Podcast · Society & Culture

Stories from a Stranger

by Higher Ground · English · Society & Culture

“Every stranger has a story.” This is what Hunter Prosper realized when he began posting man-on-the-street interviews with real-life strangers to his social media accounts. Hunter’s genuine connection with strangers and emotional interview moments quickly captured viewers' hearts across multiple p

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 40 minNew

S E23: Finding My Perfect Partner: Love, Loss, and Reinvention

This week Hunter talks to three strangers about meeting their perfect partners.Frank met his wife on Tinder following a painful emotionally abusive breakup that had caused him to give up on dating entirely. He initially suspected her profile was a bot due to her being out of his league in his own estimation. Their first planned meeting of 20 minutes stretched into six hours, described by Frank as feeling like time froze, similar to the movie "Big Fish". He knew she was "the one" approximately four hours into that first meeting. He told her he loved her roughly one week into dating, blurting…

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Earlier episodes 23 most recent

E22 · 5 Oct 2026 · 41 min
S E22: Invisible Battles: Living with Chronic Illness
This week Hunter speaks with three strangers who are struggling with chronic illness.Lulu is a young woman who battled Lyme disease beginning at age 11. Her background includes years of misdiagnosis, during which doctors attributed her symptoms to POTS, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, none of which addressed the root cause. A key contribution of her story is the advocacy role her mother played, described as "the reason I'm alive," who argued with doctors and ultimately suspected Lyme disease after years of searching. Lulu underwent a hyperthermia treatment at Clinic St. George in…
E21 · 28 Sep 2026 · 40 min
S E21: Chosen: Stories of Adoption, Identity, and the Search for Belonging
Hunter speaks to three strangers with one thing in common: they’re adopted.Alyssa is a Black woman who grew up in a predominantly white community as an adopted child of an Italian-American family, making her adoption visually apparent from an early age. Her biological brother found her and reached out via Facebook after their biological father drunkenly revealed her existence to him. Upon reconnecting with her biological family, her biological mother denied her and called her a catfish, which Alyssa describes as one of the most painful things she ever experienced. Despite this, she does not…
E20 · 21 Sep 2026 · 42 min
S E20: Fill the Space: How Heartbreak Becomes a New Beginning
-Jeremy is a Canadian actor and comedian who put his career on hold to move to New York for his second husband, Zach, whom he met on Tinder. He describes Zach as the greatest love of his life, noting they met briefly on the app before transitioning to a more old-fashioned phone call and then a first date over wine on a rooftop. They married shortly before the pandemic, and Jeremy attributes the end of their marriage largely to the extreme pressures of that period. This was Jeremy's second divorce, and he acknowledges the embarrassment of going through it again, even making it part of his…
E19 · 14 Sep 2026 · 45 min
S E19: Some Wounds Never Heal: Conversations on Love and Letting Go
Hunters speaks with three strangers who are remembering family members they’ve lost, or are losing.-Caty shares the story of watching her mother decline from primary progressive aphasia, a form of frontotemporal dementia. She describes first suspecting something was wrong during her senior year of college, noticing her mother misusing names and making uncharacteristic errors. Her mother was formally diagnosed in May 2022. Katie reflects on the pain of losing the close, almost mirror-image relationship she shared with her mother, the concept of anticipatory grief, and the one-sided nature of…
E18 · 7 Sep 2026 · 43 min
S E18: Loving Yourself: Stories of Identity and Healing
-J’Quay reflects on “heartache” rather than just heartbreak, describing how investing deeply in something that doesn’t work out leads to emotional crashes, but also to the realization that time helps us cope and reframe those experiences. J’Quay shares that they do let people get close and give everyone “equal parts” of themselves, but believe that heartbreak is survivable because there are billions of people in the world and one person’s rejection isn’t definitive. They talks about a childhood dream of being “palatable but different” to achieve goals, and how they consciously let go of that…
E17 · 31 Aug 2026 · 37 min
S E17: Fathers: The Wounds, The Love, The Legacy
Hunter speaks with three people about their unique relationships with their fathers.Meet this week’s strangers:- William recently lost his father. William’s father, also named William, was a Marine Corps sergeant, a decorated combat Marine whose unit’s motto was “Retreat hell,” and later an attorney handling high‑profile, difficult cases, including immigration work. He grew up during Jim Crow in St. Louis, experiencing segregation and witnessing his own father, a World War II and Korean War veteran, being humiliated by police in the South; these experiences fueled an intense drive to be…
E16 · 24 Aug 2026 · 33 min
S E16: Learning to Belong: Immigrant Childhoods, Family Sacrifice, and Self-Discovery
