hold the show on the top floor of the Seattle Swedish Club. The show starts at 7 pm, and there are 109 spots of free parking, so you won’t have to walk far.
If you want to tell a story, show up before 7:00 and throw your name in Mr. Coffee. I give away three free memberships to the club after each show so put your name in the old Folger’s can if you’d like a chance at winning one of those.
Here’s a fantastic story from Kevin McGeehan to get you inspired.
I love all of Kevin’s stories. I might do a line-by-line breakdown of this one next month to show you why.
Fresh Ground Stories 