Sunday, October 20, 2013

Fantastic Stories and Where to Find Them

For the longest time I believed that stories belong to those who love them. Therefore, they must be widely shared in order to find satisfaction in them.  Our stories often fall out of our mouths like leaking faucets- it's hard to control when then next drop of information will come spilling out.

 I confess that I treat my stories the same way regardless of their apparent quality. In the same way that some weeks are better than others, some stories clearly reign superior. In a obvious ranking system, stories about heartbreak become upper tier against tales of grocery shopping. This doesn't mean, mundane memories should be abandoned in search of the holy grail of adventure stories.

Therefore, I have devised a personal ranking and organizational system for my stories:

Quiet adventure stories should be replayed at the end of days when it's really cold out and you miss the sun. They can also be shared with parents over the phone or when they come to visit. Mind you, they should not be shared with parents if they involve questionable actions (but most quiet adventures don't). These stories may include finding and testing new places for brunch, seeing cute animals, and/or buying thrifted sweaters at bargain prices.

Not-so-quiet adventure stories should be shared with close friends only. These stories will assure them that you really are out there living your life regardless of how many times you tweet about making tea and watching French movies on Netflix.

General interest stories are essential to character development so share them only when making new friends or the topic is brought up by someone else other than yourself. Mention them in any other circumstances and you will probably be repeating yourself. That would be embarrassing. These stories can include the background information to your favorite scars or your favorite episodes of British game shows.

The saddest stories in your collection should teach you important things about yourself. They can be shared in times of woeful commiseration but never dwell on them. These stories do not make you, you are so much more than that.

Personal favorites are always relevant and don't let anyone tell you any differently. The time you kissed a boy in a reconstructed Egyptian tomb or the time you saw the Grand Canyon by helicopter are always going to be awesome. Tell people these stories so often that they are reminded of their grandparents in the way that they too never stop talking about the good old days.

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