Ping - Snap Classic

Summary

Snap Judgment: "Ping - Snap Classic" Episode Summary

Introduction

In the "Ping - Snap Classic" episode of Snap Judgment, listeners are immersed in a compelling narrative that intertwines personal struggle, cultural expectations, and the pursuit of dreams. Hosted by Glenn Washington and produced by Snap Judgment and PRX, this episode delves deep into the life of Ping Wang, a determined young woman navigating unexpected challenges that test her resilience and ambition.

Ping Wang's Journey: From Dreams to Unexpected Marriage

Release Date: May 1, 2025

Early Aspirations and Cultural Turmoil

Ping Wang's story begins in her childhood, where her aspiration to attend college is met with significant obstacles. Growing up in China during the onset of the Cultural Revolution, Ping faces an educational landscape marred by book burnings and school closures. Undeterred, she educates herself through underground book clubs from third grade through high school, steadfastly holding onto her dream of attending college.

Breaking Barriers: Admission to Beijing University

Against the odds, Ping not only gains admission to college but secures a place at Beijing University, renowned as the Harvard of China. Her academic excellence sets the stage for her goal to become a post-professor in poetry and creative writing. "Ping knew she wanted to go to college," narrates Glenn Washington, highlighting her unwavering commitment to education.

A Sudden Twist: The Unexpected Proposal

A week before her graduation, Ping's meticulously planned life takes an unforeseen turn. In a surreal moment captured at [04:04], Ping recounts, “I was sleeping soundly and then suddenly the concierge lady just pounded on my door to say, wang Ping, get up and answer the phone.” This unexpected call introduces Cheng Wan Long, a former classmate, who proposes marriage on the spot.

Cheng's sudden appearance and whirlwind proposal thrust Ping into a marriage she never anticipated. “I thought, like, here, this man, right? Tall, handsome, good looking, and coming all the way from Germany,” Ping reflects ([12:15]), capturing the surreal nature of the encounter. Despite her reservations and the skepticism from her peers, the pressure and excitement lead her to accept the proposal, marrying Cheng swiftly.

Honeymoon Mountain: Struggles and Realizations

The honeymoon begins with tension. As Ping and Cheng embark on their honeymoon in Sichuan’s sacred Mount Emei, their relationship is strained by differing expectations and unmet emotional needs. At [24:41], Ping describes the growing discord: “Every time we tried to reconcile, we started arguing...”

The situation escalates when Ping finds herself physically and emotionally isolated. During an altercation with aggressive monkeys, Cheng remains indifferent, laughing off her pleas for help ([26:37]). This traumatic experience serves as a catalyst for Ping's realization of the incompatibility in their marriage.

Breaking Free: Divorce and Personal Resilience

Faced with limited options after being fired from her job due to the sudden marriage, Ping decides to end the marriage. At [32:59], she narrates her departure: “I was just sobbing all the way down the mountain... I chose homeless. It was my stubborn nature.” Despite receiving her German visa, Ping opts against moving to Germany, embracing a path fraught with uncertainty but true to her own aspirations.

Building a New Life: From Homelessness to Poetry

Ping's resilience shines as she overcomes homelessness in Beijing, eventually relocating to Minnesota. Her transformation from a struggling young woman to an accomplished poet is a testament to her enduring spirit. By the episode’s end, Ping is celebrated as an award-winning poet with 15 published books, embodying the triumph over adversity.

Performance of Ping's Poem: "A Flash of Selfish Consciousness"

The episode features an evocative performance by Ping Wang, where she recites her poem "A Flash of Selfish Consciousness." This piece delves into her internal struggles and reflections on identity, culture, and personal growth. Key excerpts include:

• “Happiness is, as much as anything, an illusion, a hypothesis, or a process of overcoming a series of pains.” ([33:41])
• “Sex brings bad luck... I think I'm going insane.” ([36:46])

Through her poetry, Ping articulates the complexities of her experiences, offering listeners a profound glimpse into her emotional landscape.

Additional Story: Katherine Forrest’s Hospital Experience

Following Ping's narrative, the episode transitions to a poignant story from family medicine physician Katherine Forrest. Told by Glenn Washington, Katherine shares her transformative experience in the emergency room:

• Connection with a Music Legend: Katherine recounts her interaction with the renowned violinist Isaac Stern, who visits a comatose patient at the hospital. Their shared moment underscores the profound impact of music and human connection. “It is Isaac Stern,” she reflects ([45:36]).

