<figure><figcaption> Untold Stories. A WJCT Public Media and Florida Threatre Production.(Morgan Gesell, Rain Henderson)</figcaption></figure>

In "Fish Out of Water, Part 2," "Untold Stories" brings a rich tapestry of personal narratives, each marked by a unique journey of overcoming and self-realization. This episode, recorded live at Florida Theatre, showcases storytellers from diverse backgrounds, each sharing their transformative experiences.

In her role as artistic director for 'Untold Stories,' Barbara Colaciello of BAB'S LAB combines story curation, storyteller coaching, and hosting duties to create compelling live events.

Michael Jordan, a self-taught musician living in St. Augustine, opens the episode with "Dale the Whale." His narrative, interwoven with melodic guitar strains, tells the story of the largest blue whale's struggle with loneliness and self-acceptance. Jordan's deep connection with nature and his innovative guitar techniques bring a unique dimension to his tale, echoing themes of isolation and belonging.

Arsun F!st, a Panama-born hip-hop artist and cancer survivor, recounts his intense battle with the disease. His journey through diagnosis, treatment, and eventual triumph is not just a story of survival but a powerful message about the strength of the human spirit and the importance of hope. Arsun's resilience is a reflection of his diverse life experiences, from his early years in the U.S. to his artistic and personal endeavors.

Tricia Booker, an award-winning writer, journalist, and University of North Florida writing instructor, recounts her challenges as a single mother in Ponte Vedra Beach. Her narrative explores her quest for self-identity post-divorce and the complexities of raising three adopted children in a conservative community. Tricia's expertise in storytelling and her candid, humorous approach offer insights into adaptation and self-acceptance in an environment of conformity.

Philip Pan, with a distinguished career as the Concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony and a background enriched by his studies at the Juilliard School, closes the episode. His transition from a classical violinist to an improvisational musician illustrates a journey of breaking free from traditional constraints and embracing musical diversity. Philip's story underscores the power of reinvention and the joy found in exploring new creative avenues.

Transcript
Please note that the following transcript has been generated by automated technology. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, there may be errors, inconsistencies, or deviations from the original audio. We encourage listeners to refer to the actual podcast episode for complete and accurate content. This transcript is provided for convenience and may not fully capture the nuances of the spoken word.

David Luckin
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Welcome to Untold Stories, a production
of the Florida Theater in WJCT Public Media.
Tonight's program was recorded August 6, 2022,
the theme, Fish Out of Water.
[MUSIC PLAYING]

Barbara Colaciello
We are going to start with-- we're
bringing back Michael Jordan, OK?
Isn't he so talented?
And you probably could tell that he's really a storyteller
as well.
And this next piece that he's going to do for you
is Dale the Whale.
And it is a story, a whale of a story.
So please welcome Michael Jordan.
[APPLAUSE]

