The Moth Radio Hour: Young Adults

Summary

Summary of "The Moth Radio Hour: Young Adults"

Release Date: February 6, 2018
Host: Jennifer Hickson, The Moth

---

"Sneaking into Millie Jackson's Concert" by Muthoni Garland
Timestamps: 03:18 – 09:28

Muthoni Garland transports listeners back to 1977 Nairobi, Kenya, where teenage rebellion takes center stage. As a devout Catholic girl enamored with Millie Jackson’s music, Muthoni recounts the elaborate plans she and her neighborhood friends concocted to attend Millie Jackson’s concert. Facing the challenges of Nairobi's then-notorious safety issues, they orchestrated a daring escape that involved removing glass from louvers and abseiling down tall walls.

Notable Quote:
Muthoni shares the triumph of their successful escape, saying, “We all made it. That says something about the power of neighborhoods that work together” [03:21].

The story culminates with the concert experience—dancing passionately all night—and the ironic aftermath where Muthoni’s father publicly criticizes Millie Jackson, unaware of his daughter's transformative night. This duality highlights the generational and cultural clashes prevalent during that era.

---

"A Predatory Encounter in Pittsburgh" by Joanne Keelor
Timestamps: 10:07 – 15:52

In a gripping narrative set in Pittsburgh, Joanne Keelor shares a harrowing teenage experience involving a predatory individual. Walking home alone in a once-thriving neighborhood now marred by construction, Joanne senses an ominous presence trailing her. The encounter escalates as the stranger makes unsettling advances, heightening her fear and vulnerability.

Notable Quote:
Joanne describes her confrontation with courage, “I turned my back on him and I kept walking. And when I got up to the ridge where I could see my house, I turned around” [10:37].

Through quick thinking and unwavering resolve, Joanne manages to evade the assailant, attributing her survival to the protective instincts instilled by her family and community. This story underscores the critical importance of self-reliance and the protective bonds within familial structures.

---

"The First Crush and the Infinite Loop of Regret" by Moses Storm
Timestamps: 17:19 – 24:34

Comedian Moses Storm reminisces about his tumultuous first crush during his family's yard sale days. His family's unconventional method of survival—collecting and selling discarded items—inadvertently leads Moses to Caitlin, a strikingly beautiful girl who ignites his teenage infatuation.

Notable Quote:
Moses reflects on the innocence of his feelings, “I was shaking as I'm thinking about it right now... everything melted away because the most beautiful girl in the world kissed me on the cheek” [23:44].

Despite initial embarrassment, especially during the homecoming parade where their unique dynamics were on full display, Moses cherishes the memory of Caitlin’s kindness and the fleeting yet profound connection they shared. This story highlights the sweet vulnerability of first love and the lasting impact of genuine human interactions.

---

"The Syntax Error Incident" by Laura Gilbert
Timestamps: 25:24 – 30:30

Laura Gilbert interweaves her passion for computer programming with her teenage romantic endeavors. Using a computer program analogy, she describes her high school relationship with a fellow programmer, emphasizing the logical yet emotionally chaotic nature of young love.

Notable Quote:
Laura humorously concludes her romantic missteps, “I said, oh, ha, well, system out, print, line, parenthesis, quote, hey, end quote, end parentheses, semicol” [25:24].

Her narrative unfolds through a series of programming metaphors, portraying the complexities of her first relationship and the eventual realization that personal algorithms need flexibility to accommodate love. Ultimately, Laura celebrates the unexpected harmony she found with her fiancé, reaffirming that even error-filled beginnings can lead to meaningful connections.

---

"Purple Hair and Self-Expression" by Diamante Ortez
Timestamps: 30:30 – 37:54

Diamante Ortez shares her journey towards self-expression through her bold choice to dye her hair purple. Starting as a child’s persistent request denied until her 16th birthday, Diamante details the emotional roller coaster of seeing her reflection initially transformed into her sister’s likeness before finally achieving her desired look.

Notable Quote:
Diamante poignantly states, “I finally saw myself the way I want to be seen” [31:06].

Her vibrant transformation becomes a declaration of autonomy, challenging societal perceptions and embracing her unique identity. The story culminates with her acceptance and love from her family, particularly her young nephews and niece, illustrating the support system that reinforced her newfound confidence.

---

"Negotiating with a Strict Texan Father" by Christine Gentry
Timestamps: 39:35 – 46:07

Christine Gentry recounts her experiences growing up in Texas under the authoritarian rule of her ex-Air Force father. Her father’s overprotectiveness and rigid rules about dating created a fraught environment for Christine’s teenage romantic pursuits.

Notable Quote:
Christine reflects on her father’s rare gesture of affection, “I got a little bouquet of multicolored tulips... the most beautiful thing I have ever seen” [46:07].

Despite numerous failed attempts to introduce boyfriends to her father, resulting in intimidating and sometimes alarming confrontations, Christine’s story takes a heartfelt turn when her father sends her flowers after a particularly painful breakup. This gesture symbolizes a complex relationship dynamic, blending strictness with unexpected tenderness.

---

"Reconnecting at the 30th Reunion" by Javier Morillo
Timestamps: 46:44 – 52:12

Javier Morillo narrates his involvement in his high school reunion’s Facebook group, which takes an unforeseen turn when a disgruntled classmate, Ricardo, vents his pent-up frustrations publicly. Ricardo’s outburst not only disrupts the reunion planning but also sheds light on long-standing issues of bullying and discrimination.

