61. The Okay Jar

When listener Ashley Casebolt was a teenager, she was going through a tough time. To try and keep her mindset positive, she wrote down one thing that went well that day and put it in a jar. Today, Nora and Ashley go through the jar.  

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

Ashley: [00:00:00] Do I need to talk? [00:00:01][0.4]

Nora: [00:00:02] Yeah. Who are you? [00:00:02][0.6]

Ashley: [00:00:03] I’m Ashley Casebolt. [00:00:04][0.5]

It’s April 2023, and Marcel, my mother and I are on the road for the final leg of our Terrible, Thanks for Asking tour. We’re in Columbus, Ohio and it’s time to leave the theater, but it’s also the only time I have with Ashley. We’re in a very small dressing room backstage, and the clock is ticking. The clock being my mom, who wants to settle up the merch fee with the venue and get the hell out of there.

Ashley: [00:04:07] were recording. [00:04:07][0.2]

Speaker 3: [00:04:10] Who is it for the merge. [00:04:11][1.4]

Ashley: [00:04:12] Oh, okay. Shit. You’re okay. [00:04:14][1.4]

Speaker 3: [00:04:17] Okay. Do you want me to hold up? All right. Okay, I’ll. I’ll have a number in a second. Mom. Mom, [00:04:30][12.7]

[15.7]

Nora: [00:00:07] What did you bring to the show? [00:00:08][1.1]

Ashley: [00:00:10] So when I was 17 years old, it’s the year I graduated high school. I was going through some stuff, you know, just going through some stuff. So I was like, Okay, maybe we should make a little jar every day of something good that happens just to kind of, like, get us through and then we can look back on it. I don’t know if we ever did, but it’s ten years later now. I’m 27 year old Ashley, and I found him the other day. [00:00:35][25.8]

[26.9]

Nora: [00:00:46] So we’re opening a time capsule? [00:00:47][1.2]

Ashley: [00:00:47] Yes, pretty much. [00:00:48][0.6]

[1.8]

Ashley: [00:01:17] June 30th, 2013. Some really sweet elderly lady complimented me at work on the phone today and said I was perfect for the job. And then I had such an enthusiastic voice. It was so cute. [00:01:29][12.2]

Nora: [00:01:31] What was your job? [00:01:31][0.5]

Ashley: [00:01:32] I think at this point I was working at Sears, but it’s not like the Sears that you’re thinking of. We have like tools and appliances, and that was like kind of a really small town. So it was like close or anything extra. I didn’t know what I was doing was literally 17 trying to sell like washers and dryers, like. [00:01:49][17.2]

Nora: [00:01:50] And they were like, I don’t know. [00:01:51][0.9]

Ashley: [00:01:52] No, I don’t know. I’m like, What one looks best for you? [00:01:54][2.4]

Nora: [00:01:56] Any of these could work. [00:01:56][0.8]

Speaker 3: [00:01:57] Yeah. Yeah. [00:01:58][0.5]

Ashley: [00:02:01] So it’s nice. And people like, complimented me because I’m like, Oh, thank you. I’m doing a really great job of being like, a saleswoman. [00:02:06][4.7]

Nora: [00:02:09] And you’re. And you’re like a literal child. [00:02:11][1.3]

[40.5]

Ashley: [00:02:11] Yeah, I’m 17. I’m not even, like, a full grown adult. And I’m like, Yes, buy this oven. Okay. August 21st, 2013. Doing it to include names of people. Okay. Matt made my day, commented on a photo of Rhiannon and I and said the only two girls I’ll ever love and sent us an awesome goodnight text. And Matt at the time was like one of my best friends and Rhiannon was my literal best and we were conjoined at the hip, so that’s cute. [00:02:41][29.8]

Nora: [00:02:45] And he made you feel loved? [00:02:46][1.0]

Ashley: [00:02:47] Yes. Yeah, I felt supported and loved and that’s really important for like a 17 year old to feel that way about themselves and a really hard time. [00:02:54][7.6]

[38.4]

Ashley: [00:03:08] So many of these are like, somebody did something nice to me, like a stranger. Like, okay, this is May 9th, 2013. Had a really nice waitress at Friendly’s today. One of those little things in life. Had an awesome concert at school today. I don’t know what that’s about, but the waitress. That was nice. It’s just like little things that other people do that they probably don’t realize they’re doing. That was just like a 17 year old. I’m a baby and I’m like, People are being nice to me in the world. That’s so nice. [00:03:38][29.5]

17 year old ashley didn’t think she’d make it to 27. And 37 year old Ashley won’t remember all of the good little things – or the hard little things – about what it was like to be 27. But even at 47 or 57 or 97, Ashley will have this little jar of memories, a time capsule of what was good about being herself at 17.

Ashley: [00:11:03] Okay. July six, 2013. Made some extra college money babysitting. Also got home in time to watch the end of the fireworks. August 27th, 2013. One of the doctors stopped me before I got on the elevator and told me I’m going to go to college and be one of the best artists out there. So sweet. April 2nd, 2013. Got my cap and gown as well as my announcements. It was a big one. [00:11:36][32.8]

Speaker 3: [00:11:39] This time. [00:11:40][0.5]

Ashley: [00:11:40] April 14th, 2013, cleaned downstairs and got most of my laundry done, which is funny because that’s something that like 27 year old Ashley. Yes, it was such a good day. I did the lawn like, which is funny. A lot of them are parallels. August 29th, 2013, ordered my king size bed plus got a new washer and dryer. Very 27 of me. Do you want more? Yeah. Okay. Okay. December 22nd, 2013. A couple of the girls at work told me, Thank you for doing a good job at work because we had a hectic night. I did that and it made me feel better. It’s very fragile. Very fragile as a 17 year old. Oh, this one’s kind of funny. August 4th, 2013. It was the first day of Shark Week. And the first time I’ve actually watched it. [00:11:40][0.0]

[33.2]

I’m Nora McInerny and it’s going to be okay. You can share your okay calling us at 612.568.4441 or emailing us…[email protected] 

CREDITS:

Claire, Megan, Jordan, Marcel, me, Secret Audio, F&CO.