Story Tellers

Story Tellers are an important part of our lives.  I am always reminded of this fact when I visit family and friends.  One of the first things that happens is we begin to tell our stories.
Family remind us of where we came from.  We do this by telling and re-telling our family stories.  Some people call this Oral History.  It is important.  This is how we remind each other of the ties that bind, both good and not so good.  Grandparents are great story tellers.  They help their grandchildren understand that their parents are not the paragons of virtue their children think they are.  How do they do this?  They tell stories on their own children to the grandchildren.  It is a good thing.  It helps keep things in perspective.
I know when my family gets together we tell the same stories over and over.  It may bore some that are not as invested in our stories as we are, but hey...they are OUR STORIES.
Cruisers are great story tellers.  Sea stories remind us of great times and help us realize no matter how high those seas actual were, we survived...TO TELL OUR STORY!

I had an opportunity to listen and tell stories with a good friend from High School on this trip to the States.  It had been over 30 years since we had seen or talked to each other.  I found it interesting that as we began we struggled to remember names and events.  Okay, me more than Summer.  But as the stories continued it opened up old memories and more and more names floated to the surface and more and more stories where told.
Story telling is part of who we are.  So when someone starts to tell you a story even though you may have heard it many times before...stop and really listen.  This story is important to them and they are sharing part of who they are with you.
If any of you remember the movie "Enemy Mine" you will remember that the character played by Dennis Quaid learns the Oral History of his alien enemy so that the child of the enemy can be accepted into the community.
Stories bind us and make us part of the world, the community, and the family.  Tell a good story to someone you care about today.