Notable Quote:
Javier expresses his remorse and solidarity, “I thought about you so much these many years since Antilles because I too am gay” [52:12].

Moved by Ricardo’s vulnerability, Javier reaches out, leading to a reconciling dialogue that emphasizes forgiveness and growth. This encounter highlights the enduring impact of high school dynamics and the transformative power of understanding and empathy in healing old wounds.

---

Reflections and Themes

Throughout the episode, common themes of teenage struggle, self-identity, rebellion, and the quest for acceptance emerge. Each storyteller delves into pivotal moments of their youth that shaped their adulthood, offering listeners a deep dive into the universal yet personal experiences of growing up.

Community and Support:
Muthoni’s neighborhood collaboration and Joanne’s family support showcase the importance of community in overcoming challenges.

Self-Expression:
Diamante’s bold hair transformation and Laura’s programming metaphors illustrate the diverse ways teenagers seek to express and understand themselves.

Conflict and Resolution:
Christine’s tumultuous relationship with her father and Javier’s reconciliation with Ricardo highlight the complexities of familial and social relationships.

Vulnerability and Courage:
Moses’s first crush and the harrowing encounter Joanne faced underscore the bravery required to navigate teenage emotions and dangers.

---

Conclusion:
"The Moth Radio Hour: Young Adults" offers a rich tapestry of stories that collectively paint a vivid picture of the teenage and young adult experience. Through heartfelt narratives and relatable anecdotes, listeners gain insights into the trials, triumphs, and transformations that define our formative years.

---

Notable Quotes with Attributions:

• Muthoni Garland [03:21]: “We all made it. That says something about the power of neighborhoods that work together.”
• Joanne Keelor [10:37]: “I turned my back on him and I kept walking.”
• Moses Storm [23:44]: “I was shaking as I'm thinking about it right now... everything melted away because the most beautiful girl in the world kissed me on the cheek.”
• Laura Gilbert [25:24]: “system out, print, line, parenthesis, quote, hey, end quote, end parentheses, semicol.”
• Diamante Ortez [31:06]: “I finally saw myself the way I want to be seen.”
• Christine Gentry [46:07]: “I got a little bouquet of multicolored tulips... the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
• Javier Morillo [52:12]: “I thought about you so much these many years since Antilles because I too am gay.”

---

For more information, stories, and visual content related to these narratives, visit The Moth.

Transcript

[Jennifer Hickson]

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 [e-mail] guarantees as we approach the end of the year, I'm thinking about the next Next year is the year I finally make my Spanish better than my 9 year olds. Rosetta Stone is the most trusted language learning program available on desktop or as an app, and it truly immerses you.

[Unknown]

In the language that you want to learn.

[Jennifer Hickson]

I can't wait to use Rosetta Stone.

[Unknown]

And finally speak better than my 9.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Year old who's been learning Spanish in his own way. Rosetta Stone is the trusted expert for 30 years with millions of users and 25 languages offered. Spanish, French, Italian, German, Korean. I could go on fast language acquisition. Rosetta Stone immerses you in many ways. There are no English translations so you can really learn to speak, listen and.

[Unknown]

Think in that language.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Start the new year off with a resolution you can reach today. The Moth listeners can take advantage of this Rosetta Stones lifetime membership for 50% off visit rosettastone.com moth that's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% [e-mail] from PRX this is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Jennifer Hickson. In this hour, we're going to visit the realm of teenagers and young adults as told in story slams all over the country and abroad. As we review Moth Slam stories, we've noticed that many people choose to tell stories from these years in their lives. What is it about being a teenager that remains so vivid and feels so story worthy? Maybe it's that everything matters so much when you're a teenager. Our first story is set in Africa. Nairobi, Kenya to be exact. But I was struck with how very familiar this story sounds like it could easily be set in Nebraska or Denver or New Jersey, where I'm from. Like, maybe if I didn't have impressionable young children, maybe I'd have a very similar story to share. Muthoni Garland told this at our Story Slam in London when she was visiting from Kenya. Here's Muthoni Garland live at the Moth. Hi.

[Muthoni Garland]

Wow.

[Joanne Keelor]

I want to tell you about a story that happened where I grew up in Nairobi, which is a fair distance from here. And I'm going to take you back almost 40 years ago. It's always shocking to me when I realize how old I really am. But anyway, anyway, I was a teenager, 1977, and I was crazy about an American musician and her name was Millie Jackson. I don't know if any of you know Millie Jackson, but she's the one who sang if loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right. You know, I mean, I can't sing. But I adored that song and I don't know why, because I was a very sweet, well brought up Catholic girl and all that, but there was something about that song that just spoke to something in me, you know? Anyway, 1977, and I hear in the news that Millie Jackson is coming to Kenya to perform. We'd never heard of such a thing. We didn't even know if it is real or it's one of those con people, you know, doing some show, doing something. But we decided, and this was a whole neighborhood committee where we lived, that we're going to sneak out. And it was the first time we'd ever done such a thing. But we were going to sneak out. I was 16, and we were going to sneak out and go and see the show. So lots of plans afoot. And I tell you, it was serious planning. Okay. And because where we lived, it was. It was like a row. I don't know how to describe it in English terms. But anyway, it was like a row of measurenettes. Does that make sense? Anyways, double story height, but they're all connected to each other.

[Muthoni Garland]

Yeah.

[Joanne Keelor]

And we were about six different houses on the road that were, you know, that we were all going to break out that night. Okay. And we all had plans because, you know, I don't know if you know this, but Nairobi used to have a reputation. Thank God it's kind of died away. But it used to be called nairobari. It was very unsafe. So all the houses, you know, there were very high walls, you know, the very, very high walls. And when I say high, like 10ft high at least.

