—FORWARD—

The stories recounted here are tales told by messengers from an5que lands. They concern their creators, their owners and the travels that propelled them through 5me. Their tales aren’t really told, they are whispered in so= voices distorted by age so that their meanings aren’t always clear. Some5mes it requires a li?le imagina5on from the listener to catch the idea and fill in the gaps using experience and intui5on.

The tellers have been bruised and injured along the way. They have o=en been nurtured and repaired further adding to their histories. All who have been shown humanity at their low points have rewarded their saviours with upli=ing anecdotes from their past, gra5tude for their present and the promise of contribu5on to a be?er future.

The world is so diverse but many in its history didn’t know that. They were content to remain in their small communi5es and connect to other by travelers’ tales. For most, the possibility of travel was not an op5on. They were rooted by family, friends, crops and environment. Only great upheavals cause disloca5on and the resul5ng journeys can be painful. Ask any border crossing refugee. But some5mes they can be posi5ve providing a light of encouragement when before there was only the darkness of discomfort and despair.

This is a small collec5on of tales whispered at night by a group of these travelers who have been brought together by one who understands, values and cares for them. He, too has traveled all his life. He has seen many things, met many kindnesses along the way and appreciated that good can exist in distant places. Moreover, in foreign lands, he becomes the exo5c, a fascina5ng en5ty surrounded by ears eager to hear his tales and to learn from his experiences. When experiences meld, the result is happiness and produc5ve ac5vity. The des5na5on may not be clear but the approach to it, whether by foot, ship, car or plane is reward in itself. Here we try to give back a li?le of what has been taken. That giving is reward in itself.

The an5ques that inspired these stories are palimpsests on which the hopes, joys and imagina5ons of the present are wri?en….

Boxes are like people. At first glance, they are judged by their exteriors. But if what we see is sufficiently intriguing, we yearn to peek inside to see what more can be learned.

It is here that the crea5vity and sincerity of the maker is revealed.

It is here that we learn of its history, purpose and use.

The interior is the dark and mysterious yin to the exterior’s yang.

It is where the secrets are kept, occasionally under lock and key.

Glenn Wood, York Pennsylvania, January 2023.