Your Dad's New York Story

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Of It - "Your Dad's New York Story"

Episode Information

• Title: Your Dad's New York Story
• Host: Alison Stewart
• Guest: Michael Garofalo, Chief Creative Officer for StoryCorps and host of the StoryCorps Podcast
• Release Date: June 13, 2025
• Description: In this Father's Day special episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart engages with Michael Garofalo to explore heartfelt and inspiring stories about fathers and their unique connections to New York City. Listeners share personal anecdotes that highlight the diverse experiences of dads in the bustling metropolis.

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Introduction

[00:27] Alison Stewart opens the episode by greeting listeners and providing a sneak peek into upcoming segments. She mentions conversations with writer-director Celine Song, comedian Michael Aber, and Queens Museum curator Sarah Cho as part of the WNYC Centennial Series. The focus of this episode is on Father's Day, inviting listeners to share their "father's New York story."

Guest Introduction: Michael Garofalo

[00:55] Alison Stewart introduces Michael Garofalo, highlighting his role at StoryCorps and his involvement in bringing along favorite dad stories to share. Michael Garofalo joins the conversation to delve into what makes dad stories unique compared to the well-known dad jokes.

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The Uniqueness of Dad Stories

[02:06] Michael Garofalo explains, "With StoryCorps, it's two people who know each other interviewing each other. So what we hear are, you know, you hear the dynamic between a dad and a kid... it's usually something that captures the relationship."

He emphasizes that dad stories often involve lessons learned, memories of fatherly guidance, and the distinctive humor that characterizes paternal interactions. [08:22] Alison Stewart adds that themes like immigrant parents and their expectations frequently surface in these narratives, reflecting the diverse fabric of New York City.

Listener Stories: Celebrating Dads in New York

Sharon from Queens: A Legacy of Sacrifice

[03:27] Sharon shares the story of her late father, Albert Linder, a New York transit worker and naval officer. [04:15] Sharon recounts how her father worked tirelessly to provide for his family, balancing multiple jobs and ensuring his wife could pursue a career. She reflects, "He did this for many, many years, allowing my mom to have a career and also do all the cooking and all the shopping for my household. And I loved him so much."

Rachel from Westchester: A Lifelong Love for Broadway

[05:02] Rachel talks about her 90-year-old father who, after falling in love with theater in a small Kansas town, brought groups to New York City to experience Broadway. She fondly describes his efforts in fostering a love for the performing arts: "He has been bringing people, sometimes up to 85 people at a time, to Broadway and off Broadway ever since."

Leah from Manhattan: Wit and Wisdom from the Bronx

[09:24] Leah shares a humorous and touching encounter her father had in the Bronx during the 1960s. Faced with potential violence, her father used his wit to defuse the situation: "He says to them, will you hold on a second before you beat the crap out of me?... And they really take a second and look at him and decide that he's right."

Jules from Greenpoint: Bridging Generations through Art and Sports

[10:59] Jules describes her father, Larry Small, a Broadway performer and singer who remained active in the city's vibrant arts scene. [11:20] Jules highlights the deepening of their relationship through daily conversations about art, sports, and politics, stating, "Getting closer to him has been one of the best things to happen to me."

Judy from Brooklyn: From Polish Roots to Iconic Encounters

[11:45] Judy reflects on her father's journey from Poland to New York, where he managed a Taylor Shop and occasionally interacted with legends like Amelia Earhart: "He would come to New York, and when we would walk around, he would always point out the architecture and we would second act Broadway shows sometimes."

Carolyn from East Village: Perseverance and Optimism of an Immigrant Dad

[19:11] Carolyn shares her father's immigrant story from Egypt to New York in 1960. Facing initial hardships, her father demonstrated remarkable perseverance: "He went to the local Olivetti store, typed up his resume... and landed a job. I just smiled thinking of him... his perseverance and optimism all the time."

Insights from Michael Garofalo: The Art of Storytelling

[08:43] Michael Garofalo discusses what makes a good story, emphasizing the importance of the relationship between the storytellers: "A good story for us can be something with a great beginning, middle and end... or something that is captured between the two people."

He elaborates on why New York City is a fertile ground for storytelling, citing the city's culture of conversation and inherent storytelling skills: "We love to talk here, right? And you kinda gotta talk louder than everybody else if you wanna be heard... the storytelling skill."

