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Moth Announcer
Truth or dare? How about both? This fall, the Moth is challenging what it means to be daring. We're not just talking about jumping out of airplanes or quitting your job. We're talking about the quiet courage to be vulnerable, the bold decisions to reveal the secret that changed everything this fall, the Moth Main Stage season brings our most power powerful stories to live audiences in 16 cities across the globe. Every one of those evenings will explore the singular theme of daring, but the stories and their tellers will never be the same. So here's our dare to you experience the Moth Main Stage live. Find a city near you@themost.org daring. Come on, we dare you.
AstraZeneca Representative
The Moth is supported by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is committed to spreading awareness of a condition called Hereditary Transthyroidin Mediated Amyloidosis, or hattr. This condition can cause polyneuropathy like nerve pain or numbness, heart failure, or irregular rhythm and gastrointestinal issues. HATTR is often underdiagnosed and can be passed down to loved ones. Many of us have stories about family legacies passed down through generations. When I was five, my mother sewed me a classic clown costume, red and yellow with a pointy hat. It's since been worn by my sister, three cousins and four of our children. I'm so happy this piece of my childhood lives on with no end in sight. Genetic conditions like HATTR shouldn't dominate our stories. Thanks to the efforts of AstraZeneca, there are treatment options so more patients can choose the legacies they share. This year, the Moth will partner with AstraZeneca to shine a light on the stories of Those living with Hattr. Learn more at www.myattrroadmap.com.
Gruyn's Brand Spokesperson
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Jennifer Hickson
Welcome to the MOTH. I'm Jennifer Hixon and on this episode we give you some answers. In a few days, we'll share a moth radio hour all about questions. But we're getting a bit of a head start focusing on getting answers, messing around and finding out and what happens when you receive an answer you might not have expected. We'll start with a lesson learned. Jason Hymas told this at a Phoenix Story Slam where the theme of the night was snooping. Here's Jason live at the Mother I.
Jason Hymas
Was about 7 or 8 years old and I grew up in Mexico. And as a kid I had three traits that clearly define me. I was a kid that was super curious, I was a problem solver, and I also had a very healthy appetite. Therefore my nickname was Gordo. If you're Hispanic, you know. So in the night of this incident, my whole family seemed to be preoccupied with adult kind of things that I didn't find as fun. So while everyone was doing their thing, I wandered into my parents bedroom and at my mom's nightstand I found this like round tab that was just sitting there. And honestly I thought it was candy, right? But I knew it wasn't mine. So I looked over my shoulder, I reached over, broke a little piece of this wonder tab and then I just ate it. Holy crap, was it delicious. It tasted like cherry. It was sort of fizzy, so I went for seconds. So while I'm having this moment with this candy, the next thing that I hear is my mom yelling across the house, hey kids, I forgot to tell you, I left rat poison on my nightstand.
Andrea Rosky Metcalfe
What?
