From Storytelling to BLOOD AND GOLD

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For as long as I can remember, storytelling has been my compass. I learned it from my father, and it became the way I chose to share the extraordinary adventures, remarkable people, and defining moments that have shaped my life.

I grew up in North Long Beach, California, in an all-white community—attending an all-white church and elementary school. In 1958, I became part of the first group of students in Los Angeles County to be bussed, first to junior high and later to Phineas Banning High School. Until then, I had never been socialized with Mexican, Japanese, or Black students. It wasn’t until years later—around 1975—that I realized I had grown up less than five miles from Watts. That awareness arrived as an awakening.

In high school, I majored in math, history, and theater arts—an unlikely combination that, in hindsight, explains everything about who I became. I had perfect attendance all year and was scheduled to receive an award during a school-wide ceremony… ironically, I missed it. Instead, I was in Santa Monica working on a modeling job with actor Preston Foster. My mother wrote an excuse note claiming I had a dentist appointment. My friends later told me my absence was the highlight of the ceremony.

Life, it seemed, was already teaching me that the moments we miss can matter just as much as the ones we attend.

A Life-Changing Journey Through the World

Another miraculous turning point came when I was invited to join a small group of students and chaperones on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through eight Western European and five Communist countries.

Leading the group were Reverend Barton Hunter and his wife, Dorothy—peace activists since the early 1930s. Long before it was safe or popular, they defied a West Lafayette ordinance that prohibited Black individuals from staying in town overnight, welcoming Black Purdue students into their home. As Reverend Hunter later said simply, “That was the end of that pattern of life there.”

He went on to help found the Indiana Civil Liberties Union during the McCarthy era and played a leading role in shifting public opinion against the Vietnam War.

The seven-week journey cost $1,500 and included flights across thirteen countries, hotels, meals, transportation, guided tours, and meetings with state dignitaries and religious leaders. its real cost—and its true value—was transformational.

Here are just a few of the experiences that left a lasting imprint on my heart:

West & East Berlin: A City Divided

The flight from Frankfurt to West Berlin—through what was then known as the Berlin Corridor—felt surreal. From the moment I arrived, I sensed a deep discomfort in West Berlin.

We spent a full day at the Berlin Wall, visited Checkpoint Charlie, and toured the museum next to the checkpoint, which told the tragic stories of those who attempted to cross the divide. By November 9, 1989, the total number of deaths tied to the construction and enforcement of the wall totaled 245— a haunting testament to the brutal reality of the Cold War and the price paid for the fight for freedom.

Protests for Peace: Stockholm & Geneva

While in Stockholm we had a tour of the U.S. Embassy on July 4^th. While we had a quiet celebration inside there were protests against the Vietnam War just beyond the gates.

A few weeks later, in Geneva, we encountered yet another demonstration for world peace—a powerful reminder that the desire for justice transcends borders. Berkeley may be famous for its student protests, but in reality, protests for peace go back thousands of years—the earliest recorded one dates to 12th-century Egypt, when tomb workers staged a strike against Pharaoh Ramesses III.

The language of dissent is ancient. And universal.

Moscow: A Love Affair with History

I fell in love with Moscow—its cityscape, its people, and its rich history. One of the most profound lessons I learned, and it was magnified in Moscow was this:

It is not the people of a country who create war—it is their governments. That realization quietly rewired how I understood the world.

In every country we visited, I saw this firsthand. The inhabitants, especially women and children, were the ones who paid the ultimate price for war. This realization became a guiding principle in my understanding of global conflict and peace.

From That Journey to This One

That seven-week journey marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion—to storytelling, to history, and to the pursuit of truth.

In the years that followed, my path unfolded in unexpected and enriching ways: teaching history in California, co-owning a boutique in Anchorage, Alaska, and immersing myself in communities and cultures that continued to expand my understanding of humanity. Each chapter of my life added another thread to a tapestry I didn’t yet recognize—but one that was quietly forming.

Still, nothing has filled me with as much pride as adding one word to my life’s story:

Author.

For years, whenever I shared my experiences, people would say, “You should write a book.” Now, finally, I have.

Along the way, one lesson has guided me above all others:

It is not what happens to you in life that defines you—it is how you respond to it.

With that belief as my compass, BLOOD AND GOLD was born—not simply as a book, but as the culmination of a lifetime of witnessing, questioning, and caring. It is the bridge between where I’ve been and where I believe humanity can go.

And it is only the beginning.

With love and light,

Christie Sikora ✨🪄

christiesikora.com 🩸🏅🕊️