Steve Zimmer & Kirby Adams: StorySLAM Favorites - The Moth

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[00:00]
Intuit TurboTax
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[01:02]
Apple
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[01:31]
Dan Kennedy
Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This week we bring you two Slam stories. And just as a reminder, the Story Slams are the open mic storytelling competitions that we host in cities across the country. Our first story this week by Steve Zimmer was recorded live at a Story Slam in New York City last year. The theme of the night was Vices.
[01:59]
Steve Zimmer
Tetris is the video game where the geometric pieces fall from the sky and you have to slide them into neat rows. Otherwise they pile up and you could die. So PC Magazine voted it one of the 10 best games ever. But in reality, it's stupid. Tetris 3D, however, is not stupid. A copy circulates around the reports department at the Federal Reserve bank of New York, gaining a particularly strong foothold in cubicle sector 6H pod F home to Mark, Alicia, me and a weird guy we don't talk to. Now the game now Tetris 3D. Unlike the regular Tetris where you look at it from the side, in Tetris your view is from the top and you stare into the abyss as the pieces come down around you and they're like made. Each piece is made of five smaller cubes in different odd shapes, except for the elusive rod, which is five long and Straight, rare and valuable. So Mark, Mark, Alicia and I play all the time, and we're scoring around 80,000. Our boss is suspicious, and Alicia's worried. But then, you know her. But, you know, Mark and I are like, well, it'll be all okay as long as we all do it. And we decide that, you know, whoever gets the highest score, you know, must be honored as the smartest person in the pod. And Alicia's enthusiasm gets rekindled when she realized that you can slide pieces on the floor, which enables her to be the first person to break 100,000. So that really, like, amps up the competition. And I'm playing, you know, I'm playing now, like, over four hours a day, and it's affecting other aspects of my life. My performance at work suffers, and my girlfriend wants to know why. My eyes are always bloodshot. And by now, Mark and I are scoring around 160,000. When I have the insight that, well, maybe rather than trying to play fast, what you need to. I'll bet there's a big jump if you can get rid of five rows at a time. So I start experimenting with that where, you know, build up the layers. Build up the layers, you know, but, you know, leaving a hole in the middle and. But which is dangerous because, you know, it's getting close to your face, and, you know, and it's getting closer and closer. But then, you know, like. But then the 5 one comes, and I shove the rod into the hole, and the game makes the sound like. And the lights flash and the layers disappear, and my score jumps 35,000 points. And also the game pauses for a second, which is good because I actually need it to just reorient because I temporarily, temporarily lost purpose. And so. And so, unfortunately, around. And now, at this point, Alicia quits the competition, claiming that the game is misogynist. But in truth, our scores have been slipping. So now things are getting really intense. But. But unfortunately, at this point, my girlfriend has deduced what I'm doing, and she makes me see a doctor who puts me on Ritalin. And Kate, that's her name, she's a precursor to a future, more serious girlfriend who gets me put on Adderall. Anyway, the Ritalin is really effective. My scores jump immediately, and I'm now able to play effectively, even if, like, the work phone's ringing. So I'm getting, like 250,000 now, and Mark is stuck around 220, and I'm, you know, it looks like I'm going to be able to retire, which is bittersweet. But then out of nowhere, he gets like 258. And so it's like, fine, you know, it's like 263, 268, 273. And it's just. It's like punishing the time and effort and everything, but it's like. And I'm almost ready to quit when he gets a 282. But then one day, I just get, like, a five thing early, and then I get another one, and no one's ever gotten three because the game goes faster and faster as you go. That's how it eventually eliminates you, no matter how good you are. But I'm building it. I'm building it, and it's very close. And then I get it, and I All five cubes right in. And now the game's like. They're just coming down really fast, but I'm going really fast, and I'm staying alive. And it's 306,000. So one time in my life, I reached my potential. And so I don't tell anyone because in the neighboring pod, there's a birthday. So I figured I'll just break the news over the complimentary enemies. And so, you know, so, you know, everyone's like. There's, like, about 15 people there, and I tell them about my score, and everyone looks just kind