Hi, this is Meg Wallitzer. I love hosting selected shorts. It's so wonderful to bring great

stories read by brilliant performers into your home. What a gift to be able to transport

you with beautiful words to different times and places, even for a little while. There's

something magical about the communal experience of selected shorts. A whole new world comes

alive between the storyteller and the audience. And for a little while, we're all together,

going on a journey your ears can take you on that your eyes can't. So I know why I love

it. You have your own reasons, no doubt. These days, it feels like our brains are like

internet browsers with too many tabs open. It's hard to focus. If you're listening, it means

you relish the chance to slow things down and be in the moment, to hear one voice telling

one story that's bound to make you laugh or cry or both. Whatever keeps you coming

back to shorts, I hope you'll help us keep the show healthy and thriving with a tax

deductible donation. So please visit selected shorts.org and make a donation today. And thank

you.

So maybe your second best, a replacement brought in at the last minute to fill in for the

one that people really want. It's fine. Really. Quarterbacks, Broadway stars and beloved

teachers all have people ready to step in when they can't make it. On this episode of

selected shorts, writers help us stand out when we stand in. I'm Meg Wallitzer. Don't

go away.

You're listening to selected shorts where our greatest actors transport us through the

magic of fiction, one short story at a time. When we want something, we want the original,

the genuine article, the authentic and undisputed version, everything else is based on. Why

would we accept a replacement unless it was absolutely necessary? Well, turns out there

...