Noted storyteller Bill Lepp speaks to a spellbound crowd at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. chian Trail and it changed me completely. I really know I belong in this place. I just want to be outdoors all the time. I bought a house with a front porch and a fire pit in the backyard-two great places for storytelling. I really appreciate living here." He says after first arriving in Tennessee, storyteller Connie Regan-Blake took him to Beech Mountain to the homestead of the late, famed storyteller Ray Hicks. "I was welcomed by one of his daughters," says Sirah. "We enjoyed the fellowship, the company and the smells. It felt like I was back in a village in northern India with my grandparents. They had the bed and stove in the living room. I go to places and see these connections. It's a feeling. It's an essence. "I'm still learning about traditions and how people express themselves. I go to NASCAR races because I love to see people expressing themselves and telling their stories in different ways," he says." "Some of these stories go back hundreds or thousands of years," Sirah continues. "We are all standing on the shoulders of our ancestors who kept these traditions alive for thousands of years. We know where we collectively come from. It helps us understand so- Dogwood Crafters Dogwood Crafters Cooperative has been a showcase of handmade traditional mountain crafts, as well as a treasure of memorable gifts since 1976. PO BOX 604 DILLSBORO, NC 28725 (828) 586-2248 www.dogwoodcrafters.com 58 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM HOURS: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm Sat 10am-8pm Sun 11am-4pm ciety today and to collectively think about where we want to go. What's the story of the future? Storytelling is the most powerful tool to shift the narrative of peace to override the narrative of war. We have the potential to radically shift the planet and create a world without conflict."http://www.dogwoodcrafters.com http://exploringwnc.com http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM