The Moth - Friends in High Places: Sivad Johnson & Greg Audel

Episode Date: June 25, 2021

This week, two very different stories about friends in high places. Hosted by: Chloe Salmon Storytellers: Sivad Johnson, Greg Audel ...

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Attention Houston! You have listened to our podcast and our radio hour, but did you know the Moth has live storytelling events at Wearhouse Live? The Moth has opened Mike's storytelling competitions called Story Slams that are open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the night's theme. Upcoming themes include love hurts, stakes, clean, and pride. GoodLamoth.org forward slash Houston to experience a live show near you. That's the moth.org forward slash Houston. Welcome to the moth podcast. I'm your host for this episode, Chloe Sammon. This week we're talking about friendship and the unexpected places we can sometimes find it. Up first
Starting point is 00:00:43 is Savod Johnson. Savod told this at a story slam in Detroit where the theme of the night was lessons. Here's Savad live at the Moth. When I regained consciousness, I recognized my mom, dad, and a few friends standing over me, looking concerned. Someone who was in love with me, who was in love with me, who was in love with me, I recognized my mom, dad, and a few friends standing over
Starting point is 00:01:07 me, looking concerned. Someone asked, "'Sovod, are you okay?'' I didn't answer. I did, however, have one question on my mind. You see, 12 years, I was 12 years old, and my birthday had just passed, and I received a new BMX bike. It was royal blue. It had gold, decals, hand breaks, and multi-spoke wheels. I pictured that with the right pilot aboard,
Starting point is 00:01:40 that bike could probably jump over the school up the street. And I'm sure that wild imagination is what caused me to challenge my friends to a jumping contest. Now the ante got upped when one of them suggested jumping over a large bush that for some odd reason was planted in the middle of his front lawn. Okay, challenge accepted. The following Saturday, five young daredevil assembled ready to take flight, and the day was perfect. The ramp was constructed of the finest components.
Starting point is 00:02:20 We had two car ramps placed side by side with a couple of milk crates on top of that. We had a slightly warped piece of plywood and a few bricks at the base to keep it all anchored. I'm pretty sure Hollywood was stuntman when we were using the same materials back there. We rode up to the starting spot and the first kid takes off for the ramp.
Starting point is 00:02:43 He jumps but goes off center and lands at the right, just clipping the bush. When the second kid takes off, he decides to abort his mission before he even reaching the ramp. The third contestant goes and actually clears the bush. But when he lands, both of his feet slip off the pedals. He nut crunches on that middle bar.
Starting point is 00:03:07 So hard. Let's out a blood-curdling scream and instantly becomes a spectator for the rest of the event. We laughed at him, too. The fourth jumper goes, clears the bush easily and lands perfectly on the other side, but he can't stop fast enough and slams into a car in the driveway next door. Amateurs.
Starting point is 00:03:36 Last but not least is moi. My parents are out front now and the rest of the kids are parked and waiting. I'm in the zone. I picture a jump so epic that it should be on the front of a Wheaties cereal box. I decided to build anticipation by going through a series of poses and I ended all with the double biceps. I rock it off from two houses away in the middle of the street. Pedal in as fast as I can, I whip into the driveway here to straight for the ramp. Perhaps a little too fast because my right foot slips from the pedal and the bike wobbles.
Starting point is 00:04:16 But I recovered. I recovered just in time to hit the ramp and it shifts. I tried to save it by pulling the front wheel up but it clips something and oh shit here we go. My bike is leaving me. The grass is above me and the sky is beneath me. How can this be? But then the grass in the sky switched back, and I violently splat, and everything goes black. But I regained consciousness, and my mom, dead and friends are standing over me. I'm laid out flat, probably similar to a murder scene body sketch or something.
Starting point is 00:04:59 They ask if I'm okay, and I don't answer. But I did have that one question on my mind. Hey, how's my bike? My dad nods and signals okay. My mom throws her arms up and walks away. My friends are all laughing at me, but I learn three lessons that day. Lesson number one. If you're gonna jump some bush, don't prematurely celebrate.
Starting point is 00:05:32 Save it for a perfect dismount. Lesson two, speed is nothing without control. When you're riding, stay super focused and maintain your rhythm. Oh, it's all right. And three, if you're performing any physical feat and happen to black out, and then wake up surrounded by your friends and parents, always.
Starting point is 00:06:01 And I mean always check your equipment first. Thank you. That was Sevod Johnson. Sevod sadly passed away in August of 2020, while rescuing three young girls from the Detroit River. He was a Detroit native, a husband, father, artist, and second generation firefighter. Sevod was a many time math storyteller.
