I was so happy to see how many people showed up at last week’s show. I figured with the Moth’s grand slam and the finals of the women’s Olympic figure skating going on that night that we’d have a half-empty coffee house. Luckily, like most of my life, my fears were completely unfounded. You guys braved the snow and melting ice to come out and listen to stories and I was really touched by that.

So many things stand out to me from this show. I wish I could tell each one of you how every story affected me. I remember Bruce beginning his story by telling us that he’d practiced it on the 594 bus coming up from Tacoma that night. Yes, he took the bus all the way from Tacoma and practiced the whole way. That’s how important storytelling is to him. I was happy to give him a ride home that night.

Lynn, one of our regulars, surprised me with my new favorite story of hers. She told us of a love affair that had a 30 years gap in the middle that finally had to end because her lover had a temper. What she said at the end went right into my heart. She said in spite of how it ended she wouldn’t trade those years with him because he loved her more passionately than anyone ever had. There have been so many times that I’ve felt like there was something wrong with me because I didn’t hate a person who hurt me because they also loved me so intensely. Thank you Lynn for letting me know that it’s ok to be glad you’re not with someone anymore and at the same time still miss how much they made you feel loved.

Liz, a first-timer,  got the first big sigh of the night when she told the story of how she purposefully started telling people in her life that she loved them and how long it took her stoic parents to learn to say those words back to her. It was one of those stories you could tell resonated with a lot of people in the audience and I wondered how many of those people were quietly making plans to see if they could get their own parents to say those words.

Morgan, our other first-timer that night, told us about quitting his job last week as an investment banker in DC and moving to Seattle to focus on writing and sharing his story of recovery. He talked about how all his life he’d done what he was supposed to do and it had made him miserable. That misery led to all the things he was now recovering from. What surprised him, though, was how much it seemed to help others when he shared his story. So that’s what he’s working on now. Helping others by sharing his story. You’re in the right place, Morgan. I’m glad you’re here.

I know I need to wrap this up and let you get back to your lives but there’s one story I want to tell you about. It’s been sitting inside me since I heard it Thursday night. I spoke to the teller on the phone yesterday about it. The person who told it is my friend Sea. I love Sea for a lot of reasons but one of the biggest reasons is how willing she is to walk toward something painful because she knows it’s something she needs to do. Sea makes me face things I don’t want to just by sharing the times she’s had to do that herself.

Last Thursday she told us about Gene, a good friend of hers who took his own life many years earlier. The end of his life was recorded in a documentary about suicide. The movie was released quite a while ago and she’s spent the years since making sure she never saw it. But things have come up recently in her life that made her realize she needed to watch it. She needed to somehow come to terms with the last moments of Gene’s life. Two hours before she walked onstage at Roy Street she watched the portion of the documentary with her friend in it. She didn’t want to watch him die but something told her she needed to.

So she watched it. For five long minutes, she watched her friend pacing back and forth on screen knowing what was going to happen. Then, moments before Gene took his life, the clip stopped. The last image she has of her friend is him looking out over the bay, his long hair whipping in the wind. He is still alive.

Sea walked toward something incredibly painful because she knew she had to. She felt she couldn’t move forward in her own life until she accepted how Gene’s life ended. I don’t know why the clip stopped when it did. I like to think it was because she had given herself over so completely to what she needed to do to and the universe decided that that was enough. The next time I have to walk through something painful I’m going to remember Sea and this story and I will tell myself that if I have the courage it takes to embrace it then I will have the strength it takes to get through it.

Thanks to Sea for letting me share a little bit of her story. I took out a lot of details because I don’t want people focusing on how Gene’s life ended. I want everyone reading this to think about what it took for Sea to listen to her heart and face the things she needed to face.

Thanks to all the people who shared stories that night: Ginger, Bruce, Robert, Liz, Lynn, Morgan, Sea, Niranjan, Moreah, Carl. Thanks also to everyone in the audience who supported the ones who walked up to the mic. Most of the stories we here at FGS are funny but some are really heavy and you always make the tellers feel safe in those moments.

