[ Music ] >> Can you hear me?

>> Yes, I can.

>> All right.

[ Music ] >> Tell us your name and where you're from.

>> My name is Tysha.

>> Gina from Pittstown.

>> My name is John.

I'm from East Brunswick.

My name is Stanley Myers, Sayreville, New Jersey.

My name is Willow Brown, and I'm from Red Bank, New Jersey.

There's no state more vocal about how it thinks, feels, remembers, loves, or lives like New Jersey.

New Jersey, you see, is a place for people with plain-spoken, often profound, and always point-blank points of view.

How would you describe yourself?

An average guy.

A bit quirky.

Artistic.

Sensitive person.

By the way, I did use deodorant today.

Okay, wow.

[Music] Here's the story.

[Music] Did you have a happy childhood?

I did.

I had a very happy childhood.

And if you had to say a couple words about it, what would you say made it nice?

I would say just having a close family.

Do you have a lot of siblings?

No, just one.

Brother?

Yep.

Okay, so you had a brother.

Younger, older?

Older.

And you got along nice?

Yeah, we did, for the most part.

I had a great childhood.

I love both my parents and they were amazing and supportive.

Yes, yes, I have.

I had.

Yeah, my family, it's a very lovely family.

You know, my parents always encourage us.

And my brother, my sister.

My sister lives in Australia, my brother lives here.

We have a beautiful relationship.

Yes.

Did you have a happy childhood?

It was traumatic, but it was good.

How long have you been painting?

Since I was creating, since I was about five or six years old, painting, since I was, oh, fourteen.

Did you have a happy childhood?

I did.

A very happy childhood, yes.

Did anything in particular make it magical?

Ah, yes.

What made it magical was my imagination.

A happy childhood?

Yeah.

What made it happy?

What made it magical?

Um... [laughs] It was just good.

[laughs] I don't know.

I would say I was definitely shy.

Shy?

You're still shy?

Not so much.

Why do you think you were shy?

Were you nervous?

Yeah, I think I was just weary about everybody.

Oh, I was always in trouble.

I was wild.

I was bad.

Yeah, we were.

I was the demon kind of girl.

The nuns kind of beat me up a little.

What kind of a kid were you?

All loud and excitable and fast and spicy.

A quiet kid.

Definitely a rebel, but quiet.

So there was a little bit of dysfunction.

OK, how did that affect you as a child?

And and how did that affect you to grow into the adult that you are today?

I knew what not to do.

Yeah, you know, I wanted children forever.

I think probably when I got married I wanted to have kids right away because I knew how I wanted to be loved and I made sure they were loved every day.

You broke that cycle?

Hell yeah.

Good for you mama.

If you could go back in time and do something differently what would you do?

The times I worried I would have told myself it was gonna be alright.

I think I would pay more attention in band class.

I love playing my bass more than anything.

I spent so much time just doing nothing in that class and God, if I could have got a few more years with that teacher, I'd be playing shows like this.

Be kinder to myself and trust the process.

If I could go back in time, I would never dye my hair.

I'm trying to let my blonde grow out right now and the black is really nasty.

I would probably give my mom more grace.

Sometimes I could have always been really short and snippy and I think that she really didn't deserve that.

Truthfully, a lot of people have that question thrown at them and I gotta be honest, I'm very blessed with every choice I've made.

I can't go back in time, I can't recreate history.

I'm very flattered where my life now has taken me.

I heard somebody say that like, when you look back on a situation, the room is fully illuminated, but when you're going through it, you only have the flicker of a lighter and you can't see around, right?

Yeah.

You're just trying to make your way as it is.

Well, I think regrets is a form of immaturity and it's we have to look at it as life having being lived and learning and not to dwell on those little pieces of stems or branches we walk across and may break them.

It serves no purpose.

I think it's really important to understand who we are becoming because we're always in a process of becoming and to live in regret cancels out that precious moments of becoming.

What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

What's one of the most beautiful sights you've ever seen?

My wife's face waking up in the morning.

What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life?

Oh my gosh.

This is so cliche, but my daughter being born.

Wow.

How long ago?

Two years ago.

What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

My mom.

You ready?

Moe, talk to me.

What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

You ever saw?

Honestly, the most beautiful thing I've ever saw?

Tulips.

What's the most beautiful thing that you've ever seen?

My wife.

I just got weak in the knees.

You're fabulous.

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen?

My children.

My children when they came out.

There's too many.

It's going to make me cry.

There's too many beautiful things in the world.

What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

Tell me something.

Does it have to be like a physical?

I would say like family.

And like that whole type of aspect of life.

Like people and like community.

You find that really beautiful.

Yeah, I would say so.

You didn't meet my family.

Oh, I mean... What do you wish for?

Money.

What do you wish for?

Oh my gosh, to make so much money and to be financially stable.

Yes.

More life, lots of bands, lots of fun and lots more times here.

Back home in my spiritual home.

I am kind of wishing for another.

Yeah, we'd like another another life with another man, you know, like having I've had a lot of luck with the last one.

So I'm just going to weed out the bad ones and try to have another life.

More luck than I have, but you know, whatever.

