Chloe Salmon

Mike Phelan told this at a story slam in Burlington, Vermont, where we partner with Vermont Public.

There's Mike.

Thank you.

Mike Phelan is a 25-year-old special educator from Vermont who spends his non-working time rock climbing, traveling, and exploring nature.

Find a mom is honestly some all-time advice.

The second best advice he's ever been given?

Never mop yourself into a corner.

This from his boss at his first pizza joint job after Mike cleaned the floor in the wrong direction at closing.

Applicable in mopping and in life.

Our next storyteller finds her love advice in the world of telenovelas, for better and for worse.

Jersey Garcia told this story at a Grand Slam in Miami, where we partner with public radio station WLRN.

Here's Jersey, live at the Moth.

That was Jersey Garcia.

She's a divorced mother of two who facilitates therapeutic healing for couples and individuals.

She obsesses over astrology and the meaning of life while loving up on John, who she considers to finally be the one.

Yes.

Something I love about Jersey's story is her total honesty and the difference between giving advice as a therapist and actually taking some advice.

Thank you for admitting that it's hard.

In that spirit, Jersey says she's found that what sometimes works best with clients isn't regurgitating academic knowledge, but sharing some of the ups and downs of her own experiences.

In a moment, a young man reckons with his love life on a hike in the Oklahoma wilderness.