If I were asked to define myself, I’d start by saying I am a consumer of stories. I am a lover of words and a believer that lore, both written and spoken, can do so much more than bring us together. I guess that probably sounds as nerdy today as it did when I first tried it out as a teenager, but my belief stands firm. In this world of social media jabs and click bait temptations, it is the stories that will save us, unite us, teach us that beyond our differences is our humanity. And humanity seems like a pretty good thing to embrace right now.
I am ever so grateful to have been invited to gather with like-minded souls as part of the MelroseReads Book Club. If you haven’t heard, and I hope you have, the MelroseReads gang — Lisa and Manjula, Bonnie, Linda, Margaret and probably a few other amazing organizers I’ve missed — have rejuvenated the “One Book, One Community” program in Melrose.
Together, they’ve welcomed all Melrosians to read America Ferreras’ American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures. The book is a collection of stories written by many of America’s well-known friends. If you choose to read one essay or all of them, I think you’ll feel a connection in a way that might surprise and will definitely delight. At least, that’s how it went for me.
The Book Club, which you can view on Zoom, was a way to share our own stories, as encouraged by the tales we read in America’s book. As I watched the animated face of each speaker, I wondered about the many stories that drift through our city.
Through MelroseReads, I learned that Venancia is not just a vice principal at one of our elementary schools, she’s also someone who has struggled with and shown pride in a name given in honor of her great grandmother. Leila, besides being a city councillor, is the daughter of a man who tells tales of his childhood practice of checking for rattlesnakes before putting on shoes. Christopher discovered one of the storytellers in America’s book was a student at a school where he worked and Caroline has lived in Melrose for 14 years, longer than any other place she’s called home. Joy’s grandmother graduated from Melrose High in 1926 and the rhymes middle school kids once made with Paul’s last name continue to sting. Nina worried for her sons’ safety in the aftermath of 9/11 and Maya, who graduated from Melrose High in 2016, is lucky enough to be surrounded by the love of four mothers, while she struggles with the decision to meet her biological father.
We only had an hour, but that was just enough to start each of us on a journey to discover the stories of those around us. We’ve each got a story to tell. What’s yours? I can’t wait to hear.
The MelroseReads program will continue through June. You can read about the very cool events they have planned here. And pick up the book at Melrose Library. You’ll be happy you did.
