What's your story?

A while ago, I realized that there are only two types of experiences in life - 1. the kind that will make for think back and chuckle with pleasure and 2. the kind that would be so appalling that they'll make people beg you to tell the story. So, in effect ,the outcome is just the same - you have a great story!

 

Now, don't go all out and tell me how we shouldn't be living for other people and shouldn't care for what they think of us, and hence a story shouldn't matter to me. Sorry, but it does. Not what people think of me. Not because it will increase my self-worth in my audience's eyes, but for the sake of the good story. Just that. A good story. Yes, am quite romantic that way!

If I may be allowed to go a little philosophical into this - Haven't you felt as you interact with people that we are all gathering stories? Stories from people, their experiences, what makes them smile or riles them up, or that one time they were so happy that they couldn't contain it? Haven't you felt that you remember people by the stories they tell? And associate a certain personality to that person based on how they tell you the story? And haven't you found some people very endearing or some extremely irritating because of their stories?

No? Well, I have. And I love to collect these stories. [Even the asocial-inner-self in me likes to listen to a good story, especially when it is told to be entertaining and full of drama!]

 

So you'll now understand if I say that a good story is all that matters, no?

And as we go about life, doing the things we gotta do to live this life, meeting the people we gotta meet to be get by in this life, we collect stories. And retell them, when we think of that person, either with great fondness or with utmost scoff!

Like how as kids, we'd all crowd around that one favorite uncle of ours, who could tell a very normal incident like its the most important story of the year, we all like to hang out with people who have the art of articulating a good story.

So either you are shocked when I tell you about that friend of mine who has resorted to eating Iodex with bread to get high for a low cost, or how you hear with despair the conditions in North Korea or how you break into gregarious laughter at a retelling of how someone ate meat thinking it is a vegetable... all you are doing is filing that story in your mind, and enjoying it, for what it is! No? :)

 

[Did you lose the plot as you read on? Don't worry, even I lost it. But I wrote it for the joy of writing, and for the love of a good story! :-) ]
[Post inspired by what Caitlin Moran says in this post]