I'm trying to pull together thoughts that have been floating around in my head about the importance of "Story." I feel like this is a really big deal, but every time I try to verbalize it, the concepts become trivialized. But also, it is the subject of so many books, I don't think I could do it justice in a short paragraph.
But stories are important. They live at the crossroads of our minds and our hearts, meeting us at perhaps our most vulnerable point. But instead of disconnecting our hearts from our minds, as a rational argument or a emotional plea might, stories unite our reason and our compassion, enabling us to think clearer and emote more honestly.
Stories themselves are important, but it is the telling that gives them power. Getting the flow and rhythm right, hitting the marks at just the right moment, building suspense that keeps interest but doesn't cause despair, using words that communicate just the right nuance... story telling is important too.
It brings me great joy to begin, "Once there was..." and watch children's faces look up and their bodies tighten ever so slightly. Then to watch them process the story, how some loose all connection with the physical world and immerse themselves into the world of the story, but others hold the story at arms length, examining it, not letting themselves get drawn in until they know it is safe. Then ask if you will tell it again.
Words written on a screen are too slow and too distant to express the life and depth of a good story. Philosophic explanations or quick summaries miss the point. Could it be that stories must be experienced to be appreciated?