[Moses Storm]

And.

[Joanne Keelor]

So sneaking out Involved removing the glass from the louvres on the second floor, which I never know because in the uk, I think second floor is first floor. It's mesonite. I don't know, the floor above this one. Anyways, so, anyway, so. So we had to remove the louvers in the afternoon, very gently so that we don't break, you know, any of them, and then tie these sheets from our bed. Oh, this was planned. Anyway. So tie these sheets from our bed and somehow propel ourselves, which now I understand is called abseiling. But anyway, propel ourselves through these louvers and onto this so of wall that sort of dissected up, you know, the houses. So onto this wall and then lowered the sheet such that we would be able to reach it when we come back. Anyways, so get onto this wall and somehow, you know, so I can't remember now, it was the. There was a guy who lived next door, was lame six, you know, his foot was six inches shorter. One foot, one leg was so short. And I can't remember why. It was him who was responsible for lowering us. Once we got onto the wall.

[Jennifer Hickson]

He.

[Joanne Keelor]

Had to, you know, hold us up. And anyway, cut a long story short, we all made it. That says something about the power of neighborhoods that work together. Okay, we all made it. There was a few little risky ones. We had to go help a bit more, but we made it. Anyway, so we go off to this concert, and it was in the new Kenya International Conference center. And it was this huge ball. And the turnout. I think the Americans overestimated the ability of Kenyans to sneak out. Our parents were not the type to say yes to this kind of foreign disruption of our culture. Okay? So we got what people pay a lot of money for, and we were right at the front and we danced all night. It was fantastic. I'll just say this. We made it back. It was long. It was hard. It was. We made it back. At least in my family we did. One did get caught, but in my family we did. The only thing is, the following morning, my father's reading a newspaper at the breakfast table. And on the COVID is this Millie Jackson. And she's wearing a white sort of suit and big sweat stains, Big sweat stains. And my father is just saying how terrible these people come look at the culture they bring. It's disgusting. Look at it. And we're just fascinated at the photograph because right there in the front, all of us, all of us, I recognize every single person on that road cheering on Millie Jackson. And that's my story. Thanks for sharing.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Muthoni Garland live at the Motte Story Slam in London. Muthoni says that her father never discovered the truth about the concert. And she said that she didn't save the newspaper article and photo. She was too intent on destroying the evidence. I spent a little time looking for it. Maybe someone out there can find it. Let us know and we'll add the [e-mail] Muthoni says the year was 1977 and the paper was either nation or standard. When she's not scaling walls as a Millie Jackson fan, Muthoni Garland is an author. She's published over 40 books for children, two novellas for adults, and several stories in literary journals.

[Joanne Keelor]

If being right means being without you.

[Moses Storm]

I'd rather live alone doing lie.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Next up, we visit a story slam in Pittsburgh where we partner with public radio station wesa. This is a story that might illustrate why parents worry so much. It's a dangerous world out there. Quick warning. The story involves a predatory individual. Here's Joanne Keeler.

[Laura Gilbert]

If you live in Pittsburgh, you know the north side. And yeah, if you know the north side, you're probably familiar with the Garden Theater. When I was little, my big brother used to take me to the Garden Theater on Saturday mornings. They showed 101 cartoons on Saturday mornings. I'm old, and when I was a little older, that's where I saw my first Clint Eastwood film, Fistful of Dollars. But by the time I was a teenager, the Garden Theater was a porn joint. And about that time our neighborhood was kind of being dissected to make room for 279North. And out of high school I worked at Allegheny General Hospital, which is down there by the Garden Theater. And I used to walk home on North Avenue, turn onto my street, walk home. It was a long street, and the day I'm thinking of, I was probably dressed in a little white uniform and I had some platform shoes that I shouldn't have worn to work. But I was a secretary at the hospital and I started walking down our street and by that time the street was nothing but a hillside with a lot of empty houses, except at the end where I lived because people had moved out and the other side was a big city cinder block wall that sort of blocked us from the construction. So I'm walking down this street all alone and at one point I sort of looked behind me and I realized somebody else was coming behind me. I kept going and I don't know, something made me look back again and the person behind me was a Little closer. And I don't know how old he was, maybe 30. He looked old to me because I was 18. He looked shaggy, too. Didn't look like a good person to be behind me. And the third time I looked, he was much closer. And I started walking faster. And when I looked again, he was close enough that I could see he was. Stringy hair, greasy cords. Now I could hear him. And he said, I'm coming from the Garden Theater. You know what kind of movies they show there? Yeah, I knew what kind of movies they showed there. He said, why don't you help me out? Grungy, greasy corduroys, the kind that have the cords wearing off. And now he's kind of working the front of his pants. And he says, you know, you're a pretty girl. I probably was at that time. And he said, come on, give me some help. He said, give me a hand here. I didn't know what to do. First of all, I had the platform shoes on. I couldn't run. And my house was still over the ridge. And nobody would have been home but my mother watching her soap operas. No cell phones in those days. Just me and the wall and the hillside and this guy. Well, I do have my own particular sort of resourcefulness. And it came to me. It came to me. It was the muse. I don't know how I did it. I don't know how I made myself do it. But I turned around, I looked this pathetic creature right in the eye, and I said, you know, I'm coming home from work. And I always walk home this way. And about this time of day, my brother usually comes out on the porch. He worries about me. He's a cop, and he's seen a lot of bad things happen to young women. If he doesn't see me coming on time, he gets the dog and he starts walking up here to meet me. I don't think you want to meet my brother. And I don't know where I got the courage to do it, but I turned my back on him and I kept walking. And when I got up to the ridge where I could see my house, I turned around, and I don't know how fast that guy had walked to catch up with me. But he must have gone twice as fast to get away from me. Because when I looked, he was, like, way down the street somewhere. I got myself. I was never so glad to see my mother and the guiding light. Let me tell you, that day, that day, I said to myself, if I ever have kids, I am going to tell them every scary fairytale in the world because there really are big, bad wolves and they're in the woods and they will eat you up. And I'll tell you something else. There are giants who will steal all your money so they can live in a palace while you're starving. And you know that. But what I learned that day was that a story can make you cry, it can make you laugh, it can entertain you. But that day, a story saved me. It saved me. And I love being here. And I thank you for listening to my story.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Joanne Keillor. She still lives in Pittsburgh and has worked in the arts for her whole life. She says her children and grandchildren are her pride and joy, and she fills their heads with stories as often as she can. Coming up, more teenage stories about love, nerds and fashion when the Moth Radio Hour continues.