• Emotional Climax: As Isaac Stern plays a Tchaikovsky violin concerto, the presence of music brings peace to the patient, culminating in her peaceful passing. Katherine describes her emotional response: “I felt my grandfather actually with me... It was the most beautiful death possible for this person.” ([48:02])

Conclusion

The "Ping - Snap Classic" episode masterfully intertwines the stories of Ping Wang and Katherine Forrest, highlighting themes of resilience, unexpected challenges, and the profound impact of human connections. Through engaging storytelling and heartfelt performances, Snap Judgment invites listeners to empathize with and reflect on the nuanced journeys of its protagonists.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ping Wang at [04:04]: “I have no idea what just had happened. So I didn't.”
• Ping Wang at [12:15]: “My heart was just flushed and flooded with emotions, right? I never felt before then.”
• Ping Wang at [26:37]: “Come help me. Come. Just like get rid of the monkeys.”
• Ping Wang at [32:59]: “I chose homeless. It was my stubborn nature.”
• Ping Wang’s Poem at [33:41]: “Happiness is, as much as anything, an illusion, a hypothesis, or a process of overcoming a series of pains.”
• Katherine Forrest at [45:36]: “It is Isaac Stern.”
• Katherine Forrest at [48:02]: “It was the most beautiful death possible for this person.”

Final Thoughts

"Ping - Snap Classic" is a poignant exploration of life's unpredictability and the strength required to navigate its challenges. Whether through Ping's inspiring journey or Katherine’s touching hospital experience, the episode serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of dreams.

For more stories like these, follow Snap Judgment on your preferred podcast platform or visit snapjudgment.org.

Transcript

[Glenn Washington]

Snap Studios. Snap Judgment is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. In order to just maintain to live my life, I have to kind of trick myself with a series of choices. Red jacket or gray jacket, oatmeal or toast. Just to get the blood flowing. And yeah, some of the choices get harder. Is today the day you tear the band aid off that conversation you do not want to have or not pay this overdue bill or that overdue bill. And when I'm trying to trick myself, framing is everything. Is your lazy behind gonna get to the gym or not? Hey, I'm not lazy. Then go to the gym. Do you love your mother? Of course I love my mama. Then call her. And I know full well that this is a simplification, a game. That my universe of what to do at any given moment is not binary. It's infinite. But engaging. This game feels safer, feels more comforting, far less bewildering than the fact that I don't have to play. Today on Snap Judgment, we proudly present Pain, a story about one woman who chooses to play a different game altogether. My name is Glenn Washington, and you've made the best choice of all by listening. Snap Judgment. Snappers. What happens when dreams come true? Since she was but five years old, Ping knew she wanted to go to college. But in China, the Cultural Revolution began. So books were burned, schools were shut down, and Ping wouldn't have it. She educated herself in underground book clubs from third grade to high school, all for the biggest out of reach dream college. But Ping surprised herself when she not only got into college, she got into Beijing University, the Harvard of China. And Ping continued to dream. She wanted to be a post professor in poetry and creative writing. And she kept her head down in school. And just a week shy of graduating, someone else had other dreams for Ping. Snap judgment.

[Ping Wang]

