What I did this summer

With the start of a new school year I am sure the $24,000 question of the day is, "What did you do this summer?" Let the stories begin. There will be stories of camp outs, sleep overs, pool parties, amusements parks, and weekend's at grandma and grandpa's. Some of these trips either required long car rides that were almost unbearable while other trips required a plane.
So what did my summer consist of? I was giving an opportunity to spread my wings and story tell in venues I never thought I would step foot in. Not because I did not want to but because the opportunity never revealed itself......until now. I have a dear friend who I met through work. It started out working on a project with her and turned into a wonderful friendship. LeAnne, who is an amazing author, host a gathering of arts every year (this being the second year)  called Salon Ada. I have been lucky enough to attend both years and meet a group of interesting captivating people. Some authors, some poets, visual artist, folk singers, and educators. This gathering inspires all of use to continue to do what we love doing and for me it has allowed me to spread my wings in storytelling and perform on a different level than I have in the past. I have enjoyed every bit of it. It has required me to re-evaluate how I perform but that's okay. Because it allows me to continue to grow and show others how powerful storytelling is. Seven of us participated in a poetry, short story reading and storytelling on the campus of ECU in little ol' Ada, Oklahoma. We had the place packed and the applause was wonderful. My mouth hurt because of my braces but I didn't care I wanted to perform. I never thought I would catch a bug like that. Me - alone- performing in front of people - strangers at that. I have to admit it has been wonderful, overwhelming, and down right fun. I want to do more! I of course spent the summer spending every moment I could with my nephew, who just recently turned two! I gave him a giant chocolate candy bar with his name printed on it from the Hershey's Factory in Chicago. I'm sure his mother, my baby sister, is waiting for the day that he stays with his TT to let him eat it.  I'm just doing the job that I have been so blessed to get.......being Auntie.  I keep telling Nikki that there are certain rules that we  Aunties have to stick by that are written in the Auntie Handbook that only Aunties get to see.  She just rolled her eyes.  

Another event that make the blood pump strong was when I was giving the opportunity to storytell to a group from other countries.  The group, Global Teens, is organized every summer and they select a place to go to and emerge themselves in the culture and history.  This summer they selected Oklahoma, specifically the Chickasaw Tribe.  There group included high school

 age students from four different countries.  It was an amzaing time.  I was able to give a history presentation along with traditional storytelling and they inturne shared stories from their country with me.  This is why I love storytelling.....it connects everyone!