Friday night, Raven Narratives hosted a sold-out show at the Mancos United Methodist Church, the town’s first event of its kind. Nine individuals presented stories to the audience, each related to the event’s theme of belonging.
Rosa Sabido, who is currently taking sanctuary in the church, also presented during the event, reading English and Spanish poetry about the feeling of longing and the nature of belonging.
Sabido and the theme of belongingSabido, who is taking sanctuary in the church to avoid deportation to Mexico, brought a presence to the event that endowed the night’s theme of belonging with a special resonance that was not lost on event co-producers Sarah Syverson and Tom Yoder.
“The last year or so has been a really special time in Mancos around Rosa Sabido,” Yoder said during introductions at the event. “I am so proud of this town and the stand being taken around Rosa. ... It’s been a really wonderful time to see people come together around a cause. Thank you, Mancos, for that as well.”
Sabido, who enjoyed a front-row view during the event, said the event was “like a cake” for her and was her “night out.” She says the church, which she hasn’t left since her arrival in June 2017, is not typically so lively on a Friday evening; the event was a fun respite from the quiet evenings she normally has.
“You identify yourself in a bit of everyone’s story,” Sabido said. “My story is not going to be the same as the others, but there’s something that we all connect. We’re all connected.”
A community celebration in the church is scheduled for Nov. 10 to commemorate Sabido’s more than 500-day stay at the church and to observe Día de Muertos, a Mexican celebration for honoring dead family and friends, for the first time since her mother’s passing in June 2018.
Storytellers present their talesAs Syverson and Yoder made introductions to the crowd at the beginning of the event, they expressed joy that they were “finally” bringing a Raven Narratives event to Mancos for the first time.
“I just want to say ‘thank you’ to all the people in this room,” Yoder said as the event began. “I feel really full right now because so many of you have helped me feel like I belong here in Mancos.”
Storytellers who presented during the event included Lille Diane, who presented first. She presented her coming-of-age story, beginning with her escape from home to San Fransisco. Her story followed her path from court wardship to foster care and beyond, ending with her recent 50th anniversary of finally finding belonging.
Gabriel Bernier, a Mancos resident, presented a story about the complicated relationship he developed with his father, whom he called a “complicated man.” When Bernier was young, his father was an accessible, loving adult for him and his friends. However, as both Bernier and his father aged, each found himself falling into a deep depression. Bernier’s father later died, and the story ends with Bernier’s journey to find belonging once his father was gone.
Raven Narratives releases recordings of each story presented during their live events as podcast episodes. Their podcast is available on iTunes, Soundcloud and other platforms. You can find out more at ravennarratives.org/stories.