Written by Here’s Rob McRay’s understory from our August 2017 partnership with The Porch and Parnassus Books, “Words.”
Tonight, Nashville, we encountered words.
We remembered breaking rules as we explored the words of Mormonism, communism, 
and Dave Matthews, hiding banned books and forbidden CDs, and hoping that the old version of us would be as proud of the new version as we are.
We house-sat a haunted apartment with a psycho kitty, and had expensive drinks like more successful writers—and encountered a mystical moment in which our words can bring us together.
We sobbed alone in a crowd, when a red-haired stranger in 9C offered sympathetic words; and, in a conversation about family, funerals, and grief, we learned that loss is worse when it’s felt alone.
We moved from a Deliverance-like neighborhood to a Leave-It-to-Beaver household. Then one day a depression-induced death led us to a life driven by those words…and the choir on #7 confirmed that we have not lived in vain.
A prudish student reacted to “fowl” language, and then read her story about going up the Space Needle with her dying fiancé because he enjoyed it. And now we can feel something weird in our chest.
We came crying to work after the wolf in shepherd’s clothes had hurt us again. But the stickler boss with the pony-tail gave us strength and hope, and taught us the words—“I am not your property!”
Regrading silence as an invitation to blurt out hair-brained remarks, we compared a tumor-inspired necklace to shrimp cocktail, which led to an awkward volleyball game about aquariums and Blackfish and beluga whales.
We were childhood friends, and he dated the one “who used to be mine,” and we talked about kisses, and he wanted to bring mother back. And we shared many moments when we didn’t need words—because we already know.
We moved from the cuteness of “Waspberry Wipple, Pwease” to the confusion of “wunning for our wives.” But a life-changing moment on a brick patio in Spokane led us to declare that our favorite color really is blue!
Thanks to all the fantastic storytellers–River, Christy, Kristen, Michael, Jeff, Jim, Melissa, Leslie, and Elly! If you missed the event, be sure to look for the stories on our podcast (you can subscribe on iTunes).
Our 4-year anniversary theme is “Nashville” on September 25 at Douglas Corner Cafe. Got a story? Let us know here!
Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling 