Stories are powerful learning tools, and they have been ever since humans learned to communicate. Early man drew schematic images of animals to hunt and marked where the herds were with primitive finger paintings. Various tribes all over the world passed down oral histories and legends through generations to connect the past and the future. Our heroes both inspire and warn us. Stories provide escape as well as possibility. And now, Moth Night at Canoe offers an hour of self-deprecating, honest, and brave storytelling.

Inspired by NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, on Sunday, January 31 the Canoe Club in Hanover, New Hampshire held its own Moth Night. Three Upper Valley locals took the spotlight to bravely recount their most monumental misjudgments on the dating scene, on cross-country terrain, and in the music halls of Connecticut.

No stranger to public speaking, The Hopkins Film Manger kicked off the night with tales of risking the modern dating scene. Re-entering the scene with the naiveté of a “smug marital” and a penchant for attracting younger men left armed with only nicknames as a measuring stick. Standing in front of the crowd with her penned list of exes and “oh no’s,” she shared the humbling but hopeful lessons she learned with Bebe, Handsy, Soco, CageFighter, and others.

Jay Davis captivated the audience in his recounting of a sticky situation in which the Nordic skier saved his team from frostbite—but at the cost of his underpants. Only after warming the glue for the skis in his waistband did he remember leaving the cap off. Good survival skills, awkward last stretch.

Lastly, Canoe Club owner John Chapin recounted his rookie mistakes valeting VIP guests and chauffeuring musicians in his early days at Lloyd's Music Club in Connecticut. Here, he learned the ins and outs of the industry the hard way in a club he describes as “essentially a cabaret club” where musicians could stop in along tours to let loose away from the main route and the public eye.

Moth Night is just one of several new evening events at Canoe. Marko the Magician will continue to visit on Mondays throughout the month. For updates on events and to find out when the next Moth Night will be, follow our calendar or check in at www.canoeclub.us/calendar.