August 9th, 2017
“I Didn’t Sign Up For This”
by Sean Polite
A rollicking Rabbit Box offering, “I Didn’t Sign Up For This,” took place on Wednesday, August 9th, a pleasant, cool evening at The Foundry. The assortment of tales spanned juvenile rivalry, impossible missions, international goodwill, rashly taboo purchases, accident recovery, the slow and steady slope of progress, solemn reckonings made to family, and amusing journeys to reveal one’s identity.
The inimitable Tara Stuart served as our Master of Ceremonies.
Connie Crawley kicked off the story set, taking the audience back to her elementary school days. The bliss between her and a best friend was interrupted by the arrival of a spunky usurper to their affections. Connie’s parents sent her to play with the child as the girl faced ever-worsening challenges.
A lifetime ago during his time working for the EPA in Washington, D.C., Paul Guillebeau took on the noblest of off-duty tasks: helping a co-worker move. The furniture-transporting team had issues from the outset as recounted by the always-wry, expert storyteller Guillebeau.
Dr. Leara Rhodes‘ first trip to Haiti found her in the middle of boiled-over political strife. Passage home came only through body-strewn streets and a rampaging crowd of desperate people.
Bard Jim Lavender returned to Athens to regale us with a humorous tale of the power of what hard-earned money can buy. The crate that boy Jim ordered by mail sounds rather like Pandora’s Box!
Laura Hanson was selected as the evening’s Cracker Jack Surprise storyteller. An expert working in the field of neuro- and bio-feedback, Laura found that her world turned awry after getting news that her daughter had been in a terrible accident.
Patricia Tacuri, a Rabbit Box Engineer, recalled the developmental differences her first child exhibited. She educated herself once she learned the diagnosis, nursing his (and her) spirit by always seeing his potential.
Elsa Durusau stepped up to fill a spot in the line-up left vacant late in the day. As in all our lives, the spectre-like presence of death grows as the years go by, and the miles seemed to widen between even the tightest of friends. Elsa told a touching story of the sudden and tragic loss of two beloved friends.
Evie McGovern, our final storyteller of the evening, remembers a special crush when she was 11 that led to a redefinition of her identity in relation to attraction to others. A charming storyteller, Evie recounted the sometimes-confusing path she has traveled and the ways she informed others about what she discovered about herself on her journey.
Special thanks to The Foundry and all the Rabbit Box family and audience for another wonderful evening. Thank you, storytellers that night — and you storytellers of nights to come! See you soon!
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