Hi Everyone,

In the interest of keeping us all safe, I’ve decided to postpone our March 19th show to April 16th. We’ll keep the same theme so everyone can tell the story they were already working on.

Since we often get over 100 people at our shows, it doesn’t seem safe for us all to hang out together in a coffee shop. I also don’t want anyone spending even an ounce of energy trying to decide whether or not they should come. Let’s save that energy for washing our hands and learning new songs to sing with 20-second choruses.

Here are four songs whose choruses I’ve timed for maximum safety 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktpfusmXnIg (22 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ  (17 seconds so you’ll need to add a dance step)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixrje2rXLMA (21 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AfBiSZsbsw (this is the first record I remember listening to as a kid. I was probably three years old. The first verse comes in at 21 seconds. I’ve been singing that first 21-second verse in my head for 50 years. Now it’s time for you to sing it.)

Here’s something else to keep you occupied until our April show. The Washington State Ferries’ Haiku contest is back! I already submitted my three ferry-themed haikus. It would be fantastic if someone from FGS won this thing. Let’s do it!

https://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/ferries-haiku-contest-returns.html

When you’re done writing your haiku I would love for you to listen to a story we first heard a couple years ago at FGS. The version below is from last week’s episode of NPR’s Sound Effect on KNKX 88.5. It’s one of my favorites. I’ve had a lot of training at work on this subject, but this story is what I always come back to when it comes up. That’s the power of storytelling. I’m so glad Sound Effect’s host Gabriel Spitzer decided to bring Obie into the studio to talk about it.

https://www.knkx.org/post/how-one-white-man-changed-his-implicit-bias-and-why-it-didnt-last-long

Thank you for understanding why I’ve decided to postpone this month’s show. I love seeing all of you every month and I don’t want any of you to have to risk your health for a night of stories. The stories will still be there for us on April 16.

Hopefully, Meetup will let me change the date and everyone who already RSVP’d won’t have to do it again. Write me at freshgroundstories@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Take care,

Paul