Julita Braithwaite-Bentz

Tell'n

 

"The telling of one story is the genesis of yet other stories.  The images, rhythms, and experiences  it evokes "reverberate in the memories of audience members, who reconstruct the story with the stuff of their own thoughts and feelings.  In such ways, individual lives are woven together through the stuff of stories."  (Gay, G.)

 

I was born in 1954, in Denver, Colorado to Cordelia and Elisha Braithwaite.   Our parents parted ways at the age of 3 or 4 years old leaving our mother to raise us children alone.  Being the oldest of 8 children,  my mother felt it was important that I look beyond our circumstances to achieve whatever goals I desired.  She taught me about self  and civic pride and how to take hold of the challenges of life with zeal.  She would say, "even though you live in a housing projects, you don't have to become a victim of those circumstances ."  I guess I listened because I married the most phenomenal  man, raised 3 sons, am a grandmother of 5, gave over 30 years of service to Head Start children and families, graduated with a BA degree and a Masters in Human Development.  All my life experiences has brought to becoming the Storycatcher of  my life, where I say; "You Should've Been There.