Make Each Day a Story Worth Telling

Dear Reader:

The older I get the more I realize just what an amazing childhood I had! Since my family didn’t take trips much farther than the coast or mountains… and these events were few and sparse …it forced my siblings and myself to create our own stories on a daily basis.

And now after all these years my favorite stories still stem from the ordinary events of an ordinary day that produced extraordinary memories!

Even when my dreams

came to fruition of traveling to exotic islands or Paris or Berlin or Provence -and beautiful Ireland …the strongest memories lie within daily family life and family gatherings!

Archie Rutledge clarified this belief in me when ( still in his teens) he wrote his own personal creed towards life and his responsibilities to others-especially when it came to his writings!

As I read his list I marveled at his maturity and ” education” through observation and love of nature. Nature would always be his favorite teacher!

I believe in God, in immortality, and in a region where eternal spirits dwell

He who loves virtuous beauty is holding fast to the Hand of God

Human wealth, power, and cunning avail not against cosmic justice

Be guided by your admirations, not by your disgusts

To praise another does you more good than him or her

All the laws of nature are on our side

Grief is life’s challenge to us to be great

The heroes and heroines all about us are those who refuse to linger where they have bled

Beauty and truth are the language of God; virtue is the behavior of God; love is the will of God

The laws of nature are the Hand of God on the controls of the universe

To the reader, the writer owes a moral responsibility

Wow! Rutledge had reached that level of maturity and understanding of life at sixteen? For some it takes a life time…if ever…

So until tomorrow… Remember everything we do is important in life-story segments that one day will be pieced together to tell our finished

life story!

Last night I especially enjoyed spending a segment of time with my niece Bekah and her adorable daughter Ady. Bekah invited me to come see their new home. It is perfect! Bekah’s mom, Susan and I went over and had a delicious pizza and salad to commemorate the beautiful new home!

Beauty and Nature is the language of God!

” Today is my favorite day!” Winnie the Pooh

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”

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