July 30, 2013
I used to be a Trent University student. I attended a few of
your storytelling sessions back in early 2011. Most likely you don’t remember
me. I discovered Peterborough Storytellers too late, because I graduated and returned
home in April, 2011.
Since I came home, I’ve missed many things about Canada and
your group was definitely one of those. Many times I have thought to myself
that I should unsubscribe from your mailing list since receiving news of many
terrific storytelling events only reminds me of that I can’t be there and how
much I wish I could. However, I concluded that I still want to be on the list
because it serves to keep my fond memories from dying.
Today, I realized that it was such a good decision to remain
connected with you when I saw your Facebook update about ideas to start and
develop local storytelling groups. I proceeded to read the lengthier Tales and
Tips blog entry on your site and I can’t stop myself from writing this email to
express my most sincere and heartfelt thanks to you and those who are doing
this work. Please know that you leave a big impact on others, even someone so
far away like me, even though our encounters were brief.
I’ve always liked books and especially stories. But I didn’t
know that stories could be told for the sake of telling, and in fact,
storytelling can be a profession. Until I came to the storytelling group in
Peterborough, I have never experienced a story being told live. I have listened
to radio, podcasts, audio books, but they are all very impersonal. I guess it
was the first time I had anything close to the experience of tribal people
telling stories by their fire, the sacredness and closeness of a community.
It took me a long time to form these feelings into words. I’ve
been keeping diaries and then blogs for years, but thinking back about the
sessions was like a breakthrough which helps me clear the cloudy thoughts and
come to an appreciation of the power of storytelling.
Since I came home, I’ve mostly worked with NGO’s and
researchers. Thus I am fortunate to have many chances to listen to
life-stories, especially from vulnerable groups such as women living with HIV,
migrant workers, trafficked women and girls, etc. I feel like storytelling can
exercise such a healing power for their pain, and yet at the same time, it can
engage people much better than lengthy reports and dry statistic numbers.
Somehow, I am forming this idea of opening a space (could be a café), where
people who have suffered from bad experiences could use storytelling as a
therapy to heal. At the same time, once they are steady and confident, they can
tell their stories to the public, thus educating them and engaging them in
concerns for social problems.
Of course, because I love storytelling itself, I also vision
other types of storytelling for this space…fairy tales, myths, real stories,
children making up stories, etc.
However, I don’t know of any similar activities where I
live, or they are not organized by local people for local people. So I am quite
lost when it comes to starting such a space. That’s why I was very happy to
read your note and hope that from time to time, I could write you for advice
and guidance.
I think you would feel good to read about the impacts your
group leaves on me, so I’ve written quite long. This could easily have been a
story on its own. Anyhow, my purpose is to thank you and to let you know that
half way across the world, you are helping keep a dream alive.
Thank you very much.
Van
Editor’s Note: This letter has been slightly edited and
appears with the permission of the author. In August, 2013 Van once again returned to
Canada where she is currently enrolled in a Master’s program at an Ontario university.
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