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[0:01] Piper Laurie: Ooh, I'm so excited, Brian, because today's episode features another iconic talent.

[0:07] Unknown speaker: Oh, who is it?

[0:08] Piper Laurie: Guess.

[0:09] Unknown speaker: I couldn't possibly.

[0:10] Piper Laurie: There are almost 8 billion people in the world. You can't guess one of them?

[0:14] Unknown speaker: I have a clue?

[0:15] Piper Laurie: They're all gonna laugh at you.

[0:16] Unknown speaker: Excuse me?

[0:17] Piper Laurie: They're all gonna laugh at you, ya bum.

[0:19] Unknown speaker: I'm not clear what's happening right now.

[0:21] Piper Laurie: I'm giving you clues, ya pool room bum.

[0:24] Unknown speaker: Why are you so giddy?

[0:25] Piper Laurie: That's for me to know and you to find out.

[0:28] Piper Laurie: Anyway, this is Season 2, Episode 6. Coyotes.

[0:33] Piper Laurie: I'm Piper Laurie, and you're listening to Around the Sun.

[0:38] Piper Laurie: A young boy can barely contain his excitement as his grandmother hands him a newly roasted marshmallow from their campfire in the desert.

[0:58] Piper Laurie: And that was how your grandfather proposed to me. The 90s sweet talked me into slowing down and spending the rest of my life with him. He told me to close my eyes and open my palm. Then he filled my hand with a fine substance and said it was stardust. If you marry me, Grandpa said, I promise you a lifetime of magic and wonder.

[1:28] Piper Laurie: Well, my temptation was to say no. I haven't done everything a single person should do yet. But he was offering me stardust. And who could say no to stardust? So I said yes. And you can imagine my surprise when I opened my eyes to discover I was only holding a handful of sand.

[1:50] Piper Laurie: Oh, I was enraged. But think of what it represents, he said. It's our foundation. It's the earth we stand on. The stuff that dreams are made of. Ah, he was a sly one, your grandfather. A real coyote. And he would have loved spending this time with you just as much as I do. He wouldn't have cared that you got suspended from school just as long as you learned something from it.

[2:18] Piper Laurie: He would have helped you rein in all that extra energy. He would have helped you to embrace the stillness. Can we try, pal? Pretty please? For Grandma?

[2:36] Piper Laurie: There. See? There's a lot happening in the stillness, isn't there? The whistle of the wind. The crack of a fart. And the hum of the universe. It never gets old. But you can't hear it when you're running around all day.

[3:00] Piper Laurie: I guess I used to do the same thing. You'll hear it someday. It's all a journey. Grandma couldn't sit in school, either. He got suspended, too, you know. And if he told you anything to the contrary, he's lying. The schools weren't made for my boys, I guess. But they're the ones that need to change. Schools. Not you. You are perfect. Just the way you are.

[3:27] Piper Laurie: So what if they say you move too fast? You learn differently, that's all. Everybody does. In the end, it's good to run outside the pack. Here. Have another marshmallow. You're growing. It'll put hair on your chest.

[3:44] Piper Laurie: Your grandfather, he was the one. He found a way to channel all his energy into stories. That was his passion. Oh, he could tell stories for days. Once he figured that out, he stopped running. And I wouldn't call his stories a handicap, either. I'd call them a gift. Blessing, even. You'll figure out what to do with your energy someday, but for now, don't worry. You're still learning. Last I checked, that wasn't a crime.

[4:19] Piper Laurie: Well, I think it's time we turned in. Otherwise, this won't be much of a camp out. More like a camp awake, right? So let's get in our sleepy bags. Trust me. It's not that I don't love spending the time with you. You're my last boy. But the only way we can do this again is to master it.

[4:44] Piper Laurie: Well, let's try. Tell you another story? I already told you five. That was the deal, remember? One story and they're dead. I broke my own rule four times. Storytelling is Grandpa's gift, not mine. No, pal. We can't roast any more marshmallows. You act like you've never had them. Like it's the last bag of marshmallows on earth.

[5:12] Piper Laurie: What's the matter? Why are you crying? What do you mean you're not allowed to have marshmallows at home? Here, take the bag. I just don't understand the point of rewarding conformity instead of celebrating how beautiful you are. You're special. You're unique. And don't let any school district make you feel otherwise just because you have a little trouble sitting still.

[5:41] Piper Laurie: If our creator wanted all of us to be the same, you would have been manufactured, right? Just ask the old coyote. He's out there laughing at all this. Of course he's out there. He's always out there. Watch it how silly we are. Oh, he has nothing to be scared of. He protects us. Who says coyote is bad? Your teacher? I don't think he's bad. Misunderstood maybe, but not bad.

[6:14] Piper Laurie: Me? I think he's a little bit of everything. Part hero, part trickster, part foil. Just like all of us. What do you mean I didn't tell you any coyote stories tonight? Coyote is part of every story. You just have to listen for it.

[6:38] Piper Laurie: Fine, I'll tell you one more. But that's it. A campfire without coyote is like the sky without stars. And strangely, without coyote, there would be no stars. Did I ever tell you that story? It's one of my favorites, you know. It's about the night I fell in love with your grandfather. Don't rush it, pal. No, don't rush it.

[7:10] Piper Laurie: Once upon a time, when I was very young, there was only day and night. Nothing in between. And as the stars lay in a blanket, wanting to be hung, I couldn't sleep. I was too jumpy and tense in the pitch blackness that surrounded our camp. And that's when I felt coyote sneak up while everyone else was sleeping.

[7:40] Piper Laurie: I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. I felt his energy. And without knowing coyote's intentions, I got nervous when I heard him fling the stars up into the night sky. Whoosh! Millions of them. Whoosh! Millions of them all at once. Whoosh! What's going to happen? I jumped. Would the stars fall back to Earth and shatter? I panicked. But they didn't. Only stardust fell back to Earth.

[8:12] Piper Laurie: The stars themselves stayed up there and brought me new perspective. Bright stars, dim stars, dead stars. I wasn't afraid anymore. I could see through the dark. I could look into coyote's eyes for the first time and watch him make the world glow with intrigue, hopes, and dreams.

[8:47] Piper Laurie: The fire is dying now. The moon is mellow. Chill in the air scatters the embers. And our earthly attention looks to the heavens once more. And I can still feel the stardust beneath my feet. Don't rush it, Bill. Don't rush it. Embrace the stillness. And I'll see you in the morning. I love you.

[9:20] Unknown speaker: And I love you too.

[9:30] Piper Laurie: Around the Sun is written and directed by Brad Forenza. For full credits and more content, please visit AroundTheSunPodcast.com. If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, share, and subscribe. Just think of all the times you smiled. You can find us on social media and continue the conversation by using the hashtag AroundTheSunPodcast.

[9:59] Piper Laurie: AroundTheSunPodcast.com