Featured Story: Keeper of the Flame of Dreams
November 1, 2009
She was just an old woman so most people thought that she wasn’t worth much anymore. Still the children gathered around her feet every evening to hear her stories.
“There was a time,” she said slowly, “when The People loved to dream and because they dreamed things happened in their lives that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. The People knew that dreaming was an essential part of living and for thousands of years they had kept their dream flame alive.
The People were very sensitive beings and very perceptive. They could see things and know things that other people couldn’t necessarily see or know. But they never considered themselves to be special. They simply believed that they were part of a vast Universe and so it was natural to follow the laws of creation.
But dark times fell on The People and terrible things happened that almost cut them off from the flame of dreams forever. Their water became strangely colored and foul tasting. Their crops dried up and beautiful exotic plants and flowers died and became extinct.
With each new loss of a fellow plant species, The People mourned their losses but they had to carry on. There was so much to do. But just at the point when they were beginning to recover, terrible winds came and ripped their animals into pieces and sent their huts flying all over the land.
By the time the winds finally died down there was nothing left at all of their village except for the tiny ember of a once brilliant fire. The People were stunned and sat around this small ember moaning and rocking in grief. What where they to do? Why had everything they needed to live been swept away?
In order to protect the tiny flame, they found a vessel to keep it in. They tried to carry on with their dreaming practices – singing, chanting and praying for life new. But each day their tiny flame seemed to flickering smaller and smaller and more of their spirit seemed to die.
“You see” said the old woman to the children, ”sometimes all that you have is a tiny flickering flame and you have to hold onto it with all of your might.”
But The People’s misery did not end there. One night while they were sleeping, a huge, black, ominous cloud came over them and began to shout, “You People, who do you think you are to dare to dream while others are suffering? You think that you know the laws of the Universe but you do not. I will put an end to your dreaming forever.”
The skies got very dark, lightening cracked and the winds howled and suddenly it began to rain. It rained and rained and rained. It rained so hard for 3 days and nights that much to their horror the vessel that held the flame was washed away.
The People huddled together trembling and scared. They had never purposely set out to harm anyone. In their hearts they believed that dreaming was part of the natural world and a way to keep things peaceful, happy and balanced for all. But now with the loss of the flame, they began to question things.
“So what do you think they did then?” the old woman asked the children. “Give up? Admit defeat?”
“No, shouted the children. “They can’t give up. They must find the flame and keep it alive.” You see, you can always trust the heart of a child to keep the dream alive.
“That’s right”, said the old woman. “The flame was more important to them then even their own lives.” So they built some boats out of reeds and set off to find the vessel.
They searched for a 100 days and 100 nights with little to eat along the way – only a few seeds and berries. But they were determined that if they searched long enough they would eventually find the flame of dreams. But the journey was very wearing and they were very tired.
After awhile they decided to stop and take a rest so they began to look for a place where they could lay down and sleep. That night one of the elders in the group had a dream. She dreamt of a cave inside of a mountain and right in the center was a fire burning brightly. The next morning when they awoke they were encouraged by the dream and so they set off in search of the mountain.
By mid day they found it and they got out of their boats and began climbing the mountain, chanting and praying, one step at a time. But just then the big black cloud appeared again. “How dare you defy me! How dare you attempt to keep the dreams alive. I will not have it.” And it began to rain so hard that The People got soaked.
They slipped and fell, got mud in their hair, their eyes, their mouths but they kept on. They continued to climb the mountain, chanting and praying, one step at a time. Not rain, nor mud, nor thunderstorm would stop them because now they were very close. They could sense it now and they began to get a wiff of smoke.
And when they reached the mouth of the cave they paused and made a prayer of thanks for right there in the very center was the tiny ember of living dreams. And the minute that the flame of dreams saw its people it got so excited that it burst into a huge roaring fire that warmed The People got warmed and they had a good meal.
“So you see without their dreams the people almost perished. But they did live on and they fanned the flame of their dreams every day. And they assigned some very special keepers to the flame of dreams so that it could never go out again. And do you know who that is?”, the old lady whispered to the children? But the children did not hear her because they were already fast asleep. “It’s you,” she whispered.
Annie Hart original, June 12, 2000
Story of the Week: Amara and the River of Ages
September 8, 2009
I stood at the edge of the clearing, hesitant to go in further. I could see her sitting hunched outside of her doorway in the shadows of the tall pines. I didn’t want to get any closer, afraid that somehow she would rub off on me. Her name was Amara and they had told me that she was very bitter. I was very curious to find out why.
She seemed very old as she huddled there, wrapped in a blanket. Was she sleeping? I made a noise to attract her attention but either she ignored me or she didn’t care. I thought about running away but found myself stepping closer instead. I could see into her house through the doorway and something looked very intriguing inside. I had the sense that this was a woman of substance. What had happened to make her so bitter?