[Diamante Ortez]

The Moth Radio Hour is produced by Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and presented by prx.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Support for the Moth comes from our.

[Muthoni Garland]

Friends at Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Chances are you're confident when it comes to your work, your hobbies and your life. Rocket Mortgage gives you that same level of confidence when it comes to buying a home or refinancing your existing home loan. Rocket Mortgage is simple, allowing you to fully understand all the details and be.

[Muthoni Garland]

Confident you're getting the right mortgage.

[Jennifer Hickson]

For you to get started, go to.

[Muthoni Garland]

Rocketmortgage.com moth equal housing lender licensed in.

[Jennifer Hickson]

All 50 states nmlsconsumeraccess.org number 3030.

[Joanne Keelor]

This.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Is the Moth Radio Hour from PRX. I'm Jennifer Hickson and we're showcasing stories from and about teenagers. Our next storyteller speaks to another rite of passage, the massive and all consuming crush. You remember those Moses Storm told this story in Los Angeles where we partner with public radio station KCRW. Here's Moses Storm.

[Moses Storm]

When I was 13 years old, the family business was yard sales. And two questions come up with this is how does a family of five live off yard sales alone? And the answer is we didn't. We were very poor. And two, how do you have a yard sale every week? Eventually you would run out of stuff, right? It's like simple supply and demand. Well, what we would do is we would go to rich neighborhoods and when they would throw out stuff that was basically garbage, we would fix it up a little bit, clean it up and then sell it back to them. Yeah, kind of like a modern day Robin Hood if Robin Hood had no trouble going through people, people's garbage. So one day we're in Bluewater Bay, Florida, and we come across this particularly good pile of junk. And I know it's a good pile because my mom always had a saying. My mom would. Every time you come across, like, a good pile, she'd always be like. She'd look at me and be like, sometimes it pays to be poor. And you're right. That doesn't make any sense. But the sentiment behind it was that. That we had scored big. So we're at this pile, and this girl comes out that lives in the house, and she's like, oh, I got more stuff to give you guys. And she finally sets this stuff down, and it's honestly the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen. Her name is Caitlin, and she's 17. I'm shaking as I'm thinking about it right now. And she's honestly that kind of beautiful that just your whole body vibrates and you feel amazing, and you feel like you want to throw up. And she's the kind of beautiful that makes you want to do just stupid things. So I immediately retreat back to our van, and I'm, like, hiding in the van because I don't want my future wife to see me like this. Cause you never hear that story at a wedding. Like, oh, how'd you two meet? Oh, he was going through my garbage. And no. So a couple minutes go by. My mom comes back with all this stuff in her hands. She's like, I gotta load all this stuff up. Go back and get her number. What? She's like, you gotta get her number. When her parents get home, she's gonna give us more stuff. So that's the first time I got a very beautiful girl's phone number under the worst circumstances. And I eventually developed this relationship with Caitlin. She would call us and, like, check in with us, make sure we were doing okay. And I would look for, like, any excuse to talk to her. So when she asked us if we could be her senior project that year, she was the kind of beautiful that made you do stupid things. So, of course I said yes to this. And to celebrate, we went over to her house with her family, and we were gonna, like, celebrate this, and they were gonna, like, cook us a dinner. And I go over to her house, and it's like nothing I've ever seen. She got this huge house. It looks like a different planet. That had been decorated by Bed, bath and Beyond. And, of course, the other. Just looking at us like we're animals in people clothes as we're eating. And I'm like, what's the little fork for little food. But me and Caitlin actually, like, hit it off at the dinner. We have, like, some inside jokes already about panda bears. I'd tell you guys, but you wouldn't understand, so. And after the dinner, we all take a photo together with all the gifts that she's given us. And this is, like, part of her senior project she took us on for the holidays. So we all take, like, a photo with her, and a couple days go by, and we're talking on the phone. I said, hey, you should send me that photo. And she's like, oh, wait a couple weeks. I got a surprise. And I'm like, oh, cool. I know what this is about. She's probably gonna, like, frame the photo in, like, a heart frame or something, or. Panda bear girls are stupid. I get the photo in the mail, and it's attached to a paper. To be more specific. It's attached to the paper. And to be even more specific, it's on the front page of the paper, our local paper with a large headline over it that says, local poor family get saved by high schooler surprise. It's, like, impossible to look cool in front of this girl. And, like, after that, she invites us to her homecoming game. And she invites me to the homecoming game. And of course, I say yes to this. I'm like, sweet. And she invites us to the game, and she's like, yeah, we'll tape off some seats for you and your family. And I'm like, oh, no, no, we don't gotta bring them. You know, you pretty much got what they're all about from the dinner and stuff. And they might feel weird. Cause we have this connection, Pandas. So we go to the homecoming game, and we're being recognized left and right. People are like, hey, it's local poor family. You know, like the worst case scenario. And I'm, like, hiding my face as much as possible. I'm telling my siblings to, like, let's just, like, break it up. Like, at least not stand in the same order we were standing in the photo. It's kind of little separation. Katelyn comes up, she's in a letterman's jacket. And of course, she looks amazing. And she's like, I got a surprise for you guys. And I'm like, oh, these are never good. And she's like, I got us a great spot for the parade. I'm like, all right, whatever. Homecoming parade. The parade goes like. It's like the marching band, the football team, king and the queen. They go around the track. So we go out to the track, and we have, like, a very great spot. We're, like, right by the band. I'm actually joking. To my sister, I'm like, we have such a good spot. People are gonna think we're in the parade. It's at that point that I'm handed a banner. Yeah, we're in the parade. Just then, the parade starts, and it's. If you were there that night of the homecoming game, you could have seen an entire football team, an entire marching band, a king and a queen being led around the track by a very reluctant local poor family. And I get off the track, and I'm kind of embarrassed. And, like, that is, like, so real inside. I'm just walking off. Like, the second I'm alone, I just know I'm gonna cry. I just know it. And I've never felt worse.