Beijing University was like the best university in China. And it was like a miracle for me to get in. And I really didn't want to waste any minute to date any man, right? And I never dated any man, you know? So of course I knew I wanted the kids, but I never imagined my future husband. And then suddenly, my husband dropped from the sky. A week before I actually graduated from Beijing University, I was sleeping soundly and then suddenly the concierge lady just pounded on my door to say, wang Ping, get up and answer the phone. There was only one phone in the entire building. That was for hundreds of girls. I was sleeping on the upper bunk bed. So I just came down, stumbled toward the door into the concierge ladies room. She got into her room, which is also her bedroom, and opened the iron like little window, which is locked usually. And the phone was locked inside her room on her desk. So I reached in and got my phone and I said, hello. Then I heard his voice and he said, I'm Cheng Wan Long. You remember me, right? I'm your classmate from Hangzhou Foreign Language School. So I didn't know him much, except I had this image of this very naughty boy, lazy boy, a goofy boy. He's also very handsome. And then he said, I wrote to you like four years ago when you just got into Beijing University. I wanted to be your boyfriend. And he said, you asked me to wait until you graduated. And I said, huh? I barely remembered what he wrote. And he said, ping, will you marry me? I said, what? And he said, I'm coming to China. I'm coming back to China to marry you and just wait for me. Then he just hang up on the phone. And I put down the phone and walked back, like in a daze. I was still half asleep. I have no idea what just had happened. So I didn't. I just forget about it. I had one day before I graduated, you know, I was reading a book and all the girls were laughing, telling each other stories. And I was just laughing, lying on my top bunk bed and reading a book. And then someone just said, hey Ping, you got someone looking for you. And my God, I couldn't believe my eyes. This is the guy from six years ago from Hangzhou Foreign Language School and still very, very more handsome. Actually, you know, wearing the jeans, which is very fashionable in Beijing, so to see someone wearing those jeans is quite like the most fashionable thing. I try not to be too excited, but almost fell off my bunk bed, you know, coming down. And I said, oh, you're here. He said, yes, I'm here. Let's go get married. I said, what? He said, I've loved you all these years. Since the first time I laid my eyes on you, I wanted to marry you. But you have been ignoring me all these years. I waited all these years. You didn't know that, right? I said, no, I did not know because I overheard you guys rate my looks and you called me just B and B, so why should I pay any attention, right? And I know I'm ugly Girl, I grew up being called ugly girl, so I don't care. So I just want to be a good student. So why you come all the way from Germany to marry me? And he said, well, every boy in that classroom wanted to marry you. You didn't know that? I said, no, I didn't. I never dated any man. So he said, well, I'm here, you promised and you would marry me and let's go. And I thought about it and I thought, like, here, this man, right? Tall, handsome, good looking and coming all the way from Germany. And I just, my heart was just flushed and flooded with emotions, right? I never felt before then. He also told me he wanted to take me to Germany to study abroad. And that is almost impossible for Chinese to go abroad to study. That was everyone's dream. He was like a prince on a white horse coming to fetch me and promise to take me to a paradise. And I looked around and some girls were just staring at me. And when I didn't say, let's go, they just like, ping, go get married and go to Germany. Didn't you hear this man, like, is going to take you to Germany. Are you like, stupid or something? So everyone was like jeering and cheering and, you know, and I just thought it's so much pressure and so much confusion and at the same time, I feel like really, really moved. He swooned me, you know, and so I said yes. And everyone the girls like was cheering, Yay. Ping is getting married. Ping is going to Germany. I just wrote a letter to my mom and dad, said, I'm getting married and I'm going to Germany. That's it. So we went to the police station nearby, and that's how people get married to go and register. And I was wearing like the only shirt I had. So the woman was very kind and she registered us. And then she said, where's the marriage candy? Getting married is a big thing in all cultures, right? And especially in China. You're supposed to have like three days of banquets at least. The least you could do is like, bring some candy to sweeten things up. And I have no idea. I never even dated a man. So we got the marriage paper and then my husband would say, I will give you candy when we come back for divorce. And supposed to be a joke. I knew he meant it as a joke. Just when I heard that, my face just turned ashen and I thought, whoa, this is not good luck words to say. Then he said, let's go to the sacred Buddhist mountain in Sichuan called Mount Ermi and for honeymoon, I said, whoa, honeymoon? I asked him like, how long? And he said it will be about one month honeymoon. I said, well, in three weeks I have to start working, so I need to ask my boss if I could come back a week later. The new job I was about to start meant everything for me and for every Chinese at that time in China, in order to have a place to live, you have to have a job. I just got a job in the translation company in Beijing and they promised once I start working on September 1st, I would have my own room, I would have my coupons to buy food. Everything in China was rationed. You need coupons for rice, for oil, for salt, for sugar, for clothes. And without a job, then you are nothing, you're nobody. So we went there and actually he brought me a very nice shirt. The collar kind of like draped down and showed