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I wrote this book for a group of individuals that I loosely refer to as “Shamans” (The
first “a” in Shaman has three pronunciations: as in “father”, as in “shame”, or as in “am). Through the centuries and in
various cultures around the world, “Shamans” were many things. For the purpose of this book, I prefer a description of
Peruvian Shamans which describes them in part as knowledgeable men and women who were also the storytellers of their
communities. And, as keepers of tribal history handed down verbally through the ages, they were also the historians of
their time. |
| In today’s world, we "Shamans armed with computers" are capable
of recording the lives of our ancestors like never before. And unlike the Shamans of old, we can share our stories with
tribes in far away places. We don’t tell our stories to the beat of a drum, the rattle of a gourd, or the ethereal wail
of a flute. We record them for all eternity in books. The premise I used in writing
We, The Shamans, is that you have had little, or no experience in writing. That you would like to write a family history
but don’t know how to begin. My mission in writing We, The Shamans, is to demystify
the process and to instruct the reader in how to write an exciting story instead of a dull family history. Some folks
have a knack for story telling, while others struggle endlessly. Either way, putting the story down on paper is a
learned skill, and as in most things, with practice comes improvement. Your mission
should be to get started. You just might surprise yourself! |
