I’ve mentioned several times here the discussions a few of us have after playing golf, or just sitting around having a couple of beers. It’s occurred to me that some of the best times, and discussions, happen when a story is involved. Actually, that’s almost always the case — when we’re visiting or out to dinner with friends, or just about anytime we’re in a group of people, some of the most entertaining and memorable times involve stories.
I guess probably no one knows when the first story was actually told but I’m sure it was long before any recorded history. The first printed story was the epic of Gilgamesh (a legendary king of the Sumerian city state of Uruk that ruled sometime during the first half of the 3rd millennium B.C.) The story was carved on stone pillars and spread from Mesopotamia to other parts of Europe and Asia around 700 B.C.
Storytellers aren’t just the people that read and tell stories to kids at the public library — we’re all storytellers; some of us are better than others, but we’re all storytellers. Stories have a unique ability to cut through clutter and confusion and bring clarity to a situation. Stories are things we can identify with and remind us of our hopes, ambitions, dreams and values. We should never underestimate the importance of stories — they play a crucial role in ours lives, and in our society. I read once that humans are the only animals that create and tell stories. That should seem fairly obvious, but stories introduce us to what we are and what we are capable of being. And stories can literally sometimes change our lives.
All the great leaders have been good storytellers — almost all great speeches contain a story. Rarely do we go to church that the sermon or homily doesn’t contain a story. If fact, almost three quarters of the gospels are stories or parables. History is nothing but a series of stories. All stories serve a purpose even if it’s just to relay a message. If you’re trying to make a point, a story illustrates it better than a set of facts.
With the advancement of technology, traditional storytelling is declining, but storytelling will never die out. Mothers and fathers will always tell bedtime stories to their children and stories will continue to be an important part of our culture. Admittedly, a lot of storytelling is being taken over by videos, the Internet, books, radio and other technical media but people will always tell stories. Some say that after nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. There is a Hopi American Indian proverb that says, “Those who tell the stories rule the world.”
So — what’s your story?
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