Storytime…reinvented.

If you have not read Jeannette Walls before, you are in for a treat. I read The Glass Castle almost 2 years ago in one sitting. Yesterday, I casually picked up her latest book and once again, I consumed it within 24 hours. Either book will delight you. As for Ms. Walls, she is either a triumphant storyteller…or…she and her family have lived lives worth writing about. Perhaps, both statements are unswervingly true.

What does this have to do with you, me, and catching today? I adore a good story. Unfortunately, stories have been marginalized…and in their place, we have substituted boring facts, numbers, and trivial information. Nothing memorable. Why is it we only have Show and Tell in elementary school? Stories are the backbone of our existence. Our ancestors survived because of wisdom imparted in the stories passed on between generations. It just so happens, our brains are wired to remember stories. Why, then, aren't we telling more of our own? Can you guess my goal today? Share a story…with your family or friends. Write it down. Recall it often.

One of my biggest childhood thrills was when my parents set up our projector and we would spend the evening viewing our family photos in an old-school slideshow. What fun we would have! Even though we looked at the same slides every time, my fascination never waned. I would hang onto each word and every image with ferocious attention. These were evenings abundant with anticipation and laughter…time after time. The stories we heard then are still with me today.

Find some pictures. Forget your normal story time tonight if you have kids. Share with them stories you recall from photos you choose. Let them tell a story about a photo, too. What they remember just might surprise you! If you don't have children, write down a story from a favorite photo. Write for 3 minutes uninterrupted. As you engage, details will start seeping out into words on the paper. When we capture a moment and tell its story, we allow meaning to flourish in our lives. You've heard a picture is worth a thousand words, right? In that case, tonight's story time should be easy...