Last night, Master Storyteller Donald Davis told stories at Friends Home West. For an hour, he transported the full house to yesteryear, when times were simpler and family and community meant everything. He told three stories, the kind that weave and twist around, and about 20 minutes later come back to around to tie everything together. The above photo is an action shot, catching him using hand gestures, eye contact, and different voices to portray events and characters in his past. The first story was about family, the circus, and kittens, and the the Octopus ride. The second was about family, church and longing to be old enough to sit with the 13 and up boys in the upper loft of the church. The third was about the 1960s version of online dating at Davison College why it didn't work, and how he ultimately found love, the old fashioned way. By the end of the three stories, we had traversed his childhood, teen years, and adulthood.
At the end of the night, Mr. Davis encouraged everyone to think about those special memories from long ago, the ones that get tucked away and sometimes need a little prompting to resurrect. He was supposed to present last month, but 11 inches of snow kept him housebound in Okracoke. Last night, the planets aligned and Mr. Davis, joined by his wife Trish, journeyed to Greensboro and made the evening special for oh so many of us. It is easy to see why he is considered a national treasure.
Happy Saturday!