Noriko Rosted: Spencer the Cat | The Moth

The Mothとは？

「ザ・モス」は、ストーリーテリング（物語を語ること）の芸術に捧げられた非営利団体です。様々な背景を持つ人々が、実際に経験した個人的な物語を観客の前で語るライブイベントを開催しています。これらの物語は、メモ、台本、小道具なしで語られます。語り手は舞台に立ち、自分の人生で意味のある経験を共有するのです。

「ザ・モス」イベントの主な特徴：

1. 形式：通常、1回のイベントで5〜6人の語り手が登場し、各自約10分間物語を語ります。
2. テーマ：各イベントには多くの場合テーマがあり、そのテーマに合った物語が選ばれます。
3. 真実性：すべての物語は、語り手の実際の個人的な経験でなければなりません。
4. 多様性：語り手は一般の人から有名人まで様々で、幅広い人生経験が語られます。
5. 雰囲気：イベントは通常、親密な会場で行われ、温かく支持的な環境が作られます。
6. コンペティション：「ストーリースラム」と呼ばれる一部のイベントでは、観客も参加でき、帽子から名前が引かれた人が物語を語るチャンスを得られます。

「ザ・モス」はまた、人気のポッドキャストやラジオ番組も制作しており、これらの物語をライブイベントを超えてより広い聴衆に届けています。

これらのイベントは、個人の物語の力と、ストーリーテリングを通じた人々のつながりを称えるものです。見知らぬ人々の間で、ユーモアや感動、相互理解の瞬間を生み出すことがよくあります。

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ノリコ・ロスター：イタリア旅行中のキャットシッター

ノリコ・ロスターがイタリア旅行中のキャットシッターとの悲惨な体験を語る。

• イタリア旅行の計画
• ニューヨークでキャットシッターを探す
• キャットシッターの最初の熱意
• キャットシッターの気になる行動
• ノリコさんの猫に対する心配
• 10代の隣人に助けを求める
• 隣人の思いがけない援助
• シッターから猫を引き取る
• 隣人の助けに対するノリコさんの感謝の気持ち
• ストレスフルな状況のハッピーエンド

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このプレゼンテーションは、以下の理由から素晴らしいストーリーテリングの例と言えます：

1. 共感できる内容: 旅行中にペットを心配する経験は、多くの人、特にペット飼育者にとって身近な体験です。この共感性が聴衆を引き込み、話を個人的で魅力的なものにしています。
2. 感情的な関与: ノリコさんは、イタリア旅行への興奮からスペンサーの安全を心配する深い懸念まで、自身の感情を効果的に伝えています。この感情の幅が、聴衆をノリコさんの経験に個人的なレベルで結びつけます。
3. 意外な展開: 一見信頼できないように見えた十代の少年が物語の英雄になるという、驚きと喜びのある展開があります。この予想外の展開が聴衆を引き付け、満足のいく結末を提供しています。
4. 詳細な描写: ノリコさんは、少年の外見や女性のアパートの猫をテーマにした装飾など、鮮明な描写を用いて聴衆に心象風景を作り出しています。この描写が聴衆に物語を視覚化させ、より記憶に残るものにしています。
5. 文化的要素: 日本人特有の細やかさや hospitality と、のんきなアメリカ人ティーンエイジャーのステレオタイプを対比させるなど、日本とアメリカ両方の文化的視点を提供しています。これらの文化的ニュアンスが物語に深みを加え、多様な聴衆の興味を引きます。
6. 自然な会話調: ストーリーテリングが真に迫った自然な会話のように感じられます。ノリコさんが日常的な言葉遣いや共感できるシナリオを用いることで、聴衆が物語の一部になったような感覚を与えます。

これらの要素の組み合わせが、物語を単に面白いだけでなく、感情的にも文化的にも響くものにしており、人気を集めている理由となっています。

Transcript

So my husband and I were very excited about our upcoming trip to Italy.

But we had a big issue, which is our cat, Spencer.