Advice for Capturing Your Own Stories

[15:21] Michael Garofalo offers practical advice for listeners interested in recording their own stories:

• Start Now: "Don't wait. Just do it."
• Be Genuine: "It doesn't have to be as beautiful as these stories we're hearing today."
• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Suggestions include "What are you proudest of?" and "What words of wisdom do you want to pass down to me?"

He encourages using the StoryCorps app or visiting their website to contribute personal narratives that will be archived at the Library of Congress.

Additional Listener Story: D6 from Roebling Steel

[21:22] Michael Garofalo introduces another poignant story from George L'Engel about his father, a steel mill worker in Roebling, New Jersey. [22:01] George recounts how his father inspired him to pursue higher education over joining the family business, highlighting the profound impact of paternal guidance: "He said, son, you're going to college... I was the first in my family to graduate from college."

Conclusion

[25:19] Mona from Stanford, Connecticut shares a heartfelt story about her Egyptian immigrant father who overcame significant challenges to establish himself in New York City: "He didn't have money for a typewriter... he shared the resume with other immigrant men... his perseverance and optimism all the time."

[26:37] Alison Stewart wraps up the episode by thanking Michael Garofalo and the listeners for their moving contributions. She reminds listeners to tune in for more enriching content and highlights WNYC's ongoing coverage and programming.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Garofalo [02:06]: "It's usually something that captures the relationship."
• Sharon [04:15]: "He did this for many, many years, allowing my mom to have a career..."
• Rachel [05:20]: "What a great person. Thank you so much for sharing your story."
• Leah [09:55]: "Do I look like I have any money... I can't even take a girl out on a date."
• Jules [11:20]: "Getting closer to him has been one of the best things to happen to me."
• Carolyn [19:11]: "He went to the local Olivetti store, typed up his resume... and landed a job."
• George L'Engel [22:01]: "I was the first in my family to graduate from college."
• Michael Garofalo [24:48]: "Don't wait. Just do it."

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Final Thoughts This Father's Day special of All Of It beautifully encapsulates the myriad ways fathers influence and shape the lives of their children within the vibrant context of New York City. Through personal anecdotes and expert insights, the episode celebrates the enduring legacy of fatherly love, sacrifice, and guidance.

Transcript

[Alison Stewart]

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[Michael Garofalo]

Not available in all states.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Happy Friday, everybody. We had a lot of great conversations on the show this week. If you missed any of them, you can find them wherever you get your podcasts or head to our show [e-mail] and you can start getting excited about what we have planned for the show for next week. We'll speak with writer director Celine Song. Her new film the Materialist is out today. Comedian Michael Aber will join us to adjudicate your roommate disputes. And we'll finish up our WNYC Centennial Series celebrating 100 pieces of art right here in New York City. Queens museum curator Sarah Cho will join us to share her list. That is what's happening just on Monday. Now let's get this hour started with your New York story about your dad. Father's Day is this Sunday, a time to celebrate dad and or dad like person in your life. Ahead of the weekend, we wanna invite you now to shout out your dad. But within this specific form, we want to hear your father's New York story. What does that mean? Well, it could be anything. It could be something that comes to mind about your dad in New York. Maybe it's a story of how he raised you in the city or an immigration story. Joining us for this conversation is Michael Garofalo. Michael is the chief creative officer for StoryCorps. He also hosts the StoryCorps podcast and he's brought along some of his favorite StoryCorps dad stories. Welcome to WNYC.

[Michael Garofalo]

Thanks for having me, Allison.

[Alison Stewart]

When you think about dad stories, we know what dad jokes are. But dad stories, what makes them unique?

[Michael Garofalo]

Well, you know, with StoryCorps, it's two people who know each other interviewing each other, right? So what we hear are, you know, you hear the dynamic between a dad and a kid. A lot of times when it's. When it's. When it's happening that way or, you know, usually it's stories about what your father taught you, right. What you took away. Like often when the person's dad has passed away already, that's something that we hear a lot of. So, I mean, when I think of a dad story, it's usually that. It's usually Some sort of lesson learned from a dad or something about, you know, something that captures the relationship, maybe the dad jokey ness between you and your dad.

[Alison Stewart]

Are there ever challenges between two people?

[Michael Garofalo]

Oh, of course.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah. Like what kind of challenges?

[Michael Garofalo]

You know, we had one story years ago, I remember where a adult son told his dad, you know, when I was a kid, I didn't like you very much. And.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh no.