To be on reality TV.

You want to be a reality TV star?

Yes, and then if I can't have that, then I want a farm.

What kind of reality show would you like to be on?

I'm like envisioning like Jersey Shore.

[laughs] That's the guy, and like she would be on it, and she would obviously be on it.

And I do not want to do reality TV.

You would be so good on it.

She makes such good side comments all the time.

I've had a long, loving life, fun, enjoyable life with my life partner that I was fortunate enough to bump into 30 years ago.

I wish for everybody to get on the same page and just, you know, get along and respect.

I wish that we could share that with each other.

I don't know, I'm kind of living my dream right now.

I live where I want to live.

I'm very happy here.

I have a great career.

I have three cats that I love.

I have good family.

I'm proud of myself.

I don't know what else I could ask for at this point.

Oh boy, that's a loaded question.

They all are.

I picked some easy ones.

Yeah, well, I mean, I guess if there was something like larger than me to wish for, it was that, you know, people could get along in this world and people could kind of find common ground and realize that we probably have more in common with each other than we have not in common with each other.

For some reason, people, I feel like the world has convinced us that we don't like each other, but we all actually really do like each other if we just sat down for a moment and talked to each other and communicated.

So I guess that's what I would, a little bit more understanding in the world.

If you decided to be cremated, where would you want your ashes to be sprinkled?

Oh, I already know that answer.

At the Manasquan Inlet.

My old high school.

Oh, definitely the ocean.

Oh, yes.

In an ocean.

Throw me in the ocean.

I think I would want my ashes sprinkled, wherever my parents' ashes sprinkled up.

There's nowhere else in the world that I'd rather be than with them.

Oh, definitely under a tree somewhere in the forest.

Probably with a tree so that it kind of keeps growing.

Or the ocean.

Yeah.

I would send my husband on cruises around the world, and so he'd just kind of sprinkle them at places we've gone to so there'd be some ashes in Ares you know there to be some ashes out here and seaside because I'd just be all over.

You go on a lot of cruises?

Yes.

If you decided to be cremated where would you want your ashes to be sprinkled?

Probably back home.

Yeah.

What's one of the most beautiful things you ever saw?

Love.

Love is one of the most beautiful things?

Yes.

Do you remember any particular example?

Um, well there's love everywhere.

With your family, with your friends.

It looks like happiness.

It looks like safety.

I think that you're very lucky if you're born with love.

Like if you're born into this world and you experience it and then it's a different type of love if you experience it with someone in an organic way from start to finish.

What's the key to that?

I think honesty.

I think you have to find someone that you just click with.

I don't think that you can love everyone.

I think everyone.

Yeah.

I think so.

I think half of it is fate and half of it you have to work at yourself.

I am in love right now.

No.

Oh my god.

The inability to go through my day without Without the person whom I love Does that make sense?

The connection is so... It's so... It's almost like oxygen.

Right, it is oxygen.

You're putting words in my mouth, but I agree with them.

What is love?

It's it's a meeting of people there you have to just be feeling together as partners and sharing and you know what is what's love to you?

Love is giving and so you can't give anymore.

Yeah but you gotta receive too.

Because if you just give.

There's a time in love where it's just either side, just giving.

And if you can do that you can love.

It's when people make you feel seen and like you're cared for.

And especially when my parents make me food and just think about me all the time.

That's love.

How do you show love?

I guess by giving hugs, making food, and I like to donate a lot so I show my love in that way.

What is love to you?

Honestly, that's a question for someone else.

Yeah.

What is love?

Um... Love is when you appreciate someone so much to the point that you can do anything for them, I guess.

Love is when you're willing to die for the person without question.

Experiencing everything in life and taking it all in as a gift.

Love is... that's a vague question.

You have to put it in words.

I would say... Damn, because love is a lot.

Love is... Are you in love?

Something you feel with... Not with another person, but like... with life, yeah.

You're in love with life.

I love my life.

How does it feel?

Great.

Love is what you make of it.

And, you know... And it's inside of every person.

You just have to decide to share it.

So, what is love to you?

Oh, I'm like a bad one to ask about these questions.

Tell me, tell me.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Have you ever been in love?

No.

No?

No.

How old are you?

25.

25 and you've never been in love?

Isn't that crazy?

So crazy.

That's interesting.

It's not crazy.

Interesting.

I guess it's interesting.

Do you find like the pool that you have to choose from is limited in this area?

Or you just haven't met the right person?

I just don't look.

I'm just like whatever.

What is love?

If you had to say what is love?

Love could be a lot of things.

I don't really got an answer for you.

Have you been in love?

Have I been in love?

I'm currently in love.

You're currently in love.

I got a girlfriend.

Okay.

So how would you describe that experience?

It's a beautiful thing, you know.

It's only something that you could have, I feel like, with your significant other as well as family.

Maybe sometimes even friends, you know.

And it could go a long way.

Does it feel safe?

Does it feel... Of course.

It's supposed to make you feel at home, you know.

You feel like at home?

Yeah, you're supposed to be comfortable when you're in love.

Yeah, and you help each other feel that way.

Even when there's problems or something.

