Fellowship, stories and self

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Rotary International District 7810 came together last weekend in Saint John NB. Fellowship, stories and self; these were just some of the many aspects of Rotary's conference.

Discussing the future you want for yourself, your loved ones and the world created an environment charged with hope, action and planning. As I watched and listened it became evident that the group was moving in one direction but in diverse ways. Every group is unique, every projects reflects commitment, involvement and a sense of responsibility from everyone of us.

Around our table were people from many walks of life. As a librarian I appreciated the way in which those gathered made room for the new comers. Some of those honored at this event have given a great deal of their time, energy and inner strength. One recipient stated she did it for herself, since those who benefited were her family, her community and her club.

Stories were the rallying cry. We heard from those who have served in many communities in many countries in Africa. Members told us how they started in Rotary and when they discovered they were Rotarians. Avalanche moments for me. A recognition of the power we have when we stand together.

Reading the website I was moved by the fact that Rotary contributed in part to the Charter of the United Nations. "In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served in 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference. Rotary still actively participates in UN conferences by sending observers to major meetings and covering the United Nations in its publications."

Service above self is Rotary's moto and encapsulates the vital need for development. And most important that each of us can make a difference.

Be the teller,

Everything old is new again!

I just returned from attending the Atlantic Provinces Libraries Association's conference in Saint John and I did feel like I was visiting home. Having been in this historical city only 11 months a few years back it seeped into my skin, into my very consciousness.

It could be said to be the moisture, the rain, the dampness but the place became one with me. Could it be the way people hold the doors in public places for each other, or maybe the way folks smile and say hello to total strangers. Not sure of the origin of this common behavior, but I am certain of the food.

The Saint John Market helps walk into the past feeling decades of stress, tension, feelings of isolation leave you as you go from kiosk to kiosk. Whether you are looking for fruit, nuts, meats or cheese this wonderfully well stocked venue provides the purchaser will find a fine variety and great quality.

People given the opportunity will share stories about their activities, their hopes, their dreams and plans on how to achieve their goals. Listen and you may be enlightened, entertained and overwhelmed at the diversity that is storytelling.

Photos by Bob Ewing.

Be the teller,

Stories, Sharing and Storing

Stories, sharing and storing. Life is just that. Moments where we are larger than ourselves. It might be time to bring to the table the expertise that you have accumulated over a lifetime. Your experiences have value, they hold a wealth of knowledge. You have been storing these over a lifetime. That could be 20, 40, 65 years or more but you are the holder of the knowledge.


Sharing ones understanding of a particular subject enriches you, your community and moves the bar in the field in which your topics lives.



Bring it to the table, write a paper, an article, do a presentation, get the information out there. It will help.

Be the teller,

Take charge!

Think back, way back when you believed we had a true path, a straight route,
a yellow brick road if you will.

(Courtesy - flickr - temario9)

Knowing where your next step will take you is comforting, soothing even mesmerizing. Always being in control, always feeling you know just what to say, where to stand and what to believe. There's that word again.

Believing comes in many colours, sizes, flavours and preferences. We trust in what we see. It may be time to trust in what we believe. Take charge of your own rudder.

Point the way you wish to go and go there. Imagine the stories, the images even the tales you might hear, share and commit to memory for the next generation.

Be the teller,

Paint your canvas : Stories about art

Opening conversations or any exchange between people can be challenging. If you can get a hello or how are you from a young adult and you have really accomplished something. They are described as having a language of their own. So how do we begin?

Why not try art? I recently visited the Lord Beaverbrook Gallery collection which was celebrating their 50th anniversary. Fifty lithographs including Andy Warhol and Alex Coville and before I knew it I was back in Ottawa.

Growing up there I visited the National Art Gallery as a matter of course. For years I would visit the gallery and discover everything I could take in. The sightt and smell of the middle ages, the textures and colours of the Group of Seven, the stories of life in countries around the world. It took a few years but I finally spoke to every piece. Now what that says about me is material for another time.

When asked how we reach out to the young adult today I truly believe it is in an ordinary conversation about art.

Art encompasses all that is life, the world and all that. The teen relates to that far reaching, unlimited vastness that is art.

Here are only a few suggestions for exploring art from the perspective of the movie goer.
If you like adventure, romance, danger and challenging authority, share these stories.

Be the teller,

Tell it out loud

Have you ever heard a story you wanted to know more about? Black History Month in Canada offers up an opportunity for us to read, hear and tell stories that are part of our history. Sharing our stories helps us to appreciate our past, embrace our future and create a present that includes all of us.

One such story is Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold. Take a ride on Harriet Tubman's railroad. It tells of courage, love and community and takes you to the door step of freedom in Canada. The telling brings history to life.

