Story Mash for Guelph Gives!





Guelph Gives at the Quebec Street Mall









Ally from the United Way

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is: Action Read's Story Mash!  This story was written by over 40 'authors' - individuals who participated in the Guelph Gives Celebrations on December 2, 2014.   Each person added their lines without knowing how the story began or how it would end.  The result is one crazy and twisting tale!

Once upon a time in the generous city of Guelph there was a very large family in a very small house.  In the small house there were three thoughtful children who were looking for something to do.  They were thinking of going outside to have a snowball fight, but there was a snow storm!  Instead, they decided to make gingerbread cookies.  The gingerbread came to life!?!  They were all very happy, but the gingerbread continued to rise and in no time at all was twice as big as the smallest child!  The giant gingerbread man looked down on the town and said, “Please! Can someone show me how to give?”  A little girl came around the corner and said, “I can!”  Her dog said, “I will as well!” 

The little girl and her talking dog explained to the giant gingerbread man that in order to give you need to look into your heart and find a heart connection with someone else.  “I see,” said the gingerbread man.  “How do I look into my heart?” he asked.  The little girl was thoughtful for a second and then said, “You look from the inside out.  You never really know how you feel about something until you write about it.”



AR volunteer and community writer extraordinaire Ashley!

Out of nowhere an enchanted pen magically appeared.  It had the power to phonetically pronounce words as they are written.  This was a wonderful power indeed as it gave laughter to many people and giggles galore as it spoke out words like knife and knit.  However, this pen could do more; much, much more.

The gingerbread man and the pen formed a team, learning to give people the joy of reading and writing.  When the people began to read they went on many adventures and then wrote about them!  The people wrote and wrote words that they had never written before.  Writing these words felt so good and so empowering that they wanted to keep writing and then they turned into the words!?!  The letter M was so excited she decided to start saying only m-words such as miraculous, mommy, marker, moist, memory.  Maybe mom will add on more.  This marker is marvelous and magical!  Now make your mark and give more.

“But what about me?” said the letter G.  “I’m about giving and Guelph!”  “G is for giving!” said the giant gingerbread man, “and G stands for me made of gingerbread-ness!  So how can we give for the greater good?  How can we make a difference the way that we should?”  The dog spoke up and said, “I know!  First you should ask, “What do I believe in?”  What do I really care about?  Then the dog said, “I care about love and kindness and good for all people…and Milk Bones and squeaky toys…”


Doug and Mira at Guelph Gives

So, the gingerbread man put a guide coat on the dog and took him for a walk to the mall to introduce him to all of the vendors for Guelph Gives with the intention of demonstrating in a practical way, the gratitude in which we so seldom give without intent.  The guide dog made some new friends at the mall.  Like him, many people were doing selfless acts of kindness to help perfect strangers.  At the Be A Donor booth many people were registering their consent to donate their organs and issue to save lives years into the future! 

The friends couldn’t help wondering what the future would look like for their hometown.  The community gathered around the gingerbread man and all walked together to the small house.  They sat down together with a hot chocolate in each of their hands.  After that they honoured the art of literacy by wearing clothes made of books.  The added weight was ENORMOUS!!!

They were so, so, so heavy, but there were also very, very, very entertaining and illuminating and expanding.  They could read their clothes and were never bored again.  When you are really bored reading is a great hobby, or give stained glass a try.  “It worked for me,” said the colourful and sugary man made of ginger.  He had decided when he was fresh from the oven that he would be the type of baked good that would be dedicated to learning for life.  Suddenly he noticed his sugary hand and took a bite.  “Mmm!” said the gingerbread man.  “I’m delicious!”  And so he was, but the clever gingerbread man decided that if he wanted to remain steadfast in his loyalty to learning for life he couldn’t eat any more of his confectious hand, lest he be unable to hold up books to read to the wee children.  

Dean Palmer doing his bit for the cause!

 

He clearly realized that he had to learn how to bake a new hand and went straight to the library to get help.  Soon he discovered that not only was his own hand delicious, everyone else’s hands were even MORE delicious!  He began to feed!  The librarians were the first to feel the horrible chomp of gingerbread teeth.  Then the children felt the clamp of gumdrop incisors!  Then the mothers ran screaming and fell, slipping on the blood…all the crimson, strawberry coloured blood mixed with the sugary sweet crumbs of the horrifying dust of crushed and cracked gingerbread fangs.  The baker was stunned and distraught by the corruption that had stricken his beloved creation and the desolation sweet “Gingy” had wrought upon the library.  Resolved to put an end to this horrific turn of events, he grabbed his apron and cap and set forth to bake a shortbread person sweet enough to balance out the excessive spice of the gingerbread man and end this mayhem.

The shortbread person was the hero and saved the day.  He took the librarian’s hand and told her/him to run and call 911, so she ran and the shortbread sweetheart and the gingerbread man were wresting.  The gingerbread man was trying to escape!  Then the police arrived with tasers drawn and tased the two baked goods filling the library with the sweet smell or burned sugar.

Once the fiasco ended everyone was so happy and filled with the warmth of the yummy smell.  But, wait!!  The story does continue on…and on…and on…

You see all fairy tales or any story in fact, must have a great IMPACT!  Impactful endings are the best.  Yes, everyone was filled with warmth and full tummies, but they each needed to GIVE BACK.  Giving Tuesday is a great example.  Everyone, anywhere, at any time can participate.  It only takes a second or you can extend to a full year.  Hey!  Why not a lifetime?  If we all practised this our world would be a better place and who wouldn’t want that?!  Infants, children, teenagers, moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, neighbours and colleagues, let’s get together on this day of giving and embrace it to the fullest.  One day out of the 365 you have is nothing.  Make a better quality of life for the world!!  Love & Peace.

Total words: 1160


Written by: Adam Wicke, Alejandra Perdomo-Herrera, Andrew Saunders, Angie Litzen, Anna Scott, Ashley Wilson, Bang Ly, Brittney Dudar, Chelsey Hooker, Courtney Dougan, Dave Whiteside, Dayle Petty, Dean Palmer, Deb Charbonneau, Desiree Babic, Dr. Mark Kubert, Dudley Gibbs, Ed MacNevin, Haley Audet, Jane Wielhorski, Janet Parr, Jeff Springer, Jen Rafter, Jeremy Cummings, Joanne Morant, Kendra Dewar, Larry Mason, Martha van Berkel, Mary Crome, Mira Clarke, Nancy Bennett, Nina Menard, Rita Field, Sandy Anger, Sarah Burr, Theresa Deeves, Timothy LePage, Tina Brophey, Tracy Cousin, William Deeves