Life Is A Story

Story telling is one of the world's oldest traditions that allows us to maintain a continuous thread of experience. For thousands of years we have told and retold stories, ever evolving as we progress. Tales portrayed through spoken word, film, literature, television, music and art are all simply different ways of spreading ideas. 

The parable Noah's Ark for example, was adapted from the ancient Sumerian epic of Ziusudra into the bible and then a 2014 film. From ancient cave drawings to the first legends of the constellations in the night sky, from Homer to Jay-Z, William Shakespeare to Bob Dylan, Dr. Seuss to J.K. Rowling, there have always been stories and storytellers. There is no corner of the planet occupied by humans, no era of our history that does not have it's own unique lore. 

All my life stories have been important to me and have managed to impact both how I see myself and the world. I believe that the stories we are told and that we tell others can truly reveal who we are as individuals. When I was growing up my parents loved to read to my brothers and I, they were phenomenal at really bringing what they read to life.

I realize now that many of the children's books that my parents read to me had a major effect on my moral structure, self-esteem and imagination. Story time was a huge part of my childhood, my parents picked books that reflected our interests yet expanded our perceptions. A great example are the works of Dr. Seuss; although his writings were rather whimsical and fun on the surface, many of them were actually very profound. Books like The Lorax promote strong environmental values or Horton Hears a Who! which deals with equality and multiculturalism. One of my favorite's by Seuss, that my dad especially enjoyed reading to me was Green Eggs and Ham which is essentially about being open minded. 

There are always certain tales that catch our attention as children and stay relevant our entire lives, even gaining meaning as we grow. Stories that make us laugh, make us cry, give us hope for the future or connect us to the past. Stories serve many different purposes, they can preserve history or an ideal, teach a lesson or simply entertain us. There are true stories, tall tales and everything in between. 

Our very lives are a story written by moments experienced, obstacles conquered and other lives touched. As each day unfolds we ultimately choose our own story; we may not always anticipate the plot twists or decide the setting but we can create the tone. What is the theme of your story?