I stepped closer and said hello. She looked up slowly and stared me straight in the eye, cold and direct. “What do you want?” I felt a shiver of fear but I also saw something else behind that cold stare and I had to know more. This was clearly a woman of depth. What had happened to her?
She looked like she’d fallen back to sleep, so I tiptoed inside of the house, hoping that she wouldn’t notice. But just as soon as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I felt her presence behind me and I knew that I had made a grave mistake. I had entered her home without permission.
“I’ll show you what you have come to see.” She walked towards the back of her shadowy home. I saw bodies lying curled up, fetal and motionless. “These are my babies. These are my husbands. They are all dead. What more do you want from me?” I felt shocked and embarrassed. I was in a place that I didn’t belong.
A young girl appeared and said, “I am too young and she is too old. So we live here together to make up the difference.” I wondered what she meant by that.
I asked the girl, “How did she get to be so old and bitter?” “I can’t tell you that story,” she said. “Only she can tell the story. Go outside and sit with her. She’s out back, under the tree.” But as I looked around that lightless space, I saw many beautiful objects from all over the world, from many different cultures. I knew that this was a woman with great treasures to share. What had happened to cut her off from all of that?
I went out and sat at her feet, quiet and silent. She sighed and began to weep and mumble something ever so softly. I wanted to reach out and hold her hand but I didn’t know if it was polite or even appropriate. Somehow she felt like an elder to me.
So many days I’ve thought of giving up
So many days I’ve felt I can’t go on
So many losses, so much pain
The rivers have dried up
The flowers have died
Why did the rivers dry up? Why did she have so much pain? I had to know but I dared not ask. Suddenly I felt very hot and incredibly angry. Fear shot through my body like a lightening bolt and I thought, “What is this?” I looked at her and she was laughing. “Now you know what I feel every minute of the day. Life runs through me – my life, others lives, the earth, the universe, the cosmos. I can’t stop it. So I live here alone. No one could put up with a woman like this.”
I wanted to say something to make her feel better but instead I started to cry rivers of tears and couldn’t stop. I felt incredibly sad. She was so beautiful, so full of passion and here she was living all alone, cut off from everyone except that young girl. Wasn’t there anyone to love her?
She read my thoughts again. “NO!“, she screamed. “This is my fate. You cannot change my destiny. Who do you think you are?” and she got up and stormed away.
I felt so badly. I knew that I had crossed the line. Maybe it was time for me to leave? But I felt compelled to go even further. I stepped towards the edge of the woods. I saw the dry creek bed. I knew then what I had to do, what I had come to do.
Despite the circumstances I went down to that dry riverbed. I took off all my clothes and lay down. I stayed like that for 3 whole days and 3 whole nights, no food, no water. I cried and prayed and cried and prayed. I prayed for life to return to this woman’s heart – to all women’s hearts. And so by the dawn of the 4th morning, the riverbed was filled up again and the flowers were beginning to grow. Was it my tears or had the river spirit herself heard my pleas and returned?
I may never know the whole story but when I went back to Amara’s house, all of the lights were on and she looked happy and alive. She was jubilant. “Thank you for coming,” she said. ” I know what you need too.” And she reached into her pocket and gave me a wooden heart. “Take it home with you. Plant it in the earth. It will find some roots.” 
That was the last time that I saw her. But they told me later that she had changed her name and found a lover who stayed with her always. The flowers returned. The river flourished.
and this is my story
just a story to tell….
Annie Hart
March 5, 1999
Flattened
September 5, 2009
Life hurts sometimes. People die, relationships fail and life lets you down. You think you’re going in one direction and then suddenly the wind blows and you’re going in another.
This week I had an experience that really flattened me. I felt like my buoyant balloon just fell to the ground. Not to worry though, I have been through this many times before and have rebounded. Life is not just about growth but it is also about death, renewal, despair and hope. We need to embrace the whole gamut.
This is not the straw that will break the camel’s back. Although sometimes painful experiences can feel like that, this will not break me. I must learn to bend like the weeping willow tree but not crack.
Here’s one thing that I’ve learned – that you can’t avoid pain. When you need to experience it, it’s going to seek you out like a heat-seeking missile. But also remember that it’s not just meant to be pain. Life is causing us to grow and sometimes that feels really challenging.
The little hermit crab does not want to get out of his comfy shell and scuttle across the hot sand to find a new one. He’s comfortable where he is. But life says grow and so out of the shell he must go.
Life hurts sometimes. People die, relationships fail and life lets us down. But do not give up. Growth is right around the corner. New life is the next phase of the process. Nature herself is always dying and being reborn.
So you might wonder what I’m doing with this situation? Well for one I’m taking solace from the loving people in my life. One 
of the best things about difficulties, is that they really help you realize how much you have and how loved you are.
