Our world is full of contradictions. Moments, events, and even the words of others can make you feel both happy and sad to hopeful yet frustrated. Shedding light on the contradictions within us and in society might be uncomfortable, but it helps us identify the reality and illuminate the positive.
As our first teller, Teju the Storyteller, told the audience at the “Fool Proof” StorySlam in April 2014, he was having “one of those days” – by all means, it was a very bad day. He’d moved to New York to be a musician but two of his three drums had been stolen, his bandmate fired him, and he had been kicked out of his apartment. As he carried his drum over his shoulder and walked down the street mad and depressed, a passing gentleman stopped Teju in his tracks with his own sad story. It put things into perspective, and inspired him to live in the moment and look for the happiness that can be found there.
Our second story comes from teacher Mary K., who recalls how a routine shift supervising recess turned into an unforgettable lesson about making assumptions. Mary is white and teaches at a predominantly black school with a predominantly white school next door just beyond a chain link fence.
On a cold March day, she saw children from each side of the fence meeting there. She told the audience at the Fellows & Facilitators: Interrogating Whiteness event in February 2018 that the image struck her as hopeful but sad.
After digging deeper into what she was feeling, she realized she couldn’t escape her own biases and fears.
Listen to these two tales of following your gut here:
Upcoming Events: The “Gut Feeling” Season 10 New Year Spectacular StorySlam will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23 at Turner Hall. Purchase tickets at exfabula.org/tickets. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to Ex Fabula’s first donor drive; we reached our $3,000 goal! If you’re interested in becoming a member, the beginning of the season is the perfect time of year to do so. Learn more at here.
