Story telling is as old as the mountains and valleys.
Our ancestors, of every nation and culture, have always told stories to give a certain message, normally a moral or ethical one.
Although telling stories has often been a source of entertainment and laughter, the main aim of these stories has been to give a moral lesson to listeners. We like to hear stories. We pay special attention when a speaker says: “I have a story.” Even those listeners who were paying little attention, or who were dosing off when someone is speaking, will come alive when a story is about to be told.
A good story awakens the body, alerts the mind and inspires the spirit. It seasons speech, draws unusual attention and enlivens the speaker. I grew up in a culture where story telling was part and parcel of everyday living. Our parents and grandparents told stories to children and young adults, they told stories when attention was waning and told stories as a method of raising children.
I once had the privilege of doing a study on why my ancestors told stories and found out that they had three reasons for doing so. First, our ancestors knew that a good story exploits the power of the word. Words are powerful. Words can castigate, cut and curse. Words can encourage and bless. They also inspire, energize and humanize. Every storyteller has, at that moment, the unparalleled opportunity to use words in a way that will move her or his listeners in profound ways.
The second reason is that, in essence, story telling creates a teachable moment, because in that time span, a person’s attention is heightened and one’s mind and spirit are ready to be touched. These heightened modes of presence create in the listener the desire to see meanings beyond the ordinary expressions of life.
The third reason that makes storytelling effective is that stories can refer to people without being personal. When we tell stories about the cheating rabbit and the selfish fox, we are indeed talking about people, not animals. In this way, stories can critique human behavior without raising a fight.
It is the purpose of this article to awaken in you, the reader, the love and admiration for stories and encourage you to tell good stories to your children and grandchildren. When is the last time you told a good story to your daughter or son?
Prof. Raymond S. Mosha
(+255) 769 417 886; mosha@depaul.edu
