Significance of Story
I ain't no storyteller nor writer. I know that and you know that. But I am always fascinated by stories because in my view, life is full of stories. A person's life or a nation's fate is nothing but a narrative. Some narratives are heroic; others unbearingly banal; still others tragic. It's up to us to shape our own stories, our own destinies. An appeal to "higher" Authority is only a stop-gap measure to calm the nerves. We all know that. Any half-intelligent human would know that, if he is really honest with himself.
Humans always know the importance of stories over dry exhortations. Religious teachings consist of many good (with plural meanings) stories. As Flannery O'Connor once said, a story really isn't any good unless it successfully resists paraphrase, unless it hangs on and expands in the mind.
The current crisis in Vietnam is an excruciatingly painful albeit fascinating story. It is unfolding, taking place right in front of our eyes. Every week there are new developments, new twists of ironies and obscenities.
How we respond to this story tells us, never mind the others, of who we really are.
We must ask ourselves if the story hangs on and expands in our mind to the point we are not at peace unless we do something to affect the outcome of the story. On the other hand, we could go on blithely with our own lives and convince ourselves that we are "decent", "caring", "nice", "sensitive" human beings.
Wissai
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