Podcast Summary: The Moth Radio Hour – “Growing Pains”

Release Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Chloe Salmon
Theme: Stories of growing up, transformation, and the awkward, challenging, and profound moments that shape us.

Episode Overview

This episode features five remarkable true-life stories, told live on stage, exploring the messy and enlightening journey of growing up. From childhood rivalries to parental bonds, career choices to moral dilemmas, and the bittersweet evolution of parenthood, each storyteller reflects on the pivotal, sometimes painful, moments that shaped who they became.

Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. Jennifer Lubin: “Me vs. Annie”

Location: Slam in Washington D.C.
[03:21 - 08:57]

• Premise: Jennifer recounts her intense childhood rivalry with the fictional Little Orphan Annie, convinced—at age seven—her mother might give her up for adoption in favor of the spunky movie heroine.
• Key Moments:
  • Jennifer’s efforts to outperform Annie: memorizing and performing movie songs to prove her worth.
  • Mission to warn her younger brother that he, too, may be replaced—especially given their mom’s fondness for Webster and other TV children.
  • Relief arrives unexpectedly when the family VCR breaks, halting endless screenings of Annie and giving Jennifer a chance to shine again.
• Core Insight: The irrational fears and wild emotional swings of childhood, and the early lessons in self-worth and not measuring oneself against others.
• Memorable Quote:
  “I was a seven year old drama queen in the second grade ... I had managed to convince myself that the possibility of her giving me away was kind of going to be real.” – Jennifer Lubin (03:26)

2. Ann Stewart: “Crappy Job, Big Impact”

Location: Boston Story Slam
[10:10 - 15:45]

• Premise: The summer after high school, Ann starts working the newspaper telephone switchboard—her family’s in the journalism business and all signs point to her joining it.
• Key Moments:
  • Unexpected calls from the community—weather, sports scores, even UFO reports—highlight her role as an information hub in a pre-internet world.
  • Finds herself relaying breaking news on Watergate and Nixon’s impending resignation, feeling the weight and thrill of real journalism for the first time.
  • This “crappy little job” confirms her passion for journalism:
    “I am 17 years old. Two months ago I was in high school. And now I'm telling people about the biggest news story of our time.” – Ann Stewart (14:13)
• Core Insight: Early, seemingly insignificant jobs can provide clarity about our passions, and the pressure to choose a path often resolves itself through real-world experience.

Brief Interview Addendum [16:12]:

• Ann advises her younger self:
  “Whatever you decide, it's going to work out. You'll decide what you decide and if you like it, you'll continue doing it. And if you don't, you'll do something else.” – Ann Stewart (16:12)

3. Stephen Farrell: “Two Miracles”

Location: Slam in New York City
[21:08 - 27:17]

• Premise: Stephen, born with limited vision, recounts hitting a baseball for the first time at age 10—the same night his terminally ill mother is near death.
• Key Moments:
  • Meticulously strategizing how to get on base, usually by getting hit by the pitch; on this night, miraculously, he finally gets a hit.
  • Plans to tell his mother in the hospital, but she's dying. As she passes, he sees a deep peace in her eyes, realizing she was able to let go with confidence in her family’s future.
  • Classic childhood awkwardness in processing grief—resuming baseball with a friend immediately after his mother’s death.
• Core Insight: How a single, small triumph can symbolize hope during overwhelming loss, and how children absorb and carry forward the strength given by their parents’ love.
• Memorable Quote:
  “All I really wanted to shout was, ‘I hit a baseball. There can be two miracles tonight, Mom.’ But no, I said, ‘It’s okay.’” – Stephen Farrell (25:07)

4. Esther Goomby: “The Truth About My Report Card”

Location: Moth Global Community Show, Washington D.C.
[28:53 - 39:07]