Jason Hymas
My heart starts pounding, my eyes get teary. I'm like, I'm going to die. I'm like, oh my God. So being a problem solver, I ran to the other bathroom and I found a gently used bar of soap. And you see, in my kid mine, I figured that if soap was strong enough to kill viruses and bacteria, it'll probably kill or neutralize the poison. I, I was a kid, what would I know? So I grabbed this bar of soap and I went ahead and put it in my mouth and proceeded to scrape it with my teeth, followed by trying to keep it down with water. And I continued doing that for A while. Until, unfortunately, I got to a horrible, horrible realization. I was too late. And the poison finally was taking over my body. Of course, it couldn't be the quarter of a bottle of soap that I just ate and the fizzy tap that I ate before that? Of course not. It was the poison, right, that was finally, like, killing me. So I guess I could have gone to my mom and be like, mom, Mom, I ate the poison. Please take me to the hospital. But I didn't, right? I was just like, I did this. It is what it is. You know, I had many things running through my head, right? But one of those things is I didn't want my parents to just find me dead. So I figure I'm like, I'm just gonna get to a hiding spot and just die there. So in a Sleeping Beauty kind of fashion, I just got there. And I was just there contemplating my last minutes, right? And just waiting for my imminent death. Was it gonna take long? Was it long? Was it gonna be, like, hours? Were the springs from underneath the couch the last thing that I was going to see in this world? You see, I've never died before. So this was all for, you know, a new experience for me. At some point, my mother finished cooking dinner. And again, I didn't miss a meal, so it was kind of strange that I wasn't at the dinner table. So my mother started calling me, and she was like, gordo, Gordo, calm down. For dinner. And I wasn't having it. You see, I figured that if I was going to die, there was absolutely no point for me to eat, right? Why would I waste food? It was fine. So she kept on calling me, and then eventually she realized that I was probably in distress. So she started coming up the stairs, and then she was like, gordo, come down to. Come down for dinner. And from underneath the couch, I'm like, why? And she was like, what do you mean, why? I'm like, I'm going to die. To my surprise, she started laughing, and she goes, oh, my child, you're not going to die. You ate an effervescent tap. I was just trying to teach you a lesson. I was equal parts horrified and relieved. I was relieved that I wasn't dying after all, but I was horrified that the people that loved me the most, right, made me just think that I was dying. Needless to say, to this day, I don't snoop. I don't take a pill that I don't know where it came from. And I will never, ever, ever use Irish Spring bar soap. Thank you.
Jennifer Hickson
That was Jason Hymas. Jason is a Phoenix based storyteller and risk analyst at Mayo Clinic. Born in Mexico, he immigrated to the US at 14. When not hiking Arizona trails, he's cooking for loved ones and collecting stories. If you want to get some answers to storytelling questions, well Fall is here and the MOTHS Education program is offering free workshops for high school and college students to learn the art and craft of true personal storytelling. In the workshops, students will learn to use moth storytelling techniques to build personal narratives, which can be used in telling stories with friends, family, at the dinner table as a starting point for those college essays or in interviews. My daughter recently took part in a MOTH high school workshop and had an absolute blast. She met kids from a dozen different schools, shared stories, learned skills, and crafted a story about a hissing cockroach. Apply on our website@themost.org edu after the break, an answer to an entirely different question. Be back in a moment.
Wayfair Spokesperson
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Claude AI Representative
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Jennifer Hickson
Welcome back. Andrea Rosky Metcalfe told our next story at a Twin Cities Grand Slam where the theme of the night was making waves. Here's Andrea Live at the Mall.
Jason Hymas
Get it, girl.
Andrea Rosky Metcalfe
When religious leaders begin in a new congregation, there's a honeymoon period. A few months a year if you're lucky. I'm a Lutheran pastor. I started with a new congregation in March. My honeymoon lasted two days. On the third day I realized I had walked right into a full blown church scandal. And the person at the center of that scandal was me. I wanted that church so bad. They were scrappy and forward thinking and it seemed like such a good match. I started two weeks before Easter. I got right to work planning services for Holy Week. I was looking to settle in. I was looking to stay a while. And by day three I wondered if I would make it to Easter. Some members of my congregation had found a photograph on the Internet. It was me in front of the Hennepin County Courthouse on the day when the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade. I was wearing a clergy collar and holding a sign that said even the Virgin Mary got to choose, you motherfuckers. I should point out that the relationship between a pastor and her people is based on trust and mutual understanding. And you build it over time. I had been there for three days and this