I Love To Tell the Story

A friend and I have discovered that we both enjoy being read to, and reading to others. For me it’s a throw back to my childhood. Both my parents read to my sister and me, although my dad took the lion’s share. He was marvelous at it. Each character had its own voice and leaped of the page. My imagination leaped with them and I firmly wrapped myself in the tale, even it was safely watching the action from behind my invisible shield.

As I grew older, Dad’s nightly readings were replaced by serialized radio drama. I couldn’t get enough of them to be honest. I’m also an avid movie fan. However, movies give me the director’s interpretation of events. Radio dramas allow me to paint the scenes, design the costumes. Actors become the characters in the plot. It's interesting that taking away one of our senses can add such depth and layers. Radio dramas aren't always easy to find in the States these days. NPR occasionally has some. Thankfully, there’s the BBC’sRadio 4 Extra on the Internet to satisfy my craving. And now I've found a friend who enjoys it also. My cup runneth over!

And finally, a random thought: I do hope that all parents read to or spin yarns for their children – although if done just at bedtime, the child might develop a nasty habit of falling asleep when confronted with any reading material! But just as important, I hope that parents encourage offspring to tell their own stories. What freedom, what a stirring of young imaginations. What a great beginning to set the creative juices flowing! When my younger niece was around 3, she would begin a story at breakfast and continue its creation and telling throughout the day. Anything she encountered in her journey may have been included and we, the “hearers of the word” need not comment but simply enjoy the commentary. What a delight! And to this day, she writes beautifully.