“That reminds me of a story…”

Don’t you always perk up when you hear that?

We are storytelling creatures.  Not only do we love telling stories, but we love to hear them too.  When I think of favorite storytelling moments in my life here’s what I remember…

Gary Brusca.  My favorite teacher in college. He was a terrific scientist and a wonderful educator but it was only much later in life that I realized those skills  of his were linked to his storytelling talents.  It was like he couldn’t help himself in lecture, he would fall into stories about the creatures and environments under study.  My notes, like his lectures, were spiced with anecdotes, sketches, and beginning, middle and end markers.

Bathtime. When our two boys were little, they took baths together and evening bath time became the perfect venue for storytelling. I would perch next to them on the closed toilet and launch into the latest exploits of two sisters – Nita and Rita.  Those two girls got into so much trouble – skinned knees, crazy adventures, intense arguments and wild exploits.  Funnily enough, Nita and Rita’s adventures ran on a parallel track to the adventures of the two bath boys. It became this wonderful way to go over their day, put it all in perspective, and tell each other it was alright.  How many nights the bath water grew cold while we sat there together.

Wind in the Willows

Wind in the Willows. My Dad, reading Wind in Willows (by Kenneth Grahame) to me, long before I was probably old enough to really follow the meandering details of life on the river….Ratty, Mr. Toad, and Badger.  I loved them all and would beg him to keep reading.