Tommy Metz III

You're ready for the whiplash of one of the worst segues to talk about myself in history. Oh, good. Yeah. I'd like to offer up a twist on that term, humble bragging, and explain how I use it in Young Storytellers.

You're ready for the whiplash of one of the worst segues to talk about myself in history. Oh, good. Yeah. I'd like to offer up a twist on that term, humble bragging, and explain how I use it in Young Storytellers.

And Young Storytellers, real quick, it is a nonprofit creative writing and literacy program that I work for out of Los Angeles that I've talked about a bunch. I call it, this is a thing that I, I'm just making up this phrase for this episode. I've never called it this before, but I desperately wanted to relate it to what we're talking about. I call it dumbbell bragging. These were humble bragging.

And Young Storytellers, real quick, it is a nonprofit creative writing and literacy program that I work for out of Los Angeles that I've talked about a bunch. I call it, this is a thing that I, I'm just making up this phrase for this episode. I've never called it this before, but I desperately wanted to relate it to what we're talking about. I call it dumbbell bragging. These were humble bragging.

I'm dumbbell bragging. May I explain it? And the reason I want to bring this up is because you don't work with kids, but A, you have kids, and B, you have been an instructor. You've been a teacher for people younger than you. And so I wonder if A, you... Find value in what I'm about to explain to you and B, if you've ever used it. Does that make sense? Go for it.

I'm dumbbell bragging. May I explain it? And the reason I want to bring this up is because you don't work with kids, but A, you have kids, and B, you have been an instructor. You've been a teacher for people younger than you. And so I wonder if A, you... Find value in what I'm about to explain to you and B, if you've ever used it. Does that make sense? Go for it.

So when I'm working with a new fifth grader, I pretty much exclusively work with fifth graders, especially one that is very shy or introverted. It can be very hard to get them to trust me or to open up. Of course, because I'm a 49-year-old thousand man and they are a child with their life in front of me and they can see the light dying in my eyes.

So when I'm working with a new fifth grader, I pretty much exclusively work with fifth graders, especially one that is very shy or introverted. It can be very hard to get them to trust me or to open up. Of course, because I'm a 49-year-old thousand man and they are a child with their life in front of me and they can see the light dying in my eyes.

And so they don't want to catch what I've caught, which is aging. And so I have a large basket of tricks that I can use. But one that I've been leaning on more and more lately is making myself vulnerable through a bit of self-deprecation of sorts.

And so they don't want to catch what I've caught, which is aging. And so I have a large basket of tricks that I can use. But one that I've been leaning on more and more lately is making myself vulnerable through a bit of self-deprecation of sorts.

I will actively make a mistake or do something kind of dumb or silly on purpose in front of the kid and then call myself out on it and laugh about it together. Like I won't talk down about myself. I won't say, ugh, or get frustrated. I'm such a jerk. What did I do? I'll just poke fun at myself. May I give you an example? I hope you do. This is a true story.

I will actively make a mistake or do something kind of dumb or silly on purpose in front of the kid and then call myself out on it and laugh about it together. Like I won't talk down about myself. I won't say, ugh, or get frustrated. I'm such a jerk. What did I do? I'll just poke fun at myself. May I give you an example? I hope you do. This is a true story.

Two weeks ago, I was working with a young girl named Estefania, and she was very sweet and polite, but painfully shy. I was actually subbing in for another mentor. So this was like week three, and she was just meeting me for the first time and was never going to see me again. I was just subbing in for a mentor. So I realized that she was really, really quiet.

Two weeks ago, I was working with a young girl named Estefania, and she was very sweet and polite, but painfully shy. I was actually subbing in for another mentor. So this was like week three, and she was just meeting me for the first time and was never going to see me again. I was just subbing in for a mentor. So I realized that she was really, really quiet.

I've been told by the mentor, it's really hard to get her to open up. And so I started the process by we were sitting next to each other and I was reading out loud the last bit of the script that she had written so far. And to help bridge the gap, I tripped myself up on purpose. I'd like to, this is what I mean by dumbbell bragging.

I've been told by the mentor, it's really hard to get her to open up. And so I started the process by we were sitting next to each other and I was reading out loud the last bit of the script that she had written so far. And to help bridge the gap, I tripped myself up on purpose. I'd like to, this is what I mean by dumbbell bragging.

You're being a little dumb on purpose to make yourself more accessible to others that need it. So for example, her script took place in Africa and the main character was a giraffe with an Australian accent. And I'd say it's lines and I'd do the accent. Pete, we know and avid listeners know I cannot do accents at all. Settled linguistic science. Yeah. Yes.

You're being a little dumb on purpose to make yourself more accessible to others that need it. So for example, her script took place in Africa and the main character was a giraffe with an Australian accent. And I'd say it's lines and I'd do the accent. Pete, we know and avid listeners know I cannot do accents at all. Settled linguistic science. Yeah. Yes.

But I would make it egregiously bad for her and then say, I'm so terrible at voices. And she would giggle. And then I'd try to have her say it. And then I'd get even worse for the next line. Or I do it as an English accent. Like I would just keep messing up. And then I finally and she would giggle. And finally, I was like, OK, you're in charge of all the draft lines.

But I would make it egregiously bad for her and then say, I'm so terrible at voices. And she would giggle. And then I'd try to have her say it. And then I'd get even worse for the next line. Or I do it as an English accent. Like I would just keep messing up. And then I finally and she would giggle. And finally, I was like, OK, you're in charge of all the draft lines.