Beauty, Columbus, Ohio

In this episode, we travel to Columbus, Ohio, to visit Speak Easy, a monthly open-mic storytelling stage that welcomes storytellers of all experience levels, from first-time tellers to seasoned performers. This week on Story Swap, host Jackie Andrews sits down with Heidi Shapiro, a producer from Columbus's own Speakeasy storytelling show, who brings two moving stories centered on the theme of beauty. First, Brian takes us on a nostalgic ride through his childhood summers in the cab of his father's semi-truck — a journey that winds from truck stops and loading docks all the way to the Magic Kingdom — and reflects on how the stories we tell ourselves about our parents shift when we become parents ourselves. Then Justin shares a funny and deeply honest account of navigating college life as a queer kid in a wheelchair, armed with an ambitious plan to know everything and charm everyone. What he finds instead is something better: a wrong turn in the dark, an obscure board game, and the beginning of friendships that actually stick. Two very different stories, one shared truth — beauty often shows up right where you least expect it. This episode highlights the beauty of live storytelling to create connection, meaning, and shared humanity.