of, like, uncomfortable. And Alicia says to Mark, you better tell him. It turns out Mark has not played since he got. Since 224,000. He was able to hack the game and fake his scores to egg me on. So no one there thinks it's funny. It's kind of awkward because the game went on too long and people aren't really laughing, except for the weird guy, you know, we don't talk to, and he's just, like. It turns out, like, he really resents me. And so I'm like, basically, you know, the biggest loser in reports, which is like, you know, being the best surfer in Hawaii. And so. And, you know, Mark, you know, like, tries to make up. He gives me a card, and, you know, we kind of become friends again, but, you know, it's not the same. And so it's like I've become a laughingstock, hurt my career, annoyed my girlfriend, strained my eyes, and lost a friend. But that's okay because I'm the smartest guy in the pod.
[08:56]
Dan Kennedy
Steve Zimmer has been attending the moth in New York City since 2004 and telling stories since 2006. He's an enthusiastic participant in all aspects of moth life and A less enthusiastic participant in his own life. The next story you're about to hear by Kirby Adams was recorded live at our very first Story Slam in Louisville, Kentucky. I hope I got that right, because everyone down there that night tried to teach me how to say it properly. When we launched our first Story Slam there in September of last year, the theme of that night was scars.
[09:38]
Apple
All right, so I'm so glad to be here. This is. I really can't see anything, so I'll just pretend like I'm telling this story to my daughter. You know, my father had the swagger of a jet pilot. Because he was a jet pilot. He liked to land planes on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean. And he had this real sense of, you need to be determined about whatever it is you do in life and do it as well as you can. And so I wanted to do that. And at nine years old, he was my hero. And that is exactly what I came up with a plan to do. We were watching the Olympics, the Summer Olympics, and he pointed out for each one of the four kids in our family what sport he thought we would be good at. For my brother Derek, he said, you know, the decathlon. And for my sister Lane, he told her he thought she'd be a good swimmer. My brother Chad was like two, so he didn't really get a sport, but he would be good at something someday. And then he told my. My dad told me, kirby, I think you'd be a really good runner. So that summer, my brother spent most of the summer throwing the dinner plates around. And my sister kicked around in the bathtub. And I ran up and down the stairs, sidewalk. But I wasn't really getting any better. And I had this determination that I would become an Olympic runner and win a silver medal, because gold just seemed like too much pressure. That's true. Silver sounded like a good idea to me. So I started a new school that year. Roosevelt elementary School up in Northern Illinois. Gabe, head southern. I have northern. And I didn't have anybody to talk to on the bus. You know how that is. So I'd look out the window, and I'd. I came up with this plan. And the plan was that I would get off a bus stop early, and then I would practice my sprinting and get to my bus stop, you know, and try to beat the bus. So I started this pretty soon after that. I'd sneak in between the five or six kids who were getting off at that bus stop so the bus stop driver wouldn't notice. I'd get off. And when the door shut, that was my signal to go. Now, as a mother now, what I did is mortifying. I didn't run on the sidewalk. I ran right next to the bus wheels in all that asphalt and the little pebbles. But I kept doing this. You know, back in those days, they didn't carry those big L.L. bean backpacks, you know, you only had a book maybe on library day. So I wasn't, I wasn't encumbered by that. But I also didn't have running shoes. We didn't maybe red ball jets for one day a week of gym class. But I had to wear these horrible lace up shoes with the hard soles on them because my mom thought that was the only way that you would have good strong arches when you got older. So I had these slick black velvet Buster Brown shoes. The other thing that I liked to do before I ran was I would take my socks. I didn't like the way my knee socks felt when they were sliding down my shins. So I'd roll them down and I'd make these donuts around my ankles, these big donuts around my ankles. And then I didn't like the way my skirt felt either. So I'd roll that up so I had a big wedge here and these donuts around my ankles. I had this blonde hair and a big bow. And after a while these kids started noticing this new kid who kept getting off the bus and running next to it as fast as she could. And they'd come up against the bus windows there and they would scream and they would yell and they'd always come to the right side. And I thought