[Jennifer Hickson]

And.

[Moses Storm]

And I'm walking out, and Caitlin walks us out at the end of the night, and she thanks us for coming out. And she tells me that it meant a lot that we came out and we helped her out with this project. And she gives me a little kiss on the cheek. And I don't know what it was, but everything. She was just so beautiful. And everything melted away. All that embarrassment was just gone because the most beautiful girl in the world kissed me on the cheek. I got to half base, and it didn't even matter that she, like, immediately got into her boyfriend's Mustang. I just remember driving back in the van, and I was so pleased. I just remember thinking, man, sometimes it pays to be poor. Thank you, guys.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Moses Storm in Los Angeles. Moses tells me that he's lost touch with the girl in the story. But since he's now a comic and often on the road, hey, maybe their paths will cross. Moses often stages social experiments that poke fun at narcissism. These days, Moses is not taking stuff from the curb, but admits that every time he passes a trash pile on the street, it still catches his eye. To see a picture of Moses as a teenager at one of his family's yard sales, visit themoth.org where you can also link to his website to see where he's performing. Our next story is all about awkwardness, an awkwardness so deep, it speaks its own language. Laura Gilbert's story ends in adulthood, but starts when she's still a teen. Here's Laura live at a story slam in New York City.

[Unknown]

In the anatomy of a computer program, there are three parts. There's the input that the user has to put, and then there's the processing of that input via whatever algorithm is in place. And then the program hopefully produces some kind of output. So when life here gets overwhelming or messy, which is pretty much always, sometimes I like to frame things in relation to these three steps. For instance, I'm on the train and someone says hi to me, that would be the input. And then I process it via my own algorithm, which is somewhat Dr. Seuss machine esque. And I think, okay, well, I haven't seen this person in a long time, but I'm getting off of the next stop, so any conversation I start is going to be kind of meaningless. But how do I convey to her that I actually do care about what she's been doing? Maybe I should suggest coffee, but that'll sound like an empty promise, which it probably is because I'm a huge flake, because I can't keep, you know, that's why we haven't talked to each other in so long, because I've let this friendship dive because I can't commit to anything. That's why I'm wasting the best years of my life in this dead end job. And I can't. And now I have to say something because. Because does she know I'm having an existential crisis on the L train? So that's the algorithm. And then I produce the output which is. Oh, hey. So perhaps this does not demonstrate my ability as a computer programmer, but I am apt when I program in Java because I took a lot of computer science classes at, as a high school, I went to computer programming competitions and I just loved the irrefutable logic of code in what is otherwise like this anarchist acid trip, completely abstract thing of high school. So it should come as no surprise that my first and only relationship in high school was with a computer science boy. And it went exactly as you would imagine. We only communicated in binary. And we would hold hands, but watch while we were petting my dog. So we would just kind of submerge in the fur and then touch hands and then freeze. And the kissing function. We had not debugged yet, so we didn't do a lot of that. And the input was me looking at him and the output was furious, blushing. And I just remember being floored that someone liked me. And so that translated into this kind of enormous, overwhelming foreign data that I couldn't really process. And so when we split up, because we went to different colleges, I was not devastated because I just remember trying to figure out this algorithm for how I was going to process. Like how did this mystery, this data, like how did he like me? And what, you know, the funny thing about computers is that they don't need to be loved. And the funny thing about people who relate to computers is that you start to subscribe to the same view. And so I carried that unprocessed data all through college. Accepted, no new input, thank you very much. And then that leads us to what I like to call the syntax error incident of 2012, where I was at my cousin's wedding and I was enjoying the anonymity that comes with being a guest at a wedding. Because nobody really cares what you say at a wedding. They ask questions, blah, blah, blah, what do you do? Who are you? Immediately forget what they're saying. So I'm pretending to be wildly successful when they ask what I'm doing in New York City, the Big Apple. And I'm just, I'm not saying that I'm wearing a hand me down dress from my mom's friend, and I'm definitely not saying that my shoes are from a literal thrift store. And then I meet this guy, and in his introduction, he's a friend of the bride. He says that he's a Java developer who works at an online investment company. That was the input. And no matter how many times you run yourself through test cases, you're going to come upon situations where you produce a wildly unexpected outcome. Errors in is what we call those, and an outcome that makes you immediately quit the run of the program. And you go through your personality line by line and you figure out, where in the Sam Hill did this happen? And so he gave me the input. And without missing a beat, where did this algorithm come from? I responded with my output. And I said, realizing this handsome stranger was also a computer programmer, I said, oh, ha, well, system out, print, line, parenthesis, quote, hey, end quote, end parentheses, semicol. And which I spoke to him a line of code that would literally print the word hey. And then I entered an infinite loop of regret. So I exited the conversation swiftly and I turned around and I walked away. And I thought to myself, okay, well, that occurred. But when you kind of have an experience where you are so yourself like that, you have to stop feeding yourself that bullshit input that's like, my algorithm needs to be changed in order to be lovable. And you start to feed yourself this thing that's like, okay, well, I'm the kind of girl who opens flirtatious interactions with a line of code and possibly that's lovable. And I don't even want to tell the end of the story because the Point has already been made that everyone has a lovable algorithm. But incidentally, this boy is now my fiance. And we're writing this error filled short circuiting program line by line, but we're debugging it. Thank you.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Laura Gilbert. Laura is a dancer and writer who lives in Brooklyn. Our next story is from an actual real live teenager, Diamante Ortez. Diamante was attending the Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn when the Moth's education team came to do workshops. She developed her story in school with our instructors and later performed it at a Moth high school grand Slam at the New Yorkan Poets Cafe. Diamante is going to touch upon another of the important pillars of teenage autonomy, of personal style. Here's Diamante.

