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This is a Metaphor
There are so many ways to be a person. This Is A Metaphor is what happens when a curious creative can’t stop connecting dots. Life hands you a breakup, a bird call, a bagel? Boom. That’s a metaphor. This show isn’t therapy, and it isn’t theater, but it is art. It’s an existential treasure hunt—with jokes. Hosted by Mo Houston, a sharp-witted, soul-deep storyteller who views life through many lenses. She who knows the world makes sense… if you squint really hard. She’s lived out of suitcases and studios, built brands and burned out, laughed onstage and cried in voice notes. This podcast is kind of a memoir, a mirror, and definitely a metaphor.
This is a Metaphor
Musings: Hi, Baby
Do you ever know something is working, but the feeling isn’t there? Sometimes something good doesn’t mean it’s right. In this episode Mo tells a tale about a pair of borrowed pants, musical serendipity, and love that feels good but just isn’t right. She reflects on a relationship with kindness, keeping the memories bright instead of bitter. If you’re interested in emotional timing, respecting capacity, and letting a relationship end without turning it into a failure—this is the episode for you.
It’s about self-love, boundaries, and the unexpected freedom of a breakup that feels like summer break in a slightly unsettling way. If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate labels, embarrassment, and endings with grace, this is your invitation to laugh, reflect, and choose yourself—every f*cking time.
If this story resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a nudge toward clarity, and leave a review to help more listeners find us.
Instagram: @this.is.a.metaphor & @joyscout.mo
Email Mo: mo@joyscoutstudio.com
Cover Design by: Joyscout Studio // For commissioned art & design inquiries: Joyscout Studio
“Don’t get Deterred, get Inspired”
About a month ago, I was at a little festival, um, a festival in St. Pete that was for food and wine and lots of boozes. And I was so happy to bring along the the guy that I've been seeing um for quite a few months. And it was it was uh gifted to me by St. Pete Life magazine by my editor there, and he was just like, here are the tickets, like go have fun. And so I felt very invigorated to be able to share this with someone who I feel like has just been treating me to all the nice things, and we had a really great time. I mean, we were you know, you get these giant bags and you just walk all around the the i mean it's right on the waterfront park down in St. Pete, um, downtown St. Pete. And you uh have wine glasses and cards and and all this information from these vendors, and you get free all this free food, and it's just a good time, and you know, you're getting a little bit a little bit inebriated. And that's one of the things I like about him is that he knows how to let loose. That's one of the things I really enjoyed about him because I think that there's something to being able to first of all know your limit, but also to be able to have fun in that way. And so we did, we had quite a bit of fun. Now I was wearing a pair of pants that were his pants. Um, these were a pair of pants that I cannot tell you how many compliments that I get on these fucking pants. Like they were he offered me a drawer in his dresser to keep my clothes in. Um, and when I put some clothes in there one morning, there was there there these pants were, and I and I thought that they were great because they matched the brown like tank that I had on. So there's sort of like linen brown that had an interesting cut in the back elastic of the the waistband, and like they made my butt look really good. I really enjoyed them, and they were a little bit shorter than ankle length. I the the amount of times that I wore these pants out just because I was like they're great, and the amount of compliments that I would get. I remember I told him this, and I was like, Do you remember that you had a pair of pants in your dresser drawer that I was wearing? And he's like, You wore the brown, like linen elastic band pants out, and I was like, I did, and people love them. And he was like, Do you know where those are from? And I was like, I don't know if I want to when you say it like that. And he was like, Those are the pants that I got from the veterans hospital, because he's you know, he's a veteran, and and he he was like, Those are the pants that I wore when I was in the hospital, and he has he has Crohn's, and so quite a bit of sickness was had in these pants, and you know, I can't tell. I just think they look great on me. And so those are the pants that I like think are hilarious now. I think they're quite lucky, and I don't care because they're clean and they make my butt look good, and so I wore these pants out into the wild, and I wore them on this day down in in St. Pete. And as we're walking around this food art drink, you know, extravaganza, there are this huge lineup of porta-potties. And when I walk into the porta potty, it is like one of the cleanest porta potties that I have ever seen. And I mean that like it was it smelled great in there, it was clean, it was like a brand new top of line, like no one had ever peed in here before, I think. And this was like the second track that I had to the porta potty. So I am well, um I know what's happening in here. I know that's clean. And as I'm popping a squat, like I hover over the seat because I'm a lady and doesn't matter how clean it is there, I'm not gonna sit down. And I go to pee, and I have had quite a few glasses of whatever the fuck, and I just realized that there's like kind of a bit of a mist happening. I'm like, where is this mist coming from? And and the lid to the porta potty is black, black like the porta-potty hole usually is if you were to look into it, but it was so clean in there that I didn't look into the porta-potty hole because I was just like, wow, it's dark in there, you know? And the lid was black and it was down, and so I was not peeing into the hole, I was peeing on the lid, and it went-I mean, it was pretty much it's pretty wet. It's pretty wet on the pants that were around my knee area. And I was pretty horrified because there weren't any blow dryers in there, there weren't even anything to dry your hands on. It was just me and the pants that I thought were lucky that maybe were not. I don't know. And I was like, well, it's just gonna be a moment in our dating, isn't it? Like, I don't know. Um, I need help. And so I like walk out like straight to him with the bag kind of like hanging wayside behind me, and I go up to him and I'm like, something happened. It was not good, like bad things happened in there. And he was like, What happened? And I was like, I need to know if I because he took he had a blazer on, it was a great blazer, like, but it was longer