[Michael Garofalo]

Yeah. And the dad said. And in response, the dad said, well, I was your dad, not your friend.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Garofalo]

Yeah.

And then they went on to have a great conversation after that.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, as you can imagine, our phone lines are full, so let's get to them. Let's talk to Sharon in Queens. Hi, Sharon, thanks for calling wnyc.

[Caller]

Hi.

My late dad, Albert Linder, was a New York transit worker for over 40 years. He was a conductor and went all the way up to Yardmaster. This is in a time where there were very few black men doing that job. We lived in the projects and he was able to buy us a house in Queens. And my dad was a naval officer too, and a cook in the Navy. What he allowed to happen was he told my mother she needed to not be a housewife and go to work. So she started working for Queensborough Public Library. He helped her get her driver's license. He bought a new car. He got up. He worked the midnight shift all his night from 12 to 8. He made sure that I got to school while my mother went to work. He did all the cooking. He made sure my lunch was ready when I came back from school at 3 o' clock. He made sure I got in because I was a latchkey kid. And then he went to bed and I had to wake him up by 10 in the evening to make sure that he made it to work on time. He did this for many, many years, allowing my mom to have a career and also do all the cooking and all the shopping for my household. And I loved him so much. And I think about the sacrifice that he made for me, making sure that I was taken care of.

[Alison Stewart]

Sharon, thank you for sharing that story. Let's talk to Rachel from Westchester. Hi, Rachel. You're on all of it.

Hi. My dad, who is now 90 years old, grew up in a small town in Kansas and fell in love with theater, became a theater professor and then.

[Caller]

Started bringing people to New York City.

[Alison Stewart]

To share his love of Broadway with them 55 years ago.

[Caller]

And he has been bringing people, sometimes.

[Alison Stewart]

Up to 85 people at a time, to Broadway and off Broad ever since.

What a great person. Thank you so much for sharing your story. My guest is Michael Garofalo, StoryCorps Chief Creative Officer and host of the StoryCorps Podcast. We are taking your father's Day call, specifically your New York story about your dad. You've brought several with you. The first one is about the Greenwich Village locksmith. Right up this road.

[Michael Garofalo]

Yes. Not far from here. Yes.

[Alison Stewart]

Love those guys. Tell us a little bit about this story. This section we're gonna listen to.

[Michael Garofalo]

Sure. So, yeah. Greenwich Locksmiths is run by a father and son duo, Phil and Philip Mortolaro. And Phil, the dad has been doing it since he was 14 years old. He opened the shop in 1980, and while all five of his children spent time in the shop with him, the youngest, Philip, is the one who went into business with him. And so we're gonna hear from them now.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's hear it.

[Caller]

I was one of those kids who would show up when school first started, and they would see me again around Christmas time, and then they would see me in June to tell I had to do the grade over again. So dropping out of school was. It was inevitable. And as far as you doing the business, you started younger than me. As soon as I could walk, even before you were walking, I got pictures of you in the shop when you were in the bassinet. I was literally there since day one. I saw you do it. I was like, okay, I can do this. Then I kind of realized, man, you know, everyone loves my dad. One half of that is, you know, because he's a great guy. The other half is like, you know, he's the guy who helps you when even other locksmiths can't help. I have a sense of usefulness, and that's a big thing in my noodle, is that you always have to feel like I have some worth. I'm not just saying this. You're the most hardworking, tenacious person I know. That comes from coming from immigrant parents. You can never work hard enough. Even when you're working seven days a week, they say you're a little lazy. Think about it, Philip. When am I ever late? Never. When do I ever take vacations?

[Alison Stewart]

No, never.

[Caller]

And when am I going to retire? One day before your funeral. You know. You know, if you ever didn't want to do this, you know, I would never be heartbroken. I would understand. Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? My father, he hated my business, man. You know, I had a cousin who became an accountant, and my father used to tell me about him all the time. But I think it was the founder of IBM. He said, I'm no genius, but I'm bright in spots and I stay around those spots. I like that. You raised all of us, man. Five kids and every single one of them did not ever want for anything, man. That's hard to do for someone who just went up to the eighth grade. Well, you do your best, kid. This is what you do. But honestly, your best, not. Not just the BS best. And even if you fail, it doesn't feel that bad. You're always my barometer. Never let anyone down. That's what sets you apart.

[Alison Stewart]

Ugh, what a great story. It was interesting what he said about immigrant parents and what it's like to grow up as the child of immigrant parents. Is that something that you heard often?

