Stories come in many variables – true, false, and everywhere in-between.
Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone.
Some people tell stories quite matter-of-factly. Thing ‘A’ happened with person ‘B’ at time ‘C’ and the outcome was ‘D’. It may not seem like much of a story – but it still is.
Many people don’t think of themselves as storytellers. But that’s seldom true. They might just not offer up a lot of color, flair, and detail.
“I’m not much more than an interpreter, and not very good at telling stories.” – C-3PO
Then there are people like me who tell many stores. Some are true. Others are pure imagination. And some may be true – but are hard to believe.
Life is all about the stories we tell. A huge part of what makes us so different from the rest of the animal kingdom is our ability to perceive the world with the depth that we can. The human ability to interpret nuances and subtlety is, as far as we know, unique.
Thus, some stories are more interesting than others because of how they are told. True or otherwise.
For every great writer, there are lots of terrible writers. Each great painter is shadowed by hacks and lousy painters. All the great chefs are vastly outnumbered by the world’s lousy cooks. But all arts tell a story in one form or another.
History is written by the victors
Today, many of the stories we tell have changed from their original in one way or another.
As a child, I learned that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Columbus Day is a celebration of this.
But now, as an adult, that’s not the whole story. Not even close. Let’s begin with the truth that when Columbus got here there were already native peoples calling America home. Also, we know the Vikings arrived half a century earlier.
Some people call this revisionist history. I see it as better information and understanding altering the story to include the parts that were conveniently (and inconveniently) left out.
I have long said that there are always 3 brands to every truth:
- Yours
- Mine
- The Absolute
The first two are interpreted based on our individual perceptions of life. The last is the facts based on what occurred. Often, the absolute is left behind or vague and unclear because life is all about stories.
All you need to do is look at the American political landscape to see this for what it is. There are several VERY different stories being told these days. Some are true, others false. Some embellish, others utterly invent “fact.” But here we are, each telling our individual stories – which is how life gets expressed on multiple levels.
Real-life is all about the stories we tell. Our history, how we use our time, the minor and major happenings in life, and all else. Stories help us grow, evolve, change, and understand everything.
Stories can also provide escape and distraction.
Fictional stories still impact life
No matter what genre of art, the story it tells is not simply an escape from life. It tends to have a connection. At least, the best ones do.
Sometimes it’s absurdist or satirical. Other times it’s allegorical. Then there are fairy tales, the Hero’s Journey, fables, and other stories to open imagination and explore new ideas.
I find that even the most abstract art or far-out fantasy tale still has connections to real life. It might express passion, idealism, and other broad concepts in a new manner apart from a more straightforward interpretation.
Maybe Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, and George Lucas’ Star Wars are fantastical – but we can still draw parallels to our own lives, our own worlds. But most of all – to our own life stories. Through these fantasies of different times, places, and spaces we can still make connections to the stories of our own lives.
Sure, we use escapism to do this – but that doesn’t lessen their potential impact. When they awaken imagination that empowers.
For example – in the 1960s Star Trek presented some pretty cool tech. In the 1990s we had flip-phones inspired by Star Trek. Hence, imagination can alter real-life stories.
Frankly, we need imagination. Our dreams inspire us to find and/or create new and amazing things. That way, life gets improved and expanded. And then we have more stories to tell.
There are stories behind everything
Every experience you have ever had in life is a story. Some are known only by you. Hence, if you tell them, they can be interpreted differently by those you tell.
For example – I was once arrested for driving on a non-existent expired driver’s license. Nonsense, right? No, this truly happened to me. Likewise, a random stranger once shook my hand and said to me, “I just had to tell you – you’re an odd-looking fellow.”
When the story is known by others – witnessed first, second, or third-hand – the telling will alter based on their perspective. A friend of mine has an amusing story about driving in a blizzard in his youth known as the “Hotel California” story. I’ve heard it told by him directly – and by people who’d heard it second and third-hand. The variations as such are utterly fascinating.
The “Hotel California” story needs to be told with specific visual cues for the full impact and effect. I find that when the person whose story it is tells it, you get the greatest impact and understanding of it.
All stories make us laugh, cry, get angry, develop resolve, think, and imagine.
No matter who tells the story – real or imagined – there are stories behind everything in life. Great or small, significant or insignificant, there’s a story. And the stories are what life is all about.
We live in a world of endless potential and possibilities. The truth behind this is that we’d all like very much to have grander stories to share about our life experiences. And that is part of what we seek in change and growth throughout our lives.
Few stories are set in stone
One of the greatest truths of our life stories is that they are seldom set in stone. That means that they can be erased, changed, and rewritten – without smashing the original.
As a writer, this is what editing is all about. Fixing the fictional stories of my creation. Also, I edit my nonfiction for clarity, correct grammar, direction, and point of the message I’m striving to share, and the like.
Even though few stories are written in stone – all stories should be taken with a grain of salt. How does a story – real or imagined – impact you and your life? Does it make you think? Make you angry? Upset you? Excite you?
Mindfulness of the impact of the story – and how real or fictional it is – can affect you positively or negatively. As such, it can spur action or inaction. Some stories help you consider your life experience in new ways that empower you.
Knowing how to take a story – literally, figuratively, or somewhere in-between – opens you to assuming control over your conscious awareness, making you more mindful, and helping you make choices and decisions for the direction of your life experience.
Interesting or not – life is all about stories. Stories come in many variables – true, false, and everywhere in-between – whether real or imagined.
How do you share your stories?
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