Friends,
Tonight I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop with Jim May in Jonesborough. That's one of the benefits to living in this part of East Tennessee - wonderful storytellers come through here all the time, and sometimes we are blessed with opportunities like the one I just had tonight.
There were about twenty of us, storytellers all, and we were a wonderfully diverse group with life experiences all over the map. Jim showed us that our life transitions are the rich places from which to draw personal stories, and then we were encouraged to think about our cultural place maps.
I thought about my place map, and realized that I still, after all this time, am fighting the path my family has always followed - good, stable, regular work - our family motto is 'I fight poverty, I work,' and a sure knowledge of our place in life. I have flown in the face of that as a non-traditional storytelling writer, yet I continue to work an everyday life to hold body and soul together. It just goes to show how strong our family traditions can be.
Have you ever thought about your family of origin and the influence your traditions have on the decisions you make everyday? Think about it - it may surprise you; it did me.
About Me
- saundra
- Born in Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, I am a genuine Florida Cracker--a descendent of sturdy women and men who farmed their way south from North Carolina in the early 1800's. I am a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Social Science, and earned an MA in Education/Storytelling from East Tennessee State University. My work is deeply influenced by a love and reverence for the natural world and environmental issues and my love of story. Performance Photos by Valerie Menard, Silentlightimages.com.