[Michael Garofalo]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, especially here in New York City, right? Yeah. The idea that it's never good enough, no matter what you do, but in a loving way.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, well, we heard that and it was an interesting story. It sort of evolved. It sort of evolved on its own. But when you're listening to these stories, what makes for a good story?

[Michael Garofalo]

You know, I mean, I think for us it's the relationship, right? It's what's between. What passes between these two people when they sit down to talk. And so, you know, a good story for us can be something with a great beginning, middle and end, like a great anecdote. Or it could just be something that is captured between the two people that you only get when those two people get together.

[Alison Stewart]

We're asking people for their New York story. Why do you think New York is? It's ripe for the pickin' It's a ripe setting for stories.

[Michael Garofalo]

You know, I think some of that has to do with that. We love to talk here, right? And you kinda gotta talk louder than everybody else if you wanna be heard. And so. So I think the skill is sort of built in, maybe the storytelling skill.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to some listeners. Let's talk to Leah from Manhattan. Thanks, Leah, for calling in to all of it.

Hey, thanks for taking my call.

You're on the air.

Oh, okay, great. So my story about my dad, he grew up in the Bronx, this was his 60s. He went to Bronx Science, and very much outwardly identifiable as a nerd. And so one day, apparently he gets jumped. You know, they want to beat him up and get his money. Some kids. And he says to them, will you hold on a second before you beat the crap out of me? And just look at me. Do I look like I Have any money. I can't even, you know, get a girlfriend. I can't even take a girl out on a date. You know, blah, blah, blah. And they really take a second and look at him and decide that he's right. And they end up talking. And he apparently ended up going to a party with them where they insisted on trying to get him a date.

Perfect story, Leah. Thank you for sharing it. Let's talk to Jules, who's calling in from Greenpoint. Hi, Jules. Thank you for calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Caller]

Hi. Oh, thanks. My dad, Larry Small, is a New York legend, at least to me and us and maybe a few other people. He was a Broadway performer. He's still a working singer in the city at 77, running all over town. My favorite role of his was as old Deuteronomy. And cast in the 90s, that was a big hit. He moved in with us, too, a few years ago. And every day we talk about art, his and mine, Sports, Nick, Mets, politics. And gosh, getting closer to him has been one of the best things to happen to me. So happy Father's Day, pops. You probably listening right now from work.

[Alison Stewart]

Love that. Let's talk to Judy from Brooklyn. Hey, Judy, thank you for calling, all of it.

Thank you.

[Caller]

My father came here from Poland in 1932.

[Alison Stewart]

His father had Taylor Shop. They lived above it on Quentin Road.

[Caller]

And he was a big walker, my father. So he walked to Floyd Bennett, and.

[Alison Stewart]

A couple of times he spoke to Amelia Earhart.

Wow.

They used to share cigarettes and.

[Caller]

No, he did. He didn't know what happened to her.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you for this story. I shared cigarettes with Amelia Earhart. That is the best. Thank you for calling. My guest is Michael Garofalo, StoryCorps Chief Creative Officer. We are taking your calls. Your New York story about your dad, we have another one that you've brought us. You said it's maybe the best dad story StoryCorps has ever done.

[Michael Garofalo]

I mean, for me personally.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, tell us a little about the story.

[Michael Garofalo]

So this one, it's actually not a New York City story, but I think it resonates no matter where you are. It comes from a man named Lynn Weaver, and his daughter brought him to StoryCorps. As often happens a lot of times, it's adult kids bringing in older family members to talk about his own father, who had been a chauffeur growing up in Tennessee.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen.

[Michael Garofalo]

My father was everything to me, and it's actually kind of difficult talking about him without becoming very emotional. Up until, you know, he died, every decision I made, I'd always call him. And he would never tell me what to do, but he would always listen and say, well, what do you want to do? And he made me feel that I could do anything that I wanted to do. I can remember when we integrated the schools that there were many times when I was just scared and I didn't think that I would survive. And I'd look up and he'd be there. And whenever I saw him, I knew that I was safe. I always tell you that your mama is the smartest person I've ever met. But I think my father ranks right up there as brilliant. When I was in high school, I was taking algebra and I was sitting at the kitchen table trying to do my homework. I got frustrated, said, I just can't figure this out. I'm just so. My father said, what's the problem? He came by, he said, what's the problem? And I said, that's just algebra. And he said, well, let me look at it. I said, they didn't even have algebra in your day. And I went to sleep. And around 4 o' clock that morning, he woke me up. He said, come on, son, get up. He set me at the kitchen table and he taught me algebra. What he had done is sat up all night and read the algebra book. And then he explained the problems to me so I could do them and understand them. And to this day, I live my life trying to be half the man my father was, just half the man. And I would be a success if my children loved me half as much as I love my father.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, if someone's listening to this and they're thinking, I gotta ask my dad some questions this weekend. What are useful questions to ask your father or your mother, but, Ms. Kazamill, your father, that will show something about either how they live their life or their experiences.

