Stories

What ever happened to the days when life was slower, simpler, and maybe even sweeter? You know the days that Hollywood has often romantacized, when most people lived off the land. The days of "family, forestry and pulling horses."

But is what I just described really the truth?
Is the reality that is often times romantacized truly a result of reality or is it "reality drawn from fiction?" As Berry was once told, "there's no use in telling a pretty good story when you can tell a really good story?" Some may gasp at reading this statement, but is it not the truth? Think of the fish tales in one's own life-how many times has our fish grown, maybe by just a couple of inches, or by several feet? One might yell "Lies! All lies!" but by telling the really good story, doesn't one still learn something? The storyteller aknowledges human limits and a human power and the listerner(s) hear a more telling/moving/inspiring [insert other appropriate synonym here].

Berry admits that many of his own stories start from a real event, but then evolve into a great story that in the end can only be labeled as fiction. If we get so tied down in the facts and researching what really happened don't we miss the point of it all. It's like looking at a painting and only focusing on how this line could be clearer, that smudge should really be a shade darker and missing the beauty of the painting that is staring you in the face-the wonder of it all.

I'm not saying ignore the truth, but allow yourself to listen to the story.