From PRX, this is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Meg Bowles, and in this hour,

we have four stories from our moth events in El Paso, Houston, and Austin, Texas.

A little context on the Lone Star State.

It boasts a population of almost 29 million people.

It's home to the Alamo, the birthplace of Dr. Pepper and jalapeno pepper jelly.

Its official animal is the armadillo, and the state sport is rodeo. Our first two

stories come from an open mic story slam we hosted in Houston. People from Houston seem quick to

point out how sprawling it is, 647 square miles. Our first storyteller, Alyssa Lad, who grew up there,

said you can drive for hours and still be in Houston.

Another big claim to fame, Houston was the very first word spoken on the moon.

From The Warehouse Live at an evening sponsored by Houston Public Media,

here's Alyssa Ladd, live at the month.

Growing up as a kid, I went to summer camp, evangelical Christian summer camp for a month

every summer for 10 summers in a row. And it was exactly every stereotype you're thinking about right

now, but I loved it. I was not evangelical Christian. I grew up Catholic, so it was kind of weird

that I went there in the first place, but it had turned me into a freakishly religious kid,

and I was obsessed with the idea of being a better Christian than everyone else around me.

They had this award at the end of camp every year called the I'm Third Award,

which meant that you put God first, other second, and I'm third.

So essentially it was who is the most holy and the most selfless,

and I wanted to win that goddamn award so bad.

So because it's like evangelical Christians,

...