"Chautauqua"

The kids all say there's nothing to do here.
We were saying it 30 years ago and I understand that pesky rumor is still being fed.
TRUTH IS there's plenty to do around "here". I've got a lengthy, revolving, to do list ~ just like any other responsible 'adult' out there in this big, beautiful world. So much occupation, and preoccupation that sometimes I miss out on the local entertainments.
This weekend (June 10-11) there will be a festival in town. We'll celebrate the stories of Ordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives with the award winning Buffalo Commons Story Telling Festival. This year’s headliners include a man with this credit: "Awe inspiring cathedrals of flapdoddle and bull." to his story telling. Makes you wanna go just to see if he can really live up to that tall of praise, don't it?
It just seems like I've missed the fun the last 2 seasons running. This time I'm looking forward to the "Chautauqua" downtown at the Historic Fox Theater.
I like the little story I found on the History page of the Buffalo Commons Web Site I wanted to share it with you....
The inhabitants of this part of the Buffalo Commons agree with historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. about the significance of a story told by George Norris--the story of his widowed mother asking him on a warm spring afternoon to plant a seedling.

She dug a hole and she wanted the boy to hold the tree upright while she shoveled the dirt in around its roots and packed it all tightly in. George looked up at her and saw all the sweat running down her face, and he looked and saw how worn she was and how tired she looked, and he asked her finally, "Why do you work so hard, Mother? Why do you care about planting this seedling? We have more fruit already than we can possibly eat. You will be dead long before this tree comes into bearing." As he recalled it many years later, her answer was slow to come as she measured her words. She finally said, "I may never see this tree in bearing but somebody will."

Two of our Festival's brochures make this statement: "We believe that, next to God and family, stories are our greatest treasures." So we're planting our stories, passing on our heritage, teaching our children and grandchildren to be storytellers, strengthening them for the future.

I think of the Master teacher and a favorite Bible story comes to mind ~ the parable of "The Sower" ... planting the seeds ... and I think about those "Four Responses": Pioneer Gumption (Don't underestimate our determination and hard work"); Dollar Potential ("Plains food production can feed the world"); Eastern Ignorance (Self-explanatory): and Prairie Zen ("Our landscape is a powerful source of spiritual renewal")... ah, yes, 'Prairie Zen'.

HAPPY BLOGGING to all you story tellers out there... remember to 'copy' and or 'back up' & for Heaven’s sakes ~ nurture your good work... the Harvest is nigh.