Discover the power of voice by tuning into Voice Print and hear stories about Black \history in Canada. Visit Voice Print

Take part in sharing this history and be stronger for it.

Be the teller,

New beginnings : Collecting what stories?

New Year Resolutions, come and go and so does time. Peoples' lives are riddled with beginnings. Familylore tells the stories of those beginnings. The first time you met your husband, the first time your parents met. How are these stories told if not between family and friends.

The why of it is not important. Its the telling that connects us to each other and the way we reach out. Remember that first day in a new job? What was going on, who were the people in the office, what were your responsibilities? Who spoke to you first and what did they ask? Unspoken these moments are but fillers in space and time. But shared, told and reflected upon they become the beginnings of stories that enrich our lives and become part of our Familylore.

Be the teller,

Freedom to Read : Storytelling time

Stories define themselves. They can bring you onto a landscape, introduce one to the ideas of another being. Stories are told by those who believe, believe in nature, in humanity, the universe and use this belief to tell us of their experiences.

"Freedom to Read" Week will be celebrated February 22-28th and before it comes and goes take a moment to read about it. If rights are to be respected then it must be understood that we respect what others want to share. Not that what all writers say is true and not every word is the truth. But if we can open our hearts and minds to the OTHER we might perceive that which is yet not part of our imagining.

Talk with those you trust,
share your stories about stories and celebrate
"Freedom to Read" in your own way,

Visit Freedom to Read

Be the teller,

Stories told through poem : In Flanders Fields

Stories will never run out. Those who have experienced war in any way realise that the experience stays with them. It is in the way that we remember that makes it human. The loss lives with us all. As long as we Remember.

The Last Post sets the tone for Remembrance Day, November 11th. This instrumental tells stories through sound. Notes and cadence breaths life into the story.

Other forms of storytelling are found in poems.

In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae,MD (1915)


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

There are not just words they are images of stories told and shared between colleagues, commarades, wives, daughters, fathers, sons and mothers. Encapsulated in the flower that embues the feeling of loss, its red colour rises to set a pulse for the ryhtym of these stories.

Lest We Forget encompases a multitude of generations, of yesterdays and tomorrows.
The following stories are shared in images and words to help us meet this responsibility,

• 3 Veterans from the SunnyBrook in Toronto recite these immortal words.

• Images of soldiers yesterday today
  

• British Armed Forces in Afghan Remembered

Remember,

A time for collecting stories : Remembrance Day

November 11th, a day to remember. Freedom was the call. Men, women and children took part in one way or another in the great battles that make up WWI, WWII and the Korean War. Together they forged an alliance, "For freedom, For love of country, the reasons were different depending on your situation, background, heritage.... How to make their sacrifice meaningful today, that's the question asked by many educators, parents and families who believe in the saying "Never Again".

Veterans Affairs Canada has developed an unique approach to sharing the stories of these brave men and women, families all. A non-sports card collection has been created to include 112 stories on 112 cards depicting a special moment in the history of these world wars. Each one telling a story from the perspective of those who were there, who witnessed the event and told of the experience. Stories shared of intimate moments such as these continue to declare the courage and valiant nature of the human spirit.

Visit Lest We Forget and share their stories, they belong to us all,

When to collect stories : School Days 2

"YorkLore" includes 26 stories from staff, faculty and students at York University. The stories were all shared in the fall and winter of 1986; the tellers were recounting a moment in time that impacted on them in some way.

This next story reminds those of us who have stood in the registration line up in September waiting to get your classes selected.

Atkinson College 1977: Registration
This was the setting for an onslaught
of profane language directed towards the staff.
A student speaking in an aggressive tone
used foul four letter words bellowed out clear and loud.
The Administrative Assistant took it upon herself
to call out the Registrar for aid in the disturbance.
Now our Registrar was known to possess a thorough
knowledge of slurs, insults and
four letter words held no mystery for her.
With steely confidence she approached the counter
and addressed the perpetrator,

"Young man, I don't use that kind of language.
The ladies in this office are members of my staff
and they will not be subjected to this ugly discourse.
You will now leave !"

Our highly indignant intruder was no match for this
valiant College Registrar and left.

The staff in Registration still today appreciate
the irony of the story as well as the support
rendered them by their Registrar.

It is often said that "No good deed goes unpunished". But respect in the workplace is forever, pass it on,

When to collect stories : School Days

If ever there was time to collect stories and record shared memories, back to school is just such a time! No matter our age, no matter where we were, the feeling that something was going to happen haunts us still.

