Writing Their Story.
- Stephanie Ann
- May 1, 2017
- 3 min read
It has come to my attention that writing my own story has been the easiest writing task and that writing someone else's story is like attempting to enter another world. So I ask myself, what is the best way to tell someone's story? Should they write it themselves, should I enter their shoes, or should it be from my perspective? Our perspective? I wouldn't necessarily want my advocates to turn storytelling into a job though, therefore I'd love to keep this as enjoyable and therapeutic as possible. That means we continue to do the writing. But the question remains, what perspective do we tell it?
So I've decided that the best way to write someone else's story is in such a way that we honor them for who they are. It would be from the listener's perspective, lest we give inaccurate feelings with the latter. It's a way to put a spotlight on their life whilst they can remain in their humble spirit. This sets a completely new tone on the idea of sharing life stories. When I think about someone else sharing me to the world, it seems foreign and unthinkable. But yet if we were only responsible to share ourselves, no one would be quite interested at all times because naturally we're most interested in hearing about ourselves. Ask someone their favorite memory and they'll easily engage in conversation; ask someone to listen to you about your favorite memories and depending on their personality, they may hesitate.
Mind you, I do understand that there is a quite vast mixture of personalities in the sea of humankind and it's incredibly impossible to please all types. But no matter how shy someone may be about talking about themselves, I am convinced that there is still a human nature piece in all of us that is genuinely pleased to know someone else is interested in our existence. That being said, I have it in me to promote the act of listening to others and sharing others. I do not believe--and refuse to believe--that we were put on this earth to only care about ourselves, to only take care of ourselves, and to only lift our own spirits up. What good is that going to do?
Welcome to this journey if you choose to join along. We'll be like a family of people who listen to the cries of others, the victories after difficulties, and the struggles many of us still face. And we will care to lift each other up like we're all celebrities to each other without the negative pride. There will be moments when we fail, moments when we succeed, and moments when nothing makes sense. But we'll have each other and what more do you need? Empathy is a powerful asset to have and if you have it, don't waste it.
In conclusion, I am excited to be leading such an incredible group of people. We may still be growing and we're definitely not where we hope to be. But we're not giving up and I'm thankful for my co-founders. On another note, I've questioned whether I should start a blog post via our website host or via Blogger. I'm eager to share these stories, so I suppose whichever platform works effectively is fine by me.
May you find comfort in the stories of our advocates and be inspired by the art of expression. You are valuable, you are significant, and you are worth listening to. Someone out there needs to hear your story and we're here to tell it.
Yours Truly,
Stephanie Ann
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