This is the Moth Radio Hour. I'm Sarah Austin Janice. In this episode, stories told on moth stages around the world.

We'll bring you to the coast of Kenya, a remote island off Anchorage, Alaska, a stage in Burlington, Vermont, and a swimming pool in Logan, Utah.

All are stories of rites of passage.

Our first storyteller, Jennifer Cohen, shares what it's like to live through the

empty nester phase of life. She told this at an open mic story slam in Burlington, Vermont,

where we partner with Vermont Public Radio. Here's Jennifer Cohen, live at the month.

So when my kids were little, the go-to movie to watch when they were sick or it was raining,

it was for some reason Annie the musical.

And I would watch them sitting close together, three pair of bright blue eyes,

watching Carol Burnett singing little girls, little girls again and again and again.

And I told them, I said, you know, when you grow up and you go off to college and I'm all bored and lonely, I think the Flynn theater should do the musical Annie. And I could be in it because I know

all the songs like everywhere. And so this kind of bolstered me into

this pretend auditioning for the show that I would do for the kids when I was in the car or on the beach or in the shower. I would just think, little girls, little girls. And they'd say, getting ready for the show, mom's like, yeah. So it's just like a weird family joke. So the years just went by and the first one went off to college, and that was horrifying.

And the second one went off to college and that was horrifying.

And the second one went off to college and that was horrendous.

And it was the third one's senior year and I was sitting at the Flynn Theater in January.

And the woman comes to the podium and she says, I'd like to announce that in the fall we'll be doing the musical Annie. I was like, oh my God, this is just so weird. And right at that moment, my phone rang, and I pulled it out. It was my friend from California, and her name was across the screen, and her name is Annie. I thought, it's bizarre. And it didn't stop. I went to the grocery store on my way home and in the checkout aisle,

there was this little retrospective of Carol Burnett as Ms. Hannigan. And then this is all within

three hours. I got home and I was exercising. I was watching the show, shameless. And you can check

in episode two, season three, they referred to the musical Annie. So I thought, this is just weird.

I'm getting these signs from the universe that I should be in this show or something. So I called the kids and I told them and I said, oh, mom, you got to do it. You got to do that real audition now. Like, do it, do it. And I thought, you know, being in a musical wasn't really my vibe. But I thought, you know, I'm going to be so devastated once that third one leaves it. I thought maybe this would give me something fun. And, you know, because I'm pretty sure you can't sing, dance, and cry all at the same time. So that could be fun. So I go to the audition. And, you know, it's the Flint Theater and they're, like, you know, kind of serious. like you get a number and you got to act, you got to dance, you got to sing. So I go to the audition and you know it's the flint theater and they're like you know kind of serious like you get a number and you got to act you got to dance you got to sing so I go to the acting part and that one was okay and then I go to the dancing part and this lady's up there's like step ball change fan kick pivot and repeat and um it's like number 212 like get your arms right and I'm like getting the arms right. And I kind of bump into this lady next to me.

She's all mad.

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