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Ever since our ancestors could first
communicate, we have gathered to share our stories. We have passed along
creation tales and tragic stories of love lost. We have repeated accounts of
real heroism and simple stories of family history. When our forebears lived
closer to the land and to each other, the practice of storytelling was imbued
with ritual and occasion. Members of the tribe would often gather around the
fire to hear their genealogy recited aloud by an elder or master storyteller.
Listeners could track how their own lives, and the lives of their parents,
interwoven with the lives of the other tribe members, as everyone’s ancient
relatives once played out similar life dramas together.
As a custom, some cultures’ storytellers repeat the same tale over and over
because they believe that each time you hear it, you come to the story as a
different person and view the plot and characters in a new light. Hearing the
story over and over is a way to gauge where you have been and where you are
now on your path of personal evolution. It also helps the younger generation
learn the stories so that they can pass them to forthcoming generations.
When we hear others tell stories, we can laugh at their humorous adventures,
feel the thrill of exciting encounters, see parts of ourselves in them, and
learn from the challenges they face. Though most of our formal traditions of
storytelling are lost, it does not mean we have to be without. We can begin
new practices in our own families of listening to one another, of honoring
our own journey, and witnessing the journeys of those around us. We can
revive the fireside communal by gathering around the campfire or hearth with
family and friends, sharing in stories. By building new practices of
storytelling, we give ourselves and the ones we love an opportunity to draw
ever closer in our shared human experience.
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