The Stories We Tell

The stories we hear about our parents and grandparents are often an intergenerational game of telephone. Even the ones we think we know by heart, fact for fact, evolve as they're told and retold. Ka came to us with her father's incredible story of heroics and bravery. And his version of events IS incredible and heroic and brave. It's just ... not the story that Ka remembers. And this makes her start to question everything. Can’t get enough TTFA? Sign up for TTFA Premium for $7.99 a month. You’ll get access to exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes, extended guest interviews and more! Visit TTFA.org/Premium to get started. Shop for your favorite TTFA gear at TTFAmerch.com. Check out our sponsors: Talkspace -- talkspace.com/ttfa with promo code TTFA Blue Apron -- blueapron.com/thanks Brooklinen -- brooklinen.com with promo code THANKS Here are the Englishlyrics to the song featured in the episode: SONG - 1975 In the beginning, the year 1975 The heaven twisted, the earth flipped The heaven turned, the earth unraveled The little country of Laos fell The foundation of our nation fell apart There was anger, anger From common soldiers to royalty We thought about not fleeing the country, but we could not survive if we stayed With regrets in our hearts, with our power, we lay our weapons lay down and put them away Crying as though we were burying our love ones in death The year 1975 The heaven flipped, the earth twisted The heaven unraveled, the earth turned There was nothing left of the little country of Laos The foundation of our nation fell apart There was anger, anger From common soldiers to royalty We thought of not letting go of our country Laos But we were scared we would die if stayed With regrets in our hearts, with our power, we lay our weapons lay down and put them away And cried ourselves to sleep, we cried in our dreams, waking up from those dreams, we cried The little country of Laos fell There was anger, anger From royals to the rest of the nation. Those who had the money to escape the country They had money to pay their passage on boats They royals ran away to the other side. There was nothing left, leaving behind countrymen and women, who did not have money to pay the passage on boats They fled for their survival but did not make to the other side, dying the way they came...drowning in rivers, lost in the jungle, starving to death in valleys They had no clothes or cloth to cover their bodies, no coffin lid to close on them They gave their flesh as food for the ants to feast My heart is tormented, there is no end to the pain and sorrow The time of losing our country and land has been 43, but even now I am still frightened.