“The storytelling gift is innate: one has it or one doesn’t. But style is at least partly a learned thing: one refines it by looking and listening and reading and practice – by work.” - Donna Tartt

We made it! Angel and I attended the Facilitator in Training workshop conducted by the Center for Digital Storytelling at Stonebridge Farm (Lyons, Colorado), 9-14 August 2010. We met and enjoyed fellow digital storytellers from various states and one from Canada. Sara, Bev, Charlene, Kate, Melissa, and Nina – we will remember you for a long time! Daniel Weinshenker, Stefani Sese, and Kayann Short – thank you for the wonderful time! You have been a great help in our learning process.

“Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.” ~Stella Adler

I felt so nourished to have attended for the first time Via Affirmativa (at Glen Eyrie, Colorado Springs) – a gathering of artists from various places.;-) One of the performances the other night was — tango! Yay! “More, more!” we requested. The dancers are from Spain and Greece. Ah, lovely!

Took a train from Portland to Seattle. Met a nice fellow train traveller. My name reminded him of a song, he said. So here it goes. Thank you, Jonathan, for the song, and so far, for the friends and places that left a big smile on my heart. Forever grateful! Cheers!

On my way to Seattle from Portland, I had a good chat with a fellow train traveler. Talked about work, life, culture, history, etc. After some silence, he pulled a paper from his bag and showed me a poem given to him by a friend – ‘Letting Go Takes Love’. I took notice of the words ‘letting go’. How interesting! When I began this journey, I’ve written on my journal on Day 1: “…But I guess most, if not all, journeys begin by letting go, by saying goodbye to something, or someone…” And I did. A stranger reminded me that today. He had no clue how much it meant to me.

To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization I can’t control another.
To let go is not to enable, but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody, but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more and to let go and to let God, is to find peace!
Remember: The time to love is short.
- author unknown

Today I begin my 58-day journey. I will be traveling, visiting places, and people. Most exciting of all, I will be journeying into the vast landscape of my heart as I seek what’s next for me.

I saw this hardbound notebook at the bookshop the other day. Just perfect! Bought it for myself. I will write here my daily adventure.

As I travel around, I will be reading Amelia Earhart’s book (first published in 1928! ) “20 Hrs., 40 min (Our Flight in the Friendship)”.

She tells her story about her first Atlantic crossing, as a passenger. In 1932, she made her own historic solo feat. Sadly, she is best remembered for her disappearance in 1937 in the South Pacific. She’s a woman who dared to wander and wonder; to fly, fail, love, and live.

I had this book in my shelf  for couple of days now. I had to resist hard the urge to read it before my trip. Today, as I take my flight to Cebu, I shall allow myself the pleasure of getting into the pages of Amelia’s story!

“Ms. Aurelia, what’s your dream?” One of the 11-year-old girls in our digital storytelling workshop asked.

I was delighted, yet taken aback by the question.

Angel and I gave ideas for them to choose from for their digital story. We thought it would be great to encourage these young ones to discover and be bold about their dreams, to give them a place to speak out what they would like to be when they grow up.

It was interesting to hear their I-want-to-be stories.  We have upcoming astronaut, doctors, singers, flight attendants, and hip hop dancer in that workshop couple of weeks ago.

“Hmm…I’ve always wanted to be a writer and a teacher,” I replied.

“Oh, so I’ll read your first book then!”

I laughed, and reluctantly said, “Sure, thanks! I’ll send you a copy!”

The other girls raised their hands and screamed, “Me, too!”

Haha. I was put on the spot. My heart blushed. I thought I was there to do something for them. To help them make a digital story, of course. But more than the activity, I love the thought of making the girls think and own and sing out their dreams. So freely, boldly – they did. But it was a two-way thing. They have reminded me, pushed me, refreshed me with my dreams as well.

I went home beaming.

“Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe, but what do dreams know of boundaries?” – Amelia Earhart

Today is my last day at work. I have resigned from my job here in Singapore after great four years. I am set to fly one of the oceans I am bound to fly!

If you ask what’s next for me? I will smile and tell you, “I don’t know.  Nothing is certain yet.”  What do dreams know of fears and uncertainties, after all? Amelia said, if it’s worth the risk you’re taking, then stop worrying!

