By Shreya Biswas
I am a storyteller…. so without going into theories and research let me share an experience with you.
I had been telling stories to a group of 10/12 year old children. They live in a hostel away from their parents.
One day I told them a story of overcoming one’s fear. Stories always open up an easy stream of discussions. We started sharing our personal inhibitions and fears. I shared with them my personal story of how I was very scared of dogs as a child and how with the help of a friend I learned to overcome it.
“You are also scared Ma’am …!!!
“Well, when Ma’am can be scared of something, there’s nothing wrong with kids.. right?
Soon all of them were eager to share their fears and inhibitions.
There were the usual stories of being scared of ghosts and cockroaches, lions and spiders, homework and strict teachers, exams and fear of public speaking, so on and so forth.
One story had opened up a floodgate and there was so much to tell, well they were not alone now.
Amidst peals of laughter the inhibition of sharing the innermost fear with a grown up soon floated away and they started figuring out how they could face their fears and overcome them. They are not easy solutions, but everything is definitely worth a try.
Then I noticed a girl who was listening quietly. “What about you? “ I asked.
She seemed shy and embarrassed to share. Some of her friends came to her help…” She is very scared at night, could not go to sleep. I called her and gently spoke to her. After some encouragement she spoke and I realized that she is a new student … she is scared of the dark. Her bed is in one corner of the room and after the lights are out she feels scared. It has been going on the entire term and she is too embarrassed to tell her teachers and hostel wardens. I assured her and spoke to the authorities. A little change in the position of her bed and a night lamp has sorted out her problem. She feels safe and happy with two friends by either side and sleeps well at night.
A story session has helped a young girl immensely. It has also brought together friends to help each other.
This is what stories do. It is not the moral of the story but a lot more. We share, care and bond through stories. We learn that we are not alone in our fears and troubles and together we can solve it. Stories help to heal, stories help to bond, and stories make us sensitive towards others and the environment.
That is why stories are an integral part of human existence … so much so that we tell stories without even realizing what we are doing.
No wonder it is said that- “The world is made of stories not atoms…”
