The Stories Behind the Stories

    In this section, Jeanette C. Patindol shares how her stories came about.  In general, this is what she has to say about her particular preference for writing what she calls her “reality stories”:  

    When people read my stories, they almost always ask me, “Are children ready for these?  They are about such serious life and death topics.  Shouldn’t we wait until children are ready for these?”

    And my usual answer is, “Maybe, maybe not.  How will we know unless we find out?  Who’s to say a child is not ready, when a child already lives with these situations anyway?”   

    Psychologists say that readiness is borne out of adequate mental preparation and a competent skill set borne out of practice, among others.  
   
    Yet, I have observed that most of us have this notion of keeping our children happily ignorant of what’s happening in real life as much as possible, for as long as possible, in the guise of protecting their “innocence”, and hoping that when they grow up, real life would be much more different and positive for them.

Readiness is mental preparation and competence.

    Obviously, I differ in that notion.  For me, innocence is being clear-seeing and yet still maintaining a purity of heart.  And purity of heart can be more happily maintained, when one is nurtured in an environment of all things loving and good—honesty, self-respect, compassion, and all the other gifts of the Spirit—not in spite of, but precisely amidst seemingly negative life challenges. 
 
    How can one be truly innocent when one does not see clearly, because the challenges and trials of real life are hidden from our view?     

    How does one become ready, in the sense of developing a competent skill set to deal with these challenges, when one is not even afforded the opportunity to talk about these challenges, much less to practice alternative, more creative ways of dealing with these challenges?     

    And how can we realistically expect them to grow up to a life that is different and more positive when they have not been introduced to how to make that kind of life so amidst pressing challenges?   

    In my stories, I have endeavored to contribute to preserving this innocence and  promoting this readiness, with a context for both mental preparation and a scenario for practice.  This scenario is brought about through, at least, the vicarious experience of reading about the characters’ actions and responses, and in the context of a loving, respecting, affirming setting in the stories presented, even if the conflict situations are seemingly “negative”. 

      We transform the future by engaging it today, not hiding from it and sticking our heads and our children’s’ heads in the sands of euphemisms, and skirting around discussing life topics with half-truths and even lies.  

     We either engage the future now, or lose it by default.  Which do we choose?    

     Obviously, I have made my choice through my stories.

Please click on each title below to read more about the stories behind each of her stories:

             Papa’s House, Mama’s House
             Tight Times
             My One-Boobed Mamma