I think of myself as a storyteller, from a long line of storytellers. Apparently when I was four years old, my grandfather told a story about space aliens and candies, that I later wrote as a birthday present for my father. My great Aunt read my story and said, “This is Ed’s story, (my grandfather).
My grandfather passed away when I was five, so that particular story must have lived with me somewhere, tucked inside the crevices of my brain, until I wrote it down, in my thirties, to send to my father.
My very first recollection of storytelling began in elementary school. I would pretend a creaking sound I made (during class) was the drawbridge of a palace as I created Kings and Queens and horses galloping inside my head. I got in a lot of trouble for that.
In my middle school years, I would wander over to a row of new houses in development and stand on the front porches as I sang and told stories to the mountains (and imaginary villagers) during sunset.
By high school I was sitting in front of a full-length mirror, staring at myself (as all teenagers do) and would tell stories into that mirror for hours as I completely lost track of time.
All of this could certainly be seen as abnormal, but a quote comes to mind, that I love (I’m not sure who created it) “Who wants to be normal, that’s a setting on a dryer.”
My storytelling continues to this day, as I sift through the stories constantly streaming through my mind as I reach up and grab the ones that seem to stick and write them down.
For all I know they’re just my grandfather’s stories, repackaged in my consciousness. Maybe that’s all stories are, new versions of story passed down in time, to hear, read, tell; to the next generations.
When Lynne T Pickett traveled it felt like; in a covered wagon, but actually in a u-haul with three cats, from the east coast to the west coast many years ago. She has more than a dozen stories published in literary publications online and in print. Lynne has a broadcast journalism degree from Syracuse University and a postgraduate certificate from Broadway’s Circle in the Square theatre school.