- Peter immigrated from Korea as a child. As the only person of color in his school, he felt alienated and othered. He dealt with bullying because of the food he brought to school, called “Kim Jong-un” and told to go back to his own country. These experiences caused emotional pain, a desire to return to Korea, and resentment toward his parents, which he later reframed as gratitude for the opportunities they sought for him and his brother. Peter’s story takes an unexpected turn when he describes doctor’s finding a tennis ball-sized tumor in his head. His family—father, mother, and…
E15 · 17 Aug 2026 · 42 min
S E15: Falling in Love is Beyond My Control
Hunter speaks with three strangers about meeting partners who changed the course of their lives. Meet this week's strangers:- Niko is a school teacher from New York City who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. During treatment he grew closer to his long-time friend Lauren who gave him gift packages, which became a catalyst for rekindling their relationship and eventually dating. He describes Lauren’s support as essential, saying he would not have gotten through cancer or remained mentally okay without her; she showed up early, handled everything with grace, gave him hope, and made him…
E14 · 10 Aug 2026 · 42 min
S E14: Still Thinking About Them: Stories of Love, Loss, and Legacy
Hunter talks to strangers who are carrying on the memories of loved ones that were taken too soon.Meet this week’s strangers:- When Yauri was introduced to Matthew by a mutual friend they immediately became close friends. Matthew was a chubby, goofy friend who would always crack jokes and let Yauri practice her hair styling skills on him. Unfortunately, Matthew had one foot in the gang world and was tragically shot and killed. The loss of Matthew rocked Yauri. She describes the depression that followed, and how she still thinks about him all of the time, and the neighborhood day that honors…
E13 · 3 Aug 2026 · 42 min
S E13: Lost Time, Found Compassion: Healing My Teenage Self
Hunter talks to three strangers who had moments in their youth that changed the shape of their lives going forwards. Even though they’re adults now, they still feel their young selves inside. Meet this weeks strangers:- Mia shares how being called “weird” and told she couldn’t sing deeply hurt her as a child, especially as a quirky, ADHD kid who once went to school dressed as a clown. She describes a traumatic recess incident where popular kids staged a fake breakup to humiliate her, chasing her and throwing papers, which shattered her sense of safety but later fueled her compassion and…
E12 · 27 Jul 2026 · 45 min
S E12: Breaking the Cycle: Kids of Addicts Finding Healing and Hope
Hunter talks to three people who were raised by parents suffering from addiction, and how that changed them.Meet this episode’s strangers:-Troy was raised from age two to seventeen by his stepdad, who is an ex-NFL player. Troy looked up to him, but as his stepdad’s alcoholism spiraled out of control, he drifted out of Troy’s life. Troy describes watching him slide into depression and isolation, and the heartbreak he felt discovering that his “superhero” stepdad was deeply flawed. Despite long absences, Troy continues to reach out to his stepfather and hopes one day he will find the help he…
E11 · 20 Jul 2026 · 44 min
S E11: Saying Goodbye to My Father: Stories of Love and Loss
Hunter interviews three individuals who were sent reeling after the losses of their fathers. Meet this episode’s strangers:-Koi’s describes her father as “the perfect person”. Tragically he was taken one day in a freak hit and run accident while riding his bicycle through Los Angeles. She recounts finding out about his death and the emotional toll it took on her. While she initially turned to substances to cope with his loss, she has since found religion and has pulled herself back onto her feet.-Brittany’s father died of a heart attack. She describes the moment she felt his spirit leave…
E10 · 13 Jul 2026 · 47 min
S E10: I Am Different, But No Less: Accepting Your Disability
Hunter talks to three people who are living with disabilities, and how it’s effected them.Meet this episode's strangers:-Gabriella was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was a baby. She received cochlear implants, and after attending a preschool for the deaf, she transitioned to “mainstream” schools where most people didn’t realize she was deaf. To this day, she takes her implants off when she wants to feel grounded and at peace. Now, as an adult, she wouldn’t choose to be any other way.-Anthony was extremely offended when RFK Jr. made hurtful remarks towards people with autism.…
E9 · 6 Jul 2026 · 57 min
S E9: Stories of Motherhood and Home
Hunter interviews four powerful women about their relationships with their mothers and their experiences as mothers themselves.Meet this episode's strangers:- Rosabella was adopted from Ukraine by a single mother and raised in Los Angeles. Her adoptive mother located her biological mother through a private investigator. She reached out and traveled across the world to the war-torn Ukraine to meet her biological sister. She is so grateful for this experience, which gave her not one but two loving mothers.- Michelle Obama chats with Hunter about how beautiful it has been to watch her daughters…
E8 · 29 Jun 2026 · 48 min
S E8: Meeting Your Soulmate Feels Like Coming Home
