The Canoe Trip

An innocent day on the river or a nightmare? Depends on who's telling the story.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

The Story Behind the Story

Today I’m sharing a fictional short story based on a real childhood event. When I started to think about writing this story, I thought I was going to write a memoir piece, but then I interviewed my parents and my sister and discovered there were four slightly different variations. (I’m sure, if I had checked with the other family involved that day, there would be many more.) Everyone remembered the day differently. Which I think is common when remembering events, especially when there are chaotic moments involved. The conflicting stories led me to turn away from writing a memoir essay and lean in towards fiction. I won’t tell you what’s real and what isn’t.

Storytellers as gods

When I started digging into this story and really thought about it, I was interested in how differently I perceived this story as an adult rather than a child. I remember experiencing the canoe trip, and throughout my childhood I always thought of it as an adventure. It was wild and dangerous, but I wasn’t scarred by it.

As an adult and parent, I am horrified by what could have happened-the potential for tragedy. I think of the other mother and wonder if she still has nightmares about it. I wonder if the little girl, now a woman, never took her children on a boat.

I wonder if I was able to accept it in my youth without fear, anxiety or permanent emotional scars was a purposeful choice by mother and her storytelling. Because that’s the truth of all stories, isn’t it? As storytellers we can lead our readers into whatever emotions we feel would be best for the story (or for them). That’s not to say my parents were callous in their retelling. But rather that they saved my sister and I from worry and anxiety over an event about which we had no control.

And with that, let’s get on with the story….