Michael Jordan
Yes, it's a whale of a tail.
This is about a big blue whale, the largest blue whale.
that has ever swam the earth.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
And he has a hard go of things.
He doesn't make friends easily.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He's pretty lonely being the biggest blue whale.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He goes shopping, and he knocks things off the shelves,
and he has to buy them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
He's so enormous, sometimes people
think that he's a building or something other than a whale.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So this is the story of how Dale the Whale comes to love
himself.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Well, I'm a big blue whale. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Got a big blue tail. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ I'm a big blue whale. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Got a great big blue tale for all of you. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ I'm Dale, the loneliest whale in the sea. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Once I played with the dolphins, jumping so high. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Once I tried to play with the dolphins, jumping ever so high. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ When I lept, I came down on a pod of 25. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Now they don't want to play with me. ♪
♪ They said, I'm too blubbering, blundering. ♪
♪ Well, I'm so in the way. ♪
♪ Guess I'll go away. ♪
♪ I'm Dale, the loneliest whale, even though I try. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ I'm ostracized for being oversized. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ So after my debacle with the bottlenosed, ♪
♪ dolphins I thought I would go to the coral store. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Reaching for a pirate, I slipped and fell and my tail, ♪
♪ hit a wall of crystal balls. ♪
♪ Lord, I broke 'em all. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ With them strewn about the floor. ♪
♪ Well, I slipped and fell some more ♪
♪ and brought down the whole store. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Now Mr. Blowfish said, I got to pay for all of this. ♪
♪ I can't come back no more. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Now I got a compass that don't work. ♪
♪ Yeah, and a giant pearl cracked in half. ♪
♪ Yeah, and a flattened ancient ring. ♪
♪ Yeah, and a squashed cowboy hat. ♪
♪ At I'm Dale, the loneliest whale, and I sighed. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ A monstrous size for being super sized. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Well, the turtle with the purple shell he told me, good and well, ♪
♪ where to find someone as large as me, ♪
♪ Said she lives in the depths if you can see. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ So I drifted deep into the dark until I felt her lovely. ♪
♪ Arms wrap around me. ♪
♪ I said, "A friend finally" ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ Love was not her game. ♪
♪ No to eat me was her aim. ♪
♪ So I had to slip away. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ It was a giant squid. ♪
♪ Took a bite of my fin. ♪
♪ Now I'm swimming for my life. ♪
♪ And I'm really growing tired of being Dale, the loneliest ♪
♪ whale. And I cried. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ A monstrous size for being monster sized. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ So I thought I would abandon looking for a friend. ♪
♪ I'd put it on the shelf. ♪
♪ And now I'll just consult myself. ♪
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
♪ And after travelling here ♪
♪ and there ♪
♪ and all the while solitaire ♪
♪ my mind became clear ♪
♪ and my ears began to here. ♪
♪ A tiny little chorus singing day oh, we are here ♪
♪ I looked around pondering, what in the wandering sea could it be ♪
♪ Am I crazy, we're in the light that sparkle ♪
♪ I can see a thousand barnacles, were holding onto me ♪
♪ They wanna talk to me ♪
♪ They love it when ♪
♪ I breach ♪
♪ They tell me funny jokes ♪
♪ And introduce me to their folks ♪
♪ Now I'm Dale, the happiest whale ♪
♪ And I smile ♪
♪ 'Cause my friends were with me all the while ♪
♪ I'm Dale, the happiest whale ♪
♪ Because I know ♪
♪ That in my heart is where my best friend calls his home ♪
♪ Some say it's commensal, I say it's mutual ♪
♪ Because they keep me company ♪
♪ Now I'm satisfied with being ♪
♪ My size ♪
(upbeat music)
(audience cheering)
- Thank you so much, thank you so much.
(audience applauding)

Barbara Colaciello
So, first storyteller for our second half
is someone who I actually met
through a good friend of mine, Nicole Samuels.
That's her wife, that's his wife.
And it's great when you have friends
that marry neat people,
rather than they marry someone that you really don't like.
(audience laughing)
And oh well.
So, Arsun is a hip hop artist.
He is well known in Jacksonville and beyond.
And he also dabbles in,
I know I'm gonna get this wrong,
because I've been on his website,
you need to go to his website,
B-L-A-K-I-E-Y-E.
B-L-A-K-I-E, go to Arsun F!st website.
And he has these things with action figures.
So cool, very interesting.
So, I want you all to welcome Arsun F!st.
(audience applauding)

Arsun F!st
- Thank you so much.
- Greetings, greetings.
I'm gonna take everybody back to June 2019.
Found myself in the emergency room, Flagler Hospital.
After going through a few days
of some upper back pain and some abdominal pain.
Went through a series of tests,
did some blood work, did an EKG,
even did a couple MRIs.
The shift doctor at that time
could physically see the pain that I was in.
But none of the tests were lining up.
So he asked me, would I take one more MRI?
But this time with some contrast.
Of course I'm gonna say yes.
So while I'm sitting there with my wife Nicole,
who was my rock, my anchor, my better half,
and ultimately my best friend.
The shift doctor comes back and says, hey,
we gotta bring down an oncologist
because we don't like what we see in the scans.
And what they ended up showing us
was that every lymph node in my body was enlarged and swollen.
At this time, we went ahead and met Dr. Trikha.
He was the oncologist they called, came right down.