The first full week in October is, for me and Sheila (and a few thousand fellow storytelling/listening enthusiasts) a very special time every year. Since 2009 we have always planned to be here in Joneborough, Tennessee for the National Storytelling Festival. Since 2013 we have always planned to be at Storybrook Farm, the beautiful bed and breakfast enterprise of John and Diane Vogt. Then came the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021 we had to attend "virtually". But we are back. John and Diane have retired and closed the B&B, BUT have invited us to stay this year anyway!
Tonight Donald Davis, the dean of American storytellers, gave us a little over an hour of his stories of growing up in Waynesville in the mountains of North Carolina. I had heard most of those stories before, but still enjoyed every minute. Wetting his pants in first grade. Knocking out his classmate's tooth in second grade. Trips to the principals office in junior high and high school. Skipping school with the valedictorian and salutatorian senior year. Stories of embarrassment, mischief, and love. How wonderful to get to know his teachers and classmates and feel his appreciation for each of them.
Jonesborough is not my hometown at all. But arriving here, especially after this long absence, feels a lot like coming home.
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