My heart is inclined to pursue digital storytelling and other media-writing-related jobs on a full-time basis and a larger scale here in Singapore or somewhere else.

For the next couple of months, I will be on the road, on the sea, and on the sky! It’s going to be a 56-day journey for me. I will start by making a trip to the Philippines to see my family and friends. Shortly after that, I will be back in Singapore, then fly to the US! My colleague and friend, Angeline Koh, another “flyer”, will visit the Center for Digital Storytelling (CDS) in San Francisco (where digital storytelling began). In August, we will join a five-day Facilitators Intensive Training conducted by CDS in Denver. We will also conduct a three-day digital storytelling workshop with the Navigators in Colorado Springs and attend Via Affirmativa, a conference for people in the arts and media. Every summer, about a hundred art makers come together for a festival and a celebration of beauty and creativity. This year’s theme is “Unfolding Stories”.

Ah, yes, unfolding stories. Unfolding skies and oceans for me.

Here’s one of the digital stories produced in our workshop last April. One of my favourites.

“I will never forget Pete. He showed me that a person can be happy if he looks for the good in all things. He showed me that giving one’s best is the only way to do something. He showed me that judging other people only leads to unhappiness within. He showed me that a good beer is always better than a bad one. Most importantly, he showed me that being a true friend is the greatest gift a person can give. Pete may be gone from this world, but I try to be a little bit more like Pete each and every day.”

A story by Colin Emerson. Digital Storytelling Workshop, 8-10 April 2010. Singapore.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” – Victor Hugo

I emailed someone last week how hurt I was about something. I felt so down and trashed inside. Just after I clicked the ’send’ button, I received a message on my Facebook from a young friend, Loveth, a nursing student. 

What she wrote me turned the bitter taste of my tears to that of unsolicited joy and comfort.:-)

Here’s an extract of her message (with her permission):

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“Hi, Ate Au! How are you? This week we had a patient who had a motor vehicular accident… she had a broken clavicle, broken mandible, and all other bones near her sinuses, and both eyes have blood clots…The sight of her was almost unbearable…she was in utter pain…she was scheduled for an operation last wednesday but they have no money.

I sat beside her and began to pray silently. I didn’t know there were tears on my eyes already…I remembered you and how hard it must have been for you too… When I opened my eyes I saw her crying too…I told her and her family that we’ll continue praying…that God knows what they are going through right now…

And SURPRISE! Early this morning, I’ve heard that the patient at room FS6 was scheduled for operation already. I was soooooo happy! More than happy…For a moment I didn’t know what to say to Him. A “thank you” was not enough. He is awesome!!!

It’s another surprise from God for me….And I wanted you to be the first one to know. ”

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Wow. The thought of having someone remember me and thought of how hard it must have been for me right at that moment when I was hurting and felt so alone just blew my feet away. She definitely had no idea what the heck I was going through! But surely, Someone knows and cares. There was no immediate cure to my heartache. But just to be reminded that Someone was present with me at that time was more than a comfort I could ask for.

I  have shared to Loveth a few of my ’surprise’ stories when she visited here in Singapore a while ago. She was going through a rough time. I had no answers to her questions. I just listened and shared my life to her through my stories. I told her about my motorcycle accident more than 10 years ago. I had broken clavicle. Half of my face was badly bruised. I broke my cheekbone and my knee. And I broke the hearts of my loved ones who were so hurt to see me that way. I had to walk in crutches. But it was no death for me. I was physically paralyzed for a while, but my heart was alive. I was bound on my bed or chair, but my spirit was flying and have not stopped dreaming. I was at my lowest, yet highest point of my life.

I was glad to have stirred Loveth’s heart to life again. I have challenged her to be ready for God’s surprises for herself. I believe He has something for her. Just for her. I secretly prayed, “Oh, God. You better do something! You have done great things for me. Please also show your wonder to this young woman!”

She went back to Cebu and we kept in touch. She would tell me everytime a surprise comes her way.

This recent one that she just shared is a surprise to myself as well. I was able to smile again.