Stories, lots and lots of stories...

 

 

"When someone dies, a library closes..."

In 1976, an author named Alex Haley published a book called Roots. It was a riveting story of Haley's ancestors in Africa and soon became a best seller and a mini-series. From this tale, we learned the importance of stories. Generations ago in Africa, stories were passed down not in written form, but rather in oral history. Many of the villages had a person from the tribe known as a griot, an oral historian. It was from talking to the griot in the village Alex Haley's ancestors were from the research for book Roots really began.

I don't think Mr. Haley had any idea on how his book would change our society. People who had a casual interest in their heritage or their ancestors suddenly became highly interested. It was hard to find a household who had not heard of Kunta Kinte and his journey out of Africa. It was a tale we all could relate to, regardless of our national or ethnic origins.

However, the Roots tale is not the only famous work of literature which was passed forward throughout the years in verbal format. It is believed that Homer's Odyssey was composed orally. It was shared orally, usually by a professional performer. Many believe the Odyssey was intended to be heard instead of read.

A story I have told before happened to me when I worked as an IT provider to a large company in Minneapolis. A woman I worked with had written something on her white board which was as unusual as well as interesting. It said "When someone dies, a library closes." One day I stopped by her cubical and asked her about what she had written. She told me she was fascinated by people's stories. Every person is unique and has unique stories. If those stories are not shared and recorded, when that person dies, the stories are gone - the library closes.

Stories - we all have them. Some have more than others, but we all have stories. Some are happy, some are sad. Some define us, others just amuse us. But our stories are part of the essence of life. They are the recording of a life lived and the lessons learned. They are the joys, the heartaches, the journey itself. Stories are meant to be shared, to be told. Each of us, whether we know it or not, are the Alex Haley for our own stories. We call tell them, we can write them, we can blog them. It really does not matter. Stories are meant to be shared with those that care to receive them.

As for me, I loving telling my stories. I also love hearing stories from others. It is my favorite pastime as I have aged. Stories make me laugh, cause me to ponder, and yes, sometimes bring a tear to my eye. Stories, lots and lots of stories. Each one is precious, some more precious than gold.