One last thing. Niranjan told a hilarious story about starting storytelling meetup at an Ivar’s downtown and I would love for a bunch of you to attend his next one. He needs more tellers and we need more places to tell stories so click on the link below and join his meetup if you’re interested. Seriously, if I lived closer I would love to tell stories at an Ivar’s 🙂

https://www.meetup.com/Healthy-Choice-Fitness-and-Fun/events/246947966/

That’s all for now. Our next show is March 22, and the theme is Humbled. I’ll get the invite out as soon as I can.

The audio recording turned out fine. Send me an email if you want the audio of your story. I only give out the audio to the people who told stories and it’s only of the story they told. Most of our tellers don’t want their stuff on the internet so I never post stories from the show without the teller’s permission.

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re having a great month so far and that the snow hasn’t taken you anywhere you didn’t want to go. I’m looking forward to seeing a bunch of you tomorrow night at Roy Street.

In the meantime, I found a great TED talk I want to share with you. It’s by one of my favorite Moth storytellers who explains how he comes up with so many stories. It’s good advice and something I’m going to try myself.

See you soon 🙂

Paul

February’s theme is “Better Late Than Never,” a phrase which always brings up conflicted feelings in me. Part of me loves the idea of forgiveness that it offers. But another part of me hates the idea that I or anyone can squeak something in at the end that we should have done years ago.

Is it ok that I didn’t start eating healthy until I was in my 40s? Yes, because I cannot imagine having the energy, patience and discipline to do it when I was younger. Would it be ok if the only time I told my son I loved him was on my deathbed? No way, man. That’s where he’d get to say “too little, too late, Pops.”

So I’m conflicted. I want to forgive myself and others for not doing what needed to be done sooner and I also want to be able to say, “Too bad, sucker. You had your chance and you blew it.” Is there a catchy phrase that says, I forgive you but I still wish you’d done it sooner? “Better late than never but I’m still kind of pissed and you should probably take me out for dinner” doesn’t really sing does it? It sounds even goofier when you’re saying it to yourself.

I’m curious what stories you guys have about “Better Late Than Never.” Do you believe it? Can you say it to others but not yourself? Bring a story where you finally got around to doing something. Did it turn out like you expected? Do you regret not getting to it earlier or are you glad waited until you were ready?

Bring that story to our next show on February 22, 7pm at Roy Street Coffee and Tea.

Remember your stories need to have a beginning, middle and an end, and for FGS you to keep it clean. They also need to be under 8 minutes. You know how it kills me to tell people we’ve run out of time when they’ve worked on their story all month. Most importantly, practice your story out loud as much as possible. Here are the rules & guidelines to help you get started.

Storytelling Rules and Guidelines

Write me if you have any questions.

See you on the 22nd!

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com

Geez, I don’t even know what to say anymore. Last Thursday’s show was beautiful, painful, sweet, inspiring and about a dozen other adjectives. It was one of those shows that I didn’t realize I needed to see until I was seeing it. And it wasn’t just because of the storytellers. Everyone in the audience was right there with the tellers when they needed it. I know I gush a lot in these thank you emails but it’s very powerful for me to see so many strangers taking care of and supporting each other.

Not only did we have some fantastic first-timers that night we also had a bunch of folks we haven’t heard from in a long time. Paul Barach came back from a three year stretch out of town where among other things he frolicked with wild animals, started his second book, and hiked the Pacific Coast Trail. As powerful as all those experiences were, we found out at the show that he’s still grieving two people he lost during his last year in Seattle and were the reason he went on the road. It was good for me to hear that story because it makes me feel better about all the people I’ve lost that I still think about and wonder if I’ll ever be over. I know there’s no stopwatch on grief but sometimes it takes a story like Paul’s to remind me of that.

Keith, a friend of mine from Olympia who I’ve been trying for months to get back onstage, finally made it to the show and told a great story about the book he read when he was 25 that inspired him to save the world by not showering or washing his clothes. Ah, if only it was that easy my friend. My son would have saved the world years ago if that’s all it took.

