Jennifer Hixson
Appearances
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm your host, Jennifer Hickson. In this hour, the pursuit of happiness. It's a deep concept from our Declaration of Independence, our inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Scholars and lawmakers and regular citizens have debated the meaning of these words since they were first inked in 1776.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
That was Morgan Givens. He's based in Washington, D.C., and is the creator, producer, and host of the critically acclaimed Hope Punk podcast, Flyest Fables. Morgan has been featured in the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, and on NPR's Invisibilia. He began telling stories on stage in the summer of 2015 and is so glad he did.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
The woman who would eventually become his wife happened to be in the audience for his very first story on stage. Now that's the power of storytelling. Do you have a story to tell us? Did you have to try to live up to your grandma's impossible standards? Call 877-799-MOTH. That's 877-799-6684. The best pitches are developed for moth shows all around the world. There are moth events year-round.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
Find a show near you and come out to tell a story. And find us on social media. Just search for The Moth. In a moment, a mother who loves her son so much, she's almost willing to break the law. When the Moth Radio Hour continues.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
You're listening to the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Jennifer Higson, and we're hearing stories about the pursuit of happiness. Our final story was told at the Vic Theater, where we partner with public radio station WBEZ Chicago. I want to note that this story makes mention of sex a few times, just in case that doesn't feel appropriate for you or whomever you're listening with. Here's Ruby Cooper.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
That was Ruby Cooper. Ruby grew up in an Irish bar. She's a mother, grandmother, activist, teacher, writer, comic, and has traveled to much of the world solo. Her book is titled Irish Mongrel Child. She's currently working on a solo show called I Died Laughing. I gave Ruby a call to get an update on this story and life in general.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
In talking with you about Kirk over all the years, I feel like I know him. you tried to make sure that he had all the experiences he possibly could.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
You helped Kirk in his pursuit of happiness. And how did he help you in your pursuit of happiness, do you think?
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
You have told this story, I don't know, more than 20 times all over the country. I'm not sure the exact count. And I always notice people coming up to you afterwards and talking to you, and I wonder what they say.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
Wow. So what advice would you have for anyone who's supporting someone who may be disabled?
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
Yeah. Your mom was cool. Gosh. And what was your mother's relationship with Kirk like? Oh, God.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
That was Ruby Cooper talking about her son, Kirk. Kirk died when he was 42 years old, surrounded by his mom and sisters and the many people who loved him. To see some pictures of Kirk and Ruby and Grandma, visit themoth.org, where you can also download the story. I want to thank all the storytellers in this hour for their lessons on the noble pursuit of happiness.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
That's it for this episode of the Moth Radio Hour. I hope you're inspired to pursue your own brand of happiness. We hope you'll join us next time, and that's the story from the moth.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
In this hour, people pursuing their versions of liberty and happiness in ways unforeseen by the framers. For example, our first story is by a woman who turns to crowdsourcing to find her joy. Live from the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, where we partner with public radio station WGBH, here's Anne Guo.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
That was Anne Guo. She's a career coach and creator of Passion Analytics, a coaching chat bot. When Anne is not geeking out on career design or storytelling, she continues to go on adventures. She invites you to hit her up, or maybe even join her, if you have any great ideas. And I think she means it.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
To see a photo of Anne with her makeshift boat and smiling at the Goldberg Bat Mitzvah, visit themoth.org, where you can also download the story. Regarding the pursuit of happiness, my family, friends, trees all bring me joy. But I do have a peculiar source. It's a little weird. I like to give my dog haircuts. He's a Shih Tzu rescue, and his hair grows insanely fast.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
Professional cuts look great, but cost more than my haircuts. So I invested in a buzzer. And I found out that the way the hair falls away is so satisfying. He's my own furry little zen garden. And unlike my kids, who get all bent out of shape if their bangs come out a little short or crooked or whatever, there are no complaints from Roscoe. He mostly loves the attention.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
Sometimes he grows impatient, so the second half of the haircut has to wait. No problem. No complaints. Mohawks, fades, the shag, I do it all. The lack of precision in my cuts sometimes makes strangers ask, what kind of dog is that? But the happiness circles back around because it's so fun to pet him when he's freshly buzzed, so he gets a lot of extra love. Find your joy, people.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
In a moment, a rookie cop with a secret, when the Moth Radio Hour continues.
The Moth
The Moth Radio Hour: The Pursuit of Happiness
This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Jennifer Hickson. We're talking about the pursuit of happiness, and for many that would include freely being your whole self, at home and at work. Our next story was told at the Tampa Theater in Florida, where we partner with WUSF Public Media. Here's Morgan Givens.