Big thanks to everyone who came to the show last Thursday. I had a great time and I hope you did too. Extra special thanks to those who got up and told a story, especially our first-timers Lisa, Todd and Eric.

One of the stories I’m still thinking about was about a young man’s journey through Weight Watchers. Most people don’t know but I was also in Weight Watchers. Every week I walked into a room with 25 women and stood in line to get weighed. When our storyteller talked about taking everything out of his pockets and slipping off his shoes before he got on the scale I had to smile and nod my head because that is exactly what I did every week for six months. I’m not going to name the teller because I’m sure he doesn’t want his life all over the internet but I was very touched by his story and the courage it took to tell it.

A very cool young woman came up to me after the show and thanked me for telling the audience after the story that I was also a member of Weight Watchers. Turns out she was too. It’s hard to admit that stuff. I’m glad she came up and shared that little bit of her life with me. And I’m glad that it all started because that one teller got up and told us what it meant to turn his life around by losing the weight that had dogged him his whole life.

The room was full of really sweet people that night both onstage and off. I don’t know where you come from or how you find out about us but I’m grateful that so many of you show up every month.

Before I forget, I want to let everyone know that one of our regulars, Big Tim, just started a storytelling open mic in Tacoma. I know it’s a drive if you live in Seattle but sometimes it’s good to get out of town and tell a story in an unfamiliar place. It’s the same basic format as FGS but you’re almost guaranteed to get a spot onstage because it’s a brand new show and not many people know about it. This is where I’ve been going for the last few weeks to work on my own stories so I don’t have to take up time at FGS.

https://www.meetup.com/Something-To-Tell/

The recorder did its job last Thursday so if you told a story that night send me an email and I’ll get you a copy of your performance. I only give out the audio to those who shared a story so no one has to worry about their story ending up online.

Our next show is Thursday, April 27. The theme is “Never in a million years – stories of doing something you never thought you would”

See you then!

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com

Hi Guys,

I hope you can join us for our next show on Thursday, March 23. The theme of the night is “Unexpected Gifts – Getting what you didn’t know you needed.”

I think the most important things I’ve ever received were things I didn’t want at the time. I don’t think I’ve ever uttered the phrase, “The Gift of Unemployment.” And I wasn’t jumping for joy the last time I left an ex’s house with a box of socks, some floss and a toothbrush. In fact, I would say it’s only been in the last year or so where I can see the upside of a lot of things in the past I was forced to accept.

Being a single parent was never on my bucket list but it made me find a perseverance in me that I never knew existed. Bombing all over America as a comic seemed pretty horrible at the time but those lessons were a blessing when I was onstage two years ago at TEDxOlympia and 900 cell phones went off simultaneously during an Amber Alert.

Of course, there are other smaller gifts that have meant just as much. Once after I said something snide and thoughtless and my friend Sarah forgave me almost immediately. That may not seem like a big deal but it was the first time in my life that I realized maybe I don’t have to be perfect for people to love me. I’ve known Sarah now for 26 years and I’m excited I get to see her in a couple days when she comes down to Olympia for a conference. She has long since forgotten what I said or that she forgave me but I haven’t.

My mom’s not around anymore so I can’t thank her for teaching me to breathe from my diaphragm. And my dad’s long gone so I can’t thank him for all the inedible dinners he cooked and all the stories I got out of them. Both those things seemed like tremendous burdens at the time. Now that I’ve lived through them, I’m grateful for a voice that can reach the back of the room and for the desire to learn to cook so I never have to eat blackened moose nuggets ever again.

I can’t go back and tell most of the people connected to those memories that I see things differently now but every now and then I can get onstage and tell a story about it.

And that’s what I’m hoping some of you guys will do. Tell us about a time when you were given some kind of gift, whether it was an experience or something physical, that either surprised you or, looking back, turned out better than it seemed at the time.

Remember to keep it clean, practice out loud on friends or pets, and make sure it’s under 8 minutes. Here are the Rules & Guidelines for telling a story at the show:

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

I hope to see you at 7pm on March 23rd at Roy St Coffee and Tea.

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com

Thanks to everyone who came out to the show last Thursday. We had lots of tellers and some great stories were shared.

You know I love our first-timers and we learned a lot from them this month. Jonathan admitted that he was possibly the first man on the internet to post a fake photo of himself. It’s a dubious honor but it led to a great story and I’m pretty sure that if I ever see a photo of him online that it will absolutely be the real Jonathan.

Taylor announced during her story that women’s faces are surprisingly soft and I found myself wishing I could remember the first time I realized that myself. Jeff told a great story about how crafty a young man can be when he’s drafted into the service. Turns out if you get in a fight standing in line waiting for the doctor they won’t send you to Vietnam. Good to know! If we ever reinstate the draft I will instruct my son to punch someone as soon as possible.

Captain Jon (an actual captain, not a Love Boat Gavin McLeod kind of captain) showed us that you don’t need peyote to feel connected to the universe. Instead, you can sail across the ocean alone staring at your wake. Jon doesn’t know this but one of my favorite books as a kid was Joshua Slocum’s “Sailing Alone Around The World.” Slocum was the first person to sail around the world solo and to a young man growing up in Alaska it seemed like the perfect way to escape the tundra. So naturally, I was totally charmed by Jon’s story. I’m glad he found us.

The tape recorder did its job so if any of the tellers want the audio of their story just send me an email. I only give the audio to people who told a story that night and it’s only of their own story. Most people don’t want their lives on the web so I never hand out the audio to anyone but the original teller.

Our next show is March 23. The theme is “Unexpected Gifts.” I’ll get out the official invite as soon as I can.

One last thing before I let you go. Every now and then someone tries to talk me into changing the rules or the format of FGS. I do occasionally make small changes to help the show run smoother but I’m not going to change the main rules or basic format. I produce the show that I want to see and if you want something different you’ll have to go somewhere else. Rules on subject matter will remain the same. No politics, sex, music, standup or poetry. There are many reasons for these rules but the biggest one is that I’m simply not interested in running that kind of show. There are many places in Seattle you can go for those things and I encourage you to do so.

That’s all for now. Thanks again to everyone who shared a story or supported those who did. You guys always make this my favorite day of the month. See you on the 23rd.

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com