Are Videos Killing The Story Teller? Pics Or It Didn't Happen
When I was young and impressionable, I was privileged to be surrounded by storytellers. Stories from my family, especially my Grandpa Leo.
He had tales that would make my head spin and in general, make me laugh. Like the story where he and his friends visited the Courthouse late one night and filled the cannon with dirty laundry and fired the apparel toward the Knox College girls dormitory. A few open windows were visited by socks and underwear.
Sure, now as I hit the rewind button in my mind to replay the story, my impressionability gives way to logic and reason. I have to question a few things - such as the law of physics in firing clothes from a cannon salvaged from the Spanish-American War. Seriously?
But then again, maybe it did happen. Or maybe a small fraction of it is true. After all, they say within every lie is a grain of truth.
Grandpa Leo also told a story concerning an Uncle who owned a very intelligent dog.
With a word, this dog could be commanded to run into town and fetch the mail and other sundry items and bring them home.
Again, maybe it did happen. Maybe it's a Tall Tale.
I think with every story we hear from a friend or family member, we allow for a little embellishment. Especially, stories that have been handed down through time. An incident that happened to a great great grandfather is going to change slightly as it's retold over generations. Each person will add or subtract slightly from the truth. Our imaginations can't help but do rewrites.
The bottom line is that stories from the past are free to change and improve with each telling because we have no real way to validate or question their authenticity. All the parties concerned are no longer around. There is no written record or at the time, photographic evidence. It's just a story. A memory. There's no video on Youtube for all the world to see.
And this brings me to the current generation. If I gather some friends and sneak down the Courthouse and load up an old cannon with dirty laundry, someone will have a camcorder or take pictures or video with their phone. An intelligent dog that picks up mail would probably go viral online. There is no need to pass down your stories to the next generation because you can show it to them with videos. Anyone can check out the photos on your Facebook.
Is this a sad state of affairs? I don't know, I think it depends on how you look at it. It certainly does diminish the art of storytelling and certainly, destroys any chance of embellishment (yes, it keeps stories honest but also keeps them fat-free of imagination.)
I could say we are living in the world of "Show don't tell" and to me, that is a tad sad because I had a great relationship with my grandpa and others who told me stories. I became involved and it provided quality time.
Camping out in the woods and sitting around the campfire telling scary stories - what's next? Sitting around the campfire passing the iPhone to watch ghost videos on Youtube? Seriously?
I believe, telling stories from the past will never die away because it's too much a part of our human nature. Time will still be spent interacting with relatives and friends and conversations will begin with "Let me tell you about the time your Aunt Helen.."
I'm not fatalistic about the death of imagination and creativity. I think technology, on one hand, provides accessories for storytelling and on the other hand can put a dent in old fashion storytelling. But I don't believe it will obliterate the art form. I mean, even if it did, someone will have to tell the story of how that happened.
My stories
Sure, now as I hit the rewind button in my mind to replay the story, my impressionability gives way to logic and reason. I have to question a few things - such as the law of physics in firing clothes from a cannon salvaged from the Spanish-American War. Seriously?
But then again, maybe it did happen. Or maybe a small fraction of it is true. After all, they say within every lie is a grain of truth.
Grandpa Leo also told a story concerning an Uncle who owned a very intelligent dog.
Again, maybe it did happen. Maybe it's a Tall Tale.
I think with every story we hear from a friend or family member, we allow for a little embellishment. Especially, stories that have been handed down through time. An incident that happened to a great great grandfather is going to change slightly as it's retold over generations. Each person will add or subtract slightly from the truth. Our imaginations can't help but do rewrites.
The bottom line is that stories from the past are free to change and improve with each telling because we have no real way to validate or question their authenticity. All the parties concerned are no longer around. There is no written record or at the time, photographic evidence. It's just a story. A memory. There's no video on Youtube for all the world to see.
And this brings me to the current generation. If I gather some friends and sneak down the Courthouse and load up an old cannon with dirty laundry, someone will have a camcorder or take pictures or video with their phone. An intelligent dog that picks up mail would probably go viral online. There is no need to pass down your stories to the next generation because you can show it to them with videos. Anyone can check out the photos on your Facebook.
I could say we are living in the world of "Show don't tell" and to me, that is a tad sad because I had a great relationship with my grandpa and others who told me stories. I became involved and it provided quality time.
Camping out in the woods and sitting around the campfire telling scary stories - what's next? Sitting around the campfire passing the iPhone to watch ghost videos on Youtube? Seriously?
I believe, telling stories from the past will never die away because it's too much a part of our human nature. Time will still be spent interacting with relatives and friends and conversations will begin with "Let me tell you about the time your Aunt Helen.."
I'm not fatalistic about the death of imagination and creativity. I think technology, on one hand, provides accessories for storytelling and on the other hand can put a dent in old fashion storytelling. But I don't believe it will obliterate the art form. I mean, even if it did, someone will have to tell the story of how that happened.
My stories
