The world is often a difficult place. Modern life can throw a lot of curveballs and obstacles in our way. And in the face of trouble and turmoil, sometimes the thing we need most is a reason to carry on so we can make the world a better place.
This Saturday, January 21st at the Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA and online via Zoom, Better Said Than Done will offer you six stories that’ll help us face those difficulties with Hope and Change: Stories to Believe In. Nick Baskerville is our master of ceremonies for the night, and he’ll be ushering up onto our stage storytellers Silvana Clark, Bonnie Gardner, Katie Green, Jennifer Hine, Sarah Snyder, and yours truly, Jack Scheer! Doors open at 6 P.M. Eastern, the show gets rolling at 7 o’clock.
In-person and online tickets are available here!
I asked our tellers (and myself) a question so we could all get an idea of their outlook on this show’s subject…
What’s one small thing that gives you hope or inspiration?
Here now are our answers…
Silvana Clark: Our first grandchild is two months old. I get hope from seeing the way her parents are raising her that she will be a kind and caring person. They’ll teach her to be a strong person that stands up for causes she believes in. I’m hoping she’ll be a positive influence in the world!
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Bonnie Gardner: One thing that gives me hope is teenagers. I live with one, and yeah, teens can be total pills sometimes, but mostly she and her friends inspire me. They embrace and celebrate diversity with an ease that my generation never could have mustered. Their passion for justice energizes me and gets me off the couch. They see a world of endless possibilities and solvable problems. I truly believe the future is in good hands.
Jennifer Hine: One thing that gives me hope is the kindness of strangers, even in challenging situation such as getting sick on vacation. Recently, I spent about 6 hours on a cold, windy day queuing up outside and inside a health clinic near Ottawa. While the thirty or more patients waited, we talked, shared chairs and standing spots in the crowded waiting room. A refugee from Iran told me his life story and gave advice to other patients.The overworked staff and doctor took time to treat us with compassion. I left with a warm feeling and some meds.
Jack Scheer: This may be obvious and perhaps even a tad corny, but I draw hope and inspiration from stories. And that’s been true since long before storytelling became my vocation. Whether it’s the kind of tales we tell at the Auld Shebeen, sweeping narratives in novels, epic filmed entertainment, fantastic superhero comic books, or even hearing about someone’s day, nothing in the world rouses me as much as a good story well told.
Sarah Snyder: What gives me inspiration is the beauty of our natural world. What gives me hope is the resilience of Mother Nature and of the human spirit. Although we’ve done a pretty good job of messing up the planet—and ourselves—I have hope that we can regain a positive connection to one another and to nature, both which we depend on for our very existence. Ever the optimist, me.
(We haven’t heard back from Katie Green as of press time. We look forward to finding out her hope and change tale on Saturday night!)
Now that we’ve given you some appetizers on the subject, come join us Saturday night at 7:00 Eastern for six full portions of hopeful goodness! Tickets start at $15 per person both in-person and online (with a $5 minimum option for the online show).
