I’ve got a front hall closet where I keep (read throw) old stuff. Things I know I’ll never use again, but that I am loathe to throw out: board games; some old books; sheet music I used to use for auditioning; hats I don’t wear anymore; old photographs…and lots of other “stuff”. Maybe you have a closet like that, or a basement or attic. There’s more than just “stuff” in there. It’s a treasure trove of stories!
About five years ago, I found a bag of old hats in my closet. One hat was one I had purchased in a shop at Seaport Village in San Diego over ten years ago. At the time, I didn’t know what I would do with it; I just thought it was clever. It was a “frog” hat that when turned inside-out, turned into a crown! I had thrown it into that bag years ago, and forgotten all about it.
When I pulled it out, I smiled. I had just begun my formal journey as a storyteller. Now it had greater meaning. Yes, the story of the princess and the frog. But I didn’t like the Grimm version, or any others I found online. Only one thing to do…write my own version! And so, I wrote The Princess and the Storyteller Frog. It has become my signature story, the one I go to when I need a solid punch. The one that is emblematic of who I am. It is my story.
So, go inside that closet. See what’s there. Or perhaps take a virtual trip through the attic or basement of a place you grew up in, or once lived. Each item there contains a host of memories; of people; of difficult times and joyous ones too. Some may spark snippets of stories that can be combined with others to make a “string of pearls.” Some may hold a complete story. Some may be the seeds of a tale that you know not how it will end. But they all are links to memories. Memories that can be turned into stories.