In the fall of 1986 I was studying at York University. In a first brush with the study of folklore I had the opportunity to collect "Yorklore". This was the title I gave to my collection of stories shared by faculty, staff and students about something they had experienced while at York. They were short or longer, they ranged between beliefs stories and anecdotes, humorous or mysterious. I still feel privileged by the tellers generosity in sharing these with me. Here is one such story;

"It was a the winter of 1985.
Three of us were support staff and we spotted
a body outside lying on the snow.
Watching for a few moments
and observing the body was motionless
security was called in to investigate.
Having taken CPR training the staff
still felt ill equipped to deal with an emergency.
Upon arriving the Security guards
quickly assessed the situation while the staff looked
on "safely" from the window.
All were relieved when it was obvious our victim,
whom the staff thought
might be dead, was only drunk.

===========================

Their imagination had wandered
from assault to suicide.
Being dead drunk hadn't entered
the repertoire of victim.
Strictly a sober set !

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What do Realtors say about selling? Location, Location, Location! Collecting stories can take place anywhere; an intimate corner at a Christmas gathering, on the porch while taking in the breeze, during a pancake breakfast with colleagues, an anniversary celebration. The place and time is determined by You and the Teller. You choose when and just record. Take it down in notes, a tape recorder, whatever fashion works best for you. Respect the act of sharing and stay true to the story.

It could be your returning to University or College, or perhaps your child's first day, record the moment, and share the telling,

Women Authors: Storyteller or Visionary

March continues to mark women's contribution around the world and in all facets and disciplines. International Women's Day March 8th is simply a launching pad to women's contribution.

As a librarian, I am surrounded by the efforts, triumphs and successes of women authors everyday. Who tells the best stories? That depends on your preferences. Who writes the best stories? That depends on your perspective.

Women authors are tellers of their stories.

Two women stand out in the past twelve months for their storytelling abilities. I finished reading "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory. The journey led me to an enjoyable tryst into the lives of a handful of people who became entrenched in the history of England and the monarchy. It was well told, reasonably researched with a touch of spicy and titillating scenes. Gregory takes you where she wants you to go.

J.K. Rowling astounded us with the culmination of her adventures. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" will remain,for some time to come, a right of passage for young readers interested in venturing out on a quest. Making new friends and being there for each other. Becoming in the end what you were meant to be.

Bring your stories to bear on your experiences. Tell them and share them,

Become the voice of your life,

Heritage: A treasure trove of stories

Heritage Day! What comes to mind when we hear it? Some of us envision the past, horse drawn carriages, a pristine forest, a one room school house. There is so much more.
Its the stories.

"Friends, Romans, countryman lend me your ears". Old, but good stuff. Everyone is from somewhere, everyone has connections that are not easy to locate, not handy maybe not even still present. But the stories survive.

No matter where your family is, no matter when you last spoke with them, there are stories of the distant past, stories from last year's Thankgiving diner, stories that will continue if you share them with yourself and others.

I worked on a project entitled "The Being Here Project". It was meant to identify the families that had emmigrated to Ontario between 1900 - 1987. These threads in time told of escape from war, flight to freedom, dreams of futures not yet imagined.

You and I are made of these stories. Begin by writing them down, short notes that jog the memory then start to speak to those who can expand on your recollection. Through this process you will begin a journey through life that is done from where you are right now.

Heritage Day 2008! Make this year your start!

Stories As History - Black History Month

February is Black History Month. This year marks the 175 anniversary of the Act to Abolish Slavery in the British Empire (1833-2008). Now right off you begin to wonder about the connection with stories and storytelling. One way we learn about storytelling as with so many other things we do is by watching, listening and appreciating others. To get an ear full of what storytelling can do you could listen to James Earl Jones and his partner Virginia Hamilton. Together they have brought history to thousands of students and adults. I am one of those adults.

Northwestern Ontario in 1991 was the setting for embracing the power of stories. Cold, snow and below zero temperatures encouraged sitting comfortably curled up in a winged chair or floor cushion and reading.

I read the book The People Could Fly for the first time. Soon I found myself listening to this story on CD and quickly after that giving high school children the opportunity to witness, as a future observer, past events.

No, we can't know what it was like, and no we cannot ignore the experience. But by sharing the telling, we can gain insights into another space and another time.

Check out Canadian Heritage on Black History Month

The Stories Tell It All!

What is always new, always old and always yours?

Your stories. Whether they begin with "I started out as a child" or "One dark stormy night" stories unveil a moment of truth. For one instant, one infinitesimal space in time it was yours.

Storytime is a time of contemplation, a time to sit with your thoughts, a time that begins and ends with you. No matter where you grew up and no matter how you grew up you were surrounded by stories and these became, at times, and in part, your stories.