Speak Up storyteller: Plato Karafelis

Less than two weeks before our inaugural Speak Up storytelling event at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT. May 4 at 7:00 PM. Admission is free. If you plan on attending, please go to our Facebook invite page and let us know to help with the head count.

Today I’m proud to introduce our sixth storyteller, Plato Karafelis. _____________________________

Plato Karafelis

Plato Karafelis has been the principal of Henry Wolcott School in West Hartford for 25 years. He is retiring in June. A kindergarten student recently told him that he looked like he was 29 years old and that retirement meant you got to spend time with your family. Of course, another student told him he looked 87 and retirement meant you lost your job and couldn’t find another one.

Plato did not have a given name for the first year of his life. His family just didn’t get around to naming him and it didn’t seem important. This explains a great deal about Plato’s need to please others.

Plato grew up in a family of gregarious, Greek storytellers. It was hard to get a word in edgewise. When the family gathered, all generations sat in the same room and stories were told by committee. This usually resulted in arguments. Sometimes the arguments turned into feuds and family members would disown each other and not speak to each other for years. Eventually, someone would die and the family would all get together at the funeral and tell stories about the person who died and end up hugging each other, drinking Metaxa, and dancing.

Plato lives with his lovely wife Sharon and their twin daughters Alexis and Chloe, who will be going to college in the fall.