Comments for Storyteller Billie Noakes is StoryStruck! http://storystruck.com Stories of humor, enchantment, and life lessons--for children AND grown-ups! Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:53:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Comment on (We Light the Stars) How the Stars Came to Live in the Nighttime Sky by Webber http://storystruck.com/original-stories/how-the-stars-came-to-live-in-the-nighttime-sky/#comment-283 Webber Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:53:43 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-283 <i>Hi Billie, I truly enjoyed reading your story! I knew years ago you were talented but I guess as I get to know you better nothing should amaze me !! Keep that creativity coming girl !!!!!!!!!!!!!</i> +1 Hi Billie, I truly enjoyed reading your story! I knew years ago you were talented but I guess as I get to know you better nothing should amaze me !! Keep that creativity coming girl !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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]]> Comment on (We Light the Stars) How the Stars Came to Live in the Nighttime Sky by Mary Garrett http://storystruck.com/original-stories/how-the-stars-came-to-live-in-the-nighttime-sky/#comment-86 Mary Garrett Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:14:24 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-86 What a lovely story! Thanks so much for sharing it! What a lovely story! Thanks so much for sharing it!

]]> Comment on (We Light the Stars) How the Stars Came to Live in the Nighttime Sky by Miriam Goodspeed http://storystruck.com/original-stories/how-the-stars-came-to-live-in-the-nighttime-sky/#comment-74 Miriam Goodspeed Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:41:00 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-74 Really nice story, Billie. Congratulations! Miriam G. Really nice story, Billie. Congratulations! Miriam G.

]]> Comment on (We Light the Stars) How the Stars Came to Live in the Nighttime Sky by phyllid johndon http://storystruck.com/original-stories/how-the-stars-came-to-live-in-the-nighttime-sky/#comment-73 phyllid johndon Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:26:22 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-73 good show, Billie. All of your stories are whimsical, carry a message in a non- didactic way. good show, Billie. All of your stories are whimsical, carry a message in a non- didactic way.

]]> Comment on Lost in Service by Billie http://storystruck.com/original-stories/lost-in-service/#comment-69 Billie Mon, 16 May 2011 04:23:10 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-69 Cindy, I'm honored that you were willing to place your insights here. How proud you've made your family! All of you kids, and all for different reasons, have done the family proud. Cindy, I’m honored that you were willing to place your insights here. How proud you’ve made your family! All of you kids, and all for different reasons, have done the family proud.

]]> Comment on ~Meet Storyteller Billie Noakes~ by Billie http://storystruck.com/2010/09/12/meet-storyteller-billie-noakes/#comment-68 Billie Mon, 16 May 2011 04:18:25 +0000 http://storystruck.com/?p=25#comment-68 Thank you, Tracie! Now I have to get it in gear and write more stories to make this more read-worthy! Love ya! Thank you, Tracie! Now I have to get it in gear and write more stories to make this more read-worthy! Love ya!

