Rachel Murray

Rachel Murray is a storyteller for all ages, based in Derbyshire. She believes that you’re never too old for a story. Stories connect us to our timeless selves and to each other. Contact Rachel Murray Storyteller on Facebook.

Diary 2021

I am writing this in October 2019, having just returned from the Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests in London. The XR movement has called strongly to me, as at its core is a deep shared love for the Earth and each other. This story kept popping into my head whilst I was there.

There was a wise old man who was greatly respected for his wisdom. There were two young men who determined to catch him out. They trapped a small bird; a tiny, beautiful, fragile creature. One of the young men held it encased in his hands. “We shall ask the old man a question: Is the bird in my hands alive or dead? If he answers ‘Dead’, I will open my hands and let the bird fly away. If he answers ‘Alive’, I will crush it in my hands. That way he will never be right”.

Feeling mightily pleased with their plan they went to visit the old man who greeted them warmly. They posed their question to him. He looked slowly from one to the other with kind eyes and then replied, “The answer is in your hands”.

When this diary is published, we will be another year down the line. What decisions will have been reached? What action will have been taken? The future lies in our hands. We must act.