Month: September 2020

Hold on to What You Know – TinaO

September 28, 2020

Drivers

Listen to TinaO read this poem here.

Four wheels don’t make a driver

Some of us are gap fillers

Never considering how long it takes to stop before we start

or leaving a space between the cars

or a breath before the accident

–

Drivers read the room

they notice the way the rain hits

the window

It’s the rhythm of our repetition 

and our listening through the weather

that keeps us rooted,

We drive through the exhale we can no longer hear

–

Drivers always take in

what doesn’t move around them

they drive conversation so they don’t sputter and fall  

they grab up all the discomfort 

like doughy circles of bread

squishing them into cubes

between our fingers 

and palms

smaller and smaller

until just dense enough to stomach them

in one 

efficient swallow

–

We drive the impossible 

into the wreckage of exhausted potential 

–

We’re weird like that

Drivers

–

We think anything can be done,

rescued,

revitalized, 

made into something it’s not 

and never has been

–

We tell ourselves 

capacity 

is a moveable thing

and not a boundary 

or a sign of where something ends

where we’re so full we simply cannot take any more in

Drivers look at these lines as cartoons, 

something we can erase and redraw

or pick up and put down wherever we need them to be

–

But drivers don’t read maps this way

on paper

on the road

or in actual life

where breathing back and forth 

can happen,

No,

valleys, cliffs and deserts are not

merely suggestions 

there

We are drivers

and we will drive til it’s done

–

I am a driver

I have driven the things I want into what I want them to be

Til I see a moment like it’s not 

Til it’s better

Because I made it that way

–

I get shit done,

I make up new rules for the road

and I can see in the dark

–

So why?

Why would I stop driving now?

–

Listen to this poem ready by TinaO here.

Story Hit #3 – Hold on to What You Know

(or How Live Your Best Story Came to Be)

From Where We’ve Been: TinaO’s Story Hit’s Compilation

From October 2016 – almost three months post cancer treatment

These vlogs track where we’ve been together over the last seven years. I share them with you to close one story and open another.

This year on December 25th, which is both Christmas Day and my 50th Birthday, I am stepping into a new story…and I know what I know what I know about how stories work:

Stories won’t let go until they’ve been fully heard.

This is release #3 of sixteen weeks of Story Hits (vlog) from as far back as 2013. Some are my favourites, some are yours. If you missed week #1 and #2 and want  to start from the beginning, you can start here with: Out of the Water. 

I will be writing more about these moments in both my upcoming book: STORY STONES (coming fall 2021, and in my one woman show: O MY GOD (touring spring 2021).

On my 50th Birthday, if you’re on my VIP list, I’ll be sending you 50 Days of Christmas Story Gifts from Dec. 25th to February 12th. If you want some story goodness filled with sneak peeks into the creation and rehearsal process, plus be able to pre-order the book, and order tickets to the show, click here and the let the gifting begin! (You’ll get a bunch of cool story right away).

Thank you for listening.

xT

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.

Beauty School Drop Out- TinaO’s Story Hits #2

September 22, 2020

Listen to TinaO read this poem here.

Weathered

Cold

shivering

wet 

weathered

Yes, and more yes, 

–

Throw me outside 

just so I can come back in

cold to warm

wet to dry

planned to unplanned

I’m made 

for living

with just enough discomfort 

I can bite it

But I eat everything

even my hair

Don’t be that person who fixes my face

adjusts 

the rogue wisp 

from my cheek

my chin

or across my eyes.

That will never work

–

When we stepped off the porch and into the snow

I thought for sure,

today.

today.

today.

We had earned it.

We could talk about our future. 