photo had been circulating for weeks. It wasn't even the photo that was the problem. I was happy to sit down and talk about the photo. It's that I didn't know who to talk to. No one was talking to me. They were just talking about me. It was all rumors and rumblings. It went on like this for more than a week. Some people left the church. I wondered if I would have to leave too. A few days before Easter. Finally someone came to me. Why did you go to that rally? She asked. So? So I explained. The only time I have experienced suicidal ideation was during my own two pregnancies. I got through them one day at a time because I got to choose one more day. No one else did. Yeah, but why did you need a sign well, if you go to a protest wearing a clergy collar, you better have a sign or the people will think you think that other thing. Yeah, but that word. Do your children use that word? You guys, I don't even use that word. Except for Supreme Court justices who put their hand on the Bible and lie to the American people. Because that shit pisses me off. I didn't say that to her. No, no, my children don't use that word. And then we sat down and we talked. We really talked. And we built up a little bit of trust and understanding, and that was good. But she was just one person. The rumors, they were still there. It felt like half the congregation had this picture on their phones. Easter Sunday came. The sanctuary was packed. I preached a sermon full of questions because I didn't have any answers. I handed out bread at communion. It felt like the only thing I could give my people, and it wasn't even mine to give. The body of Christ given for you. The week after Easter was so quiet, it freaked me out. I could see the writing on the wall. I started drafting a letter of resignation. But then another woman came to see me. I want you to send me that picture, she said. I was like, I don't think that's going to help anything. I want to send it to my daughter. She said, oh, my daughter doesn't come to church anymore. But I told her about you and I told her about your sign, and she's going to come to church now. Oh. And then she and I sat and we talked and we built a little trust and a little understanding. And I wish that I could tell you that there's a really clear end to this story. But that scrappy congregation and I, we're still writing it. Some people, some more people, they left. Some new people came. My gay atheist neighbor recommends this church on Reddit because of that sign. They're still really forward thinking. I still think it's a really good match. I am settling in. I am planning to stay for a while. And if you want to see that picture, don't bother on the Internet. Just come to worship any Sunday at 10am and ask around. I'm pretty sure half the congregation still has it on their phones.
Jennifer Hickson
That was Andrea Rosky Metcalf. Andrea's a Louisiana. Since Palm Sunday of 2023, she's served alongside the people of Diamond Lake Lutheran Church, a congregation of justice and Joy in South Minneapolis. She has one husband, two daughters, and an overwhelming number of plants. We asked Andrea how she had settled into her role as pastor. She said that she and her congregation are still such a good fit. Quote we're creative and courageous together and we have fun together and our community is growing. I feel really lucky to be serving here, even if the initial landing was a little rough. If you'd like to see some photos of Andrea and her church, you can go to themoth.org extras unfortunately, we don't have that photo. Andrea told us that she wanted to exercise a little bit of discretion. That brings us to the end of our episode. Thanks so much for joining us. From all of us here at the Moth, we hope that whatever question you ask and whatever answer you get, you have a wonderful week.
Mark Solinger
Jennifer Hickson is a senior director, one of the hosts of the Peabody Award winning Moth Radio Hour, and a co author of the Moth's how to Tell a Story. Andrea Oroski Metcalfe Story was coached by Michelle Jlowski. This episode of the Moth Podcast was produced by Sarah Austin, Janess, Sarah Jane Johnson and me, Mark Solinger. The rest of the Moth's leadership team includes Sarah Haberman, Christina Norman, Marina Clouche, Jennifer Hickson, Jordan Cardinale, Kate Tellers, Suzanne Rust and Patricia Urenia. The Moth Podcast is presented by Odysee. Special thanks to their executive producer Leah Rhys Dennis. All Moth stories are true as remembered by their storytellers. For more about our podcast, information on pitching your own story and everything else, go to our website themoth.org.
Jason Hymas
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Release Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Jennifer Hickson
Featured Storytellers: Jason Hymas, Andrea Rosky Metcalfe
This episode of The Moth Podcast, "Answers Before Questions," explores the sometimes surprising consequences of our search for answers. Before an upcoming episode centered on questions, this episode takes a head start—focusing on what happens when we receive unexpected answers, or when answers arrive before we're ready. Two true, live stories anchor this theme: Jason Hymas’ childhood misadventure with “rat poison" and Andrea Rosky Metcalfe’s challenging early days as a Lutheran pastor in a new congregation.
Told at Phoenix Story Slam (Theme: Snooping)
Key Points:
“My heart starts pounding, my eyes get teary. I’m like, I’m going to die. I’m like, oh my God.”
