Click on the picture to jump to the Winter 2024 (Volume 3, Issue 4) or HERE.
It is that time of year when we all become children again. It is that chill in the air, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, the shimmering lights, and giddy excitement of the Holidays. There is that exquisite anticipation of opening presents and seeing relatives and old friends.
In these divisive times, when it might not be so easy to bridge gaps and connect with folks, there is an even greater need for stories and storytellers. In traditional cultures, cultural wisdom and expectations were passed down through stories. These stories told people who they were, what they valued, and their relationship to each other and the world around them. Today, there is so much information, so many stories coming at us, that it may be difficult to determine what is true and what to believe. Over time that which is true will persist, but what do we do in the meanwhile?
We can look to touchstone stories like Dickens’ Christmas Carol, which pluck at universal chords of human existence. Be kind and treat others with respect. There is something satisfying and reassuring in such stories, especially in midst of change. Truth is best accepted clothed in story. No one wants to see the naked truth or to be lectured. Story allows us to take in truth in a non-threatening way.
For those who do not like the truth that they perceive, there is also the story of King Solomon’s Ring. Folks noticed that whenever Solomon was very happy, he would look at the inscription in his ring and become somber. Whenever in despair, he would look at the inscription and find solace. When he died, folks looked at the inscription in the ring and it simply said, “This too shall pass.”
Do you ever notice that when little kids fight, they are direct, blunt, make up quickly, and go back to playing? They live in the present, the here and now. As grownups we live in the past nursing old wounds, holding grudges, or worrying about the future. We spend very little time in the present. Perhaps, in this festive season, we can consider going back to being little kids again, live in the here and now, and breathe.
The Story Beast is your quarterly e-Pub forum and is a place of community. Please share your creative works–poems, stories, artwork, or articles with us and tell your friends about us. Let us know what you think and sent your contributed works to storybeasteditor@gmail.com.
The deadline for contributions for the next issue of The Story Beast is February 15 for the Spring 2025 issue. The Spring issue’s theme is Growing Gab. Thanks for reading and remember that truth wrapped in story is a beautiful thing easy to accept and love. That’s the way it is and the way it will always be.
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