Over the last eighteen months, I’ve been a student at South Mountain Community College. I’ve taken Storytelling classes. I thought I’d show up, tell stories, listen to other people tell, give and receive feedback, and get better at storytelling. We also had to do homework: reading, writing, and interacting with our classmates. It’s a college level accredited course. I hadn’t planned on any of those academic requirements. I just wanted to have fun, get out of my house and meet new people. I don’t need college credit because I have a few letters after my professional name. But I’ve done most of the coursework.
I’ve always told stories. I’m hilarious. I can bring humor into scary encounters with the police, tragic losses, and death and dying. I did theatre, debate, and speech in high school, and the study and practice of law required me to talk in front of people. I seldom get nervous. I admit I don’t always practice before I tell.
I didn’t tell a story last month at the United States Air Force Academy. I gave Words of Remembrance at the Memorial Service during the 50 Year Celebration of Women – From Firsts to Futures. It was very different from the art I do in class, in my community or in storytelling slams. But the words were better because of the stories. My approach was different. I crafted it in my head – but then I wrote it out. I circulated the draft to the Memorial Service committee. I was concerned about tone and appropriateness given it was a military audience. I was also concerned given the political climate of our country and the current military and executive “leadership.” I made note of the committee’s comments. I then had to submit it to the overall Event Committee. The length came in okay for time and my message was approved. I knew that if it got censored, I was prepared to go off script.
The 50 Year Celebration reflected when Congress changed the law and President Ford signed it in 1975 to permit women to attend Military Service Academies like the USMA at West Point, the USNA (Annapolis), and the Air Force and Coast Guard Academies. The first class with women arrived in June 1976. I began two years later. The memorial service was in accordance with military tradition and practices. We remembered. We answered “absent ma’am” during the Roll Call. We rang Honor Bells in lieu of a gun salute. A bugler played “Taps”. After the singing of the National Anthem, I gave the Memorial Address. Words of Remembrance. WORDS. Not storytelling. I was uncomfortable with the task. My emotions were off the chain. Happiness at reconnecting with friends, anger at the restrictions the current government ban on anything Diversity, Equity and Inclusion related placed on where we could even hold the service. And the hard to describe emotions surrounding my own traumatic cadet experiences. But there I was on stage in front of over 650 people, with lights and a video camera.
The skills I’ve learned or improved upon kicked in. The positive coaching tips reminded me to use repetition. To modulate my voice. To give the audience an emotional break when asking them to hear sad words. To pace myself.
And like storytelling, there were three parts:
The audience. Military Service Academy graduates. From the first class who graduated in 1980. General officers to lieutenants. Classmates and friends of the 75 women we remembered.
The words. How they died and how they lived. Who loved them. And what we can do to stop the country from erasing their contributions to the defense of our nation.
And Me. Trying to keep it together and to connect with the audience. It has been almost forty years since I wore the uniform, which gave me some doubt about whether I could be militarily appropriate and still be my authentic self. So, I trusted the lessons I’ve learned.
Kathryn (Kate) (K8) L. Smith, USAFA ’82. After her Air Force career, she graduated from the Notre Dame Law School. Kate is an advoK8 for veteran issues. She loves to communiK8 as a storyteller. And she does her best to eduK8 on matters of race, gender, and culture. She can be reached at linkedin.com/in/kathrynlsmithk8
(The photo at the top is K8 delivering her words.)
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