Starting point is 00:06:30 He described himself as a student of life and was a friend to many. While Sevod's buddies took him to literal heights, our next storyteller is aiming even higher for a new friend, metaphorically speaking. Greg Adel told this at a story slim in Houston, where the theme of the night was delusions. Here's Greg live at the Moth.
Starting point is 00:06:51 Applause Can you hear me? Yeah. All right. Wow, this is awesome. It's amazing. See so many people out here for the moth. You know, I think delusions get a really bum rap.
Starting point is 00:07:10 I think sometimes delusions get us through some pretty hard times in life. When I was 12, my folks split up. And for a brief period of time, my mother and I shared a delusion that my father could be a competent father. But after many nights, strip clubs and driving home myself at 13, 14 years old when he was drunk, I gave up that delusion. And I started watching the news a lot.
Starting point is 00:07:41 When we were at strip clubs, I didn't like what was going on behind me. I didn't like what was going on. So I just focused on the TV and I watched the news. And I became kind of obsessed with the news. And then I became obsessed with President Jimmy Carter. He just seemed like such a nice guy. He had sons, he had a daughter. He seemed like a good dad. And this idea started going in my mind.
Starting point is 00:08:10 Many would call it a delusion. I wanted Jimmy Carter to be my friend. I wanted him to kind of rescue me from the crazy world I was living in. So I called the White House, 202-456-1414. They wouldn't put the president on the phone. And so I realized I was going to have to get creative. And this was way before the internet. So I used to call the reference librarians at the Houston Public Library constantly for every relative of Jimmy Carter, everyone that worked in the White House, every reporter, just
Starting point is 00:08:51 anyone I could get. And I decided, you know, he didn't understand. I knew he was busy, but, you know, come on, we need to become friends. So after, you know, about a year of telling people that Jimmy Carter was going to be my friend, the White House was sending me boxes and boxes and materials, pictures of the Carter family, kids who are the White House, autographed pictures of the President. I didn't want any of that. One day when they sent a picture of the Carter family, his, Jeff Carter, there was a picture of his wife in net.
Starting point is 00:09:27 She was this pretty older woman, probably 23, 24. So I called the White House, 20456141, for all the operators knew me by this time. And I asked for a net. They wouldn't put her on the phone. But they did give me her office number. And so I called. And she called me back immediately, surprisingly.
Starting point is 00:09:51 And I explained to her that I was really needing to get to know the president. And I thought he was a great dad, and I asked what he was like as a dad, and what he was like at the White House. And she said, Greg, there's no way I can have the President call you, but I'll be happy to ask him for an autographed picture and have him send it to you. If he comes to dinner tonight, I thought, wow, Jimmy comes to dinner tonight, that's
Starting point is 00:10:18 pretty cool. But I didn't want an autographed picture, so I said, well, would you put my phone number on it also? She said, if you promised to understand that he will not call well, would you put my phone number on it also? She said, if you promised to understand that he will not call you, I'll put your phone number on it also. This was in November, I think, December, January, February, March, passed. By this point, everyone I knew, knew that I knew that Jimmy
Starting point is 00:10:41 Carter was going to call me. And the only thing everyone knew was that I was delusional, and the president was never going to call me. And the only thing everyone knew was that I was delusional, and the president was never going to call me. I was babysitting at my church one night. Phone rings, someone comes in. And keep in mind, I'd had a lot of prank calls. Everybody knew that I was trying to do it. So my friend came in and said, great,
Starting point is 00:11:01 the president's on the phone for you. It's like, shut up. No, no, really, go pick up the phone. So I go pick up the phone. Mr. Greg O'Dell, please. This is he. Oh, in that case, this is the White House operator. Please hold for the president of the United States.
