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Hello Meg Balls from the math here. I

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wanted to let you know that our newest

0:58

anthology, A Point of Beauty true stories of

1:00

holding on and letting Go is out Now.

1:03

This. Is a collection of stories told

1:05

live on them off stage and is

1:07

one of the editors of the book.

1:09

I can tell you selecting fifty stories

1:11

out of the thousands that have been

1:13

told other stages is no easy feat,

1:15

but after hours of reading and deliberation

1:18

we compiled a collection of hilarious and

1:20

sometimes heart breaking stories that all managed

1:22

to find bright spots in the most

1:24

awkward or harrowing of situations. And

1:27

in this time when the world feels

1:29

full of chaos, these stories remind us

1:31

that if we look we can often

1:33

find beauty and surprising places. You.

1:35

Can get your copy now a

1:37

local bookstore or go to themoth.org/a

1:40

Point of Beauty. Welcome

1:44

to the Moth podcast. I'm Alex Roman

1:46

Peters associate producer at The Mouth and

1:48

your host for this episode. There's

1:51

something special about the moment. Right before somebody

1:53

tells the story, they step on stage, take

1:55

a breath, and the audience is on the

1:57

edge of their seat waiting for the tail

1:59

to begin. The not moment the story

2:01

could be anything. it's all possibility. The.

2:03

Only thing more magical is when the

2:06

story actually starts and it knocks the

2:08

audience's socks off. These

2:10

remarkable moments happened or live shows all

2:12

over the world from Miami to Melbourne,

2:15

from London to local. This episode will

2:17

be visiting lawful post to so many

2:19

magical mouth moments and playing to stories

2:22

from that city. Story Slam. I

2:24

was lucky enough to visit low though a few weeks

2:26

that. May. Have fresh off

2:28

as an early flight. Admittedly be somewhat from

2:30

be self Immediately fell in love with the

2:33

people that I met in Basel. One.

2:35

Storyteller Allen goofed around a bit during

2:37

our soundtrack. He had fun at the

2:39

mike and helped shake off some of

2:41

that pre show energy. Allen.

2:43

Later found me before the show to apologize

2:45

for his biting sense of humor. And

2:48

hoped that I didn't take it personally. I

2:50

immediately thought of Allen's playful the Nine

2:52

Jokes at the Mike and thought Allen:

2:54

I think you're the nicest person I

2:56

know. And it wasn't just Allen.

2:59

And could see and feel this entire group. I'm

3:02

rooting for each other. Joyful!

3:04

Truly delighting in one another. Success throughout

3:06

the evening and there were successes are

3:08

plenty. This group this

3:11

audience. With. Connected through each other. Stories.

3:14

Are First Low. The story is from Ethan

3:16

Sweet Lynch may. Who. Told us at

3:19

an open mike story slam where the theme of

3:21

the night with happy. Here

3:23

season live as I'm. So.

3:30

The only reason why eight

3:32

year old me would be

3:35

in cereal aisle. At.

3:37

Five Pm on a Friday night. In.

3:39

Jazz out of my mind. About

3:42

have a weekend with Grandma Grandpa. And

3:45

you understand been the fourth one of

3:47

eleven his getting to pick your own

3:49

cereal and not only are on cereal

3:51

but a super serial when your mom

3:53

is like for no loss and natural

3:55

peanut butter in the five gallon bucket

3:57

given mix with like a thrill. Every

4:02

time I did a sleep over a grandma and

4:04

grandpa, I got to pick my own serio and

4:06

it could be anything. and we didn't have to

4:08

tell mom. And so

4:10

I was in the check out with grandma and

4:12

I had my frosted flakes and that would have

4:15

been enough. The fact is I'm gonna wake up

4:17

in the morning on the couch in their did

4:19

and I was going to turn on the Tv

4:21

and I could What I had C V and

4:24

I was going to watch cartoons and I can

4:26

watch cartoons and all. That was great. That was

4:28

expected but that Saturday's my grandfather. My.

4:30

Grandpa. Was. Going to teach me

4:33

how to shoot. My.

4:35

Grandfather was a Golden

4:37

Gloves boxer. See. Was

4:39

a race car driver a professional race

4:42

car driver. his front in his garage

4:44

see have one of the old white

4:46

know roll cage every one died but

4:48

the guy that one like race cars

4:51

like. He was

4:53

a hunter, he had three deer heads in

4:55

his in his in his house with mounted

4:57

on the walls a live on a lake

4:59

and he was a fisherman and he could

5:01

do everything and he was gonna teach me

5:03

how to shoot and I was pumped. I

5:05

woke up early or eight the whole box

5:07

of cereal I was ready. When he came

5:09

down the stairs and I watched him drink

5:11

coffee as a percolators and we went one

5:13

of his friend's house and my grandpa friends

5:15

are all people like him. They're all like.

