What an amazing night that was! We had a packed house and so many tellers we went two hours instead of our usual 90 minutes because I couldn’t bear to bump anyone to next month. It turns out that when the theme is secrets, we have a lot to get off our chests.
Dru started us off with a great story about the secret to a 50-year marriage. Who knew it would be trust? I should have guessed it ahead of time because I learned a long time ago that no story is worth sacrificing a relationship. If you’re tempted to make a pros-and-cons list to decide if you should tell a story about someone you care about, the answer is always no.
Jeff was next with a story about some of the pranks he and his friends pulled when they were kids and then the worst prank ever. Seriously. The worst ever. Clever, yes. But, oof, they really paid for it. Jeff made me grateful for all the great ideas I’ve had that I never acted on. This was one of those times when he and his friends actually should have written out a pros-and-cons list of what could happen if they went through with it.
Mary was next with what turned out to be the most wholesome story I have ever heard. Not only is it my new favorite Mary story, but it made me want to go iron some shirts. If you’d been at the show you’d know what I’m talking about. All I’m going to say is that if there’s a small chance I could cut back on my Zoloft by ironing clothes, I’m going to try it. I’m not telling my doctor because he’ll probably think I’ve been sniffing starch. I’ll let you guys know if it works out.
Paul B told a beautiful story that I’m hoping will be on the radio soon. It’s the only dog story I’ve ever heard that focused on how owning a dog can be a very human experience, maybe one of the most human experiences. Paul always dives deep into his stories and that inspires me to work harder on my own. Thank you brother for raising the bar yet again.
Emily was up next in a nice coincidence since the last time I saw her and Paul was when we did a show together in Tacoma a few months ago. No one should have to go that long between Emily stories so I’m thrilled she showed up that night. Thursday, she had me doubled over laughing as she explained having to teach pre-calculus to students who are better at it than she is. We also learned the power of a single decimal point and the importance of compound interest. Who needs Goldman Sachs when we have Emily to give us investment advice?
David was up next with a story that began with why he couldn’t make it to our last show. He reminded us that we’re only as sick as our secrets and how good it is that some of us have a place like FGS to share those secrets. Of course, you don’t have to start a storytelling show for that. You can become the kind of person people feel safe sharing their secrets with. I think that’s more important than any show you could start.
Chris told a story about keeping a secret she discovered about a friend who was secretly living somewhere he shouldn’t. She left me remembering the times when I had to break a rule to do the right thing. On the way home after the show, I thought about what it would take to remove the barriers to honesty. And what happens when the consequences of honesty are worse than the consequences of dishonesty?
I was so happy to see Becky’s name in Mr. Coffee. She first found us years ago when we were at Roy Street Coffee but has only told a handful of stories. I was curious what made her come out on a cold night and walk up to our mic. As Becky moved further into her story, the room got quieter and quieter. We could feel where it was going. It was a story about a secret Becky was keeping from a friend about her friend’s husband. How do you share something like that? Becky went back and forth, wondering if it was worth it. Would it wreck the friendship? Would it bring them closer together? We learned in the end that it wasn’t a story about secrets. It was about friendship and when it’s time to stop making time for someone.
Bruce told a story that spanned the globe from New York City to Philidelphia to the Belgian Congo, and Rhodesia. It was full of hippies, college kids, armed revolutionaries, and the CIA. Only Bruce could bring us a story like this. The secret in his story? You never really know why someone breaks up with you. If a woman ever broke up with me over an international insurgency with a communist takeover and assassination attempt, you better believe I’d be telling that story.
Jamie, one of our newest tellers, was next with a story she first shared with me on a phone call during my lunch hour at work. I still don’t know if my coworkers heard me yell, “No way!” from the conference room I jumped into to take that call. It was a story that began when she was 12 and ended not long ago when she finally met the family she’d been wondering about all those years. No matter how well we think we know our parents, there will always be secrets they take to their graves. Jamie’s dad took a big one to his grave. But now it’s out and Jamie has her answer. And new people to share her life with.
Gretchen was up after Jamie and told a beautiful story about tattoos that started on her left arm and ended on her right. Tattoos have come a long way since only sailors wore them. Gretchen grew up in the sailor days and had to make sure her first tattoo was in a place her parents would never see. Over the years, she added more. Along with those new tattoos were the memories that shaped them. Some tattoos have been covered up and turned into something else. Whenever I see a tattoo like that I wonder what came first. did the tattoo change and then the memory or the other way around? Does mind follow ink or ink follow mind? I love that I finally heard a story about that. Thank you, Gretchen, for such a wonderful surprise.
Cliff was our final teller and closed out the show perfectly. It was a story about keeping his big sister’s secret until their father found out on his own. Something changed in Cliff as he heard his dad yelling down the hallway at his sister. Because he wasn’t the one in the crosshairs, he heard his dad a little differently that day. That moment was the start of him thinking about his dad and the temper they all lived with in a new way. His feelings didn’t change all at once. They evolved slowly over time and distance. It reminded me of how we all need time and distance from our parents to get a better understanding of them. I often wonder what my son will realize about me twenty years from now. Will he find an old journal after I die and wish he’d known something sooner? There are a lot of things about my parents I wish could understand better. Maybe we should all start putting our secrets in journals so we can at least be understood post-mortem.
Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported our tellers. Next month’s show is February 20. The theme is “Changing Directions.” I’ll get the invite out through Meetup as soon as I can.
In the meantime, here are three great opportunities to hear more stories:
7 Stories in Burien has their next show this Friday. The theme is “Leap of Faith” but it’s ok to bring a story not on theme. I often go to 7 Stories when I’m working on a new story of my own. It’s a warm and friendly bunch of folks who show up.
Becky, who told with us last Thursday, is in a special showcase with The Moth this Saturday at the Olympic Sculpture Park. The theme is “Restoration – Stories of renewal and rejuvenation.”
Bar Stories has their next show on February 10 at the Ravenna Brewing Company.
Nick Vega is one of the best hosts around so you’re going to have a great time whether you tell a story or just hang out and listen.
Our next free monthly online storytelling workshop is Sunday, February 2 at 1 pm. It’s a great place to get feedback on a story you’re working on (and it doesn’t have to be a story for FGS).
Some of you asked me about the storytelling workshop I mentioned during the show that Kent Whipple Teaches at Unexpected Productions. It’s the best workshop anywhere. I believe it only happens a few times a year so you’ll have to keep checking the website to find out when the next one is. Kent is a wonderful storyteller himself so you’re getting taught by someone who really knows what he’s doing.
Have a great rest of the month.
I’m always happy to help with any stories you’re working on, so write me to set up a call if you’d like.
Paul
Freshgroundstories at gmail dot com
Fresh Ground Stories 