Editor's Note More than a crumb

I recently read on a social media site, "I am leaving this as a crumb." Many crumbs we find lead nowhere, or worse, only to crumby feelings.

When I find crumbs, I want crumbs that lead to something. I want crumbs that lead to a deeper understanding of the subject. I want to find crumbs that provide a little nourishment for the soul. I think we want to be connected by information and stories. We want to grow in unity and community.

The crumbs that lead us nowhere are pushing us apart. Our daily information systems have become filled with hyperbole aimed at division. Are we becoming numb after so many years of shock-value news cycles and in-your-face postings? Have we become satisfied with pushing apart from friends and family?

"We all know this delicious feeling of being swept into a story world," says Liz Neeley, who directs The Story Collider. "You forget about your surroundings," she says, "and you're entirely immersed." NPR 2020- How Stories Connect And Persuade Us: Unleashing The Brain Power Of Narrative.

We want stories. We want more than small talk. We want connections. We want to be swept away by our community involvement and contribution to the story. We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and matter in the story.

We need lyrics. We need harmony. We need stories of unity.

Some of the best days are when I am with family, and we remember the stories of our lives together. Like the time when we were kids and drove around Washington, D.C., past the Lincoln Memorial multiple times, lost on the Capital Beltway. Someone made a joke, and my dad told us all to go to sleep in the back of the station wagon. I like to tell the story of our honeymoon when we drove across the country, taking pictures, and discovering at the end of the day there was no film in the camera.

A good story is more than a crumb, it is the trail that inspires us. A story is a map of who we are and a guiding star to potential. A story is the memory of people we lost, the laughter of our friends, and that time when nothing better than that ever could have happened.

PAN-O-PLY hopes to fill that need for story, lyric, and harmony. We hope to help fill the gaps in life's little injuries with something good.

Maybe we can't save the world with a story, but we can begin to listen and work toward building a better understanding of each other by listening to each others’ stories.

Come spend time with us at Mind, Body Spirit Festival on May 3rd from 11:00 - 5:00 PM. (consciousmichiana.com) We will have story hour at our space, featuring poetry, memories, and possibly a little acoustical music. Please, join us and come tell your story.

Thank you for reading PAN-O-PLY.