Dear Andy and Diane, These were great posts. Andy's post sounded so much like our discussions with the aboriginal coop in Gippsland, Australia, as they struggle to bring their community back together through the resurrection of their traditional stories and participation in elements of their traditional culture.
That was wonderful, Diane, that you were able to be so reflexive in your watching yourself tell your story. I'm reading a book by Boyd called "On the Origin of Stories" which talks about now around p. 175 how stories are always told for an audience and for purpose. He talks about how truthtelling is shaped by a community around what happens when people get a reputation for being inaccurate in their renderings. It's a very interesting discussion. By the way, Diane, are you ok? Is your illness out of the life-threatening question phase? I sure hope so. Lewis On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 7:08 AM, Diane Perrin <mdlorra...@comcast.net>wrote: > > Good essay, Andy! Yes, how did the storytellers know what to reveal > and how would that information affect the next generation? It > probably wasn't their duty to worry about that. The people hearing > the stories applied what they learned to their own lives and > experiences and took what they could to help their own healing and > problems. > > I've been impressed with the idea that the community carries so much > power in healing an individual; guess I never realized that. But > recent events in my own life and family have shown me that concept. > One story - a cousin was badly injured when a concrete staircase she > was descending broke away as she was leaving her studio on the 4th > floor on Easter weekend. It was a miracle she even survived, and she > ended up having 8 or 9 surgeries. People from all over the world > prayed for her, sent her distance healing, etc. Her friends gave her > Reiki in the ICU, her family stayed with her. She is now home and > getting back to 'normal.' I have to think that the energy of > community had a role in her healing. > > My own story - as Lewis says - telling our stories results in our > living out that story. This weekend several friends I hadn't seen for > a few years stayed with me at camp. One of them wanted to know > exactly what had happened to me this past year when I had suddenly > become ill- he didn't understand it. So I found myself retelling the > experience and in the process listening to myself - had I expanded on > the telling of it from previous times? Did I remember events > differently? Did I learn anything from it? I almost didn't want to > talk about it because I was afraid it would bring in a note of > negativity, although I felt it was a fairly positive outcome -- I was > here and enjoying the beautiful day with my friends. They were > shocked to learn that there was question if I would survive. But > perhaps they were able to take away something positive - life is > short, enjoy it, for example. So, I guess it is up to them how they > want to interpret my story. (We had a great weekend.) > > Diane > > On Aug 17, 12:59 pm, Andy <andrew.mitch...@jsc.edu> wrote: > > The world is full of stories relating actual or > > imagined experiences that have been recorded on paper or have been > > passed down through oral transmission. The forsight and the presence > > of those who had been given the treasures held within the stories, has > > been one of the attributes that I see that has not been spoke about at > > length. The insight of the story keepers is something that is cloaked > > in mystery, how could they have known that the information that had > > offered to the right people at the right time was universal and not > > exclusive to the individual? Yet thr story shared had all the > > necessary components that enables the seekers to give themselves > > permission to change the way in which they engage life. We as human > > beings have been running around on this earth experienceing life long > > enough to see the similarities that we have in common: we are all > > experiencing life with individualized perspectives. > > Story tellers of old and elders that were naturally > > closer to death had a great deal to share about a world that existed > > before the lives of the younger generation had begun. What these > > individuals observed was the stories that they were told had been > > passed down to them with the specific intent of reinforcing the belief > > that change occurs at the right time in the correct manner. The story > > tellers were keen observers and exquisite listeners. They listened to > > the way people did things and were intent on trying to feel what > > people were telling them. It seems plausible that the story tellers > > were required to release their own agenda so that the circumstances of > > the community could be observed with a greater deal of clarity. The > > issues a community were experiencing could be addressed with a > > substantial deal of certainity as to the steps that needed to be taken > > to bring about balance with in the group. > > At this time another character is to be addressed so > > that the equation of how does the community bring about healing of the > > individual and how does the community benefit from the evolution that > > the individuals progresses through. This missing link is the entity > > named "community". The community has a character that can easily be > > seen when a person comes into a house hold that is not their own. Last > > month a relative got married, at the reception the families were > > existing at the phyical location but only at specific situations > > revealing of the character of the families were taking place, on the > > dance floor was the clearest place because self expression were > > nonverbal. > > The telling of our own personal story to ourselves > > through reflecting on our life experience(s) enables people to do two > > things at one time in essence being two places at one time. The story > > of our lives has all the material that is needed to enable the person > > to see the neagative in a positive light. While traveling down memory > > lane with the fear of memories that do not seem to have a constructive > > nature could have adverse affects on persons who can not accumulate > > the will the look at these expereinces with the intent of finding the > > positive in them. Like the shadow that follows us around, just because > > we can turn our backs on them does not mean that they will disappear. > > The alternative is to move into the shadow with the intent of finding > > the diamond in the ruff so that it's meaning can be brought into the > > light of correct understanding so that rebirth can come after the > > death of a perception that is not relevent in the present life. What > > this does is bring one to the theory: do past lives and the > > perceptions that were held at that time affect the present "life" a > > person is living? Are the things that we are working through, > > "perceptions" that some how come back to us even as we are born into a > > life that does not require us to perceive life in a certain manner. > > The necassity of riding horses is not prevelent in what is understood > > to be modern society, yet some are born with the inherent ability to > > ride, and the horses seem to sence that the person in question is safe > > to be around. > > What is relevent is that all the stories that people have > > created by living and all the stories that have yet to be lived are > > what have enabled the stories of old to be given robe to wear or a new > > life to be interpretted through. > > > -- IMPORTANT WARNING: This e-mail and any files transmitted with it contain CONFIDENTIAL information, including PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL HEALTH INFORMATION which is intended for the use of the person to whom it is addressed. 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