The Carrying Stream
Sharing the stories of our veterans and their families
There is a concept in Scottish culture known as the carrying stream. Introduced by the Scottish Poet Hamish Henderson, the carrying stream is the passing of the oral traditions through stories and songs. These stories connect generations by linking the past with the present and eventually shaping the future.
My name is Jason Eritano and I am a member of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. I’m a veteran and I like to tell stories. I have been serving for 15 years and I am still blessed to be able to serve in the reserves. One day while sitting around and talking with some of the amazing people I get to serve with I realized that we all just really like to tell stories. We tell stories about people we served with, the places we were stationed, the missions we supported, the experiences of our families, which were all unique, but still brought us all together. I came to understand that it was those stories and ultimately those human experiences that bind us as proud veterans of this country we all love.
We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place as Williamsburg with a large veteran community who possess a wonderful cache of stories to tell and many who also are members of our church. I have wanted to create a veterans group that provides an opportunity to share our stories first and foremost, but to also share other interests such as books, films and hobbies that veterans typically have in common.
Service is never just an individual–it takes a family–and I would love to hear the stories of spouses as well.
‘Maker, ye maun sing them….
Tomorrow, songs
Will flow free again, and new voices
Be borne on the carrying stream.’
–Hamish Henderson
Let’s get together and share and create our own carrying stream!
Kind Regards,
