Powering Through It: The Moth Podcast

Sometimes, life feels like trudging through mud. The weight of the world seems heavy and, no matter the weather, everything looks gray and dreary. But even in times like these, it's important to remember that there IS hope, the sun will eventually come out, and the world won't feel gray forever. And one of the best ways to remind yourself is through hearing a story. So on this episode, two tales of powering through it. This episode was hosted by Marc Sollinger Storytellers: Mark P. Fisher finds himself lost in the woods. Harold Cox has an embarrassing experience shopping for adult diapers. Podcast # 1005

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Latte for Keenan?

• 0:01Speaker 01

  That's me.

• 0:01Speaker 00

  Hey, you're

• 0:02Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 0:03Speaker 00

  buying a car online on Autotrader?

• 0:05Speaker 01

  Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

• 0:11Speaker 00

  Cool. Enjoy.

• 0:12Speaker 01

  Buy your car online on Autotrader. Really.

• 0:15Speaker 02

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• 0:48Speaker 03

  Welcome to The Moth. I'm Mark Solinger. Sometimes life feels like trudging through mud. The weight of the world seems heavy and no matter the weather, everything looks gray and dreary. In times like these, I try to remind myself that there is hope, the sun will eventually come out, and the world won't feel gray forever. I don't know about you, but I find one of the best ways to do this is through hearing a story. So on this episode, two tales of powering through it, getting through those miserable parts of life and finding something a little bit better on the other side. First up is Mark P. Fisher, who told this at a Philadelphia Story Slam where the theme was caught.

• 1:32Speaker 03

  Here's Mark live at The Moth.

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  It was a sweltering, hot August day. My wife and I were given one assignment, to prepare the place where our second son was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. It was a place very special to them. It was in the woods of Fair Hill in Maryland. It was a, there was a river and there was forest and there was a small, open clearing that they used to go to and share stories and dream about the future together. He would fish and she would just rest in the hammock. We got to the site in a parking lot away from where we knew they were going to park.

• 2:20Speaker 04

  And we got out and I made my very first mistake. I looked at my phone and GPS and said to my wife, I've got a shortcut.

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  Through the woods, no trail. And we were caught in the bush and the brush and the thorns. And I was starting to get texts from my son, hey, I'm 20 minutes out. And I'm like, oh my gosh, we're going to be like an hour late. We, we, we made our way, we're sweating. It's, it's getting dark. It's, it's, it's near evening. It's a moonless night. And we finally get to the setting that we were told to meet at. And so we quickly start setting up the table. We packed in chairs and a tablecloth and wine and crackers and glasses and the whole nine yards. And the, and the, to top it all off, he gave us these, I don't, my wife calls them tea light, tea, tea candles. You light them and you put them on the rocks everywhere.

• 3:16Speaker 04

  And then there's stagnant water. So you, you put them in the water, hoping it doesn't go down and burn the river. And, and, and, and now I'm getting into texts. We're right around the corner. So my wife and I, you know, do the only thing we know what to do. We can't go up the, the mountain, the hill that we just came up. So we jump in the river.

• 3:38Speaker 04

  Like you do.

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  And, and they're coming this way. And we get down into the river and I'm thinking, oh my gosh, we're going to get caught. And so I, we had a blanket, so I kind of put a blanket over us in the river. And I'm looking backwards and I see them coming and they don't see us. And so I'm in the river. So I'm like pulling my phone out and I'm trying to take pictures. My wife's like, no, no, no, we're gonna, they're gonna catch us. And so we get, we just start, what do you do? You just start forging the river.

• 4:12Speaker 04

  Except it's dark now. And my wife steps on a, we think it's a turtle because it moves. And she, ew.

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  Like, and I'm like, oh, they heard us. But they didn't because we were far enough away. And now we can't get up the side of the, of the water because it's too high. So we're going through, it's dark and, and finally we find a way up and we find a path. And I think, oh, thank God, we're, we're going to make it. Except I look at my phone and there's almost zero battery and I'm using a flashlight on the phone, right? And I can't make my way out. So I do what the only thing a sane person would do. 911.

• 4:53Speaker 04

  What's your emergency? We're stuck in the woods and my battery's about to die and I don't know how to get out. And the person starts asking me, are you injured? No, I just don't know how to get out and my battery's about to die. He goes, I can tell from your GPS on your phone, you're a half a mile from a road. Just go east. Which way is east?

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  So before the battery dies, well, honestly, I hung up and I go, you're going to regret this because when they find our cold, dead bodies next to this river, you're going to wish they sent help. But I didn't. So I called a friend and he was like, I, I don't know, I've got an off duty policeman, he'll come get you. And so we're walking through the woods. It's dark and it's hot. Of course, we're lost. And we hear off in the distance, Mark, Lori. You know, it's the policeman speakerphone thing over, way over there. So we start heading in that direction. And, and, and he has to climb us over a fence and we're dirty and wet and just it's horrible. So he takes us to our car and then we get back

• 6:00Speaker 04

  to our house where there's a big party because everyone knew, friends, family, that, the engagement, and we're the last ones there. So we're slinking into the house, dirty, wet, and embarrassed.

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  My son walks over to me and puts his hand on my shoulder. And he says, thanks, Dad.

• 6:32Speaker 03

  That was Mark P. Fisher. Mark is a storyteller, entrepreneur, encourager, and grandfather of seven who believes wonder can outgrow regret. After ending a 37-year marriage, he's rebuilding life with songs, kids' books, a spy novel, and a leadership fable, offering humor, humility, curiosity, and hard-earned hope to others. Even though I've never been lost in the woods after trying to take an engagement photo, literally, I feel like I've definitely done the same thing metaphorically. And it's always helpful to know that. If you can find your way out of the forest, there's a big party of people who can't wait to see you. After the break, another story of finding your way. Be back in a moment.

