The Year of the Story

I have decided that 2009 is going to be the Year of the Story for me. I see lots of talking going on lately, but I see very little actual communication taking place. So I decided that I am going to start posting stories.

Everyone loves stories. And everyone HAS stories. If we started to fill the web up with actual STORIES it would be such a wonderful place to visit. The thing about stories is, they need an audience to work. So I am in the process of finding out how to get an audience on the web to read -or hear-my stories. And to get this audience to contribute them too. Because I am like everyone else- I LOVE to read stories. So here is my first story:

A friend of mine has a son named Sanue. He is a beautiful mocha skinned boy who is a year and a half old. For Christmas, I wanted to get him a child's book about Senegal. I searched all over and only found one sad looking one. So I thought I would write him a story myself.

I started to research things about Senegal, where is it for one thing? And how come there are no stories about Senengal for kids for another? Do they not have any stories? Here is what I found out.

Senegal is a former French Colonyon the west coast of Africa that is now independent. It has an interesting bit of land going through the middle of it called the Gambia. Like many African nations, it has gone through lots of upheaval. It is made up of lots of different cultures too.

The most interesting thing I found out about Senegal is that not only does it have stories, it has LOTS of them. It has people whose special purpose in life is to tell stories. These people are called Griots, and they were the story tellers of the ancient warrior kings and the task was passed down from generation to generation.

The Griots were responsible for keeping the stories of the ancient kings, of their great battles and noble deeds. They were also the keepers of the folk tales. And these folk tales involved the adventures of the local animals:

Leuk- the Hare who was known for his cunning and wit

Bouki- the Hyena who was known as a thief
Choi- the Parrot who was a terrible gossip
Gayndeh- theLion who was known for his courage

They also had magical people too:

Kouss-leprechauns
Konderong-dwarfs with long beards
Doma- witches

What a rich culture the Sengalese turned out to have. They have had storytellers for thousands of years! The stories just haven't made it into a transportable form yet. They are still told in an oral tradition. How long before these stories are lost? Are there still Griots in Africa? Are they still keeping the stories alive?

What about our stories. Who will tell them to the future.

Tell your story, the audience is here waiting for you. We want to hear it. Be the Griot of the Web and send it out. They are important to us- and the to future.

Make 2009 the Year of the Story. It's easy, just start typing- or talking.