them, showed a little bit of my chest. And I went there and my new boss saw the new shirt. She was, I could tell she was not happy to see me wearing that like such a fashionable, they called like very unserious and not unprofessional shirt outfit. So I told her that I just got married and this is my new husband. And she congratulated me and then said, I may need a little bit extra time because we're going on a honeymoon. And after two or three years, I would like to go to Germany to live with my husband. My husband was immediately like muttering protest, no, two or three years, that's way too long. I want you to come with me, preferably this time with me. Come with me. When my boss heard that, she just said, oh, in that case, why don't you just go to Germany now? You don't need to come to work. She fired me on the spot. She said, even if you worked for me, it's very difficult for the company to get a good student from Beijing University. And we fought very, very hard to get you. And we were given just one spot and you took it and then you leave. Then we, we lose this opportunity. We're not going to be to get this another chance again. But if you don't come, we can go back to Beijing University. We can ask for another quota. And I understood. So I didn't try to argue with her and I just started crying. I immediately felt the weight of that decision, the consequence of that. And I had my husband and he was going back to Germany after the honeymoon. And I had no idea when my visa will come through. What was I supposed to do do when I Had no place to stay. My husband said, don't worry, don't worry, let's go to honeymoon, and then we'll immediately start applying your visa for Germany. You know, we'll see how things go. So next day, we took the train and went to Sichuan and started climbing the Mount Herme. From the bottom, it's almost like a rainforest. So a lot of greens, a lot of woods, like some big woods. And then as we go up higher, it changes, and the trail was narrow, but we managed to walk together shoulder by shoulder. So I thought as a honeymoon, like, we would probably, like, share a room. But he seemed not that interested. I always stayed with 10 other women, snoring like crazy, and I couldn't sleep well. And my husband always stayed with 10 other men. And I wonder where he was and why we're not together. I was already a little bit upset because this is supposed to be a honeymoon. So I thought he might be, like, still a student, and he probably spent all his money on the airplane ticket. So I was a little bit annoyed. On the third day, and we're talking about the full moon, and the full moon was still up in the sky as we were walking and looking at the full moon. And I was a little bit sentimental, and I just said, the moon, like in Chinese culture, represented the unity, union, romance, and love. I was about to say, I wish we had stayed in the same room together. That's where I was trying to go. And he basically just said, just a stupid moon. I said, no, the moon is so important for us. You know, the moon calendar, you know, the Chinese civilization and our calendar is a moon calendar. And how could you call the moon stupid? It's nothing. He finally got mad. He called me stupid. And when I get mad, I just stopped talking. I just stopped talking to him, and he just stomped away, and he refused to apologize, and I stomped away, and I was really mad. I grew up being called stupid, dumb, and stubborn like a donkey. So that really got me. I know I'm not stupid. I may be ugly and I may be socially inept, but I know I'm not stupid because I always got A's, right? I would not allow anyone to call me stupid to my face before. At least we were walking shoulder to shoulder that day. He was walking with other people, I was walking with other people. And then the next day, we tried to talk and ended up in another stupid argument. Every time we tried to reconcile, we started arguing. I started doubting, like, is this what marriage is about? This seems like, suck, you know? That doesn't seem like that much fun, actually. So, yeah, and I was worried how to get along with him in Germany. So next day I tried to reconcile with him and try to bring up other subjects. Actually my dream to study in America. I really like literature, I like poetry, I like art. Then he told me, well, one has to eat first, right? And he basically said, no, you're going to Germany and studying business and help me with business. We're going to make money. And I can't argue with my husband. What am I supposed to do? He is right. He is paying for everything and I have no money to pay for this honeymoon, right? So what could I say except to be quiet and walk behind him? He was walking ahead of me. We were going through this beautiful bamboo woods and just really green and really lush. He was walking like 10 yards ahead of me and I was walking behind him. Suddenly, a group of gigantic monkeys surrounded me. The head monkey is very big. He was like taller than. So I tried to raise my stick to scare them away and that was a huge mistake. He screamed and then he was on top of me and all the other monkeys was on top of me, pulling my legs, pulling my hair, scratching me. And I tried to like fight them off with my stick. And then the alpha monkey bit my leg so hard and I just screamed. And then I looked up, I saw my husband standing like a few yards away, laughing. And I was furious and just thought, come. And I screamed, help. Come help me. Come. Just like get rid of the monkeys. Pull them off me. And he just like, just laughing like idiot. He would not come close to me. So finally, I think those monkeys took the peanuts from my backpack and that's their gold. That's all they wanted from me, the peanuts from my backpack. Then suddenly they just vanished. They were gone. They came so suddenly. They were gone so suddenly. And I got up and my leg was bleeding heavily and I was just. I could barely walk. And so he just said, are you okay? I said nothing. I was really, really mad at him. So I just walked by him and just limped to the destination, to our hotel.