– Jason Hymas (04:25)
“I grabbed this bar of soap and I went ahead and put it in my mouth and proceeded to scrape it with my teeth, followed by trying to keep it down with water.”
– Jason Hymas (05:15)
“I figured that if I was going to die, there was absolutely no point for me to eat, right? Why would I waste food?”
– Jason Hymas (07:06)
His mother eventually calls him to dinner and, upon finding him hiding, laughs and explains:
“Oh, my child, you’re not going to die. You ate an effervescent tab. I was just trying to teach you a lesson.”
– Jason Hymas’s Mother (07:59)
Jason describes being equally horrified and relieved—he wasn’t dying, but was traumatized by the prank. He’s learned his lesson: he never snoops, doesn’t eat unknown pills, and will “never, ever, ever use Irish Spring bar soap.”
– Jason Hymas (08:34)
Told at Twin Cities Grand Slam (Theme: Making Waves)
Key Points:
Andrea, a Lutheran pastor, starts at a new church and enjoys a “honeymoon period” that lasts only two days.
On Day 3, she discovers she’s at the center of a barely-contained scandal: a photo of her at a pro-choice rally, wearing her clergy collar and holding a sign that reads:
“Even the Virgin Mary got to choose, you motherfuckers.”
– Sign in viral photo (13:25)
Rumor and gossip swirl—no one talks to her directly. She feels isolated, some members leave, and she questions whether she’ll make it to Easter.
“The relationship between a pastor and her people is based on trust and mutual understanding. … I had been there for three days and this photo had been circulating for weeks. It wasn’t even the photo that was the problem. … It’s that I didn’t know who to talk to. No one was talking to me. They were just talking about me.”
– Andrea Rosky Metcalfe (13:40 – 14:10)
After a week, one woman approaches Andrea and asks why she attended the rally. Andrea shares a personal story:
“The only time I have experienced suicidal ideation was during my own two pregnancies. I got through them one day at a time because I got to choose: one more day. No one else did.”
– Andrea Rosky Metcalfe (15:10)
The questioner presses on the profanity in the sign. Andrea, with humor and candor, admits:
“You guys, I don’t even use that word. Except for Supreme Court justices who put their hand on the Bible and lie to the American people. Because that shit pisses me off. I didn’t say that to her.”
– Andrea Rosky Metcalfe (16:03)
Another woman requests the infamous photo—to share with her estranged daughter, who, inspired by Andrea’s stand, now considers attending church again.
“I told her about your sign, and she’s going to come to church now.”
– Church Member (17:44)
The story closes without a tidy resolution: the congregation is still shifting, but Andrea is settling in, their shared journey ongoing.
“My gay atheist neighbor recommends this church on Reddit because of that sign.”
– Andrea Rosky Metcalfe (18:21)
“If you want to see that picture, don’t bother on the Internet. Just come to worship any Sunday at 10am and ask around. I’m pretty sure half the congregation still has it on their phones.”
– Andrea Rosky Metcalfe (18:37)
Jason Hymas:
“I was equal parts horrified and relieved … that the people that loved me the most, right, made me just think that I was dying.” ([08:15])
Andrea Rosky Metcalfe:
“Everybody knew they were talking about me. But nobody was talking to me.” ([14:00])
“I wish that I could tell you that there’s a really clear end to this story. But that scrappy congregation and I, we’re still writing it.” ([18:28])
The Moth’s classic blend of heartfelt humor and emotional candor shines in this episode. Both stories feature storytellers reflecting on vulnerability and the way answers—sometimes given before questions are asked—can upend expectations, create pain, and (eventually) foster growth and connection.
Jason’s tale is a comedic, almost slapstick account of childhood panic and (eventually) trust. Andrea’s is a contemplative, courageous meditation on public life, controversy, and finding belonging amid misunderstanding.
Through deeply personal stories—one hilarious, one profound—this episode exemplifies The Moth’s mission: true stories, told live, which illuminate the extraordinary in the everyday. Whether the answers we receive come from mothers or congregations, sometimes they precede our questions, and sometimes they change us—and those around us—in ways we could never predict.