Every day, you and I, walk around with roughly one trillion stories inside us. This turns me on like you wouldn’t believe. Why? ’Cause our stories have untold power. They decimate barriers and prejudice and connect us like nothing else in life.
My late father, Dino Foundis knew this. Instinctively. So that’s why I love that today, the day that I launch my show, just happens to be Father’s Day, 2019.
Dad was the first man I loved. I was the quintessential Daddy’s Little Girl. And he made an enormous impact on the woman I am today. Dad was always curious about people and their stories. I think that’s why he loved driving a taxi. His passengers were his (captive) audience and he had an innate talent for making everyone feel at home with him from the businessman in the $3,000 suit to the junkie who shot up in the back seat as he drove.
Dad adored all their stories; ugly, beautiful, tragic, inspiring. And he absolutely revelled in sharing them at our big, noisy Greek gatherings on the weekend. As a little girl I remember Dad holding court sharing what he’d learnt during the week – giving us all a slice of the world he met every day in his taxi. He was animated, charismatic and very, very funny. His appeal magnetic.
I took Dad’s gifts for granted. But decades later, my father’s relentless love for people and their stories is mine too. I seek them out all day, every day – even when I don’t know I’m doing it. If I meet someone new – or even if I’m with someone I’ve known forever, I need to know who they are, what’s going on, what’s their story?
And I’ll be honest with you, the profound joy I feel when we’re sharing stories, is totally selfish. I just want to be closer to you – if only for a few minutes because when you tell me about you, no matter how dark or bright your life is, suddenly I don’t feel so alone, vulnerable or powerless. And you know what, neither do you.
At the heart of it all, we’re more alike, than not and stories prove this over and over again.
Ultimately, my show is less about storytelling and more about storysharing. The episodes aren’t very long. My time with my guests isn’t forever.
But just like Dad taught me, a little bit of love for people can go a long, long way.