Story

Before “story” was all the rage in blogs and books and conference names, {<—–I’m going!} I’ve loved story-telling. In fact, the word “story” is so widely popular I was hesitant to put into my new tagline. But I went ahead because long after “story” is #trending I’ll be a storyteller.  The line comes from Psalms 107:2.  It resonated.  I’m aware of my redemption & the story I have is mine to tell. And I want to!

Telling stories both the hilarious and the heartbreaking is one of life’s great gifts.  Reading a good story-telling memoir?  Pure bliss.  Seeing a photograph that captures your mind with imagination and wonder of the story behind it? Eyegasm.

In 4th grade I told a story to my classroom when the teacher asked what we’d done that weekend. I shared how there was a fire in my step-father’s apartment (there wasn’t), how we needed to jump from the window to land on a mattress 10 stories below (we didn’t) and how we were checked in to the hospital for only minor bruises (we weren’t).

The class “ooo’ed” & “ahhhhh’ed.” I. was. hooked. Ever since then I’ve been trying to get up in front of as many people as possible sharing good ole stories for the sheer pleasure of story telling, of connecting with other human beings on a guttural level with all of our shared narratives of life, love and loss.

Before blogging happened I didn’t know I could also write a story that might matter to people. I hoped I could one day publish a memoir full of my childhood stories -the true ones, for the record- but I saw myself primarily as a speaker of stories. Now that I’m older and wiser I say “why choose?” Let’s do both, shall we?  For the love of stories, by all means share your story.  I, for one would love to hear it.

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“On Fridays around these parts we like to write. Not for comments or traffic or anyone else’s agenda. But for pure love of the written word. For joy at the sound of syllables, sentences and paragraphs all strung together by the voice of the speaker.

We love to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. For five minutes flat.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my blog’s footer}.

3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes for the prompt: Story.”

–Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday