The Importance of Stories

Last year I had the opportunity to go and hear a speaker. It was someone I'd been wanting to hear in person for years - and I mean years - I'd missed them the first time they'd come to Australia, and by golly, I wasn't going to miss them again!

So this time, I grabbed tickets the moment I could. I felt horrible for spending money on something so...well...silly...

I beat myself up about purchasing the ticket for months afterwards.

But eventually, the year wore on, and it just became a thing on my calendar - until - I realised - oh - I actually have to go to this thing.

I'd never been to something so big in my life.

I'd never been to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before.

I got pretty nervous, going alone, to such a huge event.

But, I dolled myself up all pretty like, squared my shoulders, and marched through those doors, determined to find my seat! I had a fantastic seat.

Best seat.

And over the next hour, I watched as the enormous theatre filled with people, and the rising excitement hummed in the air. So many different faces, so many different types of people, all fancied up just like I was. Laughter, smiles, jokes. I listened to it all. I just couldn't believe how many people surround me.

Finally though, the lights dimmed and the one whom we'd all come to listen too stepped out on stage. Now this particular speaker is known for his tangents, so while - technically - the theme of his talk was supposed to be about not allowing yourself to fall into ideologies, most of the two hours he actually spent talking about stories.

The importance of stories.

Stories begin in childhood, with imaginary play. We construct our entire concept of the world through the stories we play, either with our siblings, other children, or toys from our toybox. Take a boy and girl playing a game of House, boy puts on the persona of Dad, girl puts on the persona of Mum. This is a story, one they have observed through their own parents, but the way they themselves present it, becomes the story. And so, we begin our lives telling each other stories.

We are always - forever - seeking stories.

And we are constantly seeking DEEP stories, the stories that have the closest source to the one true story.

The story of Creation, the story of Christ.

The first Heroic Journey.

And we will intrinsically know when we find a deep story, for it will resonate with us differently. We'll be driven to find those types of stories that share common traits and elements with deep stories. We'll know the difference between a shallow story, and a deep story, even if we've never actually heard the first Heroic Journey - a part of us - it will simply know what a deep story is.

Because stories are important. They are what bind entire generations together, whole societies are built on stories. With a good story, you can build an army, and also crush a nation.

The last few months after listening to this speaker have been really difficult. It's been hard for me to envision a future - I've been feeling as though my dreams are moot, and I simply don't know what to do. I feel trapped by circumstances, and it's scary.

So I cry myself to sleep.

It's hard to see the small steps of success that are made up a mountain, until you actually turn around and look back down.

My favourite stories are stories about hope.

To me, the One True Story, is one of hope.

And I really feel my life is just me reaching out, grasping at hope.

So, it's probably no surprise that I tend to write stories about hope.