5:18

Forty. Year retirees, plumbers and steamfitters they

5:20

drive from but not do see ones

5:23

like they are like they are like

5:25

the souls of the earth. We farmed

5:27

and work and we'd have you know

5:29

him, Lloyds and we don't brag like.

5:33

And and I was the only

5:35

kid there. I was like eight

5:37

years old and I'm jazz on

5:39

sugar and I am so nervous

5:41

as he puts. Phillips was shot

5:43

down into my hands and I

5:45

mean I was Red Dawn. I've

5:47

got the basic. Idea. You know I

5:50

saw Patrick Swayze. He do it and so

5:52

I I think I'm doing it. Run As

5:54

I kneel down and I hold is about

5:56

an inch of from my shoulder and I'm

5:58

kind of looking on the. When

6:00

I shoot it knocks me all the

6:02

amount of my that the gun goes

6:05

across the gravel. his friends all. And

6:08

I burst into tears and runs in

6:10

his truck. And.

6:13

After about twenty minutes he comes and gets him

6:15

without saying a word. He was like that's okay,

6:18

Like. That sometimes and we drove back to

6:20

his house and I was devastated I was

6:22

so let down it was like a moment

6:24

to shine like Grandpa and so I did

6:27

was the only thing left to do in

6:29

the afternoon or went down to lake on

6:31

little dog and I was okay as him

6:33

for Blue Gill up getting bonuses and for

6:36

Blue Gill and Grandpa was mowing the grass

6:38

and I'm just like like simply sad and

6:40

and like I like I've I've just like

6:42

a blue this moment with my grandpa and

6:44

outta nowhere I hear the lawnmower stop and

6:47

comes down onto the. Deck and. He.

6:49

Says had testing one of of google. And. I

6:51

might have a whole is this job or

6:53

I put on the hook in like you

6:55

know, five seconds flat. Contents of Lujan: Eight

6:57

Years Old. I'm good at this. And

7:00

he pulls out this case and said the

7:02

down the unzip says and he pulls out

7:04

a nice this big, long nice, a heavy

7:06

black handle and unfair home the blue you're

7:08

not totally sure was about to happen and

7:10

takes the blue go for me and he

7:13

said sit down and I'm like I'm like

7:15

I said of Louisville below shows that kind

7:17

of what products as a waiter were like

7:19

basically playing tag and he puts the blue

7:21

gill on the deck Adidas were him and

7:23

his blood. it is a dead blue gills

7:25

and I didn't scream but I almost screen

7:27

and he says cut it into strips. That

7:30

is that. Cut it into strips like a

7:32

crazy person and. And

7:34

he said he puts a big suited. On my

7:36

table and need makes it way deeper than

7:38

I did. He drops in the water and

7:40

says sam, get me. As

7:44

I'm sitting there holding this guy like

7:46

know blue heeler coming for their bodies

7:48

and I'm just watching it. Not only

7:51

service about to happen and after about

7:53

fifteen minutes I see these be dark

7:55

shadows coming down the endless and like

7:57

of these blue the blue catfish know

8:00

what's up, they know what's up as

8:02

a been doing this of my grandpa

8:04

for decades probably and they comes right

8:07

up the.and like one I float out

8:09

of a water. I swear to god

8:11

and books that mean he's like. And

8:14

goes. Back down and I have seen and

8:16

the lawnmowers running and unless to keep going

8:18

buddy I don't even so so stop for

8:21

me and goes down the endless for a

8:23

minute I think I'm safe and he syllables

8:25

back and I just want to go down

8:27

into the moss. As like three

8:29

seconds, nothing happens. As.

8:32

It moved, Eddie flows and I

8:34

I'm like I pull Now I

8:37

was not that big as is

8:39

like pulling me as your presents

8:41

and I remain for my grandfather.

8:43

Much. About. Them

8:46

and and he has a hear me

8:48

and I am locked into a fight

8:50

with Moby Dick and like a disease

8:52

like for revenge. And head at

8:54

it as I know about. Poems

8:57

are slow, painful in half, and

8:59

slightly out of my hands and

9:01

arms. As much I can lose

9:03

this whole have to would. Run

9:05

Away I was both and I

9:08

wrote down into somebody Else to

9:10

find new for Grandparents and at

9:12

last with i see you're the

9:14

one more stop and I got.

