October 7, 2025

 

A Happy Note, A Sad Note, A Cliffhanger – Three Unrelated Observations

A Happy Note

We had the great pleasure this past weekend of attending the International Storytelling Festival, in nearby Jonesborough, TN. This is a tradition with us since our first exposure years ago revealed a unique and marvelous experience. It is a happy experience and one with lessons for us all.

This small town, of about 4,000 people, hosts an international celebration of the great art of storytelling. About 14,000 of us show up every year to join the party. The Storytelling Center and the town do a marvelous job of hosting so many visitors, making it easy to navigate among dozens of storytelling events every day.

We almost overloaded ourselves on the first day this year – we started at 10 am and left the last presentation just before midnight. One would think that is all the storytelling anyone could absorb in a weekend, but we were happily back at it early the next morning.

So, What Makes This Festival So Good?

There are surely many elements, but for me, three factors dominate.

One, storytelling is a treasured historical and culture practice, and these people bring it to a level that is hard to describe. You find yourself completely absorbed in each story, be they funny (as most are) or poignant.

Two, the variety of storytellers seems to grow every year. In the early days (the Center has been hosting this event for 52 years), this was mostly storytelling by old Southern White men. That is still a good sized contingent, but today about half the storytellers are women, a whole new generation is coming into prominence, and storytellers come from all over the country and from several other countries. The mix is one of the best parts of all this.

Three, it is that rare time wherein thousands of people come to one spot and decide NOT to fight over politics, religion, or culture. For a few days, we focus on common elements of being a human being. In this place, people sit down next to people they do not know and are likely to never see again and launch into fun and meaningful conversations.

It is an awesome thing to see and to experience.  There is the occasional joke or storyline about politics, religion, or culture, but they are done in such a manner that no one seems mad about any of it. Remarkable.

The International Storytelling Center is truly a national treasure. They run shorter programs all year and the big festival always comes on the first weekend in October. Some folks come for just a day, some for longer visits, some pick up what is offered online. Whatever works for you, I could not recommend more strongly to check it out and take part. You will be glad you did. Check them out and make plans early: https://www.storytellingcenter.net

A Sad Note

“Today, the world is a smaller, sadder place.” I found myself uttering those words years ago when Carl Sagan, the great astrophysicist, cosmologist, and teacher to the masses, died in 1996. We lost so much when he left us, and he had so much more still to share with us.

The exact same phrase came to mind last week with the passing of Jane Goodall. What a remarkable person, and what gifts she gave us all. She broke the mold, against long and harsh resistance of scientific study of animals.

Her early work reminded me of the old joke that a group of Medieval scholars were having a heated argument over how many teeth are in a horse’s mouth. They argued passionately for hours, with no conclusion. Finally, a stable hand who was passing by their room spoke up and said, “Why don’t you go outside, look the horse, and count the teeth?”

Jane Goodall did the same with chimpanzees. She gave them names, learned about them as individuals and as members of tribes, and spent enough time in the field with them to become effectively part of those communities.

Eventually, the evidence she gathered was undeniable – animals are much more complex and evolved than people had imagined, Her fellow scientists came around to understand what she provided – many of the traits we had thought of as limited only to humans are shared by many other species.

Goodall went on to be not only a first rate scientist, but an accomplished observer, something of a philosopher, a role model, and a great teacher. She died on the road, still sharing her wisdom with others. Today, the world is indeed a bit smaller and darker. We shall all miss her greatly. We owe her much.

A Cliffhanger

We may be coming to some crucial crossing points for the future of America. Many have worried long that Trump and company might decide to just ignore court orders. They have tried to do so in the past, having lost hundreds of court cases already, but have done so in trying to end run decisions by gamesmanship.

The latest proposed misuse of federal troops in Portland might be the one wherein they simply ignore the court or falsely call to implant the Insurrection Act. What the Supreme Court (not an encouraging resource these days), governors, and military commanders will do in such a case is that cliffhanger.

Not really an overstatement to say that pretty much everything is at stake in such a scenario. We don’t get to look the other way any longer. People who find themselves in historic crossroads now need to do the right thing. And we need to support those who do so.

See you next week.

Bill Clontz (and a friend at the Storytelling Festival)

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