Year of the story, I like it! I resonate with this, especially: "We have long touted doctors and lawyers as societal gold standards- but it has always been the storytellers who have kept us alive." I was definitely always encouraged, growing up, to consider becoming a doctor or lawyer (or engineer like my dad) - and it took many years to gather up the guts to try to be a writer (a kind of storyteller) instead. These days I think a lot about the kinds of work/hobbies/music/art/play/laughter etc. that make life vibrant and joyful and how crucial these things are to our lives and communities.
I’m in Okinawa, Japan and last night a group of kids who joyfully greeted me asked me what I did, and I (after leaving my job in marketing and brand storytelling less than two months ago to come here and find rest and recovery) told them, I’m a writer. They asked, “What do you write?” I said, “I tell stories”. It’s the only way I’ve ever wanted to be seen and known and it’s been a long time trying to get back here. This place not only feels like a second home, it feels like the home I want to write all my stories in. It’s where I want the next set of storytelling to be honed and to be “homed”.
You are hands down my favorite storyteller on here. I can almost taste your words and feel them as I’m reading them. And I find myself coming back to it over and over again like I’m riding past my favorite bridge or waterfront.
This is the kindest comment I could receive- thank you! I would love to know what led you to Okinawa and how you were able to carve out the space you needed to heal.
The short answer is I felt prompted by God to visit Japan for my birthday last December for the first time and while on my way I met a 22yo young man serving in the infantry department in the army in Okinawa. He was the one to tell me about Okinawa.
I had only planned to be on “mainland” Japan. But the few days I got to spend here during that trip left me undone just by somehow naturally making me feel the most at home inside my body as a person of color than I’ve felt since I was a child - which I’ve only been able to put more words to why since my first week back.
When I went back home after the first trip things started changing rather quickly and there had been quite a few signs leading up that which let me know that it was time to take some courageous steps. A few weeks later I put in my 30 day resignation from my job of 9+ years, and had some very specific things that happened that redirected me to Okinawa.
So with the money I got from selling my car I booked an extended trip here for 6 weeks. I’ll be taking it one month at a time from here on staying with friends here and there and recovering from compound effect of the last 9 years on my body and giving the work I’ve been doing in therapy and otherwise room to sink in.
Year of the story, I like it! I resonate with this, especially: "We have long touted doctors and lawyers as societal gold standards- but it has always been the storytellers who have kept us alive." I was definitely always encouraged, growing up, to consider becoming a doctor or lawyer (or engineer like my dad) - and it took many years to gather up the guts to try to be a writer (a kind of storyteller) instead. These days I think a lot about the kinds of work/hobbies/music/art/play/laughter etc. that make life vibrant and joyful and how crucial these things are to our lives and communities.
I’m in Okinawa, Japan and last night a group of kids who joyfully greeted me asked me what I did, and I (after leaving my job in marketing and brand storytelling less than two months ago to come here and find rest and recovery) told them, I’m a writer. They asked, “What do you write?” I said, “I tell stories”. It’s the only way I’ve ever wanted to be seen and known and it’s been a long time trying to get back here. This place not only feels like a second home, it feels like the home I want to write all my stories in. It’s where I want the next set of storytelling to be honed and to be “homed”.
You are hands down my favorite storyteller on here. I can almost taste your words and feel them as I’m reading them. And I find myself coming back to it over and over again like I’m riding past my favorite bridge or waterfront.
This is the kindest comment I could receive- thank you! I would love to know what led you to Okinawa and how you were able to carve out the space you needed to heal.
The short answer is I felt prompted by God to visit Japan for my birthday last December for the first time and while on my way I met a 22yo young man serving in the infantry department in the army in Okinawa. He was the one to tell me about Okinawa.
I had only planned to be on “mainland” Japan. But the few days I got to spend here during that trip left me undone just by somehow naturally making me feel the most at home inside my body as a person of color than I’ve felt since I was a child - which I’ve only been able to put more words to why since my first week back.
When I went back home after the first trip things started changing rather quickly and there had been quite a few signs leading up that which let me know that it was time to take some courageous steps. A few weeks later I put in my 30 day resignation from my job of 9+ years, and had some very specific things that happened that redirected me to Okinawa.
So with the money I got from selling my car I booked an extended trip here for 6 weeks. I’ll be taking it one month at a time from here on staying with friends here and there and recovering from compound effect of the last 9 years on my body and giving the work I’ve been doing in therapy and otherwise room to sink in.