Stories

Each of us has a story, as each of us has a life.  Some of the stories are lived out while other stories are accepted or pushed upon people telling us what lives are to look like.  Stories are fun to listen too.  Listen to a speech and there is something in the storytelling that perks up ears and stimulates the mind.  “When listening to a story questions are stimulated: ”Will I find myself in the story,? “Will they tell of a threat that was overcome, a mistake made that we might glean some wisdom?” “Will I hear my name, my situation, my dilemma in the story?”

That being said, we are often told which story we are to live.  Listen to the nightly news and they will start with “Our top story tonight comes from…” Yet we are never told why it is the top story.   What makes it so interesting that we need to know about it.  By picking and choosing they are reaching into our lives and moving it a little to the right or left.  Politicians and other speakers do the same when they say, “Americans believe…” Every citizen knows...”  True believers, Americans, those like us understand the truth….”  In so doing they are attempting to shape our story, experience and knowledge.   It is often as if someone doesn’t want me to live my story.

Each life is a story that waits to be lived and experienced in its unique way.  Our lives unfold like a rose, one pedal at a time, one experience at a time, creating a masterpiece designed only for that person.   Stories should not be a “cookie cutter” reality of life so that we all look the same; all like the same things, all use the same deodorant.  Rather in the telling of our stories we can see how unique we as well as those who share their stories.  If a story isn’t open ended enough it is not a story, rather it becomes a dictum.  Our inner stories begin like fairy tales.  Once upon a time there was a boy, a girl who…. and off we go.  The story is open-ended and we may confront monsters, helpers like dwarfs and Crones along the way.  Our story is poetry and we know someone is telling us their story when they use the poet’s vision to proclaim it.  “I have a dream”, and we their the story, “Four score and seven years ago,” and a couple stories are referenced.

It is time to reclaim our story, the one seeking to be lived inside each of us.  It is then the world wouldn’t have time for all the nonsense of who are the most powerful, the richest, and the best looking.  If we lived out our story there wouldn’t be time to worry about those things or the made up story that those in charge want us to live.

dana.houck1@gmail.com  Phone 507.339.0045