–

Truth telling is exquisite-ly painful

excruciating-ly beautiful

when

it’s 

left

raw

and unchanged

to breathe

I thought we were weathered enough,

leathered,

and ready

for my career melt-down

I was wrong

‘They’re not going to write Here Lies the Lipstick Lady on your tombstone’

He said

‘Well they fuckin’ should…’ 

My teeth were buzzing…

‘I mean, that’s what I do…’

I said

–

I imagine my eye-teeth, 

molars

dropping off my face

and disappearing in the snow

with the words 

apparently

I shouldn’t say:

–

This 

is 

Not

Who

I 

am

–

Crunch

The snow is so dry 

like my mouth

Maybe I should kick off my boots

and walk barefoot 

back to the cabin

it’s minus eighteen

and unthinkable

But so is this

We’ve had this fight before

Look, 

I’m not 

the: 

Where’s your coat?

Not those socks?

Did you pack an umbrella

Don’t forget your sweater

Oh, and that long sleeve

and bug spray

Tell me those aren’t the only shoes you brought…

And why are you wearing a dress?

Don’t you know the weather can change at any minute?

Yes.

Yes I do. 

Weathered women don’t become lipstick ladies

and if they do

they lick their lips 

‘til they’re chapped

–

Listen to the poem ready by TinaO here. 

Story Hit #2- Beauty School Drop Out

What was I thinking?-2013

Story Hit #2 Cont’d-Beauty School Detox

With Andrea Wray- 2014

These videos were pre-career change. They were who I had become, and not who I have always been. I share these with you to close one story and open another.

–

This year on December 25th, which is both Christmas Day and my 50th Birthday, I am stepping into a new story…

and I know what I know what I know about how stories work:

Stories won’t let go of you until they’ve been fully heard.

This is release #2 of sixteen weeks of Story Hits (vlog) from as far back as 2013. Some are my favourites, some are yours. If you missed week #1, you can start at the beginning with: Out of the Water here. 

This is release #2 – Beauty School Drop Out. You can carry on to release #3 – Hold on to What You Know here.

I will be writing more about these moments in both my upcoming book: STORY STONES (coming fall 2021, and in my one woman show: O MY GOD (touring spring 2021).

On my 50th Birthday, if you’re on my VIP list, I’ll be sending you 50 Days of Christmas Story Gifts from Dec. 25th to February 12th. If you want some story goodness filled with sneak peeks into the creation and rehearsal process, plus be able to pre-order the book, and order tickets to the show, click here and the let the gifting begin! (You’ll get a bunch of cool story right away)

I have to close one story to open another. 

Thank you for listening.

xT

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.

Out of the Water – TinaO’s Story Hits #1

September 12, 2020

FINISH LINES

Listen to TinaO read this poem here.

a nervous system,

that’s what we are

electricity and thought mashed up

on sound

words on guts

fear on finish lines

how we love a good finish line story

but we are far

far

far

from ever being finished

–

stop pushing

I heard,

but I don’t know how to swim

stop

pushing

I…

but I will be sucked down by the reeds if…

stop

pushing

(hold breath)

but this is how I…

stop

–

a list of finishes

fishes

still swimming

–

stop

the,

now go.

–

Listen to the poem read by TinaO here. 

Out of the Water – Story Hit #1

pre-triathlon – post cancer – July 2016

These vlogs bring you back with me to where we’ve been together over the last seven years. I share them to close one story so as to open another.

This year on December 25th, which is both Christmas Day and my 50th Birthday, I am stepping into a new story…and I know what I know what I know about how stories work:

Stories won’t let go until they’ve been fully heard.

For the next sixteen weeks I am releasing a Story Hit (vlog) from our last five years together. Some will be my favourites, some yours.

This is release #1 – Out of the Water, and if you’d like to carry on to release #2 – Beauty School Drop Out – click here. 

I will be writing more about these moments in both my upcoming book: STORY STONES (coming fall 2021, and in my one woman show: O MY GOD (touring spring 2021).

On my 50th Birthday, if you’re on my VIP list, I’ll be sending you 50 Days of Christmas Story Gifts from Dec. 25th to February 12th. If you want some story goodness filled with sneak peeks into the creation and rehearsal process, plus be able to pre-order the book, and order tickets to the show, click here and the let the gifting begin! (You’ll get a bunch of cool story right away)

I have to close one story to open another. 

