In this episode we catch up with long-time storyteller Darryl Smith. Darryl shares a true story about a bad date from Story District's Worst Date Ever Contest. In this annual show, we take the sting out of dating to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Now, bad dates happen to good people and Darryl is no exception but this bad date really stinks.
In this episode we catch up with, long-time storyteller Darryl Smith. Darryl shares a true story about a bad date from Story District's Worst Date Ever Contest. In this annual show, we take the sting out of dating to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Now, bad dates happen to good people and Darryl is no exception but this bad date really stinks.
In our third season of the podcast, we bring you I Did It for the Story as part of Story District Presents. All new episodes will feature true stories told live on the Story District stage and insights about storytelling from the host, Amy Saidman, Story District's Executive Director.
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This podcast is produced by Christopher Lee and Amy Saidman.
Music by Graceful Movement
Darryl: And then I'm like, okay, three blocks from my house. Should I be surprised when we get there? “Hey, that's my house!” Now that's, you know, that's ridiculous because I know where I live.
Amy Saidman: Welcome back to, I did it for the story. I'm excited to introduce you to this week's featured storyteller, Darryl Smith. He's got a true story about a bad date from Story District’s Worst Date Ever contest. Now, bad dates happen to good people and Darryl is no exception. In this annual show, we take the sting out of dating to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Storytellers share stories about their worst date, and then the audience votes. The absolute worst wins. Worst Date Ever is back again for the sixth year, so if you're in the DC area on February 14th, we're talking 2024 this year, get your tickets at storydistrict.org and join us on Valentine's Day at the Howard Theater.
I'm Amy Saidman, the director of Story District, a Washington, DC based nonprofit dedicated to teaching and promoting the art of storytelling. In this podcast, we aim to do two things, showcase great storytelling, and for those of you interested in telling your own stories, we also aim to teach something about storytelling.
So stick around till the end where I share some educational takeaways. We believe that a well told story is powerful. It can open hearts, change minds, and bridge divides. So let's get to it.
Darryl: I decided to go to the Bachelor's Mill. And at that time, it was a very popular gay bar. So I go upstairs, and I see this extremely good looking guy. I mean, he's got a short little muscle body, and his Bambi eyes, and these thick Drake eyebrows. I'm all over it. So, I smile at him, and he kind of looks at me.
And then he smiles and it's just a big mouth, just full of teeth, Pete Davidson mouth. So I'm loving it. So I walk my way over there and I make sure I'm staring at him so he knows I'm going over there for him. And when I get over there, it gets even better. I lean down to him. I said, Hi, my name is Darryl.
I've never seen you before. “My name is Darnell. And I just moved up here from South Carolina.” And I am a sucker for that southern twang. So we're sitting there talking, and it's really hitting off, but I know the Bachelor’s Mill. And it's about to get crowded, and these guys coming in, seeing him, I won't have a chance.
So I have to think fast, I think fast, and I say, hey, you know, I was gonna ask you out, but it's such a beautiful night, why don't we just walk around the city. And this will be our first date and he agrees and I'm like, Mr. Burns. Excellent. I got him out of there. So I also know if we go out and kind of make a left, then coming around, we'll go through this park and we'll be at my house.
I'm thinking. We go out and we're just walking and talking and like most people do when they're from out of town. They start talking about the things they like in DC, and you know, the museums, the free museums, the culture, the architecture, and then we start talking about the things we don't like in DC, and he's like, “These people up here, They treat these dogs just like they're people.”
“I see dogs dressed up, and I would never pick up after a dog.” And actually, I agree. I love dogs. I grew up with a dog. But when Sparky had to do her thing, she'd scratch on the door, we'd open it up. She'd come back, scratch on the door, we let her back in. You know, Sparky's business was none of my business. I mean, she was a small dog and there was enough grass and fields and whatnot.
It was okay. So then I tell them what I hate about D. C. Is all the litter, all the paper. I mean, I've actually seen someone pull up to a stop sign. Just toss up Popeye's bag right out and keep on going. It's ridiculous. I've never seen that where I grew up So, you know, we're walking and talking and I'm like a half step behind him, you know So I can check out those bow legs and everything else is back there.
I'm like, oh, yeah. Oh, yeah and then you know, we walk in and talk in and we kind of get up to the place Where I know this park is. And that means we're only three blocks away from my house. And I'm like, okay. And so he kind of looks up at me. I said, I know what's going to happen, you know. He wants to kiss.