Starting point is 00:11:21 So I'm 13, and I was still going out to clubs and single bars every night and I hadn't slept much. I was trying to get my wits about me and trying to figure out if someone was pulling my leg really well and then a voice comes on and says, well hello Greg this is President Carter and I understand from many people that you're trying to get in touch with me. What can I help you with? And I fortunately, because I was obsessed with the news, it was, I didn't care about anything going on in my personal life, and I had known, I'd been delusional enough to know that we were going to be friends, so I
Starting point is 00:11:55 started rambling about his administration and how he'd kept the hostages alive and the energy crisis, and he said, well, I think we need to meet next time I'm in Houston. And I said, well, yes, sir. And so the following September, he came through on a campaign stop, and we met. And we were fortunate to meet virtually every time he came to Houston thereafter. And when I was in law school, I was about to ride in his car
Starting point is 00:12:22 with him to a ceremony at the Manil, still marveling that this grand illusion had become real and we were leaving his hotel and he says you know Greg there's someone I want you to meet and I turn around and I'm face to face with Nelson Mandela and he says Nelson he goes you know Greg's a young man but he's a very old friend of mine. And that's how my delusion served me well. Thank you. That was Greg Adel. Greg says he spent the first half of his life creating the adventures he now tells stories about
Starting point is 00:13:01 in the second half of his life. His favorite job is uncle, both actual and surrogate, and a close second is co-hosting So What's Your Story, a storytelling program on Houston's 90.1 KPFT. Greg's partner in crime, Floyd the Wonder Dog, is the show's official mascot. Greg's called with President Carter with actually logged in the White House diary for that day in 1980. You can check it out on our website, themoth.org. Here's Greg reading a follow-up he wrote about the beginnings of his presidential obsession.
Starting point is 00:13:42 From the time I could read, I was obsessed with two subjects, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. When I was 10, I volunteered on Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign, making and hammering in yard signs with my mother. To my father's credit, when I was 11, he took me to Houston's Ellington Field to see President Carter arrive on Air Force One. That magical day was one of the rare positive moments I recall sharing with my father. When President Carter began shaking hands, I shoved my way to the front of the crowd
Starting point is 00:14:16 and I shook his hand. Then I ran ahead, pushed myself through the crowd again, and I shook his hand again. Amazingly, he looked at me and asked, didn't I shake your hand back there? You must have liked it. So I ran ahead again, pushed myself through the crowd and just before he walked to his car, I reached out my hand, shook it for a third time. He looked at me, smiled,
Starting point is 00:14:41 raised three fingers and said, that makes three, I was done. The president of the United States had taken notice of me. A few months later, my fifth grade teacher, Linda Barrett, had our class send a letter to the president and we got an autographed picture back. We all put our names in a bucket to see who would get to keep the photo and Stacy Gilmore's name was pulled. I was not happy and thought, I can do better than an autographed picture. My quest had begun.
Starting point is 00:15:17 That was Greg Adel. After his phone call with President Carter, Greg said he made a promise to himself to cross off every name on the long list of people he wanted to meet. And so far he's been pretty successful. Greg has met President Reagan, Clinton, and Bush senior. And first ladies, Rosalind Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Lady Bird Johnson, and in what he calls an act of divine intervention, Jackie O'Nass' Kennedy. We also met Greg in a pretty special way. Back in 2015, Greg was working as an Uber driver and was just about to head home when he got
Starting point is 00:15:55 one last passenger request. His rider was headed to the Moth Story Slam in Houston. Greg said he'd listen to the Moth radio hour before and thought he might be a pretty good storyteller, so he logged off Uber and threw his name in the hat. Not only was his name pulled first, but he won the slam that night, with the story you just heard. As the world starts to open back up, it might feel intimidating or scary to start putting yourself out there again. And maybe you aren't ready to launch yourself into new friendships or ring up the president for a chat. And that's okay.
Starting point is 00:16:30 Just remember, sometimes it's the small moments with new faces, like a conversation with an Uber driver, that can have the biggest impact. That's all for this week. Thank you to the storytellers who shared with us and to you for listening. Until next time, from all of us here at The Moth, Thank you to the storytellers who shared with us and to you for listening. Until next time, from all of us here at The Moth, have a storyworthy week.
Starting point is 00:16:50 Chloe Salmon is a producer on the Moth's main stage and story slam teams, a director on the main stage and a member of the pitchline team. Her favorite Moth moments come on show days. When the cardio is done the house lights go down and the magic settles in. This episode of the moth podcast was produced by me Julia Purcell with Sarah Austin Janess and Sarah Jane Johnson. The rest of the moth's leadership team includes Catherine Burns, Sarah Haberman, Jennifer Hickson, Meg Bulls, Kate Tellers, Jennifer Birmingham, Marina, Cluche, Suzanne Rust, Branding Grant, Inga, Glodowski, and Aldi Kaza. Month stories are true as remembered and affirmed by story tellers.
Starting point is 00:17:32 For more about our podcast, information on pitching your own story and everything else, go to our website, themoth.org. The Moth podcast is presented by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more public at prx.org.

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