this was fabulous. And if the bus took got ahead of me, you know, there was more traffic. I'd fall back and the window back there at the emergency window, they'd all be back there screaming. I only heard like a cacophony of sound, but I was sure it was my Olympics. You know, this was great. Once in a while some of the other kids would get off and you know, the weird thing is the bus driver never said anything about this. This was, I hate, I don't want to tell you this, but this was the 60s. And I think the bus driver may have either been stoned or just didn't care, but never said a thing. So one day I'm rolling down my socks, getting ready for, getting ready to race the bus, and along comes Steve Southern. Now Steve Southern was the boy in third grade that I thought was dreamy of all the boys in third grade. It was Steve. And he comes up to me, and he goes, I'm gonna kick your butt. Except he didn't say, but. And I thought, now what? So we get off the bus, and I'm thinking as I'm getting down, wait. I don't race people. I don't race the kids. I race the machine. So we get off. Now, remember, the way I do this is very precise. Socks rolled down, skirt rolled up, hair in the bow. And you don't go until the door shuts. Well, Steve Southern gets off, and he starts running. So I'm thinking, oh, my God. So I come down, and I start taking off. The kids are screaming on the side of the bus. I'm catching up to Steve, right? The bus driver. I look over to the bus driver, and the bus driver's even screaming, smiling at me. And I'm thinking, I don't know if it was the bus driver smiling or if it was Steve Southern pushing me, but at that point, I took this big face plant into all those little rocks. But I got up, and I was mad, so I started running after him again. And I'm running, and I. Well, I didn't catch Steve, and I didn't catch the bus on that particular day. But the person waiting for me at the end of the. At my house was my dad. He was dumping the garbage, and he takes a look at me, and I'm all covered in dirt, and I've got blood in my. Or, I've got rocks in my hands and blood going down my knees. And he looks at me, and he says, what happened to you? I said, now he should have said, you're my hero, dad, and I want to do something that will make you really, really proud. And I'm training for the Olympics so that I can get a silver medal. And I said, instead, I fell down. And then he looked at me really disgusted, and he looked all the way down, and he said, what's wrong with your socks? And I looked down at my little knees all full of rocks and the blood dripping down into my knee socks. And I should have said, you know, it's more aerodynamic. But I said, I just like the way it feels. So. All right, so I got to speed up here. So what happened then was I didn't really clean anything up. I tried to get the blood out of my socks, but I didn't clean the rocks out of my hands or my knees. And eventually, that one little part in my knee that had the largest rock in it, the rock stayed under the scab. And I would sit in class and I would feel that. And you know when you're nine years old, you start to think, boy, I could get rock poisoning. Or worse yet, remember this when you were nine I could get locked jaw and die from this. So eventually I dug it out of my knee when I was in the bathtub. It got all and I dug it out. Now my family moved away, we went to another place to live and I still had to walk about a mile to the bus stop. Sometimes I ran, but I never raced a bus again. I did, however, when I became an adult, start running again and I started winning races. I raced people. I won a couple of 26 mile marathons and I did go to the Olympic trials where I finished 12th. I got a lot of, I got a thank you, thank you. I got a lot of scars along the way, probably both mental and physical. But I will tell you that if any of you are ever and amore gonna have to identify my body, the scar that says the most about me is that little crescent moon at the bottom of my knee. Thank you.
[17:46]
Dan Kennedy
Kirby Adams is an award winning journalist who has been working in television, radio and print for three decades. After hosting television shows in San Antonio and Seattle, Kirby settled in Louisville, Kentucky where she lives with her husband and two daughters. And one more reminder, the moth main stage is in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 1st. Presented by UCLA live in Royce hall as part of their spoken word series. For more information and tickets go to.
[18:17]
Apple
Themoth.Org Our podcast host, Dan Kennedy is the author of the book Rock an Office Power Ballad. Learn more@rockonthebook.com thanks to all of you.
[18:27]
Dan Kennedy
For listening and we hope you have a story story worthy week. Podcast audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. Podcast hosting by PRX Public Radio Exchange helping make public radio more public@prx.org.

