StoryCorps is a unique program in which average people record stories from their own lives. The recordings are stored for posterity by the Library of Congress, and a few of the more intriguing ones are excerpted for broadcast on NPR. When a Story Corps van was scheduled to come to Phoenix, Christopher immediately jumped online and booked us a reservation. He wanted the two of us to talk about ourselves — how we met, the details of our marriage in 2008, and the confusing aftermath of it. To be honest, the whole experience sounded about as fun as a root canal, but he was so enthusiastic about it I just went along (to be a supportive hubby).
We arrived at our local library to find a vintage style Airstream trailer in the parking lot. There was a nice young lady outside who smiled in recognition at our names being given. When it was finally our turn, we were greeted by another nice young lady who led us into the trailer and gave us a basic briefing on the StoryCorps concept while setting us up for recording. We sat in comfortable chairs facing each other in an intimate room with low lighting, a setting which allowed me to relax and just let the words flow. Christopher did most of the talking (of course), but I also got plenty in as well and moved things along in my role as moderator. We even had a few minutes at the end to talk about our midcentury modern designer-named pets, Eero (cat) and Aalto (dog).
After we finished, we stepped outside and found a local TV reporter who had arranged a story on StoryCorps with us. She interviewed each of us on the experience. Our story should end up on the 9 p.m. Channel 3 broadcast next week!
Here’s Christopher’s account of our exciting day.
