Welcome to the Moth. I'm Suzanne Rust.

America at 250, 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

250 years of starting a new yearning for freedom.

250 years of the American dream.

But what is the American dream? Who exactly is allowed to have one?

And what happens when the idea of America meets the reality of what it is?

As America approaches this anniversary, we've decided to explore the American dream,

not just the singular American dream, but all of them. Because our dreams

contain multitudes. We're dedicating our spring main stage season, as well as some special

podcast episodes, to exploring that theme. To kick it off, on this episode we have two stories

about American iconography, but with a twist. First up, every culture has its folklore and America

is no exception. John Garcia told this at a Denver Grand Slam where the theme was comfort

zone. Here's John, Life the Month. My parents told me the worst part was when they drove around it, how its body stayed completely

still, but its gaze followed them into the switch back. And it was dark, really dark. They

were driving over a remote Rocky Mountain Pass, and out there, high beams only take you as far as the tree line.

And behind that, a curtain of nothing.

But here, illuminated by the headlights of an old Toyota was something.

They told me it had arms and legs, shaggy hair all over, and could seemingly stand upright.

But if you asked them, they'll tell you the same thing they told me. It wasn't human.

I was six years old when I first heard this story. Christmas Eve, it my grandparents.

And while the word Bigfoot hadn't yet entered my vocabulary,

there was an earnestness in my parents' voices.

...