And I kind of lean down and he's like, No, I gotta pee. I'll be right back. Okay. So he goes over behind the bush. You know, no big deal. And then I'm like, okay. We're three blocks from my house. You know, should I be surprised when we get there? "Hey, that's my house!" Now that's, you know, that's ridiculous, cause I know where I live. So then I decide, you know what, I'm just gonna say, Hey, that's my house. And see if he says, oh, can I go in? You know, I'm just thinking, and then I'm like, okay. Well, you know, I'm waiting for him. And then I'm waiting for him, because, you know, as we were walking, every now and then he'd pick up a piece of paper, and I'm like, oh, he knows I don't like litter, so he's kind of thinking.
And then we were walking some more, and he picked up another piece of paper, and I'm like, well, this is kind of excessive, but, you know, maybe I could learn something. So as I'm standing there, I kind of hear this. Like grunt type sound, and I hear this crumpling paper. You got it. He was taking a shit behind that bush.
And so then you're like, the hairs on the back of my neck are just standing up because this is not normal. This is not normal. I mean, I grew up in the country, but I'm not a bear. This is not normal. So he comes walking back, we continue walking, but now I'm not a half step behind him, I'm a half step in front of him, and he is no longer cute, he is no longer good looking, and he is not coming to my house.
But you know, I gotta think of a little exit plan, and I'm polite. So I continue conversation and I'm like, you know, well, growing up, my mother was a teacher and blah, blah, blah. And he's like, well, you know, my people grew up, you know, working the land for other people. And I'm like, oh, interesting. But my mind is saying he cannot come to my house.
He cannot come to my house. So I was like, you know what? Let's just loop back around, head back to the Bachelor’s Mill, and maybe we'll exchange numbers. Maybe. Why did I say maybe? He looks at me, now he's a little angry head. “You think you better than me? Cause your mama a school teacher?” No, I think I'm better than you cause you just took a shit behind a bush And this is DC. You can get fined for not picking up shit.
Amy Saidman: Darryl Smith is one of my favorite storytellers He is such a natural I love this line. This is not normal. I am not a bear. Um, so I got to tell the backstory about Darryl because it's just so endearing. We had a big show. We do a big annual show for pride. So we, it's called outspoken and we were all And it's in DC We were at the 930 Club and across the street, which is like a well known, like a famous concert venue in D. C. And we all, at the end of the show, walked across the street to Nelly's, uh, which is a gay bar on U Street. And we We, uh, just, and there happened to be karaoke. So we all got up in, into the karaoke.
And one of our volunteers, Emily met, Darryl was like, who are you all? He just came up to her and was like, what's the deal with all this? And she told him all about it. We're a storytelling organization. We do live shows, we do classes, et cetera, et cetera. And he showed up. And he's been coming and telling stories now for years.
So I love that backstory that Darryl got involved in story district through a karaoke night. Yes. So anyway, with every episode, I like to come up with some kind of teachable moment. And there's actually quite a lot in this story that Darryl tells. He really is a great storyteller and does a lot of things quite naturally.
So I'm going to just hone in on a couple of things. Number one, he is doing an excellent job of setting up how excited he is about meeting this guy. And it's very important that he's excited because the reveal later has that much more impact. If he was neutral, or indifferent. It's not interesting. You really don't have a story.
So he needed to set it up for us that he was psyched about this guy and he had a certain set of expectations and that those expectations were dashed. So every story in its simplest form is a before and after it was like this and now it's like that. So. It was like, this was his expectations of this dude is awesome.
I'm going to get him. It's actually, I've got all this competition. I'm patting myself on the back because I got the guy and then the after obviously is, Oh, this isn't the guy I thought he was. And this is not going to go how I thought it was. So that may seem obvious, but actually some people. Aren't able to find the, how they feel.
They're not able to really express or even like tap into how they really feel. And that's really important, which leads me to the second thing that he does super well throughout the whole thing, which is I always talk about every story needs to be a back and forth between what is happening and what you're thinking and feeling what's happening and what you're thinking and feeling.
And he does a great job of that as he. Plots out what's going on as he's taking this walk, and he doesn't know what's happening. He sees the guy say, look, I'm going to go walk off, and then he shares his thoughts about it. He's thinking, okay, what's, what's going on? So what's beautiful about that and why it's important in storytelling is because we want to get into his head.
Every time you're telling a story, you want your audience to be walking in your shoes and literally experiencing it. Storytelling ultimately is an experiential Immersive experience. And if you do it right, that is what is happening. So, um, props to Darryl does a great job with this and he sets a wonderful example.
I hope his story and this whole podcast is getting you to think about your own stories and think about telling your own stories. Please do follow us on social media at story district. We're most active on Instagram. We've got a YouTube channel that we put out a weekly story, subscribe to the podcast, leave a review.
That's really helpful. Tell a friend, keep listening, visit our website where you can find out more about our live shows in Washington, DC, our in person and online classes and the work that we do with businesses. So check us out, keep following until next time. I'm Amy Saidman, and this is, I did it for the story.