Nate, one of our first-timers, told a story of accidentally shutting down an elementary school because he kept wandering around the parking lot looking for his car. The coup de grace was reading the actual notice the school sent out afterward letting parents know that the young man with poor memory and zero sense of direction had been investigated by police and found to be completely harmless. The two big takeaways I have from Nate’s story are 1. It’s good to know that law enforcement responds quickly to school calls. And 2. I’m not parking within 5 miles of any school because I’m the weird guy at the mall you see waving his arms and talking to himself because I can never remember where I parked. If anyone ever sees me screaming outside a Target or a Macy’s one day please don’t call security. I’m just a confused old man who keeps forgetting to replace the battery in his key fob.

Bruce, in only his second story with us, told the beautiful story of his first home run and why it turned out to be his last home run. It was one of those stories that snuck right inside me so I was happy when he gave me permission to post it on our website and Facebook page. Look for it soon.

Of all the stories told that night the one that stopped me cold was from a young woman who moved here from Boston and recently gave up her baby for adoption. It was one of the few times I’ve walked up to the mic after a story and not known what to say. All I could think was to ask people to talk to her after the show and see if there was anything we could do. I know she didn’t share her story as a way of asking for help but I didn’t want her to leave that night without knowing that there are people in this city that do care and do reach out when they can.

Before I let you go I want to share some upcoming shows with you.

I’ll be telling my Secret Trips to Portland story at the last AGTV show ever on February 8 at the Jewelbox Theater. You can get tickets here:

https://squareup.com/store/a-guide-to-visitors/

At least two FGS regulars will be performing at the Moth GrandSlam on February 22 and it would be great if some of you could go and root them on. I know it’s the same night as the next FGS but I can’t not tell you guys about something that makes me this happy.

https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0054329B951C02?brand=mooreseattle

Danielle K.L. Gregoire, one of my favorite tellers in Seattle, is teaching a class on how to produce live shows. So if you’re interested in creating your own storytelling show check out the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/events/209695596272444/

Erin Popelka, the woman who told the hysterical story I call “Grasshoppers in Health Class” is hosting a great show that I can’t even begin to describe. It has a little bit of everything in it. If you enjoyed Erin’s story you’ll enjoy her bingo party 🙂

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bingo-of-champions-tickets-41913088175

Lastly, Kacie Rahm has done something that’s been sorely needed around here. She started a page listing all the upcoming storytellings shows in the area. If you’re curious what other shows look like or want another place to tell your own stories please check out her Seattle Storytelling Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/198209904060632/

That’s all for now. Thanks again to everyone who shared a story and all the people who supported them. I’m sorry I couldn’t get everyone up there that night. I know there were 3-4 names still in Mr. Coffee because we ran out of time. One of the reasons I’d love to see more live shows start up in Seattle is so anyone who doesn’t get on at FGS can share their story a few days later at another show.

Our next show is on February 22. The theme is “Better Late Than Never.” I’ll get the official invite out as soon as I can. I hope to see you there.

Take care,

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com

January’s theme is “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.”

I’ve always liked this phrase because it feels like another way of telling myself that I did my best. Instead of saying, “What was I thinking?” or “How could I have been so stupid?” or my usual goto line when I’m laying in bed staring at the ceiling, “What kind of an idiot would do such a thing?” I get to say, “Hey, you did your best with what you had in front of you.”

Luckily, a lot of things that I thought were huge mistakes right after they happened turned out to be okay later on. Maybe the reason I keep coming back to this phrase is because I need to remember to stop freaking out so much and trust that things are almost never as bad as they seem. Maybe all of my missteps and mess ups actually were good ideas and they just need more time. I’ve heard it’s possible that, with enough patience and the right amount of body English, we can change the trajectory of a mistake into something positive. That’s what the self-help books on my nightstand say and those late-night Amazon book purchases always seem like a good idea at the time.

No matter how your good-idea-at-the-time adventure turned out we’d love to hear the story. Bring a true 8-minute-or-less story based on that theme to our next show on January 25, 7pm at Roy Street Coffee and Tea.

Remember your stories need to have a beginning, middle and an end, and for FGS you to keep it clean. Most importantly, practice your story out loud as much as possible. Here are the rules & guidelines to help you get started.

Storytelling Rules and Guidelines

Write me if you have any questions.

See you on January 25th!

Paul
freshgroundstories@gmail.com