• 7:18Speaker 00

  Latte for Keenan?

• 7:19Speaker 01

  That's me.

• 7:19Speaker 00

  Hey, you're

• 7:20Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:21Speaker 00

  buying a car online on Autotrader?

• 7:23Speaker 01

  Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

• 7:29Speaker 00

  Cool. Enjoy.

• 7:30Speaker 01

  Buy your car online on Autotrader. Really.

• 7:33Speaker 02

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• 8:05Speaker 03

  Welcome back. Up next, we've got a story from Harold Cox, who told this at a Boston Grand Slam where the theme of the night was a point of beauty. Here's Harold live at The Moth.

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  I feel beads of sweat just rolling down my back as I'm talking to these three doctors. There are three of them. And then one doctor says, all right, it's time for the exam. What I want you to do is I want you to go over to that chair, pull your pants down. I want you to bend over the waist, put your hands on the seat. I know that I'm getting ready for the prostate exam, sometimes known as the finger exam. I hate it. I hate it, and so do most of you. And I know that I have to get in this position. So I get in this very undignified position. And then I turn around and I see that all three of the doctors are pulling gloves on their hands.

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  They all intend to examine me, three fingers back there. I take a deep breath. I pull up as much courage as I can at that moment. I stand up and I say, there's only room for one.

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  The doctor says, "I beg your pardon." I said, "There's only room for one person to examine me." He says, "Well, we all need to examine you." I said, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We're not gonna do it like that this time." And then the doctor and I go back and forth and back and forth. And then the doctor announces, "Okay, only one person will examine Mr. Cox," as though this was his idea. So, there we go. We have the exam, and I have won the battle. But I have also lost the war because I have prostate cancer.

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  And I have no idea what's going to happen. Am I going to die? What's going to happen to me? I have a few more exams, and they determine that I'm going to have surgery. So, with the first visit with the surgeon, he says to me, "You need to know that after the surgery, you're going to have difficulty peeing. You're going to be incontinent, and you need to get adult diapers." Okay, adult diapers. So, I tell a number of people that I'm going to have the surgery, but I tell absolutely nobody that I'm going to be wearing diapers. I don't want anybody to know that. That's very embarrassing to me. And I want to make certain that when I go and buy them,

• 10:54Speaker 05

  that there is nobody there that I know. Because I still remember when I was 16 years old and I bought my first condoms, I almost thought about stealing them because there was somebody at the counter that I knew. I didn't steal them, mind you. So, there we are. I've got to do something about this. I've got to do something. I don't want anybody there. So, I get in my car, and I drive 91 miles to Springfield because I don't know anybody in Springfield. Now, I am a man with a mission.

• 11:35Speaker 05

  And I get out of my car, and I go straight to the baby diaper section. Okay, they're not there. I look around some more. They're not there. I am going to have to ask somebody for these things. This is the last thing that I wanted to have happen. But I have to ask somebody. But who? Who? And then I see her. It's a clerk. She looks like somebody's grandmother. I know she's the right person. She will understand. So, I go up to her, shoulders rolled, low voice. "Ma'am, would you please tell me where are the adult male diapers?" She looks...

• 12:20Speaker 05

  "Martha!" She's calling her friend. In her loudest voice. "Martha, where are the adult male diapers?" She has now just called me out. The thing that I feared the most. I don't know what's going to happen at this moment. I want a lightning bolt to come and take her out at this moment. And do you know what happened? Nothing. Nobody laughed. Nobody said anything. I bought them. I left the store. I went out to my car, and I laughed, driving 91 miles, thinking about this thing that happened. Well, that was 14 years ago. I am perfectly fine now, but the...

• 13:08Speaker 05

  And I have had the opportunity to tell many stories about humor and humility. My doctor also asks me from time to time to talk to patients. And I like to tell them two things. First, I thrived. And the second is, if you ever go to the doctor and one of them tells you to bend over, and there are three others that are pulling on gloves, say no.

• 13:44Speaker 03

  That was Harold Cox. Harold is a professor at Boston University's School of Public Health, where he teaches and writes about leadership and advocacy. Beyond the classroom, Harold is a storyteller who likes to turn everyday moments into powerful narratives that make audiences laugh, think, and feel. And a gentle reminder from me personally, if you meet the criteria, please do get checked for prostate cancer. That brings us to the end of our episode. Thank you to our storytellers for sharing with us and to you for listening. From all of us here at The Moth, we hope that whatever you're going through, you're able to power through it. Mark Sollinger is the podcast producer of The Moth, the co-creator of the audio drama Archive 81,

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  a lover of museums, and someone who feels very strange reading his own bio. Harold Cox's story was directed by Meg Bowles. This episode of The Moth Podcast was produced by Sarah Austin Jenness, Sarah Jane Johnson, and me, Mark Sollinger. The rest of The Moth's leadership team includes Gina Duncan, Marina Kluchay, Jennifer Hickson, Jordan Cardenale, Caledonia Cairns, Kate Tellers, Suzanne Rust, and Patricia Uranya. The Moth Podcast is presented by Odyssey. Special thanks to their executive producer, Leah Reese 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.

• 15:20Speaker 00

  Latte for Keenan?

• 15:20Speaker 01

  That's me.

• 15:21Speaker 00

  Hey, you're...

• 15:22Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:23Speaker 00

  Buying a car online on Autotrader?

• 15:24Speaker 01

  Really? But unlike other sites, you can start online, test drive with a local dealer, then finish online or at the dealership.

• 15:30Speaker 00

  Cool. Enjoy.

• 15:32Speaker 01

  Buy your car online on Autotrader. Really.

• 15:35Speaker 06

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