[Glenn Washington]

Snappers Ping and her husband have been fighting all the way up this honeymoon mountain. Before we climb after them, we're going to take a short break. Stay tuned. You know, when your new jacket becomes your go to jacket. It dresses up, it dresses down. That's what happened after I picked up a few pieces from Quint. Now I'm wearing this double brush stretch overshirt jacket all the time because it's sharp and Quint has things you actually want to wear like organic cotton silk polos, European linen beach shorts and pants you can wear anywhere without worrying. And the best part, the best part, everything with quince is priced 50 to 80% less than you'd find at similar brands. Luxury pieces without the luxury markups. Yes, this is my Flowknit Breeze performance long sleeve polo from Quint's. Getting all the compliments. Elevate your closet with quince. Go to quince.com snap for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E dot com snap to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com snap welcome back to Snap Judgment. You're listening to the Ping episode now. Ping just fought off a band of monkeys on her own. All the while her husband laughed in the corner and now she's headed to the hotel to spend the rest of her honeymoon with the man she just married. Snap Judgment.

[Ping Wang]

So we got there and it was about the dinner time, but I had to clean up. My jeans were just like soaked in blood. So I took them off. Then I like soaked my jeans in the basin outside in the tap water and my husband came out and he looked a little bit sad. He looked as if he wanted to reconcile with me. He threw his dirty socks and his dirty underwear into my basin where my bloody son of jeans were, right. He said, wash it for me. And just something inside me just exploded. I understand his motive. It's an intimate gesture for traditional Chinese men for the wife to wash. My husband is looking for needed a woman who would quietly cook, wash, do housework and raise children. I always knew I wanted to have kids and taking care of my husband, but not in this kind of fashion. I said, why don't you wash your own socks and underwear? So I just take them out, wash my jeans and then went back to my own room with other women and spent a sleepless night. I could not sleep at all. We got up like 3:00, 3:00am we went to the peak. That was like the most glorious scene. So I was with one crowd and my husband was with another crowd. And we watched this magnificent sunrise, just the sun coming rise little by little out of this mist ocean. Then when it's all over, I walked towards him. I told him, I'm going down the mountain, I'm going back to Beijing. I am not going to Germany with you. And he thought about it. He said, you're probably right, we're not meant for each other. We're not made for each other. Then I said, can we just file divorce right now? And I can just bring that divorce paper down with me so I'm free again. And he thought about it. He said, well, when you go back as a single woman, you will encounter a lot of great difficulties. First of all, you don't even have a place to live. And you have no money, you have no food to eat because you lost your job already. Do you know where you're going to stay? I said, that's none of your business now. Right? I will figure it out. Then I turned and walked down the mountain by myself. And I was just sobbing all the way down the mountain and I was crying in the train and I was telling myself, you're such a failure king. Right? Loser, you know, and it's supposed to be such the ideal marriage and you messed it up and now you are homeless. You know, you don't have a job, you don't have a place, you don't have. You don't have money, you don't have food to eat. What are you going to do? You know? I got my baggage was not easy. They almost arrested me for trespassing. But I finally got my baggage and also my bike. I just biked around and I spent the winter in Beijing. From abandoned building to another. Every once a week I would go back to Beijing University to that concierge lady and ask her if I got mail. She would always grumpily gave me my mail. And one day I found this mail. I got this mail from German Embassy that I got the visa. You know, I was really hungry, I was very cold, and I was homeless. I had no future. And here the door to paradise is wide open to me. The normal people would say, yeah, I'm going to Germany. I didn't speak a word of German and without the language, I couldn't work right, I have to go to him, stay with him. But I chose not to go. So I chose homeless. It was my stubborn nature.

[Glenn Washington]

So what happened to Ping? Everyone wants to know. Well, Ping did eventually make it out of that cold Beijing winter to cover poetry professor emeritus in cold snowy Minnesota. She's an award winning poet who's published 15 books.

[Ping Wang]

And.

[Glenn Washington]

And this next clip I'm going to play for you is Ping on stage performing a piece from one of those books. You might even recognize some of the elements from the story we just heard. But listen for additional details about what happened after she came down from the mountain. Ping Wang with the poem. A flash of selfish consciousness Flash of selfish consciousness.