It's mutual.

It's always supposed to go both ways.

Wow, you came from a good family, didn't you?

Okay, hypothetically, what do you think, what would you hope would happen if he wasn't with anyone, and you're not with anyone, and you got in contact with him, what would you hope to happen?

That we would fall back in love again and spend the rest of our lives together.

I hope that happens.

Thank you.

I love love.

It sucks, but I love it.

You know what they say, you find it when you're not looking.

Yep, and when you don't want it and there it is, bam, there it is.

And it's going to happen like right now, but she really does not want it.

Let's not put that into the universe.

We'll have to follow up.

What's one thing that you know for sure is true?

Definitely true.

Love is more powerful than hate.

If you could give the world one piece of advice, what would it be?

Be nice.

Be nice to everybody.

Be nice.

Be nice to everybody.

Follow your heart, always.

Follow your heart, because it's going to want you to do what it wants you to do.

And sometimes you've got to fight, your brain fights your heart.

I follow my heart.

At our school we have a golden rule called "Treat others the way you want to be treated."

And especially with how our country is going right now and it's not in its best state, I think people should not put these acts of violence on each other because they wouldn't want these acts of violence to be put on them.

What's one thing that you know is definitely true?

That my parents love me.

I feel like that's something I know for a fact.

Like... They haven't kicked me out yet.

In general?

Anything.

Um, that I think that there's always hope.

If you could give us one piece of good advice, what would it be?

Breathe.

Breathe all day consciously and lovingly.

What is one thing that you know for certain is true?

Oh, I'm stealing, I'm stealing this from someone.

Keanu Reeves said this in the Colbert questionnaire on Late Night TV, that when we pass away, the people we love will miss us.

How about that?

What is one thing you know for certain is true?

For certain it's true?

God.

100%.

I don't have any doubt about that.

That there are good people in this world.

I like to think everything happens for a reason.

That the universe will guide you to where you're supposed to go and who you're supposed to be.

That's it.

One thing that you know is true.

That I'm the GOAT.

Wow!

Mic drop!

That was awesome!

Have you ever done something that you were told was wrong to do, but then did it anyway, and it made everything better in the end?

I was told to be serious and live life like a man.

And that really didn't make any sense to me.

So what does it mean to live life like a man?

And to be serious?

And grow up.

So you think that just following the beat of your own drum and growing into the man that you are, that's made all the difference for you?

I think we can't grow alone.

We have to choose the right people to grow with.

And I was fortunate enough to follow my path and listen to my angel.

And I think that it's important to listen to that inner voice, which I call the angel, that's always nudging us in the right direction, in the right path, and listen to it.

Hey ladies, can I ask you a question as we're walking?

It's a very simple question.

PBF, the original TikTok, thank you.

We gotta love people, even if we don't particularly like them.

What's your name?

Jackson Rockefeller.

Jackson Rockefeller, that's a name you can remember.

I thought we were just gonna go with some easy questions here.

I didn't know we were going with questions about life.

I love these questions by the way, thank you.

Call him, he's the mastermind.

You are fabulous, you are fabulous.

Where's this video gonna be?

Here's the story, PBS, watch it, tell your friend, it's a great show.

Peace and love.

Anything you want to say to your girlfriend?

I love you.

How PG does this have to be?

What is the most Jersey thing you have ever done?

Well, I feel like my driving is pretty New Jersey.

How so?

I'm in your backseat.

As a guy from Long Island, you never think you're gonna live in Jersey because it's Jersey.

Ha ha, plus gone.

Good, next one.

This is too much fun.

What superpower would you most like to have?

Time management!

That is the best type of superpower.

Superpower would I most like to have?

X-ray vision, so I could look through clothes.

You know, as a woman, we are all being very powerful.

Giving life, that's the greatest superpower, honestly and truly.

My favorite show was Wonder Woman.

Sometimes I wish I could spin around and be strong and all that.

My theme song?

Benny and the Jets.

Oh, I love it.

Benny and the Jets.

Nobody.

Jalen Bronson.

I don't know what he was thinking.

I like that.

That kid was off.

Lately I've been getting a lot of George Clooney.

What famous person, living or dead, do people tell you that you look like?

My father.

For the past 14 years, we've been doing just this.

Driving around Jersey, talking to regular people, finding out about them and what they've experienced.

And what an experience it has been.

So what's the future of Here's the Story?

Well, that's a story yet to be told.

But make no mistake, no matter where we go or when we come home again, we'll be out there asking, asking to hear your stories.

You can really do whatever you want and it's never too late.

It's never too late.

People do every great thing at later ages.

It's not too late.

Mishonna, any last words you have for America?

Uh, don't give up.

Are you going to take the microphone?

Because I will keep it.

[laughing] All you need is love.

Bam, bam, bam, bam.

All you need is love.

Keep going.

All you need is love.

Love.

Love is all you need.

[laughing] Thank you both.

[MUSIC - THE BROADWAY BAND, "WE ARE"] We are exactly what you see.

Bruised and sprained of knees.

Still we find our way.

Some come as quickly as they go.

Some stay back, some run on.

[MUSIC]