Why Stories?

By way of introduction...

Our brains need stories. They do. It’s why we stop in our tracks when someone says, “Once upon a time…” or “Don’t repeat this but …” or “You won’t believe this happened!” It’s why we look for song lyrics to the piece that has moved us to tears. Same thing with bingewatching “just one more” or falling asleep with the book (or Kindle), only to wake with the lights on at 3 a.m.

We need stories to make sense of things, to escape, to feel, to believe, to love, to be somebody.

So many great stories have crossed my path or been told to me since I was a little kid—in books, in talking to people, in movies and songs. I’ve always noticed them, and they crowd into the front of the line when people start telling stories.

And yes, I do believe that everyone has a story and they yearn to be told! I’ve spent a good part of my career helping people tell their stories to a bigger audience than just the d…