[Ping Wang]

This poem is for the memory of cultural evolution. I grew up there since I was nine. Yeah, eight. Eight years old. And for 10 years I have to write self criticism every day in my family, at home and in school, or wherever I was at that time. And since I came here, I never had to do it. And sometimes I did feel kind of nostalgia. It's easy to do a good deed here and there, but a different matter to keep it up daily. For evil has many faces, and we must dig into the bottom of the soul to catch flashes of selfish consciousness, as Mao urged us in his Red Treasure book. It hurts, but it's good to be heard from time to time, says my Chinese doctor, digging, elbowing and kneeing into the acupuncture spots of the body. The body twitches and arcs and screams with a serene smile on his face. The doctor says pain awakens the heart and keeps it in good shape. When I was seven, I became crazy about Wu Xiang double five spiced beans. My grandma would give me only two or three each time, five if I was good. So I began to steal coins from under her pillow, one at a time. When I got 57 coins, I went to the store and bought half a kilogram of the beans. I took the bag to the kitchen and poured it onto the greasy table. I put my arms around the pile. This was all mine. I didn't have to share it with anyone else. I didn't have to pretend to be a selfless daughter or an elder sister. I could eat it quickly or slowly, standing or sitting or lying down. Any manner I fancied I could throw or give it away. I was the master of these bees. The kitchen was dark. The sun was shimmering in the sky of the summer noon. The beans smelled seductive. I filled my mouth with a handful and chewed until my jaws ached and numbed. Tears rolled down as I thought, ah, life is so good. And wouldn't it be better if no one ever woke up from their nap to interrupt my happiness? Happiness is, as much as anything, an illusion, a hypothesis, or a process of overcoming a series of pains. The sensation of feeling uprooted and floating, or stuck in the present, unable to move back or forward. You said, too bad women don't give you a chance. But do I really want a chance?

You.

You placed your hand on my shoulder. Your eyes the look of an animal. One day I asked mother, something is wrong with me. I feel dizzy and nauseous. My joints hurt like hell, my face burns and I'm pissing blood. Too much sex My dear daughter. Mother, I just got fired from my job, my writing rejected, and I might lose my apartment in the summer. What's going on? Sex brings bad luck. How many times do I need to tell you, Mother? My days are now filled with despair and my nights taken over by fever and bouts of sweat. I can't make friends with women. Men dump me for lack of tenderness. Mother, I think I'm going insane. This is the last time I say this, Daughter. Sex is the root of all sickness and evil deeds. Look at me. Since your father's death, I got my health back and my eternal happiness.

[Glenn Washington]

That was poet Ping Wong performing an excerpt from her award winning work. Thank you so much, Ping, for sharing her story. We'll have links to Ping's work on our website, snapjudgment.org that original score was by Daniel Riera. It was produced by Annie Nguyen. Now in just a moment, the serenade of a lifetime. Stay tuned. Welcome back to Snap Judgment. My name is Glenn Washington. Now our next story comes to us from our friends at the Nocturnist. And in it, family medicine physician Katherine Forrest tells us about a hospital experience that transported her back to her childhood.

[Katherine Forrest]

