Told By Theron St. James: Stories To Get You Through The Moment

Theron Saint James remembers wanting something pretty simple: to go to church camp with his friends. But getting there meant earning the money himself. What followed was his first real job, his first Social Security card, his first official paycheck, a stack of brochures, countless knocks on strangers’ doors, and an experience that would stay with him far longer than the camp itself. Years later,...

There are certain instructions a mother gives that seem completely unnecessary when you’re a kid. One winter day, Theron Saint James and his sister headed through the woods to meet some friends at Hunters Creek. Before they left, their mother gave them one simple warning: Stay off the frozen creek. The trouble was, the ice looked perfectly safe. And when you’re young, confident, and surrounded by...

Two young men return to their college dorm believing they have each found a bargain. But when one begins comparing what he has with what someone else has, a simple purchase takes an unexpected turn. Theron Saint James was standing in the room when it happened, watching as disappointment, desire, and a rather convenient trade came together in a way he has never forgotten. In It’s Not The Coat, It’s...

At eighteen, Theron Saint James was absolutely certain he needed a motorcycle. There was only one problem: his father was just as certain that he didn’t. Determined to prove his case with facts and statistics, Theron called the one person he thought would surely come to his defense: a motorcycle salesman. Instead, one brutally honest sentence brought Theron’s carefully constructed argument crashin...

As A Teenager, Theron Saint James Traveled To Niagara Falls With Years Of Excitement And Expectation Built Up In His Mind. The Falls Were Beautiful, With Colorful Rocks, Rushing Water, Mist, And Rainbows, But Their Size Didn’t Match The Picture His Imagination Had Created. Years Later, A Trip To The Grand Canyon Began Very Differently. This Time, Theron Kept His Expectations In Check. But When He...

At thirteen years old, Theron Saint James found an advertisement in the back of a comic book that promised a chance to earn some money selling Grit newspaper door to door. Before long, he had a pocket notebook full of customers, a GRIT newspaper bag over his shoulder, and a black motocross-style bicycle proudly sporting the number one. But running a newspaper route came with more than customers an...

Some childhood memories are made on birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. Others happen when nobody realizes a memory is being made at all. In this episode, Theron Saint James remembers being five years old and sitting with his mother and father at Don’s Cafe, where one enormous Monster Meat Burger became two. Mom knew better. Dad couldn’t resist. And young Theron was determined to prove he...

Sometimes the people we think we know best can still surprise us. In this episode of Told by Theron St. James , Theron reaches back to a childhood evening when an unexpected commotion gave him an entirely new appreciation for his mother. What began as an ordinary evening became one of those memories that never quite fades, revealing that courage doesn’t always announce itself, and strength can som...

Theron Saint James remembers a day when a little impatience at a parking garage turned into a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. While waiting to exit, Theron becomes increasingly frustrated with the man ahead of him, who can’t seem to figure out how to use the ticket machine. But once the man finally gets through, Theron is so distracted by his own irritation that he makes an even bigger mistake, on...

At fifteen years old, Theron thought he had the perfect plan. An old car. A summer of hard work. A driver’s license just around the corner. Everything seemed to be falling into place... until one afternoon changed everything. In this heartfelt episode, Theron reflects on a lesson that took years to fully understand: sometimes the dreams we cherish most aren’t taken from us to cause pain, but to be...

While searching through an old storage box, Theron Saint James discovers a forgotten landscape painting he created at fifteen years old. What begins as a simple trip down memory lane soon becomes a moving reminder of two grandparents who proudly displayed that painting by their front door, telling every visitor, “Our grandson painted that.” Years later, Theron realizes they weren’t celebrating the...

Some places never really leave us. In this episode of Told By Theron St. James, Theron reflects on childhood visits to his grandparents’ old duplex on Hartford Street in St. Louis. Beneath the house was a basement unlike any other, complete with a mysterious heat pump room, an old dressmaker’s mannequin that seemed to have a mind of its own, a full-size pool table where dads and uncles spent count...

A pair of Christmas walkie-talkies. Two boys with big imaginations. A neighborhood in downtown St. Louis transformed into the setting for a top-secret spy mission. What began as an ordinary afternoon of childhood make-believe soon took an unexpected turn that neither Theron nor his cousin could have imagined. Join Theron Saint James as he shares another true story from his youth, filled with laugh...

Long before smartphones, social media, and endless distractions, a young boy was handed a simple but meaningful responsibility: keep ten acres of field mowed. Armed with a late-1940s Ford tractor, a straw cowboy hat, cowboy boots, a blanket-covered canteen, and dreams of being a real rancher, young Theron St. James embraced what he believed was a man’s job. Every Friday morning became more than a...

In this episode of Told by Theron St. James, a quiet story from a neighborhood vineyard reveals a lesson that has stayed with the narrator for a lifetime. When a kind old man can no longer enjoy the wine he spent years crafting, he chooses not to abandon his vineyard. Instead, he continues to care for it, sharing his harvest freely with friends and neighbors. It is a heartwarming reminder that lif...

Join Theron Saint James as he takes a nostalgic trip back to the soda fountains, family gatherings, and simple pleasures of years gone by. What begins with a cold glass of Dr Pepper at the local drug store soon becomes a heartfelt remembrance of a grandfather’s quiet wisdom, a grandmother’s hospitality, and the family traditions that helped shape a generation. From squeaky red counter stools and s...

Have you ever taken a wrong turn and discovered something you never expected? In this heartwarming story, Theron Saint James recalls a journey through the countryside that didn’t go according to plan. Frustrated after missing a turn and finding himself on an unfamiliar road, he soon discovers a breathtaking valley hidden beyond the pavement and far from the route he intended to travel. What begins...

In this episode of Told By Theron Saint James: Stories to Get You Through the Moment , Theron journeys to the quiet town of Cedarville, Arkansas, where memories linger longer than most folks care to admit. Walter Beasley has spent more than four decades cutting hair, swapping stories, and quietly listening to the people of Cedarville from behind the barber chair. But when a sharply dressed strange...

A quiet checker game on the porch of Wells Country Store takes an unexpected turn when Ben Harper and Earl Jenkins begin debating whether a hot dog is a sandwich. What starts as a simple disagreement soon becomes a lesson in friendship, perspective, and knowing when an argument just isn’t worth winning. Join Theron St. James for a warm-hearted tale of small-town humor and front-porch wisdom. This...

Theron St. James takes a nostalgic journey through the everyday sounds that once filled American life during the 1970s. From slamming screen doors and rattling bicycles to rotary telephones, AM baseball games, crackling vinyl records, and television stations fading into static, these ordinary noises once formed the soundtrack of an entire generation. As technology became quieter, faster, and more...

Theron St. James recalls the unexpected responsibility of a borrowed watch... and the quiet lesson that followed. What begins as a harmless delay slowly becomes something heavier, as time, comfort, and postponement quietly reshape a man’s sense of obligation. In this reflective story, Theron explores how easily small responsibilities can linger... and how the things we fail to return eventually re...

A forgotten check, a frantic search, and a quiet realization. Theron reflects on how often what we’re looking for is right in front of us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toldbytheronstjames.substack.com

A quiet meal turns into something unexpected when a familiar song shows up where it doesn’t belong. Theron St. James reflects on a moment that didn’t make sense… until it did. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toldbytheronstjames.substack.com