TTFA Anthologies
Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real stories of real people who have lived through the terrible things in life. TTFA Anthologies are a curated collection of some of our best stories; released in seasons that focus on a specific topic. You can find our entire episode catalog ad-free on Nora's Substack.
S3: The Trauma Sponge
Jeremy Norton has been a firefighter for over 20 years, a job that’s considered heroic and honorable … a job that sometimes means showing up to a false alarm … and sometimes means soaking up the trauma of the city around you.
Jeremy has been a TTFA listener since day one. His first book — The Trauma Sponges: Dispatches From The Scarred Heart of Emergency Response — was published October 10, 2023.
This episode was originally published on September 18, 2023.
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our lives. We spend something like a third of our liv...
S3: The Teachers Are Not Alright
Like many teachers, when Kristen started her career at 22, she was hopeful and excited. She loved working with students with special needs, and loved learning how their brains worked. But over the years, the job became harder and harder because of the lack of support she received. Eventually, all of the small moments of feeling left out to dry led to a falling out with this career she loved.
Originally Published August 28, 2023
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our lives. We spend something like a third of our lives at...
S3: How To Lose Your Name
Cheval spent her entire life trying to be a wedding dress designer (she started sewing at 7 years old and studied fashion design in college). In her mid-20s, she got her big break when a large fashion house hired her to design a wedding dress collection named after herself. But that dream only lasted eight years. She found herself in the middle of a legal battle that would take away her collection, her job as a designer, and eventually her name.
Follow Cheval on Instagram @allthatglittersonthegram and check out her new shoe line at sheischeval.com.
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S3: When You Care for a Living, Who Cares for You?
Care connects all of us. In this episode, we talk to Jonny, a domestic worker, and Ai-jen Poo of the National Domestic Workers Alliance about the people who take care of our homes, our families and our communities — the people whose work makes the rest of our work possible.
Learn more about NDWA’s new Care is Essential campaign, which argues that government investment in a comprehensive care infrastructure is an investment in a strong and equitable caring economy.
Originally published 2/16/2021
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our li...
S3: Fair Play at Home
America is in a care crisis. Women, especially mothers, are leaving the workforce in staggering numbers in this pandemic era. They're buckling under the pressure of managing the responsibilities of their households and their families on top of their work.
In this episode, we talk with Eve Rodsky about the straw that broke her back and re-examine what it means to value care and time in your own household.
Originally published 2/2/2021
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our lives. We spend something like a third of our li...
S3: Miss North Dakota
In 2012, Rosie became the first Black woman to win the Miss North Dakota pageant. She got to do what she loves most — play music and perform! — and she won scholarship money to pay down her student loab debt. It was thrilling. It was exciting!
But winning Miss North Dakota means more than just wearing a gorgeous gown on a stage in front of a bunch of people. For the next year, Rosie represents the state like a sort of ambassador, touring the region and sharing her diversity platform with folks … in North Dakota, a state that’s 90% white. <...
S3: The Other Side of Belonging
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S3: Unemployed
Layoffs. Redundancies. Furloughs. Right-sizing. There are so many ways to say, “Whoops, sorry, you don’t have a job here anymore,” and Sarah Hagi has already lived through a few of them.
If you’ve ever been told some nonsense during a job interview about how the company in question is “like a family,” and the reason for the low salary offer is because there's free lunch and booze in the kitchen, this episode is for you.
Originally published 5/19/2020
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our lives. We spend somet...
S3: God's Plan
Caleb Campbell knew growing up that God’s plan for his life was sports. And when you believe that God himself is responsible for your football career, you feel a LOT of pressure to succeed.
By the time he makes it to the NFL, Caleb is suffering from severe depression and anxiety. He's having regular panic attacks. He feels like he's disappointed everyone, including God. He turns to drugs and alcohol to cope with his self-hate.
When Caleb leaves sports behind and finds himself working as a church janitor, he finally begins to heal.
Or...
S3: I've Made a Huge Mistake
Eva Hagberg is young, ambitious and about to get her Big Break — a byline in the New York Times! And then, she publishes an error. A big factual error. In the New York freaking Times! Cue the breakdown.
If you've ever laid in bed replaying your missteps, this episode is for you.
Originally published 12/5/2016
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Work is, to most of us, an important part of our lives. We spend something like a third of our lives at work, and even if we’re not working our “dream job” our work gives us a sense of...
