Holly Hogan

EN 102

February 23, 2018

On Wednesday, we commenced class by discussing what it means when we tell stories. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer told her audience stories throughout her book in its entirety. She told us creation stories from her culture,  her life, and of her class.  Professor Santos reminded us the importance of telling stories by writing two quotes on the board, one from the author Leslie Silko. In a simplification, Silko conveyed the message that we can always rely on our memories and stories to never lose what has happened in our lives.

As we get older, there are many events that add up, binding themselves into the story of our lives. Like Silko said, if we remember these times, we can recall them. Stories are not always told orally, but can be written down. For example, I have my second-great-grandmother’s diary from 1902. In her diary, she told stories about her day and what she was up to. There were important details she carefully included, such as when she moved and how her and her husband did not have any money and he spent days searching for work. These stories she wrote down in her diary are something I will forever treasure. These diary entries helped me to understand her life and what the time was like in Edwardian Boston

The quote by Silko resonated with me as there are times as humans that we long for, and when we feel they are gone, they are not. As long as we can recall memories, we can tell our stories.