Whilst searching through some files I found this piece which was written after a trip to Yorkshire.
Spinning a yarn has been seen as a Yorkshire trait, so was not surprised when it was two Yorkshire boys who complimented me by telling me “It must be great to live life as a story teller.” I had spent a few days travelling with a friend and when we passed through Derbyshire, childhood memories stirred and led to me narrating some stories. In Yorkshire, as I reconnected with family and met some news ones, I realised how truly inspiring narrating and listening to stories can be. It seems that you can make a story of anything, even a fleeting memory, which lifts the spirit and brings back some of the joy and excitement. Stories are also a powerful way of connecting with others or getting a message across. I have been telling stories all my life, first of all to my siblings and then cousins on sleepovers; although our parents did try and persuade us to go to sleep.
Over recent years, I have been reflecting on life’s journeys and wondering where my next step will take me. Living life as a story teller will help take this process into another direction and help me recall some of the amazing stories that have framed our lives. All stories have an element of truth but whilst narrating, we may not to keep to the original script just to ensure we keep to the essence of the story, or protect the innocent, the listener or ourselves.
I am keen to put pen to paper but where to start when there are so many stories. This weekend I was telling stories and the ones that got a lot of attention were “4 engagements, a wedding and divorce,” “fearing for one’s life over the South China Sea” or the pilgrimages, I have taken to sacred places such as Jerusalem. I shall start, however, by saying something about the two inspirational Yorkshire lads.
Two little Boys.
The boys’ response to why they had not been given twin names such as tweedle dee and tweedle dum or even fish and chips was simply to laugh and try and explain what their names meant. I now think of them as the A1 twins simply because they are truly amazing, inspirational and because of their initials. Children can be such fun; inventing games and being amused by the simplest things, such as an adult jumping on a plastic bottle, just to sort out the recycling.
They were born a minute apart so we decided to sit in silence for a minute to give ourselves a sense of what that meant. Sitting in silence for a minute can seem like a long time when you are not used to it, but we managed despite a few giggles. It is all relative but your sex and chronological position within a family can be very important. I have known families where the eldest son had so much power and responsibility that it left the youngest with very little to do. In some cases, this led the youngest to go and find an adventure outside of the family but in others the younger lived in the shadows of the older. The elder, may also, have felt overwhelmed by the responsibility.
This hopefully, will not happen to these twins, because both of them are as bright as buttons, creative and have quite distinct personalities: they even recognised the Shakespearean quotes that I used. They are very supportive of each other and shared a story about how if one of them got hurt, the other would give him a hug and let him watch whatever he wished, on the television. When one of them does not quite feel up facing a challenge the other, will explains it in such a way that he will not feel belittled.
When A1 said “it must be great to live life as a story teller” I had not realised what story tellers they both were. They regularly got their “Super Mario Bros Figure Toy Dolls” to enact stories and recorded this, so they could entertain themselves and their wider family. I think, I saw episodes of two different stories and during one viewing, the toys were all lined up as if, we were at the Oscars.
They both declared their intention of becoming doctors at the local supermarket so just like the “two little boys” with their “two little toys”will watch out for each other. (“Two Little Boys” is a song written by Theodore F. Morse and Edward Madden in 1902. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Little_Boys)
May we all be well, healthy and strong:
May we all be happy.
May we all abide in peace
May we all feel safe and secure
May we all be forgiven and forgiving.
May we all feel loved and cared for.