S3: Emergency! Banner Ads!
lives at work, and even if we’re not working our “dream job” our work gives us a sense of purpose, accomplishment…and – oh, yeah – money to survive. But work – finding it, doing it, losing it – can also be a huge source of stress. This season, we’re exploring what happens when work goes wrong. These are real stories from real people sharing the reality of work, brought to you by Fordham University’s Master of Social Work program.
Big thanks to our sponsor, Fordham University’s Master of Social Work program.
Fordham University’s Master of Social Work pro...
S2: Happyish Holidays: The Christmas Curse
It's the time of year when we at Feelings and Co bring you a story about the holiday season, and all of the ways it can go wrong, feel terrible or not live up to the sparkle of a Kay Jeweler Christmas commercial.
This year, we have an epic tale of how one family was CURSED for four Christmases. Each year, a new member of the family took a turn ruining the holiday, which Included fires, hurt feelings, late night plumbers and many, many Christmas Eve shifts at Old Navy.
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S2: Happyish Holidays: Boundaries and Creating New Traditions
The happyish holiday season can be whatever the heck you want it to be, no matter what pressures you feel from family and friends and society. So, here’s to creating new traditions – and to the Terribles who shared theirs with us (and with you).
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Come see the Happyish Holidays Live Show: A Petty LIttle Christmas at The Parkway Theatre in Minneapolis on December 4th and 5th, or join the livestream on December 5th!
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year… um, but is it really? The holiday season can be co...
S2: Happyish Holidays 2022
‘Tis the season! Our terrible holiday tradition is back, this time with more of your painful, sad, awkward holiday stories. Plus: boundary setting advice from Melissa Urban and a fiery Hanukkah story from Vanessa Zoltan.
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Come see the Happyish Holidays Live Show: A Petty LIttle Christmas at The Parkway Theatre in Minneapolis on December 4th and 5th, or join the livestream on December 5th!
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year… um, but is it really? The holiday season can be complicated. Sometimes instead of cozy nights with hot cocoa a...
S2: Happyish Holidays: The Last Christmas (feat. Alyssa Limperis)
We're back with our third annual Happyish Holidays episode! This year, comedian Alyssa Limperis shares with us the holiday letter she wrote the year her dad died from brain cancer. We talk with Jay Mathews, a 48-year-old father and son who, with stage IV cancer, is probably experiencing his last holidays with his family. And we ask listeners what they took away from 2018, what they're looking forward to in 2019, and what it is about hoping for something that can be so scary.
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Come see the Happyish Holidays Live Show: A Petty LIttle Christmas at The P...
S2: Happyish Holidays: Dead Brother, Dead Mother
Lauren’s brother died at Thanksgiving. Her mother died at Christmas. So … this time of year is not exactly joyous for her. And it’s not all that fun for a lot of other people, too. The holidays can really suck!
We’re back with our second annual Happyish Holidays episode, in which we share your holiday stories of humor and loss.
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Come see the Happyish Holidays Live Show: A Petty LIttle Christmas at The Parkway Theatre in Minneapolis on December 4th and 5th, or join the livestream on December 5th!
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It’s t...
S2: Happyish Holidays: The Worst Thanksgiving Ever?
Two days after Nora’s husband Aaron died, she celebrated Thanksgiving with her family. Well... maybe not “celebrated.”
Every year, millions of people do the same thing during the holidays. In this episode, we talk with some of those folks, including Dr. Lucy Kalanithi and comedian Amber Tozer.
We also spend some time with some of the women of the Hot Young Widows Club, talking about their hopes and dreams for the upcoming year.
Plus, stories of some of the worst holidays ever.
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Come see the Happyish Holidays Live Show: A Pe...
S2: AITA: Happyish Holidays Edition
If the holidays make you want to tear your hair out or cry on the bathroom floor, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. It's a hard time for a lot of people, and still we have to force a smile and say through gritted teeth, "Happy Holidays!"
But the holidays aren't always happy. Most of the time, all we can ask for is HappyISH Holidays.
In this episode, Nora McInerny and producer Marcel Malekebu dive into AITA stories of holidays gone wrong. You can play judge, jury, and executioner with them.
If you need a ho...
S1: The Ending Matters- Stop Calling It "Assisted Suicide"(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
In 2014, Brittany Maynard exercised her right to an assisted death under Oregon's Death With Dignity Act. She'd been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer less than a year earlier.
Her death at age 29 — and her advocacy work for the legalization of assisted death — made headlines.
Nora's husband also died in 2014, also from brain cancer. But his and Brittany's deaths were very different. In this episode, Nora and Dan, Brittany's late husband, reflect on their partners' decisions about how to spend the end of their lives.
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Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells t...