Of course, it was the ER nurse that figured it out. This motherly Ukrainian woman sidles up to me and pats my belly. I have his child. No, she says. How did she know? Only two days before, I'd been hiding in the nurse's bathroom in the er, propped up in the stall with pregnancy tests in my hand, waiting to see what I was going to find. And when that second pink dot lit up that I was pregnant, I practically screamed holding it in. But that was going to be a secret. You see, this was the 1980s, and to my knowledge there had been only one woman at my university, which shall be named unnamed, that had had a baby in training and hadn't dropped out of medicine completely. The nurse promised me she wouldn't tell anyone, but whenever I came into the emergency room, she gave me that knowing look. This was Mount Zion Hospital. It's in a neighborhood that is at that time was largely Eastern European and Russian. We had mostly immigrants for our patients. I remember this one feisty older Hungarian woman who had life size posters of the 49ers in her room and would page me overhead excitedly when she found out that I was from Hungarian heritage. And when I got there, you know, we were all about Roger Craig and Joe Montana's latest play. But mainly she just wanted to pinch my cheek. She would say, just like my Hungarian grandparents. It was really A sweet and wonderful time in so many ways. The morning I found out that I was pregnant, I had admitted a 92 year old Russian woman to our service. I was a third year medical student on the team and she'd had a stroke and was in a coma and unresponsive. And her son comes walking up and tells me and the intern, we want her to have dignity, he says. And the intern like, looks blankly at him. Keep her this way, he says, we want a friend to come visit Zegzis. And he's like, the intern's like completely clueless. But I could hear English in any one's speech. In fact, when I was nine years old is when I figured out that my grandparents didn't speak English like other people. I thought that's just how older people spoke, you know, like my friends would come over and I'd be translating English into English. So when this 92 year old woman was there and her son was trying to speak with us, I could step in and translate. And I did. I was able to say that this woman had a living will, the family wanted her to live, and that a special guest would be coming that evening. It is Isaac Stern, he says, Isaac Stern, only the greatest violinist of that time. My jaw drops, but my classical musician's heart leapt two octaves. So later that night, quite late, this older, balding, thick man comes striding up to the nursing station with his worn violin case. And I go to meet him. I would like to find Ms. Bina, he says. Mrs. Bina. I'm making up her name. And I'm completely speechless because I recognize Isaac Stern. So we walk down the hallway and a nighttime hospital is a sacred place and really quite odd. There's that blue light from rooms for people watching tv, and there's the sound of, you know, canned laughter and mechanical sounds of respirators. And the nurses are all different places charting, but there are no visitors. So together we walk down the hall and he says, maestro taught me everything I know about music. Everything I know. And she was like a mother to me. And I say, well, she's not awake right now, but we know that hearing is the most primitive of the senses. And if you can communicate with her, she will. You'll be able to connect. You should feel free to do that. And we arrive at the door and he says, it is okay if I can if I play violin? Absolutely, I say. Absolutely. And then I realize, is it okay if I listen? And he says yes. And I take his hand and we walk into her room. Together. And there's my patient with her head on the pillow, her face sagging, looking ashen. And there's Isaac Stern, transparent with emotion. I say, isaac Stern is here to play some music for you. He takes his violin out of the case and begins to tune up. And I step out of the hallway and I sink down onto the floor, hands on knees, to listen. When I was just a kid, my brother and I used to climb under the piano of my grandfather. My grandfather and my father were playing four hands piano versions of symphonies. And we felt like we were inside that piano, like the music was part of us. So as Isaac started to play this Tchaikovsky violin concerto that I know so well, but never have I heard played.

[Ping Wang]

Like this.

[Katherine Forrest]

Tears are just streaming down my face and I feel my grandfather actually with me. Beautiful, he says. Beautiful. I'm just crying. After about 30 minutes, Isaac Stern comes out of the room with wonder in his eyes. And he says, she opened her eyes. She looked at me. I looked at him, he looked at me. We held hands. I looked in his eyes and he knew that I knew what had happened. I stepped inside to see my patient, Ms. Bina. And there she was, peaceful looking. And a couple hours later, she died. That night as I climbed into my bed, I felt actually completely at peace in the universe. I had heard celestial music being played, and I was very excited about this life inside me. And I just hoped with all my heart that my child would be able to experience music the way I had that night, just coursing through my body. The next morning, I get up, put on my lab coat, get off to morning rounds, reach into my pocket, pull out those index cards. Yeah, index cards. And Miss Venus is blank. She died in the evening, I said. But what I longed to say was that I learned something really important about human connection and that Isaac Stern's music had made the most beautiful death possible for this person. Sun.

[Glenn Washington]

That story, dying to Tchaikovsky, came to us from the Nocturnist podcast. It was told by Kathryn Forrest, M.D. the Nocturnists are a vibrant community of healthcare workers who are celebrating their humanity through storytelling, deaf live performances, a podcast, and so much more. The Nocturnist is hosted by Emily Silverman, produced by Emily Silverman and Marina Poole, story development by Adelaide Papazzolo, sound engineering by Alberto Hernandez with assistant producing by Kirk Klocke. Original theme music by Yossi Munroe. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. Learn more about the Knockers on our website snapjudgment.org yes, yes, you've just walked a mile in someone else's shoes. How does it feel? Like you want more journeys, right? Like whose life you get to live? Next, here's what you do to be the most interesting person your friends know. Follow Snap Judgment on any podcast platform for more incredible stories from all over the world. Snapjudgment.org Snap is brought to you by the team that greets each day with a smile. Except for the Uber producer Mark Ristich. He greets each day blaming random people for hiding his keys. Check your pants Pocket Mark, Nancy Lopez, Pat Messini, Miller, Anna Sussman, Renzo Gorilla, Shayna Shealy, Teo Ducat, Flo Wyllard, John Fascinating Seal, Marissa Dodge, Regina Berriaco, Davy Kim, Bo Walsh, David Exime, and Amy Nguyen. Wow. This is not the news. No waste news. In fact, at the kids party you could pull a rabbit out of a hat only to realize this is not a hat and that certainly isn't a rabbit. All of this and you would still still not be as far away from the news as this is. But this is PRX.