The telling

How many people tell us stories? Some people never listen. They have none for themselves. Every morning while I walk to the bus stop I am past by a thousand cars or more. All of them have stories for every person who ever touched that car. I wonder what those stories are. Sometimes I make up quick stories while walking through the grass beside the road. It is never the same story twice. Every time it is the wrong story I suppose. What difference does that make? It is just a story.

When telling a story It really helps out the listener if there is a point. There are all these rules. Stay focused or you will loose your listener. Stay on topic, the less random information the better. Don't give up the plot too quickly. Hint and bring it home. Try to keep the facts and fiction straight. When you embellish, go lightly.

How many times have I had to sit through an anecdote fighting my eyes rolling. I've heard the same joke over and over. Where do people get the skill to tell a good joke or anecdote? Surely it comes from reading and chatting with others. Practice must be the answer.

Today at lunch I added one sentence to an ongoing conversation about a documentary that I had never seen. it was the regurgitation of a fact that I had in my brain somewhere. That is not a good telling of a story.

Once in a while I find a master. My grandfather was a master at telling a story. He told good jokes as well. He was not a good man. That just made his stories a bit more interesting. He didn't tell his stories often. He did repeat most of them toward the end of his life. That is about par for the course. He told stories of flying planes in WWII. He was  also on ships in WWII. I bet my father could tell me some stories about them man that would curl my mustaches.

My father is a good story teller too. He doesn't over indulge. He is a good salesman.

Adam is a good story teller, but he is better at fiction than reality. Not sure what that means. I've been listening to him for so many years that I can tell when he is full of shit and that doesn't make for good listening. It is better to be in the dark for entertainment purposes.

I am the worse of all. I spew facts in order of importance. I don't tell a story properly. I cannot lie to save my sole. I cannot bluff my way out of a paper bag. I'm no good at wooing women and I'm a bad communicator of emotion in general. You would think that I would not have a blog or Twitter feed, but I do. I've even had a few compliments. Most of the atta-boy's are from friends and family.

There are a hundred people in my life who I feel have never told me a story. That is a shame. I would love to hear them. Why is it awkward to ask someone for a story? villages uses to have story tellers. With the advent of the internet, you would think that the planet would be running over with people trying desperately to tell a story. Most of them just want to complain. I shouldn't complain.