Last night I sat in the room where my personal storytelling journey began. Five storytellers got on stage and shared their hearts and souls in the form of words crafted into a beginning, a middle and an end. They told their stories to a packed crowd of story lovers at Wiley's Comedy Club
in Downtown Dayton. There were tears, there was laughter, there was food and drink and community. It was remarkable and touching. It was reverent and outrageous. It was raw and real.
The theme was “Lost and Found” and over the course of the evening we each lost ourselves in the stories and found that we were, in some way, the same as the person telling us about their lives.
Nicole Ruttencutter shared a story about finding her way to the man who eventually became her husband. Allie Hundley made us laugh with her story about finding out that the best deals do not always turn out as expected. Becky Koop brought tears to our eyes when the song that she and her son danced to at his wedding played on the radio on a windy road in Idaho the night she met her baby grandson for the first time. Sandra Combs brought us into her dreams to find her one thing. Faith Robertson gave us the gift of forgiveness as she revealed her storied family history and brought us to the loving relationship that exists in the wake of grace.
With each story, I was captivated. I was touched. I was in the moment. And that is the power of stories. They connect us to one another.
Everyone has a story to share. Share yours.