I like telling my own real life stories, buffed more humbling or embarrassing to me the better and my wife always asks why I tell such personal embarassing tales on myself and I really did not know why until I read Anne Jackson's "permission to speak freely" where she talks about "the gift of going second" where she would purposely start an uncomfortable conversation with a stark maybe embarrasing story about herself, gifting others with peace and confidence and humility and courage to "go second"., kind of an icebreaker, I guess. Or maybe I just like to shock people. Whatever.
I have always loved stories. I loved to read and, as I grew up, I realized some of the best stories weren't just in books, but people had stories. Taking time to learn another's story is how I connect with them and see them as layered, multidimensional human beings. Whenever there is a big topic that I don't quite understand, I look to people who live in that space to tell me their story and help me gain insight. I can do that by following them on social media, listening to podcasts, supporting them, reading their books if they have any published, etc.
When I think of a storyteller, I think of a healer. Or sometimes a rascal. But either way--through healers, rascals, both-- stories sort out this big old world into human-sized chunks. Stories are connective tissue. They can make community. Or rile people up. But we're joined even in that because we are no longer isolated. Pissed off maybe...but in some sort of relation. Also: a tree has a story. Everything has a story. I like your phrase "the thisness". For me "the thisness" is what is right here, and we can enter that thisness by being present to the world and the stories right in front of us...
To me stories are the foundation of my first understanding of self, the world, and Reality and taught me a certain way to be in the world. They are paths to learning how to find my way to Self. They support healing, provide hope, and ignite imagination. They offer a way to create more love and belonging.
I'm here to grow. I'm here to learn to sit up and take notice. I'm here to learn to sit back and soak in what's written, maybe even speak them aloud. I'm here to witness goodness turning into greatness. I'm here for the words.
I like telling my own real life stories, buffed more humbling or embarrassing to me the better and my wife always asks why I tell such personal embarassing tales on myself and I really did not know why until I read Anne Jackson's "permission to speak freely" where she talks about "the gift of going second" where she would purposely start an uncomfortable conversation with a stark maybe embarrasing story about herself, gifting others with peace and confidence and humility and courage to "go second"., kind of an icebreaker, I guess. Or maybe I just like to shock people. Whatever.
I have always loved stories. I loved to read and, as I grew up, I realized some of the best stories weren't just in books, but people had stories. Taking time to learn another's story is how I connect with them and see them as layered, multidimensional human beings. Whenever there is a big topic that I don't quite understand, I look to people who live in that space to tell me their story and help me gain insight. I can do that by following them on social media, listening to podcasts, supporting them, reading their books if they have any published, etc.
When I think of a storyteller, I think of a healer. Or sometimes a rascal. But either way--through healers, rascals, both-- stories sort out this big old world into human-sized chunks. Stories are connective tissue. They can make community. Or rile people up. But we're joined even in that because we are no longer isolated. Pissed off maybe...but in some sort of relation. Also: a tree has a story. Everything has a story. I like your phrase "the thisness". For me "the thisness" is what is right here, and we can enter that thisness by being present to the world and the stories right in front of us...
To me stories are the foundation of my first understanding of self, the world, and Reality and taught me a certain way to be in the world. They are paths to learning how to find my way to Self. They support healing, provide hope, and ignite imagination. They offer a way to create more love and belonging.
I'm here to grow. I'm here to learn to sit up and take notice. I'm here to learn to sit back and soak in what's written, maybe even speak them aloud. I'm here to witness goodness turning into greatness. I'm here for the words.