How I Fell in Love with True Stories

I was six years old. My father, mother, sister and I lived at Prairie Shores, a high-rise apartment community in South Chicago within walking distance of Lake Michigan. Francine Brown, a neighbor who lived across the hall from us, often told me and my younger sister children’s bedtime stories.

One night, after Jerri had fallen asleep, Aunt Francine whispered to me: “Tonight, I’m going to tell you a different kind of story, a true story.”

It was about Hannibal, a great military commander from the ancient city of Carthage on the north coast of Africa. She described how he successfully led his army against Rome with an audacious and creative strategy, crossing the Alps on elephants and surprising enemy troops from behind. Through the picture her words painted in my mind and the meaning they impressed on my heart, I witnessed the colorful pageantry of Hannibal’s advance and understood his courageous determination to protect his homeland.

That was the night I fell in love with true stories, captivated by their power to help me see.

In this space, I carry on Aunt Francine’s legacy – telling true stories (and Truth stories) that inspire me in the hope that others might also be inspired.

Adrienne Swann Harris