Why is storytelling so important?

Do you remember growing up being invited to sit on an itchy carpet or snuggle down in your bed before hearing the words… ‘are you sitting comfortably, then I shall begin”.

Maybe thats my priviledge talking or the fact I grew up in a family that loved books and stories.

One side of my family loved ‘the good book” or the New Testament — it was quoted often, along with little stories about water into wine, Moses floating down the river in a basket, during our Sunshine Corner sessions; the other side of the family loved sharing gossip and stories about the people surrounding them, ‘do you know Janet… well you’ll never guess”…

As a young girl my escape was books — fantasy novels, magical creatures, mystery and the fairytale I hoped life would one day become.

I devoured Enid Blyton often bringing to life the famous five in our imagination games; I must have been 11 or 12 around then. Then as I got older I graduated to Sweet Valley High, Judy Blume and eventually Jilly Cooper. I remember sitting in my home room opening a friends mum’s copy of Riders and us giggling to see which pages it naturally fell too… and finding all the ‘saucy” bits god I love that word… ‘Saucy”…

Anyway what I am realising as I am writing this is the stories I told myself about the world was deeply connected to how I was brought up, and the stories (and films) I consumed.

Storytelling is the one thing that connects us.

Whether that is sharing stories about others, or consuming other peoples perception of the world. Stories, films and books, is a fundamental part of learning about life in an engaging and expansive way (sorry Duolingo — books and films where here way before gamification).

And I have been drawn here to share some of mine.

I know that not everyone is built to share, and some may never go as deep and wide, some may never let go of their stories because they keep them safe.

But what I have come to realise is sharing stories from a true place of vulnerability, of service, so that others may not feel as alone, that breeds love and compassion in a world that is disconnected, discombobulated and often so very fake.