Oni Lasana, Thee Storyteller

New Jersey’s 24th Annual Storytelling Festival in September of 2016 was more than a surprise for me & my storytelling roadie, Suzy Brody of Patchwork Storytelling Guild. On a rainy day, we purposely arrived a hour and a half late, in Hamilton Township, near Trenton, New Jersey at the enchanting, Grounds For Sculpture. Just in time to miss the early morning workshops, but right on time to throw my name randomly in the hat for the much heralded highly competitive, Story Slam.

It was quite a few names on paper being tossed into the hat. My name rested at the very bottom, I peeped in the hat, to see strips of other folks names, cover mine.. The hat/box was shaken up and I was the second to be called. It caught me way off guard! I wanted to hear all the other storytellers before me.

As if I was on the Price Is Right, I jumped out my seat. No coolness about it! I hit the stage and ”personalized” the very short story “Believe” also know as "Buster & His Friends" I knew the story, I loved the story, it was a story about teamwork and I was going to make it work. After all, I was on the story slam team, as a winner or loser. 

I love seeing the anticipation of people's faces in an audience...I love getting them ready for that AH HA moment...it is my passion to dramatized, mesmerized and throw out a question or two when I forget the name of an object in a story...its ok, most audiences will gladly help to tell the story with you. 

Story listeners listened, wondered and smiled. Near the end, in the foggy shade, I saw light bulbs light up over everyone’s head. The END. 

I Shirley Temple curtsied and bounced off the stage. That was too much fun!

Little did I realize, until the story slam began, that we were at the mercy of being “judged” and not by storytellers. Good thing, cause I don’t dig competitions, not for anything. Contests stress me out. I don’t feel I’m better or worse than anyone else in anything I do. I just do me, or any of my multiple personalities with a Ray Charles at-ti-tude. “It's gonna do what it do baby" and keep it moving. 

There were some great stories told by even greater storytellers. Some where so good, I didn't give much thought if there stories were better than mine or not. I love listening and hearing storytellers, mainly to steal a good story. My attention span dwindles if the story is too long, too complicated or puts me to sleep trying to figure which is which.

I would guess about a dozen or less, storytellers were in the runnings.  Someone led a cute song as we all sang a song while the judges tallied points or did whatever judges do. In the middle of a silly song, audience and storytellers sang delightfully out loud. The music stopped and the MC called my name again! ONI LASANA! What did I do now? 

Awww shucks…I WON!

Pulling in my energy and adjusting my outfit, to cover my belly. I strolled elegantly (with my natural home girl swag) to the stage. I threw kisses to the judges and pageant waved to the audience, holding out my hands for my crown, sash and bundle of roses.  

A bunch of storytelling CD’s were thrust into my hand. A New Jersey Storytelling Festival certificate with a do- it- yourself fill your own name on the blank line, found its way into my other hand. I heard as in a dream "Sorry, we didn't know who the winners would be, so you fill in the blank"  Storyteller 2 and 3 were already on the stage.

Basking in my shadow, clinging to their blank certificates. Someone called for ALL participating storytellers to come forward on to the crowded stage and glow in their losing glory. It was all a glorious blur, as everyone squeezed into my #1 winning space! It was ok, all about teamwork right?  Some one was looking over me, as the wet cloudy day suddenly gave way to gleaming sunshine, bursting upon all of our story slamming faces. 

Storytellers of all sizes and older ages, took time to descend the stairs from our most prominent perch to ground level. The call for picture taking was announced! I tried my best not to squint and not to appear like a deer in headlights. Who knows where this history making photo will show up! For now, its only as far as my website at my Storytelling page and in this blog. So its somewhere. In closing.

Let this storytelling slam saga be another fable, a legend, a living history, a fantasy, a fiction, a biography, a memoir, a whatever! For the story land records to to down in her-story. 

Yes, I made storytelling history on September 18, 2016, which compelled me, a frustrated, backward writing, queen of run on sentences, may never be a writer in this lifetime, to actually write a story about it. 

Wanna read it? I hope you just did. 

Cause, at the end of this day (catch phrase of the 20's) and in telling this tale, no efforts was in vain, no story was thrown to the wind, because, I won! What I won, I may never receive in monetary gain or fame. So I will humbly admit, throw away whatever vanity or ego is perceived, to let you personally in on this story land secret. 

I spent the rest of the day searching high and low in the most beautiful park imaginable, searching, searching and searching for my crown, sash and dozen roses. 

The end.

(C) 2016 Oni Lasana Stories