[Michael Garofalo]

Yeah, I mean, I have advice for that. Real quick, though. I just want to tell listeners that Lynn Weaver, who we just heard tell that story about learning algebra, when he recorded that story, he was head of surgery at Morehouse.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, that's a big example to become a surgeon.

[Michael Garofalo]

And, yeah, so definitely had an impact. So, yeah, I mean, I think the biggest tip for interviewing, I think a lot of times it can be anxiety producing because you want to get everything right. And I would just say, remember, you don't have to get every detail of a person's life right. Think about what's most important to you. And if you only have, you know, storycorps interview. You can record one at home actually with our smartphone app and it goes to the Library of Congress. You know, it's usually 40 minutes, 45 minutes long. And I always tell people, think about what if this was the last 40 minutes you ever had to speak with this person? What would you want to know? Right. And so the questions that I think tend to work the best are less detailed questions and more open ended things like what are you proudest of? Do you have any regrets for parents specifically? You know, what was it like to become a parent? Do you remember the first time you saw me? What was that like? You know, how do you want to be remembered? What words of wisdom do you want to pass down to me? Things like this, you know, even more than specific stories, those sort of things can lead to a really meaningful interaction.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Michael Garofalo, StoryCorps Chief Creative Officer. We are taking your calls about your favorite dad New York story. We want to hear a New York story about your dad. Our number is 2124-3396-9221-2433-WNYC. We'll have more of your calls and we'll have more with Michael after a quick break. This is all of it. You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. We're talking dads. We're talking New York City stories about dads. My guest is Michael Garofalo, StoryCorps Chief Creative Officer and host of the StoryCorps Podcast. This is a great text we got. My father came to NYU for medical school after serving in the Navy and he had a support job at the New York Times. He didn't have a proper suit. Coming from Montana, he worked in the offices of A.G. sulzberger, the editor. Sulzberger sent my to his tailor and had him cut him a proper suit. This was around 1949.

[Michael Garofalo]

Oh, I love it.

[Alison Stewart]

That's a great story. You mentioned before the break, the StoryCorps app tell us a little bit more about this. If somebody wants to record a story on the story for StoryCorps.

[Michael Garofalo]

Yeah. So there are a number of ways you can do it here in New York. You can go on our website, storycorps.org and that's corps, like Peace Corps or Marine Corps C O R P s. And you can look. We do have a recording booth in New York City so you could look and see if there are any open slots there if you want to bring somebody in. You can also record virtually through an online tool that we have. So if you're in a different place from your dad, you can still get on with them this Sunday and record something, and it'll be archived. And another way is to do it with our smartphone app. You just use the microphone on your phone. You hold it like a microphone, ask questions, and you can. We have a suggested question list to help you think of things to ask. And, you know, you fill in the information, upload it, and it goes to our archive at the Library of Congress.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Carolyn in the East Village. Hi, Carolyn. Thank you for calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Caller]

Oh, Allison, I'm such a huge fan. And hi, Michael. This whole segment is so moving. I'm sitting here with some Kleenexes and my story is just about my dad grew up in Yorkville, which is now more widely known as the Upper east side, in a family with really no money, really that much at all. His dad had a Candy store on 90th and 1st. And the story is that they sold liquor out of the baby carriage during prohibition. And then my dad went on, he just got scholarship to Regis High School and then Fordham and then NYU Medical and worked as a movie theater usher and Coca Cola salesman. And, you know, I guess I just want to say I know wherever my dad is, he's smiling right now. And I don't know that I ever really appreciated the greatness of him as a human being. Maybe I did somewhat when he was alive, but, yeah, I just feel like what a great man. He made so many people happy, made so many people laugh. And I'm just delighted to be able to shout him out right before Father's Day. Dad, I love you. And thank you so much, you guys, for letting me share my story a bit. And when he would come to New York, we grew up outside of New York, but would always come to New York because we still had family in Yorkville. And my great uncle was a cab driver and. Oh, the old. Those old cabs.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Caller]

And anyway, he would then visit New York, and when we would walk around, he would always point out the architecture and we would second act Broadway shows sometimes. Yeah. Anyway, he sounds like a great guy.

