Recalling the Stories
Over the summer, I have read several biographies and memoirs, mostly from our very diverse contemporary time period. I have also engaged in lots of re-story telling in community, with friends, and co-workers. Recently, a friend and I were talking about the “tree of voices” in Avatar and the value of collective memory, wisdom, and recalling stories. That really got me thinking! I grew up sitting around the table (if allowed!), on the porch, or in my grandmother’s beauty shop listening to the “old folk” recount stories, some which prompted laughter while others elicited silence and serious-looking nods. Now I am more likely to engage in story-telling at a party, wake service, class or family reunion, around the dining table, in conversation with a friend, or at work between planning individual client sessions. As Dominicans, we recall stories about Saints Dominic and Catherine of Siena to learn more about our Dominican history and the spirituality that connects us. Some Dominicans h