The other night we were laying in bed talking, and Meg said, “We need to teach our kids.” We’ve talked about this before of course, and I don’t know why, but it hit me a bit different this time. It’s almost a cliché that it’s so easy to get wrapped up in just getting through the day, that we forget the true role we need to play in our children’s lives: to teach them. I know I need to do a better job of this. The task can often seem daunting, how am I going to be able to teach my two girls everything they need to know by the time they’re grown. And how much of it will they actually listen to? What am I teaching my kids?

Since that late night conversation I stumbled across a blog that fits right in here. 1001 rules for my unborn son sets out to get together a list of words of wisdom for his unborn son, in his own words “Let’s get some things straight, before I get old and uncool.”

I started at the beginning and have been poring over the entries. This was inspiring for me to take a step back and remind myself that it really is my job to let my kids know the ins and outs of what I know about life. The blog does a fantastic job of summing up important info, offering great quotes, and required listening. It inspires me to do more of those things I should, and to pass those things on to my kids. Great stuff all around.

ira-glass-intro

He’s not quite as ‘NPR’ as Terry Gross, which I would consider the most ‘NPR’ one can be. But he is certainly distinct. The format of the radio show, and the way he presents it in acts, each with it’s own clever name. It’s the perfect voice to imitate, while secretly envying and ultimately revering. Plus, he looks just like Cameron from ‘Ferris Beuller’s Day Off’.

Before I was a casual fan, but once the imitating started for some reason it tipped. I was a sponge, soaking it in. Waiting around for that perfect phrase to throw in to my next impression. Along the way, I got hooked.

I always assume everyone listens to ‘This American Life’, probably because it’s affected me in so many ways. And because it is so readily available now: through their website, on the radio each week, and for the lazy man/woman (me) you can subscribe to the podcast through itunes. There’s really no excuse not to listen when it’s delivered right to your computer at work Monday morning. But when I find myself all excited about an episode and start a conversation with someone that begins with, “Do you listen to “This American Life?” I find about half the time I get a sort of blank look that answers my question. Those of you who do listen, I hope this brings up some great memories and sends you scurrying to the archives. Those of you who have never heard of Ira Glass or his show, this is my introduction to you: Why I love ‘This American Life.’

‘This American Life’ is a radio show that tells stories. What is it that makes this show great? Basically, that’s it: they tell stories. They usually deal with individuals and how they experience the world. This lends an intimacy to the presentation that is both endearing and compelling. And these people are really good at finding a story in the experiences of everyday people. They range from the slightly embarrassing to the wildly hilarious, to the poignant and touching. Occasionally an episode will come along and turn my world on its head. A couple of my favorite stories that fit all those descriptions I’ve clipped out to play here, some of them are long but they’re all worth it:

From show #293 A Little Bit of Knowledge:
small-thoughts-in-big-brains
From show #364 Going Big:
harlem-renaissance
From show #61 Fiasco:
opening-night

Last Thursday Meg and I went up to Beaverton to watch a live cinema performance of the show (broadcast in a movie theater). It was nice to watch in person as Ira confirmed that he’s the biggest nerd on the planet. It was really interesting to watch him mix the intro live. Sitting by himself at a desk on the stage (they were performing in front of a live audience) he has a microphone in front of him, and a script he’s reading off of. To his right is a deck that plays sound/voice clips. To his left is a deck that plays music clips. Watching the spectacle of him working the buttons, reading the script and matching this visual with the aural style I’ve listened to so often was kind of strange. One part “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain”, two parts very impressed by his handiwork.

It was touching to hear Dan Savage speak about his mother and his own experiences with (and without) faith. Starlee Kine is definitely crazy (in a good way, I think?), in case you didn’t gather that from this episode. Mike Birbiglia was right on target. It was everything we could have wanted.

The most impressive thing about the show is how well the quality and style transcends it’s medium. They do it on the radio. They do it for tv (now on dvd). They do it live in front of audiences across the nation (again on May 7, if you missed it on Thursday). That’s versatility that can easily be underestimated. Not so easily executed. Plus we were treated to some extra nerdy word puzzle fun because we arrived early.

Four + One Productions mission is to tell stories the right way, and I have to say a week rarely passes without me drawing inspiration from Ira and his merry band of storytellers.