Reflections and Dark Truths

REFLECTIONS AND DARK TRUTHS grows from the tradition of the storytellers, whose ranks were once divided into two groups. The first group told the stories of the village/town/city where a person lived. The storyteller was known as the town crier, and when a new person came into town, the crier was sought out to learn the history of the village/town/city. The second group told the stories of their travels outside the area. These travelers brought the news from the King or Queen in the palace, from the Spice Trail along with their goods to sell, or from all the edges of the world. Libraries are filled with both types of stories. REFLECTIONS AND DARK TRUTHS comes from the first tradition. Author J. R. Henson offers this book as a collection of the stories of his life. However, he notes that these stories may not even be accurate in representing exact place, time, or reality. The book is the narrative of his emotional journey growing up, with those perceptions forming the layers of his present and future life. He advises, “Do not look at this book for the truth, because all you are going to see are Reflections.”REFLECTIONS AND DARK TRUTHS is divided into two parts. “Reflections” constitute the first half, with stories of family, relationships, nature, the environment, and the joy of living as expressed by Henson's dog, Smokey. After completing Reflections, readers are invited to learn the “Dark Truths” of death in the family, caring for parents, hospitalization in a mental institution, and the death of Smokey. The author has found life, love, and happiness in his present situations, and this is articulated in the tradition of the town crier in REFLECTIONS AND DARK TRUTHS.