Ever since 1997, The Moth has inspired the world to preserve “the art and craft of storytelling” through their podcasts and storytelling events held across the United States and abroad.
The day before Valentine’s Day this past year, The Moth hosted one of these aforementioned events– a StorySLAM– in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Moth StorySLAMs are open mic, storytelling competitions. Anyone can come with a story in mind, submit your name in a hat, and hope you’re among the 10 selected to tell your story for a crowd. Each story is then scored by a panel of judges and a winner is chosen to move on to a GrandSLAM Championship.
That night in Madison’s High Noon Saloon, a randomly selected storyteller told a tale so good, he was scored the “first ever 10,” sweeping the competition. His name is Tom Sitter.
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Tom’s winning story is about Valentine’s Day in 1933.
Now a 93-year-old grandpa, Tom still remembers the details of that day, including how much his pack of 5 Valentine’s Day cards cost him and the names of the girls he gifted them to.
But there’s one name Tom remembers above all other: Jimmy Sweedney.
84 years later, Tom still hasn’t forgiven Jimmy for outing him to the class, as the third grader with the fewest valentines… and his dream of revenge is nothing short of hysterical!
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While we definitely don’t condone quests for vengeance (and certainly not physical violence against 90-somethings), we have to say, Tom’s willingness to put himself out there, stand in front of a crowd, and share his comedic talent with the world is nothing short of inspiring!
Check out Tom’s winning open-mic performance below, and share!
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