Stories.

I have always felt a particular draw to Atlanta. I love that it is in the South, the weather is not too extreme, it has a "big city" vibe without being overwhelming and MOST importantly, the green space. I love the trees. I love that, everyday, I can accesss natural beauty by simply walking out of the front door. I now live in Decatur, a "suburb" of Atlanta and I live about a quarter of a mile from the Decatur cemetery. Several times a week when I run, I go through this beautiful space. Some people think it's weird or "dark" to spend time in a place dedicated to those who have passed but I never think about it that way. Not only is this a beautiful and perfectly maintained green space, but it contains acres of stories. Stories that have fallen silent through the the passing from life to death, but stories that exist somewhere in some space. I try to imagine what life was like for these people. There is one woman, Barbara Dean, who lived to be 100 years old. Born in 1895 and died in 1995, I wonder what all she saw in her lifetime. The advent of automotives, air travel, several MAJOR wars, she was thriving through the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's...and so on, she saw man land on the moon....she saw huge cultural and social changes in her lifetime...I cannot imagine a time more full of innovation, progress, change and conflict than what was her lifetime. And there she is, right in my backyard. She lies alone in her single grave. I wonder what her family was like, if she had any, how she died, who was with her in her last moments. I imagine that she had so many amazing stories and I wish I could know them. When I look out onto this beautiful space, I think that there are so many millions of stories that have passed onto the "great beyond" and I think of how important it is to share your own stories. That sharing something of yourself is the greatest gift you can give.


At Portfolio Center, we spent a LOT of time discussing the importance of story telling and how allowing your personal stories to inform your work could make your work more poignant and authentic. This is, perhaps, the MOST important thing I walked away from PC understanding. At Brighthouse, it is something we talk about daily. Walking through that cemetery reminds me to continue to tell my own stories and ask others to share theirs.