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: The Moth – "Steve Zimmer & Kirby Adams: StorySLAM Favorites"

Release Date: January 23, 2012

Introduction

In this episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy presents two standout StorySLAM favorites from storytellers Steve Zimmer and Kirby Adams. These narratives delve into themes of obsession, competition, personal growth, and resilience, all delivered with the authentic, raw emotion characteristic of The Moth's storytelling style.

Steve Zimmer: "Tetris 3D Obsession"

[1:58 – 8:56]

Steve Zimmer captivates the audience with his humorous yet insightful story about his deepening obsession with a game called Tetris 3D at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. What begins as a lighthearted competition among colleagues quickly spirals into an all-consuming pursuit that impacts every facet of his life.

Key Points:

Introduction to Tetris 3D: Zimmer describes the game as a more complex version of the classic Tetris, viewed from the top, where players must strategically place five-cube pieces to prevent the stack from piling up.

“Tetris 3D... Each piece is made of five smaller cubes in different odd shapes, except for the elusive rod, which is five long and straight, rare and valuable.” [02:30]
Workplace Competition: Alongside his coworkers Mark and Alicia, Zimmer becomes intensely competitive, aiming to outscore each other. The friendly rivalry escalates as Alicia discovers a technique to score higher, reigniting her enthusiasm.
Personal Sacrifices: Zimmer's dedication leads to playing over four hours a day, negatively affecting his work performance and personal relationships.

“I'm playing now, like, over four hours a day, and it's affecting other aspects of my life. My performance at work suffers, and my girlfriend wants to know why.” [05:20]
Health and Performance Enhancements: Concerned about his declining performance and well-being, Zimmer seeks medical help and is prescribed Ritalin, which temporarily boosts his gaming performance.

“The Ritalin is really effective. My scores jump immediately, and I'm now able to play effectively...” [06:40]
Rivalry Escalates: Mark manipulates the game to maintain his lead, leading to heightened tensions. Despite Zimmer's initial triumph of reaching 306,000 points, the victory feels hollow as it brings personal losses.

“I've become a laughingstock, hurt my career, annoyed my girlfriend, strained my eyes, and lost a friend. But that's okay because I'm the smartest guy in the pod.” [08:50]

Notable Quotes:

Zimmer on the Complexity of Tetris 3D:

“Tetris 3D... Each piece is made of five smaller cubes...” [02:30]
Zimmer Reflecting on Personal Sacrifices:

“I'm playing now, like, over four hours a day...” [05:20]
Zimmer on the Aftermath of His Obsession:

“I've become a laughingstock... But that's okay...” [08:50]

Kirby Adams: "Chasing the Olympic Dream"

[9:37 – 17:46]

Kirby Adams takes the listeners through her childhood ambition to become an Olympic runner, inspired by her father's legacy as a jet pilot. Her story is a poignant exploration of determination, resilience, and the unintended consequences of relentless pursuit.

Key Points:

Inspiration and Early Ambition: At nine years old, inspired by her father’s achievements, Adams sets a goal to win a silver medal in the Olympics, believing gold to be too daunting.

“I started a new school that year... I would get off a bus stop early, and then I would practice my sprinting and get to my bus stop...” [10:15]
Rigorous Training: Despite lacking proper running gear and facing physical challenges, Adams trains meticulously, developing unique techniques like rolling her socks and skirt to enhance aerodynamics.
Incident with Steve Southern: A pivotal moment occurs when Adams races her childhood crush, Steve Southern, leading to a fall that results in a lasting scar.

“I fell down... I had this blonde hair and a big bow... I just like the way it feels.” [13:05]
Parental Expectations and Realization: After her fall, Adams confronts her father, who addresses her injuries and unmet expectations. This moment marks a shift in her understanding of ambition and personal limits.

