Friday, April 06, 2007

Tell me a story


Grandma's Scrapbook Page 6
Originally uploaded by m0smith.
My youngest will say "Daddy, tell me a story". One of my favorites goes like this:

Once upon a time there was a girl named [insert child's name].

Daddy! No, it is Golidlocks.

Oh yes, Goldilocks.

and there were three bears. The mama bear cooks dinner but it is too hot so they go for a walk in the woods

la la la

[insert daughter's name] smells the food and goes into the house.

Daddy!!!

oh right, Goldilocks.

She tries the first bowl, too hot.
She tries the second bowl, too cold.
She tries the third bowl, and it s just right so she ate it all gone [make rude eating noises]

Then she wanted to sit down so
she tried the first chair, but it was too high.
she tried the second chair, but it was too low.
she tried the third chair, and it was just right ... but she broke it [crash]

The she was tired and
she tried the first bed, but it was too hard.
she tried the second bed, but it was too soft.
she tried the third bed, and it was just right ... so she went to sleep

[snoring noises]

Then the bears came home

Someone has been eating my food
Someone has been eating my food
Someone has been eating my food and its all gone

Someone has been sitting on my chair
Someone has been sitting on my chair
Someone has been sitting on my chair and they broke it [boo hoo]

Someone has been sleeping in my bead
Someone has been sleeping in my bead
Someone has been sleeping in my bead and they she is!

So the bears ate her. The end.

Daddy!!!!

Stories are very important in human relationships. We tell stories to entertain, to teach and to inspire. Many cultures have maintained their history through stories called "oral traditions". Children are taught the stories of their ancestors by their parents. These stories give them a link with their culture.

Today, personal and family stories are being replaced by pop cultural entertainment: TV, video games, and movies. Through current technology, we are able to share in a global story. Movies, video games and TV can entertain, inspire and teach. But they are not personal.

While the media can tell a great story, it is important to keep our own oral traditions alive. The children love to hear stories of themselves, of their parents and their grandparents. Even though the story may not be as flashy as a movie, it is fun and important to hear. They love to hear the same stories repeated and play "Remember when".

Also, me and my sweetheart learn more about each other through these stories. Even after almost 2 decades of marriage, I still am learning things about my wife. It is a lot of fun.

Here is what you can do:
* Gather oral traditions for your family by asking you parents and grandparents about their childhood
* Make time to tell stories, like bedtime stories. Include your oral tradition some of the time
* Use vacation and other travel time to share your family stories

Do not worry that you are not a good story teller. It just takes a little practice and you will have a wonderful audience.

What's your story?

3 comments:

Bungz said...

I am not married or i dont have children yet. But i agree that it is important to keep the traditions alive. It is a pity that many of the children here are growing up on stories that are not their own... I hope to tell stories when my kids come around.

Nice blog. Will visit again.

Matthew O. Smith said...

Thanks Bunji. Stories are the way people really share. It would be great to learn your families stories now, because when people pass on, their story, if not told, goes with them.

Suzanne said...

I hope I can remember that story when my Peanut gets older :)
As for oral tradition, I'm lucky that my husband and I were both filled with that in our homes and will pass it down.