The Work of Stories
When upended by fate, many of us find ourselves lost in a flood of emotions, without a story to guide us through struggle. We develop stories of resourcefulness in conversations with others. I invite you to go through adversity with me and the women I have interviewed to find your story of resilience..
We are all limited by the stories that we know, but we can search for alternative stories in our less known experience and through the stories of others. Changing the stories that we tell, and that others tell about us, is not easy. As a family therapist before I had faced personal catastrophe, I encouraged couples and families to search for stories on the edges of their memories or imagination. I knew that stories that had been forgotten or never told, held answers to current questions. I did this with others, but I did not know how to do this for myself. My family stories had been prescriptions for how to avoid disaster, and did not offer me any guidance for hard times.
It wasn't until I worked in Kosova, following the war there, that I became curious again about living through hard times. I was in Kosova as part of a U.S. team working with Kosovar mental health professionals developing their mental health system. Our team met many women who had faced the horrors of the war, but one woman, Zepa, stood out from all the rest. It was she who led me to want to know more about what it takes to stand up against fate. Keep posted to read Zepa's story soon.
From a reader:Already prepared to write a new life story? Check out well-known Buddhist teacher Sandy Boucher's workshop: Write your story or any part of it. -- Sunday, November 12, 2006 … 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m FEE: $65-95 sliding scale
Bring lunch. Tea provided
LOCATION: 1725 Francisco Street
Berkeley (near No. Bkly BART)
To register: Send the full fee or ½ fee to: Sandy Boucher…3912 Forest Hill Ave…Oakland, CA 94602. For more information, call Sandy at (510) 530-0812 or email her at sandbou@sandyboucher.net.
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