By Josie Fliger
Josie, who attended the 2022 Florida Storytelling Festival, is president/CEO of Elder Care Services, Inc., Leon County’s lead aging services non-profit.
To live a great story is to be open to new experiences, places, and friendships. I was lucky enough to find all three of those things at my first visit to the Florida Storytelling Festival.
I was introduced to storytelling by a fabulous storyteller friend who weaves intricate tapestries of tales all across the eastern seaboard. She has let me peek behind the curtain of the craft of storytelling and has brought me into the fold as an appreciative story listener. I have such respect for the mastery involved in assembling a story *just right* so that the message and the vibe is perfectly conveyed.
With this appreciation already in my heart, I was enthusiastic to accompany said friend to the Florida Storytelling Festival in gorgeous Mt. Dora Florida. After arrival, we checked in to the picturesque and historic Lakeside Inn. This fabulous inn is the perfect setting for stories as it makes one muse about all the travelers who have sought refuge on its grounds.
The inn staff greeted us and handed us real keys (no magnetic stripes to keep away from your cell phone here!) and directed us to our suite. Two amazingly comfortable beds, a seating area, tiled bathroom, and adjoining lounge room with a fridge was our home-base for the weekend’s festivities. Not once did we turn on the tv- which suddenly seemed a cheap and inauthentic way to connect with the outside world. We trod down the padded stairs and out to a patio where the festival’s main tent stood (a quick and easy route for bathroom and refreshment breaks). In addition to the cozy accommodations, we drank wine on the Inn’s expansive porch, and supped in the intimate dining space next to a roaring fireplace. In these beautiful surroundings, I was primed to sit back and listen to some enthralling tales.
The weekend’s headliners were dynamic and spanned so many genres and influences. Josh Goforth, Sue O’Halloran, Cooper Braun, Madeline Pots, and Orisirisi African Folklore with Don & Tutu Harrell were incredible in their stage presence and adept at captivating an audience. Every time I knew Orisirisi was going on, I would beeline to the tent to hear them. Their powerful blend of drumming, song, and story created an immersive experience- one that I did not want to end. To that point, I made sure to purchase a small African-style drum in the festival’s shop so that my daughter and I could carry on the spirit of the Orisirisi experience.
Josh Goforth was truly remarkable; a young man with a thick Southern accent who is proficient in over twenty instruments and that has played all over the world. The tales of his granddad made the audience roar and his musical stylings left many with slack jaws. It was an experience I will remember for a long time.
Cooper Braun entertained with his fresh spin on fairy tales. On first glance, one might think there would be no room to elaborate on these well-heard enchanted stories, but that is where Braun surprises you. For example, he spun one nuance of Cinderella into a fantastic, fresh, and captivating yarn. His set enthralled both young and old, setting the tone for the family-friendly festival.
Madeline Potts had amazing tales of both hilarity and humanness. With a close friend accompanying her on his guitar, she wove tales that made you laugh out loud and appreciate the hilarity of the every day. Her gentle spirit was evident and her take on life was refreshing but relatable.
My social worker’s heart and mind were inspired by the work of Sue O’Halloran.
Besides the headliners, there were opportunities for less formal story time. Both story swaps and story slams gave an opportunity for attendees to try their hand at the craft. There were also workshops for those who wished to hone their own storytelling skills and networking breaks to build one’s cadre of storytelling friends.
The sweet ending to our magical weekend was a boat tour around Lake Dora while the impeccable storyteller Linda Schuyler Ford kept us rapt with tales of the deep. The weather was glorious, the stories were enthralling, and it was a perfect ending to a flawless festival.
And let us not forget the incredible town this festival is held in every year- Mt. Dora. Mere steps from the Lakeside Inn’s campus is a bustling, walkable town full of green spaces, restaurants, bars, shops, bakeries, and art. My friend and I strolled the streets, purchasing treats for our dogs at one shop and cupcakes for ourselves at another. We dined al fresco and incredulously counted the number of different cuisines available to us. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful and the backdrop of beautiful Lake Dora created the most picturesque escape for the festival.
I could not recommend this event enough. Besides the charming locale and rich content, the festival organizers made sure that all accommodations were well thought out and that the attendees were provided for. Truly, it was a time where one could break from a busy life, take time to disconnect from things that do not fill the soul, and really have an opportunity for reflection and relaxation. There was not one aspect of our weekend adventure that was not restorative, and the friends and lessons made along the way were a wonderful bonus.
Family-friendly, in a beautiful setting, professionally styled- this is an event I will continue to attend for many years.
Glad to welcome Jocelyne Fliger to the FSA. She is a graduate of Tulane University with a BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University with a certificate in Gerontology. Jocelyne has worked in the arenas of crisis counseling, suicide prevention, and victim advocacy, and was named Victim Advocate of the Year 2015 by Florida State University for her response to the Strozier Library shooting. She is President/CEO of Elder Care Services, Inc., Leon County’s lead aging services non-profit, where the mission is to improve the quality of life for seniors and their caregivers by providing support for independent living.
Outside of serving and advocating for a wide spectrum of seniors and their caregivers in Florida’s Big Bend area, Jocelyne is the President of the AmeriCorps Senior Professional Network; is an active member of the NAACP; is on the Specialty Practice Committee- Aging Section of the National Association of Social Workers; sits on the board of United Partners for Human Services’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Taskforce; and is the Treasurer for Club 25- a women-led philanthropic organization.
In her spare time, she enjoys visiting scenic North Florida via canoe with her husband Jeremy Deese and their daughter Morgyn; volunteering with Morgyn’s Girl Scout troop; and loving on their 2 dog-Koda, and 2 guinea pigs-Cheese and Hamilton.
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