I’m an avid public radio listener. Each Friday morning there’s a special segment, which I love. For two minutes, I tap into the power of story. I stay riveted as regular folk interview each other. Friends with friends, aunts with a niece, or a young child interviewing their parent. I hear stories that inspire, tug at my heart and remind me what it is to be human.
As I’m drawn into a snippet of the other person’s life story, I reflect on the universality of being human.
Why do we love a good story?
We hunger for more. A good narrative stimulates our imagination and inspires us to action. Sometimes we relate and other times we don’t even realize how much a story affects us.
Stories …
- can be very healing
- have the ability to pull us out of the depths of despair or heal old wounds
- give voice to help us express the unexpressed
- draw us in or allow us to access emotions that we otherwise may bury
For me, one of the most important aspect of stories is they help us with a sense of belonging. Stories touch some part of our daily life, reminding us about where we fit in even as our lives seem to get more complex.
Right now, with our world being in so much flux, we need stories that touch our heartstrings more than ever.
Last weekend, my father and brother visited by mother’s grave in Sydney, Australia. I facetimed them from New York which is 12,000 miles away so I could share the experience. Isn’t technology amazing!
I could see my mom’s tombstone surrounded by grass and notice that there are many other burial plots. At the time of her burial 8 years ago, she was the first one in that area of the cemetery.
For many reasons, the sight was a bit jarring. My dad, kept saying “its so cold.” Sydney was having a cold snap and my 87 year old dad was wearing a light jacket. Even though 8 years have passed it’s so strange to think of her bones underneath the ground, when she was such a live wire.
Cemeteries are also full of history and stories that get buried along with our loved ones. A while back, I wrote a story about my mom, focusing on what it’s like when your mother is no longer your mother. As with many others who had alzheimers, the last 7 years of her life had lots of twists and turns. I’m recalling the events surrounding her funeral and afterwards, when I heard all sorts of stories about my mum. Each reflected a different facet of a woman who loved life.
How to capture the power of your story
We need to hear stories in the workplace and in our lives. There are so many ways to capture stories. Of course you can write a story.
I once interviewed my grandfather and recorded his recollections on video.
You can record a story at www.storycorps.net.
Pick up your phone and hit record while asking your aunt about her childhood. Hey, while you’re on a zoom meeting with your family, you could hit the record button.
Before those you love pass on, take the time and record their special stories. Don’t put it off.