I really enjoyed your post, Andy. Our backgrounds are probably quite similar in some respects as I am the oldest of 9 and was brought up on a small hill farm in central Vermont. Your discussion of the father and son aspects is especially meaningful today, Father’s Day. We do seem to get the deeper meaning of our parents’ stories as we grow older.
Your story about your grandfather and the deer reminded me of one of my dad when I was about 12. He was quite clever and did pretty well with his 6th grade education. Dad had decided to tempt deer to a pasture by planting clover, since it was legal for farmers to take deer if they were damaging your crops. The plan was quite successful as he got 3 deer. However, he became nervous thinking the authorities might not like the fact that he had taken 3 deer, so he invited all his friends and relatives to a “mountain veal barbeque,” which everyone enjoyed. Not a very spiritual story – guess his Catholic guilt got the best of him! Like your grandfather, Dad was also a logger and when he needed money, for instance, to make a payment on the farm, he would go logging in our woodlot. When he died, he left the woodlot to my 4 brothers – his reasoning that they had worked hard on the farm. One of my brothers wanted out so I bought his share. The only recollection I have of the woodlot was as a 5-year-old walking proudly behind my father carrying his ax, which I promptly walked into. I still have the scar! (My mother was not happy!) Anyway, I visited the woodlot with my brother, Paul, and walked it with him. Paul told me that our dad used to come to it when he needed to think and have some ‘alone’ time. And I have to say, I did feel a close spiritual connection - to my dad and to nature. Dad really was quite connected to nature and animals. All the cows had names, and Buddy, the bull, knew who was the boss. How did Buddy know who was the boss, you might ask? Well, Dad occasionally would take Buddy by the horns and wrestle him to the ground! Very impressive sight when you’re 8 years old. Sorry for the long response, Andy – but thank you for bringing up some family memories. On Jun 18, 1:10 pm, Andy <andrew.mitch...@jsc.edu> wrote: > To answer this question it would be easiest to look at the > srories that have been told by the elders of the basic family > structure. This is most clearly seen when parents tell stories to > their children about how life has affected the parents in a manner > that is most conducisive to the child's ability to comprehend the > lesson that is being communicated. > As I look in the past, some stories come to mind that have > been told in my fmaily since my earlist recollection My father > though, told storeis when the time was right. > What I can remember vividly was my father telling stories > about his past and his relationships with his father. As a son of a > son, the meaning of these stories has changed with the life > circumstances that have presented themswlves to me in the presnet > time. With this evolution of meaning I have come to see myself as an > expression of my "family". As the days pass and I grow olders I have > come to see that my work is to comeprehend the meaning of the storeis > and to take the time to pass thems to my sons or nephews when the time > is right. > There are certain occasions that stand out. Two in > particular. > At a very young age dad told my brothers and I about > time when his father had been suffering from hernia and was preparing > to go in for an operatoion to reapair the injury to his body. This > was in the early 1960's when there was little workmen's compensation > for some one who had choosen a profession as a logger in the > wilderness of rural Vermont. Grandfather new that he had to find some > way for his family to be fed, because the recovery process from a > operation could be lengthy, so what was he to do? He new that he could > not be idle, something had to be done. > Some back round needs to be brought up now. Grandfather > and dad where living along with the rest of the family in Forestdale, > Vermont: where deer herds have been known to be copious. > On night grandfather went hunting, he took a rifle with > six shells and went up into a place where deer had been known to have > congregated named birch hill. The story goes that he came back with > five deer to his family. My father best recollection's are of being > woken up early in the morning by grandma to lend a hand the processing > of the deer so that the family would be fed for the length of the > recovery period. > Growing up in a larger then normal family has enabled > me to see the value of sacrafice in the name of the family or group. > Compromise that are made in the name of the wellbeing of the group are > wise decisions as long as they do not violate the wellbeing of the > individual who is working to modify their needs or wants. > Grandfathers choice to appraoch nature with what was a sense of > humility, I belive was what made the choice of the deer to put > themselves in the crosshares of the gun an easy one to make. They > could see in to intent of Granfathers being. I look at this story and > see much clarity, the right thing needed to be done and the deer and > Grandfather new what is was. The healing that can be seen in this > story is rooted in the abiliy to understand that decisions made for > the betterment of the "family" are ultimately decsions that are made > for the better ment of the indiviuals, the difference between the two > is that family has been given a name and the individual has been given > a face. > I look at this story sometimes, and I repose in the > good that come from doing things that promiote the wellbeing of the > group, this has helped many time in the process of looking at > siblings progressing through college and being able to offering a > helping hand when nessicary. > The second story was told in a vague manner by Dad when > I was about 21 years old. He told me how he would have like to have > learned to dance in some shape or fashion. At this time I was not very > close to my father and I saw this as a means of getting to now him a > bit better, as a result I found Capoeira, not to far after I decided > that I wanted explore movement practices. So after years of getting to > know my body a bit better, I was at the platform at lower pond her at > Johnson College and I was practicing certain sequences of movements > and a picture of my father struggling to break out of a red membrane > came into focus. He ws struggling for a couple of moments but then tha > image vanished. I stoped me in my tracks. > My relationship with my father came into focus on that > day. I learned beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are the same people > just different expressions of eachother. The communication I was > making with my fathers spirit through movement practice produced a > distinct image of my father struggling to express him self. As a son > I know my work to be involved in the wellbeing of those who are > family. Through the utilization of the body in a focused manner a > person can relate to the work that another person is expriencing. Our > bodies are a means of experiencing the lessons in the story. The > moral of this story has been one of constanly emerging in the living > of life. In the vision watching him work to emerge creates courage > when I have felt unable to articulate myself. > I wonder if the stories of healing were revealed to the > individuals through visions or dreams? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CulturalandTraditionalHealthandHealing" group. 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