A rough week

Actually, the title is a bit of an exaggeration. It hasn't been rough like the last time I went through treatment. It's just that this week I had chemo on Monday and I have had radiation every day and it's gotten me a bit wiped out. I was so tired yesterday that I could barely get myself out of bed. I am doing better today and I keep thinking that I only have to go through this until the end of August. Unfortunately, since I was so exhausted, I have not been able to write much and so I am a bit behind on this blog.

While I have been laying around the house, not able to do anything, not even read, I have done a lot of thinking. I have been especially thoughtful about a storytelling circle that I went to a few weeks back. It was a group of friends who get together once a month to eat, drink and tell stories. It was my first time attending and I wasn't sure how it would go but it was a lot of fun and very enlightening. All the stories are about the participants' lives and it is very reminiscent of the old storytelling circles back before TV and radio. It was a wonderful way to share an evening.

We heard stories about a flooded basement, a 15-year old's summer spent as a rafting guide, a summer spent as an exchange student in Spain, car troubles, friends and children lost and found, and many more. Every event is different, full of laughter ansd some tears.

As it turns out, many of the people at the storytelling event have other ties to storytelling. Some are part of a group here in Tucson called Odyssey which is a storytelling group that puts on shows every other month at Club Congress. It only costs $7 and it's wonderful to go and hear people tell stories about thier lives based on a particular theme. I am really fascinated with this movement and I think it really encourages people to share about thier lives and we, the listeners, are enriched by their experiences. There is a similar group in the bay area called PorchLight too.

Continuing with the storytelling theme, there were others at the storytelling circle who are involved with a new (to me) phenomenon called "digital storytelling". This is where people create shorts based on stories from thier lives. They incorporate photos and music with the narration to share their stories with others. This is a technique that is being used in community development projects and language learning venues. It is a wonderful way to empower people and to encourage them that their stories are important and people can learn from thier lives.

When I heard about the work that some of the people are doing with these digital stories, I thought that it would be a fascinating area for me to work in. It combines my interest in community development and stories with my knowledge of technology. I am planning to attend a workshop to learn more about how to create the digital stories in September. If it goes well, I may go on to study to become a facilitator and teach people how to create their own stories.

If you are interested in learning more about these topics, here are a few websites that you might check out:

http://www.odysseystorytelling.com
http://www.porchlightsf.com/
http://storiesforchange.net/
http://www.storycenter.org/
http://www.creativenarrations.net/

Thank you for your continuted interest in my blog. I enjoy reading your comments and continuing the discussion with you all.