Thursday, February 27, 2014

Story Telling on a Less Traveled Road




These two captions are the most frequent quotes about great stories.  I love stories.

In Music I like ballads and simple stories.  That used to be available in Rock Music when Springsteen sings "Glory Days" or Chuck Berry singing about a race between a Cadillac and a V8 Ford.  It was the Beatles singing, "Lady Madonna" or Brad Paisley singing "The Fishing Song".

I gravitated to Country because Rock stopped telling stories.  As a matter of fact my favorite music acts are all story tellers:  Beatles, Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, Paul Thorn, Todd Snider and Willie Nelson.

AND MANY OTHERS.

When I go to the movies, I go for the story.  That's why the first movie in a series is the best. It is the original. (Ex: The Godfather).  Critics grade movies down because they want to see something they have never seen (which by the way is the definition of porn).  They want better effects, shocking dialogue, more nudity, more chases, inventive chases, inventive dialogue, inventive sex.  Me, I want a good story.

I like to read.  I am not good with how-to books. I want the story.  Give me a biography or fiction just give me a great story. Give me the Bible, Hairy Potter, Jack Reacher, etc. or give me Unbroken,  Mark Twain, Bill Bryson,  Malcom Gladwell or something like that.

At church when I have the opportunity to conduct an adult class, I leave the subjects like spiritual disciplines, the concept of faith, or what are the 20 words for GOD to experts.  I tell stories- pure and simple.  Bible stories and stories about My silly life.   They are real.  They are today.  They are NOT theory.  Most of my church family do not care for my "teaching".  They, like the movie critics, are looking for the next big thing.  I would rather  think of the Story of David or the Story of Jonah so I can think, "There is hope for me."   The best example, of course, is Jesus.  He told the people stories because their little brains could not begin to understand what HE knew.  Jesus is the standard.

I have now gotten hooked on several strong and stout TV dramas.  None are for the weak at heart and none are how-to's for my life.  BUT WOW!  What great Stories.  I am talking: House of Cards, Justified, Breaking Bad, Homeland, The Americans, and Downton Abbey.  Great Stories all.

Great stories, Yes Please
 

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