A Storyteller's Tale

A Storyteller's Tale

It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . . . well, not really. It just seemed that way in my mind. The lobby in the museum was crowded and noisy and full of people, young and old. This was my second foray into the world of storytelling and I was a bit apprehensive. But I needn't have been. The theatre, when Mike opened it up for me, was quiet and acoustically attuned for the projection of voice. I muscled the lectern into position, wondering if I should gather the children up on the stage, or seat them at the front of the theatre. Fortunately I opted for the latter. That way, they were comfortable, quiet and respectful, and weren't falling off the stage.

And so it started. The Buffalo Dance, an old Blackfoot legend that, once I had updated it to what people might understand from it in today's society, was the story I had selected. I began to read, looking up from time to time to gauge the faces of the audience. Well it wasn't the kind of story that involved a lot of violent action or dramatic scenes, so it was hard to tell. I did think though that both children and adults were captivated by the content. To get further input when the story ended, I offered to answer any questions the audience might have. There were a few, quite good ones too. By the third session, one of the boys asked if it was a true story. That brought a lot of smiles and some laughter. What the people didn't realize was that when they left the theatre and headed upstairs for a look around the museum, the first thing they would run into was a display of three full sized stuffed bison. It was amusingly prophetic. Makes me wonder what their dreams would be about as they slept at the museum that night.

Well, what's the good of a story, however magical or interesting, if you can't share it with someone else. My stories, while positive, uplifting and encouraging, are not intended to teach any lessons. Oh, there are lessons to be learned in each of them but those lessons relate to the listener's own personal situation(s). They are therefore structured so that each listener may learn from the story according to his/her own circumstance. At least that's how it seems to me from up here on the top shelf.

Just sayin'.