Hey there, Reader! It's Tuesday again.
I've been trying to condense 30 years into 10 minutes. . .
For the past couple of months, I have been working with two storytelling coaches in preparation for tomorrow's HTX Storytellers which is part of an ongoing Houston Landing series.
The theme for tomorrow's event is Love & Heartbreak and in my life I've had plenty of both.
The challenge I've faced in telling this story is how much is too much and how little is not enough. Finding the right balance has been very much giving Goldilocks vibes.
It's been really weird to tell the same story multiple times and hear it back through the lens of professional storytellers who want to help me deliver it in a way that is good for listeners. Could you say less about this thing that feels really important in your reliving the story? Could you say more about this thing that feels and seems trivial? Of course that's not their framing - it's mine.
I'm walking a tightrope of remembering the details of moments that have been crafted over 30 years, leaning into my own vulnerability and trying to share only the parts of the story that are mine to share. I don't know, can't know, the things that are true for the other people in the story - and of course, there are many people in the story.
I thought I had the story set in the way it wanted to be told and then we had a run through last night. I'd focused on sticking with the time limit of approximately 10 minutes, so I cut out some details that might have helped the listener be in the room with me in those moments of deep love and hard decisions.
As words sometimes do, bits and pieces that wanted to be included woke me up this morning. Some of them will likely find a space.
I'm nervous.
I fancy myself a decent storyteller. But I'm so often buoyed by keyboard courage. My heart and my fingertips have a really special connection. And when I present for groups, I usually have a slideshow to use as training wheels. Slides help me know where I am and what I meant to say next.
Tomorrow, it will just be me and a mic and a spotlight. And it's my story. It's my real life - to the best of my recollection - in 10, or so, minutes. I'm really proud of who I've become despite the things that tried to break me, or the ways I tried to break myself, and I want to share in a way that honors the journey. Even after the two coaches provided by Houston Landing, I also reached out to my longtime friend and professional storyteller - Alexus Grace - to get feedback from someone who might more closely resemble my shared context.
It seems ironic, but not coincidental, that I'm getting to share this part of my story in a year when I decided to focus on Stories That Shape Us.
If you're in Houston, I hope you'll join us tomorrow evening in person. I'm told there are still some remaining seats. I'm also told it's being recorded, so I'll try to remember to share.
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Lunch & Learn
I found my first co-conspirator (Anne Slater) who is partnering with me to introduce A More HUMAN Approach™ to a community of therapists. If that's you, and you'd like to participate, please register here.
If you'd like to join the co-conspirator club - let's chat!
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I'm so sad to say that we had to reimagine Fable-Ish Fridays. We won't be hosting on Fridays in February, but keep your eyes open for other opportunities to discuss fables together.