Hunter speaks with four strangers who recount their stories of falling in love with their soulmates.Meet this episode's strangers:- Marylou and Arthur met in New York City in the 80s after they'd both been recently dumped. At first, it seemed like they'd never work, but they soon fell madly in love with each other. Marylou describes curling up with Arthur on his mattress on the floor as feeling like the safest place in the world. All these years later, they're still together, and their relationship is stronger than ever.- Pinar describes feeling alienated and lonely after moving to Los…
E7 · 22 Jun 2026 · 50 min
S E7: A Second Chance on Life
Hunter talks to three strangers who were brought to the brink of death, only to be given a second chance at life. Meet this episode's strangers:- David recounts his close relationship with his mother, whom he sadly lost recently. It's a loss that is still fresh and painful. Before her passing, she had gotten him through his own catastrophic medical issue. While playing softball, David collapsed on the field, struck with a sudden cardiac arrest. Thanks to the help of a total stranger, David pulled through this harrowing event.- Art was drafted into the Vietnam War at the age of 19. He gives a…
E6 · 15 Jun 2026 · 54 min
S E6: Sometimes Blood Isn't Thicker Than Water
Hunter meets with three individuals who had less than ideal relationships with the people who raised them and discusses how those relationships have shaped their adult lives. Meet this episode's strangers:- Latoya shares the story of a distant father and the fragile, beautiful bond they finally built in the last three months before he died. She describes his health struggles and the constant childhood fear that she’d get a call saying he was gone, and how that shaped her relationships with men. Yet in the end, she chose to show up for him at his lowest moment, ending what a friend called “a…
E5 · 8 Jun 2026 · 43 min
S E5: Our Spirits Are Stronger Than Our Bodies
Hunter meets three people whose lives were upended by devastating illnesses. They share their stories of survival and how they refused to let sickness get in the way of living their lives.Meet this episode's strangers:- Sandra survived a catastrophic stroke and fell into a coma. Doctors told her mother that she would never wake up. Her mother refused to let doctors remove life support and proved Sandra could still hear by asking her to squeeze their fingers and move her foot. Sandra describes a visit to “paradise,” where she was told, “You have a purpose to fulfill,” before being sent back…
E4 · 1 Jun 2026 · 45 min
S E4: Difficult Upbringings
Hunter speaks with two strangers about their painful upbringings.Meet this episode's strangers:- Lisa Marie shares what it was like to hear the words, “We are going to have to put you into foster care,” at sixteen, and to be separated from her much younger brother, David. She talks about the memory holes trauma left behind, the rage that followed years later, and how she kept people at a distance for most of her early adulthood. Lisa Marie reflects on the shame of feeling marked by foster care, poverty, and her parents’ substance use, and how writing her story helped her reclaim it and let…
E3 · 25 May 2026 · 59 min
S E3: Using Pain as Inspiration
Hunter Prosper meets two strangers who found inspiration in their hardest moments, and learns how one woman's cancer journey led her to find the love of her life.Meet this episode's strangers: - Marco shares the story of the man he knew instantly was the love of his life, the sudden disappearances that shattered him, and the cancer diagnosis that followed their final breakup. As a former dancer, he came to see his illness as his body mourning alongside his heart, and eventually transformed that grief into a three-part choreography, Safe from Sleep—bliss, loss, and journey—that brought him…
E2 · 18 May 2026 · 50 min
S E2: Remembering the Ones You've Lost
Hunter Prosper talks to three strangers who have experienced the death of someone they love to understand how loss reshaped their lives—and how they continue to honor those who are gone.Meet this episode's strangers:- Jen, whose younger sister Christie was murdered along with her dog Hunter, and how that single phone call split her life into “before” and “after.” She describes the shock of an unexpected, violent death, the feeling of becoming “untethered,” and the help she’s found through a sibling-loss support group. Jen now says her sister’s name every day to honor her memory.- Arielle…
E1 · 11 May 2026 · 47 min
S E1: Love Throughout Your Life
Hunter Prosper meets three strangers at three different stages of life and asks them what love means to them. In this episode of Stories from a Stranger, we explore how love looks and feels different at every age—from the dizzying rush of a first crush to the quiet comfort of a lifelong partner, and the ache of wondering if love will ever come at all. Today, yesterday, and tomorrow, love is in the air.Meet this episode's strangers:- Sally, 96, who calls a college boy who gave her "a tingle" the love of her life, remembers the man who massaged her frozen feet on a ski trip and became her…
5 May 2026 · 1 min
Every Stranger Has a Story, Let's Start Listening | Trailer
The new weekly video and audio podcast, Stories from a Stranger, features portraits of multiple strangers connected by themes of love, loss, regret, inspiration, illness, family connections, and more.

About Stories from a Stranger

Stories from a Stranger is a English society & culture podcast from Higher Ground. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Higher Ground
Language: English
Category: Society & Culture
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1895174119

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