[Christine Gentry]

Wow. Okay. Oh, I'm not Beyonce, but hello everyone. Wicked nervous. Ever Since I was 12, I always asked my mom this mom, can I please have purple hair? And I would always get the same response, wait until you're older. So I saw this as a definite maybe. So one day I just had enough of the same old reply. So I came up with another question, how old? And she says, well, you have to give some time and thought into it and until you're 16, then maybe we could talk about this. So then I'm like, okay, so fast forward to my 16th birthday last year where I did nothing at all except ask my mom this mom, can I please have purple hair? And she said, well, you've given it some thought and you probably wrote it 40 times in your journal. So yes, you can have purple hair as your birthday present. And in that moment, it was like the combination like fourth of July fireworks. And I wanted to do that dance like in Napoleon Dynamite where it's just like. And it was amazing. And we worked out the logistics. So I would get my purple hair the first weekend before school started. So I would come in with like a whole new head of hair and a whole new me and it'd be really awesome. And I get to the place and my hair appointment is at 12, but I come in at 11:30, just pre hair excitement. I just made that thing and I see my hairstylist and I only talk to him over the phone and I didn't like see him in person. So I see him and he has blue hair. So I'm thinking, okay, I'm in good hands. And during the process, you have to bleach your hair first and then put the purple dye in. So they put all this aluminum foil in for two hours. So I end up Looking like a satellite dish. And I could get like HBO and like maybe Pandora. And then they wash out the hair and then they towel dry it. So after they towel dry it, I go from the washing station back to the salon chair and I take off the towel. And in that moment I am blonde. And in that moment I actually don't see myself. I see my sister. And I have two sisters. One on my mom's side and one on my dad's side. And my sister on my mom's side has blonde hair. And her and I, we both look really like similar. We have similar facial features and everything. The only difference is that she has blonde hair. And now I did too. And it was weird because when I looked in the mirror I saw her and I didn't want to be her. Not saying I don't love my sister. I love my sister to death. She is like the most amazing person ever. Right up there with my mom and dad. And I was just freaking out because it was an out of body experience because it wasn't me. As I was aspiring to be someone else, I was copying someone else. And it was weird. And my hairstylist saw how freaked out I was, so he was like, okay, we're going to put the purple dye on. Just breathe in and out. Do you need a paper bag? I was like, no, I'm fine. Let's just get this purple on. So then they finally put the purple dye in and from 2:00 to 6:00 I finally have my purple hair and I'm finally completely complacent and happy with it. And my mom takes 40 pictures as she's doing right now. It's a combination of prom and graduation. And she's probably like, ay, mira, que preciosa esa muy bella. Love you mom. And it's finally me. I finally saw myself the way I want to be seen. And I could show people how I want to be seen rather than a perception of how they want to see me. Just like a weird girl. But now I'm a weird girl with purple hair. So it's. So then the next day I go to my sister's house in the Bronx and I didn't tell her that I was getting purple hair. So I knock on the door first ever. And then she opens the door and she's like hello. And she's speechless for about 10 minutes. And then she has three kids. So I have two nephews and one niece, five year old, four year old and a one year old. And the four year old has the first reaction. And he says, and I quote, I kid you not, is anyone going to love you like that? But then my 5 year old nephew says, don't worry, Mante, that's my nickname. I love you like that. And then my one year old niece just goes, ha, like I'm probably a My little Pony in her head or something. And then my sister finally comes around and has her reaction. She's like, oh, wow, you have purple hair. Mom must really trust you at that age. I could only get blonde hair. So you're like two years ahead of where I was. And it was really weird. And like thinking about it to this day, I didn't really think much about it. It's just like, okay, it's purple hair, it's gonna turn black anyway. And I think I answered my own thought where it's high school and it's my time to actually have purple hair. Because I know when I get older, I'm going to go off to college and be more professional and start wearing gray clothes like corporate America. And my mom actually trusted me enough to express myself and actually be who I want to be, not how others would perceive me as what they wanted me to be as. And it was something that I never fully realized until I look in the mirror every day. And my sister taught me that. And of course I became the petting zoo on Monday at school. And there was a line of people just touching it. It's like, oh my gosh, you got purple hair. I thought it was a myth. You know, you can't really trust these seventh graders just like spreading rumors all around. And it was like, it was amazing because in that moment, I felt like it was actually me. And it reminds me of this Essie Hinton quote. You still have a lot of time to figure out who you want to be. And I'm actually glad that I'm still figuring it out with the purple hair. Thank you.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Diamante Ortez. She currently studying political science and community development in college. And I'm happy to say her hair is still a beautiful shade of purple. To see a picture of Diamante and her violet mane, you can visit themoth.org Next up, what better place to reflect on your teenage years than on Facebook in the months leading up to your 30th high school reunion? That and a father who throws a wrench in all your romantic plans. Coming up next on the Moth Radio Hour.