He’s a two-year-old male tabby cat.

We adopted him from a local animal shelter when he was a kitten.

We love him.

He’s like our child.

So we are like, what are we gonna do with Spencer?

We just relocated from Japan to New York.

We don’t have any family, you know, friends here yet.

So and the only person we could think of was 15 year old American boy who’s living in the same apartment building.

We see him here and there doing some errands for the residents to make some more money.

But he was, he’s a little bit cocky, typical teenage boy, looks like only thinking about girls and football.

And his hair is loose, his clothes is loose, his attitude is loose.

And we are like, oh forget about it.

We cannot leave our Spencer to the kid.

We have to find a decent and responsible adult.

And one person crossed my mind.

She’s Japanese like me.

I met her through a library program and I remember she mentioned she loves cats and she used to be a vet and she always looking for a volunteer opportunity at animal shelter to take care of cats.

So one day I walked up to her at the library saying it was really awkward moment, but look, I know this is a huge favor and definitely you can say no.

But would you be interested in taking care of Spencer while I’m away?

She said immediately, “Oh, I’d love to.

This is gonna be great.”

I was like, what a generous person.

And so I went to an apartment in Upper West to drop off Spencer.

And when I entered the apartment, the four walls were pictures and paintings of cats all over.

And on the shelves were a quite variety of funny cats figures.

It was a little bit too much, but clearly she loves cats, which is good.

So I explained about food, which is only dry food.

Two times a day and the amount is one cup per meal, no snack.

And she said, “Oh, that’s quite simple and easy, no problem.”

And I sent her and flew to Italy with my husband.

Day one, I got text message from her saying, “Spencer is doing great.

He ate food and he did both things.

He’s in his toilet and everything’s great.

No, no worry.

Please enjoy your vacation.”

She even attached a picture of Spencer.

He’s lying on the couch and he looked very comfortable.

And day two, I got another text.

I was like, “Wow, is she sending me a daily report of Spencer?”

I didn’t even ask her.

But I know this is so typical Japanese.

We are very detailed and hospitable people.

I’m very happy that I asked her.

And I opened the text.

She said, “Spencer is a little bit strange.

He didn’t eat food.

He’s not coming out from under the bed.

He’s not moving.”

I didn’t know what’s going on.

So I was trying to figure out.

It has never happened before, but do you have any idea what the cause might be?

And she replied, “Actually, he ate a tiny part of my socks.

So to help digestion, I gave him kia seed oil.”

“What is kia seed oil?”

And she continued further, “By the way, the food amount that you give Spencer is too little.

So I gave him wet food that I had at home.”

I was like, “Why did she do that?”

We agreed with the instructions.

So I said in a polite way, “Please don’t give him anything but what he usually eats.”

And she responded back immediately, “I know what cats needs.

I used to be a vet.

I have more experience than you.”

I was like, “What is wrong with her?”

And I exchanged many texts and her tone was really escalating every text.

And she was really attacking me.

But it’s like hostage negotiation.

You still have to maintain certain level of cooperation or willingness.

But at one point it went out of control and I was really, really concerned about Spencer’s safety.

But I didn’t know what to do.

I’m in Italy.

Spencer is in danger.

My heart was pumping fast.

I was crying.

I was so desperate that I had to reach out to the 15 year old American boy.

And I explained the long story and said, “Sorry, I know this is a lot to ask.

But is there any chance that you could retrieve Spencer?”

And I knew he still was at school.

So I waited and an hour later my phone beeped.

It was from him.

I opened the text very nervously.

He said, “Sure.

Just give me her address.”

I said, “What?

Really?”

I said, “You have no idea how much it means to me.

You are my hero.”

Okay, so her address is this and this.

He texted me back with emoji a guy saluting.

“Got it.”

And he did it.

He did.

He went up to Upper West and retrieved Spencer from the lady and brought him back to Brooklyn and stayed with him until I came back home.

So the guy who I thought was just wannabe Justin Bieber saved the day and he’s my hero to this day. [applause]