Host: Dan Kennedy
Dan: [00:00:01] Welcome to The Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. And this week on the podcast, we have two stories for you, both of them with Chicago in heart and in mind. Our first story, we're giving the mic and the stage over to Bill Russell.
[00:00:16] Bill shared this at a Moth StorySLAM in Chicago. And just a quick note, the events in Bill's story take place in the 1990s, so the story is kind of a little bit of a time capsule, which we think is really fun. Here's Bill Russell, live at The Moth.
Moderator: [00:00:31] He's in here. Starting at our first storyteller of the night, we got jazz snappings that will turn to hand clapping for the mighty, mighty Bill Russell, everybody.
[cheers and applause]
Bill: [00:00:55] It started snowing at about 12 o'clock in the afternoon, and Manhattan was getting pretty white. Now, I just started dating this unbelievably hot Pan Am stewardess back in Chicago. Well, you can tell, way out of my league. [audience chuckles] So, I didn't want to take any chance of waiting an entire month for this training program until I got back to see her. So, I made a phone call to the airline. They said I could get on an earlier flight. My boss said it was okay, and I headed out.
Was able to get on the 4 o'clock flight instead of the 07:00. We got out of the gate, 4 o'clock turned to 05:00, which turned to 06:00, which turned to 07:00, which turned to 08:00. But he said, "We're taking off." So, I was like, "Yeah, this is going to happen." So, I was pretty excited about it. All of a sudden, we took off, and everyone was in a cool mood about it. We were getting out of Newark. If you've ever been in Newark, that's a really good thing. [audience chuckles]
Well, we got up in the air, and I'm going to say about two and a half, three hours went by when all of a sudden, the captain came on and said, "Listen, there's also a snowstorm in Chicago. We're really backed up. We're just going to have to loop around for about another hour or so, but then we'll be able to land and everything will be fine."
Well, about an hour and a half, two hours went by. Before he came back on and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're just a little low on fuel. [audience chuckles] We're going to land in Detroit. But we promise you, we're going to load up on fuel, de-ice, hop, skip and a jump right into Chicago.” “All right, cool." Well, 12 o'clock turns to 1 o'clock, 1 o'clock turns to 2 o'clock and all of a sudden, the captain gets back on and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is the decision of People Express--"
And yes, I guess I am aging myself here. [audience chuckles] "It's the decision of People Express that we are not going to go to Chicago. We are going to go back to Newark Airport, [audience chuckles] because there are no gates available in Detroit. We've checked at 2 o'clock in the morning. There are no hotels available. All of the hotels and all of the rental cars are gone. There is really no choice."
Well, at this, the grumbling starts and everybody starts to sit down. And one gentleman was still standing and he was adjusting his trousers. It was then that I realized something that flight attendant girlfriend had said to me. "If anyone is standing on a plane, they can't take off." And so, I stood up and said, "If we all stand up, they can't fly the plane. [audience chuckles] Please recognize this is in a pre-9/11 situation." [audience laughter]
Well, with that, about 20 people stand up. And the flight attendants come running back to me, "What's going on here? You got to sit down." And I said, "Listen, I'm on the ground now. I'm a little nervous about it all. I don't want to take off. I want to stay here in Detroit." So, with that, they all head up to talk to the captain. Everyone starts grumbling at me when I explain to them what the rules are with airlines. If they take you back to the point of origin, they do not owe you any money, they do not owe you a hotel. And so, I said to everybody, "You know what it was like? Everyone that was after us has already gotten the hotels. And all of the flights that were going to be on for 6 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 8 o'clock and everything for Saturday morning, they're already gone. How badly do you want to sit in Newark Airport for a weekend?" [audience chuckles]
And with that, another 90 people stood. [audience chuckles] All of a sudden, all I see coming back down is this bevy of flight attendants pointing at me with this enormous captain following in suit. [audience chuckles] He comes back to me and he says, "Son, let me make something straight to you right now. Either you sit back down in your chair or you will be in a Detroit jail tonight." I said to him, "Well, Sir, I guess your way or my way, I'm spending the night in Detroit. [audience chuckles] [audience applause]
You make your phone call." [audience chuckles] Well, an hour or so passed. At that point, there were only about seven people still sitting. Everyone had sided with me against the captain and People Express. [audience chuckles] They finally said, "We actually found a gate." As soon as we got into the gate, I went over and called up United Airlines. There were flights available at 6 o'clock, which was now only about three hours away. I handed the phone off to about eight other people. I went over to the kiosk, picked up the phone to the hotel, "Do you have any rooms?” “What size do you need?” “Thank you very much." Picked up Avis, "Do you have any cars?” “What size do you need?” “Thank you very much." I got to Chicago the next morning to be with the most beautiful woman in the world. [audience holler]
Now, that was a long time ago, okay? And this Friday, I remembered that whole situation when I rolled over in bed, kissed that same woman on the cheek and said, "Happy 27th anniversary."
[cheers and applause]
Dan: [00:06:31] Bill Russell is a comedy writer, performer and voiceover artist as well. You might have also seen Bill performing at Chicago's Second City Theater or heard him in commercials and videos for Disney On Ice or Monster Energy Supercross.
