Telling Our Stories

We all know someone who tells the same story over and over. Do they not remember telling us before we sometimes wonder…. Research conducted at Queen’s University and funded by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors has discovered a pattern in the stories told over and over by aging parents.

There are really just Ten Stories (more or less)
The role of the storyteller is important
Many of the stories come from the 2nd & 3rd decade of life which is when values are learned
The facts of these stories aren’t important. What is important is the meaning within them.

The next time you find yourself listening to (or telling) a story for the second, third , or fourth time, try listening to it in a different way to see if you can hear what is really being said!

These same four points hold true for any stories that were part of an oral tradition such as stories of Indigenous people, folklore, and yes, stories in the Bible. All of these, based on what were originally oral traditions, are trying to teach the listeners the things that will be important to them throughout life. As Marcus Borg famously said, ‘The Bible is true and some of it actually happened.’ Remember the Bible is a book of stories, only some of which might have happened, but all of which contain values for us to live by. The next time someone repeats a story to you for what seems like the forty-second time, or perhaps you rehear a familiar Bible story, take the time to think about what the message of that story really is for you.

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Judy ImrieJune 21, 2021 at 7:52 PM
I spent last week re-reading 'Dancing With A Ghost ...Exploring Aboriginal Reality' by Rupert Ross. It was especially meaningful to be at the cottage in The Kawarthas where my grandchildren can trace 7 generations back to early settlers on this same lake. There has always been a sense of a sacredness there and I have slowly come to discern that this has been present long before my ancestors came. I was especially moved in your blog by these words: "Try listening (to stories) in a different way to see if you can hear what is really being said." This is a slow process which I am just beginning to understand...'dancing with a ghost'... finding a new rhythm to a new and better place for all of us blessed to live in this country.

Judy Imrie
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