• Premise: Esther, the daughter of Kenyan teachers and farmers, tries to cover up her failings at school by altering her report card—but her mother’s faith in her changes everything.
• Key Moments:
  • The anxiety and shame of ranking 38th out of 100, leading Esther to erase the “8” and show her mother a “3.”
  • Mother’s unexpected reaction—tears, not punishment. She expresses faith in Esther’s intelligence and potential, urging her to “rise up.”
  • The moment catalyzes Esther’s transformation: she immerses herself in her studies, eventually graduating first in her class, going to college, and earning her doctorate.
• Core Insight: The power of parental belief and gentle encouragement to inspire real, lasting change.
• Memorable Quote:
  “With tears flowing through her cheeks, she gently looks at my eye ... she says to me, ‘My daughter, I believe in you.’” – Esther Goomby (34:46)

5. Ernesto Quiñones: “Going to Graceland”

Location: Majestic Theater, San Antonio, TX
[43:24 - 54:35]

• Premise: Newly inspired by a Paul Simon lyric about a father and child journeying to Graceland, Ernesto tries and (hilariously) fails to convince his daughter to join him on a pilgrimage. Across the years, he reflects on music, parenting, and letting go.
• Key Moments:
  • His daughter, Scarlett, rebuffs every attempt—preferring Minecraft and modern pop idols to road trips and Paul Simon.
  • Ernesto's plan to subconsciously convert her by playing “Graceland” at every opportunity.
  • Their love language is music, even as Scarlett grows and eventually prefers her own artists.
  • A poignant turn: Scarlett gently quotes George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” to comfort her father, showing how much she's internalized his musical teaching.
  • The closing reflection that parenting is a long process of letting go, with hope for reconnection in the future.
• Core Insight: Children grow away from us, but the things we love can still bind us across time—and letting go is part of the journey.
• Memorable Quote:
  “All things must pass. All things must pass away.” – Scarlett (via George Harrison), recalled by Ernesto (52:37) <br> “As soon as they are born, we start losing them ... and Graceland was me wanting to live out this rock lyric that meant a lot to me before I completely lost her.” – Ernesto Quiñones (51:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Jennifer Lubin:
  “Do you wanna be my mama or don't you?” (05:08)
• Ann Stewart:
  “I am 17 years old. Two months ago I was in high school. And now I’m telling people about the biggest news story of our time.” (14:13)
• Stephen Farrell:
  “There can be two miracles tonight, Mom.” (25:07)
• Esther Goomby:
  “My daughter, I believe in you ... it’s not too late. Rise up.” (34:46)
• Ernesto Quiñones:
  “All things must pass. All things must pass away.” (52:37)

Key Takeaways

• Growing up is a continual, messy process, full of insecurities, discovery, and transformations—rarely tied up in a single “special” moment.
• Family, in all its forms, is at the heart of our formative pains and breakthroughs, whether it’s the fear of being replaced, feeling the weight of expectations, coping with loss, learning from compassion, or letting go as a parent.
• Love and encouragement, especially from parents, can be life-changing—sometimes more than discipline or punishment.
• Letting go is a natural (yet painful) part of parenting and growing up, but the connections we foster endure and can return in surprising ways.

Story Segments & Timestamps

• [03:21] Jennifer Lubin – “Me vs. Annie”
• [10:10] Ann Stewart – “Crappy Job, Big Impact”
• [21:08] Stephen Farrell – “Two Miracles”
• [28:53] Esther Goomby – “The Truth About My Report Card”
• [43:24] Ernesto Quiñones – “Going to Graceland”

Additional Resources

• Photos and further materials from the storytellers: theMoth.org
• To pitch your story: Call 877-799-MOTH or record online.

Closing Notes

This “Growing Pains” episode is a heartwarming, funny, and deeply human exploration of the universal challenges involved in coming of age—and the powerful love, forgiveness, and music that help us through.

For first-time and returning listeners alike, this episode is filled with laughter, vulnerability, wisdom, and reminders that we are always in the process of growing up, no matter our age.