[Diamante Ortez]

The Moth Radio Hour is produced by Atlantic Public Media and in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and presented by the Public Radio.

[Muthoni Garland]

Exchange prx.org support for the moth comes from Squarespace.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Are you ready to share your ideas with the world?

[Muthoni Garland]

With Squarespace, you can build a website to do just that.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Simply pick from a collection of world.

[Christine Gentry]

Class designs or customize your own look.

[Muthoni Garland]

And feel with a few easy clicks.

[Christine Gentry]

Blog, publish content or sell products and services of all kinds. Everything is optimized for you from the start. To help you grow your website in real time, check out squarespace.com for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use.

[Jennifer Hickson]

Offer code moth to save 10% off.

[Christine Gentry]

Your first purchase of a website or domain. Think it, dream it.

[Muthoni Garland]

Make it with Squarespace.

[Jennifer Hickson]

You're listening to the Moth Radio Hour from prx. I'm Jennifer Hickson. This next story is about being teenage in Texas and negotiating with a very strict parent. Chris Christine Gentry was raised in Texas, but told this story at the Boston Grand Slam where we partner with WBUR and prx. Here's Christine.

[Muthoni Garland]

So I'm sure a lot of you think that your dads make dating worse than the intrinsic nightmare that it already is, but y'all didn't grow up in Texas, okay? My dad is a couple inches taller than I am, but probably one of the most intimidating men on the planet. He's an ex Air Force Vietnam vet who became a mechanic because he was much better with his hands than he was with his heart. He's allergic to feelings. So my dad started running romantic interference very early in my life. I remember a night when I was five or six and we were having dinner at the closeted gay music minister's house and I was down the hall playing with his son and we were playing kiss tag, which, which I'm sure you can imagine is tagged with kissing. As soon as my dad found out, he came to the back room, he grabbed me by my ear and drug me out to the hallway and said, you ain't never to play that game again. And I said, why dad? He said, because kissing is where babies come from.

[Joanne Keelor]

Okay?

[Muthoni Garland]

Like all good Texans, my dad didn't let me date until I was 16 years old and I cleaned. I clearly remember the day that this rule was set. I was about 13. This really cute boy at school had asked me to meet him at the mall. Swoon. And I had to ask my dad for permission but he was changing the oil on the Suburban. So I went out to find him and I had to ask his knees, you know, because he was like under the car and so I like kicked the ground and asked him if I could go to the mall. And he didn't respond. There was just some grunting. And then he shimmied out from under the car, grabbed that pan of dirty oil and started walking right up back to the house. And I tottered after him, like maybe he didn't hear me. And he gets to the porch where this like bright cluster of daffodils had just bloomed. He locks eyes with me and pours that dirty oil all over those flowers and he says, absolutely not. Not till you're 16, okay? And I was crushed, like imagining this boy at Spencer's with another girl. So I didn't have my first real date until junior year of high school. It was homecoming dance. And I was like, okay, this is it. I'm gonna have my first kiss tonight. We're gonna get married. The summer after graduation, we'll start having Christian babies. It's the way that God wants it. And of course it had apocalyptic rained the night before this dance. And so our crappy front yard was just a mud swamp. And my dad's solution was to criss cross some two by fours between the sidewalk and the porch. And so this poor boy had to balance beam it to our front door. And then once he got in, it was just four walls of guns and dead shout. And my dad sat him down and he put tube socks on both of his hands and said, I don't want these coming off all night. Pulls a shotgun off the wall, opens it real casual like, and asked the boy to look down the back of the barrel to see if it was clean. Needless to say, I did not get kissed that night. I was home by 9:30 and I cried myself to sleep. I was like, I am never going to get married. That's it. Like this is it. In the 20 years since that night, I have brought literally two humans home to meet my father. The first one might as well not have had a name because he was only ever referred to as Noodle arms. This includes all in person interactions. The second one hadn't even been in our house for five minutes when my dad sat him down and handed him a grenade. He had emptied the powder from the grenade, but of course the boy did not know that. He sat down next to him, pulled the pen and said, got a couple questions for you. Things didn't work out with those boys. I didn't blame my dad, obviously, but he wasn't helping. So I stopped bringing people home. And it got to the point where I didn't even want to talk to my dad about who I was dating or anything personal going on in my life. And my last breakup was awful. Awful. It was like one of those eviscerating ones that make you lose sleep and weight and hope in mankind. And I called my mom, sobbing, told her about it. She said, do you want to talk to your dad? I was like, no way. And the next day I get a call from the front office and they said, I have a package from 1-800-Flowers. And I said, that's weird. And I went to get it, and it was from my dad. He had googled his way to my work address and had this adorable little bouquet of multicolored tulips sent to my school. And the card said, just wanted to cheer you up. Just thinking of you, miss ya, wanna kiss ya. And it was all in one run on sentence. And I'm an English teacher and it was the smallest, cheapest bouquet I have ever received. But as far as I know, my father has never sent flowers to anyone. Not mom, not grandma, no one. And it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Thank you.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Christine Gentry. She holds a PhD in English education from Columbia University and currently serves as director of teacher development for a network of public high schools in Boston. To see a picture of the bouquet her dad sent, visit themoth.org Our final story was told at a grand slam in Minnesota. The theme was Breaking Point. Here's Javier Morillo.

