Tristan and Isolde: Daring to love your own story

Founder of Recalling Fire, professional facilitator and traditional oral storyteller. Sam's work is at the intersection of mythology, culture and ecology. His work is in service to those who are 'resurfacing' after a descent, at the vital point of story-making. Rationalists facing irrational things. Successful professionals realising the limitations of materiality. Ecologists and activists who want to move beyond people pleasing and waiting for permission. Ancient courage for modern challenges. "The stories tell us we are made by descending into deep water. Down there. The underworld. In 2019 my family was broadsided. Our newborn boy, Patch, was diagnosed with a profound brain disorder. It wrecked my prideful ego and sent me down to kneel on the ocean floor. I’m still processing the reality of life with a disabled son, but I can tell you I am more fulfilled than ever before. This world is darkness and light. We are not in control. Never will be. And there is beauty in the chaos. I believe we'll never truly ‘understand’ life. Rationale and science can be leaky ships for these high seas. But, if our deliverance is in the deepest, darkest waters, we don't have to keep bailing them out. We can go down. Once in a while... we must. ​Feelings, trust, love – the stuff of story – will guide us on."

I came late to storytelling. But still, I’m a seasoned old woman and that is a good place to be on this earth. Stories give us options. We get to try out what it is to be something wildly different and at the same time freakishly familiar. We are taken into the dark to squint sideways at things far beyond our everyday habitat. Stories give proper heft to our trials and griefs and adventures. We have to work to harvest meanings, each visit yields a different return, and we are the better for the effort. Stories open faults in our consciousness and then nature crowds in and takes a foothold and suddenly it’s all different. It’s a rainy time of year. Let’s lift up our faces, the water pooling in our eye sockets, dripping into our ears, trickling down our necks, and drink deep. All this beauty given to us, unearned.