On this episode of Our American Stories, John O'Leary, the bestselling author of On Fire tells the story of why his mother forced him to eat on his own and play the piano despite having no fingers after having been burned on 100% of his body as a nine-year-old.

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On this episode of Our American Stories, John O'Leary, the bestselling author of On Fire tells the story of why his mother forced him to eat on his own and play the piano despite having no fingers after having been burned on 100% of his body as a nine-year-old.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate</a>)

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit, and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories

Our American Stories tells stories that aren’t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we’ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Our American Stories tells stories that aren&rsquo;t being told. Positive stories about generosity and courage, resilience and redemption, faith and love. Stories about the past and present. And stories about ordinary Americans who do extraordinary things each and every day. Stories from our listeners about their lives. And their history. In that pursuit, we hope we&rsquo;ll be a place where listeners can refresh their spirit and be inspired by our stories.

Why My Mother Forced Me to Play Piano...Even Though I had No Fingers

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c89a4d88-383c-43f5-ad36-b274015f4d6f/transcript

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On this episode of Our American Stories, Sarah Gonzalez was six years old when her father, a former gang member and addict who became a jail chaplain, suddenly died. His death shattered the joyful childhood she had known and eventually led Sarah to reject the Christian faith in which she had been raised. By her teenage and college years, she was using drugs, drinking heavily, and practicing witchcraft.

Then, during a trip to New York City in 2016, she reached a breaking point. Sarah shares her deeply personal story of how she returned to the faith she had rejected and, years later, found herself continuing the prison ministry her father had begun at Chicago's Cook County Jail.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, Sarah Gonzalez was six years old when her father, a former gang member and addict who became a jail chaplain, suddenly died. His death shattered the joyful childhood she had known and eventually led Sarah to reject the Christian faith in which she had been raised. By her teenage and college years, she was using drugs, drinking heavily, and practicing witchcraft. Then, during a trip to New York City in 2016, she reached a breaking point. Sarah shares her deeply personal story of how she returned to the faith she had rejected and, years later, found herself continuing the prison ministry her father had begun at Chicago's Cook County Jail.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

 "I Came to New York City Dead": Sarah Gonzalez's Faith Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2d531367-e20b-44ff-91c3-b4d6014c7208/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War II, U.S. leaders feared German bombers could strike American soil. To protect the nation’s most important treasures, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the Magna Carta, Britain’s most important document, which was on loan at the time, were secretly moved to Fort Knox.

Steve Puleo, author of American Treasures, shares the remarkable story of how the documents that shaped freedom in both England and America were safeguarded during one of history’s darkest hours. We'd like to thank the U.S. National Archives for allowing us access to this audio.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, during World War II, U.S. leaders feared German bombers could strike American soil. To protect the nation&rsquo;s most important treasures, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the Magna Carta, Britain&rsquo;s most important document, which was on loan at the time, were secretly moved to Fort Knox. Steve Puleo, author of <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2F1250065747%3Flv%3Dshuf%26channelId%3D500%26plpRedirect%3DmhFallback&amp;data=05%7C02%7CUraelBlackshear%40iheartmedia.com%7C6dae6e0dadc04c96134008df1fdd7979%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639264708242723203%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Zpr6Azv0UrNEDFqNjaTi8ORxxxQ3T8%2F%2B7zwAM4VySg4%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">American Treasures</a>, shares the remarkable story of how the documents that shaped freedom in both England and America were safeguarded during one of history&rsquo;s darkest hours. We'd like to thank the U.S. National Archives for allowing us access to this audio.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

The Magna Carta at Fort Knox: A Forgotten WWII Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d47c5a86-196d-4abb-b2ce-b4d6014c7207/transcript

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stepped onto the stage at Macworld and unveiled a device that would forever change the way we communicate. To the audience, it looked like a flawless presentation. Behind the scenes, however, Apple engineers were bracing for disaster. The iPhone prototype was so fragile that Jobs had to follow a carefully rehearsed sequence of demonstrations, secretly switching between multiple devices to keep the presentation from crashing.

Our own Greg Hengler shares the remarkable story behind one of the greatest product launches in business history.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

On this episode of Our American Stories, on January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs stepped onto the stage at Macworld and unveiled a device that would forever change the way we communicate. To the audience, it looked like a flawless presentation. Behind the scenes, however, Apple engineers were bracing for disaster. The iPhone prototype was so fragile that Jobs had to follow a carefully rehearsed sequence of demonstrations, secretly switching between multiple devices to keep the presentation from crashing. Our own Greg Hengler shares the remarkable story behind one of the greatest product launches in business history.
Support the show (<a href="https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)">https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)</a>

Steve Jobs and the iPhone That Almost Wasn't

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c23c3455-4b9d-46a3-afe2-b4d6014c720c/transcript

Why My Mother Forced Me to Play Piano...Even Though I had No Fingers

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