Personal Stories Catalog - Michael Stevens

1. The story of how I met my fiancee here at BYU while she was on a date with my roommate. [relationship story, love story] Whenever I tell someone new I am getting married at the end of the year they ask me how I met her.

2. When I found out the tooth fairy was a fraud as an 8-year-old by catching my grandma in the act of putting something under my sister's pillow. [childhood story, family story, tradition story] I share this story with older people who have already lost all their teeth for a good laugh about the tooth fairy.

3. Making the decision to play water polo instead of football. [athletic story, life forming decision story] I share this story when people ask me when I started playing water polo or what sports I played in high school.

4. Getting in trouble in elementary school for throwing dirt on a windy day. [childhood story, punishment story, moralizing story] I share this story with friends and family when they ask if I ever got in trouble as a kid.

5. Almost letting my roommate fall while he was rock climbing in Provo Canyon. [story of awakening, story about trust, story about focus] I share this story only with people close to me because it was a very scary experience that taught me a valuable lesson: never take your eyes off the climber.

6. Teaching myself as a second grader how to do a back flip on the trampoline. [childhood story, reaching personal goals story] I share this experience whenever people see me on a trampoline and ask me how long I have been doing tricks.

7. The year my parents got my sisters and I a Gamecube even though they had told us they couldn't afford it. [childhood miracle story, family Christmas story, story of sacrifice] I share this story with those close to me when talking about memorable Christmases in my life, usually with close friends and family.

8. When I opened my mission call. [important decision story, life changing story] People often ask how I opened my mission call so I tell them about my experience and how thrilled I was upon reading my assignment.

9. The time when a member of a brutal Mexican gang told my companion and I he wanted to change, but if he did they would kill him. [story that put life in perspective, scary story, mission story] I served in south Texas right on the border of Mexico, and I share this story with people if they ask me if I encountered any drug cartel members.

10. When I held my nephew for the first time. [family story, story of life changing family events] I share this experience with people when they ask me how many nieces or nephews I have. He is the only one and I love him.