“He should have said, you're my hero, dad... I fell down.” [15:45]
Long-Term Impact and Achievements: Moving beyond her childhood obsession, Adams channels her determination into adult pursuits, participating in marathons and Olympic trials, ultimately finding balance and embracing her scars as symbols of her journey.

“The scar that says the most about me is that little crescent moon at the bottom of my knee.” [17:30]

Notable Quotes:

Adams on Her Training Routine:

“I would sneak in between the five or six kids who were getting off... and the door shut was my signal to go.” [10:15]
Adams Reflecting on Her Fall:

“I just like the way it feels.” [13:05]
Adams on Her Enduring Scar:

“The scar that says the most about me is that little crescent moon at the bottom of my knee.” [17:30]

Conclusion

Both Steve Zimmer and Kirby Adams deliver powerful narratives that underscore the thin line between passion and obsession. Zimmer’s humorous yet cautionary tale of workplace competition highlights the personal costs of unchecked ambition, while Adams’ heartfelt recount of childhood dreams and their long-term impact illustrates resilience and the ability to find strength in one’s scars. These stories not only entertain but also provoke reflection on the nature of our pursuits and the balance between striving for excellence and maintaining personal well-being.

Additional Information

Host Background: Dan Kennedy introduces Steve Zimmer as a long-time participant in The Moth community, emphasizing his years of storytelling and involvement.

“Steve Zimmer has been attending the moth in New York City since 2004 and telling stories since 2006...” [08:56]
Kirby Adams’ Credentials: Adams is portrayed as an accomplished journalist with a rich career spanning television, radio, and print media, living in Louisville, Kentucky with her family.

“Kirby Adams is an award-winning journalist who has been working in television, radio and print for three decades...” [17:46]
Upcoming Events: The episode also mentions an upcoming Moth main stage event in Los Angeles on March 1st at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Notable Quotes Summary

Steve Zimmer:
- “Tetris 3D... Each piece is made of five smaller cubes...” [02:30]
- “I'm playing now, like, over four hours a day...” [05:20]
- “I've become a laughingstock... But that's okay...” [08:50]
Kirby Adams:
- “I would sneak in between the five or six kids who were getting off...” [10:15]
- “I just like the way it feels.” [13:05]
- “The scar that says the most about me is that little crescent moon at the bottom of my knee.” [17:30]

This episode of The Moth offers a deep dive into personal narratives that explore the complexities of ambition and the human spirit's resilience. Both storytellers leave listeners contemplating their own pursuits and the balance between striving for greatness and maintaining personal harmony.