So, next up is a story from Journey Jamison. Journey told this at a Mainstage that we did earlier this year here in New York. And the theme of the night was Eye of the Storm. Here's Journey, live at The Moth.
[applause]
Journey: [00:07:03] When I was nine years old, my best friend died. We spent the entire day together at an amusement park. She'd been struggling to breathe. So, when we got home, her dad tried to get her as much help as she could, but it just wasn't enough. And at 3 o'clock that morning, she died of an asthma attack. It was always really hard for me to deal with, because I'd helped her with her asthma before, and I just felt like I could have done something.
So, five years later, when my mother and I found ourselves at a grassroot gunshot wound first aid training, I was immediately intrigued. Now, some of you might be thinking, gunshot wound, first aid, what? But I'm from Chicago. [audience chuckles] And the lack of resources in our communities makes that training so much more important. We don't have any trauma centers on the south side of Chicago where I'm from. So, I knew the importance of this training and I paid attention. I sunk my teeth in. I got trained two months later and I'd been doing workshops all over the city. Yeah, I knew how to apply an occlusive dressing with a credit card, but I was still just a regular teenager.
And so, the following summer, I was coming home from my very first date. I come home, I turn on the TV, I crank up the AC just like any other day and then I hear it. Back-to-back gunshots that sounded like they were right next to me, just back-to-back-back. I just thought to myself, is this real? Is this serious? You hear all the time about gun violence in Chicago, but I'd never come face to face with it like that before. So, I jump in gear. I know that I have this training that I can help people, but I know that the first step to being a first aid responder is knowing that the scene is safe and prioritizing my own safety.
So, I glance out the window. I'm staring almost-- I can see through the window. And I'm like, "What is going on?" I'm seeing people who are running away from a gas station towards my apartment complex. I know I had the tools to help and I never imagined going outside and putting myself in danger to help anybody. But it turns out that I didn't have to, because seconds later, my back door flies open and a young man, 19 years old, comes in holding his neck. It's bleeding and he's just saying over and over again, "I've been shot. Can you help me? Can you help me?" And without hesitation, I just said, "Yes."
And from that moment, it was autopilot. I lay him down on the floor. I'm asking him questions about who he is. I asked him first, "Can I call 911 for you?" Because we emphasize that a lot in our first aid trainings, that you have to ask for consent for people, because they're their own person. Bodily autonomy, right? So, I ask him. He says yes. I get on the phone with the operator.
They're giving me a bit of a hard time, but I put my feelings aside and prioritize the safety of the wounded. They say they're sending a person on the way. I say, "Thank you." I go back to Peter. I'm asking him more questions about who he is. I want him to feel safe. He tells me where he's from, the same apartment complex that I'm from, Oakwood Shores. He tells me he wants to go to college, that he's 19, that he's confused. And then, I realize I'm taking this all in. I'm 15 years old. I'm home alone with a man who's been shot in the neck, and I'm giving him first aid. I should probably call my mom. [audience chuckles]
So, I take up my phone. I guess you can call it a mother's intuition, because as soon as I am about to press call, my phone rings. It's my mom. She's like, "Hi, Journey." I'm like, "Hi, Mom." She's like, "What's up?" I'm like, "Mom, you are not going to believe this. There's a man. He's in my house. Fire. Gunshot wound. He's on the floor. I'm giving him first aid." She's like, "Are you serious?" I'm like, "No, Mom. Why would I lie about this?" She's like, "Okay, okay, okay." I can hear the car unlocking and the car starting up, and I'm like, "Okay. She's on her way. Good."
So, for a second there, it's just me and Peter. I'm trying to examine exactly what is happening. He has two wounds, an entrance wound and an exit wound. The bullet went through his neck and up through his jaw. So, I'm trying to apply pressure on both sides to get his blood to clot, so the bleeding can slow down. A few seconds later, my mom comes. You would think that she might be kind of hysterical, kind of crazy, but she's not, because she'd been through the training too.
And for a few moments, it's calm. Peter's calming down. His blood is starting to clot. The bleeding is not so drastic, and it's calm. And then, somehow, someway, people start to flood into my house. Bystanders, I guess, who had seen what was going on. And my mom, she does a great job at keeping Peter's privacy, keeping questions away from him, so that he's not getting more stressed out. Shoutout to my mom. She's in the audience. [audience cheers and applause]
And so, we're just juggling this thing. Me and my mom were doing this together. I'm taking care of Peter's body. She's taking care of Peter's surroundings. And then, the police come. I feel like it's not a secret that black and brown people are not trusting of law enforcement. Quite frankly, it just makes us anxious. And my mom, she didn't want that kind of energy in our house. She was trying to persuade them, like, "There's no crime scene here. Can you wait outside? It's very cramped in our apartment.” But eventually, she gave up her battle when they threatened to arrest her.
And so, eight police officers crowd into our tiny apartment just watching me apply pressure to this young man. After the police come, after my mom gets there, the fire department finally gets there. Not the ambulance, but the fire department. So, that just gives you a glimpse of what health care is like in Chicago, okay? The ambulances don't really come to our communities that fast.
