Canaan Valley Storytelling

As one of the Summer Performance in the Parks performers for the past three years, I've visited Canaan Valley Resort several times.

Each time I've had wonderful, attentive audiences. This year, however, I have to say that this was one of the best audiences I've ever had.



Most were from out-of-state; there were probably a dozen young children in the group of 60 who came to hear stories. Several told me they'd never heard a storyteller before, and came because they were curious.

After the performance, one lady told me that her father was a coal miner, that her uncle and cousin had died in the mines, and that her grandfather was killed during the unionizing attempts in the Farmington coalfields. She said she needed to talk to her father; my stories had raised many questions in her mind.

Another man mentioned that he was amazed at how much he enjoyed the performance. It does my heart good to know that I can awaken memories in people and encourage them to tell stories to their children to share memories.
I love doing what I do; but when I get this kind of feedback, I know that what I do is worthwhile, that it reconnects people with what's important in life (family, listening to each other, remembering that we're all human and have faults, and laughter).

There are not many jobs in this world that allow us to connect at these levels of commonality. Storytelling may not be a status position, but my goodness do people need it. My only regret is that I am not yet able to devote full-time to sharing stories, songs and laughter with people everywhere. I must bide my time, waiting until we are better situated financially.

My library job pays well, and provides the benefits and security we need. But it does not provide that lift to the soul, or the satisfaction of knowing that I have touched someone's life in a new and meaningful way. So I wait, and chafe, waiting for the time to jump ship, take the plunge or whatever metaphor suits. One day, one day...