Regarding my communication with the soldier’s son…
“What pictures are you sending?” he asked.
“Oh, for one I am sending the one of us dressed up in the old time clothes.” (We are 17 and 19 in the picture)
“Oh my God. He’ll be shocked to see me in that Yankee uniform,” he said.
“See, I don’t know anything about that. I don’t know what that uniform is so it will communicate something between the two of you that has nothing to do with me. He will have something to tease you about I suppose.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, but there is a lot more in that picture if I start talking. It is not just; oh there is a picture of my dad in the wrong uniform with some girl. If the girl in the picture starts talking the whole thing comes alive. I can tell him the story of the picture. He is a storyteller himself so he understands. It’s a lot to see a picture of your father from an era you don’t know about but takes on a whole new level of meaning if the girl in the picture comes alive and tells you what was going on that day, can you imagine?”
“Yeah. So what did you tell him?”
“I told him you were in our element. You can see it in the picture. You’ve got on military clothes and you’re fine but I am less comfortable. I told him I didn’t want to be wearing dowdy, heavy, officer’s wife clothes. I wanted to be a saloon girl! But you said no. Well, you begged me to dress like this. You really wanted this picture so I did it.”
“Yeah?.”
“Yeah. I also told him I did not like it that I couldn’t smile. That I am a natural grinner but had to be serious per your request and again you can see this in the picture. You are naturally solemn. You are perfectly comfortable but I am all contorted… a wild saloon girl in these clothes. But I told him, that’s what love will do to you. No garter for me! No. Garter. For. P.”
He laughed.
“But anyway, this is the kind of thing I am telling him. He’s a storyteller and he’s got to know this stuff. The more he knows the better if he is going to tell stories and he’s heard your family’s version of things. He’s got that angle but this one is new. It is almost like a voice from the grave. Damned near. Do you know how you used to spend time with your grandfather? And he was odd with his own slant on things? He told you stories and you were completely enriched by them. You could not have gotten those stories any other way.”
“Yeah, that was great.”
“Okay, well hopefully this will be like that for him. His grandfather is dead, you know. He’s got very few ways to reach back like this but then I come along with a view of his father he has never seen before. But fact is father met this woman when he was young. She happened to be full of love and humanity. She still is and your son ought to know. Far as I am concerned, it’s his birthright. You both like history and he is entitled to yours. I have part of that history so I am giving it to him. He needs to have your story so he can tell his don’t you think? I think. Anyway I told you a long time ago I thought I should do this. I told you in 2003, I think so now I am getting this done.”
The astrology? My Jupiter is conjunct the soldier’s son’s ascendant. His Jupiter is conjunct my Neptune / Midheaven. Jupiter is a gift and a story.
Do you share your story?
pictured – Storyteller, Howard Terpning
In pieces, but there’s been no one that I’ve been able to enlighten in the way you’re talking about. However, I’d love for someone to be able to do this for me with my dad’s past — I’ve heard his side, now I want someone else’s side.
Great Jupiter synastry!
This last year, my dad has come to eat with us on Sundays and i encourage him to talk about family history. We both are going to work on getting old photos and slides scanned on to our computers, then to jump drives for other family members.
depends on the circumstance. with the right slant it makes any subject i’m teaching more alive.
and… just… sometimes. mostly to try to enrich a topic under discussion.
Your story speaks to me. Beautiful stories are meant to be shared. Do you share your story? Yes absolutely if it is relevant and flows with the current or if it is something that I have learned from that others might appreciate or learn from. Humour of course is often relevent or irreverant and that can also be good. Yes, I will share this….bliss!
Jupiter in Sag, Saturn in Capricorn. Expansive and grounded. An enigma, well rounded.
It’s bred in me as sure as stardust. Both my parents were tellers and they passed along the ears of the elephant … so I couldn’t help but hear. It’s fun to read how you weave a tale … like a storyteller telling something you’d like to hear yourself, not like a typewriter just pecking at letters (some wonderful writer said that can’t remember who).
Telling story like you said, Elsa
…”Far as I am concerned, it’s his birthright. You both like history and he is entitled to yours. I have part of that history so I am giving it to him. He needs to have your story so he can tell his don’t you think? I think.”
I love that and that’s the way I tell ’em, too.
Oh, the astrology of the tale. Jupiter(Gifts/Expansion) and Venus (what I love) in the 11th House(Creative Vision) … gifts and resources express my hopes and dreams.