In this episode of 7 Minute Stories, Aaron tells the story of a broken gumball machine, a chance driveway encounter, and a man who chose to live by an "unusual" philosophy...

What begins as a simple attempt to clean out the garage turns into a conversation about boxes — the ones we live in, the ones we work in, and the ones we may spend our lives trying to escape.

It’s a short story about freedom, sacrifice, and the unexpected teachers we meet when we think we’re just throwing something away.

👇

🌙 If you like 7MS, make sure you follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Night Stories LIVE! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠— Aaron’s late-night radio show where he shares new stories and talks with special guests in real time. Streamed live Thursdays @ 9:30PM EST on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and now delivered as ⁠⁠⁠a podcast on-demand⁠⁠⁠!

📖 If you like 7 Minute Stories, you’ll love⁠ Stories in a Snap⁠ — a weekly series of short, written stories by Aaron, adapted directly from the podcast. Each piece begins as a story told out loud and is reshaped for the page, so you can read it in just a few minutes.

📬 Join the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 7 Minute Stories Newsletter!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It only goes out 4–6 times a year — short, sweet, and packed with value. Get exclusive bonus content, behind-the-scenes stories, and invites to special remote events, delivered straight to your inbox.

Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato

Senior Audio Engineer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ken Wendt ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Additional vocals: Cori Calafato

Artist in Residence: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pete Whitehead ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Original Theme Music: thomas j. duke

Additional Soundscape Design:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Isaac Gehring & Story Sounds Media LLC ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Special Thanks:

Rob Montague Jr

Kyle McCarthy

Dania Khalife