Suzanne Rust

That was Tiffany McKinney.

She is an entrepreneur and speaker.

Tiffany has given up the hoops and silks, but she has other goals.

Every day she looks for people she can encourage.

She feels privileged to share the knowledge that hard things, terrible things can happen, but she believes that you can still find joy on the other side of it.

On that note, Tiffany says that she is on a never-ending quest for a piña colada and a palm tree.

To see a photo of Tiffany, head to themoth.org in the radio extras.

There are moments in life when just being who you are is an extreme act of bravery, an act of defiance.

Our next story was told by Dave Lara, who shared it at a Moth main stage in New London, Connecticut, where we partner with Gard Arts Center.

Here's Dave.

Thank you.

That was Dave Lara.

Dave came to us through the Moss Community Program via a workshop that we held with veterans in media and entertainment.

Dave, who writes novels and performs, describes himself as a retired 79-year-old Mexican-Jewish high school dropout who is trying to stay relevant.

While Dave says he can't do all that he used to, he still considers himself an activist.

He still shows up in veteran circles, sharing the story of the group, making sure people know that men like them were always there and died for this country just like everyone else.

That was Dave Lara.

To see some photos of Dave from the time of his story, go to our website, themoth.org.

In a moment, pushing the limits and pushing your luck when the Moth Radio Hour continues.

This is the Moth Radio Hour, and I'm your host, Suzanne Rust.