Crushed Episode 1: The Feel-Good Story

“I knew that I had to do something, I was going to have to let him know, but I didn't let him know. I became paralyzed with fear of telling him.” Meg lives in a conservation community in the Chicago suburbs with her wife, daughter, and menagerie of rescue animals. She is a middle school Health teacher and coach whose passion is helping kids become good humans. Teaching important topics like mental health, consent, communication, and empathy are her jam. She told her first story at the Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC in 2015, and is featured on The Moth podcast. Instagram: @meha1010

In 1998, fans across the country fell in love with the home run race as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased baseball immortality. Sportswriter Joan Niesen recounts her memories of that summer, examines the history and mythology of the home run and asks why people across the country wanted to believe they were watching heroes. Crushed is a production of Religion of Sports and PRX. Listen to the full season now at apple.co/crushed.

“I was dressed up looking the part, but deep inside, I was just vacant. I just was not someone I was proud of anymore.” Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. is Co-Founder of Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., the one of the world’s first ministries serving the white collar justice community. Jeff co-hosts with Babz Rawls Ivy the Criminal Justice Insider podcast and hosts the White Collar Week podcast. He also leads a weekly online confidential White Collar Support Group. Prisonist.org Twitter: @RevJeffGrant

“We would also be very conscious of preaching anti-communism because people were saying that the African National Congress, you know, former President Mandela's political party, they were really not liberation fighters, they were terrorists.” Wilhelm is a facilitator and researcher based at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. A dedicated peace activist, he is also the author of several books, including most recently Verwoerd: My Journey Through Family Betrayals.

“I spent the entire time praying, and cursing, and praying and cursing.” Enjoy this bonus episode featuring a story Nadia Bolz-Weber told live at a Moth storytelling event in New York City in 2015. The Confessional is produced in conjunction with The Moth, a non-profit dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The organization hosts storytelling events throughout the U.S. Subscribe to The Moth podcast to hear more true stories from real people. Twitter: @TheMoth

"And that was the moment ... where I was like, 'Girl, you can be a good mother and a happy, embodied woman, but you can't be a good mother and a liar.'" Elizabeth Lesser is a bestselling author and the co-founder of Omega Institute, the renowned conference and retreat center located in Rhinebeck, New York. Elizabeth’s first book,The Seeker’s Guide, chronicles her years at Omega and distills lessons learned into a potent guide for growth and healing. She is also the author of Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes; Marrow; and Broken Open. elizabethlesser.org Instagram: @elizlesser

"I got the super squad, the dirty dozen. Nobody needs to know what's going on here; I'm handling everything." Dr. Raymond Christian is a retired US Army paratrooper who grew up on the poverty-ridden streets of Richmond, VA. He has taught African American History and Storytelling at Appalachian State University and is a 12-time Moth Story Slam Champion and winner of the 2016 National Storytelling Festival Story Slam. Ray is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar as an expert in Education and Storytelling Narrative, and the host and producer of the podcast “What’s Ray Saying?” Drraychristian.com Twitter: @whatsraysaying

"If you can call people to a higher standard and tap into that fear, that ‘I'm not trying hard enough. I'm not really loving God enough. I'm not sacrificing enough,’ there is always going to be another person coming along with a book or a conference to sell that is going to tap into that and say, ‘You're right. You're not doing enough. Let me show you how you can do more.’” Joshua Harris is a storyteller and owner of the marketing company Clear and Loud. He is a former pastor and author of the now unpublished book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." He told his story in the DOCSology film I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye. joshharris.com Twitter: @HarrisJosh

“I just remember the feeling of having his arms around me, and I just felt so sickened that I had chosen this instead of my mother.” Claire Bidwell Smith is a therapist specializing in grief and the author of three books about grief and loss. Visit her website to find her offerings including courses, meditations, one-on-one grief sessions and more. clairebidwellsmith.com Instagram: @clairebidwellsmith

“I essentially told her to override that very important internal compass called your gut instinct. And I told her that that wasn't accurate. She was just scared and that this is normal, that you hit up against fears that are going to stop you from your true potential … I told her to trust me, and I just, I wonder where she would be now if she’d just stayed in Vancouver and not done ESP.” Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress who has starred in the CBS series Salvation and more than twelve films for the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, with Kristine Gasbarre. She and her husband Anthony “Nippy” Ames host the podcast A Little Bit Culty. sarahedmondson.com Instagram: @sarahedmondson Twitter: @sarahjedmondson