Wow! I was so honored by some many courageous people re-entering the workplace following a robbery. These courageous people went on to share their stories of what happened, how it effected them and how life is now different for them. So many individuals talked about the images, replaying the images of the robbery in their mind. A very normal response, for the moment.

Images, the foundational fabric of storytelling, their imprints on our minds eye and their impact on our lives. Maybe it is time, in our minds eye, to change the ending, or even the beginning. No one has the right to take up space in any one elses mind.

Yes, it is true, the armed robbers jumped the counter and instructed tellers to line up by the vault. No one ever expects a robbery to happen, but at that moment it did. Laying awake at night, or even during the day, seeing the robbers coming over the counter leaves one in a continue state of feeling powerless and vulnerable. Finding the courage to acknowledge that you did exactly what you needed to, knowing that you have nothing to do with the robber’s desire for the bank’s money, then changing the course of action in your own mind.

Hum, robbers entering the building at the precise moment the sheriff walks in to deposit his paycheck. The robber’s now startled, pause, pausing  just long enough for you to hit the silent alarm button. panicked, the robber runs out the door, with out the cash, unexpectedly  into the backseat of a local police car. A smile crosses your face as you watch the police car fade out of sight on its way to the police station.

The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them and learn to give them away where needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other’s memories. That is how people care for themselves. – Barry Lopez

Until next time . . . Let a Storyographer’s Journey Begin!

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