Many many years ago there was a young boy who loved to look at the stars. He would look up astronomy books, trace, and keep track of traveling stars through the skies. Because he lived near the mountains and away from the big city, it was easy for him to go hiking or sit outside of his house at night and look at even the dim ones, that not many city-folk got to see.
When he grew older and as a young man he left his home to travel across the world. He found himself again in a remote area, but this time among island-folk.Through getting to know them, he also learned of their history, their culture, but most importantly their stories. The people told wondrous stories of how their ancestors used the stars to navigate the seas, and even go up into the sky. Over time, and through laboring service, he learned to have a deep love for these people. He wanted to share the stories he had learned from older generations, to the younger generations.He wanted to take the principles of these stories to teach both his own children, and teach others how to apply the principles into their own lives.
And this is just what he did.
When he eventually returned home, he taught these forgotten stories to the island-folk's relatives; he told stories in prisons, he told stories to school-children, and he told stories to all who were willing to listen. He studied and learned more stories, recited, memorized and told them to even more people. When he had children of his own, he would take them out on clear nights under the sky and tell them the ancient stories he had learned, from loving the people of the islands.
I am grateful to admit that I know this story teller, and have now taken the time to tell his story.
Why are stories important? What do they teach us?
-They teach us about people's lives, cultures, principles and experiences.
By learning about other people we can learn to love them
By learning about principles, then we can become more deeply rooted in principles.
And by learning of other's experiences, we too can take those and apply/use them in our own lives.
Stories shape and form us. Teach us how to live, teach us how to get through the hard parts of life, teach us emotion; passion, love, Charity.
I'm forever grateful for the lesson of this story-teller. He taught me about the stars, about serving others, about Charity. From recited stories, to read books, it doesn't matter the type or source of the story... all have lessons; all have potential to principles learned. He read stories from books like Les Miserables, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, and many more...
He never missed up an opportunity to tell a story. From sea-faring adventures, to cowboys, to pirates and stories of ancient peoples... The truth is, I've learned to live because of stories and now will admit that this is how I personally choose to share Charitable love: by telling my own stories and sharing the lessons I've learned---for the sole purpose that maybe someone else can benefit. That's why we have stories, and that is why they are so significantly important: they shape our lives, and teach us how to live. I am again, forever grateful to my favorite story-teller: my dad.
When he grew older and as a young man he left his home to travel across the world. He found himself again in a remote area, but this time among island-folk.Through getting to know them, he also learned of their history, their culture, but most importantly their stories. The people told wondrous stories of how their ancestors used the stars to navigate the seas, and even go up into the sky. Over time, and through laboring service, he learned to have a deep love for these people. He wanted to share the stories he had learned from older generations, to the younger generations.He wanted to take the principles of these stories to teach both his own children, and teach others how to apply the principles into their own lives.
And this is just what he did.
When he eventually returned home, he taught these forgotten stories to the island-folk's relatives; he told stories in prisons, he told stories to school-children, and he told stories to all who were willing to listen. He studied and learned more stories, recited, memorized and told them to even more people. When he had children of his own, he would take them out on clear nights under the sky and tell them the ancient stories he had learned, from loving the people of the islands.
I am grateful to admit that I know this story teller, and have now taken the time to tell his story.
Why are stories important? What do they teach us?
-They teach us about people's lives, cultures, principles and experiences.
By learning about other people we can learn to love them
By learning about principles, then we can become more deeply rooted in principles.
And by learning of other's experiences, we too can take those and apply/use them in our own lives.
Stories shape and form us. Teach us how to live, teach us how to get through the hard parts of life, teach us emotion; passion, love, Charity.
I'm forever grateful for the lesson of this story-teller. He taught me about the stars, about serving others, about Charity. From recited stories, to read books, it doesn't matter the type or source of the story... all have lessons; all have potential to principles learned. He read stories from books like Les Miserables, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings, and many more...
He never missed up an opportunity to tell a story. From sea-faring adventures, to cowboys, to pirates and stories of ancient peoples... The truth is, I've learned to live because of stories and now will admit that this is how I personally choose to share Charitable love: by telling my own stories and sharing the lessons I've learned---for the sole purpose that maybe someone else can benefit. That's why we have stories, and that is why they are so significantly important: they shape our lives, and teach us how to live. I am again, forever grateful to my favorite story-teller: my dad.
This picture was taken during his trip to the Marquesas Islands
December 2009. Her name is Vaeheana.
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