When looking at the past what often comes to mind are the highlights – personal ones, as well as those considered historical.
When looking back at one’s own childhood the historical highlights run side by side with vibrant personal memories. Such a memory was the spark for “Katrin’s Chronicles: The Canon of Jacqueléne Dyanne, Vol. 1.”
This favored recollection happened more than forty years ago. It was one of those magical summer vacation days on the South Side of Chicago and my elder sister decided we would go on an adventure. She packed provisions in a brown paper lunch bag and proceeded to lead me on a trek to distant lands. Under her direction and narration our neighborhood street became an alluring foreign metropolis. The vacant lot transformed from a wasteland of overgrown weeds sprouting throughout the concrete remains of a demolished building into a lush jungle, and then a desert where we found an oasis in which to rest and consume our rations.
Yes, in the broader spectrum of 1968 the world was experiencing mammoth shifts of social consciousness. And yet amidst the turmoil, it was still possible for two young girls to thrive and relish a life of imagination. And it was perhaps critical that they did so.
Transformation is never easy, for individuals or society. It can begin subtly and then, as it progresses, it often becomes turbulent, violent and frightening, with moments of calm, assured grace, mystery and beauty.
There is never just one side to the story of history. It’s not to say news reports and history books are wrong. It’s just not the full story. And how could it be? We may all live on the same planet, but we each experience and interpret the shared events of the world through our own personal lens. The facts are straightforward and simple. The history — depending on who tells the story — is fascinating.
“Katrin’s Chronicles: The Canon of Jacqueléne Dyanne, Vol. 1.” is a work of fiction, for the most part.
Katrin’s Chronicles: The Canon of Jacqueléne Dyanne, Vol. 1
posted by Valerie C. Woods
on May, 10