Storytelling at the Ryga Arts Festival

WOAH!

So I did this thing...

I challenged myself.

a BIG challenge.

I BOMBED on stage!

I went to this event, UNSPOKEN at the Ryga Arts Festival in Summerland, BC, with the intent to listen to the storytellers.

Within the event's introduction the concept of the one minute story BOMB* was introduced with the expectation of first come, first served. People would be invited to bomb throughout the evening in between the headliners...

I didn't have a plan and I didn't think I could meet the BOMB challenge so I did nothing.

By intermission this had changed.

I asked the host if there was still a spot, but it had appeared the event was full, so she said she would let me know.

I didn't hear back and the storytellers continued so I sat back and let out a sigh of relief.

Until I heard my name...

***

My story was prompted between a brief introduction with the table stranger I sat beside.

He asked me if I was from Summerland.

I gave a simple answer to this simple question.

"Penticton."

We continued with polite conversation until the event began...

***

I was at one of my first UBC Longhouse gatherings.

An elderly Indigenous man asked me where I was from. I thought it was a simple question and I gave him a simple answer. I didn't get it right.

He asked me again. I then thought maybe he meant where in Vancouver was I from. So I told him.

I still didn't get it right.

He touched my arm lightly and looked directly into my eyes and asked me again, softly.

This time I got it.

I told him about my People.

***

This is the gist of the story I told in under 60 seconds. I received applause and some handshakes throughout the evening to let me know it was well received.

I sit here typing this several days later and I still cannot believe I did that. I am so proud of the accomplishment and I look forward to what other "yes" moments I will have in the future.

Thank you Ryga Arts Festival for organizing such an event and thank you table stranger for the story prompt.

I really enjoyed BOMBING for the first time on stage.

-- SR --

*To BOMB is when you are invited to present a one minute story and you cannot speak for longer than that or you get BOMBED (basically an explosive sound by the audience is made and you have to leave the stage).