MindSpinner

The September 16 episode of This American Life featured an interview with the unsinkable Louann Mims, a 78-year-0ld retired nurse from New Orleans.

Imagine eight days floating on your mattress, clad only in your bra, waiting for rescue, envisioning how you are going to redecorate your ruined house when the water recedes.

I love this lady. She thinks like a survivor. Of course, I am also beset with questions. Do mattresses generally float, or just Sterns and Foster extra firm ones? Could I make the mental redecorating project last for eight whole days? (Probably not. I’d have to plot a novel instead.) Finally, why didn’t she just lose the bra, too?

To hear the interview (please do!), access the complete archives, then scroll down to “This Is Not My Beautiful House” (episode 297), and then advance to Act Five, about 47 minutes into the program. I opted for downloading the MP3 from Audible.com because I know I will come back to it and put it to use in the classroom, where Real Audio is unavailable.