[Alison Stewart]

Thanks so much for calling. I want to get to one more StoryCorps from you. I think I'm gonna go to D6. That one is from Roebling Steel.

[Michael Garofalo]

Oh, yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Tell us a little bit about this one.

[Michael Garofalo]

Right, so. All right, so Roebling Steel was in New Jersey, right? In Roebling, New Jersey. They made the cables for the elevators at The Empire state Building, the suspension cables for the Golden Gate bridge. And this next story comes from George L' Engel. He grew up in Roebling during the 1940s. It was, you know, a company town. And his dad, his mom, his grandmother all worked in the steel mills there. And he came to StoryCorps to remember, you know, his father, somebody who he felt like stood taller than all the other big guys in that town.

[Caller]

Every weekend, dad would drag me along everywhere we went. We walked to an area known as the row. And it was called the row because it was a row of bars. I was eight years old, sitting on bar stools and listening to the stories of the men they were so proud to work in that mill. My father, when we go over a bridge, and he said, see those wire ropes, boy? We made those ropes. And there was no doubt in my mind I was going to work alongside my dad, my granddad, my uncles. But my father determined my future. We had a discussion one time. I mentioned that at 16, I wanted to quit school. I told him I wanted to go work in a mill. Well, my father decided to introduce my back to the living room wall. He placed his nose about six inches away from my nose and told me that I was not going to quit school, I was not going to work in that mill, that I was not going to be a bull van. That he is a bull van. I said, dad, what does bull van mean? He said, son, bullvan is a slavish word. It means jackass. You're not going to be one. You're going to college. There's one word that I would never say to my dad. The word was why. He'd say, son, cut the grass. Why? No, he didn't say that word. Son, you're going to college. I knew this was the right thing to do. I knew dad loved his work, but he didn't want me to do it. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. And I remember I was 18, 19 years old. And every night, even if he was mad at me, I'd be in bed. My father would walk in the room. He'd sit down on the bed next to me. He said, good night, son. I love you. And he kissed me on the cheek. And I remember when dad. Dad had lung cancer. He was a smoker since he was 11 years old. I knew dad was bad. He was on his way out, and I knew there was just a few days left. And I would go every night, and I'd sit down on the bed like he used to sit next to me and I look at him and say, dad, I love you. And I'd kiss him on the cheek and leave. He was a tough man, but he was a good father.

[Alison Stewart]

It's interesting, a lot of people's parents, they may be towards the end of their life, they might be in hospice. Do you have any advice for talking to someone who's close to the end of life?

[Michael Garofalo]

My number one piece of advice is don't wait. Right? Just do. Doesn't have to be as, you know, it doesn't have to be as beautiful as these stories we're hearing today. Like, you're just gonna want that recording someday. So don't wait, just do it. And, yeah, I think be kind, be gentle, be patient, and just be open and listen.

[Alison Stewart]

This is Mona from Stanford, Connecticut. Mona, you're our last caller.

Thank you. And thank you for taking my call. I'm a huge fan of StoryCorps and all of it. So my story is about my dad, who is an immigrant from Egypt. He came to New York by way of Lebanon back in 1960. When he arrived, he thought he had a job lined up and it didn't pan out. So he was without money and without a job and without knowing anyone here, really. He was staying in one of the YMCAs in Midtown New York and didn't have a resume. He needed one. He was a chemical engineer and he didn't have money for a typewriter. Didn't have a typewriter. So back then, for those who remember typewriters and those who remember that typewriter stores used to let you sample the typewriter, he went to the local Olivetti store, typed up his resume, went back to the Y and then shared the resume with the other immigrant men because he wasn't really sure his English was quite right. They gave him some feedback. I smile thinking of that, went back to the Olivetti store, retyped another version and then and landed a job. And I just smiled thinking of him, you know, with those other men here in New York and of his perseverance and optimism all the time. Thank you for letting me share my story.

Thank you for calling in and thanks to everybody who called. My guest has been Michael Garofalo, StoryCorps Chief Creative Officer and the host of the StoryCorps. Thank you for bringing us some great New York stories.

[Michael Garofalo]

Thank you. This was a lot of fun.

[Alison Stewart]

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