I
attended the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival over Labor Day week-end in Orem
Utah. It was a great
week-end even though the temperature was record-breaking. The Tellers were
mostly nationally or internationally known such as Donald Davis, Andy
Offet-Irwin, Carmen Agra-Deedy, Liz Weir, Geraldine Buckley, Syd Lieberman, Bil
Lepp and Barbara McBride. This made for a wonderful variety of stories and an
excellent opportunity to observe the expert performances. This was the 24th annual festival to be held in Orem so
they are seasoned Festival organizers. The park on the eastern edge of the city
was built to house the festival so has a great layout and facilities. It was a
great week-end and I really enjoyed hearing the stories.
I’ve decided that I want to be a liar. Not a good liar…
but a great Liar. The kind of liar that makes people roll their eyes and snort
when they listen to your story. I have listened to Bil Lepp several times and
each time I marvel at the height of ridiculousness to which each story ascends.
It starts out like a good story and at some point takes a turn that veers into
possible but improbable and then finally you realize that the story has become
absurd. I heard Bil tell a
story about taking his children out for a hike that I loved. He started describing how the children
enjoyed hiking on a trail in a wilderness area. So, one day when his wife was
busy and he had to babysit, Bil, his son and daughter decided to go hiking.
They got in the truck and he
noticed that they needed gas but planned to get it on the way. That little need
became the kernel of a problem. He tried to stop several times but there was a
reason why the gas station wasn’t able to gas up the car. Each reason seemed
plausible and believable and served to begin building suspense because at some
point you realize what is going to happen. So when the truck runs out of gas
and Bil and the kids are stranded out in the boonies and there is no cell phone
service you don’t hate him for being so foolish you understand he just got
caught in bad but understandable situation.
Then the fun begins as he starts trying to fix the
situation and it all goes wrong. He starts pushing the truck back to the last
gas station and his little boy offers to steer. That seemed OK since the truck
is going very slowly and the child is a farm boy so has been steering on his
daddy’s lap for years. Its only when they crest a small hill and it begins to
coast downhill that again the feeling of inevitable disaster comes back. The
disaster is averted with Bil jumping into the truck just in time to avoid going
in the ditch. As he decides to enlist the children in moving the truck the tale
goes completely off the edge. The light rain gets him to bring out a large golf
umbrella that he ties to the little girl so she won’t drop it and tie the other
end to the truck so she won’t get lost while he pushes the truck. When the wind
picks up, the child is lifted up by the umbrella and soon is flying out ahead
of the truck like a spinnaker sail pulling the truck forward. The boy is
steering the truck down the road and Bill makes a last minute dive to get in
the bed of the truck. He is unable to get into the truck cab because it’s
moving too fast and has to helplessly sit and watch. By now the audience had
suspended judgment and was howling with delight at the picture. The picture is absurd but
everyone had been drawn into each little step that allowed the picture to be
possible in their imagination.
I
wonder at the imagination that sees the possibilities in ordinary situations
and takes the turn to exaggeration. I think I will make a long term goal to
begin noticing the absurdities in life and improving my story skills as a liar.
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