9:18

Home sound as you. I take the

9:20

poor for me and just like old

9:22

man strength rinses this like blue cat

9:24

in and pulls up out of the

9:27

water. And he was. Here. To.

9:30

I'm like. I

9:33

put my head where his sounded as

9:35

forget it on the movies as easily

9:37

as said as he steps back a

9:40

recent the black bags little who polaroid

9:42

camera movement he like whole that up

9:44

on whole middle of a smile. And

9:48

take the picture and I have the Sixers

9:50

blue cat about of war with my torso

9:52

just as part of my smile. And

9:54

that's the only thing I really have like remember

9:57

that day by this little moment of smiling Mcgraham

9:59

the Help me get a will. Have

10:10

eaten who don't know? Even

10:12

as love telling stories ever since he was. Very

10:14

and even in a have to be

10:17

true he enjoys. Cheering for Racing

10:19

and Lose City Fc! Running.

10:21

Campaigns for Dmd and Riding

10:23

Motorcycles. Whether you're a

10:26

native of Lavelle or someone who suffered

10:28

Louisville, a sincere thankyou by the way

10:30

that the person who emailed us to

10:32

correct pronunciation. We. Are themed Open

10:34

Mike Story Slams and cities all

10:37

over the world. and you can

10:39

find our upcoming shows, themes and

10:41

dates by visiting our website at

10:43

the mosque.org/events. At. The law

10:45

though. Grand slam. I met a storyteller who

10:47

grew up in Kentucky but spent ten years

10:49

a New York's just down the block from

10:51

where my partner list today. We would

10:54

have shared the same subway stop and gone to

10:56

the same local pub. But here we

10:58

were meeting some seven hundred and fifty

11:00

miles away from that pub at a

11:02

theater and logo. As

11:04

or Next Story Shows Louisville

11:06

Special. This. One's from

11:09

one of our annual Grand Slams.

11:11

For winners from the local Open

11:13

Mike Story Slams compete for the

11:15

title of Storytelling Champion in their

11:17

city. Here's Trevor North lies Asimov.

11:24

Through. Both went through the cable though. I.

11:28

Can do for the on details but I

11:30

know Jamie was there. Because.

11:32

He for one through the rock. And.

11:34

I know my friend turned was there

11:36

because he kept going on about as

11:39

watch my friend Terry was attacking before.

11:41

That was really a thing. Needs a

11:43

scout miss. New Watch Comics come out

11:45

with this in the glow. watched lines

11:47

and as was said this new cool

11:49

feature you hit a button minutes lit

11:51

up this fluorescent bluish green color. And

11:54

a funny Things are wholesome kids the

11:56

story and they all wanted to know

11:59

that The Watts. The Gps or

12:01

could you play games on

12:03

the was of know it

12:05

was the eighth the last

12:07

lit up for this. They

12:11

wanna impress. Both

12:14

those two. And

12:16

says I was only one who had

12:18

been into the cave before with the

12:20

older kids. I had the flashlight and

12:23

I'll lead the way Now the it's

12:25

it's to. The cave was a rite

12:27

of passage all on it's own. It

12:29

was less than thirty inches in diameter.

12:31

It was a forty foot claustrophobic crawl

12:34

that not everybody can make, but for

12:36

those who does, it was worth it

12:38

because it then opened up into this

12:40

massive ballroom size caverns and it had

12:42

all these connecting tunnels that led the

12:44

other taverns. There was a steep drop

12:47

off said since with a cell allege that

12:49

forced to to kind of hub the walls

12:51

as you maneuvered across. there was even an

12:53

underground river. And we

12:55

had made it just about that for when

12:58

we started to hear noises. We've.

13:00

Heard these squeaking, scratching,

13:02

rustling noises. So our

13:04

son, my life, So.

13:07

This towards the sound in the ceiling.

13:10

And there were bats. Fifty

13:13

bats a hundred bets are could

13:15

have been a thousand bess hanging

13:17

from the top of that case.

13:21

And that's when Jamie through the rock. Now

13:26

I don't know if Jamie

13:28

actually hit a bath, but

13:30

he might as well have

13:32

those basket fifth. And

13:36

knows best. Descended into that tavern like

13:38

a big black best tornado and I

13:40

don't know where I got the thought

13:42

out on offer. Read a book or

13:44

five. Heard it in a movie but

13:46

my only thought was that that's a

13:48

tech. The hair of the head so

13:50

often fail to the ground and up

13:52

through my hands up to protect my

13:54

head. Some work. in the midst of

13:56

all of that best friends, it's X

13:58

yelling screaming calamity most. The. A

14:03

drop, a last like. It

14:07

will now. And it was dark.

