It was a hot sultry summer afternoon on a large veranda that overlooked the sand dunes nestled along the South Carolina coastline. We had decided to take a break from exploring some of the local salt marshes and had just settled into several of the large iconic rocking chairs of the South when the mumble of a local conversation captured my attention. Two octogenarians were reminiscing about their past.
“I was sixteen and driving my father’s car when the local sheriff pulled me over. He slowly walked up to my window, bent over a little, and said; Wat’s yur name boy?” It was beginning of an incredible conversation that captured my complete attention; to the point that I almost felt as if I were vicariously reliving their past. It lasted almost an hour.
Story telling is a narrative that is shared in a way that it becomes meaningful to the listener. It is also a gift to the ones that can do it. The best “stories” to me are the ones that are based on fact, versus fiction, because they dance with the reality of everyday life.
As I look back over the years I can vividly remember the “stories” that had the greatest impact on me. Can you? Why did they capture your attention? Why do you remember them? Have you retold the story?
Each of us has, to some degree, the ability to tell stories. What a way to send a message, teach a lesson, help someone to understand you, or your business better, capture someone’s attention, express a feeling, etc. Put something in a context that the listener can identify with and share your story. It may be told over and over by the listener.
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