“Time is Short” – Light From Many Lamps Assignment 3

I loved your willingness and courage to write an honest, gut wrenching blogpost about regret and loss. It is through the sharing of stories like these that we all grow the most.

Your post got me thinking about all of the people that we meet and talk to throughout the course of each day. How well do we actually know the people that we converse with?  Are we attempting to get to know people beyond a superficial level? The question can also be flipped as well… if someone asks you,  “How are you?”, would you ever reply “Not well” or would you give the standard “Good thanks and you?” no matter how badly you are feeling?  To whom would you reply honestly and why?  What does this say about us and humanity in general?

Everyone we meet has a story. It doesn’t matter how old or how young someone is. Our stories help define and shape who we are.  By sharing stories, we learn to empathize with others and learn things that we didn’t know or appreciate before. Storytelling is big in my class! One of the things that I do with my students involves creating a Lyric Wheel where we analyze the lyrics of a song and find meaning and symbolism within in our own lives. The following lyrics are ones that have generated tremendous discussion within the classroom. Here are excerpts from  Brandi Carlisle’s  song entitled ‘The Story’…

The Story

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I’ve been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don’t mean anything
When you’ve got no one to tell them to…..

You see the smile that’s on my mouth
It’s hiding the words that don’t come out
And all of my friends who think that I’m blessed
They don’t know my head is a mess
No, they don’t know who I really am
And they don’t know what
I’ve been through like you do….

I especially like the message behind these lyrics and it is a good lesson for students to better understand another person’s perspective and that sometimes life isn’t always how it might appear for others. Everyone needs someone to tell their stories to, otherwise “these stories don’t mean anything”.

Granted, it can be extremely difficult for people to open up and share their stories. It takes courage and a willingness to be vulnerable. However, stories enable people to connect, grow and learn as they relate to the storyteller. Stories are the building blocks of humanity. Whether through the stories shared in the book Light From Many Lamps or the stories shared on our class blogs, all stories enable us to become better human beings.

I am humbled, blessed and grateful that you shared your story with us. Thank you.

 

After I responded to your post, I noticed that Brene Brown had posted this on her Instagram wall.  I thought it was totally applicable… she stated that, “Everyone has a story that will break your heart. And if you’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring you to your knees“.

Brene Brown Instagram