Hi, I'm Willow Belden and you're listening to Out There, the podcast that explores big questions through intimate stories outdoors.

Okay, pop quiz. Where did sunglasses originate? Yeah, I didn't know the answer to that one either. I had to look it up.

Turns out, all the way back in prehistoric times, Inuits made sunglasses out of walrus ivory.

I guess they're not technically glasses because they don't actually have lenses in them.

They're just flattened pieces of ivory that you put over your eyes to totally block out the sun.

And then they've got these tiny little slits that you look out of.

Anyway, fast forward to 35 years ago when obviously sunglasses were all over the place.

And there's this group of fishermen who wanted to make them better. Their goal was to be able to stay out on the water longer. So what did they do?

They pioneered new lens technology to help you see below the surface of the water. Plus,

they engineered hinges that would stand up to saltwater and frames that would stay put on your face.

And thus, Costa sunglasses came to be. Costa is one of our sponsors for this episode.

They make glasses for people who want to be out on the water as much as possible.

Find the perfect frame for your pursuit at costasunglasses.com.

That's C-O-S-T-a-sunglasses.com.

And now, on to our story for today.

Society places a lot of emphasis on following through with things, on finishing what you start, refusing to give up.

Toughing it out is seen as a badge of honor, something to be proud of.

Employers look for it when they're hiring.

Many of us seek it out in our relationships.

But how do you know when you've taken it too far? Where's the line

between a healthy amount of perseverance and blind stubbornness? Today's story is about that. It's

about figuring out when to call it quits. We're going to keep our storyteller anonymous for reasons that you'll understand later in the episode.

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