Stories are on my mind. You see, I'm trying to come up with a good one to tell at the next Storytellers' meeting in central Minnesota. It's a monthly event – perhaps one could compare it to a book club, writers' circle or the like – and what is required of attendees is simply something to share. I suppose, it's kind of like adult show-and-tell, for the story may be presented in any way, shape or form. The group of individuals who gather together have been meeting for years, accompanying each other through life's joys, frustrations, hopes, challenges and excitements. I'm a recent and relatively infrequent participant, (due to stretches of nomadic wanderlust) but when I am able to join, I always feel most welcome and at home.
We're first introduced to stories and the proverbial “Once upon a time...” fairytale beginning as children, and growing up, we become familiar with a certain repertoire of plots, of tales about “conquering monsters”, “rags to riches”, “following quests”, “voyage and return”, “happy-ending comedy”, “unfortunate tragedy”, “renewal and rebirth”, “raucous rebellion”, and, “veiled mystery”. But, even if outlined within a certain genre, what I'm realizing is that stories are essentially formless – meaning, our interpretations are uniquely personal. And maybe, interpretations are even like fingerprints – no two exactly the same. The lens with which we view our make-believe and veritable worlds is unparalleled – shaped by our incomparable trajectories, present circumstances, and prospective dreams.
Where initially parents, caretakers, teachers and elders paint broad strokes upon our blank canvas called “life”, ultimately, the detail of our masterpiece story is done in our own hand – and, depending upon one's belief, with the touch of Divinity. Choice – realizing that we have it – is incredibly powerful. And if there is any obligation that we have within our own life stories, it is to make choices – to become that which we yearn for inside. There are no rules for making these decisions (other than the ones we perceive to be true), nor does the scaffolding of our upbringing determine what we can or cannot achieve.
Whether we readily recognize it or not, life is consistently delivering decision-making opportunities to our doorstep. What may vary, is the impact that our self-selected directions have upon us within the short- and long-term. And this is where I'm noticing a shift within myself – a movement away from searching out and accomplishing comparatively short-term goals, to consideration and motion towards longer-term dreams. This yields a flashback to a conversation I had with Damien while sharing a seat-belt in a van bouncing around Nicaragua. At that time I was seeking to broaden, and now, my heart desires to deepen – in love with my Alaskan Ambrosier, and in vocation with yogic, bodywork and homeopathic studies. Ah, life is beautiful, if we just let it... and this is Elise, signing off from Little Falls, Minnesota.