14:09

It was pitch black. jet black.

14:11

It was deathly black. Now,

14:15

apart from being home, sums up

14:17

the most magnificent cave systems in

14:19

the world. Or a lesser known

14:22

fact about South Central Kentucky. This

14:25

also full of ghosts. The

14:28

ghost of a will to do southern

14:30

debutante who in her vanity and anger

14:32

curse the sky and God above and

14:34

was struck down by lightning. The ghost

14:36

of a freed slave who was killed

14:38

in a clearing at the end of

14:41

a dirt roads in the old counting.

14:45

On one of my earlier for race

14:47

into the cave the older kids are

14:49

told me another goes towards they told

14:51

me story about it's awkward saw a

14:53

boy named Lonnie who was lured into

14:55

the cave by some of the older

14:57

kids of his day kids who play

14:59

to play a prank that went tragically

15:01

wrong and according to the legend. Lonnie

15:04

never made it. as a case. That

15:14

it was right see and with my

15:16

head full of ghost stories that's something

15:18

appeared before me there in a dark

15:20

nothing, a face floating there in the

15:22

darkness and I was frozen stiff and

15:24

a real back in shock when the

15:27

face spoken with the say said was.

15:30

You. Drop the flashlight in a river. I

15:35

had brewery at since, the first

15:37

of which was confusion followed quickly

15:39

by realizations and relief. I was

15:41

relieved when I realized that the

15:43

face that I saw their floating

15:45

in the darkness was not the

15:47

face of the ghostly face of

15:49

avoid name Lonnie. But

15:52

the face of my friends

15:54

harry illuminated by the glow

15:56

of the in the glow

15:59

wasps. He.

16:03

Would be eight years before I

16:05

would become a soldier in the

16:07

United States Army and gets the

16:09

kind of nice navigation training exit

16:11

of risk of use that day.

16:16

But I get a crash course because

16:18

you're the light of the lots. Only

16:20

allowed us to see a few feet

16:22

in front of was so we were

16:24

forced to crawl most of the weights

16:27

klutzy tightly to each other's belt loops

16:29

and we encountered several creepy crawlers and

16:31

it took us twice as long to

16:33

get out as it did get in.

16:36

But. We were able to find our way

16:39

out of the darkness by the light of

16:41

the in the glow watts. And

16:46

are advances in in there? at

16:48

the cave there would piece meeting

16:50

more close calls and narrow escapes,

16:53

but. Somehow.

16:55

We managed to survive those

16:57

restless and reckless southern Kentucky

16:59

summers. His.

17:02

I. Don't know. If there

17:04

ever really was a boy named Lonnie.

17:07

That if there was. A

17:09

hope he found His guiding light is where. The

17:19

sugar. High day Trevor does

17:21

were climbing trees are say Islam has. Ascended

17:24

and twenty five feet, he still loves

17:26

exploring out of the way places all

17:28

over his home state of Kentucky and

17:30

the world at large. Remember

17:32

you can find more those stories land

17:34

dates at the mosque.org flash events or

17:36

they'll also be details about all of

17:39

our other open makes and sells. Will

17:41

also have a link and are episode.

17:43

Description. That's it

17:45

for this episode from all of us here

17:47

at The Mouth. We hope to see you

17:49

and hear your story soon. Alex

17:53

Roma Peters is proud to be a

17:55

lifelong New Yorker. Yes, Staten Island is

17:57

part of New York City season. Firm

18:00

believer. In. The kindness of strangers, the

18:02

power of live performance and the resort

18:04

of properties of diner coffee. This episode

18:07

of Them Off podcast was pretty spicy

18:09

or awesome. She mess Surgeon Johnson and

18:11

me Mark selling the rest of the

18:14

Most leadership team Liquid Sera Haberman, Jennifer

18:16

Hickson Med Bowls, Cake Tellers Marina for

18:18

J Suzanne Rest, Brandon, Graham Walker, Leann

18:21

Delhi and all the casa the mass

18:23

would like to think it's supporters and

18:25

listens Stories like these are made possible

18:28

by community giving if you're not already

18:30

member. Please consider becoming more and

18:32

are making a one time donation

18:34

today at the Mosque that works.

18:36

Last give back. All my stories

18:38

are true as remembered by the

18:40

storytellers. For more about our podcast

18:42

information on putting your phone story

18:45

and everything else that our website

18:47

themass.org The most podcast is presented

18:49

by Pure X, the Public Radio

18:51

Extreme helping make Public Radio more

18:53

public at Tier ex Saddleworth. Support.

18:58

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