Armchair Anonymous: Kind Gesture from a Stranger
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What are kind gestures from strangers?
Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Anonymous. I'm Dan Shepard, and I'm joined in absentia by Monica Padman. Today's Armchair Anonymous is kind gestures from strangers. And if that sounds too PG rated, I will assure you that there is a gift within these kind gestures in the form of an unauthorized evacuation. So it's going to deliver on all fronts. Please enjoy kind gestures from strangers.
At 24, I lost my narrative, or rather it was stolen from me. And the Monica Lewinsky that my friends and family knew was usurped by false narratives, callous jokes, and politics. I would define reclaiming as to take back what was yours. Something you possess is lost or stolen, and ultimately you triumph in finding it again. So I think listeners can expect me to be chatting with folks, both recognizable and unrecognizable names about the way that people have navigated roads to triumph. My hope is that people will finish an episode of Reclaiming and feel like they filled their tank up. They connected with the people that I'm talking to and leave with maybe some nuggets that help them feel a little more hopeful.
Follow Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to Reclaiming early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
Hard times come and go Good times take them slow My life, I had them both But one thing you gotta know I'ma keep on shining
Is this Joanna?
It is Joanna. Hi.
Are you under a bunk bed?
I don't have a real closet I can sit in in my house. I am under my daughter's loft bed that I've kind of makeshifted.
What happened during Joanna's music career?
You're at like a desk situation?
Yes, a little coffee table. I made it homey.
How old is she?
She is four and a half going on 15. Cute.
What part of the country are you in?
I am in North Carolina, right outside of Asheville, actually. Really rural out here, but we love it.
Okay, please tell us about your kind gesture from a stranger.
This story takes place in Jacksonville, Florida, back in 2011, and I was about 19. I was a local musician at the time, and I was gigging at a restaurant downtown that I also waited tables at with my brother. And this guy comes up after the show and was like, hey, you guys were really awesome. I would love to come see you again. Can I have your schedule? Here's my business card. He's really nice and kind of just left. And we're like, oh, cool. We love a fan. So a few weeks later, we're playing the show again. He comes up and he says, really liked your set. Can I take you to lunch? And we were like, maybe. Why?
How old is the gentleman?
He's probably 48. He's much older than me. But my brother's with me and he's a pretty big dude. And so I was like, I guess we could go to lunch. So we schedule it and we go sit down at lunch. We get our drinks and he says, point blank, I want to be able to help you with your music career. What can I do for you? And he says, I'm a defense attorney here in Jacksonville, and I represent some really shitty people that do some really shitty stuff. I have a lot of money, and I want to be able to help the community. I figured I liked your stuff, so I'd start with you.
Wow.
Yeah, and Joanna, just quick backstory. So for me, it would just be red flag galore. I would have so hard of a time accepting that this could be true. Monica, would you be skeptical or where would you be at? I'd be skeptical, but I would progress.
That's kind of where I was at. I didn't get any weird vibes from him. And so my brother piped up and he was like, we could really use a recording microphone. And he was like, all right, great. How much do they cost? And he was like about 300 bucks. So he pulls out his wallet. It's $300 on the table. And he says, it's yours. No strings attached. Go buy a microphone.
Oh my goodness.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What are kind gestures from strangers?
0:00–2:15
2
What happened during Joanna's music career?
2:15–6:38
3
What was the embarrassing incident at the proposal shoot?
6:38–8:23
4
How did a kind stranger help in a messy situation?
8:23–9:27
5
What lessons can we learn from unexpected kindness?
9:27–10:20
6
What is the significance of random acts of kindness?
10:20–43:05