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Transcript9 lines

[00:00]
Intuit TurboTax
This is a message from sponsor Intuit. TurboTax Taxes was waiting and wondering and worrying if you were going to get any money back and then waiting, wondering and worrying some more. Now Taxes is matching with a TurboTax expert who can do your taxes as soon as today. An expert who gives your taxes their undivided attention as they work on your return while you get real time updates on their progress so you can focus on your day. An expert who will find you every deduction possible and file every form, every investment, Every everything with 100% accuracy. All so you can get the most money back guaranteed. No waiting, no wondering, no worries. Now this is Taxes. Get an Expert now on TurboTax.com only available with TurboTax Live full service real time updates only in iOS mobile app. See guarantee details@turbotax.com guarantees the Apple Watch.
[01:02]
Apple
Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever. It's also the thinnest Apple Watch ever, making it even more comfortable on your wrist whether you're running, swimming or sleeping. And it's the fastest charging Apple Watch, getting you eight hours of charge in just 15 minutes. The Apple Watch Series 10, available for the first time in glossy jet black aluminum. Compared to previous generations, iPhone Xs are later required charge time and actual results will vary.
[01:31]
Dan Kennedy
Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This week we bring you two Slam stories. And just as a reminder, the Story Slams are the open mic storytelling competitions that we host in cities across the country. Our first story this week by Steve Zimmer was recorded live at a Story Slam in New York City last year. The theme of the night was Vices.
[01:59]
Steve Zimmer
Tetris is the video game where the geometric pieces fall from the sky and you have to slide them into neat rows. Otherwise they pile up and you could die. So PC Magazine voted it one of the 10 best games ever. But in reality, it's stupid. Tetris 3D, however, is not stupid. A copy circulates around the reports department at the Federal Reserve bank of New York, gaining a particularly strong foothold in cubicle sector 6H pod F home to Mark, Alicia, me and a weird guy we don't talk to. Now the game now Tetris 3D. Unlike the regular Tetris where you look at it from the side, in Tetris your view is from the top and you stare into the abyss as the pieces come down around you and they're like made. Each piece is made of five smaller cubes in different odd shapes, except for the elusive rod, which is five long and Straight, rare and valuable. So Mark, Mark, Alicia and I play all the time, and we're scoring around 80,000. Our boss is suspicious, and Alicia's worried. But then, you know her. But, you know, Mark and I are like, well, it'll be all okay as long as we all do it. And we decide that, you know, whoever gets the highest score, you know, must be honored as the smartest person in the pod. And Alicia's enthusiasm gets rekindled when she realized that you can slide pieces on the floor, which enables her to be the first person to break 100,000. So that really, like, amps up the competition. And I'm playing, you know, I'm playing now, like, over four hours a day, and it's affecting other aspects of my life. My performance at work suffers, and my girlfriend wants to know why. My eyes are always bloodshot. And by now, Mark and I are scoring around 160,000. When I have the insight that, well, maybe rather than trying to play fast, what you need to. I'll bet there's a big jump if you can get rid of five rows at a time. So I start experimenting with that where, you know, build up the layers. Build up the layers, you know, but, you know, leaving a hole in the middle and. But which is dangerous because, you know, it's getting close to your face, and, you know, and it's getting closer and closer. But then, you know, like. But then the 5 one comes, and I shove the rod into the hole, and the game makes the sound like. And the lights flash and the layers disappear, and my score jumps 35,000 points. And also the game pauses for a second, which is good because I actually need it to just reorient because I temporarily, temporarily lost purpose. And so. And so, unfortunately, around. And now, at this point, Alicia quits the competition, claiming that the game is misogynist. But in truth, our scores have been slipping. So now things are getting really intense. But. But unfortunately, at this point, my girlfriend has deduced what I'm doing, and she makes me see a doctor who puts me on Ritalin. And Kate, that's her name, she's a precursor to a future, more serious girlfriend who gets me put on Adderall. Anyway, the Ritalin is really effective. My scores jump immediately, and I'm now able to play effectively, even if, like, the work phone's ringing. So I'm getting, like 250,000 now, and Mark is stuck around 220, and I'm, you know, it looks like I'm going to be able to retire, which is bittersweet. But then out of nowhere, he gets like 258. And so it's like, fine, you know, it's like 263, 268, 273. And it's just. It's like punishing the time and effort and everything, but it's like. And I'm almost ready to quit when he gets a 282. But then one day, I just get, like, a