Thanks to everyone who came out to Roy Street last Thursday and supported all the storytellers. The theme was Fish Out Of Water but you guys made each storyteller feel welcome whether it was their first time onstage or their tenth. Sometimes people apologize to me for coming to the show but not having told a story yet. I always tell them that being a good audience member is just as important as telling a story. We can’t have a show without tellers but those tellers need to know they are welcome and appreciated and you guys always come through for them. Thank you.

Big thanks of course to everyone who told a story: Deborah, Keith, Moriah, Tina, David, Chris, Cathy, Norm, Lleyn, Zoe, Patrick, Sea and Ginger

Many of you asked me after the show if I would post the audio of Cathy’s story about moving from New York to Minnesota. Last night she gave me permission to share it so you can check it out on our Facebook page or blog. It was one of the funniest stories we’ve ever had at FGS and I’m really happy she let me share it with everyone who couldn’t be there in person.

I especially want to thank one of our regulars, Ginger who told a story so delicate and powerful that I’m still thinking about it three days later. It centered around a question someone asked her last year, “Who are you?” What struck me about her story wasn’t that she was finally able to answer that question. It was that I suddenly realized why all her stories go straight into my heart. Ginger’s stories could only be told by someone who knows who she is and is happy with that. Ginger showed me that for every moment I spend working on a story I need to spend another moment working on me. The more I know myself the more honest and revealing I can be onstage. And the more honest I am onstage the more courage I have to be honest with myself.

That’s your Zen storytelling koan for the month. Don’t ask me for answers. I just burned my lips on a cup of green tea that was supposed to help me meditate. Right when I think I got life figured out I end up sticking my nose in a cup of boiling water. The struggle continues.

The recording came out fine so can give the storytellers a copy of their performance if they want it. I only give out the audio to the people who told a story and it’s only the audio of their own story. Most tellers don’t want their personal stories online so that’s why I only give copies to the people who told them.

I’ll be writing up the official invite for next month’s show in the next few days. The theme is Exceeding Yourself – Stories of Personal Mountaintops.

Thanks again to everyone who shared a story, especially our first-timers, Tina, Patrick and Keith. I know how hard it is to get up there and you guys did yourselves proud.

See you on June 25th 🙂

Paul

freshgroundstories@gmail.com

By popular demand I’m posting Cathy’s story about what happens when you send a New Yorker to school in Minnesota. Cathy is one of the funniest people we’ve had at FGS and I’m always happy when she tells me she has a new story for us.

Here’s a great story from Kauni about her substitute teaching gig. I can say with absolute certainty that if she had been my sixth grade teacher I would have had perfect attendance.

Hi Everyone,

One last email to let you know of three great opportunities to listen or tell your own story. The first two are A Guide to Visitors and Drunken Telegraph. We’ve had lot of FGS tellers work with these shows when they want to expand and deepen their stories. Send them an email describing your story to see if it will fit with what they have coming up. Neither show has advertized these themes yet but I talked with the producers and they told me what their next topics were going to be.

Theme: “Don’t Call it a Comeback”

http://www.agtv.org/

Theme: “That’s All Folks! Stories of Endings, Goodbyes and Moving On”. http://www.drunkentelegraph.com/

Below is a meetup that I think would be a good way for people to ease their way into storytelling. It’s more casual than our show and they only have room for a dozen or so people. It’s not a storytelling show but it will give you a chance to speak and share a story without being onstage. It sounded like a good thing so I’m including it here. Below is the description they sent me. Send them an email for more information.

“In the style of Fresh Ground Stories meets Conversation Cafe we’ll be starting a monthly storytelling meet-up that centers around a central theme/question and begins with a brief icebreaker before we give people time to then tell their stories (optional of course). We will end with sharing insights based on what was shared by others. This meet-up offers a chance to meet new people, practice listening, and learn from others by sharing stories of personal experiences.

Listeners and Storytellers welcome. We have room for 12 (this time) and a bigger space to grow into (next month) in our conveniently located Eastside Venue near the Whole Foods in Bellevue. RSVP if you can really make it this first time or another.”

http://www.meetup.com/Sleepless-in-Seattle/events/218887923/