]]> Comment on Lost in Service by Cindy Graham http://storystruck.com/original-stories/lost-in-service/#comment-67 Cindy Graham Mon, 16 May 2011 02:01:34 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-67 As a former Capt. in the US Army, I was mobilized for the 2003 Iraq war. I have had a number of experiences with my fellow soldiers who did not return home as they had left. Though for all appearances of being "alive and well, they were not." I understand this, because I was not-am not as I was prior to my service. For my service I was changed-one cannot serve without being altered by the experience. It is difficult for a soldier to go through a mobilization & even more-so a full, lengthy, & sometimes repeated deployment. Perhaps part of the differences in us stem from a feeling of guilt at having returned presumably-visually "well", when so many either did not return at all, or did with such dramatic injury or incapacitating physical loss & traumas. How then, with others so obviously traumatized could we (the "alive and well") feel anything but grateful? How could we feel needs when others needs are far greater? As soldiers, we are all challenged & changed by our service. Some of this is for the better, some not. For me, my service to my Country is one of my greatest accomplishments & sources of pride. Despite this, the challenges and experiences brought by my service also created & left behind many disappointments and dark areas within me. I miss my boots. I wore them under my wedding dress. I keep them shined and packed with my BDU's & dress uniform-packed away safely just like my gown. For now, I hang my flag and though it has been over 3 years, I still miss my military unit, my "other" family. They understand the experience we've all shared though we experience it differently. The understanding is there. A non-service member could not begin to understands the bonds that service to one's Country brings. Being out in the civilian world there can be a sense of unreality. People go on with their lives with no sense of the moral bearing or bigger picture that the service holds in viewing the country and priorities. The missions are different, the squad is arranged differently, with different people. The bonds of service shall always pull a soldier up to a firmer posture, the pride of service regardless of current circumstance. Though many have varying levels of PTSD after service--I think we all miss our boots, some more than others- and some don't adjust to life out of their boots. I like that despite Tommy's circumstance when he went to the parade I think he missed his boots too. As a former Capt. in the US Army, I was mobilized for the 2003 Iraq war. I have had a number of experiences with my fellow soldiers who did not return home as they had left. Though for all appearances of being “alive and well, they were not.” I understand this, because I was not-am not as I was prior to my service. For my service I was changed-one cannot serve without being altered by the experience.
It is difficult for a soldier to go through a mobilization & even more-so a full, lengthy, & sometimes repeated deployment. Perhaps part of the differences in us stem from a feeling of guilt at having returned presumably-visually “well”, when so many either did not return at all, or did with such dramatic injury or incapacitating physical loss & traumas. How then, with others so obviously traumatized could we (the “alive and well”) feel anything but grateful? How could we feel needs when others needs are far greater?
As soldiers, we are all challenged & changed by our service. Some of this is for the better, some not. For me, my service to my Country is one of my greatest accomplishments & sources of pride. Despite this, the challenges and experiences brought by my service also created & left behind many disappointments and dark areas within me.
I miss my boots. I wore them under my wedding dress. I keep them shined and packed with my BDU’s & dress uniform-packed away safely just like my gown.
For now, I hang my flag and though it has been over 3 years, I still miss my military unit, my “other” family. They understand the experience we’ve all shared though we experience it differently. The understanding is there. A non-service member could not begin to understands the bonds that service to one’s Country brings.
Being out in the civilian world there can be a sense of unreality. People go on with their lives with no sense of the moral bearing or bigger picture that the service holds in viewing the country and priorities. The missions are different, the squad is arranged differently, with different people.
The bonds of service shall always pull a soldier up to a firmer posture, the pride of service regardless of current circumstance.

Though many have varying levels of PTSD after service–I think we all miss our boots, some more than others- and some don’t adjust to life out of their boots.
I like that despite Tommy’s circumstance when he went to the parade I think he missed his boots too.

]]> Comment on ~Meet Storyteller Billie Noakes~ by Tracie D Rowland http://storystruck.com/2010/09/12/meet-storyteller-billie-noakes/#comment-66 Tracie D Rowland Sun, 15 May 2011 20:34:47 +0000 http://storystruck.com/?p=25#comment-66 Cool Proud of you getting your site up and running!! Go Sal! Cool Proud of you getting your site up and running!! Go Sal!

]]> Comment on (We Light the Stars) How the Stars Came to Live in the Nighttime Sky by DAY 15: One for the Storytellers | Billie Noakes http://storystruck.com/original-stories/how-the-stars-came-to-live-in-the-nighttime-sky/#comment-65 DAY 15: One for the Storytellers | Billie Noakes Sun, 15 May 2011 15:32:36 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-65 [...] after generation, no one would know that the willow tree holds the secret to easing pain, or how the Stars came to live in the night time sky, or why the Wind lives in the haunted [...] [...] after generation, no one would know that the willow tree holds the secret to easing pain, or how the Stars came to live in the night time sky, or why the Wind lives in the haunted [...]

]]> Comment on Lost in Service by Billie http://storystruck.com/original-stories/lost-in-service/#comment-64 Billie Sun, 15 May 2011 03:29:48 +0000 http://storystruck.com/#comment-64 Thanks, Bill. It's based on a vignette by Peter A. Jacobsen, one of the guys who used to play at my coffeehouse. He'd written about a fellow combat vet who never made it all the way home. I decided to write from the point of view of the girl he expected to come back for. That may be my Memorial Day post this year. Thanks, Bill. It’s based on a vignette by Peter A. Jacobsen, one of the guys who used to play at my coffeehouse. He’d written about a fellow combat vet who never made it all the way home. I decided to write from the point of view of the girl he expected to come back for. That may be my Memorial Day post this year.

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