Thanks to all the people who came out last Thursday to Roy Street and made it such a great night. The room was full, the stories were great, and our two guest tellers were just as wonderful as I knew they’d be.
Before I tell you about some of the stories we heard, I want to let everyone who wasn’t able to make the show that night what my special announcement was. Roy Street will be pouring their last cup of coffee at the end of April. FGS will continue at another location, but sadly the coffee shop will be closing for good. Our March show will be at Roy Street but the April show will be at our new location (stay tuned for details).
FGS started almost nine years ago and I still love running it. I hope everyone stays on board while I finalize our next venue. It’ll take a few shows to get used to our new space but it’ll be full of the same beautiful people and many more years of stories 🙂
Click on the link below for an article about the closing. There’s a link inside the article to a petition someone started to keep the cafe open. I don’t know if a petition will help but it’s worth signing just to show Starbucks how much Roy Street means to the community.
[Even though I have a good lead on a new venue, if anyone knows of a place that stays open late, can hold up to 100 people, and has a low-key, casual living room vibe, feel free to email me at freshgroundstories@gmail.com]
Susan, one of our new regulars, started off the night with a great story of how she learned what song comes out of her daughter’s phone when she calls. Is there a better snapshot of how your kid feels about you than the ringtone she assigns you? I think not. I remember looking over at my son while Susan was telling her story and wondering what song plays when I call him. I gotta be honest, I was too scared to ask on our way home from the show. I’ve almost convinced myself that I never want to know.
As promised, David S showed up and told the story that got him thrown off the Moth stage a few months ago. You had to be there to get the full effect of the story but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to add, “Please keep your clothes on” to the list of rules I read at the beginning of every show. The good thing is that now we all know exactly where to insert a chest catheter if the person sitting next to you suddenly suffers a collapsed lung. Thank you, David, for the hilarious story and the anatomy lesson.
Cavan told my new favorite Cavan story about how Barry Manilow and U2 helped him propose to his sweetheart. And Robert told us what can happen when you accidentally end up working for the mafia. I’ve had a lot of bad bosses in my life but I never had one that could put a hit out on my family if I came back late from a coffee break.
Danielle, one of my favorite people from when the show started back in 2010, finally came back after a long hiatus and told us how polyamorous dating works when you start to feel like you’re cheating on your boyfriend when you spend time with your husband. Thank you, Danielle, for that amazing story. You went through a lot to find this new love. I got to meet him at the show and can see why you fell in love 🙂
Connie told a sweet story of sadness in the Solomon Islands. Grieving may seem different in other cultures but underneath it’s all the same. Thank you for sharing that with us. Moreah told us that one of her secrets to happiness is making faces in the mirror, and Lance let us know what it’s like to face a dozen cops with their guns drawn.
Our last teller, Obie, told a story he’s been working on for a long time. When he first sent me the rough draft I knew it was something special. I asked him to be the final teller that night because I wanted everyone to go home with that story in their heads. I went to work the next day wishing I could share it with everyone in the office but I knew I couldn’t do it justice. I haven’t listened to Obie’s recording yet but I already know that it will never compare to being in the room with him that night. I was sitting six feet away and I could see him shaking. It didn’t feel like he was telling us that story. It felt like the story was coming out of his body.
I’d love to share more but I also want everyone reading this to wonder what these stories were like to hear live. Seeing a live FGS show is something I can’t even come close to describing in an email. If you like these monthly wrap-ups then you’ll love seeing the show in person. I hope that’s a strong enough nudge to get you to come out to Roy St next month 🙂
Big thanks to everyone who told a story that night: Susan, Gabriella, Cavan, Danielle, Kacie, David S, Lance, Robert, Connie, Moreah, David T, Jake, Chad, Obie.
Our next show is March 21. The theme is “Hidden Strengths – Stories of surprising yourself.”
I’ll get the official invite out as soon as I can.
See you next month at Roy Street!
Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com
Fresh Ground Stories 