Thank you for listening.

xT

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. 

CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.

TinaO’s Where We’ve Been

September 9, 2020

You know what I love about albums from the seventies? They were unabashedly sentimental. They were also totally dramatic, and there was always something kinda innocent, naive almost in even the heaviest of the songs from that time. My favourite album from the 70’s is Carole King’s Tapestry – released in 1971.

Have you noticed that when artists share their music with us over a long period of time, it’s like we as the listener get to grow up with them.

And that’s what this post is about.

Over the last five years, every substantial pillar and support beam that was my ‘life’ came down.

Finances.

Marriage.

Career.

Health.

Ummm… what else is there? Air?

…Not my department.

And everywhere I fell, stood, stumbled and sang, you came with me. You leaned in as I launched Live Your Best Story (which is really where this chapter of change began) and where the photo above is taken from. You followed along as I turned my camera on and talked about nothing which might be something, and usually was. You sent me words of encouragement, gifts even, during the five months I was in bed pre, during and post cancer treatment, and you cheered me on as I set out on a triathlon eight months later. I was thirty pounds lighter with no fat on my body, and a nervous system screaming high alert! High alert! High alert! over and over to me. You swam with me as I complained and cried my way through every damn training swim I did. You waited for me when my marriage collapsed and I went dark for awhile and new words started to emerge from my lips – more poetic ones, softer somehow but with more grit than I was ever willing to share before.  You stood with me through the God conversation as I chose to follow the sun…

and I still am…

following the sun…

You listened to me.

And you taught me how to listen.

Doesn’t this sound like a Carole King song?

my life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue.

An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view

A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold

A tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold

For the next sixteen weeks, I am releasing a Story Hit (vlog) from our last five years together. Some will be favourites of mine, some will be your faves.

Remember the day I finally swam 1000 metres without a kick board and cried with joy telling you about it? Or the unrelenting anger, confusion and sadness the day after Donald Trump got into office? Or how about the lip sync of Carole King’s So Far Away during week one of the covid lockdown?

These are a few of the moments I remember, and they came from these places:

#100 Love – The Triathlon

The Beach Sessions

Story Tuesdays

Sanctuary Sunday

Walk and Talks with Meribeth

 These are my ‘greatest hits’,  and just like a 1970’s album, I’m going to risk being sentimental, dramatic and real. I’m going to tell you a story as I close this book of Where We’ve Been and crack the binding on the next one.

And the new book is literally a book.

My first book, Story Stones will be delivered to the publisher January 31st, and my one woman show: O MY GOD starts rehearsal mid February 2021.

STORY STONES:  The layering of the twelve Core Stories which emerged from hundreds of individual calls, with a corresponding Origin story like: Spider Woman and the Four Creations (Hopi), Let There Be (Judeo Christian), Popul Vuh (Mayan) and more, and pulling these layers together is the saga of my triathlon journey as an injured non-swimmer who is only months out of cancer treatment and on the verge of divorce. This book asks: What if we are not broken? What is the narrative of our individual life force that carries both our divine medicine and our poison. What if we chose to surrender to the story of who we truly are?

O MY GOD: A young girl is haunted by a 15,000 year old giant, a painfully self-conscious witch returns to church, and a Celtic shape-shifting mistress of war explain the purpose of religion while being visited by mythological Gods and Goddesses who offer jokes, warnings and insights about the sacred irrelevance of God.

That’s where we’re going.

But today… let’s celebrate and remember where we’ve been.

Won’t you join me for the next sixteen weeks as we turn on the record player, gently place the needle down, cozy up on the couch and listen to the stories we’ve shared over the last five years?

A story doesn’t let go of us until it’s been fully heard.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for hearing me.

RELEASE #1 – ‘Out of the Water’ will be delivered to you on Saturday, September 13th.

For now… I leave you with this:

See you Saturday.

xxT

TinaO 1993

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. 

CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.