Storytelling

Value of the Story

Stories are the building blocks of our past, present and future, both historically and individually.

Strip yourself of the stories, gossip and jokes you have heard from your colleagues. Forget the narratives your friends have confided to you over your entire lifetime. Erase the history of the chronicles you have read and have honored. Delete those critiques you have read regarding your own published works. Discard those diatribes and headlines you read in the daily news. Fade out those lyrics from your own musical repertoire. Ignore those inspirational commentaries scribed within the margins of your school work. Obliterate those childhood fables, myths, legends, fairytales, nursery rhymes, comic books, novels and dreams from your memory. Bury that knowledge you gleaned from the unspoken words that surrounded you as a youth (so much was learned from body language). Cast back your ancestral stories into the sands of time. What is remaining?

Stories help to ground us; show us who we are and what we may become. Stories help to regulate our morality and indoctrinate us within our society, our tribe and our family. Whether written or oral; stories help to record our histories, thereby validating our worth and value. Stories help to instruct and guide us. Stories inspire us to reach for the moon, slay that intolerable dragon, rescue the distressed maiden and travel beyond the setting sun. Stories give us faith.

What becomes of that youth who is lost by the wayside, the one who is ignored at home nor is inspired to read books; or even worse, the youth whose parents have tarred him with derogatory insults? Every void must be filled. Children will learn their stories from sitcoms, advertisements, magazine articles, rated and un-rated motion pictures, MTV, friends and even bathroom walls. What stories are we providing for our youth? What stories do we choose to share with our children? What kind of future civilization are we creating?

Let us teach our youth that story endings can be changed. The power to change our personal lives can be found in re-writing our personal stories. Offer them tools to transform their lives. Provide our youth with pertinent stories, stories of heroism, valor and triumph to inspire. Teach them that characters, plots and settings can be modified in our lives to increase joy, over-come obstacles and help to bring success. Let us help to create great story endings, such as "And they lived happily ever-after..."