Huck and Tim: An audio story
Huck was bullied while performing on stage. The abuse intensified and consumed his life. Luckily, he did not walk this path alone.
This audio story is part of a podcast-in-progress by Doug Swift called A Year of Living Compassionately (In a Hostile World). The podcast will be released in September 2026. Music is by the string quartet ETHEL. Names have been changed for this story, and specific identifying details have been withheld.
Huck and his father, Tim, are Buddhists. They believe it is as important to have compassion for the oppressor as for the oppressed. But when Huck became the object of intense bullying, from every corner, this belief was tested. Ultimately, a voice of compassion came from an unlikely source. By the end of this powerful story, Huck takes control of his life.
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Doug Swift teaches in the Journalism program at Denison University and often contributes to its online news site, The Reporting Project. He has a podcast with colleague and friend Jack Shuler, This Is Ohio. He created the multimedia documentary 10,000 ACRES and directed the documentaries Breathe Free and ‘Til the Wheels Fall Off. He can be reached at swiftd@denison.edu.
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