five thing early, and then I get another one, and no one's ever gotten three because the game goes faster and faster as you go. That's how it eventually eliminates you, no matter how good you are. But I'm building it. I'm building it, and it's very close. And then I get it, and I All five cubes right in. And now the game's like. They're just coming down really fast, but I'm going really fast, and I'm staying alive. And it's 306,000. So one time in my life, I reached my potential. And so I don't tell anyone because in the neighboring pod, there's a birthday. So I figured I'll just break the news over the complimentary enemies. And so, you know, so, you know, everyone's like. There's, like, about 15 people there, and I tell them about my score, and everyone looks just kind of, like, uncomfortable. And Alicia says to Mark, you better tell him. It turns out Mark has not played since he got. Since 224,000. He was able to hack the game and fake his scores to egg me on. So no one there thinks it's funny. It's kind of awkward because the game went on too long and people aren't really laughing, except for the weird guy, you know, we don't talk to, and he's just, like. It turns out, like, he really resents me. And so I'm like, basically, you know, the biggest loser in reports, which is like, you know, being the best surfer in Hawaii. And so. And, you know, Mark, you know, like, tries to make up. He gives me a card, and, you know, we kind of become friends again, but, you know, it's not the same. And so it's like I've become a laughingstock, hurt my career, annoyed my girlfriend, strained my eyes, and lost a friend. But that's okay because I'm the smartest guy in the pod.
[08:56]
Dan Kennedy
Steve Zimmer has been attending the moth in New York City since 2004 and telling stories since 2006. He's an enthusiastic participant in all aspects of moth life and A less enthusiastic participant in his own life. The next story you're about to hear by Kirby Adams was recorded live at our very first Story Slam in Louisville, Kentucky. I hope I got that right, because everyone down there that night tried to teach me how to say it properly. When we launched our first Story Slam there in September of last year, the theme of that night was scars.
[09:38]
Apple
All right, so I'm so glad to be here. This is. I really can't see anything, so I'll just pretend like I'm telling this story to my daughter. You know, my father had the swagger of a jet pilot. Because he was a jet pilot. He liked to land planes on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean. And he had this real sense of, you need to be determined about whatever it is you do in life and do it as well as you can. And so I wanted to do that. And at nine years old, he was my hero. And that is exactly what I came up with a plan to do. We were watching the Olympics, the Summer Olympics, and he pointed out for each one of the four kids in our family what sport he thought we would be good at. For my brother Derek, he said, you know, the decathlon. And for my sister Lane, he told her he thought she'd be a good swimmer. My brother Chad was like two, so he didn't really get a sport, but he would be good at something someday. And then he told my. My dad told me, kirby, I think you'd be a really good runner. So that summer, my brother spent most of the summer throwing the dinner plates around. And my sister kicked around in the bathtub. And I ran up and down the stairs, sidewalk. But I wasn't really getting any better. And I had this determination that I would become an Olympic runner and win a silver medal, because gold just seemed like too much pressure. That's true. Silver sounded like a good idea to me. So I started a new school that year. Roosevelt elementary School up in Northern Illinois. Gabe, head southern. I have northern. And I didn't have anybody to talk to on the bus. You know how that is. So I'd look out the window, and I'd. I came up with this plan. And the plan was that I would get off a bus stop early, and then I would practice my sprinting and get to my bus stop, you know, and try to beat the bus. So I started this pretty soon after that. I'd sneak in between the five or six kids who were getting off at that bus stop so the bus stop driver wouldn't notice. I'd get off. And when the door shut, that was my signal to go. Now, as a mother now, what I did is mortifying. I didn't run on the sidewalk. I ran right next to the bus wheels in all that asphalt and the little pebbles. But I kept doing this. You know, back in those days, they didn't carry those big L.L. bean backpacks, you know, you only had a book maybe on library day. So I wasn't, I wasn't encumbered by that. But I also didn't have running shoes. We didn't maybe red ball jets for one day a week of gym class. But I had to wear these horrible lace up shoes with the hard soles on them because my mom thought that was the only way that you would have good strong arches when you got older. So I had these slick black velvet Buster Brown shoes. The other thing that I liked to do before I ran was I would take my socks. I didn't like the way my knee socks felt when they were sliding down my shins. So I'd roll them down and I'd make these donuts around my ankles, these big donuts around my ankles. And then I didn't like the way my skirt felt either. So