Gathering

They say it takes a village to raise a child but… I think it takes a village for all of us to thrive. Certainly we can live and breathe and function without real connection…. And no one enjoys and needs alone time more than I. But to really live… a gathering creates space for joy.

Gatherings for celebrations, rituals, life events, plain old good news and yes, survival, can be traced in every ancient culture from the beginning of time. From the Druids at Stonehenge, the West African Gullah culture on the sea islands of North Carolina and south, the first settlers, the American Indians…. every culture on every continent seeks to gather. After all, when you have good news, what is your first instinct? Sure, you can jump up and down by yourself. But, what then? You want to share it, I think.

Never was this more evident to me than when my whole family gathered recently for a wedding, two birthdays and the surprise of an upcoming birth. Every single member of my immediate family was present, with one exception, which in itself was nothing short of a minor miracle. We span across three thousand miles and six states. What I remember is the joy. Sure, there was a bit of drama. What good gathering doesn’t have that? But mostly pure joy. The faces of people I love. That’s what I remember. That’s what I take with me till the next gathering.

In the meantime, I gather with friends whom I love, for our celebrations and well, just because. I never take it for granted.

SEPTEMBER 2015 BOOK SELECTION: MINNOW

Every two years The Hub City Press in Spartanburg, SC hosts and publishes a South Carolina First Novel Competition. In 2014 the winner was Minnow by James E. McTeer, II.

The press’s website states it best: “Hub City Press is a non-profit independent press in Spartanburg, SC that publishes well-crafted, high-quality works by new and established Southern authors. We are committed to high-caliber novels, short stories, poetry, memoir, and works emphasizing regional culture and history. We are particularly interested in books with a strong sense of place."

Minnow certainly lives up to Hub City’s reputation for producing fine literature. The story disarms by introducing the reader to Minnow, whom you believe to be an average young boy. You learn very early on that his father is dreadfully ill and may not live without a certain medicine. Minnow is given the task of getting the medicine at the pharmacy by his mother. Would it were so easy. This is only the beginning.

As the story progresses, McTeer continually raises the stakes and the challenges to Minnow and you watch as he faces each one. It becomes a story of courage, devotion and fortitude. Warning: Some of the hurdles are so devastating, it was difficult to read.

The story takes place in Charleston and in the outer sea-islands off the coast of South Carolina. The places were so richly drawn that not only did you feel you accompanied Minnow on his journey, but the locations actually became another character. It was beautifully done. Recommend.