I encourage you to take a look around today and see who really loves you and who is there for you no matter what. Don’t wait for life’s challenges to hit. Look now. See who loves you and love them back. In these times I try to remind myself to focus more on others than on myself. Take solace but reach out and give as well.
The other way I’m moving with life is to continue to write and share stories. I’ve decided that it’s time to really push myself to bring more of my stories out to the world – not just the pretty plumped up ones, but also the ones that are raw and real. These are the stories that matter the most, the ones that come from real life.
Life will grow and renew itself again, it’s inevitable. We must stay hopeful and positive about that. Not just as a pep talk or trying to ignore what is happening, but if in the midst of difficulties we can continue to believe in life and it’s powers of renewal then that can carry us forward.
There is nothing lost here. Just an old shell of the hermit crab that needed to crack off and drift out to sea. He may be temporarily without his shell and feel a bit lost and vulnerable, but right now even as we tell this story, his new shell is out there looking for him. It’s just waiting for him to pull his head up out of the sand and lumber forward towards it. When he does, the new shell that has been there all the time will welcome him home.
Life grows. Life goes on. Life renews itself. It’s inevitable. You can bank on that. In fact you should.
Story of the Week – The Dare To Be Different Spoon Man
July 21, 2009
He lay quietly in the soft darkness of the cutlery drawer, planning his strategy. “Subtle but assertive, that’s what I want to portray. I must show those other spoons that I’m not like them, complacent and dull with nothing to look forward to except the everyday routine of going in and out of the spoon drawer. No, I’m definitely not like them. Why I plan to do different things, see the world from a different perspective, be bold.”
The other spoons slept quietly, unaware of the storm that was brewing within the Spoon Man’s metal heart. “I’ll just quietly tell them I’m leaving and that will be that. No big deal and I certainly won’t let them intimidate me.”
The next morning he awoke with a nervous know in his body. Somehow he’d gotten all twisted up in his sleep. But determination to be free spurred him on. He took a deep breath, looked around for one last time at his surroundings and reminded himself to be calm and gentle. With the strength of Hercules he rose out of the kitchen drawer and boldly declared, “That’s it you guys. I’ve had it! I dare to be unique and I don’t care what you think. I’m going off to live with the forks!”
The other spoons having been woken from their peaceful slumber, shrieked in horror, “You’ll do what?”
“I said that I’m going off to live with the forks….if it’s ok with you that is.”
The boldest spoon of all stepped forward. “What in the world will you do with the forks? I think that I speak for all of us when I say that I think it is a totally ridiculous idea and I for one won’t allow it.” The Spoon Man was taken aback. He hadn’t anticipated this type of reaction at all. What to do now?
“I believe in you.” It was the tiny dessert spoon
“You do?”
“Yes, why I think that you are bold and brave and I’m really glad that you have the courage to be different. I’ve been dreaming about these things all of my life but I would never have been able to come forth with them as you have.” 
The Dare to Be Different Spoon Man sighed. One of those soft and encouraging sighs that show the effects of having one’s dreams realized in the bat of an eye.
“Beautiful Miss Dessert Spoon, would you marry me and come to live with me in the unknown wilds of the fork compartment?”
“Oh Mr. Spoon Man, you’re the spoon of my dreams.”
The End
written by Annie Hart about 1989
Personal Growth Princess Meets Green Pea Princess
July 20, 2009
Personal Growth Princess meets Green Pea Princess how exciting!
My good friend Nina East runs a wonderful company called Personal Growth Princess. Isn’t that fun and daring of her!
Nina embodies the power of doing what you love. If you want to be inspired in your business, especially as a woman, I strongly suggest that you follow Nina. She is amazing! Part wonder woman, part princess, she is truly a model for how to combine that beautiful girliness that we all love, with a smart and solid business sense. Yay Nina!
Nina is the one that helped me get my blog up and running. Without her, I might still be back trying to figure out how to load it in. She saved me time and trouble which is exactly what a smart modern woman really needs in her business life. I am indebted to her for that. But the best part is that she embedded these cute little messages on my website for me, without telling me. My favorite was finding the one that said, “Annie Hart rocks the world!” Love that!
That is a true princess business woman for you – smart, savvy and a bit of a trickster.
Recently Nina’s Personal Growth Princess met my Green Pea Princess when Nina featured my story on her blog. I was tickled because I love the idea that we are sharing blogging, storytelling and princesses. Her site is really fun and there is lots to check out. I love all of her little story boxes with photo’s. She’s done a great job.
Again if you want to be inspired by a real woman, making her way in the world, check out Nina East princess extraordinaire at: http://personalgrowthprincess.com/
Thanks again Nina, you’re a sweetheart!
Connect With Annie Hart
.png)
.png)