Everyone Likes a Good Story

Everyone likes a good story and Friday night, we heard one from the past, and still present, as the storyteller recited her old tale. The heritage or tribe she came from in Vermont, took on the tone and form only familiar to me as that of having been associated with movies that I watched growing up. She had long black straight hair, was thin, average height, wore a soft brown hat and spoke with the accent of her ancestors in English. She described how life began from the earth as told to her,  past down through the ages, in the form of a character with an odd name. The story included the birds of the air, animals, even maple trees, and all life. She even had a song-- a lullaby composed for an infant, and led a special dance of friendship, while singing a repetitious song in her native language. All things are created to compliment and help each other on earth and everything has its own value. Her story pleaded a need always to coexist peacefully. Animals and plant life lived to serve us gladly. I quickly could see that love, unity and goodness surrounded a people who were wrongly called savage, by some. The words that I heard were of "thankfulness". She was respectful and thankful for all things that came to her and believed that all were given in a spirit of cooperation and goodwill for her existance. Maybe we could learn from people who have such stories, and not just be entertained by hearing them.