Sadness First Thing in the Morning
I listen to the radio every weekday morning without fail.
I slap the snooze button on the alarm then flip the little switch that turns on the radio, out of which pours the familiar timbres of Morning Edition hosts Renee Montagne and Steve Inskeep. The morning news makes ironing my clothes a little more interesting, and I feel caught up on what’s happening in the world. Most days I listen on my commute to work.
Friday is StoryCorps day. StoryCorps is a nonprofit oral history project that lets people record their personal stories at booths across the nation. Two people who are important to each other speak into a microphone about what matters most to them. Those recordings are then archived at the Library of Congress. (And, obviously, broadcast on NPR.)
Here is today’s StoryCorps segment: A Love That Defied A Cancer Diagnosis.
Every StoryCorps segment is captivating. Hearing people speak about their lives in their own words with a friend or relative is oddly intimate. Since each segment is so short, listeners arrive at that delicate place in a story when the heart of the matter comes into view. Entire lives are transmitted in just three minutes.
But almost every segment is poignantly melancholy, even the segments in which people are telling stories about happy times with loved ones or their jobs. People spill grief and irony and self-discovery and love and regret in these booths, and it seems the most important parts of our lives are bound in an equal measure of joy and sadness.
Sometimes it’s hard to hear another’s sadness first thing in the morning.
But each of these stories reveals a relatable truth, a familiar emotion, a known element — which makes them great stories. The best stories show us a part of ourselves.
wow, thanks for posting this. i’ve never heard of storycorps, but what an exciting concept! i visited the site and decided immediately that this will be something very useful for my ESL students.
and, what a beautiful story, today’s. it is, as you mentioned, a quick jump into the most intimate part of the story. what struck me was my response: immediate tears. how amazing that we go from knowing nothing at all about these people, to feeling such depth of emotion (theirs? ours?) after only 5 seconds! how is it that when real people tell real stories, something inside us is so stirred? it’s different from third person narratives, and it’s different from acting.
Yes, I cried too this morning. It was just so … touching, which sounds cliche.
Maybe it’s more moving because it’s real. These are real people, just like us, sharing their lives. It’s not made up, or reported.
I always forget about Storycorps Fridays until I hear that familiar music. Then I smile, snuggle in a little more, and listen. Many times I get choked up and wonder who I’d talk to and what we’d talk about.
I’m writing from StoryCorps to let you know we saw your blog post describing StoryCorps stories as “poignantly melancholy.” That’s such a beautiful way to describe the project.
I wanted to write to let you know about a new initiative we’re launching this year that might also appeal to your readers. StoryCorps is asking the whole country to set aside one hour on Friday, November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving, to record a conversation with a friend or loved one. We’re declaring this day the National Day of Listening. We launched a website (www.nationaldayoflistening.org) with more information and tips for a Do-it-Yourself style interview as well as a video walking through an interview scenario. Since so many Americans aren’t able to make it to a StoryCorps recording booth, we’re making it easier for everyone to share this experience in their own homes.
Again, thank you for writing about StoryCorps on your blog. Please share the idea of National Day of Listening and these Do-it-Yourself tools with your readers, family, and friends, helping us make the experience of listening as an act of love even more accessible.
Thank you again,
Kathleen
StoryCorps