I'd roll that up so I had a big wedge here and these donuts around my ankles. I had this blonde hair and a big bow. And after a while these kids started noticing this new kid who kept getting off the bus and running next to it as fast as she could. And they'd come up against the bus windows there and they would scream and they would yell and they'd always come to the right side. And I thought this was fabulous. And if the bus took got ahead of me, you know, there was more traffic. I'd fall back and the window back there at the emergency window, they'd all be back there screaming. I only heard like a cacophony of sound, but I was sure it was my Olympics. You know, this was great. Once in a while some of the other kids would get off and you know, the weird thing is the bus driver never said anything about this. This was, I hate, I don't want to tell you this, but this was the 60s. And I think the bus driver may have either been stoned or just didn't care, but never said a thing. So one day I'm rolling down my socks, getting ready for, getting ready to race the bus, and along comes Steve Southern. Now Steve Southern was the boy in third grade that I thought was dreamy of all the boys in third grade. It was Steve. And he comes up to me, and he goes, I'm gonna kick your butt. Except he didn't say, but. And I thought, now what? So we get off the bus, and I'm thinking as I'm getting down, wait. I don't race people. I don't race the kids. I race the machine. So we get off. Now, remember, the way I do this is very precise. Socks rolled down, skirt rolled up, hair in the bow. And you don't go until the door shuts. Well, Steve Southern gets off, and he starts running. So I'm thinking, oh, my God. So I come down, and I start taking off. The kids are screaming on the side of the bus. I'm catching up to Steve, right? The bus driver. I look over to the bus driver, and the bus driver's even screaming, smiling at me. And I'm thinking, I don't know if it was the bus driver smiling or if it was Steve Southern pushing me, but at that point, I took this big face plant into all those little rocks. But I got up, and I was mad, so I started running after him again. And I'm running, and I. Well, I didn't catch Steve, and I didn't catch the bus on that particular day. But the person waiting for me at the end of the. At my house was my dad. He was dumping the garbage, and he takes a look at me, and I'm all covered in dirt, and I've got blood in my. Or, I've got rocks in my hands and blood going down my knees. And he looks at me, and he says, what happened to you? I said, now he should have said, you're my hero, dad, and I want to do something that will make you really, really proud. And I'm training for the Olympics so that I can get a silver medal. And I said, instead, I fell down. And then he looked at me really disgusted, and he looked all the way down, and he said, what's wrong with your socks? And I looked down at my little knees all full of rocks and the blood dripping down into my knee socks. And I should have said, you know, it's more aerodynamic. But I said, I just like the way it feels. So. All right, so I got to speed up here. So what happened then was I didn't really clean anything up. I tried to get the blood out of my socks, but I didn't clean the rocks out of my hands or my knees. And eventually, that one little part in my knee that had the largest rock in it, the rock stayed under the scab. And I would sit in class and I would feel that. And you know when you're nine years old, you start to think, boy, I could get rock poisoning. Or worse yet, remember this when you were nine I could get locked jaw and die from this. So eventually I dug it out of my knee when I was in the bathtub. It got all and I dug it out. Now my family moved away, we went to another place to live and I still had to walk about a mile to the bus stop. Sometimes I ran, but I never raced a bus again. I did, however, when I became an adult, start running again and I started winning races. I raced people. I won a couple of 26 mile marathons and I did go to the Olympic trials where I finished 12th. I got a lot of, I got a thank you, thank you. I got a lot of scars along the way, probably both mental and physical. But I will tell you that if any of you are ever and amore gonna have to identify my body, the scar that says the most about me is that little crescent moon at the bottom of my knee. Thank you.
[17:46]
Dan Kennedy
Kirby Adams is an award winning journalist who has been working in television, radio and print for three decades. After hosting television shows in San Antonio and Seattle, Kirby settled in Louisville, Kentucky where she lives with her husband and two daughters. And one more reminder, the moth main stage is in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 1st. Presented by UCLA live in Royce hall as part of their spoken word series. For more information and tickets go to.
[18:17]
Apple
Themoth.Org Our podcast host, Dan Kennedy is the author of the book Rock an Office Power Ballad. Learn more@rockonthebook.com thanks to all of you.
[18:27]
Dan Kennedy
For listening and we hope you have a story story worthy week. Podcast audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. Podcast hosting by PRX Public Radio Exchange helping make public radio more public@prx.org.