Around The Fire

Last night, the National Storytelling Conference kicked off here in LA.  I really  had no idea what to expect.  I'm used to the churchy meetings that I typically attend.  Those I know.  The people, the schedule, the topics all so familiar that I can go through them while sleep-walking.

I walked into the ballroom and didn't know a single one of the 450 or so who were gathered.  I had often wondered who might show up at a storytelling conference.  How does someone decide they are a storyteller?  Do they wake up one morning and say, "Gosh darn it, I think I can really tell a yarn."  There is no governing body to ordain someone, so all that is necessary is a self-declaration.  "I am a storyteller," and then you are.  It is not like the Kentucky Derby where you have to earn enough money before you're in the field, you just have to show up.

So to be honest, I guess I suspected a rather motley bunch.  Some who really were professionals.  Others who were wannabes.  Many square pegs who didn't fit into the round holes of usual society.  Generally, I thought there might be a hippie/artist vibe.

So as I sat there, the reality that emerged was far different.  Yes, there were a few folks who looked just like I thought they would, but they were the minority.  Most of the crowd was just as plain as any other group that I attend.  It was surprisingly 75% female (Are women more attune to the narrative of life?).  The group was also older.  I was among the younger members of the group (which may be true or it may be my vast underestimation of my actual age).  I'm not sure whether this speaks to the freedom of travel and resources of older people or is instead a warning about the devaluing of oral tradition in a digital age.

The program was excellent (I got more stories I could poach for preaching in two hours than I ever get at a preaching conference).  The room was full of energy and we heard a variety of voices.  The highlight may have been Locked Up In Malibu.  These were incarcerated juveniles who as a part of their rehabilitation take part in an improv group.

It is a great conference, but I still feel a little odd though.  Yes, I tell stories--but I am uncomfortable calling myself a storyteller.  Then again, I read this week that the word "gospel" is from the Old English meaning "God's story."  So preaching is really story-telling.  And I guess that makes me a story-teller whether I choose that title for myself or not.