1. Who are the best storytellers in your family? Why?
One of the best storytellers in my family is my (maternal) grandfather, William Griego (or Grandpa Bill, as I call him). From being born during the closing years of the Great Depression (1937, to be exact) to serving in the Korean War on the front lines and back home on "graphic compilation" for the CIA, my grandfather has experienced a lot during his lifetime, and can recall stories from what seems long, long ago to me.
The other gifted storyteller in my family is my mother, Elisa Griego. In case you were unaware, I am part Armenian (it comes from my great-grandparents on my mother's side), and my mom has remained firmly in touch with my family’s Armenian heritage. She knows the history, mythology, and culture, and is always sharing stories about Armenia with me and my brother.
One of the best storytellers in my family is my (maternal) grandfather, William Griego (or Grandpa Bill, as I call him). From being born during the closing years of the Great Depression (1937, to be exact) to serving in the Korean War on the front lines and back home on "graphic compilation" for the CIA, my grandfather has experienced a lot during his lifetime, and can recall stories from what seems long, long ago to me.
The other gifted storyteller in my family is my mother, Elisa Griego. In case you were unaware, I am part Armenian (it comes from my great-grandparents on my mother's side), and my mom has remained firmly in touch with my family’s Armenian heritage. She knows the history, mythology, and culture, and is always sharing stories about Armenia with me and my brother.
2. Where and when are stories told in your family?
Aside from visiting relatives (on special occasions or smaller get-togethers), many of the stories and traditions important to my family derive from our religion. I am Armenian Orthodox (though my father is Catholic, so I am very familiar with that church as well), and as I already mentioned above, Armenian stories, mythology, and history form a majority of the stories passed down in my family.
3. Identify one or two quintessential stories told in your family. Why are these stories so important? Why are they told and retold?
While there are many stories that are a part of my day-to-day life at home, perhaps the most important, and the most meaningful to me, again comes from my Armenian heritage. This is the story of how my great-grandparents survived the Armenian Genocide (1915 - 1923). Not only is this story, and the entire history of the Armenian Genocide, particularly emotional for me, but the historic significance of my great-grandparents history, and the impact which the Genocide continues to have on Armenian culture today, make this story very important to me and my family.
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