Today is Jennie’s last day of teaching. Tonight we board a train for the relatively brief trip to Bangalore, where she will work for two days with a well established Playback Theatre company. Next week, I will join Dr. Eric Miller, my host for this trip, for a story swap, and other activities, at the World Storytelling Institute (Chennai), of which he is Director.
I am very aware that without the encouragement and support of Eric, Magdalene, his wife and the Director of the Center for Counseling, and Dr.M.D. Muthukumaraswamy of the National Folklife Support Center, this trip would not have been possible. Each has given much thought and effort to making the trip work, and I am deeply grateful to each and all.
These three contribute much to their community, and to communities across South India. They have worked for years in an effort to aid both tribal an non-tribal people meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world. I hope you will learn more about each, and perhaps find ways to lend them your support.
As we move into our last week in India, I look ahead with curiosity and anticipation, and back with gratitude to Eric, Magdalene and Muthu, and to Jennie, who encouraged me to come, even when the trip seemed overly daunting.
Dreaming the World 