So, the fireman gets there, and he's coming in to check Peter's vitals. I have my hands over his neck, and he says, "You need to take your hand away." I was so overwhelmed, and I just had all these feelings of doubt and I just reluctantly pulled my hand away. Just as I thought, he starts bleeding again. I'm just looking at the guy like-- And then, another fireman comes in, and he says, "Actually, she needs to put her hand back there. You're doing a good job." I looked at him and I said, "Okay. I knew it." [audience chuckles]
So, I am continuing to apply pressure and keep my hand on his wound while they're taking his vitals and preparing him to get in the ambulance. So, then, few, maybe five or six minutes later, the ambulance does come. They take him on a gurney. They take him away. Luckily, my mom was able to get some information from his mentor who was there, so we could follow up with him later.
So, my mom, she rushes all these people out of our house. I go outside and it's so chaotic. The ambulance is there, the police is there, my neighborhood is there, the news station is there. They're looking to me like this Shero. I'm very overwhelmed. And so, instead of fielding questions, I took my story with me and my experience with me and I went back inside. I closed the door, I washed my hands, I grabbed my cell phone and my keys, and me and my mom get in the car.
I zone out, and I'm just replaying in my mind what just happened. Then I snap out of my trance, and the car stops, and we're at the beach and I'm just like, "Oh, my God, what is going on?" [chuckles] She looks at me and she's like, "Come on." And I'm like, "Okay." We proceed to join a group of women on the sand doing yoga. My mom just looks at me in her tree position and she goes, "Self-care." [audience chuckles] And I was like, "Okay."
I was just so grateful that I had a mom who emphasized that a lot when I was growing up, that I had the opportunity to really process what just happened in my life, right? So, that happened. And then, I resumed my life as a normal teenager. I go to camp. Conflict resolution camp, by the way. But I go to camp. [audience laughter] I go to camp in Maine, and then I come back, and I'm in the car with my mom and she's like, "Hey, you know, I got in touch with Peter’s family. You know he thinks you saved his life, right?”
I had never thought about it like that. For me, I was just in the right place at the right time with the right information, and I did the right thing. But to him, I saved his life. So, that's what it was. So, a few days later, I seen him, I visited him and I said, "Hey, look, I know it was really cool that I was able to help you, but I was trained to do that and I was equipped with the right tools. So, how cool would it be if you were equipped with the same tools and you could help your mom or your brother?" And he's like, "That sounds pretty interesting." I'm like, "So, do you want me to-- I can set up a training, I can set up a workshop. I'll come to you." He's like, "I bet."
So, about two or three months later, we were able to train his whole entire family of about 25 people, ranging from 3 years old to 60 years old. We trained his whole family in his apartment. It was the most empowering thing for me. Maybe some of you are saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry this young girl had to go through that." But it's not something I feel embarrassed about or sad about. It was the most changing thing that I've ever been through.
It showed me the circle of change. You go to school, and you learn about stories, and you learn about how there's a plot and that plot is like a hill. It starts the beginning, then the rising action, then the climax, the falling action and then the resolution, right? But change, instead of it being a hill, it's like a circle. And me training his family was this family entire experience coming full circle, because I started at a training just like that one.
And so, maybe he could do something like I did or I could do more things. It was so empowering for me as a 15-year-old girl to have that kind of experience. So, it changed my life for the better, and it showed me that I can change the world if I wanted to. I guess it just made me feel like I didn't have to be afraid anymore of where I'm from, of my community. I didn't have to fear walking outside, because I was empowered with the tools that I had. I thought about it and I hear all the time, “Children are the future.” I'll tell you, guys, I'm a child, I'm a teenager and it's super intimidating. It's like 400 years of slavery, an eternity of sexism. It's intense. [audience laughter] [audience cheers and applause]
You, guys, are like, "It's you, it's you." And I'm like, "Oh my God." But [audience laughter] this experience showed me that I don't have to be the future, because I can be right now. Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
Dan: [00:19:02] That was Journey Jamison. Journey is a member of Ujima Medics, a small black grassroots health collective that trains in urban first aid, and is an intern at Sacred Keepers Sustainability Lab, where she organizes community events to confront the intersection of environment and racial injustice. Her driving principle for bringing what she calls holistic health to the hood has had her featured on WBEZ's Every Other Hour, also mike.com. She was also on the 2018 United States of Women Summit. So, we have a feeling this is not going to be the last time that you hear from Journey, so keep an eye out for her.
That's all for this week. We've got a quick heads-up for you, actually. We have a very special occasion coming up. It's the 10th anniversary of The Moth Podcast, and we were thinking about it, we would be nothing without you, the listeners, obviously. So, to celebrate, we've got a special listener hosted episode coming out in just a couple of weeks.
Tanya Scott Williams, she's a longtime listener from Montgomery, Alabama. She's going to step in, and host an episode and share a few of her favorite Moth stories with you to celebrate that 10th anniversary of the podcast. Until then, we hope you're well. And from all of us here at The Moth in New York, have a story-worthy week.
Mooj: [00:20:25] Dan Kennedy is the author of Loser Goes First, Rock On and American Spirit. He's also a regular host and storyteller with The Moth.