The many joys that can be found in a 'story safari'

I call it going on “story safari.” Striking up conversations with others — exchanging stories.

In Utah on the Great American Road Trip my husband and I took this spring, I encountered a small town girl who works a hotel desk. She said her name was Frankie. At least that’s how I expected it was spelled. Turns out I was wrong. She spells it Franke.

And so the story safari began. A man named Frank Edward Baker saved her father’s life in Vietnam. When she was born her dad wished to honor him. He named her Franke — pulling the “e” from Edward. But he didn’t stop there. Franke’s middle name became the letter “B,” taken from Baker. She’s Franke B. It suits her.

In this same hotel’s breakfast room I met a man from Nanjing, China. Li had a hundred days to travel western national parks and cities.

I embarked on a few stories of my own with him. My aunt and her husband spent many years in China. During World War II they often hosted the young American pilots recruited to defend China against the Japanese — the Flying Tigers. Li became very excited — “Famous, famous,” he said.

But when I went on to say this aunt and uncle had also known Chiang Kai-shek and his wife, Li seemed clueless. I told him in simple terms Chiang was a rebel who fought for a free China. In actuality he was the controversial leader of the Republic of China — which relocated to Taiwan after 1949 — for nearly fifty years.

“What’s rebel?” Li asked. I didn’t mince words. “Someone who resists. Chiang Kai-shek fought against communism.” Li blinked a few times, but didn’t say a thing. As I left he added, “Good stories.”

I thought that was the last of our conversation, but in the hallway later he wanted advice on the best driving route to Seattle. That’s when my husband hauled out our road atlas. For the second time. He’d helped a couple in Nevada whose GPS dropped when they entered a “no service” area, causing them to miss a turn and become lost. Li from high tech China discovered the value of a good old paper map.

And once again I discovered the value of story safari. Taking that time and interest in others to share personal histories. To hold the world — story by story — in my hands.