Rabbit Box: Sink or Swim
By Melissa Harward
In the cool breeze of Thursday night an eager audience spilled over the sand on the edge of Lake Chapman at Sandy Creek Park for Rabbit Box’s evening of stories around the theme of Sink or Swim. Alex White, our emcee of the evening, had asked the storytellers about their favorite body of water, an appropriate theme for the evening’s beautiful setting. As the sun dipped down, the Rabbit Box audience listened to stories of determination, independence, and survival.
In the first story of the night, life-long swimmer Craig Page explained that water is just like life: If you fight against it, it will most certainly fight back. After a long period in his life when he was just treading water, he found joy again in swimming.
Navigating the world’s most populous city alone at night with a language barrier and a dead phone can be daunting. Fortunately for Tara Stuart, life lessons usually reveal themselves only when you’re lost.
The night before her first triathlon, Sayge Medlin receives harrowing news about an old friend. This is a story of deep ties, regrets, and pushing forward.
A photograph Alan Black took in Abu Dhabi lands him in prison, where he is shackled, hooded, and at the mercy of strangers while people around the world worked for his release.
Our crackerjack storyteller of the evening was Blair White, who described her battle with depression. After an eye-opening incident with her neighbor, she learns we are never really alone with our struggles.
If you want to take a drive into the deep end, Ansley Hayes’ grandmother knows how to make it a party. Ansley regales us with a story of a trip to the beach with her family and her water-loving Nana.
Former mayoral candidate Tim Denson’s adventures in his hometown in south Florida usually involved jumping off things into water. Luckily he lived to tell the tale of a near-miss with an oncoming ship.
Aaron Joslin recalls a midnight swim in Costa Rica when he fought to save someone — and himself — as time slowed to a crawl.
Lizzie Payne echoes T.S. Elliot with her sentiment that April may be the cruelest month. When her battle with depression takes a turn for the worse, some ludicrous advice from a therapist opens up a new world of support.
Thank you to Mark Woods for the wonderful lighting set-up, to Kip Connor for the live sound and recording, and to the staff and volunteers at Sandy Creek Park for a perfect evening. Rabbit Box will continue into the summer with Mother Lode in May and Fatherland in June.
Rabbit Box 