The Power Of Bearing Witness

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014

Richard Seaman, featured teller for the story swap Tuesday January 14, 2014. He will tell stories of two remarkable men he met while working for the Red Cross.

Bearing Witness: Richard’s stories tonight will demonstrate the power of bearing witness: how truly seeing a person can bring forth their capacity for dealing with adversity.  He will tell the stories of two men he met during his Red Cross work; one possessed a rare spiritual quality; the other saved the life of his young son. Telling each man’s story is Richard’s way of honoring them.

Richard discovered storytelling in the 1990’s in Massachusetts as a volunteer in the Red Cross’ Disaster Mental Health Service. He found that often the best way to train new mental health professionals was by sharing stories from his experiences at the scene of a fire or flood. He explains, “I was an early volunteer with the American Red Cross in the newly established Disaster Mental Health Service. As new mental health professionals came on board, some would ask, ‘What do you actually do after a fire or at a flood scene?’ I found that telling examples from my experiences made things come alive for them.”

He moved on to tell personal stories – coming of age, high school, foreign travel, non-war military experience — among friends. At this time he also took to the theatrical stage with roles in plays and films. In 2002 he moved to Port Angeles and joined The Story People and the Port Angeles Community Players, did mostly small parts in plays and the lead male actor in the film Long Term Care. He says, “It was all challenging, hard work, exciting and fun.” He adds, “I am especially interested in personality and character development, how we learn, and how character is revealed.”