The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Photo credit: Pixaby.com Today we stop in New York City and are standing across the street from the New York Times Building. From the sound of such an environment, you would be correct in assuming this is prime property. Any small business that had its start in 1917 and found its way to this location would logically struggle to stay solvent when surrounded by mega companies.  Such is the true case of a bookstore. A bookstore so amazing it received a Tony honor for excellence in 2011.  So why is such a famous store struggling? Manhattan rent increase. Prime property. The law of economics. The bookstore is called The Drama Book Shop and has been a family-run store since its beginning in 1917. Success enabled the owners to move the store to bigger buildings with better locations until it finally landed on 40th Street. After the bookshop settled there, The New York Times building sprouted across the street. As did other large companies. Of course, online book buyin...

Photo Courtesy: Pixabay.com A bookstore in Southhampton, England, called October Books, could no longer afford to pay the rent for it's building. No big deal, you might say. Most people buy online anyway. But this is a different and unique, and basically a Never Give Up Story because the community formed a human chain to save this bookstore. October Books is an independent bookstore that also offers organic foods and hosts events for the community. Their interest in the locals impacted the people, stirring men and women, boys and girls to come to their aid.   After having been in their original location for 25 years and facing rising rent, the owners knew they had to leave. They searched for another building and found an abandoned bank.  Several problems rose for a timely move down the street. A stockroom filled with books had to be transported. Painting. Setting up the new store. Creative genus struck when the owner called for help from the community.  So,...

Photo Courtesy: pixaby.com A school in Kenya saved the life of a Baltimore, Maryland boy. Hard to believe, but it's true. Here is the story: Devon grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, as they say. The neighborhood was broken. Run down. Laden with drugs and violence. Survival required knowing where to hide when things turned ugly. His mother was a drug addict and his father an alcoholic.  This situation turned many children in the school district into angry persons. Devon's anger manifested itself in behavior issues at school. In sixth grade, he was suspended several times. Here is where the amazing twist in his life story happened. The principal of his school was told to find a way to move ten percent of the students, the ones who refused to learn or refused to behave, to alternative education. Once these students left the school, the overall student body had a hope to succeed. A recruiter from a new school foundation came to Devon's school. They pr...