S1: Claire Has a Secret- Post Secret Girl Who Wrote in Her On-Suicide Notes(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
When Claire was a teenager, she held a lot of big, difficult feelings, and for a while, she saw only one solution for them. Though Claire decides to not act on those feelings, her story gets shared anonymously online — and continues to appear when she needs it most.
Note: This episode is about suicide. If you are or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, there are free resources available to you:
Text HOME to 741-741 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor any time of day. If you feel un...S1: Army Wife- Husband Was Failed by the Army, Military, Abuse, PTSD(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
Death by suicide has long been a problem within the U.S. military, and not just among veterans: In 2020, suicide rates among active duty service members hit a six-year high. On August 28th, 2015, Heather’s husband Tyler became one of those statistics. Theirs is a story of friendship, of love, of family, of service and duty … and of trauma, domestic abuse and mental illness.
If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide, you can call or text 988.
If you’re a victim of domestic violence and want out, you can call the Nat...
S1: In Absentia- When Things Are Not What You Thought They Were(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
Olivia is 7 years old when her dad moves out of state to take a new job … and is never heard from again. In high school, a manilla envelope appears in Olivia’s mailbox letting her know the reason she never heard from him is because he died by suicide. But when Olivia learns as a young journalist that her father might have faked his own death all those years ago, she decides to investigate.
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Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real stories of real people who have lived through the terrible things in life. TTFA Antho...
S1: The Happiness Equation- How a Friend's Suicide Propelled Neil Pasricha Toward a Happier Life(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
Neil Pasricha’s life is falling apart. His marriage, which gave him a sense of purpose and value, is over. His best friend has died by suicide. Therapy helps, but he still struggles with all of the negativity swirling in his head. So Neil does what a lot of people did in the mid-aughts: He starts a blog — a blog about awesome things that make him happy.
Right now, a lot of us rely on the internet and social media for connection and instead find the exact opposite. If that's you (and it probably is...
S1: What Do You Say About Suicide? Part 2(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
In the last episode, we heard from people who had ideated and/or survived their own suicide attempts, as well as people who had survived a loved one’s suicide. They told us about all the unhelpful and hurtful things that people had said or done.
But there ARE things that people can do and say that ARE helpful, and in this episode, we dive into it.
If you're looking for resources on suicide, here are some good places to start:
Be The One To - https://www.b...
S1: What Do You Say About Suicide? Part 1(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
You know what people hate talking about? Dreams. Politics. Religion.
Also: suicide.
But it's important that we talk about the hard stuff (and it's kinda what we do here), so we asked you to talk to us about your experiences with suicidal ideation and suicide loss.
For resources on suicide and mental health, nami.org has a wealth of great mental health resources.
Text NAMI to 741741 for immediate support.
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Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real...
S1: If/Then- A Woman Witnesses the Suicide of a Stranger(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
Charlotte’s career is built on theoreticals. As an operating room nurse, she has a protocol for every tragedy — a “then” for every “if.” That all changes one night when, on her way home, Charlotte encounters a teenage girl on the wrong side of a guardrail on an overpass above a highway.
Charlotte wasn’t this girl’s mother, or sister, or best friend. She didn’t even know her. But Charlotte was the last person who spoke to the girl before she died. She was THERE. And now, she doesn't know how to get back to the wa...
S1: Two Letters - A Widow Remembers Her Husband With Two Letters(Stories of Suicide & Loss)
This is an episode about two letters. One of those is the letter Jim left for his wife, Annie, before he died by suicide. The second is the letter Annie wrote to Jim after his death — and as she dealt with her own mental health issues and suicidality in the wake of it. When someone dies by suicide, people want it to be someone’s fault, so they can (hopefully) feel less like it’s their fault. But the thing is … it’s never anyone’s fault.
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Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real stories of real peop...
S1: Stories of Suicide & Loss
Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real stories of real people who have lived through the terrible things in life. TTFA Anthologies are a curated collection of some of our best stories; released in seasons that focus on a specific topic. You can find our entire episode catalog ad-free on Apple+ or Patreon.
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Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube.
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The Feelings & Co. team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu and Grace Barry.
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Find all our shows and our store at www...
Introducing TTFA Anthologies
Terrible, Thanks for Asking tells the real stories of real people who have lived through the terrible things in life. TTFA Anthologies are a curated collection of some of our best stories; released in seasons that focus on a specific topic. You can find our entire episode catalog ad-free on Apple+ or Patreon.
–
Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube.
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The Feelings & Co. team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu and Grace Barry.
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Find all our shows and our store at www...
