Everyone has a story. Actually, stories. For all of us, it’s a story that’s still being written. Stories always have a plot, characters, a theme… The characters include you and those others who have populated your life. They contribute and detract from your story but they are part. It’s always fascinating to hear other people’s stories and see the commonalities with your story and the differences. My personal belief has always been that it is the commonalities that provide the ‘foundation’ in a relationship but it is the differences that provide the spice.
Stories can be sad or they can be uplifting. They can be detailed or they can leave a lot to the imagination, not unlike books that you read but don’t discover the fullness till the final chapter. Stories teach and they paint pictures. It’s in the telling that the speaker as well as the listeners discover the many layers in the story. But one thing stories never are… boring. Life is too full to be boring and even in the telling, you can discover something you didn’t know or something you hadn’t thought about. You can always learn from stories, and many times you are entertained as well.
The problem can be that in our rushed and harried society we don’t take the time to listen to other’s stories or to ask them questions. Sometimes the stories we hear are not of the person themselves but of another event or person, but in the telling we see how it impacted the speaker and that too ‘speaks’. While it is especially the older adult that has a wealth of stories, the younger person has also had experiences that are shaping them, that are part of their story. In taking the time to ask and listen to these stories we are providing a kind of ‘validation’, an appreciation for the person.
We need to share our story as well. We need an audience that is interested in what we have to say… and that isn’t always easy to find. None of us want to be considered ‘boring’, which brings me to a killer phrase that I never use – when I was a kid… – that will plug the ears of listeners fast. Sometimes it’s an issue of how we tell our stories. Sometimes the problem is when. Regardless, telling the stories is important. I suspect that’s why I write…
…but, what do you think?
