Snapshot – The Understory and Next Theme

Here’s Rob McRay’s understory for July 2019’s theme “Snapshot.”

Tonight, Nashville, we looked at snapshots.

Our first expression of romantic love led to our mint bush dying with our relationship, and to the haircut that would turn our life around. We got 13 likes—and even he thought we pulled it off.

We played the game of “Who’s driving my Lincoln” and took a trip with an armful of 71 - Snapshotkeys to the world. But a growing oil spot and growing symptoms led to the loss of a Lincoln and a life that were ours.

We helped raise him, but how do you explain leaving to a 4-year-old who leaves you out of his prayers. We had to leave again after talking about the Big Bang and the girl—and his father missed it all.

She was good at sports and was happiest winning. We weren’t…but we learned when to cheer and to boo. Later we learned about “Pretty Girl” and threats…but now you can see the kindness in her lines.

We decided to fight the universe and chose lots of injections against medical advice Despite problematic side effects—we have increased various personal maxes.

We were fanatic for wrestling—but were better as a commentator. We wanted to be a writer—but we got removed from the gig. And someday someone will take a picture with us.

We drove to the home of our father’s mother—the matriarch of a family of vets and a pacifist Baptist minister. She has a life story of the worst life has to offer. We missed the moment by an hour and a half, but left the sweet pie on her grave.

She could ring a chicken’s neck with her thumbs and was proud someone made a better section of the paper. We dreamed of modeling in New York City, but identified as a hillbilly. We miss her warnings at Big Rocks—amoeba warnings just aren’t the same.

Traveling taught us that Latin is better for Harry Potter than for socializing. We toured the “drunken sticks” and rode with tangoing gauchos—and learned that important things don’t always require language.


Our thanks to all our storytellers—Matthew, Tom, Sally, Genevieve, Matt, Barbara, Colleen, Brad, and Karla. Join us August 26 for “I Was Never the Same Again,” stories of the moments that have changed us. Submit your story idea here!

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Snapshot – The Understory and Next Theme

Here’s Rob McRay’s understory from May 2018’s theme “Snapshot”, where each storyteller told a personal story based on one of their personal photos. 

Nashville, tonight we looked at pictures.

We took a 3,500 mile journey to eat pizza with the Boy Band—Diversified, reversing 57-Snapshotevolution all over an Amsterdam bar, and dancing to Shakira with French heroines. The boy band is all grown up now, enjoying photos of our epic adventures, and planning an epic reunion tour!

We saw the look of disdain, and remembered needing therapy until we both faced the obvious. Life with an O.D.D. adolescent was a horror story—but it has a picture-perfect ending…until adolescence returns.

We were ashamed of the flailing photo, and the party where we didn’t know the social rules on rides and face-sucking. And we wish we could delete the voices as easily as the photos.

We made wildly inaccurate assumptions about each other’s photos, assuming coolness…and hair. But despite discovering the contrast between an anal-retentive closet and clean clothes on the floor, “In-the-World-Today” is now in the picture.

After the jarring loss of invincibility and getting an angry tattoo, we had the best day of our life watching a laser light show in the cave—high on permission! And now just wish one day we would look and know he’s there.

A picture of speaking on a truck in Berkley reminds us of childhood questions and fighting Nazis and dodging concrete soda cans. We expected to be focused on academics—but what we are really doing is harm reduction.

We saw the portrait of our grandparents, who carried Jessie Belle from the sulfur odor of Odessa to her final resting place in a budget-conscious D.I.Y. funeral. And they have space available on the return trip!

For years we wrote letters to missing Lizzy, till we got a friend request from the spitting image of Mamma, and a blurry copy of the family picture finally ended the nightmares.

We always posed for contrived family photos that did not capture the weirdos we really are, until our shocked Syrian Sitto took the Most Awkward Family Photo…ever! But it did lead to new friends, and offended church folk, and amazing bragging rights.

And we saw the picture!


Thanks to our wonderful storytellers—Marissa, Bassam, Kelby, Christina, Barbara, Robyn, Steve, Jessica, and Laura!

Our next theme is “Parents” on June 25. If you have a story, let us know here!

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