I will tell you a secret about me. I don’t like having too many choices. In fact, sometimes I don’t even like having one choice. I’m much more comfortable putting up with stuff outside of my control than I am dealing with the consequences of my own decisions. Sometimes it’s the little stuff that bothers me the most. Back when I had hair I used to stand in the shampoo aisle trying to figure out if I’m an “apple blossom mango” guy or a “lavender cherry pumpernickel” guy. Did I need to be volumized or rehydrated? Why isn’t there a shampoo called, “Just Use this – You’ll Be Fine”? I’m not much better with the big decisions. I put my son in an alternative grade school when we moved to Olympia. He doesn’t know how to diagram sentences now but he knows how to pluck a chicken. Did I make the right choice? I have no idea. But it’s been over 15 years and I’m still worried about it.

A couple years ago I went through a painful breakup and recently I’ve been thinking of moving to Seattle. Olympia is small and seems haunted to me now. Am I running from something or running to something? Am I wanting to spend more time with the amazing new storytelling friends I’ve made in Seattle or just avoiding bad memories in Olympia? I hate this choice but I know I gotta make it. The only thing I know for sure is that whichever way I go it will lead to more stories.

And that is the theme for our next show. Choices – Stories of Decisions. Tell us a story about a choice you made that was important to you or somehow shaped your life. It could also be a choice that someone made for you. It can be a small decision or a big one. As long as there’s a story in there it will be worth telling. Remember to practice out loud friends or plants and keep it under 8 minutes. I always say at the start of each show, “know your last line first.” Not only does it remind the audience of what you learned but it also, as you’re putting the story together at home, keeps you focused on the theme. That’s something I realized driving home tonight so I thought I’d include it here. This is the kind of stuff I think about when I’m stuck in traffic and the radio doesn’t work.

The rules for stories are below but you know the kind we’re looking for: true stories that happened to you that still mean something to you days, months or years later. I hope to see you at our next show on Thursday, November 13, 7:00pm at the Roy St Cafe.

Rules & Guidelines: https://freshgroundstories.wordpress.com/2013/01/22/storytelling-rules-and-guidelines/

Quick note: A few people asked me after our last show where they could get a copy of Moreah’s memoir. Moreah is the woman who charmed us all at the last show with a story of some of her adventures. She is probably 20 years older than me and acts 30 years younger. She’s one of those people that make you wonder why you aren’t going out and doing all the things you said you were going to do when you were growing up. If you’d like a free PDF of her book email her at: moreah@comcast.net and in the subject line, say PDF of Diving Right In. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com