ANDREA SEABROOK, host:
Since this is my first weekend hosting ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I want to try something new with you. We want to turn you from listener to participant in our program.
Here's the deal. We've got a homework assignment for you. Go up to a complete stranger and ask them if they were ever caught cheating or lying. What did they do?
It's not an easy assignment - we know - to ask someone you don't know a question. But it can be a profound experience to break down the walls between strangers in society and hear their stories.
It might go something like this.
Mr. STEPHAN CHETLEY(ph): Oh, no, I haven't.
JACK ZAHORA: Never in your life, not even if you're going to get a good answer on the exams or something?
Mr. CHETLEY: No. Not really. No.
ZAHORA: Get yourself on a trouble perhaps, maybe told the boss you're…
Ms. MARY HOWARD(ph): (Unintelligible) sandwich.
Mr. CHETLEY: What sandwich?
Ms. HOWARD: Remember when you took a bite of that sandwich and you wrapped it back up? He set it back on the tray and he kind of said, oh, this isn't our sandwich. So they gave it to someone else and this guy ended up eating his sandwich he took a bite out of.
ZAHORA: How do you feel about that now? You look a little embarrassed.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. CHETLEY: I'm really embarrassed.
SEABROOK: That was Stephan Chetley and Mary Howard talking to our producer Jack Zahora on the streets of Washington.
When you've got your story, tell us about it. Send us an e-mail. Go to npr.org and click on Contact Us. Put the word, Homework, in the subject line. Write the story you heard and what you thought about doing the homework. Please keep it short. But be sure to give us your name and daytime telephone number so we can be in touch if we need to. And we'll put your stories on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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