What if you had just one hour to sit on a quiet bench and chat with anyone, living or from the past? That’s the powerful question at the heart of Stephen Rossiniak’s poignant story, “An Hour to Chat,” shared right here on Our American Stories. Join us as Stephen takes us on a deeply personal journey, exploring not only who he’d choose for this precious hour, but also the profound reasons behind his choice. It’s a tale that invites us all to reflect on our own cherished memories and the people who truly matter most in our lives.
While many might pick historical figures or celebrities, Stephen’s answer resonates with the simple, unconditional love of family. He imagines a reunion with his late parents, pondering what he would say and, more importantly, what it would mean just to be in their presence once more. This moving narrative, full of heart and hope, reminds us that the most valuable connections are often the ones closest to home. It’s a beautiful exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of human connection, shared with the genuine spirit you expect from Our American Stories.
📖 Read the Episode Transcript
Speaker 1: This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories. And we tell stories about everything here on this show: from the arts to sports, and from business to history and everything in between, including your story. Send them to OurAmericanStories.com. They’re some of our favorites. And today we have a feature from one of our regular contributors, Stephen Rossiniak. This piece is titled, ‘An Hour to Chat.’ And to read about the backstory of this story, please visit StephenArsiniak.com. Here’s Stephen sharing this story.
00:00:46
Speaker 2: Can you imagine, if only it were possible, if only it were true? A photo of a bench on a grassy hill overlooking a place where an ocean’s waves are succumbing upon a distant sandy shore showed up today in my email inbox with a simple and yet thought-provoking question: ‘If you could sit here and chat for one hour with anyone, past or present, who would it be?’ Immediately, a plethora of possibilities began flooding my thoughts. As an unabashed history buff, my mind immediately went into overdrive as the faces of countless historical figures suddenly appeared in my mind’s eye, all of them vying for what I selfishly saw as a coveted chance for someone of historical significance to spend an hour sitting on this bench and chatting with me. I imagined questioning any one of them about their life, about their successes and failures, about their choices that they had made that ultimately led to their fame, their fortune, or in some cases, their downfall. I considered briefly the potential picks that others might have chosen as well, and I suspect their answers would certainly have included the rich and the famous: actors, rock stars, revered religious icons, presidents, or famous sports heroes—perhaps the likes of John Wayne, John Lennon, John the Baptist, John Adams, or maybe even pitching great Tommy John, each of whom a worthy selection in their own right. But in the end, none of them would have been my choice. If the idea posed by this question were truly plausible, and if by chance it was offered me—admittedly—I would have the audacity to request a small caveat before making my selection. I would immediately request permission to double my allowed allotment. I would ask a waiver be granted, permitting me two choices as opposed to the originally offered one. I would defend my request by noting that my two choices had been one half of a team for more years than even I have existed, and that together and forever, they are in fact one. If only it were possible, if only it were true. If offered the opportunity to sit on this bench and chat for one hour with anyone, I would choose my parents. It’s been far too long, and besides, I missed them. We lost Dad unexpectedly one night several years ago, and twelve years later, Mom joined him after doing battle with a foe for which, try as she did, she simply could not defeat. If I were granted this hour, I would probably ask permission for some time to prepare. There are a few things that I would need to know, like: ‘When would we be having our chat?’ or ‘Where exactly is this bench, anyway?’ Would I be allowed to bring my parents a gift, maybe some current family photos, or could we share a couple cups of coffee just like we used to? I’m sure that they would like that. One hour would clearly not be enough time to catch the folks up on all of our recent family doings, and so maybe it would be prudent of me to prepare in advance a list of topics for us to discuss, thereby initiating a strategy to best use the limited amount of time allotted for our chat. Or then again, maybe not. Perhaps it would be best to forego the preparation and planning and simply arrive at the bench at the appointed hour, without my photos, without my pre-planned questions, bringing with me nothing more than my love and my gratitude for being gifted with one more hour to spend with Mom and Dad. If I were granted this time to chat, chances are that as our bench reunion commenced, I would probably just hug them, just hold them close, incredibly thankful for the opportunity to once again do so. Of course, I would tell them how much I love them and how much I missed them. But beyond that, I don’t know what else I would want to say. I do know that if nothing more were said, that would be okay too, as I would be perfectly content for having been blessed with our extra time together. If offered the opportunity to sit on this bench and chat for one hour with anyone, I would choose my parents. But to be honest, I suspect a reunion like this will never take place. My faith, however, reassures me that one day we will indeed be reunited—maybe not on this bench, but instead when I too have been called home to Heaven. It’s going to be a joyous reunion of this, I’m sure. And who knows, maybe we will still share a couple cups of coffee together, just like we used to. I’m sure that they’d like that. No, I will.
00:07:02
Speaker 1: Special thanks to Stephen Rossiniak. I know. I had had this similar question asked about three months ago with some friends, and I said it would be my Mom, and they thought, ‘Oh, I was saccharine.’ But I’d love to just share with my Mom, who was my best friend, the pictures of Reagan. That’s what I’d want to do. She’d ask, ‘How’s our little girl doing?’ Stephen Rossiniak’s ‘An Hour to Chat’ here on Our American Stories.
00:07:31
Speaker 2: Folks.
00:07:31
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