“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.” — Robin Moore, author
I love storytelling. I guess that’s not a surprise to any of you since I’m always trying to tell stories or write stories or share other people’s stories.
I love listening to stories. Because I loved listening to my mother’s stories of growing up during the Great Depression years, I was able to write Angel Sister as I slid many of her stories into the background of that book. Mom and her sisters loved talking about their days as kids growing up. I always enjoyed listening to them when I wasn’t too busy playing outside with my cousins. However, it really wasn’t until Mom got older and I began taking her to doctor appointments that I really made a special effort to get her to talk about those growing up years. We did a lot of waiting in waiting rooms. What better time to get my mother to talk about when she was a youngster. She loved remembering those days even after her memory began fading.
“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” –Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center
I’m so glad I listened to my mother’s stories. I wish I’d listened to my father’s stories more and to my grandmother’s, my aunt’s and my grandfather’s stories. I was too young, I suppose, to realize how important those stories were to me until it was too late to listen. Now, I enjoy getting people I meet to share some stories with me. That’s either people I meet in person or those I meet here through the magic of the internet. I’ve shared many of those shared stories here on my blog.
With how I love stories, you can understand why I love going to a storytelling festival. I had the chance to do that on Saturday when I went to the Cave Run Storytelling Festival near Morehead, Kentucky. This was their 22nd festival and the first one after a two year lapse due to the pandemic. I’m not sure how many I’ve attended. I would guess maybe six or seven. I should keep better storytelling records!
Here I am with my son, husband, and daughter in the storytelling tent this year getting ready to hear storytellers like Bil Lepp who made us laugh as he told us about hiking up a mountain trail and repairing his dishwasher. Then there was Don White who not only made us laugh as he talked about his family but he also had us getting teary-eyed by singing songs he writes about how we need to treasure those family moments. Antonio Rocho told a dramatic story about a ship that ended up being a slave carrying ship. Andy Offutt Irwin whistled and sang with his stories. He was an amazing whistler. Shelia Arnold did an powerful portrayal of Martha Washington’s personal maid, a slave who ran away from the Washingtons to find freedom.
The stories that made us laugh were fun. That’s one of the reasons people do love going to storytelling festivals, but even those stories that make us laugh are better when they also touch something deep within us.
“There is no greater power on this earth than story.” ― Libba Bray, author
They had a showcase during the dinner break where attendees got the chance to get on stage and tell a story. They drew names out of those who signed up. Some of the people with me asked why I didn’t sign up. I’m a storyteller in written words, but I’m not sure I could tell an oral story with at least some connection to truth well enough to engage an audience.
However, it did get me to thinking about what I could tell if I had the nerve to put my name into the pot to have a chance to take the stage. I have some cow stories that might make people laugh. I have plenty of dog stories. Then church stories and farm stories might be fun. I have a few sad stories I could tell and some that I would hope would be laugh worthy. I’ve, no doubt, tried out some of those stories on you here on my blog. Maybe I’ll try out some more in the weeks to come.
“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal
Do you enjoy telling stories? Listening to stories? Have you ever been to a storytelling festival?
Comments 10
I love listening to stories! My older brother is an awesome storyteller and usus amazing sound effects in his stories!
Author
What fun, Lauren, to have a storyteller right in the family. We have some good storytellers in our family, but just the kind that brings up old funny family stories when we get together. We need to treasure our family stories.
No but it sounds like the way to spend a wonderful day! I find it hard to believe that this isn’t something you would be great at though.
Author
It was a great way to spend a beautiful fall day, Pamela. As to me telling the stories, there is a big difference in writing stories down and standing up and telling them. No chance to go back and do any editing once you start talking on stage although some of the storytellers are very good at incorporating a stumble or whatever into their monologues.
A Storytelling Festival — that’s a new one to me, but it sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.
Author
I didn’t know about them either until about ten years ago, Roberta, and this is the only festival I’ve been to. But the national storytelling festival is on my bucket list. The problem is that my husband doesn’t enjoy them as much as I do.
I like to tell stories about my teen age years. Sitting on the porch polishing my saddle oxfords and white buck shoes, but, my granddaughter who I am so close to say’s Oh no here we go again, then we both laugh and come back to the here and now. I just hope after I am gone she will still remember our time together and my memories.
Author
That’s wonderful, Donna. I know someday your granddaughter is going to remember those sweet stories and be so glad you shared them with her. I should try to come up with stories to tell my grandkids about my teen years.
I love storytelling! It was a tradition for many years for some of our library staff to attend this Cave Run Storytelling Contest. It was a wonderful way to ‘recharge’ our batteries and help us engage with the children who attended our library programs. So glad that it was held again this year!
Author
What a great outing for librarians who love books and stories, Connie! The reason I love going to the Cave Run Storytelling Festival too. It’s always so fun to sit back and listen to the storytellers. Well, you’re sitting back in between laughing or wiping away a tear according to what kind of story they are telling. Then there are the dramatic stories too. It was fun to watch these storytellers use the magic of words to reach all us listeners.