Story Tracks
September 23, 2021
News from Pam Faro, Storyteller
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In the northern hemisphere (where I and most, though not all, of Story Tracks subscribers live – Happy spring, to you in the southern latitudes!), the season of autumn has just begun.
And across the globe, the season of pandemic is ongoing, ongoing…
This week I read two different, rather disparate articles that spoke to me, and I’ll share a bit of both with you here.
The first is a wonderful piece I stumbled upon by David G. Allan, “Fall: The Season of Cozy, Delicious, Wisdom-inducing Rediscovery.” It opens:
 “Fall is the season for all senses. The feel of cooler temperatures after a long summer. A warm, visually pleasing palate of reds, oranges and browns. The taste of pumpkin spice in everything. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot. The smell of woodsmoke.
Right there, the author employs a great storytelling technique to engage us – using imagery of all 5 of the senses!
I found the entire piece a refreshing and almost joyous read – with poetic, cultural, nostalgic, and image-filled invitations to embrace the season.
“(M)any elements of autumn either intrinsically deliver happiness or trigger memories of past joy from which we can keep taking bites, as from a freshly baked apple pie.”
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The other article is “How to Handle the Infuriating ‘Here we go again’ Feeling as the Delta Variant Rages,” by Stacey Colino. (And I find that the above quote of poet May Sarton from the first article connects directly to this second piece…)
“Here-we-go-again” feelings can be mentally and emotionally draining, and the article briefly explores several helpful strategies suggested by psychologists to help cope with the times, including:
- Practice acceptance
- Offload your emotions in a healthy way
- Embrace what you CAN do
- Shift your attention (*see below)
- Take brief mental vacations
- Mine your personal history for lessons
- Remember that this, too, shall pass
I’m going to focus here on #4: Shift your attention...
The author writes: “When feelings of despair or rage flare up, consider using distraction tactics – engaging in a creative activity, reading something interesting or inspiring, or listening to music that moves you – to steer your mind in a different direction."
 And, “It’s hard to think about two things at the same time…You don’t have to feed every negative thought that you have.” A study found that subjects who distracted themselves after exposure to stress recovered more quickly.
Time and time and time again through these past 18 months, I have found storytelling – both telling and listening (as well as the teaching and coaching I do) – to be superb “distraction” in this regard.
Something creative, enjoyable, often moving and meaningful, often “just fun" – sharing in storytelling with 1 or 2, or dozens of, others has been a major part of my mental and emotional health during these past months in particular.
I encourage you to find ways to experience and explore perhaps more deeply than ever the impact that storytelling can have on your spirits. Opportunities for online storytelling performances, workshops, and events have exploded during the pandemic – seek and ye shall find!
 Whether telling or listening, engaging in the creativity of storytelling can bring an uplift to your spirit, a delight for your mind, and a connection to others and the world around us in meaningful ways!
All the best to you,
Pam
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UPCOMING ONLINE STORYTELLING WITH PAM...
1) Storytelling, Body & Soul, 2nd Edition - coming later this fall: Stay tuned!
2) For anyone interested in biblical storytelling/story exploration, whether pastors/preachers, teachers, students, any and all interested:
 The Gospel of Luke: "We had hoped..."
4 TUESDAYS STARTING OCTOBER 19
This 4-session online workshop is for pastors, preachers, teachers, students, and anyone who would like to explore the story of the Gospel of Luke - a story of family, of community, and that remembers what “we had hoped” (Lk 24:21) would finally happen.
As we did last year with the Gospel of Mark: I (professional biblical storyteller, with experience performing and teaching around the globe) will tell key parts of Luke’s story, and Richard Swanson (professor at Augustana University and the director of the Provoking the Gospel Storytelling Project) will guide the group’s exploration of the performances. We will experience the story together, and we will think together about how hope is possible in a brutal and disappointing world.
"(Their) course has transformed the way I read and present scripture" (Nancy Eckles, Interim Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Miller, SD)
FULL INFO - FEES, SCHEDULE, REGISTRATION - HERE.
 3) Every Friday on Facebook, I do Friday Live Storytelling for All. 11:05 am Mountain Time - US (adjust for your local time: time zone converter here).
- You don't need to "friend" me; the live stream as well as the recording of it is set to "Public" for viewing on my FB page here.
- 1 or 2 stories, 20-ish minutes usually. You can catch it live, or the recording of it that stays on my page...Come take a story break in your day!
NOTE: Occasionally I have to miss a Friday because of life happening, but you can always find videos of past stories on my page, too...Scroll on down!
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