[Diamante Ortez]

August 2015. There wasn't a hint of resentment or awkward self awareness when I accepted the invitation to join the Facebook group of my 30th high school reunion. And I thought, you know, this time I think I can go. The first agenda of business. The group polls a question. 30th reunion, 2017. Puerto Rico or the United States? Most of the class of 87 now lives on the mainland. Maybe out of a sense of duty or nostalgia, we've all left as part of the brain drain on the island. But it surely can use our tourist dollars. And so we decide all together that it will be there. I joined the group without even thinking about it. I could barely even remember why it felt so stressful to even contemplate attending any of the prior reunions. On the Facebook group, our back and forth is interrupted. For a second. You may wonder, what's my role in this? Where did I fit in this? So I was the bilingual kid who considered himself very, very deep. You know, the kind of kid who read 1984 in 1984 without a hint of irony. Everything was very, very serious. As serious as my flock of seagulls inspired haircut. I was a tortured teenager and my torture was important. As important as a Morrissey lyric. Oh yes, I listened to the Smiths and the Clash and the Cure. So we are going back and forth on the Facebook group about where to have the reunion and such, when all of a sudden it's interrupted by a screech, a primordial scream, all caps. Fuck you all, you damn homophobes. Los commisiero. Daniel all of you who hurt me, I hate you. Class of 87, a big F you. All of you except Brenda and maybe Rosemary and a few others. But the rest of you, a big fu Meet Ricardo Ricardo's Facebook page did not have any pictures, not even an avatar to suggest who he is. But I know who he is. We all do. Ricardo. And we all knew, you know, that this rant, which seemingly came out of the blue actually made perfect sense. He was this kid who, even though he'd gone to Antilles his entire schooling since elementary school, he never was comfortable in English. He didn't get good grades and didn't have a lot of friends, and all of them were girls. That's what I knew about him. But it wasn't much. It was very A long time ago, I had decided to not know a lot about Ricardo. Now, as long as I had known him since the fourth grade, Ricaldo could never do what I could when I felt scared to sort of make myself invisible or blend in. Ricardo always stood out. Even when we were like 8 years old, kids would call him Pato. In Spanish, pato just means duck. But in Puerto Rico, and only in Puerto Rico, it's also a slur. It is the slang word for faggot and Ricardo. I think about it for a second and answer a comment on his page and I say, ricardo Persona. But I think it's important I say this publicly. I thought about you so much these many years since Antilles because I too am gay. And I think about all those times when I saw people being unkind to you, and I feel deep shame that I never spoke up. I then sit back and retreat to adolescence and waiting to see how many likes my comment will get people. There's a lot of activity on the page. People start apologizing to Ricardo, Ramon, an army brat like me. He apologizes to Ricardo and then to me. He says that he regrets so much how he treated us, that he now has taught his kids to stand up for others who are being bullied. Ricardo messages me privately and says that I have nothing to apologize for. He says. You were always kind to me. We remember things differently. I think as I recall all those times that I saw him being bullied and walked in the other direction. Our reunion is next year in spring. I messaged Ricardo and asked him, will I see you there? We'll see, he says. Thank you.

[Jennifer Hickson]

That was Javier Morillo. Javier is a labor union leader and activist in Minnesota. As president of SEIU Local 26, he fights hard for everyone he represents. He also created Wrong About Everything, a podcast that brings together two conservatives and two progressives to dissect the week's news now about Ricardo. Javier said he was touched to learn that many of his classmates had had reached out to Ricardo personally. Boys who had bullied him apologized to him directly and he had long conversations on the phone with a few classmates. Javier says that he is forever grateful to Ricardo for his strength and for charting a path for being different way before he was comfortable doing the same. That's it for this episode. We hope you'll join us next time for the Moth Reaction Radio Hour.

[Diamante Ortez]

Your host this hour was Jennifer Hickson. Jennifer directed the stories in the show along with Maggie Sino, Katherine McCarthy and Michaela Bly. The rest of the Moss directorial staff includes Kathryn Burns, Sarah Haberman, Sarah Austin, Janess and Meg Boy. Production support from Timothy Lou Lee. Moth stories are true as remembered and affirmed by the storytellers. Our theme music is by the Drift. Other music in this hour from Millie Jackson, Blue Stali, the album Leaf, Stellwagen Symphonette, Gustavo Santalalla and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. You can find links to all the music we use at our website. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by me, Jay Allison with Vicki Merrick at Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This hour was produced with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Moth Radio Hour is presented by prx. For more about our podcast, for information about how to pitch your own story and everything else, go to our website themoth.org.