Thymely Tales
Each story in THYMELY TALES is based on a real person and his/her struggles to learn, grow and evolve. My own is entitled “Luminous Laura the Firefly.” In my childhood I loved Grimm’s Fairy Tales as well as Aesop’s Fables. Like the Grimm Brothers and Aesop, THYMELY TALES combines unforgettable, fantastical characters like Bag Ladies, Princes, Psychologists, Nurses, Fireflies, CIA spies, and Fairies, using straightforward stories illuminating archetypes, as well as spiritual and ethical principles in a simple way. Metaphorical archetypes are similar to those elaborated on in the writings of Plato, Jung, and Joseph Campbell.
When I was working on THYMELY TALES I was living with my then-partner, Devon Q. Thyme, who illustrated some of my tales in cartoon form. I appreciate Devon’s talent as he captured the essence of each fairy tale in his art.
THYMELY TALES came about as a series of synchronicities leading to an abandonment of my career goal.
I had finished my B.S. in Transpersonal Psychology and was intending to proceed with a Master’s degree, working towards becoming a counselor. I found Dr. Joshua David Stone and he happily accepted me as an intern.
Dr. Stone had recently moved to Sacramento where I was living. Stone had a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology and was a Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor. He was also an American author and teacher in the Ascended Master Teachings (sometimes called the Ascension Movement), a group of religions based on Theosophy, as well as an influential spiritual teacher in the Ascension Movement. Stone created "Easy-to-Read Encyclopedia of the Spiritual Path" containing numerous volumes and worked with ascended masters. Joshua helped organize Wesak, a celebration of Buddha’s birthday, at Mount Shasta every year until his death in 2005. Only in retrospect do I realize how influential Dr. Stone’s influence was on me and how well our beliefs and experiences matched.
As time went by I became unhappy working as a counselor. I observed that my clients preferred I give them a short and snappy solution to their problems, preferably using a magic wand. One day out of my own desperation, as I sat contemplating my client, a story popped into my head. An allegory of that person. His own fairy tale. I related his story to him and surprisingly he burst into tears, unlike his usual stoic, argumentative self. The metaphor had a greater impact than any of my advice, assistance, guidance or “wisdom. Over the following weeks he referred to the story over and over and he began to change of his own accord.
That client’s story became:
“The Prince who thought he was a Frog.”
I began making up stories and telling them to my other clients, with the same effect. I then started creating and narrating stories for my friends and family members. Each person would cry at the conclusion, then remember the story in detail, sometimes for years or even decades. The metaphorical tale had a profound impact that rational ideas and suggestions lacked.
One day I was traveling with several friends on our way to a picnic. I told them what I was doing and they insisted I make up a story for each of them – which I did. They each cried and told me that the story was a deep representation of their life stories. My friend Suzy (whose story became “Susie, the Green Snake”) suggested I write down all the stories and make it into a book.
I terminated my internship and commenced writing. Thus THYMELY TALES was born and other books soon followed.
THE ROSE AND THE GLADIOLA
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Once upon a time in an old English garden there lived a Rose and a Gladiola. Their Garden was lovingly attended by the Gardener. He had spent his entire life gardening there. His father had been the gardener before him, and had taught him everything he knew. The Gardener loved the Garden as if it were his own. He spent more time there than with his own family. His son had grown up and now assisted him, and would take over after he was no longer able to work.
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The Gardener had put much time and care into the Garden. He collected scraps and peelings from Cook so he could compost. In the fall he carefully raked up every leaf and turned it over into the soil. From the dairy he collected manure which he added liberally.
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The Rose and the Gladiola grew in this environment. The special soil encouraged them to grow large and beautiful. Their stalks were healthy and a deep color of green. Their blooms were full and soft. When the Gardener saw them he would sigh in appreciation. They were both gorgeous, the Rose a pale pink, the Gladiola lemon yellow....
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excerpt from Thymely Tales
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