and he had taken it off, so he wasn't wearing it. And I was like, Can I wear that? And he was like, Yes, you can. And I like, you know, told him what had happened, and he was laughing, but also, you know, worried for me. And so I put this blazer on and it is like just right below my butt where it hits. And I do the turnaround and I'm like, How does it look? Can you see it? And he was like, I think it's actually like the perfect height, I think it's perfect. And as we're doing this, as I'm standing in pee pants wearing his blazer, you know, with a pair of sweet ass stunnies on my face, holding a bag of goodies, being kind of horrified that I have done this to myself. This girl walks over to us and she's just like, I just have to tell you guys that you guys just look so cool. Like you look like you're just like the coolest couple here. Just like you look great, you like kind of match. It's like I'm just really enjoying your vibe. And so I wanted to tell you that. And I just I think I made the weirdest noise, like just so humbled, really. Because that, you know, him and I are standing there trying to gauge how to to deal with the fact that I have peed on myself, and someone thinks we're cool, and so I just, you know, he was like, I feel like if anything, that means we need to get back in there. And I'm like, I think you're right. So we just went right back in. It was really hot that day. So they tried pretty fast. But things happen, and and and it's how you respond that matters. And about an hour and a half after that, we were standing at one of those stand-up tables that happens like under the giant event tents, the rickety, sort of very tall stand-up tables where you kind of put your tiny little samples and food and whatnot to have a quick bite and chat with strangers. And I was waiting there and he kept going back to one of these booths that had this really delicious drink that I don't remember the name of it whatsoever, but he kept going back and they loved him and he loved them. And the last time he was gonna go back, he was like, you know what? I'm just gonna say that you want something so that they don't think I'm crazy and I'm gonna go back and get you something. And as he comes back with this big glass of whatever this delicious drink is, he and I, you know, we're looking at each other and he just goes, I just told them that my girlfriend wanted one, and they they let me have it, and they let me have two. And and at this point, like we're not we're not boyfriend and girlfriend. Like we've been dating a lot for sure. But I, you know, like we're in love and we show up for each other, and it's like we're in a relationship deeply, which is the thing that annoys me that he just is like using it for his advantage to tell someone that I'm his girlfriend when I'm not. And and I just look at him and I'm like, okay, okay. And he's like, Oh, right. And so we both just kind of have this moment, and I don't need him to ask me to do that, but I just don't like that he's kind of abusing it, like it feels disrespectful. And he's like, Do you want to be my girlfriend? And I like waited to just be like, How do I feel about this? And how do I feel like he's asking me in this moment? And as I'm waiting, the song that is on in the background is Jesse's girl, and Jesse's girl is the song that I started seeing in the beginning of us dating because the guy who I'm dating his name's Jesse, which is a great name, and it's a sweet name, and that song which is on as he's asking me this, and it just felt so I mean, it felt like magic. And I just thought that it would be okay that I was his girlfriend, even if it maybe wasn't for all the right reasons. It made me really happy to know that that I could say that he was mine, and I liked it, and it's pretty adorable that that song came on. We had a great, I mean, I think we had a great day, you know, the rest of the day. We were joking about being boyfriend and girlfriend, and that you know, I was his and that he was mine. I think it lasted a little while, then it didn't, you know. That was in the beginning of November, and we actually we broke up um, you know, the beginning of December. So we dated for about nine months, really. And and it was real and it was good, and I think a lot of good stuff happened in there for me, like knowing when to step away and knowing when someone wasn't meeting me, and knowing that it was okay for me to meet them if they weren't able to do the whole thing, you know. So I wouldn't change anything about it. It's a different type of breakup, it's a different type of breakup because like my heart didn't fall out through my chest or my ass or whatever. Like, you know, it wasn't enough, and it was so good, and yet it was okay that it that it's over because I have so many amazing memories and a lot of laughter, and who knows what's to come next, you know. Like, who knows what I'm gonna get into now? Who knows what will be free up in my life, and who knows? I don't know, and I I'm excited, like I'm excited. It feels kind of like summer break, and it doesn't mean that I just I fucking really love this person, but I don't think I've this is definitely the first type of breakup that I think I've ever had like this, where both parties were just kind of like, yeah, I love you, but just this isn't it, you know, like this isn't it, whether it's not it right now or it's just not it, always it was it was it for a moment, and it was it for a very transitional moment, especially in my life, of getting to the next part, and so many good stories, just so many good stories. And I'm really happy that you know, if I was gonna experience what I experienced with anybody, I'm I'm happy that it was with him. And if someone will ask you to be their girlfriend, you know, two hours after you've peed in their pants, I think that who knows what type of love you can bring in with a person that wants to legitimately be beside you, you know, no matter what they're what they're drinking, no matter what they're going after, no matter no matter what they want for themselves, that they want you to be beside them. And that's the part that I'm just really looking forward to. Like I just there's so many things that I learned in this relationship, like so many good things, and especially how much I fucking just love myself. Man, I'm a great girlfriend. I really am, you know, maybe too good. Because if you don't want one, it's gonna be a lot. It's gonna be a lot. Sometimes you just don't know until you're in it, and I get it. And if that's you, if you're maybe in a relationship that you're like, I don't, I just it's not, you know, like it doesn't feel like it's the thing that you want right now. You might have to listen to that, but you don't have to rush out anywhere. Like, things can come to a rolling end, and you will both probably feel it, and it will actually set you free.